Halftime Adjustment #2: Behaviors
The second factor a football coach will consider at halftime is the behaviors of their team and the opponent. Was the running game or passing game more effective? How has the opponent’s special teams impacted the game? Are the offensive and defensive lines blocking effectively or are they the proverbial sieve?
As any competent job interviewer has learned, anyone can talk a good game. The difference comes in the form of behaviors. One can say they are experts at solution selling or social media marketing. But what behaviors have they demonstrated in the past to prove it? After all, the saying is “Actions speak louder than words.”
The second thing to consider at halftime of your business year is the group’s behaviors. What actions have the most successful sales people taken that can be shared with others as best practices? How did marketing’s pilot program linking the direct mail campaign, email blast and follow-up call from inside sales work? It’s also important to assess the behaviors of competitors. Why did they lower prices in the Northeast region to a breakeven level? How are their business development people gaining access to hard- to-see decision makers?
Perhaps most important and often overlooked, what can we learn from customer’s behaviors? Are they using more or less of our products? How are they most commonly accessing customer service: phone, internet or sales person? What aspects of our offerings are they willing to pay a premium for? Why have some left?