In a famous quote, Lew Platt, former CEO of Hewlett-Packard, said “If only HP knew what HP knows, we would be three-times more productive.”
He meant, of course, that HP employees individually and in small teams had critical knowledge of the enterprise, the customers, and the market: research and development, processes, procedures, manufacturing, quality control, and so on. And all of this knowledge is of great value in the sales and business development processes as well as in R&D and customer service.
But this priceless individual knowledge wasn’t known collectively, so that it could not be brought to bear on each new issue, problem, or opportunity. Everything took longer than it should have because critical knowledge wasn't shared deliberately throughout the enterprise.
Surprisingly, this problem may be even more acute in smaller companies.
I just finished working with a small business team preparing a very significant proposal in response to a federal government RFP. This is a very successful company with significant technical expertise in their field, a track record of great success, and very apparent management excellence.
Yet, as we tried to put "into words" HOW they do what they do, they were stymied. They are so accustomed to doing it, it does not occur to them to explain, or to write down the steps, or--in essence--to capture the knowledge.
In fact, they almost think that to explain it step-by-step would be boring and insulting to the reader. "Doesn't everyone know how we would approach this? After all, it's just common sense."
No matter how small you are, or where you are in the development of explicit processes, I encourage you to be certain that everyone in your company "knows what you company knows."
Whenever your team is selling, whether face-to-face or through an RFP, you can use explicit processes to your great advantage in going up against larger competitors, who are more likely to have well-crafted process materials.
And that means paying some special attention to documenting and sharing "how we do it here." Your proposals will get better; they will get easier; and you company's knowledge base will explode.
Do you have an example to share about "knowing what you know?" If so, please post it below.
Rosemary Brehm and Brian Zaas are teaming up to launch Whale Hunters Chapters in the Tampa area. Their first chapter will begin in early April.
Here's how you can learn more.
They are hosting an Intro to Whale Hunting at 12:00 - 1:00 pm. This is a free event with light refreshments served. You can register for this event here: Open Registration--Free Event
Later in the same day you are invited to cocktails and hors d'oeuves at Capital Grille from 4:30-5:30 pm. This event requires a $30 registration fee for food and beverages. You can register here: Open Registration
Rosemary Brehm, president of turningpoints2results, is an entrepreneur and expert in helping organizations accelerate their potential into profitable results by focusing on five key shifts in their businesses: strategic business performance; leadership alignment; team dynamics; customer intimacy, and competitive positioning. In addition to her consulting services, Rosemary is certified as a Professional Facilitator (CPF) through the International Association of Facilitators.
Rosemary was founding Chair of the Tampa Bay Women President’s Organization and served that group from 2003-2009. She is a member of the International Association of Facilitators; the Senior HRD Forum; ASTD; and the Organizational Development SIG. She holds a Certificate in Training and Development from New York University and a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree from the State University of New York at Geneseo.
With over 22 years of experience in leading business development and sales efforts for Technology, Software, and Outsourcing solutions, Brian Zaas has a background in business operations optimization, systems integration, custom application development and technology leadership. He has been responsible for driving global business development and professional service efforts for leading Fortune 500 corporations including Fujitsu, CA, and MCI-Worldcom as well as start-up growth for Pilgrim Software, Best Programs Telcordia, and most recently is leading efforts for Enterprise Solutions with Avineon.
He has led strategic and innovative solution areas for Fortune 500 and emerging growth customers in need of IT, technology, outsourcing and the infrastructure management. Brian has also consulted with market leaders across a number of industries on leadership, pipeline development, innovation, and sales in new product development and market penetration focusing on large, complex deals.
The Whale Hunters are proud to introduce these new Certified Whale Hunters Patners who will provide services to the Tampa business community.
Would you like to join our team?
The Whale Hunters needs Chapter Chairs in several metropolitan markets. The Whale Hunters provides a turnkey program that has the potential for immediate income. When you become a certified Whale Hunters Partner, you become a member of an elite team that may chair one or more local chapters of business leaders, deliver workshops, consult or coach. The Whale Hunters is a scalable, flexible opportunity with a low cost of entry and high return.
Qualified candidates are entrepreneurial, well-connected in the small business community, excellent in sales, and able to facilitate a group of strong-minded business leaders.
If you or someone you know would be interested in learning more about opening a Whale Hunters chapter in metropolitan area, please contact us at chapters@thewhalehunters.com or call 480-239-6902.
The worst thing about large accounts is that buyers tend to pigeonhole you in the niche where you currently fit.
Sometimes, selling new business to your existing large accounts is more difficult than landing a new account. Here's an example: We had a client that provided engineering validation services to the manufacturing division a large corporation. After several years of providing that service successfully, our client had introduced a totally new service--technical writing. Not only manufacturing but also marketing, R&D, training, and customer service could have used these new services provided by a company that the parent company trusts based on past performance. But the current end-users had no contacts in the other divisions, and the manufacturing division had pegged our client for engineering validation, not technical writing. Ultimately, our client found that it was easier to go elsewhere for the new business.
For another example, we had a client that provided a unique method of delivering discount coupons for local restaurants and other retail establishments to employees at their workplace. They were very successful in serving local and regional franchises of national chain restaurants and groceries. There was often a promise that if there service passed "a test" they would be considered for a national application. However, the national marketing buyers never do business with the companies they consider to be "local" suppliers.
So, sometimes it if best to move on to another customer. But there are ways to influence your current large clients if you are strategic about it:
- Begin to build relationships outside of your current work area when the contract is new. These will take much time to develop.
- Engage your entire team--every area that touches the whale--in planning for new business.
- Turn "common knowledge"--what each person knows about the customer--into "shared knowledge" -- what everyone knows
- Separate fact from opinion and gossip about the customer and the divisions of its business
- create a grid of all the potential buyers of your products/services (divisions, locations, departments) and your offerings. Determine the most likely next sale for your company.
- strategize that sale as you would any new business, leveraging existing relationships
To ensure a long-term good relationship, it's important to establish a strong trust relationship from the outset. We talk about the six "abilities" of a trust cycle:
- credible--demonstrate efficiency, expertise, and experience
- connectible--communicate impeccably
- reliable--make and keep commitments
- capable--deliver to the client's specifications
- adaptable--practice flexibility from a long-term perspective
- likeable--like them first and invite a long-standing relationship
We've always said that whale hunting doesn't work if you can't harvest the whale successfully! It's not about the sale; it's about the service. Your processes create many touchpoints between your people and the whale's people. The trust abilities add value to each touchpoint. When everyone on your team practices the trust abilities at each content, you are setting the expectation for a positive, long-term business relationship.
By their nature, whale-sized accounts are complex. Invariably, delivering your products and services requires the coordination of many people in your company with many more people in the whale company. You have an opportunity to greatly improve your internal processes and controls each time you serve a new whale.
The most important thing for members of your team to remember is that their counterparts on the whale side are accustomed to a very high level of formal communication, which is the norm in a large, most likely bureaucratic, organization. In contrast, communication at your company is likely to be much more informal and delivered in meetings or emails rather than formal memos or documents.
Even if you do a good job of managing the account, failing to manage the formal communication of your control processes can do you in. Here’s how to plan:
· Determine the key people on the whale team who need to be informed of progress on the account
· Establish a regular reporting schedule, weekly or bi-weekly, with an internal “owner” on your team.
· Ensure that each team leader on your side reports key progress, issues, or hold-ups to the internal owner on a clear deadline.
· Develop a simple template for the “controls” report or project update.
· Distribute to your team and to the whale team on a predictable, regular basis.
This discipline will accomplish two very important things. First, it will keep your team on track with the deliverables and on the same page regarding the entire deal. Second, it will communicate to everyone on the whale team that you are a professionally managed company that understands and accommodates their need for information.
When problems are called out in a regular, routine report, they become routine—not cause for alarm but simply for action. It's one more example of how the sale will not result in business development unless you deliver at the highest level. Your business growth requires a balance between the sales cycle and the delivery.
The trickiest part of whale hunting for small and midsize companies is to capture your sale: deliver your products and services as promised once you’ve made the sale. Big contracts with big customers are not business as usual for many companies. Smaller companies are often long on energy and enthusiasm but short on operational processes, policies, and rules. And big customers have higher expectations than many of your smaller customers have.
So, how do you bring a new whale on board smoothly?
· Collaborate. You need a seamless handoff from the sales and contract negotiation team to the delivery team(s). The more complex the sale, the more people need to be involved in the on-boarding process. Depending on your size, it’s an individual, a team leader, or an area head that needs to be represented on the intake team.
· Document. If you don’t have a detailed intake process, create one as you are serving this new whale. Assign someone to assist the project manager by capturing all the details of what your teams are doing, what the whale team is asking for, and how things are moving forward. Document any pitfalls or unforeseen problems.
· Communicate. Share progress on at least a weekly basis; daily if necessary in the earliest stages. Communicate internally with your team and externally with the whale’s team. Implement a formal process of communication and document all of your interactions.
· Escalate. If anyone or any team runs into problems, these need to be brought to the attention of higher management immediately. Leaders need to cultivate a culture in which people are encouraged to report problems rather than fearful of being criticized or worse. If a serious problem occurs, such as a serious lapse in your ability to deliver at the next step, your CEO should address it promptly and honestly with the whale while the team sets about to rectify.
· Debrief. Regularly discuss your progress with an eye to improving for the next time. Note problems and successes. Pay attention to deficiencies on the whale team as well as problems and opportunities on your own side. If the whale team is hard to pin down, for example, that may indicate a typical problem that you will encounter for which you need to devise more effective tactics. Include everyone who touches the whale in the debrief sessions.
When you master your intake process for new large accounts, your whales will be happy and give you repeat business, your team will gain confidence and poise, and your company will grow.
You’ve made the big sale to the big customer. You’ve inked the letter of agreement. You’ve shaken the hands and toasted the toast. Now what?
Most likely your deal now moves out of the hands of the buyers’ table and into the depths of legal and accounting. The formal contract remains to be completed, and the timetable remains to be determined. You are in a much bigger hurry to get started than your new customer is.
What can you do? Here are some tactics:
· Learn to anticipate that this will happen; don’t let it take you by surprise. Understand that bureaucracies do not move at the speed of entrepreneurs.
· Create and implement a carefully crafted plan for that period of time we call “sewing the mouth shut”—the time between when the whale says “yes” and you receive payment for your first invoice.
· In that plan, stipulate what steps people on your team will take with people on the whale’s team in anticipation of getting started. Most important:
o Schedule—work with the whale’s team to set get-acquainted meetings, site visits, information exchange, fact-finding, etc.
o Invoice—your proposal should have included some preliminary work that can be done while the contracts are processing. Make this whale a customer at your earliest opportunity.
o Visibility—have a system of simple reports to several of your new customer’s end users to keep them apprised of how you are preparing to fulfill your contract with them.
· Keep your account manager in close contact with his or her counterpart, and take action promptly if there is any lack of expected action.
Through some tough experiences, I’ve learned how important it is for the seller to own the ramp-up process. My team would be trying to schedule key events and activities with little success. We would be frustrated that the new customer was holding things up. But of course the whale always thinks that YOU are holding things up, which is why you need to manage the deal especially after you’ve sold it!
Have you had a deal that faded away after it was sold? I’d love to hear about it.
But this practice cannot happen successfully unless you devote some time to preparing. The harpooner (salesperson) needs to learn how to orchestrate a team presentation. No longer doing most of the talking, the sales lead introduces team members and manages all facets of the presentation, on the fly.
Likewise, key subject matter experts [SMEs] need to learn how to participate in a client-facing presentation. They will need the confidence that comes from knowing what is expected of them, having rehearsed, and understanding the whole plan.
We recommending preparing SMEs with three sets of material:
1. Power Points. Not a slide deck but a few key statements. Each SME should know the most important points about your company, your product/service, and their role in the delivery. And the harpooner should be prepared to ensure they have the opportunity to make their key points.
2. Power Tools. These are the fear-busters, those tangible pieces of evidence that calm the buyers and make you look capable of doing business with a whale. Power Tools are documents, white papers, testimonials, charts, graphs, diagrams, pictures, processes--brief but very professional representations of your company's capabilities in areas that are likely to make the buyers afraid.
3. Power Questions. The buyers want to know what YOU need to know in order to serve them well, and they will expect your presentation team to ask intelligent and probing questions. Be certain that each SME is prepared to ask one or more critical questions of the buying team, questions that will promote a lively discussion.
Teach your SMEs to incorporate power points, tools, and questions into the presentation. Rehearse so that they understand when to speak and when to listen. Invite other employees to role play the buyers and offer constructive feedback.
You will find that SMEs write better proposals and bring a new client on board faster and with fewer glitches and that your entire company becomes more excited about sales and business development. They will have a new respect for the sales process, a better understanding of the customers, and a bigger stake in your growth.
How do you engage SMEs in your sales process? We'd love your comments, tips and suggestions.
Sometimes the Polar Bear does not appear at the Buyers' Table. One client related an instance in which they were working with a large prospect to implement a blogging strategy. The deal had gone on for months, and the Marketing VP finally signed off. But when the proposed contract went to Legal, the Polar Bear [head of legal!] said "No way are we starting a blog! Too much liability!"
The CEO or CFO may be the Polar Bear. If you are working with someone at the VP level, that person will most likely present himself or herself as the Polar Bear. But very often there is a more formal, invisible vetting process that will take place once your VP makes a decision. That's what you've got to find out ahead of time.
So in a complex sales process with a whale, here are some questions you need to ask--always behaving as if your champion is the final decision-maker, but understanding that usually it is more complicated than that:
- who will be impacted by your decision?
- will you introduce us to them, bring them to the table?
- who are the people upline to whom you will present your decision/recommendations?
- how can we help you present our solution internally? What materials, formats, or meetings do you need?
- what are some reasons that this project may stall even if you are prepared to move forward?
- how can we help you mitigate those potential pitfalls?
Small companies and those small companies with designations as women-owned or minority-owned or disadvantaged businesses have huge opportunities to sell big deals to big companies that dwarf them. To gain that business, you need to become very savvy about locating the real decision-maker--the polar bear.
Are you hungry to grow your business fast? Do you have a sales process strategy designed to help you identify the polar bear every time? Do you have a polar bear story to share with our readers?
I would love to hear from you about how your small/midsize company is landing large accounts and what is your experience with the polar bear.
YOU tend to think about your solutions, products, and services and how--in your mind--the big customers will gain amazing advantage by doing business with you. THEY tend to think about what can go wrong, how they could make a mistake, and what would be the worst consequences of choosing you.
So, you have to learn to think like a whale. And the whales are afraid of you! Imagine the many buyers who will be involved in a big-company decision. The procurement team, many of the end users, HR, Accounting/Finance, Legal, IT, Manufacturing, Shipping, Service and Support--a considerable list that varies according to your particular products and services. A big team, nonetheless. And the safest decision this team can make is to buy from another big company with a well-known reputation, a national or international brand, and a stable financial history--in other words, a company just like themselves.
YOU know that you can provide more flexibility, agility, innovation, speed, personal attention, and control--among other advantages--but they will never choose you as long as their fears linger.
To think like a whale? Figure out everything about you that could be scary in sales and delivery. Imagine what about small business or women or minority business or entrepreneurs or midsize or privately held companies that might scare them. Think about your location, reputation, brand visibility, growth history, capital access etc. -- and then figure out how to present your company and your team as a capable, professional, sophisticated player. THEN you can sell your advantages.
The sales development strategy for whale hunters is to first alleviate fears, then promote advantages, and finally close with both.
I wrote yesterday that your early meetings with the Buyers should be all about them and what you need to learn. But the more you learn, the more you need to begin to disclose to them about your products, services, unique value proposition, your team, etc.
A strong sales process will identify what you intend to discover and what you intend to disclose at each step. Of course your plan is subject to modification depending upon the whale's agenda; however, the more you control the timing and the content, the better your company will be positioned to make a big sale.
Now is the time to keep in mind that whale buyers are not usually looking for the best or most creative or most innovative idea. They are looking for a reasonable solution that will work, meet their budget, cause the least resistance and the least internal disruption. In other words, a safe choice.
What does this mean to you? Your early disclosure should focus on these points:
- ease of transition--how many things will NOT change if they hire you
- short term ROI--what benefits can they expect to realize in the first few months that will make the buyers' team look good
- safety factors--what qualities of your company are persuasive that you are solid, predictable, stable, and financially sound
- how much your company and the whale company have in common re: sales and implementation processes, standards, systems etc.
Contrarily, The Whale Hunters Process proposes that you build your entire sales strategy around two core concepts: what you need to discover and what you need to disclose at every step.
Today I am writing about discovery--the logical application of the "two card questions" in my last post.
Wat do you need to learn in your first meeting in order to decide it's worth your time to have a second meeting? What do you need to know from the whale before you launch a boat, commit resources, engage subject matter experts and your village leaders in a sales hunt? How much of your business development process depends on what you can learn at each step?
If you can't answer these questions or have only fuzzy answers, you have great opportunity for improvement. We know that a whale hunt is expensive and time consuming. So the sooner you can learn if you are unlikely to make a sale at this time, the better off you will be financially and in opportunity cost. Send that whale "back to Baja" and pursue another for which the timing is more appropriate.
Focusing on what you need to discover will put you in the driver's seat while also reassuring the whale that you are deeply committed to understanding their needs, their practices, and their problems.
Whale Hunting is totally different. You select the ideal customers for you, research those customers and watch their behavior, then make your initial contact at a time that seems just right. You will chase fewer deals and bigger deals. You will invest more resources into the hunts that you launch, and your close rate will soar.
This business development method relies on what we call the Whale Chart, the list of prospective whale-sized customers that you have identified for the next period of time--say six months or one year.
Your Whale Chart is the culmination of the initial Scouting process. You've identified your criteria (Target Filter), found companies that match some of the criteria, made dossiers on those companies, scored them against your Target Filter, and came up with a list of the best ones for you. That's your Whale Chart.
It sounds like work, doesn't it. And it is work. But it's not the work of the executive team or the sales team. It's the work of the scouts (whether in-house or outsourced), and once you've completed the initial effort, it does not require too much time to keep it going. And you will position yourself far, far ahead of your competitors when it comes to your knowledge of the whale and your initial understanding of their business issues and opportunities.
Have you created a Whale Chart? If not, how do you decide which prospects to hunt?
Saying Good-bye to a Business I Loved
Christine Kloser
Little did I know at the time I went through this that the choice I finally made to shut down the business was the very opening that's led to the success I'm experiencing in my business today. The most important thing I learned through this journey is that everything truly does happen for a reason. And it's up to me to look for the deeper meaning in my experiences and to be open to the gifts and the lessons that are sometimes wrapped in sadness and pain.
So, I invite you now to take a look at your life. First, allow yourself to notice if you're doing something (or not doing something) because you don't want to let other people down. If you can relate to this in your own life, take some time to journal about it to discover the gift that is trying to reveal itself to you.
Second, if you find yourself in a business situation where you feel like you've come to the end of a path... trust the saying that, "When one door closes, another door opens." This was certainly true for me, and I know that if you're going through a similar "letting go" in your business, that it's true for you, too. One door never closes unless another door is simultaneously opening. So, look for the openings and you'll be amazed at the opportunities just waiting for you to notice them.
From Overcomers, Inc.; True Stories of Hope, Courage and Inspiration. To get your own copy and receive dozens of bonus gifts go to http://www.overcomersbook.com/booklaunch
Today I want to bring you up to date on some new services that The Whale Hunters are offering to our "community" -- that is, to our clients, workshop participants, interested bystanders, and the 5000+ people who subscribe to our Whale Hunters Wisdom newsletter.
We've started a Whale Hunters group on LinkedIn. Through this group you an stay informed about Whale Hunters events in cities around the US, meet other whale hunters, and discuss large account sales and business development issues. Local communities will have their own sub forums. I hope you will join us!
We've also launched The Whale Hunters Beta Community, which we offer at no charge during the beta phase. In this online community, you can download Whale Hunters articles, ask questions, participate in discussion boards with other whale hunters, and--most important--participate in the Deal Coaching forums.
Members can request deal coaching help from other members in an online or offline environment. Here's an example. Suppose you are a chief, shaman, or harpooner at a company located in Nebraska. You have a big opportunity to pitch a whale in L.A. As we build this network, someone in the online community will know your whale. Someone can advise you on the whale's culture; give you tips on your approach. Someone will know the people with whom you are meeting, or will know someone who knows them. Someone can offer you advice on doing business in L.A. Someone else can offer you advice on your presentation, your materials. And you can do the same, when someone needs priceless knowledge from your base of experience.
Check out the online communities--we will do our best to support you with the tools and training that you want, but the real power will be generated by our whale hunting participants!
Contact me barbara@thewhalehunters.com for more information, or post your questions and comments here.
Why is this announcement relevant to business owners, entrepreneurs, sales professionals and business development professionals?
- First, Frances Hesselbein spent years at the Peter Drucker Institute, helping to translate Drucker's business principles into leadership strategies for nonprofit and public organizations. I believe that leadership lessons for your company are best derived from lessons learned in each economic sector--from the private sector we learn best about markets and competition, from the public sector we learn best about national interests and service, and from the nonprofit sector we learn best about social responsibility. The better we can become at aligning these lessons, the more powerful and successful we will be as leaders in every sector.
- Second, it is very good to see the US Armed Forces continuing on their path to a broader definition of "leadership" -- one that goes beyond military strategy to embrace a deep understanding of language, culture, and place as key elements in a military engagement. Increasingly, these are key elements of a business engagement in the global economy. We should expect lessons learned from this alliance that will enlighten business leaders in new ways.
- Finally, I am pleased to see Frances Hesselbein recognized in this way for her phenomenal career's work. Formerly head of the Girl Scouts of America, she has been a beacon for leadership education that embraces women and girls yet is not exclusive to women and girls. She is a powerful role model for women business owners and entrepreneurs, demonstrating that collaborative, team-based strategies have their own source of power and can supersede top-down directive strategies.
As part of our business development strategy, we are bringing Whale Hunters services to more locations. Indianapolis launched in June and Phoenix will launch officially on September 10, likely to be followed by St. Louis, Atlanta, and Dallas.
The pattern will be to host a launch event-- 1/2 day seminar for 150 to 200 business owners and sales professionals--in each target city, followed by a series of workshops for more in-depth training on The Whale Hunters process. There will be opportunities to join a deal coaching chapter and/or to bring a Whale Hunting workshop into your business as well as to join the new online community launching in September.
I will keep you posted about our plans to bring you more services, in more formats, and closer to home.
If you would like to help us bring Whale Hunters to your city, please let me know!
But it's a short piece hitting a few highlights, so I'm adding to it here:
- First thing you need to know is how the government defines "small business." In most industries, the category includes businesses with as many as 500 employees. So if you are much smaller, and much newer, than the competition, the odds are heavily stacked against you unless you have a product or service that the government wants and no one else offers yet.
- The idea of presenting yourself as a subcontractor rather than prime is especially relevant. Prime contractors need to demonstrate their inclusion of small businesses including women-owned and minority-owned firms. Companies in those categories that are professional, reliable, and knowledgeable about government contracting are at a premium. Rather than working directly for a local, state, or federal government, you work for the contractor.
- If the subcontractor route interests you, build a sales process that targets prime contractors, not government agencies. You will need a completely different approach and message.
- If you have not done business deals with public agencies, understand that there is a great deal to learn. Everything from how to respond to the RFP to how to invoice and track expenses will be new and foreign. If you are not ready, the requirements can undermine your company seriously. Even as a subcontractor, you will need to contribute meaningfully to the proposal.
Invest in some expertise. Be certain you can understand the likelihood of winning a contract versus the cost of bidding on it. The Whale Hunters do not recommend replying to a government RFP just to get the experience of doing it. That strategy gives away intellectual property, demoralizes your team, and still does not guarantee meaningful feedback. Rather, do the work you need to do and position to win.
If you need a Whale Hunting approach to the world of the government RFP, check out Winning Whales With an RFP in eBook format on our website. Or give me a call at 317-815-1170--we have some deep experience in this arena.
An excellent article in the Sunday, July 12 Washington Post called Fixing the Economy? It's Women's Work.
It's a good one because it references a number of responsible studies, and because it is more about why companies need a leadership team that includes women than it is about women taking over. I have been observing and saying for a long time that women often demonstrate superior skills and talents that are required for the 21st century economy. Nice to be pointed to more research supporting that observation.
In my whale hunting practice, companies with women owners and/or CEOs have been especially successful in implementing the collaborative, team-based process that we promote. I have also had very successful engagements in which women and men are both represented at the management table.
Conversely, I have been involved in very frustrating engagements in which there were no women in leadership--no women on the executive team, no women on the board, no women with serious P&L responsibility, no women in sales management, no women or only one or two women on the sales team. It was also the case that these leadership teams had no other kind of diversity, either--no people of color, no international people, few people who were born or raised or educated in different parts of the country. In some cases there was a diverse employee group, but it didn't extend to the leadership/management team.
What characterized the all-male teams was a top-down view of leadership--the view that only a few people in the company had the knowledge, experience, and wisdom to lead.
What characterized the more diverse teams was a desire to embrace more collaborative, team-oriented process to draw on all their employees' talents for business development and sales.
Now I want to pay attention to what it's like when the entire leadership team is female. Haven't had that engagement yet, but I suspect that if there is insufficient diversity of experience and opinion and gender, it would be a flawed team--just flawed in different ways. Today's business needs, however, will certainly favor an all-female team over a team that is all male.
So all you small and mid size business leaders who are whale hunting--read this article and consider how your company can accelerate its growth through a more diverse management and governance team.
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