By Ron LaVine, MBA, President
Accelerated Cold Call Training, Inc.
A lot of acronyms are used in my cold call training business because it makes it easier for people to learn, remember and use key ideas. I joked once about coming up with an acronym for acronym. Maybe something like Always Call Right Officer, Now, Yet Nicely.
I use bunches of Acronyms, from Sales M.A.P. (Mutually Agreed Process) for setting up time and date specific action steps. Another example is W.H.I.I.F.M.-A.M.C. (What's In It For Me - And My Company) or what the prospect really cares about. Or C.V.M. (Call Value Maximization) which means to get the most information out of every call by being polite yet persistent. I have developed a new one called T.E.S.T.S. to help students remember the kinds of questions that will uncover needs, challenges, problems or pains.
Here's one you may want to keep in front of you.
T. is for Tell me more.
What are your biggest problems in the area of...?
What are the specifics?
How do you currently handle...?
How do you go about...?
What are you using to get ____ types of data?
What are you doing in the area of...?
What happens when ____ occurs?
Who beside yourself is affected?
E. is for Experience over time.
How long has this been a problem?
What actions have been taken to try to fix the problem?
What do you think about the results?
Have you given up?
S. is for a Sample of what it is costing them.
Give me a rough idea of how much this is costing you?
What impact is this having?
How does this affect you personally?
What happens if the problem is not fixed?
T. is for Taken action yet?
What actions have you taken to fix the problem?
How do you measure the effectiveness of these actions?
What have you done to try and fix it?
S. is for a Sample of their feelings?
How does it make you feel?
How do other people you work with feel about the problem?
These reminders make sure you don't forget to ask the types of direct specific questions to uncover the information that will help you help your prospects and customers pass their T.E.S.T.S.
REPRINT PERMISSION
Ron LaVine, MBA is president and founder of Accelerated Cold Call Training, Inc., a cold call training firm located in Oak Park, CA. If you need to develop new business and would like information on How to Make Successful Cold Calls – LIVE Call Training, call Ron at 818-519-3852 or visit www.coldcalltraining.com. © 2011 by Accelerated Cold Call Training, Inc.
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Sunday, June 19, 2011
Free Resources to Turn Data Into Dollars
By Ron LaVine, MBA
President of Accelerated Cold Call Training, Inc.
Finding new business can be a snap, if you know where to look and what to do with the information you find. Using the telephone along with publicly available information, you can turn data into dollar
Understanding the importance of the "fact finding step" in the sales cycle, is key to making more sales. We need information resources to enable us to determine who is responsible for decision making, where an account is now, where they want to be and how they plan to get there.
It is easy to mishandle this part of the sales cycle in an eagerness to sell. Finding data about a shift in the way an account does business is not enough. Understanding the potential effects of the change is key to finding revenue producing events.
Show Me the Money
Look for accounts in your territory who:
* Acquire, merge or joint venture with another company,
* Have been acquired by another company,
* Add additional equipment or hardware or facilities,
* Announce a change in staffing requirements or business, practices due to expansion, restructuring or relocation,
* Receive contract awards,
* Mention cost cutting initiatives,
* Outsource certain services to concentrate on core businesses,
* Are embarking on new projects,
* Issue an IPO to raise operating capital for buying more assets,
* Spin off a division into a new company with new ownership,
* Maybe affected by pending legislation or regulations.
Turning Data into Dollars
Once a change occurs, ask yourself these questions. "How can my products fulfill a need or challenge as a result of the change?" "What additional services can my company provide to lessen the impact of the shift?" When the change effects a company who is your customer, ask yourself "How can I expand the use of or prevent the replacement of my services?"
For instance, you read an account plans to expand their operations. When companies expand or restructure, typically the management re-evaluates human resources and capital assets to decide what stays, what goes and what's needed. When preparing your sales strategy, keep in mind the big picture. An enterprise wide sale is far more valuable than an individual business unit sale.
Different Ways to Create More Sales
1. Assembling a plan showing how the effects of the change relate to the benefits your products and services provide can position you for a sale.
2. Taking note of changes or trends that may affect both you and your account's industries will make you sound intelligent and increase the odds of a sale.
3. Looking for stories about accounts using your competitor's products and applying that application to your offerings is another way to make more sale
4. Keeping your account records up to date allows you to invest your time locating who is responsible for and capable of making a buying decision.
5. Finding and calling up users of your competitor's products is a way to replace or augment existing products. Be sure to explain up front, you are looking for ways to improve your product
* What do you like about their products or services?
* Is there anything you dislike or have found unsatisfactory?
* If you had a wish list, what features would you like to see their product have?
Assuming your service provides missing features and benefits your competitors do not offer, you have yourself a potential sale.
6. Calling your customers pro-actively and assuring them of continuous service provides an opening to
* Find out more about an account's future strategic direction.
* Expand and cement contact relationships,
* Uncover potential evaluations, projects or initiatives,
* Locate the main or new users of your products,
* Gauge customer satisfaction and nip potential problems in the bud before they become unmanageable,
* Offer consulting services, education or documentation,
* Inquire about other business units that may need your products,
* Provide greater customer service, making difficult for competitors to replace your product
Understanding the effects of change can present an opportunity to persuade management to invest in new products, services or technologies.
Free Sources of Business Sales Intelligence
An account's sales literature
Employee telephone interviews
Competitor user telephone interviews
Online and hard copy business and finance publications
State and federal government agencies such as the Office of Management and Budget or the General Services Administration (GSA).
Using the Freedom of Information Act to obtain your competitor's GSA schedules
Classified advertisements
Visit the SEC website
Other suppliers who service your account
LinkedIn, Jigsaw, etc.
Finding information is easy. Systematically connecting the shift effects to the benefits your products provide, is the challenge. Correlating specific benefits to specific contact wins will place you in a position to watch your sales climb. However, you must act upon the change, before your competitors do. Change is constant and change creates sales opportunities.
REPRINT PERMISSION
Ron LaVine, MBA is president and founder of Accelerated Cold Call Training, Inc., a cold call training firm located in Oak Park, CA. If you would like information on How to Make Successful Cold Calls – LIVE Call Training please call Ron at 818-519-3852 or visit www.ast-incorp.com. © 2011 by Accelerated Sales Training, Inc.
President of Accelerated Cold Call Training, Inc.
Finding new business can be a snap, if you know where to look and what to do with the information you find. Using the telephone along with publicly available information, you can turn data into dollar
Understanding the importance of the "fact finding step" in the sales cycle, is key to making more sales. We need information resources to enable us to determine who is responsible for decision making, where an account is now, where they want to be and how they plan to get there.
It is easy to mishandle this part of the sales cycle in an eagerness to sell. Finding data about a shift in the way an account does business is not enough. Understanding the potential effects of the change is key to finding revenue producing events.
Show Me the Money
Look for accounts in your territory who:
* Acquire, merge or joint venture with another company,
* Have been acquired by another company,
* Add additional equipment or hardware or facilities,
* Announce a change in staffing requirements or business, practices due to expansion, restructuring or relocation,
* Receive contract awards,
* Mention cost cutting initiatives,
* Outsource certain services to concentrate on core businesses,
* Are embarking on new projects,
* Issue an IPO to raise operating capital for buying more assets,
* Spin off a division into a new company with new ownership,
* Maybe affected by pending legislation or regulations.
Turning Data into Dollars
Once a change occurs, ask yourself these questions. "How can my products fulfill a need or challenge as a result of the change?" "What additional services can my company provide to lessen the impact of the shift?" When the change effects a company who is your customer, ask yourself "How can I expand the use of or prevent the replacement of my services?"
For instance, you read an account plans to expand their operations. When companies expand or restructure, typically the management re-evaluates human resources and capital assets to decide what stays, what goes and what's needed. When preparing your sales strategy, keep in mind the big picture. An enterprise wide sale is far more valuable than an individual business unit sale.
Different Ways to Create More Sales
1. Assembling a plan showing how the effects of the change relate to the benefits your products and services provide can position you for a sale.
2. Taking note of changes or trends that may affect both you and your account's industries will make you sound intelligent and increase the odds of a sale.
3. Looking for stories about accounts using your competitor's products and applying that application to your offerings is another way to make more sale
4. Keeping your account records up to date allows you to invest your time locating who is responsible for and capable of making a buying decision.
5. Finding and calling up users of your competitor's products is a way to replace or augment existing products. Be sure to explain up front, you are looking for ways to improve your product
* What do you like about their products or services?
* Is there anything you dislike or have found unsatisfactory?
* If you had a wish list, what features would you like to see their product have?
Assuming your service provides missing features and benefits your competitors do not offer, you have yourself a potential sale.
6. Calling your customers pro-actively and assuring them of continuous service provides an opening to
* Find out more about an account's future strategic direction.
* Expand and cement contact relationships,
* Uncover potential evaluations, projects or initiatives,
* Locate the main or new users of your products,
* Gauge customer satisfaction and nip potential problems in the bud before they become unmanageable,
* Offer consulting services, education or documentation,
* Inquire about other business units that may need your products,
* Provide greater customer service, making difficult for competitors to replace your product
Understanding the effects of change can present an opportunity to persuade management to invest in new products, services or technologies.
Free Sources of Business Sales Intelligence
An account's sales literature
Employee telephone interviews
Competitor user telephone interviews
Online and hard copy business and finance publications
State and federal government agencies such as the Office of Management and Budget or the General Services Administration (GSA).
Using the Freedom of Information Act to obtain your competitor's GSA schedules
Classified advertisements
Visit the SEC website
Other suppliers who service your account
LinkedIn, Jigsaw, etc.
Finding information is easy. Systematically connecting the shift effects to the benefits your products provide, is the challenge. Correlating specific benefits to specific contact wins will place you in a position to watch your sales climb. However, you must act upon the change, before your competitors do. Change is constant and change creates sales opportunities.
REPRINT PERMISSION
Ron LaVine, MBA is president and founder of Accelerated Cold Call Training, Inc., a cold call training firm located in Oak Park, CA. If you would like information on How to Make Successful Cold Calls – LIVE Call Training please call Ron at 818-519-3852 or visit www.ast-incorp.com. © 2011 by Accelerated Sales Training, Inc.
Sunday, June 12, 2011
What Makes a Qualified Prospect, Qualified? Part 4 of 4
By Ron LaVine, MBA
President of Accelerated Sales Training, Inc.
www.ast-incorp.com
16. Resources
Does the Prospect have the time and staff necessary to conduct an evaluation?
Does the Prospect have the time and staff necessary to prepare a cost justification?
Does the Prospect have a budget available or access to discretionary funds?
Does the Prospect have the right physical environment for your solution?
What are the bare minimum requirements for your product or service to work?
17. Next Steps
After summarizing your conversation, follow up with a next step question such as:
"What's next?" or "What's the next step?"
"Where do we go from here?"
"If we had a solution that would help you do a better job than your current solution what is the process you go through to look at new solutions?"
"What do we need to do to move forward on this?"
What actions need to be taken by you and the prospect to get them to evaluate your solution?
Have you set up a SALES M.A.P. (Mutually Agreed upon Process™)?
What day and time do these actions need to be completed by?
What is the time-line or what are the milestones for moving the sale to its completion?
Next steps need to be time and date specific. "I'll call you back next month" is not the same as "We'll speak next Tuesday at 3 p.m. Eastern Time to discuss the merits of the proposal after you have had the opportunity to review it with your peers, correct?"
Examples of Next Steps
Do you have permission to send literature, an email or a fax while also setting a specific date and time to call to be sure the information is received and to answer questions or discuss the materials?
Is the Prospect willing to accept your proposal or do they want a demonstration or presentation?
Is a call required to answer or clarify any complex issues?
Are you in the habit of following a phone call with a fax or an email?
Do you follow a fax with a phone call or an email?
What about following an email with a phone call or a fax?
Conclusion
If you or your sales force has not defined the characteristics of a most profitable prospect, it is time to do so. Consistency of definitions and the use of a well-defined cold calling system result in prospects well qualified and ready to buy what you are selling.
REPRINT PERMISSION
Ron LaVine, MBA is president and founder of Accelerated Sales Training, Inc., a live cold call training firm located in Oak Park, CA. If you would like information on How to Make Successful Cold Calls – Live Call Training please call Ron at 818-519-3852 or visit www.ast-incorp.com. © 2011 by Accelerated Sales Training, Inc.
President of Accelerated Sales Training, Inc.
www.ast-incorp.com
16. Resources
Does the Prospect have the time and staff necessary to conduct an evaluation?
Does the Prospect have the time and staff necessary to prepare a cost justification?
Does the Prospect have a budget available or access to discretionary funds?
Does the Prospect have the right physical environment for your solution?
What are the bare minimum requirements for your product or service to work?
17. Next Steps
After summarizing your conversation, follow up with a next step question such as:
"What's next?" or "What's the next step?"
"Where do we go from here?"
"If we had a solution that would help you do a better job than your current solution what is the process you go through to look at new solutions?"
"What do we need to do to move forward on this?"
What actions need to be taken by you and the prospect to get them to evaluate your solution?
Have you set up a SALES M.A.P. (Mutually Agreed upon Process™)?
What day and time do these actions need to be completed by?
What is the time-line or what are the milestones for moving the sale to its completion?
Next steps need to be time and date specific. "I'll call you back next month" is not the same as "We'll speak next Tuesday at 3 p.m. Eastern Time to discuss the merits of the proposal after you have had the opportunity to review it with your peers, correct?"
Examples of Next Steps
Do you have permission to send literature, an email or a fax while also setting a specific date and time to call to be sure the information is received and to answer questions or discuss the materials?
Is the Prospect willing to accept your proposal or do they want a demonstration or presentation?
Is a call required to answer or clarify any complex issues?
Are you in the habit of following a phone call with a fax or an email?
Do you follow a fax with a phone call or an email?
What about following an email with a phone call or a fax?
Conclusion
If you or your sales force has not defined the characteristics of a most profitable prospect, it is time to do so. Consistency of definitions and the use of a well-defined cold calling system result in prospects well qualified and ready to buy what you are selling.
REPRINT PERMISSION
Ron LaVine, MBA is president and founder of Accelerated Sales Training, Inc., a live cold call training firm located in Oak Park, CA. If you would like information on How to Make Successful Cold Calls – Live Call Training please call Ron at 818-519-3852 or visit www.ast-incorp.com. © 2011 by Accelerated Sales Training, Inc.
Sunday, June 5, 2011
What Makes a Qualified Prospect Qualified? - Part 3
By Ron LaVine, MBA
President of Accelerated Sales Training, Inc.
www.ast-incorp.com
13. Competition
What other companies are also being considered and why?
Who is favoring the other company's solution and why?
What are the Prospect’s likes or dislikes about their current supplier?
If the Prospect had a wish list and could have or change anything he wanted with their current or a potential supplier, what would be on the list?
14. Locations
Are decisions centralized (one location makes the decision for all locations) or decentralized (each location decides for themselves)?
How many locations, subsidiaries, partners, alliances and/or joint ventures are there and do we do business with any of them?
Is it possible to sell your solution on an enterprise wide basis rather than a departmental or business unit basis?
Do any other locations have an existing relationship with your company, partners or affiliates?
15. Confidence
Does the Prospect trust you?
Have you established credibility?
Does the Prospect know the company you represent?
Does the Prospect believe you sincerely have their best interests at heart?
Does the Prospect have confidence in your company's ability to provide them with and support your solution that works?
REPRINT PERMISSION
Ron LaVine, MBA is president and founder of Accelerated Sales Training, Inc., a live cold call training firm located in Oak Park, CA. If you would like information on How to Make Successful Cold Calls – Live Call Training please call Ron at 818-519-3852 or visit www.ast-incorp.com. © 2011 by Accelerated Sales Training, Inc.
President of Accelerated Sales Training, Inc.
www.ast-incorp.com
13. Competition
What other companies are also being considered and why?
Who is favoring the other company's solution and why?
What are the Prospect’s likes or dislikes about their current supplier?
If the Prospect had a wish list and could have or change anything he wanted with their current or a potential supplier, what would be on the list?
14. Locations
Are decisions centralized (one location makes the decision for all locations) or decentralized (each location decides for themselves)?
How many locations, subsidiaries, partners, alliances and/or joint ventures are there and do we do business with any of them?
Is it possible to sell your solution on an enterprise wide basis rather than a departmental or business unit basis?
Do any other locations have an existing relationship with your company, partners or affiliates?
15. Confidence
Does the Prospect trust you?
Have you established credibility?
Does the Prospect know the company you represent?
Does the Prospect believe you sincerely have their best interests at heart?
Does the Prospect have confidence in your company's ability to provide them with and support your solution that works?
REPRINT PERMISSION
Ron LaVine, MBA is president and founder of Accelerated Sales Training, Inc., a live cold call training firm located in Oak Park, CA. If you would like information on How to Make Successful Cold Calls – Live Call Training please call Ron at 818-519-3852 or visit www.ast-incorp.com. © 2011 by Accelerated Sales Training, Inc.
Sunday, May 29, 2011
What Makes a Qualified Prospect Qualified? - Part 2
By Ron LaVine, MBA
President of Accelerated Sales Training, Inc.
www.ast-incorp.com
6. Good Fit
Does your solution make good business sense?
Can we establish an ongoing relationship?
Have you calculated the ROI (Return on Investment)?
What is the Net Payback Period or how fast will the solution pay for itself?
Have you created a cost justification (Cost over time versus Savings over Time)?
What would make them smile?
Is the Prospect's business growing or is in or headed for trouble?
Has the account bought into the vision or proposed solution?
Can our solution help the Prospect produce tangible or measurable results to calculate a ROI?
Is there a fit with the current products and services in use or will additional products and services be required?
Is the Prospect willing take specific action(s) towards a solution?
7. Evaluation Criteria
What is the evaluation criterion, if any? Will they fax it to you?
Do you have a criterion you can provide them with?
The final decision is based on what factors?
Is there an agreement on what is important or what is of value?
Have evaluation criteria been defined?
8. Business Impact
What is the cost of inaction or taking the wrong action?
What are the consequences or penalties if the account does not take action by a certain date?
What is the cost of losing a customer?
What is the cost of acquiring a customer?
How much would an addition to the head count cost?
What is the cost of shopping cart abandonment in their web store?
What is the cost of additional training and the time spent away from the job while learning?
Have you calculated the cost of the business impact?
What does the Prospect personally stand to gain or lose if a solution is or is not implemented?
9. Processes
What are the exact evaluation, budgeting and decision-making processes?
Who does the negotiating?
What is negotiable and what is non-negotiable?
Who signs the final Agreement?
What are the payment terms (Net 15, Net 30, etc.)?
Is a purchase order required?
10. People
Who will be involved or influence the final decision?
This can be one or different individual
Is there an individual (or individuals) that understands the value of your product or service, but has not found a good fit yet?
Have all the key stakeholders been identified and contacted?
Are you speaking with the correct contact, which, assuming you have the right solution, has the authority to buy?
Do you know how much authority the Prospect has before further approvals are required?
Who are the decision-makers, evaluators, influencers, and end users of your potential solution?
Final Decision Maker(s) signs the check.
Motivation: What is the effect on our bottom line?
Evaluator(s) screens out and says no.
Motivation: What is the best solution that meets our needs?
Guide(s) want to help guide you through the process.
Motivation: I like your solution. How can I help you get your solution as the one chosen?
End User(s) are concerned about the effect on them and their job.
Motivation: Will it make my job easier or harder?
Initiator(s) want to look good.
Motivation: How can I show that I did a good job of gathering information?
Purchasing/Legal/Contracts are responsible for negotiating the terms and condition
Motivation: How can we get the most favorable terms and conditions for our company (i.e. additional discounts, extra technical support or consulting services, lower pricing, more training or extra sets of documentation, better payment terms, guarantees, etc.)?
11. Organizational Chart
What is the formal and informal organizational structure?
Who reports to whom?
Who influences whom?
Who are the counterparts, back-ups, peers and subordinates?
Who are the assistants?
Do you have all names and titles spelled correctly?
Do you have the correct street address (room, floor, suite, mail code, etc.),
E-mail addresses, fax numbers and extensions?
What are the responsibilities of each of your contacts?
12. Solutions
What types of solutions are currently in use?
Does the prospect have the necessary people, time, money and equipment in place or available to implement your solution?
Could the correct environment to support your solution be put in place?
President of Accelerated Sales Training, Inc.
www.ast-incorp.com
6. Good Fit
Does your solution make good business sense?
Can we establish an ongoing relationship?
Have you calculated the ROI (Return on Investment)?
What is the Net Payback Period or how fast will the solution pay for itself?
Have you created a cost justification (Cost over time versus Savings over Time)?
What would make them smile?
Is the Prospect's business growing or is in or headed for trouble?
Has the account bought into the vision or proposed solution?
Can our solution help the Prospect produce tangible or measurable results to calculate a ROI?
Is there a fit with the current products and services in use or will additional products and services be required?
Is the Prospect willing take specific action(s) towards a solution?
7. Evaluation Criteria
What is the evaluation criterion, if any? Will they fax it to you?
Do you have a criterion you can provide them with?
The final decision is based on what factors?
Is there an agreement on what is important or what is of value?
Have evaluation criteria been defined?
8. Business Impact
What is the cost of inaction or taking the wrong action?
What are the consequences or penalties if the account does not take action by a certain date?
What is the cost of losing a customer?
What is the cost of acquiring a customer?
How much would an addition to the head count cost?
What is the cost of shopping cart abandonment in their web store?
What is the cost of additional training and the time spent away from the job while learning?
Have you calculated the cost of the business impact?
What does the Prospect personally stand to gain or lose if a solution is or is not implemented?
9. Processes
What are the exact evaluation, budgeting and decision-making processes?
Who does the negotiating?
What is negotiable and what is non-negotiable?
Who signs the final Agreement?
What are the payment terms (Net 15, Net 30, etc.)?
Is a purchase order required?
10. People
Who will be involved or influence the final decision?
This can be one or different individual
Is there an individual (or individuals) that understands the value of your product or service, but has not found a good fit yet?
Have all the key stakeholders been identified and contacted?
Are you speaking with the correct contact, which, assuming you have the right solution, has the authority to buy?
Do you know how much authority the Prospect has before further approvals are required?
Who are the decision-makers, evaluators, influencers, and end users of your potential solution?
Final Decision Maker(s) signs the check.
Motivation: What is the effect on our bottom line?
Evaluator(s) screens out and says no.
Motivation: What is the best solution that meets our needs?
Guide(s) want to help guide you through the process.
Motivation: I like your solution. How can I help you get your solution as the one chosen?
End User(s) are concerned about the effect on them and their job.
Motivation: Will it make my job easier or harder?
Initiator(s) want to look good.
Motivation: How can I show that I did a good job of gathering information?
Purchasing/Legal/Contracts are responsible for negotiating the terms and condition
Motivation: How can we get the most favorable terms and conditions for our company (i.e. additional discounts, extra technical support or consulting services, lower pricing, more training or extra sets of documentation, better payment terms, guarantees, etc.)?
11. Organizational Chart
What is the formal and informal organizational structure?
Who reports to whom?
Who influences whom?
Who are the counterparts, back-ups, peers and subordinates?
Who are the assistants?
Do you have all names and titles spelled correctly?
Do you have the correct street address (room, floor, suite, mail code, etc.),
E-mail addresses, fax numbers and extensions?
What are the responsibilities of each of your contacts?
12. Solutions
What types of solutions are currently in use?
Does the prospect have the necessary people, time, money and equipment in place or available to implement your solution?
Could the correct environment to support your solution be put in place?
Sunday, May 22, 2011
What Makes a Qualified Prospect, Qualified? Part 1 of 4
By Ron LaVine, MBA
President of Accelerated Sales Training, Inc.
Have you ever asked yourself, what are the specific characteristics of a qualified prospect? What are the minimum pieces of information you need to know to determine if the potential for a sale exists? What pieces of information are required before you consider a prospect qualified? Am I using a consistent cold calling system to successfully obtain the information needed?
Here are the first of a four part blog on 17 areas with questions you may want to ask yourself so you can create a qualified prospect profile also known as an Account Sales Profile™.
1. Basic Demographics
Ask yourself "Which type of organization do I make the most money when I make a sale?" For example: Is it a company with 10 employees or 100 employees? Does the company have over $10 million in gross sales or over $100 million in gross sales? Are most of my customers in the Retail Industry or the Financial Industry? What types of organizations will provide the highest payoff in return for my limited amount of selling time?
In summary, what are the demographics of your most profitable accounts in terms of...
> Industry Verticals (such as Software, Printing, Frozen Foods, etc.)
> Total Gross Sales
> Total Number of Employees
2. Business Practices
How does the account currently conduct business?
Where is the Prospect now?
How did the Prospect conduct business in the past?
What is the Prospect's future strategic direction?
Where does the Prospect want to be?
How does the Prospect plan to get there?
3. Needs, Problems, Challenges, Critical Business Issues, Pains or Drivers
Is there a perceived or unperceived need for your solution?
What are the needs, challenges or problems the Prospect facing?
What is keeping them up at night?
What is required to solve the problem and does your solution fit the bill?
Is the Prospect actively searching for a solution, which you can provide?
Does the Prospect have any current or future business initiatives?
Has the Prospect expressed an interest in what you have to offer?
Does the Prospect have a compelling business issue that needs to be solved?
Is the Prospect using outdated products and services, which may need to be replaced?
Is there a need for a specific product or service but the Prospect can't afford the time or money or man hours to build their own solution?
Is the Prospect using some type of solution and not yet seeing business results?
Is the Prospect starting to look at competitors?
Has a specific person been assigned to find a solution to a specific need?
Does the Prospect have a serious intention to buy or are they just being time wasters or tire kickers or a just send me something?
4. Time-frames
What are the time-frames for...
The RFI or RFP or RFQ (Request for Information, Proposal or Quote)
Evaluation period
Decision date
Roll-out of a pilot solution
Implementation of an enterprise wide solution
5. Budget
Does the Prospect have a budget already set aside?
Can the Prospect get it from someone else's budget or next year's budget?
At what level are further sign-offs required? ($10,000, $50,000? 100,000?)
What amount is budgeted for a solution?
Is there a deadline where the Prospect will lose the budget or funding (usually in schools or government organizations)?
More on What Makes a Qualified Prospect, Qualified? next week.
President of Accelerated Sales Training, Inc.
Have you ever asked yourself, what are the specific characteristics of a qualified prospect? What are the minimum pieces of information you need to know to determine if the potential for a sale exists? What pieces of information are required before you consider a prospect qualified? Am I using a consistent cold calling system to successfully obtain the information needed?
Here are the first of a four part blog on 17 areas with questions you may want to ask yourself so you can create a qualified prospect profile also known as an Account Sales Profile™.
1. Basic Demographics
Ask yourself "Which type of organization do I make the most money when I make a sale?" For example: Is it a company with 10 employees or 100 employees? Does the company have over $10 million in gross sales or over $100 million in gross sales? Are most of my customers in the Retail Industry or the Financial Industry? What types of organizations will provide the highest payoff in return for my limited amount of selling time?
In summary, what are the demographics of your most profitable accounts in terms of...
> Industry Verticals (such as Software, Printing, Frozen Foods, etc.)
> Total Gross Sales
> Total Number of Employees
2. Business Practices
How does the account currently conduct business?
Where is the Prospect now?
How did the Prospect conduct business in the past?
What is the Prospect's future strategic direction?
Where does the Prospect want to be?
How does the Prospect plan to get there?
3. Needs, Problems, Challenges, Critical Business Issues, Pains or Drivers
Is there a perceived or unperceived need for your solution?
What are the needs, challenges or problems the Prospect facing?
What is keeping them up at night?
What is required to solve the problem and does your solution fit the bill?
Is the Prospect actively searching for a solution, which you can provide?
Does the Prospect have any current or future business initiatives?
Has the Prospect expressed an interest in what you have to offer?
Does the Prospect have a compelling business issue that needs to be solved?
Is the Prospect using outdated products and services, which may need to be replaced?
Is there a need for a specific product or service but the Prospect can't afford the time or money or man hours to build their own solution?
Is the Prospect using some type of solution and not yet seeing business results?
Is the Prospect starting to look at competitors?
Has a specific person been assigned to find a solution to a specific need?
Does the Prospect have a serious intention to buy or are they just being time wasters or tire kickers or a just send me something?
4. Time-frames
What are the time-frames for...
The RFI or RFP or RFQ (Request for Information, Proposal or Quote)
Evaluation period
Decision date
Roll-out of a pilot solution
Implementation of an enterprise wide solution
5. Budget
Does the Prospect have a budget already set aside?
Can the Prospect get it from someone else's budget or next year's budget?
At what level are further sign-offs required? ($10,000, $50,000? 100,000?)
What amount is budgeted for a solution?
Is there a deadline where the Prospect will lose the budget or funding (usually in schools or government organizations)?
More on What Makes a Qualified Prospect, Qualified? next week.
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Writing Tips and Techniques
By Alan Chapman
Writing letters, reports, notes and other communications are important skills for business and personal life. Good letters help to get results, where poor letters fail. People judge others on the quality of their writing, so it's helpful to write well. Here are some simple tips for writing letters and communications of all sorts.
Generally, whatever you are writing, get to the main point, quickly and simply. Avoid lengthy preambles. Don't spend ages setting the scene or explaining the background, etc.
If you are selling, promoting, proposing something you must identify the main issue (if selling, the strongest unique perceived benefit) and make that the sole focus. Introducing other points distracts and confuses the reader.
Use language that your reader uses. If you want clues as to what this might be imagine the newspaper they read, and limit your vocabulary to that found in the newspaper.
Using the reader's language ideally extends to spelling for US-English or UK-English. It's difficult on this webpage, or other communications designed for mixed audiences, but when possible in your own work acknowledge that US and UK English are slightly different. Notably words which end in IZE in US English can quite properly be spelled ISE in English, for example: organise/organize, specialise/specialize, etc. Similarly many words ending in OUR in UK English are spelled OR in US English, for example favour/favor, humour/humor, colour/color, etc.
Avoid obvious grammatical errors, especially inserting single apostrophes where incorrect, which irritates many people and which is seen by some to indicate a poor education.
Probably the best rule for safe use of apostrophes is to restrict their use simply to possessive (e.g., girl's book, group's aims) and missing letters in words (e.g., I'm, you're, we've).
The following paragraphs attempt to explain some of the more complex rules for apostrophes, and I'm grateful to David Looker for helping me to bring better clarity to this confusing situation. Language is not a precise science and certain aspects, notably rules governing the use of apostrophes, are open to interpretation.
By way of introduction to apostrophes, here are some examples of common mistakes:
The team played it's part (should be: the team played its part - its, although possessive, is like his, my, hers, theirs, etc., and does not use the possessive apostrophe).
Its been a long day (should be: it's been a long day - it's is an abbreviation of it has)
Your correct (should be: you're correct - you're is an abbreviation of you are)
One months notice (should be: one month's notice - the notice is governed by the month, hence the possessive apostrophe)
The groups' task (should be: the group's task - group is a collective noun and treated as singular not plural)
The womens' decisions (should be the women's decisions - same as above - women is treated as singular, irrespective of the plural decisions).
The purpose of a single apostrophe is to indicate missing letters, as in I'm happy, or you're correct, and word constructions like don't, won't, wouldn't, can't, we've, etc. Apostrophes are also used to indicate when something belongs to the word (possessive), as in the girl's book.
This extends to expressions like a day's work, or a month's delay. The possessive apostrophe moves after the S when there is more than one subject in possession, for example the girls' fathers, or the footballers' wives, or three weeks' notice, but not for collective nouns like the children's toys, the women's husbands, or the group's aims.
And take care with the word its, as in the dog wagged its tail, where (as with his and hers) the apostrophe is not used, and should not be confused with it's, meaning it is, which does use the apostrophe according to the missing letters rule. Apostrophes are generally considered optional but are not 'preferred' (which basically means that fewer people will regard the usage as correct) in pluralised abbreviations such as OAPs, and tend not to be used at all in well known abbreviations such as CDs and MPs.
Increasingly, apostrophes in common abbreviations such as CD's and MP's are considered by many to be incorrect, and so on balance are best avoided.
The use of apostrophes is more likely to be preferred and seen as correct where the abbreviation contains periods, such as M.P.'s or Ph.D.'s, although in general the use of periods and apostrophes in abbreviations is becoming less popular and therefore again is probably best avoided. In single-case communications (all capitals, or no capitals - which is increasingly popular in emails and texts) omitting apostrophes in pluralised abbreviations can cause confusion, so forms such cds or CDS should be avoided if possible, although the 'correct' punctuation in this context is anyone's guess.
Grammatical rules change much slower than real life. Other plural abbreviations or shortened words such as photos (photographs), mics (microphones), could technically still be shown as photo's and mic's, reflecting older traditional use of the apostrophe in abbreviated words, but these days this is generally considered to be incorrect.
The use of apostrophes in numbers, such as 1980's or over-50's, is also less popular than a generation ago, and whilst optional, apostrophes in numbers are increasingly regarded as incorrect, so the safer preferred forms for the examples shown are 1980s and over-50s. The use of apostrophes is still preferred for pluralising short words which do not generally have a plural form, such as in the statement: there are more x's than y's, or do's and don't's.
The last example makes for a particularly confusing form and is another common spoken term that's probably best avoided putting in print or in any sort of formal communication (because even if you get it right there's a good chance that the reader will think it wrong anyway..)
Aside from the safe recommendation above to generally restrict apostrophes to missing letters and possessive words, if in doubt, try to see what rules the reader or the audience uses for such things - in brochures, on websites, etc., and then, unless they are patently daft, match their grammatical preferences accordingly.
Use short sentences. More than fifteen words in a sentence reduces the clarity of the meaning. After drafting your communication, seek out commas and 'and's, and replace with full-stops.
Write as you would speak - but ensure it's grammatically correct. Don't try to be formal. Don't use old-fashioned figures of speech. Avoid 'the undersigned', 'aforementioned', 'ourselves', 'your goodselves', and similar nonsense. You should show that you're living in the same century as the reader.
As to how informal to be, for example writing much like normal every day speech (for example I'd, you'd, we've) bear in mind that some older people, and younger people who have inherited traditional views, could react less favourably to a writing style which they consider to be the product of laziness or poor education. Above all it is important to write in a style that the reader is likely to find agreeable.
Avoid Jargon, Acronyms, Technical Terms Unless Essential
Don't use capital letters - even for headings. Words formed of capital letters are difficult to read because there are no word-shapes, just blocks of text. (We read quickly by seeing word shapes, not the individual letters.)
Sans serif fonts (like Arial, Helvetica and this one, Tahoma) are modern, and will give a modern image. Serif fonts (like Garamond, Goudy and this one, Times), are older, and will tend to give a less modern image.
Sans serif fonts take longer to read, so there's a price to pay for being modern. This is because we've all grown up learning to read serif fonts. Serif fonts also have a horizontal flow, which helps readability and reading comfort. (Serif fonts developed before the days of print, when the engraver needed to create a neat exit from each letter.)
Avoid fancy fonts. They may look clever or innovative, but they are more difficult to read, and some are nearly impossible.
Use 10-12 point size for body copy (text). 14-20 point is fine for main headings, bold or normal. Sub-headings 10-12 bold.
Any printed material looks very untidy if you use more than two different fonts and two different point sizes. Generally the fewer the better.
If your organisation stipulates a 'house' font then use it.
If your organisation doesn't then it should do.
Black text on a white background is the easiest colour combination to read. Definitely avoid coloured backgrounds, and black.
Avoid background graphics or pictures behind the text.
Italics are less easy to read. So is heavy bold type.
If you must break any of these font rules, do so only for the heading.
Limit main attention-grabbing headings to no more than fifteen words.
In letters, position your main heading between two-thirds and three-quarters up the page. This is where the eye is naturally drawn first.
Use left-justified text as it's easiest to read.
Avoid fully justified text as it creates uneven word spaces and is more difficult to read.
Remember that effective written communication is enabling the reader to understand your meaning in as few words as possible.
Writing Letters
Generally if you can't fit it all onto one side of a standard business sheet of paper, start again.
Whether writing a letter of complaint, introduction, or proposition - you must keep it brief.
If your letter can't be read and understood in less than 20 seconds it has limited chances of success. It used to be 30 - this time limit gets shorter every year.
Think about the purpose of your letter. It will rarely be to resolve something completely. It will more often be to establish a step along the way. So concentrate just on that step.
For example - letters of introduction should not try to sell a product. They should sell the appointment.
Writing Reports - Template Structure
Typical structure template for writing a report:
Title, author, date.
Contents.
Introduction and Terms of Reference (or aims/scope for report).
Executive Summary (1-2 pages maximum) containing main points of evidence,recommendations and outcomes.
Background/history/situation.
Implications/issues/opportunities/threats, with source-referenced facts and figuresevidence.
Solution/action/decision options with implications/effects/results, including financials and parameters inputs and outputs.
Recommendations and actions with input and outcomes values and costs, and if necessary return on investment.
Appendices.
Optional Bibliography and Acknowledgements.
Map out your structure before you begin researching and writing your report.
Ensure the purpose, aims and scope of the report are clearly explained in your terms of reference.
The executive summary should be be very concise, summarising the main recommendations and findings. Provide interpretation of situations and options. Show the important hard facts and figures. Your recommendations should include implications, with values and costs where applicable. Unless yours is a highly complex study, limit the executive summary to less than two sides of standard business paper.
The body of the report should be divided into logical sections. The content must be very concise. Use hard facts and figures, evidence and justification. Use efficient language - big reports with too many words are not impressive. The best reports are simple and quick to read because the writer has properly interpreted the data and developed viable recommendations.
Do not cram lots of detail, diagrams, figures, evidence, references etc., into the main body of the report. Index and attach these references as appendices at the end of the report.
Where you state figures or evidence you must always identify the source.
Show figures in columns. Try to support important figures with a graph.
If it's appropriate to acknowledge contributors then do so in the introduction or a separate section at the end.
Writing Reports When You're Not Sure What's Required
If ever you are confronted with the task of writing a report and you are unsure of how to go about it, here are some tips.
It's common to be asked to write reports in business and organisations, for all kinds of reasons. Sometimes reports are required for good reasons - sometimes they are simply a waste of time. Sometimes reports are requested with clear terms of reference and criteria, but mostly they are not. It's common for reports to be requested with only a vague idea given as to what is actually needed - commonly there is no written 'brief' or specification.
The writer then spends days agonizing over what the report should include and look like, how long it should be, whether to include recommendations, whether to attach detailed information, etc. All this confusion is unnecessary and can be avoided by asking some simple questions.
Many people new to report-writing think that it's not the done thing to ask what the report should look like, often for fear of appearing unsure or incapable. But the fact is that before writing reports or business plans of any sort the writer should always first seek clarification of exactly what's required.
Don't assume that the request is reasonable and properly thought-through - in many cases it will not be. If the request for a written report is not perfectly clear, ask for clarification. Experienced people ask and seek clarification all the time - it's perfectly sensible and logical to do so.
Seeing sample reports from other industries and organisations is not always very helpful. Sample reports from completely different situations can be very misleading, aside from which, good sample reports are actually quite difficult to find anyway because most are subject to commercial or other confidentiality. In any event, there are so many different types of reports and report formats that there's no guarantee that an example from elsewhere would be right for your particular situation.
You are often better simply to follow the guidelines above, and avoid wasting time looking for elusive report examples. Trust your own judgement. Creating a sensible structure and building your own report is generally quicker and better than seeking inspiration elsewhere.
Importantly ask your employer or boss or client (whoever has requested the report) for their ideal format and if appropriate ask for examples of what they consider a suitable format for them. It's perfectly reasonable to seek clarification in this - you are not a mind-reader. There's a whole load of mystique around reports and business plans which is rarely dispelled because folk are afraid to ask - so break the cycle of doubt and assumption - ask.
As already explained, when writing anything - especially reports - the shorter the better is normally the case, especially when the audience is senior and strategic management or directors.
In truth most long reports generally don't get read, and what's worse is that some bosses don't have the sense to help the writers see how they could have submitted something far shorter. So the mystique persists.
Everyone - especially people new to report-writing thinks they should know how to do it, and nobody generally puts their hand up and dares to break the taboo by asking "What exactly do you want this report to look like?" In fact many bosses can't write a decent report themselves, which makes them even less likely to offer to explain what's required.
So, when faced with your next vague request to "Write a report..", cut through the crap, as they say, break the taboo, and ask people what they want:
Discuss and agree the report specification with the person requesting it - if they aren't sure themselves, then help them to define the criteria by asking helpful questions, such as -
Is there a written specification or 'terms of reference' for this report?
Where did the original request for this report come from and what do you think they expect and need?
Can we find out more about what is expected from this report?
How many words or pages?
Who is this report for and what will they use it for?
What format do you (or they) prefer?
Would people actually prefer a PowerPoint presentation of the main points instead of a bloody great big report that no-one will bother to read?
Do you want recommendations and actions in the report? Or just a conclusion?
Do you want detail referenced and appended or available on request?
Is this report really truly necessary? - might there be a better quicker more effective way to give the person asking for it what they actually need, whatever that is?
If you don't know what someone wants a report to be like, or what the report is for, then don't let people kid you into thinking that you should be able to guess.
Ask some helpful questions to agree a sensible report format, length, outcomes, etc., and you'll avoid the agonizing guesswork, and save everyone's time.
Finally - when you yourself next have to ask one of your people, or a supplier, or anyone else for that matter, to "write a report..", think about all of the above carefully and ask yourself the questions that will help you first confirm that a report is actually necessary, and then to define and provide clear and helpful guidelines, or a specification, or 'terms of reference', so that the person having to write the report can fully understand what sort of report is required and why.
Additional tips and templates for writing plans and reports are the business planning section.
See also the section on delegation, which relates strongly to requesting reports.
And the notes about personal brainstorming and note-taking for planning, decision-making, and generally organizing your thoughts.
I am grateful to Stewart Dixon for his help in refining this webpage.
The use of this material is free provided copyright (see below) is acknowledged and reference or link is made to the www.businessballs.com website. This material may not be sold, or published in any form. Disclaimer: Reliance on information, material, advice, or other linked or recommended resources, received from Alan Chapman, shall be at your sole risk, and Alan Chapman assumes no responsibility for any errors, omissions, or damages arising. Users of this website are encouraged to confirm information received with other sources, and to seek local qualified advice if embarking on any actions that could carry personal or organisational liabilities. Managing people and relationships are sensitive activities; the free material and advice available via this website do not provide all necessary safeguards and checks. Please retain this notice on all copies.
© alan chapman 1995-2011
Writing letters, reports, notes and other communications are important skills for business and personal life. Good letters help to get results, where poor letters fail. People judge others on the quality of their writing, so it's helpful to write well. Here are some simple tips for writing letters and communications of all sorts.
Generally, whatever you are writing, get to the main point, quickly and simply. Avoid lengthy preambles. Don't spend ages setting the scene or explaining the background, etc.
If you are selling, promoting, proposing something you must identify the main issue (if selling, the strongest unique perceived benefit) and make that the sole focus. Introducing other points distracts and confuses the reader.
Use language that your reader uses. If you want clues as to what this might be imagine the newspaper they read, and limit your vocabulary to that found in the newspaper.
Using the reader's language ideally extends to spelling for US-English or UK-English. It's difficult on this webpage, or other communications designed for mixed audiences, but when possible in your own work acknowledge that US and UK English are slightly different. Notably words which end in IZE in US English can quite properly be spelled ISE in English, for example: organise/organize, specialise/specialize, etc. Similarly many words ending in OUR in UK English are spelled OR in US English, for example favour/favor, humour/humor, colour/color, etc.
Avoid obvious grammatical errors, especially inserting single apostrophes where incorrect, which irritates many people and which is seen by some to indicate a poor education.
Probably the best rule for safe use of apostrophes is to restrict their use simply to possessive (e.g., girl's book, group's aims) and missing letters in words (e.g., I'm, you're, we've).
The following paragraphs attempt to explain some of the more complex rules for apostrophes, and I'm grateful to David Looker for helping me to bring better clarity to this confusing situation. Language is not a precise science and certain aspects, notably rules governing the use of apostrophes, are open to interpretation.
By way of introduction to apostrophes, here are some examples of common mistakes:
The team played it's part (should be: the team played its part - its, although possessive, is like his, my, hers, theirs, etc., and does not use the possessive apostrophe).
Its been a long day (should be: it's been a long day - it's is an abbreviation of it has)
Your correct (should be: you're correct - you're is an abbreviation of you are)
One months notice (should be: one month's notice - the notice is governed by the month, hence the possessive apostrophe)
The groups' task (should be: the group's task - group is a collective noun and treated as singular not plural)
The womens' decisions (should be the women's decisions - same as above - women is treated as singular, irrespective of the plural decisions).
The purpose of a single apostrophe is to indicate missing letters, as in I'm happy, or you're correct, and word constructions like don't, won't, wouldn't, can't, we've, etc. Apostrophes are also used to indicate when something belongs to the word (possessive), as in the girl's book.
This extends to expressions like a day's work, or a month's delay. The possessive apostrophe moves after the S when there is more than one subject in possession, for example the girls' fathers, or the footballers' wives, or three weeks' notice, but not for collective nouns like the children's toys, the women's husbands, or the group's aims.
And take care with the word its, as in the dog wagged its tail, where (as with his and hers) the apostrophe is not used, and should not be confused with it's, meaning it is, which does use the apostrophe according to the missing letters rule. Apostrophes are generally considered optional but are not 'preferred' (which basically means that fewer people will regard the usage as correct) in pluralised abbreviations such as OAPs, and tend not to be used at all in well known abbreviations such as CDs and MPs.
Increasingly, apostrophes in common abbreviations such as CD's and MP's are considered by many to be incorrect, and so on balance are best avoided.
The use of apostrophes is more likely to be preferred and seen as correct where the abbreviation contains periods, such as M.P.'s or Ph.D.'s, although in general the use of periods and apostrophes in abbreviations is becoming less popular and therefore again is probably best avoided. In single-case communications (all capitals, or no capitals - which is increasingly popular in emails and texts) omitting apostrophes in pluralised abbreviations can cause confusion, so forms such cds or CDS should be avoided if possible, although the 'correct' punctuation in this context is anyone's guess.
Grammatical rules change much slower than real life. Other plural abbreviations or shortened words such as photos (photographs), mics (microphones), could technically still be shown as photo's and mic's, reflecting older traditional use of the apostrophe in abbreviated words, but these days this is generally considered to be incorrect.
The use of apostrophes in numbers, such as 1980's or over-50's, is also less popular than a generation ago, and whilst optional, apostrophes in numbers are increasingly regarded as incorrect, so the safer preferred forms for the examples shown are 1980s and over-50s. The use of apostrophes is still preferred for pluralising short words which do not generally have a plural form, such as in the statement: there are more x's than y's, or do's and don't's.
The last example makes for a particularly confusing form and is another common spoken term that's probably best avoided putting in print or in any sort of formal communication (because even if you get it right there's a good chance that the reader will think it wrong anyway..)
Aside from the safe recommendation above to generally restrict apostrophes to missing letters and possessive words, if in doubt, try to see what rules the reader or the audience uses for such things - in brochures, on websites, etc., and then, unless they are patently daft, match their grammatical preferences accordingly.
Use short sentences. More than fifteen words in a sentence reduces the clarity of the meaning. After drafting your communication, seek out commas and 'and's, and replace with full-stops.
Write as you would speak - but ensure it's grammatically correct. Don't try to be formal. Don't use old-fashioned figures of speech. Avoid 'the undersigned', 'aforementioned', 'ourselves', 'your goodselves', and similar nonsense. You should show that you're living in the same century as the reader.
As to how informal to be, for example writing much like normal every day speech (for example I'd, you'd, we've) bear in mind that some older people, and younger people who have inherited traditional views, could react less favourably to a writing style which they consider to be the product of laziness or poor education. Above all it is important to write in a style that the reader is likely to find agreeable.
Avoid Jargon, Acronyms, Technical Terms Unless Essential
Don't use capital letters - even for headings. Words formed of capital letters are difficult to read because there are no word-shapes, just blocks of text. (We read quickly by seeing word shapes, not the individual letters.)
Sans serif fonts (like Arial, Helvetica and this one, Tahoma) are modern, and will give a modern image. Serif fonts (like Garamond, Goudy and this one, Times), are older, and will tend to give a less modern image.
Sans serif fonts take longer to read, so there's a price to pay for being modern. This is because we've all grown up learning to read serif fonts. Serif fonts also have a horizontal flow, which helps readability and reading comfort. (Serif fonts developed before the days of print, when the engraver needed to create a neat exit from each letter.)
Avoid fancy fonts. They may look clever or innovative, but they are more difficult to read, and some are nearly impossible.
Use 10-12 point size for body copy (text). 14-20 point is fine for main headings, bold or normal. Sub-headings 10-12 bold.
Any printed material looks very untidy if you use more than two different fonts and two different point sizes. Generally the fewer the better.
If your organisation stipulates a 'house' font then use it.
If your organisation doesn't then it should do.
Black text on a white background is the easiest colour combination to read. Definitely avoid coloured backgrounds, and black.
Avoid background graphics or pictures behind the text.
Italics are less easy to read. So is heavy bold type.
If you must break any of these font rules, do so only for the heading.
Limit main attention-grabbing headings to no more than fifteen words.
In letters, position your main heading between two-thirds and three-quarters up the page. This is where the eye is naturally drawn first.
Use left-justified text as it's easiest to read.
Avoid fully justified text as it creates uneven word spaces and is more difficult to read.
Remember that effective written communication is enabling the reader to understand your meaning in as few words as possible.
Writing Letters
Generally if you can't fit it all onto one side of a standard business sheet of paper, start again.
Whether writing a letter of complaint, introduction, or proposition - you must keep it brief.
If your letter can't be read and understood in less than 20 seconds it has limited chances of success. It used to be 30 - this time limit gets shorter every year.
Think about the purpose of your letter. It will rarely be to resolve something completely. It will more often be to establish a step along the way. So concentrate just on that step.
For example - letters of introduction should not try to sell a product. They should sell the appointment.
Writing Reports - Template Structure
Typical structure template for writing a report:
Title, author, date.
Contents.
Introduction and Terms of Reference (or aims/scope for report).
Executive Summary (1-2 pages maximum) containing main points of evidence,recommendations and outcomes.
Background/history/situation.
Implications/issues/opportunities/threats, with source-referenced facts and figuresevidence.
Solution/action/decision options with implications/effects/results, including financials and parameters inputs and outputs.
Recommendations and actions with input and outcomes values and costs, and if necessary return on investment.
Appendices.
Optional Bibliography and Acknowledgements.
Map out your structure before you begin researching and writing your report.
Ensure the purpose, aims and scope of the report are clearly explained in your terms of reference.
The executive summary should be be very concise, summarising the main recommendations and findings. Provide interpretation of situations and options. Show the important hard facts and figures. Your recommendations should include implications, with values and costs where applicable. Unless yours is a highly complex study, limit the executive summary to less than two sides of standard business paper.
The body of the report should be divided into logical sections. The content must be very concise. Use hard facts and figures, evidence and justification. Use efficient language - big reports with too many words are not impressive. The best reports are simple and quick to read because the writer has properly interpreted the data and developed viable recommendations.
Do not cram lots of detail, diagrams, figures, evidence, references etc., into the main body of the report. Index and attach these references as appendices at the end of the report.
Where you state figures or evidence you must always identify the source.
Show figures in columns. Try to support important figures with a graph.
If it's appropriate to acknowledge contributors then do so in the introduction or a separate section at the end.
Writing Reports When You're Not Sure What's Required
If ever you are confronted with the task of writing a report and you are unsure of how to go about it, here are some tips.
It's common to be asked to write reports in business and organisations, for all kinds of reasons. Sometimes reports are required for good reasons - sometimes they are simply a waste of time. Sometimes reports are requested with clear terms of reference and criteria, but mostly they are not. It's common for reports to be requested with only a vague idea given as to what is actually needed - commonly there is no written 'brief' or specification.
The writer then spends days agonizing over what the report should include and look like, how long it should be, whether to include recommendations, whether to attach detailed information, etc. All this confusion is unnecessary and can be avoided by asking some simple questions.
Many people new to report-writing think that it's not the done thing to ask what the report should look like, often for fear of appearing unsure or incapable. But the fact is that before writing reports or business plans of any sort the writer should always first seek clarification of exactly what's required.
Don't assume that the request is reasonable and properly thought-through - in many cases it will not be. If the request for a written report is not perfectly clear, ask for clarification. Experienced people ask and seek clarification all the time - it's perfectly sensible and logical to do so.
Seeing sample reports from other industries and organisations is not always very helpful. Sample reports from completely different situations can be very misleading, aside from which, good sample reports are actually quite difficult to find anyway because most are subject to commercial or other confidentiality. In any event, there are so many different types of reports and report formats that there's no guarantee that an example from elsewhere would be right for your particular situation.
You are often better simply to follow the guidelines above, and avoid wasting time looking for elusive report examples. Trust your own judgement. Creating a sensible structure and building your own report is generally quicker and better than seeking inspiration elsewhere.
Importantly ask your employer or boss or client (whoever has requested the report) for their ideal format and if appropriate ask for examples of what they consider a suitable format for them. It's perfectly reasonable to seek clarification in this - you are not a mind-reader. There's a whole load of mystique around reports and business plans which is rarely dispelled because folk are afraid to ask - so break the cycle of doubt and assumption - ask.
As already explained, when writing anything - especially reports - the shorter the better is normally the case, especially when the audience is senior and strategic management or directors.
In truth most long reports generally don't get read, and what's worse is that some bosses don't have the sense to help the writers see how they could have submitted something far shorter. So the mystique persists.
Everyone - especially people new to report-writing thinks they should know how to do it, and nobody generally puts their hand up and dares to break the taboo by asking "What exactly do you want this report to look like?" In fact many bosses can't write a decent report themselves, which makes them even less likely to offer to explain what's required.
So, when faced with your next vague request to "Write a report..", cut through the crap, as they say, break the taboo, and ask people what they want:
Discuss and agree the report specification with the person requesting it - if they aren't sure themselves, then help them to define the criteria by asking helpful questions, such as -
Is there a written specification or 'terms of reference' for this report?
Where did the original request for this report come from and what do you think they expect and need?
Can we find out more about what is expected from this report?
How many words or pages?
Who is this report for and what will they use it for?
What format do you (or they) prefer?
Would people actually prefer a PowerPoint presentation of the main points instead of a bloody great big report that no-one will bother to read?
Do you want recommendations and actions in the report? Or just a conclusion?
Do you want detail referenced and appended or available on request?
Is this report really truly necessary? - might there be a better quicker more effective way to give the person asking for it what they actually need, whatever that is?
If you don't know what someone wants a report to be like, or what the report is for, then don't let people kid you into thinking that you should be able to guess.
Ask some helpful questions to agree a sensible report format, length, outcomes, etc., and you'll avoid the agonizing guesswork, and save everyone's time.
Finally - when you yourself next have to ask one of your people, or a supplier, or anyone else for that matter, to "write a report..", think about all of the above carefully and ask yourself the questions that will help you first confirm that a report is actually necessary, and then to define and provide clear and helpful guidelines, or a specification, or 'terms of reference', so that the person having to write the report can fully understand what sort of report is required and why.
Additional tips and templates for writing plans and reports are the business planning section.
See also the section on delegation, which relates strongly to requesting reports.
And the notes about personal brainstorming and note-taking for planning, decision-making, and generally organizing your thoughts.
I am grateful to Stewart Dixon for his help in refining this webpage.
The use of this material is free provided copyright (see below) is acknowledged and reference or link is made to the www.businessballs.com website. This material may not be sold, or published in any form. Disclaimer: Reliance on information, material, advice, or other linked or recommended resources, received from Alan Chapman, shall be at your sole risk, and Alan Chapman assumes no responsibility for any errors, omissions, or damages arising. Users of this website are encouraged to confirm information received with other sources, and to seek local qualified advice if embarking on any actions that could carry personal or organisational liabilities. Managing people and relationships are sensitive activities; the free material and advice available via this website do not provide all necessary safeguards and checks. Please retain this notice on all copies.
© alan chapman 1995-2011
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