I was recently working with an organization in Canada in the past two weeks. They represent a very well know brand – one you would immediately have a perspective of or have an opinion regarding. I had the pleasure of working with their store managers on some initial learning objectives prior to a 2011 store manager leadership series. I was taken by their absolute buy-in to their culture, their brand. They walked and talked the brand. They believe in who they are.
As a management consultant, I often must aid organizations in establishing their heart beat, their vibe, their reason for being. It can be both a painful and amazing experience for the senior leaders. It can represent an opportunity for the organization to define if they are “first, best or different” in their competitive marketplace. I enjoy seeing the light bulbs begin to shine bright. While doing this and capturing an idea, the bigger challenge is not the identification of it, it is the implementation of it. This is the critical test of any organization – are you able to take a belief or vibe and get everyone in the organization to live it?
In these past two weeks, that was not the issue. Belief was present. The opportunity was how do you move and expand within their industry? If you are in retail, your goal is to make sales. Like it it or not, your ability to sell is the ultimate determination of success. In other words, the selling culture must merge with the brand culture. It doesn’t matter how cool you are, if you cannot make sales or drive sales, you suffer (in several ways; interested? Contact Create).
That is the challenge and opportunity to define. In an effort to be or exude a vibe, do you feel sales should just happen because you are cool, hip or cheeky? It causes another question to be asked; are you a blankety-blank company who happens to make sales or a selling organization which carries blankety-blank? Answering this can be the difference of growing or dying.
So I found myself with a very well known brand who is looking at how sales or the importance of having a selling philosophy factors within their culture. Their learning has been weighted to one side and now they are looking at how the other side can be developed. Here is the thing, both can co-exist! You can make sales and have a cool brand. In fact, if both are strengthened, both are amplified.
Organizations must:
- Define their vibe
- Communicate their vibe (both internally and externally)
- Share their vibe (again both internally and externally)
- Train their team
- Measure their performance
- Continuously coach and develop their success