A text message I’ve received many times in the past few weeks from my daughter – a millennial whose employer (along with her husband’s) has decided to wait until 2021 before they allow employees back into the workplace. I am a primary caregiver for two octogenarians (one of whom recently suffered a stroke). I am a mother, a sister, an aunt, a daughter, a consultant, and a professor.
I have been “asked” to teach an upcoming course on Persuasion and Influence in a face-to-face classroom on July 6, 2020. During this time of uncertainty, we’re encountering situations we couldn’t have imagined even a few months ago. Situations challenge our beliefs, persistence, and the world we knew before the pandemic.
I’ve been a teacher for most of my life, and for the past 20+ years I’ve been paid for it.
Feelings of Going Into The Classroom
Although my university is adopting the necessary precautions and following state guidelines, the uncontrollable reopening aspects are difficult to anticipate. Our student population is skewed toward global learners, many of whom opt to attend university in the U.S. to experience the social aspects of living abroad.
While we may be able to enforce social distancing, personal hygiene practices, and mask-wearing on campus, we can’t ensure these practices outside of campus.
Many articles characterize the risk of returning to the classroom:
“But as much as I love brick-and-mortar teaching, I shudder at the prospect of teaching in a room filled with asymptomatic superspreaders,” wrote Paul M. Kellermann, Teaching Professor of English at Penn State University.
At the same time, researchers and government entities lay out the fact that reopening our schools is inevitable.
Student PTSD
Safety considerations aside (but of paramount importance), there is also the student experience. When COVID-19 started its rampage worldwide, I taught in a “physical presence” classroom of 75 students. The direct impact on my students tracked the sickness as it spread from Asia to Europe.
Each day, new reports of sick or dying friends and family members flowed into class discussions. Students lived through the trauma of the onset of city, state, and country shutdowns; many of them hastily returned to the safety of their families in their home countries.
Within days, the university programs shifted to online instruction before the end of the term, so students quickly experienced a change in lifestyle and education. During next week’s in-person class, I’ve allotted time in my lesson plan to discuss students’ experiences and re-entry to encourage a psychologically safe classroom that supports a physically safe one.
Preparation
Preparing to teach a course during a pandemic has a subtle yet important impact on pedagogy and learning objectives. My teaching style is driven by movement and use of space in the classroom – all of which must be rethought and rearranged.
Instead of moving among teams of students in the classroom, each interaction comes with a thoughtful 6-feet of distance.
Instead of ideating around a piece of paper taped to a wall, students will take turns adding their thoughts to a page (using their own assigned markers, of course).
A safe classroom requires down-to-the-minute planning to anticipate social distancing and safety measures and extra time needed to do so.
Canary In The Classroom
What can we learn from the experience of cautiously reopening our classrooms? How will this change the way that we teach or the learning experience of our students? There is certainly more to come as we explore this new way of learning.
Pamela Campagna MBA, CMC is the President of BLUE SAGE Consulting, Inc. a certified women-owned consulting firm. Pamela is a board member and chair of the Marketing and Membership Committee of CMC-Global Institute, a virtual global community for professional management consultants.
She is also a Professor of Practice at Hult International Business School, where she has taught leadership, strategy, and management courses since 2014.
According to a recent study by the Harvard Business Review, only 8% of leaders manage strategy execution effectively. Furthermore, leaders who can strategize well are most likely to be able to put the strategy into place, but only because they happen to make the right choices at crucial points in executing their strategies.
As most leaders know, strategies are simply roadmaps, and there are extenuating circumstances that can change the plan in a blink of an eye. This is what separates a strategy from a plan: a plan may not necessarily consider extenuating circumstances. In contrast, a strategy can fail if it is too complex and demanding for those who have to execute it. For example, if a manager assigns a project to a team of two employees when it usually requires at least five people to execute it, the project may be doomed to fail. Similarly, a complex strategy usually leads to complicated execution.
What Makes Strategy Executable and Effective?
Sir Lawrence Freedman, renowned author, and professor of War Studies at the prestigious King’s College in London, penned a book in 2013 entitled “Strategy: A History”in which he demonstrates how strategy must have a working definition in order to evolve and be relevant. He makes a strong argument about using all available resources to enable one to react to unanticipated events and stay on course. He terms it “the art of creating power” because it entails a delicate balance of power, authority, and resources.
As a historian, Sir Lawrence has studied military strategy, which he says dates back to Greek mythology when gods employed either raw strength or guile in their battles. This is evident when you look at two great warriors, Achilles, and Odysseus, who both fought on the side of the Greeks during the Trojan War. Achilles used his strength to fight while Odysseus used his craftiness and the Trojan wooden horse to end the war.
Studies have shown that top executives are often frustrated with achieving success with only 65% of their financial strategies. What does this mean? “The strategies are outstanding, so why aren’t we reaching our goals?” is what troubles most managers because they simply don’t comprehend why they cannot bridge the underperformance gap between strategy and execution. As a result, the organization ends up wasting energy, time, and missed opportunities.
In a nutshell, strategy is an ongoing process that takes you from one level of success to the next. A strategy should have a beginning without an end, in the sense that running an organization is an ongoing battle. And every stage will bring new challenges that a leader must face and add to the strategic plan. Sir Freedman sums it up best: “The world of strategy is full of disappointment and frustration, of means not working and ends not reached.”
How to Meet Strategy and Execution Consistently: Best Practices
For strategies to stay relevant and operative, best practices in strategy development can be employed, including:
Plan your strategy based on realistic data: your finances, resources, and market data that identify top priorities.
Ensure that your strategy has quick and corrective action.
Track performance and compare it with long-term goals.
Review and analyze people, processes, and products on a frequent basis.
Create accountabilities and establish clear communications.
Review performance bottlenecks.
Keep the strategy simple but complete and concrete, and make it a point to reward the people who are helping you achieve your goals.
Finally, avoid the common pitfall of trying to create the perfect strategy because it doesn’t exist – at least not by planning ahead. The perfect strategy is one that adapts to situations while staying true to its course.
Need help with your business strategy? Contact us for a complimentary consultation call.
An Interview with Pamela Campagna | President, BLUE SAGE Consulting, Inc.
What do you most like about your job?
Because I work with many companies and organizations, I’m able to carry what I learn from one situation to another. The variety and the constant challenge of solving client problems are really intriguing. As a Certified Management Consultant (CMC®), I am bound by the requirements of a global organization to deliver quality results in an ethical manner.
Why does your work stand out from others that do what you do?
My clients can speak to that: “I had the pleasure of working with Pam at a few firms, one where I hired her as a consultant to help launch new marketing and sales initiatives under an extraordinarily tight timeline. Pam is a strategic thinker who cuts through the noise and identifies the high impact issues and opportunities. She maps out clear plans and then tirelessly executes. Pam just jumps in and does what it takes to achieve the desired targets and immediately earns the respect of the teams she works with. I would highly recommend Pam! “
What questions are you commonly asked, and how do you answer?
Many clients aren’t sure how to work with a consultant. One common question is: “I’m not sure where to get started.” Once the client begins to describe the issue in their business (and with my prodding and probing and discussion), I can get a general sense of where we need to start and how I can help them. Sometimes we “don’t know what we don’t know”. That’s where I come in!
If I were a client, what should I know about your business?
There’s no magic in consulting. Just like many other professions, there are methodologies and processes and best practices that can be followed. Being able to solve problems, think strategically and act with urgency to improve the client’s situation should be the most important role that a consultant can play. Consultants who are committed to the business of consulting and have a lot of successes under their belt can save companies a lot of time and money.
What is the most memorable client engagement that you’ve had?
Several years ago, I was contacted by a company that was looking for help to reorganize their sales organization. Once I started to ask what product they sold (and to whom), what the plans were for products and services in the future (they weren’t sure), how profitable each product was (less sure) and what the business strategy was for the company….we realized that what was missing was a strategy for the company and specific plans to implement it. The sales force wasn’t broken. The company’s strategy was. We started what turned out to be a 4-year engagement, by working on their strategy, then on their product line offerings and go-to-market plan. The engagement was especially worthwhile for the client as it moved their business into a direction much quicker than they had imagined.
Are most of your engagements that long and complex?
By its very nature, the work that I do involves many elements of the client’s business. Whether it’s creating a marketing strategy or developing a program for customer retention, the consulting work tends to be more complex. However, there have been many instances where the project was straightforward and the goals were clear so the work that we did was mostly to execute the project.
What are the most common types of work that you do for your clients?
Our clients in B2B, manufacturing, technology, healthcare, and non-profit organizations look to us for:
short-term help on a business issue
long-term advice on operational improvements
growth strategies for a lagging product line
skills development for teams and individuals
guidance on how to develop marketing initiatives
leadership for change and transformation initiatives
operating model and process improvement development
special, unstaffed projects
The projects and engagements span a wide range: we’ve gone to Capitol Hill with a client to support their lobbying efforts as part of their business development strategy. We’ve developed distribution plans and processes with Amazon for another client. We’ve worked with a large pharma to understand the impact of their investment in medical education. Dozens of engagements have included product launches, services implementation, press and analyst relationship development and staff development. And every single engagement is unique.
How do you stay up to date on tools and happenings in your industry?
In addition to my consulting practice, I am an Adjunct Professor at Boston College and a Professor of Practice at Hult International Business School where I teach Leadership, Strategy, and Marketing. The combination of in-the-field experience with my clients, and teaching and collaborating with students and faculty in higher education are a great source of information and inspiration. In addition, we invest our resources in continuing education and ongoing personal development.
Can you name a few trends that you think will have an impact on the consulting industry?
The landscape of the workplace is changing. The concept of a “job for life” doesn’t really exist anymore. The distinction between a contractor (someone who is between jobs or who is a person-for-hire) and a consultant (someone who follows a specific competency framework and builds a business) is confusing to companies that are looking to hire a competent supplement in their organization. Often, the alternative of a large agency or a big consulting firm is too cumbersome for companies that want to get a job done quickly without a lot of overhead.
The trend of “talented resources on demand” will continue and offers an opportunity for consultants like me and the BLUE SAGE team to provide value to clients who are looking for proven results from a team of experts who have years of experience in a number of businesses and challenging situations.
Does this mean that you work alone?
Actually, it really depends on the needs of the client and the requirement of the engagement. In some cases, I work alone on a particular project or as a retainer-based outsourced consultant. Other times, the project may require subject matter expertise or additional bandwidth to be completed. In that situation, I call on BLUE SAGE Associates with whom I’ve worked over the years. They work for the client as part of my team. In addition, I often work with internal teams in the client organization to get the job done.
What are some of the pitfalls of the business?
I’ve spent thousands of hours on 100s of projects helping my clients to navigate through change, build their strategy and run their businesses. I can typically get a sense of how the working relationship with the client will be, based on how discussions go as we figure out how to work together. I can also get a sense of how challenging an engagement will be based on early interactions with potential clients.
Sometimes, the early interactions are an indication that the working relationship is not a good fit. Take, for example, the company in New York that was looking for help to get their marketing activities and infrastructure in shape as they were preparing to seek another round of funding from an investor. I was introduced to the company through one of the key stakeholders and had several conversations and meetings with their leadership. After that first meeting, it became very clear that the President of the company didn’t understand how a “solid” company might run – as they themselves had very little business experience. That’s not unusual, and it allows a consultant to be a “teacher” as well as a consultant. It also became clear during that first meeting that the President was more comfortable doing the work that he had always done instead of taking on more of a leadership role. He spent his days writing copy for the website and code for the product instead of building a team to take that product to market and sell it.
I’m a firm believer in studying best practices and learning by them. I believe in having a sense of urgency and driving toward a goal in an organized fashion. In this case, indecision and “business as usual” were the way that this company runs, and they were not prepared to take action to change. So for them, the timing wasn’t right and it was clear to me that the client was not a good fit for BLUE SAGE as I could not serve them well. In this case, I respectfully pulled out of discussions and I continue to stay in touch with the stakeholder if I can help them in the future.
What is the best way to determine if working with a consultant is the right thing for a business leader?
I rarely come across a leader who thinks that they “need a consultant” in their business. Typically, there is a business need – a pain, a challenge, an opportunity – that needs some attention. Sometimes an objective perspective from an outside third party is what’s required. In any of these scenarios, a qualified consultant should be able to get a sense of the business need and outline areas that might be explored. There are different methodologies that we use depending on the nature of the business problem and the level of complexity. In some cases, it may be as simple as defining a plan and then moving to implement and manage the plan. Either way, the best way to understand whether or not a consultant is a good solution for a business leader is to start a conversation.
Collaboration in a global marketing setting can be challenging on the best of days. Our guest blogger, Jen Kelly of New Initiatives Marketing shares her views on how to rise to the challenge.
Delivering a workshop can be one of the best ways to share your knowledge and get in front of your future clients. While the content of your talk needs to be relevant, helpful and insightful, you must put just as much care into the execution of the event as you do into developing the content. Over the past few weeks, my strategy partner, Pamela Campagna of Blue Sage Consulting and I presented to the small business clients of Middlesex Savings Bank. Pamela was onsite at each location in the greater Boston area. I joined in online from Toronto, live via Skype video.
Here are some tips that helped us to deliver a polished and relevant workshop four times over four weeks. I hope they can help you deliver your next best workshop.
Open doors for others
1. Be a good partner
In our case, with Pamela in the room and me on video, it was easier for the audience to make an immediate connection with her. She said hello to everyone, was able to chat and shake hands before and after the workshop. Ensuring that we both got enough airtime in front of the audience was important. Also, it was important that we didn’t confuse the audience. We did this by scripting our presentation to be really clear in the beginning, middle and end what each of us focused on. We worked to make it crystal clear that Pamela’s expertise is strategy – work with her if you’re creating or revamping your strategy. Mine is implementation and execution – work with me if your challenge is implementing and executing your marketing strategy.
2. Be good to your sponsor
Our sponsor was Middlesex Savings Bank. Their marketing team had enough on their plate without taking on the promotion of our workshop series. Knowing this, we did our best to make this easy for them by ensuring they had all the elements (photos, bios, logos, copy) to create their mailings. We also suggested content, subject lines, times of mailing. We developed a survey to send out once someone registered for the workshop. This survey helped prepare the attendee for the content and prepared us to meet the expectations of the audience. Make it as easy as possible for your sponsor to help promote your workshop.
3. Be good to the audience
People have taken the time to attend your workshop. Ensure you have something for everyone to do next. For those who will sign up to buy right away – be ready to take an order. For those who want to try out what they’ve just learned from you – have take-a-ways like worksheet that spell out the first few steps they need to take to get started on their own. For those that need to think a little bit more about what you’ve just presented – encourage them to connect with you on LinkedIn, to download your presentation slides, and to check out the resources (industry articles) you’ve provided to learn more. Each person will move at their own pace, be ready to match it.
Before and after
4. Rehearse
Pamela and I were both comfortable public speaking. What was new to us was working together. We put the time in to rehearsing and found out how to work with our different presentation styles.
5. Debrief
Make the time to debrief after each session. As I was on video I had such a different perspective than Pamela did. We made the time to do this the same day of each workshop so that the experience was fresh in our minds. We’d talk about what worked well, what didn’t and what to adjust. Sometimes this was a 10 min conversation. Other times, longer. Always valuable.
Expert help
6. Get the tech right
Oh technology. We love you. Except when you don’t work – for no reason. We did our best to test everything including four site checks at each location to understand the setup and technical requirements unique to each place. We also brought Pamela’s colleague onsite to manage the tech set up, and to be responsible for any backup fixes we’d need if the wifi failed for any reason. Doing so allowed us to focus on the audience and our content, knowing we had a pro in charge of all the technology.
7. Be ready for your close-up
For me, presenting on camera was a big step. I knew I wanted to present well and frankly was really uncomfortable on video. So I got some coaching. Jaeny Baik who works with business leaders to get over themselves (essentially!!) was my secret weapon. She worked with me to learn how to present on video. While I have a long way to go, her coaching made me feel good. I learned some of the basics with lighting, camera angles, and scripting to look and sound professional. Without her coaching as a first step, I’d still be shy and uncomfortable on video and probably would not have agreed to do this workshop – what a missed opportunity that would have been. More and more opportunities exist for delivering your expertise in a workshop setting. While you’re sure to know your content inside out, these tips are meant to ensure the implementation and execution of your workshop goes smoothly. Good luck!
What tip would you add to the list?
Need help with the implementation and execution of your next workshop? Contact Jen.
Marketing generates quality leads, sales happily accept them, deals close, the MQL to SQL (Sales Qualified Leads) conversion rate is almost 100%, and everything is terrific, right? WRONG!
If marketing holds onto every lead until they are sure it’s a lock-down SQL, bad things happen, like:
Losing your selling window. Remember, buyers are in control. They buy on their timeframe, not yours. Wait too long, and the buyer will be locked into another vendor or on to another project.
Losing out on promising leads. Qualifying leads isn’t an exact science. Marketing can err on the conservative side – knowing that some good leads might not get to sales (what we in the marketing demand gen world call a “False Negative”), or marketing can be more aggressive knowing sales will get some “False Positives”.
For those not familiar with the term, a False Positive would be a lead that appears to be sales-ready by displaying buying behavior, such as watching demos, looking at pricing, or downloading RFP templates, but in fact, they are still just researching.
Most companies will accept “False Positives” to rapidly get sales leads, provided it doesn’t get out of hand. I recently talked to one CEO who saw a 90% MQL rejection rate, meaning that only 1 out of 10 leads was sales-ready. Now, that’s out-of-hand, although it’s not uncommon.
So, what’s the right MQL to SQL conversion rate? Today’s best practices hover around 60%. Get close to this, and you should likely be feeling pretty good. But to get the full story, you need to be looking at a bunch of other metrics (metrics that a sound closed-loop marketing automation/CRM system should be able to cough up quickly), such as:
% of MQLs resolved – meaning the rep could reach the prospect and conduct a discovery call. Somehow, the best reps always seem to have the highest percentage, but there can be other reasons for varying rates. For example, my tele-qualifiers passed MQLs over at one point without setting appointments, as the reps wanted to own their calendars. With this process, we only got a 30% resolved rate and a 15% MQL conversion rate. Once the tele-qualifiers started to schedule meetings, the resolution and MQL conversion rates tripled.
% of MQLs disqualified with lousy info (bad contact info, the wrong role, not being employed at a company, the company not in the right region, size, etc.). This number should be low, but it is important to watch to ensure the demand generation process is aligned correctly. For example, perhaps a marketing list was created with companies that are too small or a tele-qualifier misunderstanding the qualification criteria.
% of MQLsreturned to marketing for nurturing (right company type and role but doesn’t fully meet MQL definition). In other words, these are your “False Positives” and at some point, down the road, through nurturing efforts, they hopefully will be ready to buy.
These metrics can differ by marketing campaign, region, and sales rep, so understanding them helps both marketing and sales adjust behavior and improve conversion rates. What trends are you seeing in your company?
About the Author
Jeff Whitney is a B2B software marketing executive with extensive experience – from early-stage start-ups to achieving marketing equity. Jeff has a passion for building a world-class marketing function, starting with the organization, demand generation programs, sales enablement tools, and aligning sales and marketing.
