Talent Stack 25
There's been plenty of 'one-percent' style doctrines down the years.
One outlasting scrutiny, is that it is incredibly tough to be in the top one percent for anything.
The fluke of gift, the trick of graft, the lottery of connection.
To then stay in that lofty echelon, is even harder.
There is an alternative angle, so the theory goes.
It is an appreciable measure of magnitude easier to be in say, the top ten percent for something.
In fact, across more than one thing.
If chosen wisely, then being in the uppermost decile for each of more than one facet, swells into perhaps a greater whole than could have possibly been achieved in a singular pursuit.
Key to unlocking success, is choosing separate 'talents' that when combined by you anew, go really well together, become compelling to those in need, and make you unique.
There's a noticeable uptick in people purposely focusing on beyond a mere sole such skill in just this manner.
I liked the way I recently saw one chap present his personal trident; business trends, entrepreneurship, longevity. Even if they felt a little woolly overall for me, I still get it. So decided to remix his template.
Of which you can see my first-pass up-top.
I'm sure I'll refine these as I progress.
For now, it blends three elements of specialism I've noted clients hugely value. Especially when realising how rare it is to see them magically join as truly greater than the sum of their parts.
Craft your own and it'll be another clear way your prospects will view you set high apart.
Here's my case above, illuminated. The power is in when any or all of these converge to solve something.
New Products. I've yet to meet anyone client or prospect side that's given anything farther than a cursory glance at what selling new solution, enterprise, change-making products entails. That's no-one in Sales or Marketing or Product Development. I'm not saying such luminaries don't exist. I am saying it's a discipline virtually every B2B endeavour neglects at their peril. To the extent that I typically get commissioned on this alone for what I've long termed New Product Rescue. How about instead, you start as you mean to go on and simply bypass all that unnecessary pain?
Sales Process Edge. Selling processes are ten-a-penny. I've been in thrall or in dispute to just about every one going over the past three decades. From gurus through researchers to global trainers. I've been able to take what works from each, regardless of source, and use or pass on what matters. Yet here these are not what I refer to. There's something massively lacking. That pattern of events that when in train, practically guarantee you will prevail on a bid. Some of the aforementioned can apply. Yet so much more does too. Let's not miss them. Let's know our sustainable, repeatable, refineable successful selling formula, unique to us.
Distinctive Videoing. I'm still staggered how few salesteams give any attention at all to how they ought conduct meetings over video. A huge opportunity missed. And so simple to remedy. If like me, you did your first ever video sales call in 1998. Then set up your own SaaS in 2000, quickly growing to have big ticket salesteams as customers around the world. All served from two offices, ten thousand clicks apart. Where live video comms became second nature. An aim of improving your video calling, can embrace doing less of it. As well as the raft of tools and techniques that even now, you are blissfully unaware of. Any and each of which can brilliantly elevate you above your competition. Today and tomorrow.