B2B Business Development Resources for Technology Companies with Complex, High-Ticket Sales

Peter Drucker On Marketing... "Foreign managers take marketing seriously. In most American companies marketing still means no more than systematic selling. Foreigners today have absorbed more fully the true meaning of marketing: Showing what is value to the customer." "There will always, one can assume, be need for some selling. But the aim of marketing is to make selling superfluous. The aim of marketing is to know and understand the customer so well that the product and service fits him and sells itself. Ideally, marketing should result in a customer who is ready to buy. All that should be needed then is to make the product or service available; i.e., logistics rather than salesmanship, and statistical distribution rather than promotion." (Management: Tasks, Responsibilities, Practices - 1974) "Marketing is the distinguishing unique function of the business. A business is set apart from all other human organizations by its marketing activities. Any organization that fulfills its purpose through marketing is a business, and any organization where marketing is absent or incidental is not a business, and shouldn't be run as such." (The Practice of Management - 1954)

If you're a repeat visitor here, then skip this section. But if you're here the first time around, then read it all. It will give you either a splitting headache with recurring nightmares and uncontrollable crying fits or a good heart-warming laughter, depending on your sense of humour. I encourage you to go for a good laughter. Although business development is a serious topic, I try to present and discuss it in a rather light-hearted way.

This is a collection of articles, white papers and various research materials on all aspects of off- and online business development. Some of them are open to the public, but and some of them are only available for my newsletter subscribers. If you're interested, feel free to join a global group of organisations that receive it, and then you also obtain instant access to all the other goodies.

So, here is a list of what's waiting for you if you decide to take the plunge and subscribe to my newsletter, Tomicide Solutions. But I also have to warn you about something. It may or may not be important for you. I write in a pretty loose manner. I believe my stuff has value, but I write all this serious stuff in plain English. I think people are sick and tired of big pompous words, so I try to create a provocative, yet humorous environment in which my readers can both learn something new, put up with my "in-your-face" style and have a good laugh every now and then.

But don't get me wrong. My style is not "in-your-face" because of ego or arrogance. The military took care of all the ego and arrogance I may have ever had. I use this provocative style because it acts as the proverbial icy water in my readers' faces. In NLP (Neuro Linguistic Programming) this is called pattern interrupt. It triggers readers to look at their situations from different perspectives. No, I don't say I'm always right. What I want to achieve is that my readers look at their issues from several angles, and at one point they say, "Holy shit, this is what I'm looking for" or "Holy sausage, I've overlooked the obvious." So, essentially, just like a good holistic healer, I help my readers, as I do with my clients, to discover their own solutions to their problems. As Socrates once said, "I cannot teach people anything. I can only make them think." And provocation happens to be my method of making people think.

Then responding to Socrates, Henry Ford said, "Thinking is one of the hardest things there is. That's why only so few people do it." And this is the crux of the matter. Or I could even say, the bee's knees or the wasp's nipples. I'm just the change catalyst. You must be the change agent. So, I just hope that some of these articles make you think and see your life and business in a different light, and then this different light triggers you to take different actions, so you achieve different results.

Just read the openly available articles and you get a sense of my style. I don't say it's right or wrong. It's just my style. One of my mentors, joint venture guru, Robin Elliott often says, "We don't have a business problem; we have a thinking problem." So, just think of me as the chap who does all these odd things with the best intentions.

Now at this point you have two options. If you just want to read some bits and bobs, then go ahead. Wherever you don't see a link next to an article or other item, it means it is only available to newsletter subscribers. So if you'd like to read the heavier-weight materials, then join the Tomicide constellation and you'll receive - usually - monthly email notices about some new materials. They are located on a hidden page. This free information is my way of introducing my work to you. And one day we may even do some work together. Or you may run away from me as fast and as far as you can. Who knows? But something will happen.

There is no cost or obligation here though. Is that a sigh of relief I hear? You're free to unsubscribe anytime if you get pissed off with my writing or me. I know my stuff is a bit edgy, and since most people are comfort-seekers, it's fair to say that the majority of people can't stand my style. So, just fill in and submit the form below and you'll get access to all the bits and bobs. And if still don't have enough trouble of your own, you'll start receiving my newsletter, which is a fairly detailed monthly article on specific business development concepts in the range of 3-5,000 words. I keep it long because I hate being superficial. It takes more to read, but also has more value.

So, first read the openly available articles, so you get a sense of my style of "entprocation"; a fiendishly peculiar blend of entertainment, provocation and education. I don't say it's right or wrong. It's just my oddball, quirky style. If you like it, then join. If not, I still recommend you to join, so you know exactly what I'm up to, so you can avoid me with amazing accuracy. And even that must be better than a poke in the eye with a sharp stick.

Either way, enjoy the show!

Published Articles in Magazines

Small Business Canada - 20 Fantabulous Ways to Raise and Safeguard Professional Fees. Read article here.

Forum - Year End is Coming: Does That Mean It's Client Abandoning Time Again? Read article here.

Forum - Hiring the Right Dudes or Dudettes for Occasional Project Work. Read article here.

Forum - Time vs. Value: Which One Do You Get Paid for? Read article here.

BC Business - Cracking the Billable Hours Ceiling. Read article here.

Business Services West - Stop Time-Based Fee For Service Professionals. Read article here.

Business Services West - Ten Way to Increase Client Value, While Reducing Your Time and Effort of Delivering It. Read article here.

Business Development White Papers

Online B2B Business Development White Paper

This Strategic Insider is a fairly comprehensive strategic guide to B2B online business development. Sadly many companies' understanding of online business development is merely setting up their websites. Then most of the websites die due to lack of traffic. Realistically, the website is just one of the several content items in the context of online business development. Many online business development initiatives die miserable deaths because they end up in the wrong hands.

In the hands of people who are tactically brilliant at what they do, but don't have the necessary strategic understanding of how this online strategy supports the corporate vision and strategic objectives. This white paper covers how to design and online business development strategy and how to find the best people to implement the project. Please note this is NOT a tactical "How to..." guide. This document is designed for boardroom use by senior executives and the board of directors.

Eight Common Business Development Mistakes

Every client acquisition initiative starts with generating qualified sales leads. It's the same as the planting process in the world of farming. The mistake many companies make in their business development initiatives is that they try to generate instant sales, instead of sales leads. It's the same as the farmer who's trying to harvest his crops 15 minutes after planting them. In its quirky, oddball way business is based on the farming cycle too, thus one has to plant (generate leads), let the seed incubate (stay in touch with and nurture leads) and harvest the crops (make the first sale).

There are certain business development mistakes that are generated either by greed or just by not knowing better. There is not a sausage I can do about greed. It's created by the company's culture. However, this white paper may help to avoid the mistakes you would make because of "not knowing better." After all what we don't know can be used against us. This is basic warfare 101, but it's the same in business. Follow the link (opens in a new window) to download my white paper on some deadly business development mistakes.

Dysfunctional Sales And Marketing Departments

When it comes to business development, many companies are in serious conceptual trouble. Why is that? Because they break up the business development continuum into sales and marketing, and to make the situation even worse, they set the two groups of people against each other's throats. They are treated differently, paid differently, evaluated differently, and as a result of this antagonistic set-up and fiefdom protection, both departments operate with no or very little regard to the company's objectives. Synergistic collaboration between the two departments are as rare as polar bears are in the Indian Ocean.

The key to the most effective client acquisition and retention is to create an integrated business development department where people work in harmony like a Swiss watch, and here I don't mean the cheap $10 fake Rolexes from China that break down within one week of purchase. Follow the link (opens in a new window) to download my white paper on some warning signs that indicate dysfunctional sales and marketing departments.

The Gravedigger's Guide To Burying Billable Hours For Technology Consulting Firms

Despite the well-known fact that a mere 1% fee increase could result in 12% increase in net profits, learning how to price their services is something most technology companies totally and utterly fail to look at. Most technology companies sell their hard-earned expertise on a time for money exchange basis. They learn to solve complex technical problems, they get good at solving them, and then sell their expertise on a time piece meal basis. In Plainer English: The better they get at their professional, the less they can earn. They do this because billable hours are easy to present to clients.

This booklet offers an introduction on how to price technology services on the most lucrative basis, which also happens to be the most acceptable by clients. Follow the link (opens in a new window) to download your copy of The Gravedigger's Guide To Burying Billable Hours For Technology Consulting Firms. (In case you're curious, I'm really an ex-gravedigger.)

Buyer's Guide To Business Development Consulting Services

Buyers are often confused about how to hire consultants to help them with their business development issues, and since they don't know any better, they often end up hiring subcontractors instead of consultants. While on the surface the difference is negligible, when we look a touch deeper, we can see how drastically differently they operate, and help to create different kind of results. Failing to differentiate between consultants and subcontractors can cause a broad range of problems for organisations, so it's important to know how to find the right kind of person.

Many companies hire consultants when they really need subcontractors. And vice versa. They think differently and operate differently. This buyer's guide gives some guidelines for buyer on hiring consultants. How to find them, select them and compensate them. These factors have always been important for economic buyers, but often got overlooked. Follow the link (opens in a new window) to download your copy of Buyer's Guide To Business Development Consulting Services.

Ten Ways High-Tech Companies Slaughter Their Bottom Lines, Brands and Reputation Through Obsolete And Over-Aggressive Sales Strategies

Although the world of selling has changed over the last few years, many technology companies are still using the same old approaches to sell their stuff. That is, they assemble armies of salespeople and send them out to roam the land and knock on doors or condemn them to pounding on telephone dialling pads day in day out. In this white paper we discuss some ideas that can help technology companies to eliminate traditional cold prospecting slavery and reduce their costs of landing new business. Follow the link (opens in a new window) to download your copy of Ten Ways High-Tech Companies Slaughter Their Bottom Lines, Brands and Reputation Through Obsolete And Over-Aggressive Sales Strategies.

Tomicide Solutions: Random Ramblings of a Recalcitrant Renegade Monthly Newsletter

Tomicide Solutions is my monthly email newsletter of "entprocation", which is a fiendish blend of entertainment, provocation and education. Unlike most newsletters out there which present multiple short articles on several topics, I go into only one topic, but go into it at the deep end. And since I'm a short guy of only 5'7", I disappear in the content pretty quickly. Hence my newsletter articles are in the range of 3-5,000 words. A few years ago, one of the articles was just over 13,000 words. Yeah, sometimes I get carried away.

No, it's not an easy read. But I believe it's a meaningful read for technology executives who are in charge of landing clients. I do my best to add as much meat to it as I can. That's why I mix in some entertainment and use "non-corporate" language. Also, to make the points easier to understand, I often use pretty vivid language. Follow the link (opens in a new window) to subscribe to Tomicide Solutions.

Tomicide Solutions Newsletter Archive

This is my monthly newsletter, covering a broad range of business development issues. It's contrarian, provocative and goes against the grain of well-established dogmas, called conventional wisdom. Many people talk about sales, marketing and client service, but I try to unite the three components. After all, business development is supposed to be a seamlessly integrated process, in which clients don't feel where one department ends and the next one begins. Hey, especially guys, have you ever worn underwear whose botched-up seams made life a living hell for your naughty bits? That's similar to what clients feel when the marketing, sales and client service functions are misaligned, and departments are treated as individual silos.

Other flaws of this newsletter are occasional typos and spelling mistakes, most of which are not spelling mistakes at all, but my British or Queen's English. Thanks for your understanding

Business Development Articles

With this site I wanted to create the proverbial 2 by 4 to hit business owners on the forehead and make then stop and think for a moment about how they could do their business development more effectively.

I hope that as you read this stuff and start thinking and seeing your business from different perspectives, you take action on some of the ideas. Look, the truth is not always pretty, thus it is not easy to handle. But once you handle it, you will be liberated. This is not meant to be pretty and politically correct stuff but a useful and practical for improvement seekers. Thanks for understanding and enjoy the ride.

General Topics

This section is about the mindset behind business development at a "world-class" level. It may seem tough and inconvenient, but no one has ever achieved excellence through sweet talk and pampering. Excellence is not something that is cheap, traditional, comfortable and convenient to achieve. There is some blood sweat and tears along the way. Or as the saying goes, you can't make chicken salad out of chicken shit.

1. Do You Have This Misconception About The Difference Between Marketing and Sales?
2. The Late Epiphany of The Penny-Wise And Pound-Foolish Computer Consultant
3. Have You Seen the Movie "Twister"?
4. Avoiding the Workhorse Syndrome: Automating Business Development
5. Eight Advantages of Charging Premium Fees and Eight Disadvantages Of Failing To Do So?
6. Does Size Really Matter At All When You Are Setting Your Marketing Budget?
7. Run, Hide, Even Bury Yourself or You Will Get Trained
8. Now You May Ask: "What Is a System, Anyway?"
9. The Benefits Of External Business Development Help And Support
10. Sound familiar? The Shepherd and the Consultant - Extracted from "Big Brands Big Trouble" by Jack Trout
11. A lesson On Teamwork And Motivation - General Patton's Address to His Troops
12. What Your Mother Should Have Warned You About Webmasters, But She Didn't Know Better

Leadership And Management

This is where a company stands or falls. When you look at world-class companies, you find some commonalities in the way they lead their people and manage their business development activities. Using Motorola's terminology: "Leading people from the heart, and managing business from the head." If you consider Motorola's amazing success, you can see the truth in this statement.

1. The Cost of High Talent Turnover In The Business Development Department
2. Sales Lead Mismanagement
3. Top Ten Benefits of Using External Business Development Help
4. Is Your HR Department Leading Your Business Down The Doom Loop?
5. Business Development Activity Ratios
6. 22 Overlooked Warning Signs from Prospects, Clients and Customers
7. Seven Mistakes Companies Make Regarding Their Selling Processes And Sales Staff
8. Deming's 14 Points for Management - Adopted Specifically for Business Development Departments
9. What Your Mother Should Have Warned You About Webmasters, But She Didn't Know Better
10. The Leadership Side of Business Development To Build a Kick-Arse Business Development Team?
11. The People Side of Business Development Since 83% of Your Success is Having the Right People
12. The System Side of Business Development To Develop a Consistent, Predictable and Duplicable Structural Backbone for Your Business Development
13. Are You Aware of These Vital Web Statistics and Fatal Mistakes Some 98% of All Business Make Online?
14. Sales Commissions: Retarded Business Owners' Short-sighted Solution to Increasing Their Companies' Sales
15. Making Each Of Your Marketing Penny Count

Lead Generation

1. Why Clients Desert Your Company And Visitors Desert Your Website
2. Chasing Flies Out Of Your Pantry And Other Sales and Marketing Thoughts
3. Ridding Your Business of Smelly, Sweaty, Stinky, Ugly, Dirty, Filthy Manual Labour Prospecting Grunt Work
4. Three Big Hairy Cold Prospecting Problems That Can Haunt and Hurt You for the Rest of Your Business Life
5. Are You Making These Nine Fatal Mistakes in your Yellow Pages Advertising?
6. How Do You Segment Your Marketplace?
7. Lead Generation in the Traditional Versus the Lucrative Way
8. Seven Lethal Mistakes Know-It-Alls Make to Screw Up Their Websites
9. Reasons To Pump Your Marketing Muscles Not Your Sales Muscles
10. Long Copy Short Copy... This Is The Question
11. Five Benefits of a Client-Centred Website
12. Some Pragmatic Website Design Considerations
13. Some Vital Lead Generation Questions to Ask Yourself

Lead Conversion

1. Some Pragmatic Website Design Considerations
2. Does Your Website's Landing Page Invite Visitors To Read Further Or Chase Them Away... Once And For All?
3. So Why Does Every Business Need a Website That Sells?
4. Eight Death Traps You Can Fall Into By Hiring the Lowest Bidder

And remember! Don't sell harder. Market smarter. Both you, your employees, your clients and prospects will find it more enjoyable, profitable and attractive.

My Secret Weapons From My Teachers And Mentors

This is a collection of resources both from my teachers and mentors and your truly. It would be unfair of me to keep my mentors' stuff from introducing them to you. One more important point. The military taught me to ask others to do only what I'm willing to do. So, these items are not something I "endorse" per se, but stuff I own and use on a daily basis to get better results both for my clients and myself. So, go and check out my secret weapons.

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