Magnus Marketing Blog

Channel development is not an easy task because you need to find the right partners that fit your solution who themselves have the right market to sell to. And, from past and present, I see that many VAR's, MSP's, and technology consulting firms really do not have a good handle on how to sell to end clients. Aside from that, here are some notes on what I see going on in the reseller world:

1. Improve Front Desk Skills: I cannot tell you how many times I have encountered the truly unprofessional receptionist. In one case, while marketing my client 3X's data storage solution, the receptionist refused to take a message and literally hung up on me. I found the President's name and email, sent him an overview of 3X, and - you guessed it - he emailed back asking for a demo. I never mentioned the rude behavior, but it turned out he was looking for a solution. Lesson: Tell your front desk folks what is going on - advise them as to what calls to screen out and develop a process for admitting calls. Overscreeening can lead to a loss of competitive advantage.

2. Adopting the Same Solution Everywhere: It is revenge of the clones! Throw a stone and hit a reseller offering the same darn solution at a similiar price with the same incentives! No wonder it is tough to get new clients, you have absolutely nothing of any difference or interest to offer! Your buddy down the street has the same solution and is selling it for a couple bucks less. Sure, it is branded as their own company, but my- the presentation on the website talks about the EXACT same thing! Have you actually even LOOKED around to find any unique solutions or bundles of technology solutions to proffer? Lesson: Some of those smaller non-branded companies with unique technologies may be a great hook to get prospective clients interested.

3. Gimme Leads or Else: Recently, I called this reseller who listened to my pitch about 3X's data storage solution. He asked a few questions about the technology and the fit, said he would review the information. Then - the dealbreaker - he calmly asked if we had a lead generation program. I replied that this was in the works, but being a new company we were building the channel. He said, "call me when you have a lead generation program". I said "sure, no problem" and proceeded to take him off the list. First, 3X needs partners who can sell the solution, as a re"SELLER", we give you a nice profit margin in return for your help in facilitating a connection to your client base. We are not going to just feed you leads that you are inevitably going to use to upsell on your other services and consulting work. Second, partnering is not a one way street. In my personal opinion, all the folks to signed on and offered 3X should be graciously rewarded with leads and new business which they can upsell on their services - hopefully taking business away from the kind folk who decided to work with a competitor. :)

4. Think outside the box: I talked to the President of a software development firm, again, for 3X. He was a very nice person and even complemented me on my phone manner and pitch, but immediately decided to cut off the discussion because he didn't feel it was a fit. I had no problem with that, except for the fact that he just did not see the possibilities. Even with AlphaPoint's AssetCentral - it is a really damn fine asset management tracking solution, very unique, and it does the job it was intended to. I get people who immediately dismiss it because they use "IBM", one said - "sounds like bells and whistles" - the guy didn't even LOOK at the demo! They don't even consider what it can do and how it can help, even though it is spelled out in a famous Rachel email! Many people are reluctant to try the new things. Lesson: While everything is not suitable, consider some of the new stuff - will it help your clients or not? Some out-of-the-box thinking can help you to make money above what your competitors are doing. If you don't do it, someone else will and take your profits. Simple as that.

AlphaPoint and 3X embody the spirit of American entrepreneurialism, born and bred in the United States - these companies are helping to keep the economy afloat and provide jobs to people. They grow, we all grow. Yet another bonus to the quality and contribution of these companies. If we as consumers do not support these type of companies and their solutions, we are not helping promote economic growth. Over the next few years, there will be many more of these and other types of entrepreneurial firms being born from all the cast off executives, personnel, and others who had great ideas at now collapsing firms - the next generation is upon us. As resellers and IT consulting firms, the industry needs to help promote these new solutions and help the next generation flourish. Please give them a chance.

Reference: 3X Systems www.3x.com
AlphaPoint Technology www.alphapointtechnology.com

Wow, this is a story to top all stories as related by a friend who does consulting. The consultant also provides outsourced biz dev services and was working with an educational software provider cultivating leads and identifying opportunities. The VP of Sales was always "running and gunning" and only once had an actual face to face meeting with her in six months! Well, one day, the VP introduced her to an old friend and colleague of his who was going to be doing sales for the company. She was with the company for a year prior to leaving for another opportunity (which didn't work out). This saleswoman had zero success before, but was knowledgeable about the market so they brought her back (probably because they couldn't hire anyone else). The woman was known for being "sharp around the edges" - odd for sales who generally are known for interpersonal capability. Not long after the saleswoman joined she began to find fault with my friend's methods and abilities, chastizing her. In a couple of cases, she refused to follow up on set appointments because, "in her mind, there was not enough cogent information" to meet with the CIO or demo. She believed that her way was the only way.

One day, on the eve of an executive sales meeting she called my friend to debrief. My friend had some idea of what she was to present, but not specifics - being more analytical and "big picture oriented", tracking details of every contact made was tedious, rote, boring...as I always say - It isn't about ACTIVITY, only RESULTS. The saleswoman reamed her, told her she would make the team look like assholes, and hung up. The issue was clarified soon by the VP who finally decided to present guidelines. At the meeting, my friend presented for five minutes because the VP who lacks managerial competency rambled on for 30 minutes and left no time to adequately present. My friend had created a six page report listing 12 major opportunities that were or had been worked on in the last two to three months.

One week later, a call came from a concerned employee to my friend saying that said saleswoman, who is NOT an employee, went directly to the CEO of the company and complained to him that my friend "was unable to do the job". The CEO took her word and told the concerned employee who was flabbergasted that the saleswoman would do that: jump the hierarchy, go behind the backs, and make a serious competency accusation with zero substantiation. My friend tried reaching out to the VP to clarify and understand, but as usual, he was unavailable for comment.

The backstabbing bitch then demanded some info via email about an account from my friend. My friend was busy and gave her a one liner as to what info was sent. The saleswoman blew up accusing my friend of withholding info, not being a professional, and told her she wasn't a team player. My friend had an opportunity to talk later to the VP who sided with the woman, calling the sharing of info (the fact she went to the CEO) unfortunate and further expressing concern about my friends interactions (harping on the lack of information sharing, her communication (she had to constantly interrupt the VP because he tended to ramble without listening), and her lack of team playerism (she won't conform or be molded). Turns out the VP was a longtime buddy of the saleswoman, proudly having mentored her and worked with her for many years. My friend immediately, like I have in the past, terminated the relationship.

Comments:
1. The CEO had no substantiated proof regarding performance because no reports were done as per the agreement with the VP. The VP wanted calls made, not time spent on creating spreadsheets. The CEO should have shut her up and shut her down the minute she tried to speak to him, redirecting her to her direct report - the VP.
2. The saleswoman had been unsuccessful repeatedly and clearly has interpersonal and control issues. This is a person who will continue to cause trouble and toxify any workplace she is in.
3. The saleswoman was demanding things be done her way, without compromise or regard to team process integration. She nearly blew two opportunities because she was rigid and inflexible.
4. The VP is clearly an incompetent manager, he did not mediate or remedy the situation in a win-win for everyone. She has unnatural power and is his favorite pet, he put personal issues over true competency.
5. She, and it was confirmed, made the VP look very bad to his boss by complaining about my friend.
6. My friend was willing to compromise and try to accommodate the request of the saleswoman, but this was ignored by the VP. She also produced the opportunities that the saleswoman was working on, but this too was ignored by the VP and the CEO.
7. My friend was hired for her expertise, as any I.C. is, there is no molding or shaping involved at this point. Any manager knows that you cannot mold or shape, only maximize strengths and minimize weaknesses. The VP proved time and again that he is immature as a manager and lacks the ability to handle a team. Reminded me of my former employer who wanted to mold and shape, the result there was that all the highly productive, intelligent, super-smart people ran - RAN - away.

The net result is that the company has lost a really good business development support person and has to start from ground zero. There is a time window involved, so the time they will lose can cost them business. Additionally, last I heard - my friend has approached a competitor about picking up some work and taking her talent and knowledge to help them win business...pushing the other company even further out of play. I wish her luck! Can't wait to read of her client's demise - I can see it coming!

Another lesson learned about terminating those who really need to go.

I am joyous to report I nearly lost a client because I am repeatedly "too customer focused" - "remember", one of my clients admonished me, "I work for him not his customers". Admittedly, I could have handled the situation a little bit differently, but the fault was my client's- his organization screwed up. Something that has happened on a few previous occasions. I told his client the truth, that there was a transition in the organization and his request may have fallen through the cracks. I apologized and sent him, no questions asked, the information he requested. The client was a major player in a Fortune 500 company, not someone you really want to piss off. My client wanted to ensure that his organization was blameless and just blankly take care of the customer. He put the blame on the customer, not on the organization, and refused to acknowledge that the organizational process may be broken.

A lack of accountability or organizational infallibility isn't the only thing afflicting many small business owners. Many entrepreneurs suffer from this type of arrogance, they are people who cannot differentiate constructive feedback from directive behavior (don't tell me what to do as opposed to there is something wrong here), they live in a world where the world bends to them, not the other way, they cannot draw lines between themselves and their organization as a company. A behavior I noticed increases sometimes as purported success increases. The immortality syndrome - the Enron precursor.

Many entrepreneurs are what my former employer called "techies". Techies are experts in their area of knowledge, but are completely lacking in all other aspects, including basic management skills or big picture analysis. A manager or business owner who lacks the ability to engage in constructive dialouge, demands the world works in their way, or, as in the case of my client, refuses to recognize possible process deficiencies in how business is conducted is asking for bankruptcy. Entrepreneurial hubris at the extreme.

Balance and perspective is critical. In the case of my client - I work for the organization, but I also work for their clients - finding a happy medium where everyone is satisfied. If Magnus Marketing Group makes a mistake, I, as the "owner" sure as hell own up to it, analyze it, try to learn from it - and fix the problem. I, nor any of my associates, are infallible. I tell vendors when checks are in the mail and apologize if they are late. I go out of my way for clients and will do whatever it takes to help them succeed, if they deserve it.

Regardless, I hope to never be like that - impervious to mistakes or accountability. Plus, service to the customer and the customer's clients still is paramount - Kohl's says "Yes we Can", to a degree of course. But it is the right policy in today's world.

Where are all the entrepreneurs? Where o' where can they be? Overseas? What happened to all the small businesses? The unique technology firms, the innovative consulting companies, the guy with the great idea....these are the hallmarks of American capitalism...and I can't find them.

In this age of fast gratification, many people with the great idea or fledging business get snapped up by larger entities, some of whom are "babies" in their own right. Recently, I was approached by an independent consultant who had a nice idea and a decent market opportunity - after two weeks I got an email thanking me for my time and proposal - she sold out "to the man". Taking an opportunity that was too good to pass up - she took a job. Risk is not something a lot of people can deal with, I guess.

I try to find interesting companies to work with, not the run of the mill technology offshore staffing or consulting firms, but companies with something cool, unique and innovative. Not many around these parts.

My own doubt is increasing in the "sales intelligence" area - doesn't seem like those firms are doing well or even exist anymore. Guess the run to LinkedIN is true? My prospects are dwindling. Even my hours at my joyful, happy place, Kohl's are being cut. I see that starting a "business" is 10X worse and harder than working for a "real" company, but why commit to yet another boss who is married to his own ideas, a bully, has unrealistic demands, doesn't get it, and will fire me anyway? Geez, at least my client relationships have lasted longer than my jobs! But you know what? I will keep on. I think by now, most people would call the Korn Ferry recruiter and take the VP of Marketing job put forth.

Ah, I could always get a job and fold Magnus. At least I can say I did what I intended to do for years and stuck by my beliefs and integrity. Maybe some dumb luck will hit and I will find an angel or at least some cool clients. Or I could sell out and work with the big boys, like everyone else.

I have worked for many foreign technology and service firms who have come into the United States, land of opportunity, and started businesses. What follows are some observations and lessons I wish to impart from my experience working for these companies.

1. You are not in your country anymore. In order to do business with "blue chip" companies or SME's in the U.S., you need to do business like Americans do. Prior to doing business in any foreign country, Americans need to study the cultural norms and act accordingly - the same goes for businesses entering the U.S.. Learn and adapt to the business culture here before engaging with companies here. And, never refer to your company's home country as "the mother country".

2. Success doesn't always translate. In your home country, whether it is India, Norway, Russia, Philippenes, you may have outstanding brand equity which is likely due to the fact that you may be the first company, the largest, or the best at what you do. That is wonderful, but it will NOT necessarily carry over to the U.S.. Do not walk into this mature, competitive, and entrepreneurial environment assuming that U.S. firms will immediately buy things from you because you happen to be who you are. Unless you are offering services based in your home country or offering services to your own people, then that could be a different story.

3. Hire a "Local" to run your business. America is a diverse population with many people from different countries who have lived, worked, and experienced the culture here. It is almost ridiculous to think that you cannot have a Managing Director of U.S. Operations who has lived, worked, and developed relationships in the U.S.. There are so many people from Asia-Pacific, South America and Europe who are citizens who can represent a company and bridge the onsite-offshore gap. At the very least hire a COO or VP of Sales/Marketing who has U.S. experience. They will know how to effectively network and navigate the market for business opportunity. In the U.S., people of all backgrounds and ethnic origin have the opportunity to be CEO of any public, even private firm. Consider extending that opportunity to others for your business as well.

4. Study the market. Study and understand the market before entering it and have a good plan to build your business. I see so many Indian technology companies wanting to get direct clients who think they are the only ones who are doing what they do. There are many offshore technology providers and staffing firms, each professing the best or particular skills, education, and projects. They are so similiar it is boring. Not everyone can be WiPRO or Satyam, nor will you be. Try to find some differentiation!

5. Learn marketing and sales. Marketing and sales is a different animal in the U.S. and you really need to understand the culture and business norms to do it effectively. Do not walk into this country without living here for some time and say "I know marketing or I know sales" because to be blunt - you do not. I had a client who lived in the U.S. for 2 years say this to my face recently. Two years in the U.S. and he knew marketing - again, highly successful in India - not successful in the U.S. Learn marketing and sales or hire "locals" to help you - and listen to them. One thing that will never be offshored: sales and marketing (see the email example below).

6. It costs money. It costs money to run a business in the U.S., from salaries to marketing. It costs a lot of money to really establish a presence in the U.S., whether you buy market share or earn it. Paying someone $10/hr or having a marketing budget of less than a few million, won't get you far. Be prepared to spend real money to get business. Cheaping out will cause your business to fail.

7. Many countries lag behind the U.S. Some countries are many years behind the U.S., maybe you have done some super RFID projects in India - but that doesn't mean the receptivity will be the same in the U.S. I experienced this recently when a company had "this great product" - they had no clue about competitors and didn't realize that a major company developed a similiar solution - five years ago. Study the market and never assume.

8. Communication skills are critical. See this real email sent recently.

Hi, This is dumbguy from lookalikecompany having taken over the charge of Business Development. How you doing? Got a lot of people working for you but ----How about an idea of making you sit in comfort as you have done a lot of work already? Make it a habit of...sitting in comfort and making people in fact me work for you....Can I be your partner in serving all your requirements at lookalikecompany? FYI..we have over 100+ consultants on our W2 . And the hot list gets added up everyday and we are a team of about 15 people here as technical recruiters. Please let me introduce my Organization and our main areas of focus. Lookalike is a leading consulting and IT services company offering a wide range of experienced resources that enhance your esteemed organization’s performance and competitiveness. Please visit www.dontcare.com for more information.

Available resources:-

* Cognos Developers
* SAP
* Business Analysts
* Informatica Developers
* Programmers (Java/J2EE, .Net/C++)
* Quality Assurance and many others

Requesting your esteemed self to kindly give me an honor to associate with you and give you some placements. Please send XXX the current job openings if you have any, with job description / location / duration of the project, so that I can send my consultants to you. I would be very glad to address your need at the earliest possible. Assuring you of our best & prompt services at all time from all here at lookalike I remain. We look forward to providing our numerous services to your esteemed organization and it would be great pleasure sharing business with you; I would like continue the relation and looking forward to work with you.

Thanks,

Need I say anything more? To learn how to do business in the U.S. and avoid looking as ridiculous as the sender of that email - contact me.

I am not sure how to exactly illustrate this problem, but it is one that appears over and over again. That is patterns of management or behavior that manifest and are destructive to organizations.

I mention this because a friend and I were discussing a situation that occurred with a manager we both had worked for. I had told her about his commentary and actions regarding my status with the company. She just listened and nodded her head saying that that manager was so predictable it wasn't funny. The same thing had been done to her...she asked for more money and was immediately slammed with irrelevant things that were not brought up earlier and questions about her performance, same kind of words and actions expressed to me.

I thought of another person who is the ultimate drama queen. Everything that happens is a major event, everyone who works with him is incompetent, he will complain that he wants lots of business, but if you bring a large opportunity - he will freak out and try to stop it. He will love you in the beginning, be your best friend, but suddenly when he decides you aren't producing or doing enough will turn on you - rather viciously.

I thought about my former boss, all style no substance. They continue to hire big names, talk a big game, and show nothing for it. This one too would love you and be your best friend, until someone with more clout came along and "better ideas" for him to claim credit for, then you would fall by the wayside - a used resource unworthy of a minute of the "business leaders" time.

I have patterns also. I demand a lot from people and don't recognize that my perception of "quality" is everyone's perception and tend to overdo things. I worry a lot over things that don't require a second thought. I initially do not trust people, until they prove themselves, then I trust them too much.

We all have patterns. Recognizing and managing them is the key to self improvement. None of those abovementioned people should be in management positions or running companies, but yet they do. The difference between a leader and one who is not, is self awareness. In reverse interviewing, candidates need to ask the right questions to identify patterns and make sure the company and boss is one working for, lest you too end up "used and thrown away".

I met with a prospective new client the other day who was in need of an inside salesperson. They wanted to build an inside sales team and process. After speaking with them, they were rather interested in the very focused manner in which I do lead generation. They were seeking an alternative because the telemarketing vendor they used only gave them appointments, not information.

This prompts me again to discuss how and when to use telemarketers, prospecting agents, or inside sales and what is needed to make the effort successful.

Definitions:
1. Telemarketer. A person who is armed with a list, script, database mechanism who rotely goes down the list reciting a canned script with directives to ask "qualifying" questions and determine whether a person is a buyer or not.

2. Prospecting Agent/Lead Manager. A person who is able to nuture inquiries, intelligently determine appropriate qualifying criteria through strategic fit, and is capable of building and maintaining a relationship.

3. Inside Sales. Should be like a Prospecting Agent, except is able to actually provide a quote and close a sale. Inside sales is only good for low value items in highly transactional environments.

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The Three Levels of B2B Outbound:

1. Telemarketing. Telemarketing is good for when you have a strong brand equity, multichannels of marketing, a highly transactional product/service, a strong value proposition, and good delivery. The higher the brand equity and/or stronger the value proposition, the greater the acceptance of the telemarketing call and higher the "Yes" or "No" acceptance of the pitch. The goal of telemarketing is VOLUME. Telemarketing is great to find low-hanging fruit. Remember though, if someone is easily won over on the phone by you, they can be won over later by someone else. In other words, there is low loyalty generated.

2. Prospecting Agent/Lead Manager. This is a more evolved and intelligent person who also is the relationship builder. This is a good way to go if you have little to no brand equity, a more complex to complex product/service, longer sales cycles, have higher value deals. This person can be used if you have higher brand equity, but want to be more selective in what business you target. If more work is needed upfront to really get the right accounts, use this method. This type of prospecting is for higher value, more strategic sales and allows for more selectiveness in choosing whom will be serviced or sold.

3. Inside Sales. A telemarketer can do inside sales if the value is very low and the desire for volume is high. A prospecting agent should be used if the product/service is more complex and a relationship is desired. Inside sales should only be used for lower value services or products.

It is important also to find the right person for the job. Telemarketing requires little critical thinking and is very rote and repetitive, the job requires little decision making and is simply mechanical information acquisition. The pay rate is very low. A prospecting agent requires more education, capability to discern important facts from others, decide whether someone is qualified from a conversation. The pay rate is much higher (and worth it).

Take time to consider exactly what type of business you want to bring in and who is the right person. A mismatch can literally be fatal, putting a telemarketer in where a company has no brand equity will yield very low results. Conversely, putting a prospecting agent in a telemarketing job, will yield a bored and unmotivated agent who will lose interest and, ergo, sales.

And remember, there is no magic bullet - no person will walk into your company or environment and heroically generate enough business to propel you to major revenue. If they were that good - they would be in business for themselves.

So, I was thinking about the comment about my performance being less than optimal for my client. To some extent, I agreed with that statement and thought about why that was the case.

When I was operating with no targets, I was much more relaxed and freer to explore different priority companies. Meaning, I actively did research, crafted value propositions, targeted companies - particularly larger ones, and took my time. My goal was to get business, good business, from named accounts and leverage some existing relationships the company already had. I was also freer to explore some guerilla marketing tactics which yielded a lead here and there.

When I was under pressure to deliver "sign ups", my focus went to exactly that. Needing to get the "sign up", I began to cut corners. I stopped exploring and started blasting. I quit thinking, and started dialing. I came in, looked at my phone which, if blinking meant someone loved me. I quit asking strategic questions and pitched the company without differentiating. I became a telemarketer and I hated every minute of what I was doing. Gotta get my "sign ups", oh - missed this month, gotta get 3 next month - quality be damned, just get the damn "sign up".

This is why targets are useless for marketing and lead qualification and why, as a VP of Sales (former CEO of a major tech firm) told me - the pipeline is hard to manage. Putting appointment or lead targets may lead to the behavior I just exhibited, behavior leading to quantity or achievement of the goal, but not achievement of ROI or real value business. Conversely, if a salesperson is handed qualified leads, then targets shouldbe achieveable and manageable. Why? Because the value (monetary and strategic) will be assessed properly before it gets to the salesguy. If lead management is done right, the salesguy just has to show up, negotiate, and close.

With proper analysis, qualification, and understanding of realistic conversion rates, it is possible to manage the process so that overall goals are achieved. It is like Kohl's having a monthly credit goal, if everyone is aligned to achieve that end - the "get the business in, quality be damned" mentality will disappear and true marketing, lead management, sales alignment will occur.

Today was a tough day. Filled with anxiety, I went into the CEO's office of a long-term client and officially informed him of my desire to separate from the company. I believe he was very happy by my decision.

My prospect pipeline having grown and new clients taking up more time, I need to optimize my billable hours with people that allow my fledging company to grow. This particular company, noted for its inability to close any deals, was becoming one that did not contribute to the growth of Magnus Marketing Group - financially, challengewise, or growthwise.

A contentious discussion ensued last week upon which a reiteration of the fact that I was to be paid largely on commission, yet only received one commission check, asked for a higher base, only to get a meager "raise", and that my performance hinged on whether I got "sign ups/contracts" not on the quality of account. The CEO said some things that were interesting:
1. You are an expense. I am paying you a few hundred dollars to procure contracts (that are over $20K) and the contracts have yielded no revenue. (What did the bird say as it flew over their headquarters? Cheap, cheap, cheap).
2. If a marketing campaign doesn't work, you change it.
3. I am not happy with your performance, you are not achieving the goals set.
4. You are not happy with what you are doing. (Who would be, with zero results?)
5. If I asked you to quickly develop business for one of my teams can you do it? (No, absolutely not).

I thought about it over the weekend and realized. What this client is talking about is VOLUME, CHEAP, and EASY WORK. The contracts that these folks couldn't close, the meetings that yielded nothing, were all with name or Fortune 1000 companies! A few contracts were with unknown firms, but most were name companies for positions that were very hard. The company could not handle it, they could really only handle particular (rather easy) business. It took many months, averaging 3 to 6 months to get a contract usually. The company has no marketing: the website hasn't changed in 2 years, no advertising, no presence at conferences, nothing!

What will yield EASY WORK in VOLUME at a CHEAP cost? Telemarketing. Reminds me of another client who stated in no uncertain terms he wanted "Laptops, laptops, laptops" and plenty of them. What will yield lots of laptops? telemarketing.

Here ROTE SCRIPT GUY - make lots of calls, ask 10 qualifying questions, get the contract. The more contracts we get in, the more we can pick and choose which ones we will take. The more laptops I can get the more money I make. NO STRATEGY, NO THINKING, NO RELATIONSHIP. Get the "Sign-ups", get the "laptops", get whatever you can get as much as you can get as fast as you can get it. (Quality be damned). Oh, my - no one cares about positioning (except my consultant client who is brilliant).

So, I ended the relationship. Magnus Marketing Group is evolving into a lead qualification firm, a strategic business development firm where QUALITY triumphs over QUANTITY. You want quantity? Call Carisa at Superior Telemarketing, Kaizen Direct, or Paragon. Lots of low paid telemarketers available to bang the phone for business. I recommended my client get in touch with those folks. They do the "retail" stuff and they do it well.

If you want real business - business generated at the "C" or "VP" level, business that can be millions of dollars, strategic business, or real - qualified accounts - then you call ME. And, I do good with marketing also and research! My goal is to position as a selective company working with intellectually or skill growth challenging business that delivers quality information and business for entrepreneurial firms. I don't do "retail" except at Kohls!

Having the opportunity to raise many concerns with the Store Manager about the credit policy yielded a great deal of insight as to what is desired by the implementation of this really poorly timed effort:

1. Saturation is acknowledged, however because of a variety of factors is NOT as great as expected. Therefore, a potential market still exists - based on the data obtained to a degree. And, it is understood that there will be a proportionate amount of rejection encountered.

2. Kohl's associates will NOT be terminated for not making credit goals, although for those who are subjected to particular performance measurements it will affect their standing and consequently their hours. The same rule applies to salesfloor associates who do not demonstrate high levels of customer service.

3. Surprisingly, the store manager acknowledged that most salesfloor people WILL NOT pester customers for credit and the liklihood of people getting annoyed is very low. I was surprised by his "attitude" toward that because many people took the credit goals to heart and will strive to achieve it.

Because so many people at Kohls are conscientious, good, hard-working people, the reaction to the policy was very strong and more anxiety was felt than necessary. Our store manager, who is one of the most professional and decent people (the entire management team at the store is beyond outstanding), took my feedback and tailored a message that informed and calmed many at our nightly meeting.

Once again, I am blown away by the utter professionalism, concern, and attitude expressed by the store management at Kohl's. I wish corporate could adopt such an attitude. My hat is again off and as always I am proud to be associated with Kohls!