Is [Lean process excellence] relevant to a Sales and Marketing Environment?
A question from one of our readers… “Is it relevant to a Sales and Marketing Environment?” Lean process excellence originated in manufacturing. It is a means of getting more productivity from fewer resources; by understanding and improving the way work is done. The means of understanding and improving how work is done definitely applies to […]
Is Process Improvement Primarily About Doing Improvement Projects?
A reader asked: I’ve been asked to organize a variety of process improvements proposed by our sales and marketing organizations. How do I select the right projects that will get the best results? There are lots of checklists available to remind you to do things like make sure the problem is important to the […]
How to Get Full Support from Top Management in Going Lean and Six Sigma With Sales And Marketing?
A reader recently asked…. How to get full support from top management in going Lean and Six Sigma with sales and marketing? What is the most difficult part of the change or where is expected to be the most resistant to the change? This is a great question – and a complex one. Since you […]
How Many Sales Process Steps Do You Need to Analyze Data Effectively?
Gary Barnes posted the above question on the Linked-In Group “Sales Science”. He added, There seems to be an age old struggle between operations and sales on how discriminating a sales process should be. The more sales steps the more insight operations and sales leadership can gather on the current pipeline, but the more steps […]
Operational Definitions of Sales Qualification Criteria
One of the most valuable characteristics of process excellence is the distinction between what people can control and what they cannot. No improvement is possible without this information. The good news is that the effort spent identifying these factors helps salespeople become more effective and to elevates the performance of the team.
Are There Aspects of Lean Process Excellence That Can Be Quickly Implemented in 90-120 days?
I have received this question before, so I’m guessing my previous response wasn’t enough. Here is a quicker, shorter, take. I’d really appreciate knowing if this is helpful and what other questions come to mind: There are two ways lean process excellence makes an impact in a short time. The first way is to improve your […]
How Do You Determine the Appropriate Metrics to Measure Against in Such an Unstructured Environment as B2B Sales?
The key is in your point that B2B sales is an “unstructured environment.” I would argue that it is actually more structured and straightforward than people realize, and that it is our way of understanding it – the words and thinking frames we use – that need improving. Consider: When you apply lean and process […]
How Can We Convince Sales and Marketing About the Advantages of Lean in Their Processes?
A reader recently asked: How can we convince sales and marketing about the advantages of lean in their processes? This is a great question, and I get it a lot. The primary issue is that salespeople and marketers do not see how Lean will help them sell or do marketing. This is aggravated by […]
Is Lean Certification Effective for Practitioners in Sales and Marketing? If not, How Does it Need to Change?
A recently asked question from a LinkedIn Group titled “The Shingo Prize:” Lean Bronze Certification – Is it Effective for Practitioners in Sales and Marketing? If Not, How Does It Need to Change? (Note: this link requires you to log into the Linked-In website.)
Managing to Connect the Business with the Customer
John Shook, Chairman and CEO of the Lean Enterprise institute, just released a newsletter titled “Managing to Connect the Macro with the Micro.” In it he chronicles another of the steps the Lean movement has taken from being “just a kit of process improvement tools” to being a method for thinking scientifically about business problems. […]
