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Cross Link Consulting, LLC |
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Transforming Businesses through Top-line Growth and Process Innovation |
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The Cross Link Communicator |
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More and more, companies are asking the question, “What would it mean for us to go GREEN?” And while Kermit the Frog might think it’s not easy being green, the world is making a permanent change. The companies who will be surviving in the marketplace ten years from now are the ones who, rather than waiting to see if this “blows over,” are instead leading the charge |
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K. Keith Drew, Executive Consultant |
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It's Easy Going Green--But It Takes Planning |
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Vol. 1, Issue 4, October, 2008 |
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Book Review: Little Green Book of Getting Your Way |
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Ask yourself, “How persuasive are you at sales?” We all sell at some point or another, whether it’s a product, a service, or ourselves at a job interview. Jeffrey Gitomer, author of the Little Green Book of Getting Your Way,1 would say that, “To get your way, you have to possess persuasive presentation skills.” 2 After all, isn’t sales about achieving your goals. Then, while it also entails helping the person who’s buying achieve their goals, it is important to remember what we are about. “These are the fundamental beliefs necessary for you to achieve success,…Believe in yourself; Believe in what you are doing; Believe in your product; Believe in your |
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Are you trying to sell or making presentations that work? |
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For companies and individuals looking to take advantage of the emerging green economy, the landscape can appear cluttered with acronyms and terms both new and unusual. LEED, SRI, Sustainability, P2AD, green wash, the Triple Bottom Line, and on…and on. While many of these organizations and terms are associated with energy efficiency and building, the definition of sustainability has |
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Growing a Green Startup--New Business Opportunities |
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Cross Link Consulting Welcomes Tele-Dynamics Systems, Inc To our client family! |
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company.” 3 But it goes further than that, and Gitomer gives us 9.5 chapters to help us along the way. He does this with humor and examples from his years of sales and public speaking. He is also a big list maker, which makes learning his concepts easier for most folks (even if every list has an extra .5 item at the end!). Gitomer is quick to differentiate between persuading, influencing, harmonizing and the dreaded “manipulating.” He points to one of the greatest problems we face in sales…how to keep from boring our prospective customers to tears. Gitomer does this by recommending we focus on the story (or stories) we can tell which are engaging and personal. At a recent lecture, Jack Scherer, President of The Sales Group, stated that approximately 65% of all buying decisions are emotionally based. Yet so often we are afraid of allowing the wrong emotion to ruin a sale, we won’t allow any emotion. One reason, Gitomer says is because we don’t practice enough. Gitomer believes we should practice our presentations at least 25 times. But we need to practice in a special way: “As with all endeavors of persuasion, there’s a secret that will get you from where you are – to the next level of excellence. The secret is practice with passion.” 4 Once we get the passion down, we need to make sure we have something of value to actually be saying…or maybe we should actually start there, and allow the passion to fill us as we speak. 70% of sales are not made in America for one key reason: the sales rep never followed up the initial call. “OR WORSE: You call to follow up, get voicemail, and hang up without leaving a message. Why? 1. You have NOTHING OF VALUE to say; 2. You have NO RELATIONSHIP; 2.5 You’re a chicken—scared you’ll get rejected. HERE’S THE MESSAGE: Persist with value and you will get your way.”5 While Gitomer’s style can be extremely up-front, the fundamentals are sound advice for the novice and a good refresher for the seasoned professional. At Cross Link Consulting, we work with your sales professionals to take your company to the next level by improving sales and presentation skills. We offer training and guidance through our top-line consulting services to expand a company’s sales, product lines, or territories. By working with you to evaluate the effectiveness of your company, its presentations, and its presenters, Cross Link Consulting serves you as an agent for growth, not just sales. To learn more, visit www.crosslinkconsulting.com, or call us at 770-378-6904. ______________________ 1 (Upper Saddle River, NJ, Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as FT Press), 2007 2 Ibid, p. 30 3 Ibid, p.21 4 Ibid, p.100 5 Ibid, p. 188 |
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and setting the example for what sustainability means at work and at home. But how do we get started? What will it take to motivate us? Maybe your company is feeling a Call to Action. Maybe you see the ways in which it will be good for business. Maybe you are in an industry which is facing government regulations. Maybe you are someone who wants to care for the environment. Maybe you are concerned for your company’s image (Corporate Social Responsibility). Or…maybe you’ve begun to notice everybody else is doing it. Whatever the motivation, with the changes in our world today, to time to act is NOW. But, it takes planning and effort to change old habits. Several studies have shown that a habit must be ingrained for at least 6 months before it becomes a natural way of behaving. Other studies have shown that while people will read books and articles on change, they seldom put those changes into action unless they are accountable to someone outside themselves. That is why Cross Link Consulting is now a Champion for the Partnership for a Sustainable Georgia. We have made a commitment to help the Pollution Prevention Assistance Division (P2AD) of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources encourage participation in this voluntary Partnership, which helps companies find ways to cut costs, reduce waste streams, increase energy and water efficiency, and improve operations through environmental excellence. One way P2AD does this is through a free toolkit for Small to Medium-sized businesses. This Do-It-Yourself kit is designed to help a business identify their environmental footprint (not just their carbon footprint). Implementation is recommended in 7 steps: 1. Gather Info 2. Secure Support within the company 3. Form a Green Team 4. Select and plan a program for your company 5. Launch your program 6. Encourage participation 7. Monitor the program for success As an executive consulting firm, we are committed to assisting companies through this transition, by working hand-in-hand with your company to work through the process, evaluate your impact on our world, and implement solutions. In this way, Cross Link Consulting can be that outside source of accountability which will empower your company to be a leader in the new economy. For more information about P2AD and the free toolkit, go to www. P2AD.org, or contact us at green@crosslinkconsulting.com or call 770-378-6904. Don’t be caught green washing—Go Green with Cross Link Consulting! |
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It's Easy Going Green--But It Takes Planning, cont. |
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Growing a Green Startup--New Business Opportunities, cont. |
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implications for society and business—especially persons looking to start new businesses to meet this growing challenge. In 1987, the United Nations defined sustainability as development that meets the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. As you can see, this definition is more than a statement on the ecological environment. Andrew Savitz, author of The Triple Bottom Line, would say that sustainability points to three main components: Economic, Environmental; and Social. In 1999, Dow Jones created the DJ Sustainability Index and defined Corporate Sustainability in just this way--as “…a business approach that creates long-term shareholder value by embracing opportunities and managing risks deriving from economic, environmental and social developments.” In the relatively short period by which these funds have been defined, they have outperformed the rest of the market. For those contemplating moving into the world of Green, this is exciting news! For sustainability is more than just about energy. It is more than environmental protection. It is about the transformation of our economy from a cradle-to-grave mentality into a cradle-to-cradle mentality. Let’s look at some of the opportunities which are taking place within our economy. The US Green Building Council (USGBC), along with several governmental institutions, gives guidance for construction, architectural, and materials providers on ways to build Green. L.E.E.D. (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) has become the defacto standard for the building industry and certifies buildings, both before being occupied and after, based on sustainability ratings. This sets the stage for cleaning products, lighting, maintenance, and other opportunities after the fact of actual construction for the Green entrepreneur. For those in the financial industry, Sustainable & Responsible Investments (SRI) set the stage for influencing private and public policy in the three arenas of sustainability. In addition to the DJSI, other companies have created tools for investing based on the values of shareholders. One way to start evaluating your investments is to check them out at www.calvert.com –to see whether or not what you own falls into the SRI category. For those in the data services industry, planning for the entire lifecycle of computer equipment allows companies to find new ways to use and re-use equipment. What is the life expectancy of the equipment being purchased? Does everyone need the same computing needs (or do some people only use their computers to check emails and surf the web)? How can used equipment be cleaned, serviced and re-used in less intensive environments? Or to put it another way, think Up Cycle, not Re-Cycle. On the social front, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) means more than a good PR job. Many companies are looking for people who can guide them through the maze of regulations and opportunities which can set them apart from their competition. Yes, going Green means more than placing a recycling bin in the break room. Many opportunities exist for the creative entrepreneur. If you, or your company, are looking for ways to implement Green as a part of your business plan, contact us today at 770-378-6904, or email us at info@crosslinkconsulting.com. Don’t green wash your efforts—Go Green with Cross Link Consulting! |
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