Carson V. Heady's Blog, page 52

The 4-Day Workweek? How Do We Best Arrive at the Right Mix of Work?

There is a lot of talk about a 4-day workweek, but not all would be created equally. What must be considered to arrive at the right mix of work?

Cresta‘s Jeff Kirchick joins Microsoft and ex- AT&T#sales#leaderCarson V. Heady to discuss.

During a recent conversation with Matthew K. Berra & Jon Kronemeyer, we were talking about the 4-day work week concept.

Rightfully so, there is a great deal of focus today on mental health & work-life balance. There are studies which reinforce the value of offering unlimited vacation.

The real factors at play here are the amount of work to be done and the amount of time required to achieve it. Does reducing scheduled work time to 4 days from 5 actually reduce the hours required? Is everyone working 5 days today actually working 8-10 hours/day currently? How does a shift to less work days impact current under-achievers?

It’s clear flexibility is desired in today’s work environment, and if we can achieve the critical components of our role and not sacrifice any relationships with clients or colleagues, let’s achieve work in that space. Does it require a broad stroke impacting entire organizations or teams?

Interested in your thoughts.

#mentalhealth #leadership #motivation #mindset #growth #worklifebalance #management #success #work #productivity #teamwork

The Song That Got Me Through the Pandemic/ **SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT**

“The Show Must Go On” – the song that has gotten me through the pandemic thus far. **STAY TUNED for a special announcement at the end of this message.**

Some of the lyrics: “Inside my heart is breaking, my makeup may be flaking but my smile still stays on.”

Even when we falter or “aren’t feeling it,” we are still expected to be present, deliver and execute in our personal and professional lives.

Listening to this song – in the mornings, before a call I’m not necessarily looking forward to – has filled me with strength, helped my resilience and to persevere.

“I’ll face it with a grin, I’m never giving in. On with the show.”

We’re all performers with unique skills and talents – you are the star of your show. Whether it’s a tough conversation, making decisions amidst uncertainty, or executing the process we know is right despite failures – THE SHOW MUST GO ON.

**SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT** My 5th book, entitled “THE SHOW MUST GO ON” will be released in 2022. #Sales and #leadership in uncertain, ambiguous and challenging times.

Vincent Scott Will Return.

#success #coaching #inspiration #motivation #management #mindset #personaldevelopment

What is the Best Way to Prospect?

What is the best way to prospect – focusing on quantity, quality or somewhere in between? What has worked best for you?

Jeff Kirchick and Carson V. Heady discuss.

As long as customer #relationships and driving conversations is at the heart of prospecting efforts, and we gravitate toward responses and high propensity leads, we are headed in the right direction.

We can control quality, quantity and consistency of prospecting efforts. Reaching out to an optimum number of influencers (and their influencers) with a quality message (giving the optimum response rate) and executing this process over time consistently will give you the maximum #success rate for landing meetings.

Everyone has their own prospecting philosophies. High touch can work well to enhance the chances of getting a first meeting. However, if we absolutely must connect with a specific person, researching them and personalizing the message to them is best (along with attempting connection to their influencers – swarm the BDM!)

Interested in your thoughts on #sales prospecting!

#leadership #coaching #strategy #growth #digitalmarketing #marketing

People, Prioritization & Process are the Pillars of Leadership

People have earned the right to be in the role they are in; it’s not up to a leader to force them to change their way of doing things. The experience a leader brings can help people see around corners (this is one of Annette Brackin, MBA‘s fundamentals!).

Jon Kronemeyer, Matthew K. Berra & Carson V. Heady discuss.

Prioritization is everything. We all must have our non-negotiables – some are personal and some professional. Schedule everything that matters.

Identify what works for you, prioritize appropriately and share (don’t impose) it with your #team. Help, guide, coach, lead and empower your team to have the right process and execute effectively.

Leaders exist to train, teach, support and remove legitimate barriers to success – so the team has a clearer path to victory.

#teamwork #leadership #leadershipdevelopment #success #management #coaching #motivation #culture #innovation #msftadvocate

How Do You Best Start a New Job to Ensure Success?

When you start a new role in your #career, how do you set the foundation to best ensure #success?

Cresta‘s Jeff Kirchick joins Microsoft and ex- AT&T#sales leader Carson V. Heady to discuss on this week’s #MindshareMonday.

In the process leading up to a new role, we enter into a contract: the company agrees to provide training, support and resources required. We commit to be the person we pledged to be on interview day.

A first, sometimes overlooked element is refresh and recharge – try to take some time off between roles so you can bring your best self.

Immerse in the role – understand the other players and the processes. What are the superpowers of those you work with? What value can you immediately bring to others? How can you leverage what you’re good at to invest in #relationships?

Even if you don’t understand the language yet, take a lot of notes – eventually, they will make more sense and this will aid you as you work to understand statuses and milestones.

Job shadowing can reveal best practices and understanding of the day-to-day rhythm as you establish your process.

Understand all parameters and resources in play, evolve your 30-60-90 and establish a strong foundation to give yourself the best start in a new role.

#leadership #training #leadershipdevelopment

How to Navigate Working for a Small Vs. Large Company

There are often stark differences between working for large vs. small organizations – what are the key nuances between them?

Jeff Kirchick joins me for this week’s #MindshareMonday to discuss.

In smaller organizations, you often have more autonomy – which is exciting for some, but the lack of process or resources may frustrate them. You may be able to operate very quickly but need to be comfortable with the pace and leading the charge.

Larger companies often have more rules, processes and resources, so it’s important to understand how to effectively leverage but also navigate all of these variables. #Influence is key. Know the people who need to be in the boat with you and rely on the benefits of working in the larger organization.

Having a logo can help you get into doors with potential clients, but if you bring value, research, relationships and intel you can break in anywhere.

What key differences would you highlight as pros and cons in working in large vs. small organizations?

#leadership #management #strategy #culture

A Focus on People & Process Leads to Success

If we have a respectful #relationship built on trust with the influencers in an organization, align on priorities and control the controllables, we optimize #sales process.

Cohesity‘s Brandon Grieve joins Microsoft and ex- AT&T leader Carson V. Heady to discuss.

Having the decision-maker #relationships and understanding budget and timelines sets the stage for mapping out the critical milestones and mutual accountability.

The best deals are a byproduct of relationships where we seek to serve and to deliver wins for those we are collaborating with.

Results and numbers are also a byproduct of sales process being executed; they expose strengths and gaps that can help us evolve and pivot our process.

We need the right team and resources in place, we need #leadership removing legitimate barriers to #success and we call the plays and execute – with the customer at the heart of everything we do.

If you’re struggling – ask for help! From your team, #management and even your customer – to help guide next steps amidst any blockers or concerns.

#team #culture #strategy #performance

How Do We Improve our B2B Sales Batting Average?

Roughly 50% of #B2B#sales deals slip or die prior to quarter’s end. How do we better manage milestones and accelerate deals?

Brandon Grieve of Cohesity joins Microsoft and ex- AT&T leader Carson V. Heady to discuss.

It starts with ensuring the foundation is sound: to get meaningful deals done and have true #collaboration with clients, it starts with the right #relationships with #influencers, understanding budgets and #management of timelines.

Driving enough #pipeline to ensure translation to results is important, but we also have to improve our batting average. We cannot “lose the deal” before we ever get started.

Our processes – too often – are aligned to how #salespeople want to sell rather than how #customers want to buy. What are their objectives? What is their pain? Are we actually aligned?

Brandon outlines his 5 P’s: The Pain, Purpose, People, Preferences, Process – these are the critical customer perspectives we must understand to build a foundation to a relationship or deal.

Numbers and results (or lack thereof) help us diagnose where we need to adjust process. If we control the controllables in the relationship and deals, built on trust, transparency, and mutual accountability, we enhance our probability of #success.

#leadership #coaching #strategy

Great Sellers Must Be the Unsung Hero

Great sellers are the unsung hero, willing to do whatever must be done to properly prioritize the customer, their company and the outcome.

Jeff Kirchick joins me to discuss.

I take a lot of inspiration from the Chris Nolan Batman films; we often have to embrace fear, uncertainty and discomfort to be the instrument that drives the right outcome.

Currently, I’m reading “Dare to Lead” by Brené Brown which has been quite helpful in embracing the adversity as Jeff outlines here.

The Catch-22 is that we cannot put together meaningful relationships and deals without all of the right stakeholders. Challenging conversations will happen. Effectively articulate your desire to help them win.

One of the most significant deals I ever got done was the result of going around an executive who refused to talk to me, getting the buy-in from the Board who brought in the CEO and others. It was uncomfortable, but I made clear with everything I did that I wanted them to win.

“Run headfirst into the adversity.” Some of our best relationships have had plenty of anguish. Be respectful, build trust, be transparent and be humble and you’ve controlled all you can.

#leadership #success #coaching #management #motivation #sales

How Should You Invest in Personal Brand to Drive Authentic Relationships?

People do business with who they know, like and trust. What investments do you make in your personal brand to drive authentic relationships?

Adam McChesney joins Microsoft#sales#leaderCarson V. Heady to discuss.

#Branding is not just about sharing the winning – it’s how and what you deliver amidst challenges, setbacks and reality.

Social is not about just posting motivational quotes or self-promotion – it’s about actually being social. Be engaging, be relatable and stay at the pulse of what matters to your audience.

We control the quality, quantity and consistency of our social engagement; #PersonalBranding is a combination of your skills, superpowers and how and why you engage.

Be genuine, seek to contribute but be open to learn and to many different perspectives.

#Success is not for those who are unwilling to fail. Continue to invest in yourself, your #growth and brand and in the #relationships in your #network and results will be paid in dividends over time.

#leadership #brand #personalbrand #socialmedia #entrepreneurship #entrepreneur #coaching #engagement #marketing #linkedin