Right Under Your Nose

Did you hear the tale about the poor old lady who, by accident, discovered that the drab painting she had stored in her attic for the last 37 years was indeed a rare Rembrandt that later sold for several million dollars?

“Nice anecdote,” I hear you say. “So what?”

The moral of the story is this: There is money right under your nose – you just have to find it. But how?

Food industry c-leaders are hell bent on increasing revenues. On one hand, they question whether to overhaul what might be an under performing sales team. Others ponder whether increasing sales staff is the answer. Most are devising new strategies or products to grab a larger share amid recessionary declines or shifting behaviors in the food industry. Meanwhile, costs of sales are increasing and prices keep falling. Making the top-line number remains elusive this year and likely, next year.

The real source of new cash — a lot of it — we mean the kind that grows substantial new business — exists inside your company’s very own ‘attics’: back rooms, front rooms, storage rooms, labs, plants, sales offices, trucks and cubicles.

Starbucks reduced costs by $175 million in one quarter. Another firm identified $120 million in savings during a two-day workshop. Sizeable savings can be found in your organization too, right now. And it makes more sense pursuing this angle than betting the farm on the new wunderkind 99c sandwich.

No, this is not Six Sigma, TQM or Lean, which provides an average ROI of 10%. We're talking Business Process Management and Transformation (BPMT) which delivers an impressive ROI of 100-300%.

Blueberry Business Group has over 17 years of international experience in BPMT in Fortune 500 companies and others just like yours.

Let us outline our proven approach to discovering your Rembrandt.

The CEO's Shiny Boots

Genchi genbutsu. Toyota’s innovative and successful philosophy is sometimes translated into “Getcha boots on”. Rather than hearing about problems through the carefully crafted filters of a meeting or email, the notion is to get information unfiltered and first hand. Genchi genbutsu suggests an attitude that reflects the willingness to get down and dirty with straight facts so that solutions match the problem and market share, customer relationships and satisfaction can grow.

Ask yourself, Do I know for sure what my customers believe and express about my company? Is mine the "supplier of choice" in the category beyond price or program dollars? How does my company measure up against competitors in specific areas of selection, supply and service? And what really was the basis for that lost account or opportunity?

Many customers tell us that you have no idea. And what they say about your company and what you think they say about your company is usually the difference between a race horse and a mule.

Last week, I spoke to a CEO who did not think a clean, unbiased read on his customers' perspectives was necessary. Translation: I am not concerned with what my customers really think. His company's market share was slipping, business was being lost, new accounts were costly, slow to acquire or hard to come by. Translation: I am in denial about customers' changing needs. My company is no longer considered a partner in helping them meet their competitive challenges. His sales team was frustrated with eroding customer relationships and lack of results in delivering their numbers. Translation: Our leader is isolated, out of touch, disconnected, and I am working harder than ever just to hold business. But jobs are in short supply so I better keep my head down and not be too frank with him about our company's failures.

This CEO’s boots were probably under his desk, still in their box, beautifully shiny but unworn. He took out his shiny boots from time to time to show his customers and team but they were clearly without wear and tear reflective of the hard, difficult task of listening to important straight talk. So his customers and employees smiled, commended him on his shiny boots and secretly concluded that this company was not really blazing new trails suitable to what some today call the Death Valley Days.

The most successful captains of our industry are those who make decisions based on accurate, unbiased feedback straight from the mouths of their customers. Yes, it takes courage to listen. But successful leaders insist on being absolutely certain about what past, current and future customers believe and express about their company as a supplier in a contracted economy. Only then can they get on higher ground to make clear-eyed adjustments that remove obstacles, shorten the sales cycle, retain and capture new business.

Higher ground comes only when you getcha boots on.