See communications and delivery as separate but a part of the same customer-centric whole

It's all part of the same thing,
we just don't know the difference sometimes
but we have to create and define it.

Most projects are tough because there are two main and competing parts to them: doing the work (adding value) and communicating about the work (selling).  I wrote about these two things yesterday.  When we're in roles like project manager or business analyst, we have to do both and can't focus on just one or we'll fail. 

One time at Microsoft I focused exclusively on delivering the value and failed because I didn't spend enough time on communications and change aspects with the customer (I had no time or willingness to, either, so serves her right...). 

On the flip side, dealing exclusively on with the selling aspects is the same as analysis paralysis and we shouldn't just want to sit there and talk about it all day: that's not the goal either.  So there must be some kind of balance between these two things.

I think we're lucky: Scrum makes communications a daily occurrence through standups and has a standard process and roles for communications.  Scrum fixes the time of communications and gives most of  the time to the development team to do their work.  In the meanwhile, management and planning activities happen in parallel. 

In Scrum there's a clear and defined way of communicating and this is necessary.  Many new projects don't have this structure and need to get it as soon as they can.  So, in summary, we need to have the role of delivery, the role of sales, and then a defined and clear relationship between them.  Get it!!

Do two things: add value and sell

Doing two things, even doing one, is hard sometimes.
But it's required.

As contributors to the world I believe we have to do two very basic things to be effective and successful.  Some of us are good at none of these, some are good at just one, and there are a few (possibly lucky?) others out there who can do both.  Those two things are 1) adding value and 2) selling.

Adding value is about doing things that make peoples' lives and businesses richer.  In order to add value we have to know our audience, know our customer, and know ourselves, then choose to do something that is both reasonably interesting and unique to make a difference.  Adding value can be a very high bar and our audiences can be very picky: they don't always laugh, care, or buy.

Selling is all about the spit and polish we put on the value.  Selling is the sizzle on the steak.  Selling is having the guts and courage to do what we think we need to do and doing it.  Selling is about being steadfast, dominating, persistent and controlling.  We don't want to overdo it on selling but we can't add enough value.

Selling and adding value are required to be successful in life and business and for many of us it is a daily struggle to do both...or even just one.

Pick your audience: High vs. low volume selling

Be selective with who you're targeting.
Don't expect to have 100% return or acceptance.
Make sure you're backed by people and your logic is on point.

It sure would be great to be able to convince everyone of our ideas.  But we won't.  So don't try.

It sure would be nice to sell very large quantities of things to very large audiences.  But it's hard.

We have to start small and gain confidence and we also need to be able to convince very small sets of people that what we're doing has value.  We need very small sets of people surrounding us who support us in our global endeavors.

Sometimes we might need feedback from very large audiences to know if we're having an impact: we need to get the aggregate score and start stacking points or cash.

Instead of feeling like we have to convince everyone of things or win every battle, we might want to realize that our audience is a niche and is not everyone.

Stop tilting at windmills.   Stop trying to convince everyone of our ways and your intelligence.

Only some people will really get it and get you.  The others don't matter.

Everything is better on a team

We are not alone until we think of ourselves as such.

Selling as an individual sucks.  Marketing yourself sucks.  Being the main person who is delivering the thing sucks.  Teams are way better than individuals most times and this is true in almost all contexts.

When it comes to sales and selling the same holds true.  I like to sell by myself but I do not love it.  What I love is the idea that I can sell as part of a team and system, rather than as an individual. 

We need to find ways to take ourselves as individuals out of the picture and figure out how we can grow teams around ourselves who love and support us in our efforts and interests. 

We need to get excellent at having others help us.  The more we can define a process and system for growing, selling, and success, the better off we all will be.

Obsessed with sales and selling

We're not always good at what we want to be good at.

I really want to sell.  All of the time.  I can't not sell.  I want to do it every moment.  But I think I suck at it.

Consulting is business development: grow two teams

As the main producer,
surround yourself with sales people and delivery people./
Grow two teams.

As a consultant and project manager I realize more and more that one of the primary and fundamental roles is in performing as a sales person.  But I can't do this alone, I need to create and grow a professional and highly capable sales and marketing team.

A big (and probably the biggest) part of consulting is making sure that you get the job done and make the customer happy.  As a consulting sales person this should be easy because you can always blame the delivery folks that the thing went wrong.  But when you're also on the hook for the thing that actually comes out the other end you'd better be really careful.

As a delivery and sales person you have to make sure that you're winning and influencing all of the time: both on the sales and customer side and an the internal delivery side.  It's hard a lot of the time to wear both of these hats but what it means is that you need to build up two teams as the lead consultant: the sales and account management people who support you as well as the delivery people who support you. 

In consulting you are in the middle in a major way.  You have to build up teams above and below you that support you and create cushion and padding so you can comfortably deliver the end product and deflect attacks from difficult customers and the market with very high expectations.

Selling up and selling down

Convincing others to do things for us is a great talent, skill, and art.
Make sure you're doing this to subordinates and superiors.

Forever I have wanted to make cool and creative things.  I have wanted to engineer creative solutions to problems and get rich doing so based on how creative I have been and how hard I have worked.  But I have discovered that the real skill in life and business is to be that social person who can and does get things done through other people through creative means.  I'm not saying that you can't create and be creative, but you have to create through others by way of inspiration and leadership: you have to grow big teams.

My dad gave me the idea when I was young that I am creative and smart.  I probably am.  But I have learned through the years that I have to be very humble as well and recognize that there are powerful people above and around me. 

As someone who does not have so much money that I can pay others to do everything for me, then I have to inspire them to want to do it themselves.  If I can lead in this way, then I am being successful with those below me.

But this is also true for those above me: the rich and famous and successful of the world.  I do not consider myself to be one of them but I have to do so: I have to rub elbows and act as if I'm one of them...but I have to be humble, too.

Sales works up and sales works down.  Make sure that you're selling up and selling down but learn to sell up because this is where the really big opportunities lie!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Know and act as thyself: don't sell out

The soul.  Be it.

Don't sell out.  Know yourself really well and make sure you're speaking and acting from the heart; from the place that you believe.  If you're operating from this place you will find that people will follow you and your beliefs and value.

If you are not clear on your beliefs and values and what is in your core and gut, anything is possibly and you'll sell out; you'll probably fail and be really unhappy in fact.

Sometimes in business we have to sell out or trade something off to gain some kind of reasonable footing or leverage and there are a ton of opportunities to lose yourself in this process.  But don't.

Get clear on your mission, vision, values, and goals and start speaking and engaging people from your soul and your heart; from your core beliefs and values.