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When Yellow Turns to Black

Sunday Oct 31, 2010

Novel Excerpt: “It was 2007 and we were proudly sailing our ‘built from scratch’ royal blue rig in an open water race. We were still on a high having won several awards of merit in the last race. Our two largest competitors were ahead on either side of us and we were gaining on them, as in a light wind we had an ever so slight advantage inherent with light weather sailors. I was proud of the crew and each one was well matched to their duties.

Suddenly, as the sun shone down on us, and as I busied myself reading the telltale signs of the wind and adjusting our course accordingly, a missile blasted across the sky hitting us and leaving a severe hole in both the main sail and the bottom of our boat. As water poured in we bailed out, swimming to shore. We dragged what pieces of our sailboat we could.

Shocked and dismayed we huddled together on the shore surveying the wreckage. The brutal attack made no logical sense because the missile was shot by a large Yellow boat behind us who was not only not in our race, but whom we knew well and considered friendly…”

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Over two years has since past since I received the note from a businessman I respected which included a long passage from “The Art of War”. You see I had been the deliberate target of a billion dollar monopoly who wanted me and our successful business out of business. The tactics used were dishonest, unethical and malicious and I was ready to expose them and take them on.

But the businessman disagreed with my approach and so persisted in getting his point across by sending more passages. I could not win he said because the monopoly was too big and powerful and because they had unlimited resources. It was best for me to heed the advice in the “Art of War” passage and “surrender”. “Fleeing to the hills” in my mind was cowardly, but losing my life would be stupid. So I surrendered but not without coming first to a profound realization. I discovered that I have something more valuable than the billion dollar predator’s billions and that is….The Truth.

They say crisis breeds opportunity and historically there is considerable evidence that such adversity fosters innovation in companies. The Kaufman Index of Entrepreneurial Activity showed that the rate of new business creation was higher during the deepest part of the 2009 economic recession than it had been in fourteen years. We were a part of this rejuvenation as like these companies we were forced through no fault of our own to reinvent our business-models. We did this by expanding our footprint and our service offerings, and finding solutions in unlikely places. Inspiration came from our loyal staff, from our social network, from our wonderful new suppliers, from our customers and through participating in new growth opportunities.

The final chapter of my book will be about how we learned to harness our drive and ingenuity in new and compelling ways to create a more dynamic and prosperous future for our customers, ourselves and our organization.


The Yellow Pages Headings

Monday Feb 15, 2010

Thinking about the Yellow Pages today and all the funny headings and I was reminded of my first introduction to the Yellow Pages directory advertising product. I was in Berkeley, California at the time attending Sir John Gielgud’s Classical Theatre School. I had won a scholarship and had decided the Berkeley campus would be more interesting than the campus in London, England. Being a prairie girl and used to sun, it was sort of a no-brainer of a decision to make since it was always raining in London. So off to California it was.

Telegraph Avenue was a cultural shock. This was the 80’s but obviously only for me. In my memory I can still smell the incense. It is something I will never forget. According to a male classmate from Fiji (who incidentally wore a skirt to school) the incense had a strong influence on our classes in the Bay Area. Yes, this sweet tobacco smell was incense he told me.

I recall being introduced to the healing arts when I tripped down a flight of stairs and sprained my ankle before a performance. A group of people laid their hands on my ankle and with closed eyes hummed and healed my foot. I was miraculously cured for the performance – though stiff and limping the next day.

But it was the movement – improvisational classes that caused me the most anxiety. We had to lie on our backs with our eyes closed while our classmates rolled over us. It’s supposed to break down barriers and create trust but I was terribly shy and found the idea embarrassing so I found a way to phone in sick to avoid the class. Yup, so sorry I was on my death bed and couldn’t make it in for the “roll”. I must have had phone messages from everyone “Hope you are ok”. “We missed our Canadian, eh?!”.

I took the day off to live in the real world. I had coffee at a bus stop where I did research watching real people. Then I decided I would go to a health spa, have a suntan, go in the hot tub…you know, that kind of thing. I was going to take a mini holiday on my day off school. So, I looked up “Tanning” places in the Yellow Pages. I phoned for directions and got on the Berkeley bus headed north with my gym bag and towel around me neck. It was a long bus trip. In fact, I was the only one on the bus when the bus driver turned to me and said “This is it”. I was in an industrial area which really smelled. I found myself at a “Tanning Factory” where they beat animal hides and not a “Tanning Spa”  where I thought I was headed. (Yikes!)

I suppose I should have clued in when I phoned for directions. The woman on the phone was so abrupt, “What are you bringing in?” she asked. I answered rather quietly “Well just myself”. You see I always liked to be incognito at aerobic places. If the instructor said “Girl in the pink, higher”. I never returned.

Well, I got back on the bus (same driver) going back the other direction and I was back at school the next day “feeling much better”. But one thing I thought about was if I ever had a reason to advertise in the Yellow Pages I would make sure I was under the correct heading. Ironically, years later I found myself designing advertising for the Yellow Pages and yes, even recommending headings.

Marc Tellier, the CEO of Yellow Pages Group recently said in the Globe and Mail that the fastest growing heading in his Yellow Pages for several years in a row now is “Tatoo Parlours”.  Isn’t that remarkable? I would have no reason to reference that heading but you see everyone has a different use for this product including, Mr Tellier.


Kelsey Group DMS09: Yellow Pages and Teaching an Old Dog New Tricks

Wednesday Sep 23, 2009

When you want to teach a dog a new trick you need lots of wieners in your pocket. Then, you need to be persistent about following through each and every time with your training routine. When the dog finally shakes a paw and rolls over you must jump up and down in enthusiasm and glee. You are the master after all and a hero as the dog is doing exactly as you wished.

But, an old dog knows your tricks and has had lots of those wieners from your pocket – even the ones that sat in there for a year. This dog is not so easy to motivate, enthuse or excite.

At the Kelsey Group’s 30th Yellow Pages Conference in Orlando industry masters of the Yellow Pages Industry gathered to lick their wounds. Its been a very tough year for a group used to 87% renewals and 65% profit margins. Suddenly the growth of high speed broad-band, Google search, social media and other forms of interactive activities has changed how consumers search and buy. In increasing numbers references to the Yellow Pages have drastically reduced. This has caused the whole group to come back to zero, take inventory, regroup and rethink.

There are some startling statistics. According to one of the studies only 14% of businesses are happy with their Yellow Pages sales reps. My gosh several presenters say this industry biggest asset is its “Feet on the Street”! (Does anyone want to sell some shoes?) And, “Feet on the Street” they go on to say need regular training and regular re-training. Success after all is “All in the Reps Bag”. Apparently understanding what is in the bag is the key to success in multi-product selling.

Now the old dog has learned a lot of tricks in his lifetime. He senses you approaching before he sees you. He knows what you want from him even before you do. And as he watches you from the corner of his eye fumbling to cut up the wieners, he slips off to sleep.

How do you get an old dog to jump in enthusiasm for your wiener? Well, if the Yellow Pages masters can stop acting like crows (chasing the next bit of metal that catches their eye) and take the time to answer this fundamental question then they will have solved the greatest of this industry’s challenges.

It can be done. Many independents are doing it. I agree with Nick Veronis of Veronis Suhler Stevenson, marketshare for small independents will increase.


Yellow Pages Revenue growth 8.4%: Sensis vs The Island Caretaker as the Best Job in the World

Saturday Feb 28, 2009

 

 “Putting the customer in the centre of all we do is why we have been successful” says Carol Johnson, COO of Sensis Yellow Pages. And success is indeed the case. Telstra has just announced 8.4% growth for Sensis, Australia’s Yellow and White Pages. While the paper product has lost value in other parts of the world the Sensis team has increased organic print revenue by 3.3% (which is especially impressive given the first half is when they close the big Metro books). The Yellow Pages Metro campaigns have seen the highest first half revenue growth in four years. White Pages exceeded double digit growth again! And there was triple digit growth (21%) achieved for Sensis’ online advertising for Real Estate, Auto and IT sites in China.

 

While this is exciting news it has created a bit of a dilemma for our management team. On Friday we called an emergency management meeting to determine whether it would be better working as an “Island Caretaker” on the Great Barrier Reef or putting our occasional online promotional efforts behind Sensis? We went through an analysis to come to our conclusion.

 

The job (as posted on the Internet) as “Island Caretaker” on the Great Barrier Reef involves some serious tasks and there have been 34,000 applicants from over 200 different countries. This indicates some pretty fierce competition for the job. As “Island Caretaker” we would be required to feed the fish, (Prasad, our CIO, has first dibbs on this since he has memorized every variety of marine life and their preferred choice of cuisine), clean the pool, (John, our VP of Sales, claims to have expert experience in this area having worked as a pool boy during his early education years), and report to Tourism Queensland and the world, (it would be my role to blog and tweet about the virtues and bliss of island life in the hopes of generating some visitor traffic to the island). Now compensation seems to be guaranteed in the form of warm weather, (at -35 Celsius in Winnipeg, Canada this has been a strong motivating factor in our job application), blue skies, crystal water and pure sand. While we will need our lawyer to review the contract carefully, in essence this opportunity is being touted as “The Best Job in the World”. We have agreed that our best strategy is a “leap of faith” under these unique circumstances.

 

Now, regarding Sensis, we feel there is a rather natural fit here. The duties are not specified other than to share the truth, and it appears only if we are inclined to do so. It is hard not to be inclined to do so when you look at the extraordinary story behind Sensis’ success. It is one of a group of very talented women who turned around an industry through extraordinary leadership, vision, and collaboration. Their mantra of “I think I can win” is an energy and spirit that permeates the whole cross-functional team. The employees I have had the opportunity to exchange communications with are excited to be a part of “their” company’s success. The company cares and they in turn care for the company. Part of the reengineering included reversing the management model putting employees and customers first. This is central to the foundation and to the awesome results of year after year growth in usage, revenue, and shareholder value.

 

Great leaders know how to touch hearts and make a positive difference in the lives of everyone they encounter. They are not arrogant or proud, boastful or self-centered. They embrace differences and motivate through simple acts of kindness. When faced with difficulty you know them through their actions. They can heal with a smile, a touch, or a wise word. Great leaders have followers who want to be around them. Gandhi, Churchill, and Mother Teresa all had an enormous number of followers. There is a grass roots momentum at Sensis that has been evidenced for a couple of years now that leads one to conclude that there is exceptional leadership talent at work and play there.

 

Could the Sensis leadership team have an impact in the North American marketplace? Could their inspirational story and leadership attract a whole new breed of leaders that in turn would be like Sensis, care about their directory and agency customers, make time to meet for feedback, input and to solve issues, be committed through their actions to growing strong relationships and celebrating the successes in the mutual promotion of the industry sector? Carol Johnson will be a Key Note presenter at the upcoming YPA Convention in April. I guess time will tell. In the meantime, we can dream.

 

So, while the “Island Caretaker” position looks very enticing our team has agreed that we will chose to continue to support and applaud Sensis from our whole heart in return for Kiwis. (i.e. John has asked that I clarify that I am referring to “the fruit”).  Our address is: 201,701 Pembina Hwy, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada R3M 2L7 (sometimes mail sent to the geographic centre of North America or the coldest place on earth, gets through).

 

Meeting adjourned.

 

 


Selling Yellow Pages in tough economic times

Thursday Dec 25, 2008

 

 

The keywords and phrases people use when searching over the internet can be fascinating to observe. Recently though, one searcher caught my attention. They had typed into Google the following: “Selling Yellow Pages is getting harder”. Pausing to imagine the person behind the search I envisioned a veteran yellow pages sales representative facing sales rejection and feeling fearful and under pressure in their current work environment. They are searching in anonymity on the web to find answers on how to achieve success. The wonderful thing about the web is that you can search for answers to things without your boss knowing. So, this blog is written to you my anonymous friend. While a large part of our focus was on sales to national non-advertisers to Yellow Pages (timeframe to close generally 2 years) I believe the same sales tips apply to both environments. It is my hope you will find the below comments useful towards your quest for success in 2009.

 

Top 5 Sales Tips:

 

1.        Listen

2.        Be prepared

3.        Keep your presentation short

4.        Uncover all objections (most are hidden)

5.        Close

 

Listening is something you do with all your senses. It is something we can all do well if we slow down, drop any agenda we may have, and release the need to control. Often the best sales call is when nothing is sold at all. People buy from people they like. And people they like, like them. Being a good listener opens the door to great relationships. (You also learn all you need to know to adapt your presentation and set the correct course to close the sale).

 

Preparation for a yellow pages sales call involves knowing everything about the customer’s business and environment. What kind of service or product are they promoting; who are their customers, what advertising are they doing, who are their competitors, etc…Research, research and more research. (Also, have your contract and product brochures with you but don’t bring them out without asking if it is okay to do so).

 

Keep your presentation short. Presentations should be custom, succinct, and not boastful or intimidating. Know your audience and whether it is the appropriate to bring out your new laptop. Your presentation it is not about you or your company it is about the customer.

 

Sales Objections are mostly hidden and often difficult to uncover because people are not always straight up. Some open ended questions help flesh out what they are really thinking. You might ask a question like, “How do you feel the yellow pages are working for you?” If the client perceives it is expensive and is unsure about continued expenditure keep them talking. “Is there anything else you don’t like?” This is the first step in uncovering objections. Then through illustration you can share an experience of perhaps another customer who felt the same and how together you built a program that addressed these same concerns.

 

Closing the sale is accomplished if steps 1-4 have been handled. It flows naturally from successfully uncovering and handling the objections. Ask for permission to bring out a contract though. Consider the old concept of “automatic renewal” as dead. No one has to be in the yellow pages. With a buyer who is price and roi conscious you may close with: “If I could show you how you could have a yellow pages program that brings you increased business at the least cost would you be interested?”  

 

And finally, I believe you should find comfort in the fact that all sales is hard (not just yellow pages), however, the sales process is a numbers game. The more calls you make the more you’ll close, and you can’t close them all. Sales success is a journey and it is something that is best shared to be achieved. In this regards, it is important that you are working for a company that values people and in particular values you. Values are not posted on the company wall they are part of the organizational DNA and evident in the leadership and vision of the company. In the same way you treat your customer so should your employer treat you.  

 

Best of luck in 2009.