Do you really work in a commercial culture?

 
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Our business started almost 10 years ago from a very simple question posed to me by a very insightful CEO. She said to me ‘Quite simply David, how do I get everyone in the business to want to sell a bit more stuff?’

10 years later we are increasingly being asked the same question, in many different guises. Our clients are increasingly looking for support to help them convert their organisations to think and act more commercially. So why the continued increase? We think it is down to the fact that growing a business through technical/delivery excellence is no longer enough. You now need to get out and talk to existing and future clients about their future challenges and help them face them.

 So how does your organisation rate commercially? We believe commercial success is a combination of 3 things:

  • Culture – what you measure and the conversations you are having

  • Clarity of Thinking – people’s confidence and courage to try new things

  • Craft – in focusing on the human side of business

 
"Pick the area that will make the biggest impact and focus on it until it is part of your culture"
 
 

Below are a set of statements to help you rate yourself. These can be used to provoke thinking, stimulate action, or even create change.

Culture

  • We have clear and aspirational client plans that are shared with both our clients and internally

  • We measure activity that encourages visibility with clients

  • We measure input objectives

  • We regularly review the plans focusing on gaining more knowledge about our clients business


Clarity of Thinking

  • We take time to link commercial growth to everyone’s individual aspirations

  • We consciously manage people into their courage zone – getting them to try something new on a regular basis

  • We actively give people the time to capture the future as well as deliver today


Craft

  • We prioritise understanding our clients personal priorities

  • We are outwardly curious to find out how we can help our clients be more successful

  • We prioritise client contact by phone, face to face, or video conference


We are well into 2017, plans are being actioned and performance reviews being conducted, this is the perfect time to try something new to invigorate growth. So our advice is, if any of the above has stimulated or even provoked a desire to change, don’t over think it. Pick the area that will make the biggest impact and focus on it until it is part of your culture, then pick the next one.

 
David Armes