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From: Mike Kubasak
Sell Inside Before Selling Outside
"Why do you want to cater to cremation?" "There’s no profit potential in cremation." "Are you nuts?"
These were just some comments from my family and employees when I proposed turning a slumber room at our funeral home into a cremation products display room in the late 1970’s. It was the first room of its kind in the country.Most people resist change…the uncertainty, ambiguity and disruption of the status quo it brings. Yet, in most companies there is that one person who promotes change, a "visionary" who spurs needed change and causes the company to adapt to a more diversified customer and who, in the end, helps erase doubt.
This person motivates – convinces – the company to do or provide something different: a product, a service, a modification of facilities…but in most cases, something the company (and employees) may not want to do, is not able to do, or is not ready to do. Why? It often means added tasks to perform, new thinking and approaches, learning new skills. "New" also means risk, often requiring more facts and assurance before making a commitment.
It was necessary for me to sell my idea…I treated the people in my firm as customers. I did homework, gathered as many facts as possible, showed anticipated economic gain and showed the consequences of not going ahead. I worked behind the scenes at times to get agreement and buy-in. Rejection meant a need for more facts and education…I sold the "inside customer" to the concept. I believed in 3 outcomes:
- The company will do nothing and suffer the consequences
- The company will execute the concept and fail
- The company will execute and succeed
The idea proved beneficial for my firm and as the catalyst that impacted funeral homes throughout North America. I was confident and driven by a personal mantra: What you do for the burial customer you must also do for the cremation customer. Through self-education, I understood the risks in ignoring this consumer and what it could mean by not moving forward. Risk was reduced in doing homework and paying meticulous attention to every detail.
The company change-maker, the visionary – whatever he/she is called – YOU - gets buy-in by "selling," not by "telling." Quite often, you must first sell inside the company before you can sell outside the company.
Visit www.kubasak.com to learn how Mike can help you and your ideas make a difference in your company and inspire your staff.
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