Do you realize what starts with the Big Boys trickles down the food chain? I hope so, because we have seen that happen with VOP, Prime Vendor, Vendor Management, etc. 

Are you aware that some larger recruiting firms are now getting more than half heir revenue by providing services vs. earning placement fees?

 
Perhaps the light at the end of the tunnel is an oncoming freight train! YIKES
How do you plan to adjust to this new reality?

Shall we jump for joy? Perhaps this time it will be different for the Temp Staffing Industry and for Direct Placement. Educated clients are squeezing their labor budgets. They want more services and want to pay less. They are consolidating suppliers to cut internal costs and they are outsourcing many non core functions.

Will you want to shave your margins to retain clients? Do you to fight pricing with the big public companies?  Or should you start right now looking at how you do business?  Can you cut costs by using technology or by outsourcing some functions? Should you merge or partner with another firm to shave overhead costs? Until the economy gets overheated again it is a bit of a buyers market for talent.

Stay alert in 2010 because this time, it is different for our industry.
 

Jim Volpe

Build Trust. Use testimonials and reference letters, bring in your management team and let the prospects meet your support team members.

Identify the pain. If you are not addressing the prospects pain points , you have  no sale.

Quantify and amplify the value that you bring. Let them know what you will do to to solve their problems. Monetize and articulate how much you will save them or cut their costs. You need to show them the payback otherwise, no deal for you

Outline your proposed solutions. Ask for feedback and get agreement.

Cover the pricing and terms of your offer. Price is not relevant until value is established. Double check with a list of prepared questions to get agreement that you have established the value to the prospect and that they want just that and  nothing less.

Ask for the business. If they have to “think about it”, tell them you will wait for an hour in need be.  Playback the benefits ,ask for agreement and say; if there is nothing else then the only thing you need to think about is whether you will go ahead with me or not.

Well, they suddenly had a goal - to get another breath of air. But, behind that goal were three additional pieces. First, they had a very clear VISION of what both success and failure might look like. Second, they had a REASON for achieving their goal. And third, they developed a STRATEGY for reaching their goal - it may not have been elegant or graceful, but by screaming and thrashing and flailing away they hoped to get that next breath of air. That’s how we achieve most things in life.

Let’s talk about setting goals for 2010 - sales, time off, family time, etc.  Write them down, stick to them, and “be Ruthless and determined (like the guy in the lake) to achieve your goals”. Goals must be written to be powerful and compelling; they must be measurable and have a deadline. You also need to have action steps for each goal.  I read my goals daily; it helps me to stay focused or to get back on track if I’ve drifted off course. You must do that too.

Your challenge: Write at least 2 business goals and 2 personal goals. Add at least 2 action steps that you will take in the first quarter that will lead you toward achieving your goals.

1.  Establish Rapport

• Knowledge of your industry
• Commonality
• Be interested in them as a person
• No selling here at all

2.  Qualify the Buyer - find the need

• Ask questions - “what is your criteria for making a decision”, “who else is involved in making the hiring decision”

3.  Build Value

• How do you or your company provide value for them?

4.  Create Desire

• Paint a picture of their future with your product or service

5.  Overcome Objections - agree with their objection

• Ask “is that the only thing holding you back from moving forward?”  Answer their questions.

6.  Close the Sale

• “You already know as much as you ever will about this_____You just need to make the decision”……silence!

7.  Follow-up

• Call, send a letter, email…put them on your mailing list

Many sales are made on the fifth or sixth follow-up attempt so don’t give up too soon.

Your Bullhorn system collects critical data your accounting department needs to create customer invoices and employee paychecks. StaffLinx GP allows you to easily share this information with Microsoft Dynamics GP so you can eliminate double entry and make every department more efficient.

One happy StaffLinx GP user is Pridestaff. By using the StaffLinx GP tool to tightly integrate Bullhorn and Microsoft Dynamics GP, PrideStaff avoids the time-consuming and potentially error-prone task of manually double entering payroll and invoice data.  Pridestaff estimates they save approximately 1,000 hours a month across 36 offices using Microsoft Dynamics GP with StaffLinx GP.

“There’s so much integration and flexibility in the system. It’s not complex to process an invoice or generate payroll. All screens have a common look and feel, so it’s very user-friendly, easy to understand and easy to learn, which is important to us. The staff at CAL has been fabulous to work with and has provided some very innovative solutions for us.  I was originally concerned that the CAL office was located so far from us, but using online tools, it’s never been an impediment.”- Christine Huebert, Controller, PrideStaff Inc.  (Read the Full Case Study)

Are you still using entry level accounting software such as Quickbooks? Upgrading from Quickbooks to Microsoft Dynamics GP is the smart choice!  Upgrading to a robust accounting software package like Microsoft Dynamics GP with StaffLinx GP allows staffing companies to:  

·        Review better data with consolidated financial statements.
·        Get money faster with cash collections management.
·        Feel confident with advanced financial system security.
·        Recognize substantial savings by moving payroll back in house.
·        Make better decisions with the ability to create custom margin analysis and profitability reports.

Microsoft Dynamics GP is full featured accounting software that grows with your business, is integrated with your other systems, gives you the detailed reporting you need, and is easy to set up, customize and use.  StaffLinx GP was developed by CAL Business Solutions in cooperation with Bullhorn, for the closest integration possible.  It can be purchased as an affordable add-on to an existing Microsoft Dynamics GP (Great Plains) install or as part of a new Microsoft Dynamics GP system purchased from CAL Business Solutions.  The experienced team at CAL Business Solutions has implemented Microsoft Dynamics GP at over 200 companies since 1982 – with a special focus on the needs of the staffing industry. 

I would love to hear your comments about what kind of accounting software you use now and if it integrates to Bullhorn!
 

So if you own the business or are a dedicated sales manager it is imperative to have a mentor or a coach involved in your development.

Are you on the field without a coach?

“It’s the economy,”  “There is no budget,” “We’re in a wait and see mode,”  “Let’s see how the remainder of the year plays out and then reevaluate.”  My personal favorite that I hear repeatedly is  “We’re going to wait this thing out.”  Does any of this sound familiar?  What exactly are we waiting for?  This recession is the reality of the environment that we live in.  During tough times like these fears and limited beliefs run rampant across all industries and in companies both large and small.  Soon enough employees throughout these organization chose to believe this to be true.  Soon enough they begin to settle. They settle for mediocre results. They do the bare minimum to get by because they place blame on uncontrollable events.   John F. Kennedy once said  “Once you say you’re going to settle for second in life, that’s what happens to you in life.”  Whether it be in business, sports or any other industry, opportunities that arise out of difficult times represent the most valuable opportunities for personal growth.  This is especially true for the learning or aspiring leader.  So what can you do to embrace this recession?  Below are four actions that you can take today, if you have the courage.

1.) Understand that people want to be led. People want to know that someone is working on solving the “big issues” to alleviate their own personal fears.  In essence, they want to know that someone is looking after their well-being.  Make it clear to those who you work with (and/or lead) that you are aware of the critical issues and that you are working to solving them.

2.) Act Quickly.  It’s very rare if ever that business leaders have all of the information they would like to have before making a business decision. The stakes are even higher now which makes us vulnerable to falling into the “paralysis by analysis” trap.  Understand the situation and move quickly to make a decision.  Stick with your decision and don’t look back.

3.) Be Confident. Face bad news head-on and address it with your team.  Don’t avoid it.  Acknowledge the bad news publicly with your team and confidently share with the team the plan to resolve the issues.  Don’t try to avoid the issue or be evasive, people will see right through it.

4.) Get out of your comfort zone.  Research has shown that what turns average performers into top performers is their willingness to step outside their comfort zone and be pushed beyond their current abilities in response to overcoming challenges.  Constantly attempting to do what you can’t yet quite do is the process of “getting out of the comfort zone.”  As renowned leadership expert and thought leader John Maxwell puts it, “If you’re not learning you’re  not growing.  And if you’re not growing you’re dying.”  After all, an expert is simply someone who has failed every possible way at trying to accomplish a specific task.  And accomplished business leaders will tell you that they have learned far more from their failures than their successes. Get out of your comfort zone.  Seek input from your peers and teammates and keep pushing for the answers to the challenges you face.

I can assure you that in these challenging economic times organizations are looking for employees who can step up and solve problems.  Embrace this recession and all of the challenges, adversity and turmoil it has to offer.  Do you have the courage to start embracing this recession?

Feel the Fear and do it anyway
Zig Zigler a well-known motivator uses an acronym that you may find helpful when dealing with fear rejection.

False
      Evidence
                  Appearing
                                Real

CAL Business Solutions recently started a blog. (check it out here) Our goal is to be able to share our expertise in the accounting software field.  Plus, we know that people do business with people they know. And these days, an easy way to get to know someone is to read their blog.

Do you read blogs in order to find qualified job candidates? Or to learn more about companies you plan to buy from?

Thanks for reading the Bullhorn Blogger AND I hope you will check out www.erpsoftwareblog.com and comment on your favorite article.