Opportunity and IT

Opportunity and IT are not always in sync with each other.  As a Solution's Architect for IBM I see this conflict frequently.  I have always loved computer "gear/stuff".  I can't help it.  I love new programs, operating systems and don't even get me started about hardware with all the cool blinking lights, spinning hard drives and colored cables!  But just because I love those things doesn't necessarily mean that my love of technology makes a good business decision.

To me, in order to be essential to my clients needs, I need to help them identify where there is an opportunity to leverage not only technology, but to seize an opportunity to help improve the business's  bottom line.  I have always taken the position that if technology cannot make a business more profitable through increased sales or decreased costs a client should not buy it.  It sounds counter-intuitive for a company like IBM, but stay with me on this one.  As a lover of all things IT, I would say "buy it, it will be so cool if we had the fastest (fill in the blank).  Truthfully, in business, that is the exact wrong approach.  If a company purchases equipment, services etc. just for the sake of doing so, it hasn't done its due diligence to identify what or where there is an opportunity to make the business more profitable.  

Opportunities are often discovered without technology.  Opportunities are discovered through honest evaluation of business processes, financials, inventory, customers etc. through multiple conversations.  Ironically, it is also the most satisfying way to procure the IT goods and services from a business partner like IBM.  When an opportunity is discovered, there is no need for a client to be sold anything.  The client is in the drivers seat demanding that the business opportunity be leveraged.  By helping the client identify the business opportunity, the IT solution presents itself as what it should be, a catalyst for taking advantage of the business opportunity and helping to maximize the businesses profits.

As a Solutions Architect for IBM, my role is sometime misunderstood.  My primary function is not to find the best "speeds and feeds" for a company.  I am here to help a business find that next great opportunity, strategize the best way to leverage that opportunity, and give the client the best chance at maximizing the opportunity and expanding the profitability of the company.

  

New at Big Blue

As many of you know, I recently began working for IBM. 

I took a position as a Solutions Architect in Chicago.  It is a hybrid selling/technical position in the commercial enterprise space.  I am very excited to be at IBM and am looking forward to carrying the IBM banner for my clients.

Although I could write many blog posts about what its like to work at IBM or even how their technologies, like Watson and its cognitive computing capabilities, are going to change how we use computing solutions.  However, I wanted to write about perceptions.  Like all people we have perceptions of the way things are going to be or what something was going to be like before we actually experience it.

When I showed up for my first day at IBM I had many very strong preconceived notions as to the company, what it stood for and what its people were about.  Like many, I still have visions of the Blue Pin Stripe Suits, white shirts and polished shoes.  All IBM employees were in lock step carrying the same black brief case.  I can tell you that my experience so far is nothing short of the polar opposite.  My perception of the people who made up of IBM were completely wrong.  This is a company full of dynamic, innovative and creative people from across the globe with the most diverse backgrounds I have ever run across.

To be an "IBMer" has taken on a whole other meaning to me.  During our first day of "On-Boarding" at RTP, North Carolina we were shown a video done to celebrate the 100th anniversary of IBM.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=39jtNUGgmd4  It is a video that talks about IBM ground breaking moments and innovations both in computing and human terms.  It references hiring the first disabled employee in the 1920s, women's rights and on and on.  I immediately sat up in class as this video was playing and realized that IBM is the type of company that I thought didn't exist.  Global innovation in human terms, Nobel Prizes and a company with a simple motto, "Think".  The best news is I am part of the team.

I have been overwhelmed by the depth of quality of talent.  It seems there is no shortage of truly gifted people here.  My hope is to rise to the occasion and become the best IBMer that I can become.  Everyday is an opportunity is a day to learn.  Today I was reminded that perceptions can be a direct path to misunderstanding, misinterpreting and just being plain wrong.  The good news is that IBM values the thought process.  My experience thus far has been one of thinking before doing.  I am hopeful this will translate to my daily life as well.

The Clear Communication Thanksgiving 2013

Thanksgiving is one of the staples in American Society.  While sports teams win and lose, the markets go up and down, retailers come and go Thanksgiving is the one constant that we can all count on year to year.  Recently, the spirit of Thanksgiving has been under attack right under our noses. 

We have all stood in a kitchen taking in the smell of a slow roasted Turkey and stuffing, which even mentioning it makes my mouth water.  All good parties and holidays begin and end in the kitchen.  This is what I’ve been told and see no reason to disagree with conventional wisdom.  The conversations hearken back to family and friends and good times.  None of this has changed except for one thing, technology.  I found myself staring at my smart phone looking at others thanksgiving posts on Facebook, reading cute emails about funny Thanksgiving stories, learning about the creep of retail into Thanksgiving Day, you know…..all the really important stuff.

I was pulled out of my trance by the least technical person I know, my father.  My father for all practical matters is an old time, traditional kind of person.  Having been an Orthopedic Surgeon for over 45 years he knows technology and what it can do.   He is wise enough to know what it can’t do.  What it can’t do is bring families together for the one day a year and talk.   My father is endlessly irritated with my children, me, my mother etc. who are in his house looking at some sort of screen.  Yesterday, my father, in his own inimitable way took back Thanksgiving from Facebook, Google, YouTube and the many other “distraction factories” that invade family functions.

My father had gone to the party store.  He had decided that with his 6 grandchildren at the Thanksgiving table was going to play a game.  Everyone had two Dreidels to spin; yes we celebrated Thanksgivingakah this year.  Each spin would give you a reach into one of his two prize bags.  As we found out, the bags were filled with plastic bracelets, funny glasses and general dime store novelties.

Certainly wisdom comes from experience.  My Dad knew that with the electronic devices in hand there would be no buy-in from the family.  After we were completely stuffed from my mother’s epic meal, and in the middle of our Tryptophan delirium, my Dad quickly left the room and returned with the two large bags full of prizes and a small box.  On the outside of the box, drawn with a Sharpe, was a picture of a smiley face.  My Dad proceeded to walk around the table. He explained to everyone, adults included that they wouldn’t be eligible to play for the cavalcade of prizes he possessed unless they deposited all electronic devices in the box which they would receive back at the end of the evening.  As he came by each of our chairs at the table we begrudgingly gave up our electronic security blankets.

Within minutes, the entire table became engaged and we howled with laughter as the grandchildren won their silly glasses, paddle balls and various sundry prizes.  It turned out that the least technologically adept person at the table was actually the most.  My Dad knew technology had no place at a family function like Thanksgiving.  By removing these devices my Dad became the real networking expert.  He reconnected our family.  He is the smartest Technical Consultant I have met in a long time.

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!   

IT Department vs. Purchasing

Sales people, when successful, find what has made them a success and then repeat. As my VP likes to say, “rinse and repeat”. This fundamental function of sales drives consistent and predictable business. I would suggest that for double digit growth to occur, a salesperson has to step out of their comfort zone.


One of the most comfortable places for an IT sales person to exist is in the purchasing department. The safety of dealing in just the monetary portion of the transaction is a place where everyone knows the rules. Low price wins the business. End of story. Unfortunately, low margins are what you end up with as purchasing has no way to evaluate your services any other way. If given the opportunity, even the value of logistics are negotiated down through purchasing.


The IT department can be a scary place. Lots of Acronyms, unfamiliar technologies, really smart IT people……very intimidating. However, in order for a salesperson to be a complete solution provider, it is imperative that this be their first stop in the sales process. While a salesperson may not be the most technical person in the room, there is plenty of value that they bring to the table. It is our job to understand the business case of the IT technology and help the IT department marry the solution to the business case. Ironically, the salesperson, when positioned properly inside the IT department becomes the “Go-To” person in the sales cycle and not the outsider that many sales people fear. The IT staff treats the salesperson as part of the decision making team. Of course, engineers should accompany all sales persons in this process, but the reason an IT salesperson is kept around is to assist on the business portion of any transaction and engage the technical resources to complete the solution.


Stepping outside your comfort zone and leaving the purchasing department and moving into the IT Department will actually lead to more comfort and stability for the salesperson, not less. A salesperson’s time working on solutions brings profitability to their clients. In most instances, the customer will make sure the salesperson is compensated for their time because it saves them time and effort. In other instances the customer will make decisions to protect the salesperson and their efforts from others determination to devalue their services.


We, as business people on both sides of the table, always associate ourselves with individuals who make us successful. Your clients do it as well. While there is always the necessity to work with the purchasing department, engage with the IT department. Your involvement is necessary for the success of an IT department. Salespersons have so much more to offer a client than products or services. They offer a way to make the IT Department’s job easier. Leverage your business skill and make it happen….then, “rinse and repeat”.

Thanksgiving 2011

This year I am particularly thankful.  It has been a year of challenges for me both personally and professionally.  I am thankful to my family, which despite my best efforts continues to love and support me.  I am blessed to have a wife, three children, two sets of parents, a brother, a sister and a large extended family of in-laws.  There is no one in this world that has your back 100% percent of the time except for your family.  For this I am eternally grateful.   

I am thankful for my health.  I lost a good friend this past year, suffered a severe cycling accident and have not taken my health for granted.  If you haven’t got your health, you haven’t got anything has taken on a whole new meaning to me.

I am thankful for all of my old business contacts that have supported me as both professionals and friends.  I am always amazed by the benefits that are reaped in the business world by treating people well and with respect.  I am grateful to have the types of business relationships that allow me to enjoy my work and provide for my family

Most of all, I am thankful that my life is on an upswing.  The past year has held obstacles that at times seemed almost too daunting to tackle.  With the love and support of my family, friends and colleagues I have had another good year and am optimistic for 2012.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Dan

 “Thanksgiving dinners take eighteen hours to prepare. They are consumed in twelve minutes. (football) Half-times take twelve minutes. This is not coincidence. “

Erma Bombeck

Greatness

“Greatness” is a pretty preposterous title for a blog post isn’t it? In all seriousness, who gets to decide what is or is not greatness? Actually greatness is an elusive word in and of itself. What defines greatness? Is greatness a comparison something or someone? Is there even such a thing as greatness?

I just watched a clip of a 12 year old boy who is being lauded as the greatest classical composer to come along in 200 years. His greatness comes in the form of the gift of music. He just hears it, can write it down and symphonies, piano concertos, and fugues flow from him effortlessly. I am sure that he looks at his work and thinks, “I can do better”. It begs the question, is greatness who you are, what you do, or a result from effort to achieve a goal? I’m not really sure, but I think it might be all three.

I would like to believe that greatness is achieved through effort. I am a classically trained musician and while I am not being hailed as the next Mozart, I do have some talents that allow me to play the music more easily than most. If I had never spent the thousands of hours of practicing, the talent I was given would have never amounted to anything. It was my years of practicing and dedication to my craft that lead me to become the musician I am today. Interestingly enough, in some circles I am considered great, and in other circles, I am considered not so great. Truthfully, neither is right.

In business we are all trying to achieve some sort of greatness. (OK, well maybe not all of us.) We look to achieve what others consider greatness. I think greatness is so fleeting that it needs to be judged from within our own selves. Yes, we all have deadlines and numbers we have to achieve. I am speaking more to how we handle our day. A receptionist and a CEO can both be great at what they do and it would be ridiculous to suggest anything otherwise. How do we bring ourselves to reach and step beyond our comfort zone? Don’t seek the label of greatness from others. Be the best you can be at what you do and seek the greatness inside yourself. Be the great building engineer. Be the great Manager, CEO or salesperson. Be the great store clerk. Define for yourself your own greatness, live up to your own standards.  Don't worry about labels others give you.  Achieve from within.

“I’d like those 20 minutes back please.”

I am probably on hold on a telephone more than most people. In the IT industry, being on hold for support is more than a regular occurrence. What surprises me is how much of a lost opportunity this customer contact time is for most companies. As we all know, hold music was originally composed by military people in order torture their captors. (That’s a joke, please no angry emails) Why anyone would have hold music so terrible that you would irritate someone seeking help from your company. In this day and age of music that you can download, there is no excuse for bad hold music.

One of the fundamentals of running a business should be to capture your customer’s attention and make all aspects of their experience with your company amazing. Don’t overlook the details, embrace them. I am not a big fan of a sales pitch playing on hold music. If someone is holding, they are usually looking for help. My opinion is that if I am looking for help, the help should be taken care of first before I am sold on the next great project. Once you have helped me, I might be interested in what else your company your company has to offer. So, why not put something interesting and or fun on your hold music. With most phone systems, this is a very easy thing to do. Get an iPod and hook it up.


How about for the upcoming St. Patrick’s Day, put on some Irish music. Why not try some “River Dance”, U2, Irish Pub Music….get creative and run with it. During the Grammy Awards, how about some nominated songs. During the Oscars, how about playing some memorable movie music? Change it up! At the very least, interesting hold music will keep your customers from getting annoyed with some boring tape loop. At best, your customers will remember that when they call, the experience of calling your company was a good one.


This will also set your organization apart from the crowd. Have fun with it. The customers will call up with new music and some will ask why it changed. Pick an obscure holiday. How about Boxing Day (Canada)? Put on some Rocky music just for fun. It certainly lightens the tone of the calls and allows everyone to have a good time with it.


The point is not necessarily to make your hold music a focal point of your company, but take something that most of us would agree is a real downside to contacting a company, and make it into something fun and amazing. Enhance your company image and customer satisfaction and save all of us from the torture known as tape loop hold music.