| Q: |
Where do you get all of your creative
ideas? |
| A. |
Someone asked us that once; we gave them an
honest answer and they stopped speaking to us.
Over a dolphin-safe tuna salad sandwich or some
unagi, sometime, we'll tell you. |
| |
|
| Q: |
What's really distinctive about Clarity's offering? |
| A: |
It
boils down to substance and style on four issues:
Tools. Personal engagement and commitment. Flexibility.
Our value focus. First, our
tools work. Our clients tell us, "you give
us practical stuff we can use immediately."
We’re low on theory, high on immediate
applicability and ease of use. Second,
personal engagement and commitment.
We do "life" with our clients; business
is part of that, and so are birthdays, marriages,
parents, soccer games, and music. And, food.
We like food. Third, we’re
flexible—we adapt to each client, and
we adapt during each engagement as we learn
more. Fourth, our focus on
value—defining, positioning, differentiating
through sales process, and managing sales process
to increase value and consistency. You see these
themes in the exquisitely distinctive WEEKLY
SALES ACCELERATOR email. Click
here to see one. Sign
up here.
|
| |
|
| Q: |
Do you guarantee your work? |
| A: |
Without hesitation. Further, in highly collaborative
relationships, we have based our compensation
on client results. |
| |
|
| Q: |
Is your work successful in other cultures? |
| A: |
Our work has been carried successfully into
Mexico, the Spanish-speaking and English-speaking
Caribbean, Canada, and Boston (sorry, just kidding). |
| |
|
| Q: |
Why is the business called "Clarity?"
Sounds like window cleaning. |
| A: |
Our founder, Nick Miller, chose "Clarity"
to reflect his belief that business results and
clients’ lives will be significantly richer
and more productive if certain things are clear
– the value of people, products, and services;
expectations, processes and procedures; and communication.
Frankly, the guy is a whacko on the subject. He
also believes passionately in disciplines –
planning, management, and execution – but
the name “Disciplines Corporation”
might have been a little too kinky for our clients.
At least when he founded the firm. Who knows now?
|
| |
|
| Q: |
Why the focus on accelerating sales of financial
services to small and medium sized businesses?
|
| A: |
Speaking of kinks, this one's pretty good. Founder
Nick is financial by background (B.A. with honors
in Economics, University of Chicago MBA in finance,
graduate of The First National Bank of Chicago,
one of the finest banks that ever was), education
by breeding (the Miller family are teachers, going
back four generations), and (owing to his experience
running a business) emotionally attuned to the
challenges of running owner-managed small and
medium sized enterprises. There are many under-served
companies out there that need financial services
products, if they could only figure out how to
buy them. Other than that, we're normal. |
| |
|
| Q: |
Do you hold open training sessions? |
| A: |
Occasionally. Not often. However . . . we do
offer Webinars and tele-clinics that are open
in a sort of electronic way. |
| |
|
| Q: |
Is there baggage that Nick or Clarity would
like to declare before we head through customs? |
| A: |
Nick HATES typical approaches to performance
reviews, reminding us that, Bill, he's still cranked
about the performance review you gave him in 1989.
|
| |
|
| Q: |
What else do you do? |
| A: |
Weekly
Sales Accelerator column (click
here). Books (click here).
|
| |
|
| Q: |
How many employees do you have? |
| A: |
We believe in, "from each according to
their abilities, to each according to the value
they produce." Contractual relationships,
not employment. Some companies like to see names
on payrolls. Good luck to them. From our networks,
we draw the team members we need. They stay with
us because they're challenged and recognized for
their work. Employees, we’ve learned, can
leave with two weeks notice and no consequences.
Our business is based on trust relationships and
networks—you foul up, you never work for
us or our friends again. No kidding. |
| |
|
| Q: |
Have you aligned with other firms to support
your clients? |
| A: |
Yes. Among the principal firms are First Research
(industry knowledge and call planning tools),
Morgen Facilitations (sales methodology), Advantage
Performance Group (sales tools and training materials),
Expert Business Development (outsourced appointment
setting), Global Sales Alliance (sales assessment
instruments), FrogKick (custom training development),
Strategic Metrics (assess customer trust, comfort,
and loyalty), and Guidemark (sales force automation
and information tools). |
| |
|
| Q: |
Can you give me directions? |
| A: |
Yes. Any time you like. We love to give directions |
