Gotta have Rhythm!

I've always loved music of any kind! I grew up on 1940's jazz, I love classic 60's rock (never missed a U.S. Stones concert), I tolerated disco, love early rap and have a special place in my head and heart for soul and funk.  

The Jack Derby Orchestra Dad on SaxThere's always been an argument as to whether music ability is inherited or not, but all I know is that in my early years of growing up, our house was filled with my mother singing songs from the big jazz bands and my father (here playing sax) telling stories of being on the vaudeville circuit with "The Jack Derby  Orchestra" playing the big summer NE hotels. Famed Harry Ellis Dickson is in the back playing bass btw.

Another example of entrepreneurship in our family which came to an abrupt end when my grandfather laid down the law that his son/my father would need to take over the family business. 


But this AM, we're not discussing music.  My focus, just finishing these first two quarters, is on the standard rhythms, the flow and ebb that drive our businesses, and especially the rhythm of Sales and Marketing as we now look ahead to the four most important months of any year. 

  • January: roll out our detailed plans, launch our sales meetings, and open budgets
  • April: take a Q1 measure, tighten up sales plans, readjust people, add more training 
  • July: make decisions on people, tighten up H2 plans, launch new marketing 
  • Sept-Dec: more detailed planning, focus on weekly execution, intensify marketing
  • Oct-Nov: begin next year tactical and budget planning for approval in December

Depending on the markets we sell into, calendar dates will adjust somewhat given customer and market rhythms for example of durable goods, seasonal consumer goods or education with its July-June fiscal years and long summer vacations. 

My point this AM on what looks like another superb summa' weekend is for us to take just a bit of time and the advantage of the next six weeks before the craziness ramps up again in the first week of September, to think through now the detailing of our sales and marketing plans that will carry us through December.

  • Hiring plans: example: right now, we're hiring 3 CROs (all remote) for our customers
  • Marketing: we're refining new tactics, especially video integrated into our Hubspot platforms
  • Sales: increased focus on improved remote video and especially remote whiteboarding 
  • Value Propositions: increased detailing on specific personas and VP messaging

Every week for the next five, we're running multiple one-two day planning sessions all focused on September-December execution responding to the various rhythms of individual company business drivers.  A very exciting and busy time. 

Just some things to think about this Friday AM!

Have a superb weekend!  I have my beach bag full of required reading for the fall semester at Tufts and MIT both kicking off the first week of September.  For Tufts, the syllabus and projects are already out on July 5th and the student teams are gearing up by reading my friend, David Meerman Scott's new 8th edition of The New Rules of Marketing & PR,  in addition to getting Hubspot Inbound Marketing certified before the first class begins since the rhythm of 13 weeks is unrelenting.  

Jack Derby, Tufts Professor & Sales Coach At any time, if you want to discuss your own sales and marketing planning for the rest of this year, just connect with me for some quick ideas and feedback. There's no cost to a call or two, plus I love listening and talking about this new rapidly changing world of sales and marketing.  It's nothing like the old days of 2020!

In the meantime, take a look at our 2022 edition of "Writing the 2022 Winning Sales Plan" 

www.derbymanagement.com  

Derby Entrepreneurship Center@Tufts. 

 

Tags: sales effectiveness, sales enablement, sales tools, marketing effectiveness, how to close sales, sales success, how to write a sales plan, marketing planning, Derby Entrepreneurship Center@Tufts, 2022 business planning