Opportunity | The Barefoot Spirit

Put More Money in the Bank by Treating Salespeople Right!

Michael Houlihan & Bonnie Harvey — Thu, 18 Oct 2018 17:00:08 +0000

Salespeople have been given a bad name. It is depicted in The Music Man, the musical decrying the manipulating tactics of a salesman selling horns in a town where no one needed them. It’s portrayed in old movies like Used Cars, where unsuspecting folks are tricked into buying wrecks. And it is in our minds when the phone rings and the caller has trouble pronouncing our names.

We have an entire generation that shuns sales and salespeople. They’ve even created a negative term to describe any approach to trying to convince another person to buy as “salesy.” It’s like the sales process itself is somehow bad or distasteful.

Maybe when we were kids, we overheard our parents complaining at the un-welcomed knock at the door, “Oh it’s that salesperson again. They‘re always trying to sell me something! They just won’t leave me alone!”

Fast-forward 20 years and those kids are now adults trying to start their own business. But they bring with them a prejudice that will actually hurt their business and cost them plenty!

We’re not going to sit here and say, “Nothing happens until the sale is made.” We’re not even going to say, “Everybody’s paycheck is a result of sales.” True as these statements may be, were going to focus on another reason to treat salespeople right.

The salesperson doesn’t just knock on the door of your business. They knock on the doors of your competitors’ businesses. While you are stuck in your office, warehouse, or production facility working to grow your business, they are outside, moving around, constantly surveying the market and keeping tabs on your competition. In other words, they know tons that you need to know!

If you keep them waiting for an hour because you think they are trying to get over on you, or worse, you want to send them a message about how you feel about salespeople altogether, you’re missing a giant opportunity to get the information you need to improve your odds of success.

When you hustle them in and out, cut them off, or treat them like second-class citizens, they’re not going to share what they know. In fact, they’ll want to make the visit as short as possible so they can share what they know with your enlightened competitors.

Why would a poorly treated salesperson let you in on an overstock situation that his boss was suffering that could benefit you with lower prices, free warehousing, and extended terms for the goods you need? They will save that offer for your competitors.

When we started Barefoot Wines, we really didn’t know what we were doing. We depended on the salespeople who knocked on our door to give us the insights they had about the changing dynamics of the marketplace and the strategies of our competitors. We didn’t keep them waiting. We didn’t treat them with disrespect. On the contrary, we invited them in like family members we hadn’t seen in a long time. We introduced them around the office. We took them to lunch.

It was a small investment for what we got in return. They walked us through complicated logistics, cash flow, and inventory and compliance challenges. They told us what our competition was up to. They turned us on to the best possible ways we could acquire the products we needed at the lowest possible costs. They were a Godsend!

They told us that we were their favorite sales call. They said they looked forward to seeing us succeed and they lived up to those words with Intel and discounts we could have never achieved otherwise.

So, the next time you hear that salesperson knocking on your door, that just might be the sound of opportunity knocking. It was for us, and with the right attitude, it can be for you!

Who We Are

Michael Houlihan and Bonnie Harvey co-authored the New York Times bestselling business book, The Barefoot Spirit: How Hardship, Hustle, and Heart Built America’s #1 Wine Brand. The book has been selected as recommended reading in the CEO Library for CEO Forum, the C-Suite Book Club, and numerous university classes on business and entrepreneurship. It chronicles their humble beginnings from the laundry room of a rented Sonoma County farmhouse to the board room of E&J Gallo, who ultimately acquired their brand and engaged them as brand consultants. Barefoot is now the world’s largest wine brand.

Beginning with virtually no money and no wine industry experience, they employed innovative ideas to overcome obstacles, create new markets and forge strategic alliances. They pioneered Worthy Cause Marketing and performance-based compensation. They built an internationally bestselling brand and received their industry’s “Hot Brand” award for several consecutive years.

They offer their Guiding Principles for Success (GPS) to help entrepreneurs become successful. Their book, The Entrepreneurial Culture: 23 Ways To Engage and Empower Your People, helps corporations maximize the value of their human resources.

Currently they travel the world leading workshops, trainings, & keynoting at business schools, corporations, conferences. They are regular media guests and contributors to international publications and professional journals. They are C-Suite Network Advisors & Contributing Editors. Visit their popular brand building site at www.consumerbrandbuilders.com.

To make inquiries for keynote speaking, trainings or consulting, please contact sales@thebarefootspirit.com.

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Your Attitude Can Predetermine Your Business Success

Michael Houlihan & Bonnie Harvey — Thu, 14 Sep 2017 17:00:53 +0000

“You’ll never make it with that attitude!” You’ve heard it in sports. You’ve heard it in school. And you may have heard it from your parents. You attitude is the filter through which all the input you receive passes, is judged, and is acted upon.

In business, having a constructive and positive attitude is crucial to success. Having a negative and fatalistic attitude can bring on a self-fulfilling prophecy totally detrimental to business success. If you expect negative outcomes, then situations that hide an ultimate advantage will be judged solely and quickly on their apparently negative surface. You may never look deeper to discover the gold.

When we were delivering the Keynote speech for the International Conference on Entrepreneurship in Dublin a few years back, we had the pleasure of meeting a professor from the St. Petersburg State Institute of Technology in Russia. We got talking about the shape of entrepreneurship in his country. He said the biggest obstacle they faced was the negative attitude of the general public toward entrepreneurship. From their perspective, risk taking is fool hearty, destined for failure, and puts a burden on families who have to support failed entrepreneurs. Ouch!

You don’t have to go to Russia to find counter-productive attitudes that doom business success. We have our own home-grown variety. They are baked into the way we were raised, the neighborhood we grew up in, and the schools we attended. They have to do with whether or not you have seen enough success in your life to believe it’s possible. They have to do with whether or not you have a history of overcoming adversity, solving problems, and seeing things through.

We found it very telling that the largest percentage of Inc. 500 entrepreneurs had parents who were also entrepreneurs. This apparently shaped their attitude. At least they knew more about what to expect and that challenges could be overcome with patience, tenacity, and open mindedness.

Can you develop a “can do” attitude without that environmental support? We think so. But it requires listening closely to your own words, expressions, and comments. Terms like, “It’s just my luck,” and “This will probably fail,” and the ever popular, “Sh*t happens!” can erode your positive attitude and incline you to give up at the first sign of adversity. This can blind you to solutions staring you right in the face.

One of the ways we describe “The Barefoot Spirit” is that it is an attitude that says, “This is possible, and I am going to find out how. Sure, it’s going to require more work, more research, and more anxiety, but I can handle it!” The Barefoot Spirit doesn’t just hype you up rah-rah style like a pep rally. It provides actual tools you can use that help make success happen.

If you believe it’s possible and you have the tools, you are more likely to find success. For instance, “Who gets rich if I get rich?” Those are your strategic allies. “Who benefits when this problem is solved?’ Those are the strong players on your team. “Who has already solved this problem in other industries?” Those are your mentors. In other words, with the right attitude, you are not alone.

It’s easier to change your lexicon to positive self-talk and remarks when you know you have access to the tools that can help you handle the unknown. It’s not about luck, it’s about preparation meeting (and recognizing) opportunity. So, prepare yourself with a positive attitude and grab some time-tested and proven tools you can use!

Who We Are

To make inquiries for keynote speaking, trainings or consulting, please contact sales@thebarefootspirit.com.

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Want to Get Stuff Done? Pick Up the Phone!

Michael Houlihan & Bonnie Harvey — Thu, 19 Jan 2017 18:00:04 +0000

Personal business experience has proven to us that face-to-face meetings are the most productive for breaking the ice with a new prospect. The human face has at least 43 muscles that act in consort to produce over 20 expressions. If you see a negative one while you are meeting face-to-face, you can change your approach. But what if you are on email or a text and you can’t see those expressions? Well then you just type on – even when you have lost your prospect.

With face-to-face contact, you have the opportunity to establish who you are and demonstrate your undivided attention toward your prospect. You are building a relationship that may result in a purchase and perhaps long-term business in the future.

Next to face-to-face, we like video conferencing for the first meeting and any important meetings after that. It reminds everyone that we are all human beings, and allows us all to make adjustments based on physical and visible feedback signals.

The next best form of communication after that is, you guessed it, the telephone. Why? Because you can at least hear the other party’s intonation and sometimes the silent breaks, which in themselves will give you a big heads up as to their level of interest, understanding …or confusion. Again, you can make those crucial adjustments on the fly, giving you the chance to still win them over.

Our client Jeff Stevenson at VinoPRO is in what he calls, “the relationship selling business.” He likes to say, “We have mastered an ancient form of communication: the telephone!” He has the premier outsourced, out- and in-bound telephone sales company in the wine industry. He tells us that a phone number is worth 108 times as much as an email address.

Seemingly everybody is focused on email marketing. You know, coming up with the best subject line just to get folks to open your emails. Starting with tens of thousands of people just to get down to the 50 who will actually buy. And no matter what you say in an email campaign, it comes across as impersonal and the receiver knows it. The “funnel” is no fun!

So, how’s Jeff doing with his old-fashioned telephone sales? He is currenting building out his third call center, has 3 years on the Inc 5000, and has even made the Inc 500. Why? Because when it comes to luxury items (like fine wines), people want to talk to a real person, especially someone who they have spoken to before; someone who has demonstrated they have their client’s best interests at heart; someone they have a relationship with. In other words, it’s more personal, and people want personalized attention.

As folks who were in business for years before the information revolution, we had to rely on snail mail, faxes, and the telephone. And those ancient technologies worked! Sure, we are thrilled with the technologies that have made our lives easier since then – and we can’t live without them. But because we have had experience with face-to-face and live, real-time voice, we know what form of communication to use when and where. For instance, email is great to document what was said in a live call or meeting, but terrible at straightening out a misunderstanding. We rely on the records email provides with the string of correspondence that gives us a history of the conversation, but we hate the fact that you can’t un-say anything in email. No question about it, sometimes it better to just pick up the phone!

Who We Are

To make inquiries for keynote speaking, trainings or consulting, please contact sales@thebarefootspirit.com.

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Terms That Can Hurt Your Business and Undo Your Good Will

Michael Houlihan & Bonnie Harvey — Thu, 13 Oct 2016 17:00:03 +0000

You won’t get too much argument against the proposition that an excellent customer experience results in return customers, loyalty, and even advocacy. But few owners are aware that the terms their own people use can sour their hard earned customers on an otherwise great experience. These terms may pop up in those critical interfaces where either the service you provide is being delivered, or where the customer has a complaint.

In the past decade, these terms have slipped in under the radar and become part of the customer service lexicon. Most owners are unaware that they are even being used, or worse, that they have a negative effect. But the use of these terms can exacerbate an already prickly situation. Your customers will notice and may be offended.

The term that especially rubs customers the wrong way is “I want you to do this for me.” It implies that the person doing the asking, your employee, wants to make their job easier and that the customer is the problem. It’s like saying, “If only you would just do what I need you to do, then my job would go easier.” It also conveys the idea, “The ease of my job is more important than what you want or need.” This selfish and arrogant expression is unfortunately becoming common place in situations especially where the customer is trapped, like technical support, customer service, and the medical profession. In these situations, the customer must deal with your employee when, all the while, they are treated like they are expendable, and they are the problem.

Doesn’t “And now, what I want you to do for me is…” sound like you are ordering the customer/client/patient around when you should be grateful they gave you their business and their time?

After a string of “Now-what-I-want-you-to-do-for-me’s”, all your customer hears is “I want – for me”! Do they think you put them first? No! Does it put them on the defensive? Yes! Are they more likely or less likely to recommend you? Less likely! Then why allow this term to be used by your people in the first place? This is something you can quickly stop that will improve your business immediately. You need not let all the work your production, marketing and salespeople put into making your customers feel important be spoiled by a selfish and off-putting term that you can stop.

Why not change the vocabulary of your service people by starting with their mentality? Perhaps they think they will get paid and have a good job even if they use selfish and demanding language. If so, start by asking them if they know where their paychecks come from. The customer is the correct answer. Explain the value of a return customer, a customer advocate, and yes, even a complaining customer, to their job security. Offer alternatives like, “How can I help you?”, and “Let me help you,” or “Would you please,” and of course, “Thank you!” Discover with your employees how many ways they can get a customer’s cooperation in the solution they are looking for that send a kind, soothing, respectful, and appreciative message.

When your customer calls on your company for service, that’s your opportunity to shine! This is a touchy moment where your reputation can go either way. You are judged more by how you do when things are challenging than when everything is smooth sailing. So take advantage of this great opportunity to demonstrate with your choice of words how much you appreciate your customers!

Who We Are

To make inquiries for keynote speaking, trainings or consulting, please contact sales@thebarefootspirit.com.

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It’s Easier to See Opportunities When You’re Moving Toward a Goal

Michael Houlihan & Bonnie Harvey — Thu, 14 Jan 2016 18:00:59 +0000

We are frequently asked by aspiring entrepreneurs, “How do I spot the next big opportunity?” The short answer: do something, anything, but get going! It’s hard to see what the folks in the cars on the freeway are wearing until you catch up with them. From the road side, it’s all just a blur.

When you are on a mission and you need a product or service and it doesn’t exist, that is the time to realize the opportunity. We, for instance, have discovered several applications that we would buy if only they were for sale. We have had to use work-arounds, coble together various applications, and overpay for poor services that sort of do the job, but not really.

On the other hand, we have had to buy certain services that try to be all things to all people and offer huge options we just don’t need and can’t use. But we still have to pay full price for the big clumsy service. Every day we see the opportunity for improved services and applications. Why do we see these opportunities? Because we are on a mission to share our knowledge with others, and that mission requires integrated services. Yet others are asking us where to find the same services we need.

The building industry is a great example. Many of the innovations in fasteners, brackets, materials, and jigs come from the construction workers themselves. They wanted to get the job done in a faster, cheaper, better and safer way than what was readily available. If they hadn’t been building, they never would have seen these opportunities.

There is the big advantage to working with an entrepreneur prior to starting your own business. You’ll see what they are missing, what could help them, or how to save them time and money. Keep your eyes open. Look at the applications they are using, the service they subscribe to, and the other tools they use. Take notes! There is huge room for innovation and you can be the one to spot it – if only you are moving toward a goal! Even though it is someone else’s goal, by working with others you will be more likely to see the opportunities.

Opportunities exist wherever there is an unsatisfied demand. So make sure that you are not the only person who would pay for the solution. Then get ready to devote your time to the opportunity. There are no half measures.

We are often asked why, if we see so many opportunities out there every day, do we not jump on all of them. The fact is there’s not a shortage of opportunities, but there is a shortage of time, commitment, and focus. Michael’s father used to say, “Good ideas are like belly buttons; you have to push them to get them going, then you have to run to keep up with them, and nobody has time for two!”

So it’s not about where the opportunities are so much as it is if you are willing to do the research, prove the market, and see it through to fruition. And it’s this latter part that kills most new ventures. Many proponents have no idea what is involved in seeing it through to fruition. We surely didn’t when we first recognized the opportunity for a low-cost, high-quality everyday American house wine. But we found out while doing it, learned our lessons, and stuck with it.

Opportunities abound! But you must get started in the business world to discover what is needed by you and others. So, get out there and get going!

Who We Are

To make inquiries for keynote speaking, trainings or consulting, please contact sales@thebarefootspirit.com.

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Happy Old Year! Be Thankful for What Went Right to See More Go Right!

Michael Houlihan & Bonnie Harvey — Thu, 24 Dec 2015 00:49:54 +0000

It’s easy to get carried away with the new prospects for the New Year. After all, this year is over (finally!). And not all the news was good… The media has done a fine job of frightening us by focusing on the negative. Then there’s the personal frustrations of all the things we wanted to do that got derailed, delayed, or deferred. It’s easy to complain about what went wrong last year. We almost can’t wait to put the past behind us and move on to a new world of all possibilities. There are New Year resolutions, plans, goals, and a general attitude that things will somehow get better.

But we’ve found that best way to make the New Year better is to take some time over the Holidays to make a list of what went right this last year. We call it our Annual Accomplishments List. It forces us to really think about all that we have accomplished in the “Old Year.”

Every year about this time, we spend an hour or two going through our calendar to help us recollect what happened. Then we make a list of everything we’ve accomplished, everything that did go right, and all the great times we had. We also add all the great people we met or did business with. We take the opportunity to continue to grow these new relationships by putting them into our contacts and sending them a personal note of appreciation before the year end. If you use this method, it’s amazing, but you will discover that you are making progress, making new friends and achieving your goals!

By taking the time to put together your “Old Year” list several great things can happen. You become more grateful instead of frustrated, hopeful instead of fearful, and most importantly you have real evidence that you can achieve your goals. All this results in an attitude you can take with you into the New Year where you will expect solutions. You will be looking for them at every turn. You will be less likely to overlook solutions just because they weren’t wrapped in a pretty package and hand delivered. The more you appreciate what you have the more you get what you want, if for no other reason than you are focusing on what you want and not what you don’t!

Now you are ready to work on your New Year’s resolutions with the confidence that comes from success. You can more easily visualize your new goals finding their way onto your next year’s Annual Accomplishments List. Why? Because you took the time to appreciate your progress this year, saw it all on one list and said, “Yes! I can do this!”

We want to take this opportunity to thank each and every one of you who has followed us and shared our blog posts, joined us on social media, and attended our talks and Keynotes throughout the year. We hope that our experience has made a positive difference in your lives and businesses.

Michael and Bonnie say thank you for a great Old Year and we wish you all a very Happy and Prosperous New Year!

Who We Are

To make inquiries for keynote speaking, trainings or consulting, please contact sales@thebarefootspirit.com.

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5 Ways to Become Indispensable

Michael Houlihan & Bonnie Harvey — Thu, 02 Jul 2015 17:00:07 +0000

People often ask us what the characteristics of an ideal employee or outsourced service are. The answer is they should be effective, dependable, and irreplaceable. If you are the employee or outsourced service, ask yourself, “Why was the job created, and what are the goals of the job? How and why was the job budgeted?” If you can honestly answer these questions you are on your way to becoming indispensable.

Here’s a big hint. All jobs have something to do with sales. How does your job create, maintain, or support sales? Sales is the only source of your salary or fee – period! Without sales there is no money for you or anyone else.

Sure, some folks take jobs with companies that are funded by an investor. Those companies have a budget which is steadily diminished by a “burn rate” – the amount of the investor’s money that is used every month to keep the project going. But if the staff is not actively involved somehow in sales, the company eventually folds. Then the employees look for a new company that has a new investor and set about burning up their money. The problem is that ultimately this approach to job security is counter-productive since one has to keep moving, resulting in a reputation of working for companies that failed. They failed because they could not create a positive cash flow resulting in profitability and growth.

If you want job security, build your reputation as an effective player. Here are 5 ways to become indispensable to your company:

Follow the Money. Understand where the money comes from, now and in the future. If your job is now supported by an investment, realize that it must be supported by sales sooner or later, and in most companies, the sooner the better! While investments have time limits, sales should be continuous.
Understand the Justification. Recognize why the job was created and how the job contributes to the sales process. From R&D to service, from accounting to administration, from production to marketing, every job must be pointed at supporting sales.
Know the Processes. Don’t look for security in a cookie cutter approach that requires little thinking. On the contrary, the better you understand the processes and the reasons for the processes, the more effective you will be.
Anticipate the Needs. Once you understand the processes for your job, look for opportunities to maximize those processes to the benefit of your company while reducing the time it takes to get the job done. Don’t wait to be told what to do, and don’t let opportunities get by you. Become relied upon to get the most out of every situation, rather than doing the least necessary to complete the job. Don’t just stay “busy,”’ be productive!
Just Own It! Ultimately, when you thoroughly understand the goals of your job, not just the motions and procedures, you will be in a position to improve the job itself. By focusing on the goals you can better achieve them in a more effective manner. Follow through and follow up as if it was your own business.

So at the end of the day, did you help to increase sales? Did you bring more money in to the company than it cost to support your position? Did you take every opportunity to improve the products and services offered to the company’s customers? Did you help identify, communicate with, and sell the prospects? Did you jump on every opportunity, without being asked, to increase company income and reduce costs? If you did, congratulations! You own your job and are indispensable!

Who We Are

To make inquiries for keynote speaking, trainings or consulting, please contact sales@thebarefootspirit.com.

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A Message to the Graduates

Michael Houlihan & Bonnie Harvey — Thu, 18 Jun 2015 17:00:06 +0000

We attended the Stanford Commencement ceremonies to support our young friend Zach Stuart who was graduating in Mechanical Engineering. He was part of nearly 3,000 recipients in several different disciplines to receive their degrees this year from this paramount of higher education. As we sat there in the huge stadium and watched the proceedings we couldn’t help but recognize that these young people will change the future.

NBC News foreign correspondent Richard Engle, a Stanford grad himself, gave the keynote. He encouraged the grads to take chances and “Please don’t get a desk job!” He said that the world was on a collision course with three super trends: technology, over population, and climate change.

He warned that when these forces combine into a deadly cocktail we will see a chaotic and unstable future. He painted the picture of populations doubling and, at the same time, being able to better communicate. He said this would lead to political upheaval where demigods promise peace and stability but disappoint only to be replaced by yet another demigod. He drew the picture of a horrific collision between a bus and a car and said all of the human experience can be seen in that moment; life, death, rescue and escape. He told the grads they could learn from witnessing it.

After graduation Richard Engle left Stanford with $2000 in his pocket and a one-way ticket for Cairo. He said he has been shot at, kidnapped, arrested, and deported during his time as a celebrated war correspondent in the Middle East. His experiences may have contributed to the tone of his talk which was peppered with dire images of an apocalyptic future. Certainly the shock value got the grads attention with the somewhat redeeming message to get out there, take a chance and witness life to continue your education in the real world.

We take a different view. We have spoken to more than 20,000 students in the past two years, but our message takes a more positive spin. We believe this generation will be the saviors, not just the reporters, not just the helpless witnesses. On the contrary, no generation of western grads has been better educated, better informed on world events, more aware of climate change, and more concerned about over population than this one.

Today’s graduates can change the course of the “collision.” They can and will see these mega trends as opportunities for new paradigms, new inventions, and new solutions. Communication can not only make society aware of corruption and foment upheaval, but it can also demonstrate how personal behavioral can empower each of us to make positive changes that can change the world.

Over population’s consequences can be communicated and alternatives offered. New attitudes toward food, air and water can take hold much faster with enhanced communication. Increasing tech-driven transparencies can hold companies accountable for social, employment, and environmental impact.

Climate change can be mitigated with alternative sources of power and transportation. Just making alternative energy more efficient and less expensive than fossil fuel will help the environment, curb warming, and reduce the ongoing wars financed by fossil fuel sales.

All of this spells opportunity for today’s grads.

We want to encourage the grads to not just watch the future, but change the future. Maybe some young engineer like Zach will come up with a breakthrough invention that makes it all possible. One thing is for sure; all grads will be more likely to do it and even more if we let them know now that we are counting on them and believe they can do it! Go get ’em grads!

Who We Are

To make inquiries for keynote speaking, trainings or consulting, please contact sales@thebarefootspirit.com.

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Success Requires Diligent Preparation and Commitment

Michael Houlihan & Bonnie Harvey — Thu, 09 Apr 2015 17:00:25 +0000

“Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity,” is a quote from the mid-1^st century Roman philosopher, Seneca. The idea that success is a result of chance, or luck, is not only disempowering, but simply false.

When people say we were lucky to have built such a successful brand, we have to stop them and say, “Luck had nothing to do with it!” But yes, we were fortunate to have had the opportunity to apply our skills and hard work to create a successful brand.

We prefer the word “fortunate” to “luck” because “fortunate” implies participation and “luck” implies a random gift that could be given to anyone. If luck is the reason for success, then why work so hard?

Opportunities present themselves to everyone every day. But we don’t take advantage of them because we are not interested, not prepared, or don’t see them as real opportunities. If you are not looking for an opportunity you won’t see it even when it’s right in front of you. If you aren’t prepared, or as we say, “dressed for success,” you won’t be able to take advantage of opportunities that you do see.

We love Zig Ziglar’s great story about the time he was driving through the country and stopped to watch a man fishing in a stream. Zig struck up a conversation and discovered he was fishing for his family’s dinner. All of a sudden the man pulls out a giant fish! Then, to Zig’s surprise, he unhooks it and throws it back into the water. Zig says, “Why did you throw that big fish back?” The man answered shaking his head, “I only have this itty bitty frying pan.”

Preparation is necessary to spot opportunities and take advantage of them. You are fortunate to have had the opportunity, not lucky. Your commitment to do whatever it takes however is wherein the real success lies.

We have seen many brands come and go in the marketplace. Some even came back and were eventually successful, such as Corona Beer. The first time it was on the market, the producers recognized an opportunity for a new style of label that was printed on a clear glass bottle. Still, sales were slow.

This first attempt soon lost distribution and it wasn’t until the brand was acquired that it achieved the top national brand status that we recognize today. How did they do it? Yes, they had a unique label, but Corona Beer was successful due to hard work and diligent merchandising. They did what they had to do.

We tell our clients, audiences, and marketing and entrepreneurship students that the real challenges to building a successful brand involve work in areas that you are not prepared for, will take longer than you planned, and will cost many times more than you thought. It did for us.

We thought our wine business had to do primarily with wine, but it didn’t. It had to do with visiting retail stores on a regular basis all over the country. It had to do with preventing out of stock situations at every level of the distribution chain. And it had a lot to do with building personal relationships. We could have been selling hammers. But whatever consumer product you are selling, success requires tenacity, humility and flexibility to do all the jobs necessary, even the “dirty” ones, to attain and keep distribution. Does this sound like “luck?”

We are all fortunate to have opportunities come our way. But when we recognize them, are prepared to take advantage of them, and are willing to do what it takes to bring them to fruition that is not luck – that is hard work.

Who We Are

To make inquiries for keynote speaking, trainings or consulting, please contact sales@thebarefootspirit.com.

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Gaining Traction in the Marketplace takes Tenacity and Focus

Michael Houlihan & Bonnie Harvey — Sat, 07 Jul 2012 19:56:50 +0000

You may hear about a brand that “just took off.” From our perspective, very few brands just take off. What’s more likely is that they started out small and sometimes took years to gain traction.

As we’ve said many times before, it’s not the quality of the product, the price, or the demand so much as it is mastering the distribution and timing.

They say you can move the Queen Mary if you exert enough pressure over time. You can push with all your might for years and then, at last, slowly, it begins to move! You finally overcame the momentum and you are gaining traction. What if you gave up and stopped pushing after the first year?

We read in Entrepreneur, Fast Company, and Inc. magazines about seemingly overnight start-up successes. It almost looks easy. It seems like you can have instant success with just the right product at just the right time. Although there are some examples of that kind of success, it’s the less glamorous, and unheralded, “get rich slow schemes” that are more common, and more dependable.

The number-one ingredient in start-up success is not necessarily the great idea, the great price, or even the great demand. It is tenacity!

Here are 5 Tenets of Tenacity:

1) Deferred Gratification. Sometimes you work 12 hours a day and weekends just to get your idea off the ground. You may even have to forgo vacations in the early stages. Take advantage of pop-up social opportunity? Forget about it.

2) Belief in your Concept. When you are new or different, you’ll be hard pressed to find people in the distribution channels that will give you a shot. You have to hold onto a deep-seated belief in your product and its eventual success. You have to constantly imagine your customer enjoying your product even when others try to discourage you.

3) Focus. Understanding your priorities is job one. As events unfold and the hoops you have to jump through present themselves, it’s easy to get distracted. Keep your eye on your goal and focus on the big picture. The details are tedious, frustrating, and take time, but the realization of your vision is well worth the struggle.

4) Support. Gain encouragement from the ever-increasing number of supporters you attract along the way. Starting out small, the positive feedback you get from even a relatively few happy customers will give you the confidence to press on. The support you get from other businesses that have an interest in your success will validate your concept.

5) Progress. Yes, it may take a lot longer that you thought, but you are making progress albeit ever so humble. Each little victory is one step closer to your goal. There’s nothing like actual sales to demonstrate the viability of your product. And every mistake you make, if treated as a learning experience, will improve your chances of success.

Today, tenacity has many fashionable names, like drive, charge, and the right stuff, but whatever you call it, it’s just plain old stick-to-it-ness. Starting a new business is easy and fun. But once you discover the surprising amount of time, hard work, and sacrifice necessary, it’s your tenacity that will see you through. And when you do succeed, try not to laugh when they say, “Wow! That idea just took off!”

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