Robert Hebert
The Talent Jungle
Hiring Executive Talent: The Sheepish Canadian Startup
Much is written about the state of the Canadian tech startup sector and why it lags the US, Israel and other countries in producing a richer community of world-class companies.
While I am not qualified to comment on many of the contributing factors I am witness to how Canadian startups hire and lever talent at key points in their growth. I would argue that for many of these firms the bar excellence is set so cautiously low that to expect anything but mediocrity is laughable. Let me provide a recent example.
Eric Shefler
The High Tech Rep
Selling is Solving Problems
During my career in business to business sales management I’ve occasionally met salespeople whose natural talent or good timing and luck have allowed them to be successful right from the start of their selling careers.
For most, however, becoming an effective salesperson requires time, hard work, a commitment to success and typically some failure along the way before real consistent results are achieved.
I’m often asked what advice I would give to new or inexperienced salespeople to help them get started. While every salesperson has different strengths and weaknesses, there are a couple of basic concepts I think are critical for all new salespeople to understand if they are going to achieve real, consistent success in their careers.
Guest Blog
Guest Blog
Selling is Solving Problems - Author: Eric Shefler
During my career in business to business sales management I’ve occasionally met salespeople whose natural talent or good timing and luck have allowed them to be successful right from the start of their selling careers.
For most, however, becoming an effective salesperson requires time, hard work, a commitment to success and typically some failure along the way before real consistent results are achieved.
Pierre Robitaille
2.0 Leaders
Time is Currency
If there is an upside to the recession, it’s that smart companies are beginning to turn time into a tool to attract, retain, and engage high performing talent. Flexible arrangements are finally losing their less than honourable “benefits” stigma.
Eric Shefler
The High Tech Rep
Take control- sell more
For salespeople, results can occasionally be dependant on things beyond their control. If your biggest account was Lehman Brothers or AIG last year, you probably had a terrible year. Ditto if you were trying to sell vacation homes in Las Vegas or Fort Myers, Florida.
What most salespeople ignore, however, is the fact that most of their results depend on things they do control, and so they ultimately fail to do the things necessary to improve their chances for success by not focusing enough on these controllable elements.
Guest Blog
Guest Blog
Philanthropic Giving vs. Venture Capital - Tech Capital Partners
In my last post, I discussed strategy for charitable giving and promised to add some thoughts on how you can be very strategic about it.
1.Philanthropic giving is much like venture capital investing. When we invest in a company we make sure the business has enough money to cover its basic operating costs but also ensure it has some extra funds in order to try new initiatives.
Pierre Robitaille
2.0 Leaders
Calling the shots
Selecting a person for a job is always something of a bet. Honing your skills in judging people cuts the risk, but it’s impossible to know for sure that the person will grow into the job and that his/her derailers won’t get in the way. People issues are never straightforward, but ignoring them causes setbacks in the organization and to your own progress as a leader.
Robert Hebert
The Talent Jungle
To The Candidates I Will Offend Next Week
As a condition of being released from custody, the brilliant yet troubled title character in the movie Good Will Hunting must meet regularly with a counselor. Determined to sabotage the process he torments and is dismissed by a series of psychologists until he is sent to ‘Sean’ played by Robin Williams