Innovate or Suffocate

Not everyone has an innovator's temperament, but by harnessing the creative sales energy already on your staff, you can transform your ISP from an industry follower into a leader.

by Doug McDonald Manager, Partnership Programs, The TUCOWS Network courtesy of HowToSell.net [August 4, 1999]

I probably have the greatest job in the world. Actually I've had the greatest series of jobs in the world for a couple of years now. You see, at TUCOWS we have a saying: "If you don't like your current job, don't worry, we're working on something and the whole thing will change in a day or so." That has been my history here, and to a large extent, the history of the Internet as a whole.

So why is it then that most ISPs don't think, work, or act along these same lines? Why do so many simply follow and so few actually create the new stuff?

I have the privilege to meet and communicate with ISPs from all over the world every day. You all have your own respective strengths and weaknesses, and your own opinions and ideas, and you all seem to understand the nature of and the need for change. Unfortunately, very few embrace change and even fewer actually seek it out. I have discussed with or counseled a number of ISPs on their various new initiatives. Invariably I end up asking them, 'So who's idea was this anyway?' and the answer is usually either, 'It just came to us' or 'XYZ ISP across town has started a similar program, and they seem to be doing well with it.'

Nothing 'just comes to you'
Generally, folks who come up with this answer are only following what has already been done by a competitor and are just trying to get in on the action before the wave crests.

Now you can get along reasonably well in the short term by doing this. Following this model you aren't likely to have a major failure, but you're even less likely to have a runaway success. Wouldn't it be nice to be the one they follow for a change?

Rewarding? Perhaps, but only if done with some planning. Risky? Perhaps, but minimized with some forethought. There is, after all, no reward without at least a little risk. What would be the fun in that?

So how do you transition yourself from the follower to the followed? Here's one way to get started. For the most part you ask and listen; then you implement. Easier said than done you might think, but getting a start it is probably as simple as offering your staff members the opportunity to become a part of the Business Development team.

Where good Biz Dev comes from
I have always maintained that really good Biz Dev folks are essentially just really creative sales people who have the ability to see and then capitalize on the upside before most mere mortals even recognize an opportunity. So how do you get a top biz dev team without hiring someone?

The sales team of any organization is the best connection to its clients and prospects. They are the ones who communicate with them the most and they are the ones who know best what the general populace really wants. This source of insight and information goes untapped far too often.

Example: Let's say a salesperson has a prospect or two that would like to see service X include options A, N and * (which of course doesn't exist in the organization yet) as a package. Is there a clear path to run this information up the flagpole? If not, then how are the Marketing types ever going to hear that they are missing out on something? How about the boss?

go to page 2: Institutionalize creativity