Why do trademarks matter to small and mid-sized businesses?
“The best companies are those whose brands are easy to remember and instantly recognizable,” said Dana Brody-Brown, Counsel at Hoge-Fenton during a recent interactive workshop at the Executive Forums Silicon Valley (EFSV) Advisory Board. Trademarks can serve to differentiate your products from others and efficiently deliver your marketing messages, in addition to providing competitive advantage, investment protection, product or process validation and business valuation.
Trademarks can also be important for operations, revenues and the ability to sell and ship into primary markets. For consumer facing goods, trademarks are especially important, according to Ms. Brody-Brown.
Business owners and key executives at SVEF learned about intellectual property’s value, importance, nuances and best practices during this workshop. Those who were not aware of the importance of intellectual property in their markets found the discussions extremely beneficial. This article will focus on trademarks.
Types of trademarks
There are many types of trademarks associated with traditional concepts such as words, symbols, slogans, pictures, emblems and packaging design as shown in this graphic below:
Additionally, trademarks can be associated with less traditional and more creative concepts such as sound, color, shape, business design or motion, as shown in the following graphic:
Distinctiveness and frequent use are two key factors
In selecting your marks, think distinctiveness. I often wonder about the effectiveness of the LIMU Ostrich for Liberty Mutual Insurance, the Smile on Amazon packaging, or the Peace Symbol of Mercedes. However, it is the distinctiveness of the mark along with the frequency of use that allows the product, service or company to be etched into the mind of the customer. The spectrum of distinctiveness and how it can be used is demonstrated in the following graphic:
In addition to the specific education around the topic of intellectual property and trademarks, several case studies were used to demonstrate the power and value of proper (and improper) application of these techniques.
Best Practices for using trademarks
The discussion closed with some best practices for using your marks in building strong brands including
Select Strong and Creative Marks
Search Well Before Use
Register – in the US (and Internationally)
Enforce Your Rights
Consistently Use in Messaging, Marketing, and Advertising
Other best practices include following your mark with the generic product category such as Kleenex® tissue or Ford® truck, maintaining use of the registered spelling or font such as MONTBLANC® fountain pen or Hershey Kisses® chocolate and always using the appropriate symbol ® or ™. There is also an ACID test for using a trademark which requires you establish
A – Adjective
C – Consistency
I – Identification
D – Distinguished from Other Text
The business owners and top executives of Executive Forums Silicon Valley learned a lot during the workshop and have practical techniques they can use in their business. I would highly recommend that you contact Dana Brody-Brown (dana.brody-brown@hogefenton.com , 408 947-2433, www.linkedin.com/in/dbrodybrown) to learn more about her background and expertise on this topic and to help you use intellectual property concepts for your company and business advantage.
Forbes- Feb. 21, 2012- “How Important is Small Business Branding Really?”, Jessica Bosari Contributor
At Executive Forums Silicon Valley, selected business owners and leaders work together to gain clarity, insight and accountability to ignite their leadership engines, grow their businesses and improve their lives. If you are interested in learning more about Business Owner Advisory Boards, Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS), Stages of Growth, Value Builder System or becoming a member at Executive Forum Silicon Valley, please contact gperkins@executiveforums.com or call 408-901-0321. For more information please visit http://www.execforumssv.com/ .
7 Stages of Growth and Hidden Agents (Pt 2 of 3, Organization Rewilding)
Do you ever feel like there are times in your business that you keep bumping up against an invisible force field? Something that holds you back regardless of how hard you try to grow or move forward? What you may be experiencing is something James Fischer, in his book Navigating the Growth Curve, calls Hidden Agents or growth Transition Zones. Hidden Agents are obstacles to growth that were not easy for a leader to identify. Additionally, as companies move from stage-to-stage, they experience Transition Zones that complicate growth and can create business chaos.
In this blog, we will continue to reveal insights and wisdom from the book “Navigating the Growth Curve” that help leaders understand and manage the increasing complexity at every level of business growth. These materials were reviewed, discussed, learned and made actionable in the February 2020 Executive Forums Silicon Valley mastermind sessions.
Hidden Agents
Sometimes on the surface, issues look unclear and may only really show symptoms or side effects which can make it difficult to identify the real cause and design and implement the correct solutions. The three hidden agents identified by Fisher are shown in the graphic below and are obstacles to growth, hidden below the surface and difficult to diagnose.
27 Classic Challenges
One of the hidden agents identified in James Fischer’s research are the 27 Classic Challenges that companies face at one time or the other. Many times, several of these Classic Challenges were critical for business to address at a specific point in time – related to the company’s current stage of growth. The successful companies took the time and energy to focus on a critical few at any one time. They addressed the most critical challenge for their stage of growth and moved on. Take a look at the graphic below and identify your company’s stage and assess the challenges you might want to address. The key is for the leader and team is to stay focused on the right things at the right time.
Builder Protector Ratio
A second hidden agent identified in James Fischer’s research is the builder protector ratio. The B/P Ratio can be explained by understanding that in every company there are Builders (risk takers) and there are Protectors (risk averse). The Builder/Protector aspect of the Stages of Growth is a measurement within a company of confidence vs. caution.
Builders (risk takers) create new ideas and take new initiatives, find ways to expand revenue and profits, challenge the way things are done, and are highly confident.
Protectors (risk averse) are cautious and slow-paced, seek stability, may not feel confident in company’s financial strength, and tend to be suspicious of new markets.
As navigating the growth curve materials are about growth companies, you can see in the graphic below that the ratio of Builders to Protectors is greater than one for all of the stages except for the Delegation – Stage 3. Are you hiring enough Builders to achieve the right ratio at your stage of growth?
Three Faces of a Leader
The third hidden agent is called the Three Faces of a Leader Blend and is reflective of the leader within an organization. Depending on a company’s stage of growth, the leader must deliver a different blend (mix) of leadership attributes to make the company successful and keep the company growing. The three leadership attributes that must be blended in each stage are being a Visionary, a Manager and a Specialist.
Visionary Leader - makes sure the company knows where it wants to go.
Manager Leader – grows company through managing the work and the people.
Specialist Leader - delivers work to make sure the product meets clients’ needs.
As seen in the graphic below, the Visionary Leader is extremely important in a company’s early and late stages while the Manager Leader is dominated in a company’s middle stages. Note that the Specialist Leader decreases continually as a company grows.
Transition Zones
Finally, let’s look at what happens as a company transitions from one stage to another. A Transition Zone is a phase of chaos that the organization goes through to prepare for the next Stage of Growth. Rarely does it go smoothly, however, it does always go predictably. You can expect confusion and some chaos with your staff as you work through these zones, but if you aren’t prepared for them, they can take a toll on you and your leadership team.
Transitions between stages occur as either predictably as Flood Zones or Wind Tunnel. A Transition Zone is a phase of chaos that the organization goes through to prepare for the next Stage of Growth. Without this chaos, the organization would not be able to sustain itself or be able to compete in the next Stage of Growth. These zones can sometimes be identified by the mumbled complaints at leadership for putting the company in this ‘mess’. In truth most often the chaos couldn’t have been avoided and was a natural result of the company preparing for its next Stage of Growth.
Flood Transition Zone - a transition where the organization experiences a FLOOD of activity. It is being overwhelmed. The feeling inside a company is that you don’t have enough people to handle all the work. You feel like you can barely keep your head above water.
To address the chaos during a flood transition zone, you must
Communicate to people the upcoming increase in workload
Avoid the temptation to add new staff (hire at last resort)
Focus on the WAY your company manages workload
Wind Tunnel Transition Zone - is defined by a condition where the company needs to let go of ideas and processes that no longer work and create new ones that do. Often times the leadership of a company will have a difficult time realizing that what worked in the past is not going to work any longer.
To address the chaos during a wind tunnel transition zone, you must
Communicate growth and processes must change
Evaluate (measure) which processes must change
Don’t blame people for issues that require new processes
Consider the use and implementation of technology
As you can see in the graphic below, the Flood Transition Zone occurs leaving Stages 1, 3 while the Wind Tunnel Transition Zone occurs leaving Stages 2, 4 and 6.
The Stages of Growth material is very rich and challenged each leader in the Executive Forums Silicon Valley community to think deeply about the current state of their business and how to shore up the foundations for future growth. Having the knowledge to predict what is coming next and be able to align leadership and company focus to address these challenges can keep growth on track. We have discussed in pars 1 and Part 2 of this blog the following concepts.
Stages of Growth – the number of people drive complexity and growth stage
Gates of Focus – profit, process, people – where to focus and when
Four Key Messages – if you are not growing, you are dying
Hidden Agents – Classic Challenges, Builder Protector, 3 Faces of a Leader
Transition Zones – how to address the Flood or Wind Tunnel transitions
Part 3 of this blog, we will discuss the “Building Blocks of infrastructure, Culture and Leadership” and how to “Rewild” your business to get it back onto a high growth trajectory.
At EFSV, selected business owners and leaders work together to gain clarity, insight and accountability to ignite their leadership engines, grow their businesses and improve their lives. If you are interested in learning more about the Stages of Growth or becoming a member at Executive Forum Silicon Valley, please contact gperkins@executiveforums.com or call 408-901-0321. For more information visit https://execforumssv.com/
7 Stages of Growth and 3 Gates of Focus (Pt 1 of 3, organization rewilding)
In February 2020, Executive Forum Silicon Valley (“EFSV”) members feasted on the insights and wisdom from the book “Navigating the Growth Curve” that helps understand and manage the increasing complexity at every level of growth. They each take back to their own organization the tools acquired at the Forum for engaging the people in their own company to deal with challenges at their particular stage of growth.
EFSV is a platform where business owners, CEOs and executives act as their fellow collaborators, co-inventors, partners and even “co-conspirators”, in getting clear picture of where they want to go, what stands in the way, and how to achieve their respective business growth goals. Forum members share resources, conduct self-assessment and identify opportunities. Upon getting clarity and insights, they hold each other accountable with support and encouragement.
Based on the research of over 650 successful companies with up to 500 employees, “Navigating the Growth Curve”, by James Fischer, describes a model for successful growth and identifies insights, behaviors, and focus areas that the leader needs to manage and balance.
People, Profit, Process “3 Ps” for Successful Growth Companies
Fischer found in his research that successful growth companies are light, agile and intelligent, and throw out the old model of “business as a machine”. These companies flourish by using the lens of the following “Three Gates of Focus” in addressing challenges as they arise:
Growing people
Growing profit and revenue
Growing processes
Conversely, unsuccessful Companies often share these three traits:
work environment without staff satisfaction
lack of a sustainable profit model
cannot understand, predict, and manage their growth
Understanding Where You and Your Company Are Today: The 7 Stages of Growth
You can identify your appropriate Stage of Growth from the graphic below. As shown a company’s Stage of Growth is directly proportional to the numbers of employees as that drives complexity into every phase of the business. As a company grows throughout the 7 stages, the complexity level of that company increases based on the most challenging aspect of managing any organization – people. Not profits, not processes – but people. The higher the number of people in a company, the more complexity.
A description of the what the company needs from the CEO, the typical priority challenges and the personnel balance needed, and the lenses of focus to keep a company growing in each Stage of Growth are as follows.
Stage 1 – Startup (1 – 10 employees)
3 Gates of Focus Priorities – Profit, People, Process
3 Faces of the Leader – 40 % Visionary, 10% Manager, 50 % Specialist
Classic Challenges – Chaos, Inadequate Sales, Limited Capital to Grow
Personnel Type Ratio – 4 Builders to 1 Protector
Stage 2 – Ramp Up (11 – 19 employees)
3 Gates of Focus Priorities – Profit, Process, People
3 Faces of the Leader – 40 % Visionary, 20 % Manager, 40 % Specialist
There are four key messages associated with growth principles that a leader needs to understand as your company progresses from one stage to another:
Message 1 – Movement from stage to stage is not clear-cut. In business, there is no black and white, there is only gray. You don’t simply BECOME a Stage 2 company overnight. You begin to be a Stage 2 company as soon as you enter Stage 1. Preparation for the next stage begins as you enter the current stage.
Message 2 – What’s left undone from prior stages must be dealt-with. What you don’t get done in a specific stage of growth DOES NOT GO AWAY. -Not solving People, Process and Profits challenges during your current stage will simply put harder demands on you as a leader in the next stage of growth.
Message 3 – Length of time a business has been around can make a difference. Slower growth is usually easier to manage. Many companies choose to stay at a certain size (usually for the lower stages). They prefer to grow in other dimensions, not in employees. Simply assuming that you have “taken care of business” because you have been doing business as usual for some time isn’t the same thing as addressing your current stage challenges.
Messages 4 – If you are not growing, you’re dying. Stagnation will not allow you to be successful in an ever-changing competitive world. Something has to continue to grow and change for your organization to thrive. However, humans tend to gravitate toward a state of equilibrium because it is safe and understandable. But if we stay in that state too long it leads to slow decay and death, just like in nature.
More on the Three Gates of Focus: People, Profits, Process
Every issue found within a growing enterprise can be understood through one or more of these Three Gates. When looking for clarification with an issue, ask yourself: is it a Profit problem? People problem? or Process problem?
Then you can FOCUS on the right thing at the right time. To that end, the Three Gates of Focus shift priorities based on your stage of growth.
At the Executive Forum Silicon Valley, members first determine which of the Three Gates of Focus they most focus on today, by list and assessing priorities. Next, they compare with the following chart, “Three Gates of Focus and Stages”, to find the IDEAL Gates of Focus priorities to line up with each of their companies’ stage of growth. The members discussed how to get their focus back in alignment with their particular stage’s priority and identified a set of initiatives focused on each member’s key areas of concern.
The above Gates of Focus are always stacked in order of the most important focus for that particular stage of growth. For example, Stage 1, the Profit Gate is the primary focus, with the next focus being the People Gate and the last is the Process Gate.
Different stages of growth require different types of focus. Once you’ve identified your own stage of growth, the model below helps you do the right things at the right timeby shifting among these three key focuses: people, profits and process.
In Part 2 and Part 3 of this blog, we will discuss the Hidden Agents that can hinder and hold back your growth. Three Faces of a Leader, the Builder Protector Ratio, the Classic Challenges will be discussed as well as how to “Rewild” your business to get it back onto a high growth trajectory.
At EFSV, selected business owners and leaders work together to gain clarity, insight and accountability to ignite their leadership engines, grow their businesses and improve their lives. If you are interested in learning more about the Stages of Growth or becoming a member at Executive Forum Silicon Valley, please contact gperkins@executiveforums.com or call 408-901-0321. For more information visit https://execforumssv.com/
As the new year 2020 just started, business leaders are planning sales and growth for the year. There is no better place to help leaders with accountability and execution of sales plans than at Executive Forums Silicon Valley (EFSV), where business owners, CEOs and executives “ignite your leadership engine.” EFSV is a confidential peer advisory board where selected business owners and executives work together to create clarity, insight and accountability that improves their business and accelerates their personal leadership, learning and growth.
Steve Johnson of Scaling Sales, a sales specialist and consultant, recently presented at the Executive Forum Silicon Valley (EFSV) business owner forum about “Six Steps to Build a High-Performance Sales Team” that
Maximize quarterly, monthly and yearly sales
Are scalable and repeatable; and
Find and win “good’ deals
The “Six Steps to Build a High-Performance Sales Team” focused on people, process and systems, as summarized follows:
Step 1 – How much do you want to sell within a time frame? This step focuses on developing clarity around sales goals and quotas, more than mere spreadsheets. Establish key parameters such as leads to qualified opportunities, average sales per deal, deal closing rate, sales per salesperson, lead value, etc..
Step 2 – What are your customers biggest problems? Prior to selling, first gain insight about a customer’s specific problems. For instance, when a customer is running from alligators they are trying to save their life and are not worried about price.
Step 3 – People – Who can best sell to my customers? This key step provides the insight for aligning the sales team to the customers buying process and risk tolerance.
The illustrations below show how to identify and use the right salespeople for different sales types:
Step 4 – What processes best support these people? Simplified and well-defined processes enable consistency, repeatability and personnel interchangeability necessary to scale sales, such as:
Sales Process mirroring customers’ decision process with step by step actions
Lead Generation, Accurate Sales Forecasting & Pipeline
New Employee Onboarding, Accountability and Coaching
These processes must also be reinforced with accountability as shown in the following graphic.
Step 5 – What systems enable and enforce the processes? With all of the tools available in the marketplace to support the sales process, a key discussion point was to keep things simple and aligned to the size of your team and the complexity of your sales process, using some of the key system tools such as:
Dashboard, CRM, Data & Reporting
Intelligent Sales Assistant/Coach, Call Recording
Sales Enablement, Forecasting and Pipeline Tools
When building a sales team, to establish accountability, it is necessary to measure individual performance (as shown in the graphic below) and the performance of the team.
An example of a salesperson’s dashboard:
Step 6 – Execution – Getting it done. Building sales teams and scaling sales requires focusing on activities that have the largest impact and adjusting your efforts as you learn:
Make a plan & prioritize
What’s the one thing that if implemented would have the biggest impact?
Only introduce ONE improvement or change every 2-4 weeks
Test and adjust as needed
Follow through – Do what you say you’re going to do
Rinse and repeat
The educational component in the “Six Steps to Build a High-Performance Sales Team” allowed the business owners at the monthly Executive Forums Silicon Valley (EFSV) to take something away to improve their sales.
To learn more about Steve Johnson’s “Six Steps to Build a High Performance Sales Team”, about his background and how to apply these techniques to building your sales teams, please contact him at steve@scalingsales.com, 415-259-7882, or visit www.scalingsales.com.
=============================================================== If you are interested in participating or learning more about becoming a member at Executive Forum Silicon Valley, please contact @GlennPerkins at gperkins@executiveforums.com or call 408-901-0321. For more information visit www.execforumssv.com.
