For a company who hires for ability to deal with ambiguity, 2020 has really put us to the test. I am incredibly grateful to work with clients and colleagues who put people first and move forward despite such unusual times.

Now that we’ve entered the second half of a challenging and unpredictable year, it’s time to re-look at 2020 goals, and begin the planning and budget cycles for 2021. But how? Maybe it’s the unknowns, maybe it’s concern for the impact goals can have on your team’s morale and motivation—this feels particularly hard this time.

In the best of times, employees report “better communications” as their top suggestion for improvement on nearly every leader’s 360° survey. It has become a trope…and the scourge of every leader.

This February, I was honored to present at SPIE Photonics West with other photonics industry experts. With business development (BD) and marketing tied up on the exhibition floor, sessions like our AR/VR Market Outlook, Photonics Outlook, and LFW’s Laser Marketplace, tended to attract C-level thinkers. Their strategies, experiences, and questions revealed some trends:

The New Sales Process & The End of the Test Drive

Sales, at its worst, is exemplified by the stereotypical used car sales process. The high pressure, lack of pricing transparency, the awkward test drive, peering under the hood pretending you know what you’re looking for, and the hand-offs from department to department... it’s a game no one seems to enjoy.

Product Launches with a Bang, not a Trickle

There are a lot of moving pieces to an effective product launch. Whether you're new to it or a veteran of product launch planning, there are a lot of moving pieces and business ramifications. As the launch date approaches, the activity increases, making it easy to overlook something or cut corners. Keeping track of who is responsible for what and when it must be done challenges even the most organized professionals. Many business leaders find it is in their best interest to seek external support to help organize and execute key activities.

Launch Team has recently expanded our team with two new valuable members to better serve our growing customer base and services. Additionally, to account for our new growth, we will be moving to a new location just down the road from our current location. Meet our new team members and our new home below!

Imagine a salesperson—what comes to mind? We all likely picture the cliché car salesman who is pushy, "all-knowing", always closing, and solely commission driven. We may even suspect that this is appropriate behavior for a salesperson. Now consider the last time you purchased a car. How much research did you do before interacting with sales? What did you want from that salesperson? Did you care most about the expertise to answer your questions or the willingness to move at your pace?

Although expertise is necessary for a salesperson's success, the strongest next gen salespeople understand where the customer is in the buyer's journey and how to help them continue on that journey. Customers have changed and it is important that your organization keeps up with new buyer needs—whether that means engaging the help of a sales consultant, integrating new sales technologies, or revamping the sales process all together. 

Here’s a few of our long-standing commitments, and what’s new for 2019:

Returning from 2018 FABETCH, which spanned 3 exhibit halls and attracted over 30,000 attendees, we’ve had the opportunity to see and hear the concerns and market drivers US advanced manufacturers are facing. FABTECH was an excellent opportunity to take a step back from our work with advanced manufacturing clients throughout the US, for a broader, forward-thinking perspective.

FABTECH 2018, which spanned 3 exhibit halls and attracted over 30,000 attendees, is North America’s largest metal forming, fabricating, welding and finishing event—and offered a fascinating and forward-looking view at advanced manufacturing.