Leadership lessons from the CEO of Salesforce.com
10-Dec-2009
Salesforce.com CEO Marc Benioff was interviewed in BusinessWeek recently. Here’s our summary:
Transparent Communication.
"Communication is the most essential part of my job.” Customer relationships take work, and you must dedicate yourself to constant communication with your customers and prospects. "We invited people to come in and see what we were working on. We asked them to test it, and we made changes based on what they said. Having this kind of inclusive communication - sharing and listening - from the beginning set the tone for our entire company."
Make friends with reporters and bloggers.
"Journalists immediately think of me as a resource for a quote or comment because they know that I will be available to offer fresh insight and meet their deadlines." Social media has now turned customers into content creators. "The future of communicating with customers rests in engaging with them through every possible channel: phone, e-mail, chat, Web, and social networks. Customers are discussing a company's products and brand in real time. Companies need to join the conversation."
Archetypal stories.
The media don't care about a tiny startup. Benioff told a classic David vs. Goliath story. "We always positioned ourselves as revolutionaries. We went after the largest competitor in the industry or the industry itself. We made our story about change. We were about something new and different. We talked about the future."
Keep everyone aligned.
Everyone has to speak from the same playbook. Make sure your people can effectively convey what the company does and stands for. Salesforce.com employees are even provided training so they can all deliver the messages effectively and consistently.
Presentation skills.
Job candidates are required to give a presentation in addition to answering tough questions. "People who work for you represent your brand. You want them to present themselves - and represent you - in a certain way. Whether employees realize it or not, everyone in a company interfaces with customers in one way or another, and their attitude will affect the brand. That's why we work so hard to make sure we have the right people representing our brand, and that everyone is aligned once they get here."
Display confidence.
Dream big. "I believed that all software would eventually be delivered in the cloud. I had to believe in it passionately and be ready to constantly defend it." You must be passionate and a little bit crazy to follow your own ideas and do things differently. But in the end it's worth it.Do you have big dreams? Have you clarified your Strategic Plan for 2010 and beyond? Contact us now to help you develop a strategy that will transform your business potential into extraordinary results!
Stephen Lynch
Chief Operating Officer - Global Operations
RESULTS.com
