第3章

Preface

Songwriters and romance novelists may say it is love that makes the world go round, but we venture to say it is innovation. When it comes to selling products and getting them from the manufacturer to the end customer, creativity can mean the difference between lackluster (or no) sales that leave products languishing in the warehouse and products that fly off the shelves and keep freight trucks rolling on the highway.

For businesses just starting out, money may be tight. You may not be able to afford splashy advertising campaigns or an expensive public relations firm that can help you obtain valuable media exposure. But you can find creative ways to draw attention to your product and business. You can seek out strategic alliances with like-minded businesses or organizations that will help you promote, sell, or distribute your product without huge costs. And you can use your values to move your business forward.

This is the purpose of Values Sell: Transforming Purpose into Profit Through Creative Sales and Distribution Strategies. Our goal is to share ideas and techniques that have proved successful for other small businesses and to provide you with strategies that will help you develop your own "creative game plan" for increasing sales and more efficiently distributing your product.

Adding the words "values-driven" or "socially responsible" to a business's goals adds a new paradigm to the success equation. Not only must you, as an entrepreneur, take pains to ensure growth for your business, you must make sure your socially responsible mission marches proudly alongside each step of your business's development. If you're just starting out on such a journey, the road can be confusing and fraught with obstacles that threaten to derail you, whether from a profit standpoint or from a values standpoint.

In this book we will focus on ways to foster and manage sales and distribution techniques that will keep your socially responsible business moving forward. You will meet a number of business owners and true entrepreneurs who have grappled with the conundrum of increasing profits as they retain their individual, socially responsible agendas. We have gleaned "words of sales wisdom" from a wide spectrum of people in the marketplace to help you understand that a values-driven business can exist just about anywhere and in any fashion—from the broadcasting of television programs that present issues with a global perspective to innovative, all-natural baked goods that not only turn a profit but also help homeless families get back on their feet.

You'll read inspiring stories about entrepreneurs, some who were prodded into their businesses by redwood splinters, Alabama clay, thirst, and too many bags of salad greens. You'll discover what works—and what doesn't work. And you'll learn that new ideas, flexibility, and a willingness to partner with like-minded individuals often go hand in hand when it comes to meeting goals and increasing sales or broadening the distribution of products.

You'll also discover that "sales and distribution" can cast a wide net in enhancing a business. For the myopic, sales means an exchange of money for goods. For the wise values-driven entrepreneur, sales means a holistic approach to selling your company's mission, your business's merchandise or service, the people behind the business, and your social mission. And it isn't unusual for a sales promotion to have significant positive ramifications in many other areas of the business. For example, a product promotion that helps educate consumers about an environmental issue can result in a number of benefits: greater visibility of your business among the public at large, which means added customers in the long term, more-loyal customers, greater pride among your employees, and of course, increased awareness about the issue you're publicizing.

If you've made a decision to operate a values-driven business that has a specific socially responsible mission, chances are your passion to make a difference is already fueling your drive to sell your products. What you may be lacking is the wherewithal to mesh this passion with effective and creative ways to increase your sales so you can be profitable—and continue to build the business of your dreams.

We will show you how using your values and socially responsible mission as the foundation for your sales efforts—and throwing in some innovation as well—and carefully choosing the way you move your product from manufacturer to end customer can actually enhance your bottom line. Some in the sales world might think the only way to increase sales is to keep all costs as low as possible to maximize profit. This might mean minimizing employee benefits, trimming customer service, or skimping on packaging. The examples we cite in this book will demonstrate that when companies put extra care into how they treat people (from employees and vendors to customers) and how they produce and distribute their products—even if it means spending more up front—the results can be highly beneficial.

There's no denying that businesses can be highly successful and provide benefits to the community (added jobs, a boost to overall economic development, frequent charitable contributions) and never fall under the umbrella of "values-driven businesses." Such companies can generate huge sales, and they may have a distribution infrastructure in place that runs as smooth as silk 24/7. We all know businesses like these, and we most often respect and patronize them frequently. However, a values-driven business creates long-term advantages that can be highly beneficial as the company moves from quarter to quarter in building both sales and a name for itself in the marketplace.

To help you glean the most value from the book's contents, at the beginning of each chapter we've highlighted a specific example—a "Creative Challenge"—shared with us by one of the socially responsible business leaders we interviewed. This example demonstrates the type of lesson that the chapter offers. At the end of each chapter we've boiled down the featured case studies into "Collective Wisdom" you can use in plotting your own sales and distribution strategies. We believe wisdom is obtained through experience—in life, in relationships, most certainly in business. By sharing the situations these businesses have experienced, we hope to help you find ways to increase your profits.

Creating a successful business is far from formulaic. If only entrepreneurs could pick up a manual and follow a diagram to reach the goal of huge profits and a loyal customer base. But everyone knows that such a diagram doesn't exist. However, in a book of this type, an analogy can be a great tool for putting an idea—such as building a business—into perspective.

As we learned how experienced businesspeople built their ventures, we noticed the similarities to making a journey across the sea in a sailboat. First of all, a sailor must have a destination in mind and chart a safe course—leaving the harbor without a navigation plan could be deadly. Such a journey also requires researching what the weather will be like during the trip, what kinds of supplies will be needed, and which equipment will stand up to the task at hand, as well as preparing for emergencies. A properly trained crew is also vital. And a good captain wants a crew that works as a team—if disaster strikes, people must pitch in and work together to avert the crisis.

Sudden changes are not uncommon on the high seas, nor are they uncommon in the business world. Winds can shift abruptly and storms can blow up in a heartbeat, just as sales can suddenly drop off or an important shipment can be delayed or lost. A leader—whether on a sailboat or at the helm of a new business venture—must be prepared to redesign strategies when necessary.

Of course, making an ocean voyage is not all danger and unexpected challenges. Sailors experience moments of jubilation as their boat sails swiftly across the water, with the sails perfectly aligned to capture every knot of wind speed and the sun shining brightly overhead. As an entrepreneur, you will have such moments of exhilaration yourself, and it is important to celebrate your successes and recognize those who have helped you achieve them, just as a good captain toasts his crew upon safely reaching port.

The important point to remember is that building a business successfully means maintaining a vision and supporting it with a plan of action that is often original and bold. However, you must be open to making changes if a challenge—or opportunity— emerges that requires rethinking some aspect of your operation.

We hope the comments from those who agreed to share their knowledge, mistakes, and successes will inspire you to join the growing network of companies that proudly practice social responsibility daily and are finding that remaining true to such values is increasing their sales and overall profitability.

We have written this book with a desire both to gain insight ourselves and to share this information with you, the reader. If you come away with even one idea that helps increase your sales or streamline your distribution system as you make the world a better place, we will feel gratified.

As authors, our job in creating this book was to teach and help people become more successful as values-driven entrepreneurs. An unexpected benefit has been an enhanced awareness about how we look at other companies—and the relationships we form with them. In effect, this exercise has raised our own standards as consumers.

We realized that whether consciously or subconsciously, we tend to gravitate toward companies that operate with a socially responsible mission or companies whose values we share or admire. Sometimes the matter is as simple as the way a company positions its product in the marketplace. For example, if a company is promoting the beauty of diversity in the world, especially the diversity that exists among women, that kind of campaign resonates with us and makes us more likely to purchase the company's product.

We hope this book will raise your own bar of socially responsible awareness—as both a businessperson and as a consumer. We feel the two perspectives go hand in hand and will help all of us enjoy a more sustainable planet.