Machinery Lubrication

Machinery Lubrication May June 2013

Machinery Lubrication magazine published by Noria Corporation

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Maintenance and Reliability FROM THE FIELD JEREMY WRIGHT | NORIA CORPORATION 5 SIMPLE Steps to Sell Your PROJECT to UPPER Management I must confess that I'm not the best salesman. Most of my peers in maintenance and reliability have many of the same character traits. The things that make us good at what we do are not to our advantage when it comes to sales. Many of us have been in the trenches and come up through the ranks, and frankly we hate the "dog and pony" show. We choose to separate ourselves from the politics of business and just get it done. It really is a shame because there is usually no one better suited (from a knowledge standpoint) to drive projects and decisions up Above all else, your goal should be to make those people believe what you believe. the corporate ladder. Those of us who have been in the trenches and seen what works and what doesn't should stand up and move forward with our ideas. We need to gain the enthusiastic support of senior management because we are going to be asking them for money, people, equipment, etc. It may fall on you to put on that salesman hat and get that support. As a consultant employed to get these massive lubrication projects started, I've had to learn some of the basic sales skills. Following are five steps that can help you sell your project or idea to management. Prove Your Knowledge of the Problem and Solution This is usually pretty easy for technical individuals. We live with these problems every day, and as such have grown to know all the intricacies of them. The hard part is being able to convey that to others. You must be able to explain or demonstrate with evidence how the solution will reduce the pain felt by the company. You need them to trust your knowledge so they know you are guiding them down the correct path. 6 | May - June 2013 | www.machinerylubrication.com Show the Value Added When the Project is Completed This is another thing that is tough for people of our particular skill set. You need to be able to paint a picture of what things will be like in the future. Specifically, you must make the connection between each of the tangible items you are creating and how it adds to the value of the finished solution. One of the biggest problems I run into while helping guide clients through this process is that they assume that upper management can make these connections themselves. Remember, most of the people you are trying to sell these ideas to don't live it every day. It's your job to educate them. You should quickly walk through your deliverables list and help them see how each is essential to the quality of the overall solution. If possible, show models, mock-ups, demos or anything that can make it real and generate that spark of enthusiasm that will keep them working on your behalf in the potentially difficult days ahead. Make Quality a Priority In simple language, you must show that the plan you are proposing is simple and lean yet provides the quality level expected.

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