tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72165055428565071492024-02-02T05:59:06.081-08:00The Sales Innovator's Dilemma BlogHarpalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06107616360898924341noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7216505542856507149.post-1382974912578799162013-06-21T15:09:00.003-07:002013-06-24T22:46:58.207-07:00Show Up and Throw Up: Discovery process killers.. <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Most sales teams have a listening problem. And boy do they love to tell the prospect all the details about their product. That approach seldom works... Here's my recommendation for the discovery process do's and don'ts.. and the killers!!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Discovery process killers: </span><span style="font-size: small; font-weight: normal;">For your discovery session to be successful, you have to take care of these things proactively.</span></h3>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQdZLF0Gp-mXpjnJ5me3mLPW94vLSRwywaGnluUywqJoIv1KEKAGaccVIW__J7q8eQDp7OQ_jQqSmBJ1Pt-qCZmof3Ef9pQpY1NflkRbWBJg6XbYpkUSRvaicQmObIvTL4dh7C8d050YE/s1600/image.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQdZLF0Gp-mXpjnJ5me3mLPW94vLSRwywaGnluUywqJoIv1KEKAGaccVIW__J7q8eQDp7OQ_jQqSmBJ1Pt-qCZmof3Ef9pQpY1NflkRbWBJg6XbYpkUSRvaicQmObIvTL4dh7C8d050YE/s1600/image.jpg" /></a>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">Team mates who can't shut up.</span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">The experts on your team who want to prove themselves. Make a deal with them, they will only talk in reference to a related client problem we have solved. No deep end technology of solutions discussions, please! </span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">Develop and agree upon the "shut up" signal. </span><span style="font-size: small; font-weight: normal;">This is critical rule; It should be well publicized to the sales team, that non adherence to the rule should have disastrous consequences. My rule is, I want my team mates to look at me once each minute to get my clues. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">Jumping to conclusions; Don't assume </span><span style="font-size: small; font-weight: normal;">The process could take several sessions. It could take months across several client players, if you include ROI in the process.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">Have umbrella questions ready: </span><span style="font-size: small; font-weight: normal;">Every time we get a point in meeting when there's uncomfortable moment. Have some umbrella questions. 2-3 of them. For example, "can you give me another example". OR "You mentioned earlier this thing, can you help me understand a little more". If nothing else, ask <a href="http://harpalsthoughts.blogspot.com/2013/05/high-impact-sales-questions.html" target="_blank">the killer sales</a> questions. </span></li>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Have a focus to understand the business: </span><span style="font-size: small; font-weight: normal;">See the discovery process as a science project. Get their facts clear.. Make sure you can articulate, Why would they buy from me? Focus on "why buy at all" and more importantly "why now"? Reaffirm your thoughts with the client..</span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></span></h3>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Avoid product talk as much as possible: </span><span style="font-size: small; font-weight: normal;">Because once you start with your product talk you are in selling mode.. Can't do that too early... The client's mental door shuts down, or the perspective changes significantly after that. Also if the client brings up "Tell me what your product does" too early, have a way to get out of that quickly. You could say things like.. Before I make recommendation. , I need to understand business problems a little more.</span></h3>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Carefully answer the "tell me a little about your company" question: </span><span style="font-size: small; font-weight: normal;">Another key aspect of opening is when they ask "tell me little about your company". Tell them a value proposition related to their industry, like for example I'd say for my current product... "We are a consumer predictive analytics company that helps healthcare companies like yours, better market health plans to their existing and prospective members, leading to higher member satisfaction and reduced churn. Our founders were the core team for Yahoo!'s analytics products and they identified a need for enterprises to want to provide it's consumers a similar buying experience as that what Yahoo! did for millions of users. Hence they started InsightsOne". Versus "We are a big data predictive analytics silicon valley startup providing targeting, recommendations and churn predictions for enterprises". Focus on why you do what you, and the uniqueness in the how, versus company profile which can potentially distract the client with biases. Then quickly get back to discovery. </span></h3>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Be prepared to sell them on value of investing time in the discovery: </span><span style="font-size: small; font-weight: normal;">That shows you are unique. Selling why they should invest time with you. Paint them a vision of how you walked a client through the process and the end outcome. Ask with the problem areas identified at other clients, if they have similar situation.</span></h3>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Happy Selling :-) </span></span></div>
Harpalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06107616360898924341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7216505542856507149.post-43552265216123095752013-06-16T20:12:00.005-07:002013-06-21T11:15:51.967-07:00Shake them up; before you say "I do"<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Hiring the right sales person with acumen is critically important to a startup. There's a lot at stake and you need to be prepared to handle them when they come onboard.. For more on the significance and the preparation, read my other <a href="http://harpalsthoughts.blogspot.com/2013/06/my-experience-as-first-sales-hire-at.html" target="_blank">blog article</a> on the subject of making your first sales hire.<br />
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It's important to have a frame of reference when technical founders interview sales reps. Here are my top-10 in no particular order..<br />
<ol style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif8-iNOXQ3oRmkN6VBGjUXxMyxnI5dQEgdN9bg8prI8vukDyGwHIs6oYv9NRC1KkarT8jAZ4T2wPL3QKCkVu6XKBQtqApUDhQdx4W2IW9M_mvYVmjw6A3OJvwNeqT0QTX0dhreS__7agc/s1600/Unknown-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif8-iNOXQ3oRmkN6VBGjUXxMyxnI5dQEgdN9bg8prI8vukDyGwHIs6oYv9NRC1KkarT8jAZ4T2wPL3QKCkVu6XKBQtqApUDhQdx4W2IW9M_mvYVmjw6A3OJvwNeqT0QTX0dhreS__7agc/s200/Unknown-1.jpg" width="131" /></a>
<li><b>Prod their past</b> Ask them about their childhood.. bumps in their career; how they recovered, where they grew up, how did they handle adversities and failure in the early defining stages of life. You want your sales rep to be a true hustler.</li>
<li><b>Rile them up</b>; challenge them, throw something new at them, like a puzzle. See how well they take to unchartered waters, rejection.</li>
<li><b>Reject them: </b>Tell them in the interview you don't think they'd make a good fit for what ever reason. See how they handle that; a good sales rep should roll with the punches and recover quickly.</li>
<li><b>Observe their inter personal skills.</b> Do they take interest in your life? would you want to meet this person over a drink? </li>
<li><b>How entertaining, well read is the rep?</b> You don't want a comedian, but an aggressive shark without a funny streak or a well read perspective is of little use.</li>
<li><b>Is he a closer: </b>Did the rep ask direct questions on your thoughts on their prospects; did it sound offending, how well did they handle objections, did they manage to keep the door open to come back in.. see how balanced they stood on aggression and compassion.</li>
<li><b>What kind of sports does he play?</b> Does he/she sharpen his competitive edge each day.. Being physically very fit is a very important part of the job so as to pounce on the sale opportunity as and when it presents itself.</li>
<li><b>Change the environment: </b>Take the rep for a walk. See how they react to a new environment. </li>
<li><b>Test their extempore skills.</b> Ask them to present an idea using a white board. </li>
<li><b>Make them wait</b> before you start the interview.. observe what they do when left alone. </li>
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Harpalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06107616360898924341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7216505542856507149.post-89580533880890781342013-06-16T00:37:00.002-07:002013-06-16T14:48:50.589-07:00Put that coffee down; customer conferences are for closers..<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPu4CR1oEmT9Tv2G7wjSUphXhANB2_JDZDUh1ga6mmL2G7c7cnHgtHuE4QGVoyIBGd8XLHZ-lOUBo_D4yu2AHRrJNutaXCmKzmv7dm3RwqFGzyM7hdYbHnTUn1-gTlfeTh5awhlh2TFa8/s1600/30701491.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPu4CR1oEmT9Tv2G7wjSUphXhANB2_JDZDUh1ga6mmL2G7c7cnHgtHuE4QGVoyIBGd8XLHZ-lOUBo_D4yu2AHRrJNutaXCmKzmv7dm3RwqFGzyM7hdYbHnTUn1-gTlfeTh5awhlh2TFa8/s200/30701491.jpg" width="200"></a>Customer conferences are great launch pads for young companies. That's where prospects are most relaxed, open to newer ideas and with giving advice. Yet few sales teams land quality leads at conferences. It's perhaps the lack of event ownership (marketing calls the shots) that leads to the typical shotgun sales approach. Sales can do better. If they choose to "co-own" the event and assume accountability.<br>
To maximize your chance of getting quality leads, sales has to start by selecting the right team on the floor. The common trait needed in each member on your team is ..<br>
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<li>Aggression, devising unique ways to finding true prospects </li>
<li>Focus at forging a common bonding style with prospects and </li>
<li>Most importantly, at securing the follow on meeting at the conference or in person at prospect's office.</li>
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Note: Being well dressed, confident, and good looks are table stakes. <br>
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<b>Pre-planning: </b>You should start planning ~2-months in advance. By the time your team gets to the conference, you all should have the prospect hit list (memorized) by names, titles, backgrounds etc. Ideally, your team would have reached out to the hit list with targeted pitches and invites.<br>
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<li><b>Use the attendee list: T</b>o gauge the audience types, identify your target sales plays and marketing campaigns that appeal to the select audiences. Contact the attendees, invite to pre conference webinars, surveys. If you don't have the current year, use last year's list. </li>
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<b>Throw a private party: </b>Most important part of a conference! Sponsor a private party in the evening. Have a theme that relates to your solution; hand deliver the invitation; use personalized videos; use pretty faces to deliver the note; make sure prospects can't say no. A partner last year held their party off the conference on a boat, called in a standup comedian and had a reference customer give a sales talk on their experiences.</div>
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Invite the prospects through all possible channels; 1:1 meeting, snail mail, emails and phone call campaigns. When they call back, qualify the prospect. The goal is to filter out the A-list of prospects, ones you'd want to have your CEO, CTO invest time with at the party. <br>
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<b>The hook; when show time is ON: </b>You'd have a client's attention only if you solve their immediate needs. Time matters, so stand in strategic places in your booth; from where it's easy to read names on badges. Make sure prospects can easily spot exciting goodies first (raffles, alcohol, food, water, golf balls etc ) so they are drawn in.. As they review your marketing banners, quickly decide if further intervention is warranted. Greet prospects by their name. And if the name rings a bell on the prospect hit list, immediately start the conversation. <b>Hand them the party invite</b>.<br>
<u><b>Never</b></u> let a prospect leave without an agreement for the next meeting.. Simple things you should get is their cell number, and a quick connect on LinkedIn via the mobile app. Then do the soft talk.. Get their purpose for attending, what they like this year about conference, relevance to your offering and most important .. something personal.. what about life makes them sizzle.. Notice there's little product talk at this point.. Let's save that for the party session in the evening or next week in their office.<br>
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<b>Use a speaking engagement to meet prospects: </b>Nothing builds credibility, sells better at conferences like a team member do a speaking gig. Have a catchy title, send invites to potential prospects to attend session, solicit their feedback, connect with them after the session to plan next steps. Make your prospects feel they matter. It helps build trust. I hardly see reps going around the conference room introducing themselves, getting to know attendees and their interests in attending your session. Give the attendees goodies at the session; it helps ease the process of breaking the ice. </div>
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Harpalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06107616360898924341noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7216505542856507149.post-90593303044424471732013-06-11T10:07:00.000-07:002013-06-17T10:56:21.302-07:00Dare to build a sales team at a startup??<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Dear Startup CEO:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcg4elGcZuJJvwIIId5czRMAMWghUvcHB02ctHO_DYpxX0QP-35HAHo0Ig200yQOCIaGIC9Ijy9Ly-_T1iFt0w8w1SPz4szRZrlzrjhnhRc-pDpY2D9sSefoLpr2QziLS4tcQOPJzb64k/s1600/images-4.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcg4elGcZuJJvwIIId5czRMAMWghUvcHB02ctHO_DYpxX0QP-35HAHo0Ig200yQOCIaGIC9Ijy9Ly-_T1iFt0w8w1SPz4szRZrlzrjhnhRc-pDpY2D9sSefoLpr2QziLS4tcQOPJzb64k/s200/images-4.jpeg" width="200" /></a></div>
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If I were creating a field sales organization for my own company, I'd plan the sales strategy knowing the following:</div>
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<li style="margin-left: 15px;"><b style="color: #222222; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">The stakes are significantly higher</b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"> that a usual technical hire.. The cost of failure is significant at both ends. To some on your dev team or to your VCs, a sales person's success, could be a litmus test indicator if the company will succeed or not.. </span></span></li>
<li style="color: #222222; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-left: 15px;"><b>Hire for sales structure, process and NOT the rolodex: </b>Most reps have good contacts and that's a given. But that's not what will close your sale. Hire your founding sales team to create repetitive sales processes, to shorten sales cycles, create synergies with marketing campaigns, to establish sales models that require minimal involvement from precious dev resources to close.</li>
<li style="color: #222222; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-left: 15px;"><b>Plan for special needs: </b>Outbound field sales teams have different needs so treat them as such. Their needs are certainly unique from what I suspect you have seen on your current team of marketeers, inbound, inside sales team members. Their motivations, apprehensions are very different from sales wannabe co-founders who've never carried a bag. They (field sales) are like sharks who can cover ground quickly if you can keep up with them.. but they also get tired and de-motivated as easily. They need a path to quickly and meticulously work through their designated territory. Your first sales hire should ideally have a plan for the processes, the tools and has to have this done before the sharks are hired. They need help with </li>
<ol>
<li style="color: #222222; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-left: 15px;">Resources (comprehensive sales plays, email templates, elevator pitch, competitive analysis), </li>
<li style="color: #222222; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-left: 15px;">Operational metrics discipline (cold calling, research processes)</li>
<li style="color: #222222; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-left: 15px;">Accountability (cadence call frameworks like <a href="http://harpalsthoughts.blogspot.com/2013/01/scotsman-keeps-you-honest-with-your.html" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">SCOTSMAN</a>). </li>
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<li style="color: #222222; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-left: 15px;"><b>Plan for our success or not:</b> Startup sales is freaking hard.. The rolodex is a starting point but can't get you a close.. The career highs are amazing yet few! The lows are many and they can last long.. they can crush sales morale.. So you have to plan for success and (sadly) for failure too.. For the latter have a plan for 25-50% attrition each year.. to get the team to hit the ground running in under 30-days. </li>
<li style="color: #222222; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-left: 15px;"><b>Avoid a shotgun sales strategy</b> aka a generic sales pitch for all industries. Rather tailor the pitch for select verticals and particular use cases. Preferably ones with beachhead synergies to what solution has worked well so far.. Do so by doing the following. </li>
<ol style="color: #222222; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">
<li style="margin-left: 15px;">Identify repeat sales patterns from your current customer base</li>
<li style="margin-left: 15px;">A barney B2B partnership sales relationship or one with Friends of Management (FOM) is great for a reference client rolodex but is rarely a repeatable deal model</li>
<li style="margin-left: 15px;">Create a heat map.. Have an A, B an C-list of companies to target in select industries, regions </li>
<li style="margin-left: 15px;">Articulate the $$$ impact of the status quo </li>
<li style="margin-left: 15px;">the ROI value of a potential Kinvey solution </li>
</ol>
<li style="color: #222222; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-left: 15px;"><b>Sell the sales person on your product.. </b>With succinct examples, articulate a clear Compelling Reason to Act (CRA) and Why YOU and why not a competitor? What's the cost of non action? a.k.a Startup value proposition? What is the next best alternative to your story? Would someone loose their jobs for choosing the alternative? Those are the killer use cases. Identifying this stuff is not easy, I get it. You'd have to drill deep and be honest. Try selling the solution to the new sales hire prospect. See if he'd bet his new born on the sale? If he doesn't, then do the drill jointly... Ask for his help to come up with the winning model. But don't hire unless they are truly passionate about making the sale.. If the sales guy is skeptical and is raising objections/questions , that is a good thing. Take his perspective seriously and hear them out.. They are playing devil's advocate.. Sales is a team play. There's no one right perspective.</li>
<li style="color: #222222; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-left: 15px;"><b>Have a pragmatic pricing model: </b>It can't be I'll take what I can get. To get the large 7-figure deals, you'd have to license differently like ELAs, ACVs deals. Even with that, it's important to identify the value based pricing model. At what price do you walk from a deal? I've created many (good and bad) such OPEX heavy models before so I can give you guidance on the same. </li>
<li style="color: #222222; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-left: 15px;"><b>Double down on the larger sales strategy: </b>To make the above model sticky with newer customers, you'd need at least a couple customers, and a proven execution model before a sales team can succeed on a repeat sales model. Your inside sales pitch, marketing collateral and campaign planning have to all reflect a plan for such deals. </li>
<li style="color: #222222; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-left: 15px;"><b>Keep the comp plan simple, generous yet aggressive:</b> It's possible to hit a balance here. Nothing motivates sales more than hard $$$ incentives. On the same lines, there's no bigger put-off than a complex plan with inherent gotchas. </li>
</ol>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">I can go on and on but I'll stop now.. If you like this and want to now more.. it's best to drop me a line at harpalkochar@gmail.com. </span></span></div>
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Harpalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06107616360898924341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7216505542856507149.post-10863594590955534972013-05-16T11:15:00.005-07:002013-05-16T15:49:20.377-07:00Cold calling for CEOs and Sales<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<!--StartFragment-->
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Hey Mr/Ms Startup CEO, or first sales hire at a startup..</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8texniNszWzUl5wqWq7VsdvZsr1E6JbZNOmPBJjA1D3MUMV_lZD2HdpxuAc64Ih-kiDFSCWPLqMS5tCFVI9o82ga-PUzs5HgZiT-2htNbjMplWbYi2jnrAi9yNWOYvC5IlJIfRf2iY88/s1600/images-1.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8texniNszWzUl5wqWq7VsdvZsr1E6JbZNOmPBJjA1D3MUMV_lZD2HdpxuAc64Ih-kiDFSCWPLqMS5tCFVI9o82ga-PUzs5HgZiT-2htNbjMplWbYi2jnrAi9yNWOYvC5IlJIfRf2iY88/s1600/images-1.jpeg" /></a>I know you hate cold calling but there's no way around it.. It's far too important a part of selling when your brand isn't quite established. How else would the world know you existed and that you can positively impact their lives and that they can pay-up in this quarter?? So here's my approach.. I've added a sample script below..</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Prepare upfront and practice a lot</b>:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>#1. Less is more: </b>Tell them as little as possible. Don't tell them what you do. Instead talk about a pain and what you have done with others do to address
the pain. Short sentences.. Talk no more than 30-seconds in one go.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>#2. Be direct, get to the point right away:</b> No need to say courtesy crap.. like how's your day going?? People's time is valuable. Focus on why they should act.. now. Keep focus on wanting a 1:1 meeting.. to discuss a pain, a benefit or even better the money that a successful deployment will make. For example.. "I want to come by and show you how
I helped the following companies save the following or earn the following..
what time next week can we meet??" Be prepared then for the rebuttal question about a potential incumbent solution. Have a one
liner to say clearly why your offering is better. Don't let a objection spoil your chances of getting the 1:1.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>#3 Prepare three to four key high impact questions: </b>This is the meeting
closer on the cold call. Be ready with some high impact killer sales questions. Look up my <a href="http://harpalsthoughts.blogspot.com/2013/05/high-impact-sales-questions.html" target="_blank">earlier post on the topic</a> for more on that topic. The prospect should help you
understand the current, the desired situation and the gap. Ask of the consequences
of doing nothing? As they tell you more think if the gap is big enough for
them to meet with you? If the gap isn’t big enough, be ready with additional 3-4 question.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Sample script:</b><br />
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Good morning.. This is Harpal Kochar … I’m the sales
director at XYZ company,. We are in the business of delivery ZZZ capabilities
our customers.. I’m calling you because your business profile fits others who have benefited from what we do. The following three capabilities of our solution that will interest you are.. A...B...C.. (<i>you have to say this fast</i>). That said and without
knowing more about your business, this is what I’ve gleaned from my research, I
can’t know for sure if what we do makes sense for you.. if I haven’t caught you
at a bad time, I’d like to ask you a 2-3 questions. May I? (keep shut and let the prospect talk now)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If the prospect sounds interested, ask the following.. do you
have 15-20 mins on your calendar next week Tuesday afternoon? I can tell you more,
review with you what we’ve done with other clients in more details and learn about
your issues to see if there’s a match? Suggest a time proactively<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Happy Selling..</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<!--EndFragment--></div>
Harpalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06107616360898924341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7216505542856507149.post-44921799236719173602013-05-14T11:11:00.004-07:002013-05-14T11:11:55.726-07:00Are you being a column fodder?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Hey Sales guy/gal...<br />
<br />
Experienced sales execs do one thing well.. they are good at predicting <a href="http://www.marketing-playbook.com/glossary/index.php/term/%26%23160%3B,Column+Fodder.xhtml" target="_blank">column fodder</a> opportunities early on.. This is critical in sales cycles where we work with a quarter end in focus. I recommend you view each opportunity (how-much ever promising it looks), critically from the column fodder lens. It might help you save critical time.. In the ideal case it will help you make a winning proposal and speed up the sales cycle.<br />
<br />
<b>Situation</b>: You get a call from a prospect, saying they need a proposal with a quote right away.. They give you a set of defined RFP questions.. You aren't allowed access to decision makers, and are told to follow the "procurement process". On further probing your chances of success, they leave it at this.. All the proposals they have received so far are good and can't give you a reason why they perceive your value proposition as better or unique. They can't answer the "why you" question clearly. They can't even give you a hypothetical situation of what you'd have to do in an ideal world to win the business. They say price is the deciding factor of the vendor choice.<br />
<br />
<b>Analysis: </b>Unless you are a rainmaker.. your chances of winning in such a situation are close to <u>zero</u>.<br />
<br />
<ol style="text-align: left;">
<li>If you did not write the RFP questions, someone in your competition did... </li>
<li>If you don't know you are winning and why, then you are loosing.. </li>
<li>In the decision making team, if you don't have a champion batting for you, either focus to create one or simply walk away.. </li>
<li>Forget believing crap like "we have the best solution and no one comes close to matching it.." I've lost several opportunities thinking just that..</li>
</ol>
</div>
Harpalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06107616360898924341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7216505542856507149.post-78709254301535341332013-05-02T20:35:00.001-07:002013-05-02T23:38:17.420-07:00High Impact Sales Questions<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2KAX_JsvvvZ6cWI62VuBgQynaaUj_NAWTTSdlbPmVPFm6yO1eR8kfnX4o4GC_JAND6sWDHO0phlFufHiJ74HzHURNGE2O5MvgrQ0PeLxaTa5Tu2djjMAynhzQLe7IDSdBYLqnqiuqEFU/s1600/images.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2KAX_JsvvvZ6cWI62VuBgQynaaUj_NAWTTSdlbPmVPFm6yO1eR8kfnX4o4GC_JAND6sWDHO0phlFufHiJ74HzHURNGE2O5MvgrQ0PeLxaTa5Tu2djjMAynhzQLe7IDSdBYLqnqiuqEFU/s1600/images.jpeg" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">High performing sales reps ask high impact questions <u>early</u> in the sales cycle. They are quick at identifying opportunities that will NOT close anytime soon. They attend to the ones that indeed will. Customers appreciate working with such sales people/teams simply because both parties mean serious business.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But it's hard to identify such questions and even harder to present them to customers. It takes practice, confidence and a few bad deals you did (for lack of this step), in your bag. The good thing is that high impact questions are more or less universal in all sales situations. Enterprise sales is a team sport. The entire account team should be comfortable asking them and should strive to elicit a predictable response from the customer.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here's my list... Please note you don't have to ask all questions or ask in any particular order.. Most of these should be asked once a problem use case is defined by the customer. Lastly, don't try and memorize this. Feel the impact as you read this and make it a part of your sales lingo!</span><br />
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<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left: 13.5pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><b><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">5.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-weight: normal;">
</span></span></b><!--[endif]--><b><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">Who else
will benefit most from this solution and to what extent?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">[HK intent]</span></b><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"> who will loose his/her job if the project
isn’t successful? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span></span></b><!--[endif]--><b><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">How
will solving this issue impact you personally?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">[HK intent]</span></b><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"> Get personal.. Check out the pathos<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><b><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">7.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-weight: normal;">
</span></span></b><!--[endif]--><b><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">How
do you solve this problem now?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">[HK intent</span></b><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">] If it’s really important then they must have some clunky solution in place.. What are the short comings.. Use the answer to build a value proposition in a business proposal. It will help you with procurement :-).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><b><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">8.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-weight: normal;">
</span></span></b><!--[endif]--><b><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">Have
you tried to solve this problem in the past?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">[HK Intent]</span></b><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"> What should I do such that differentiates my
approach from the past failure? Who is my ghost competition?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><b><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">9.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-weight: normal;">
</span></span></b><!--[endif]--><b><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">Is
someone trying to address this problem now?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">[HK Intent] </span></b><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">Is there a parallel initiative I'm competing with? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Harpalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06107616360898924341noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7216505542856507149.post-51737657785723950312013-01-25T12:55:00.002-08:002013-01-27T00:00:21.684-08:00SCOTSMAN: Because time is money (in sales)! <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikQyEx6XWBTdgR_gu2tOFyA_C8WCIwGxG5w7fsilZpsdsWGCa3GGT7XnGgwv0_DU-gc43l6_OXCnnuXESjtYZBj8Cy4EIRYwEVqek7bd7-Q1gd0GmbIYHHJ5tpgvJtQtlmsHHLLjK0QTg/s1600/images-3.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikQyEx6XWBTdgR_gu2tOFyA_C8WCIwGxG5w7fsilZpsdsWGCa3GGT7XnGgwv0_DU-gc43l6_OXCnnuXESjtYZBj8Cy4EIRYwEVqek7bd7-Q1gd0GmbIYHHJ5tpgvJtQtlmsHHLLjK0QTg/s1600/images-3.jpeg" /></a><span style="background-color: white; color: #393939; font-family: inherit; line-height: 20px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">My Dear Sellers: </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #393939; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 20px;"><br /></span></span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #393939; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">We sales people hate loosing! It's even worse when we come in second...</span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 20px;"> there is NO silver medal in our job! The winner takes it ALL.. But what hurts me the most is my personal time lost</span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">.. I want to know my chances of winning quickly and either stick around or look for other places for business.. Over the years, I've learned a technique that </span></span><span style="line-height: 20px;">maximizes</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 20px;"> my chances of winning.. that I'd like to share with you.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Priority needs to be given to the business opportunities we can and would want to win. Chasing all deals is unproductive and may result in us overlooking the hot ones, by wasting time on the low value sales. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Our time, the most precious commodity of all, is as important as that of the boss of our largest customer - we have an absolute right to decide where we invest our time. So is there a systemic way we can objectively qualify which opportunities we spend time on?</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #393939; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">With some help early in my career, I researched a solution (Thanks George Yen!) and it has worked wonders for me! You have perhaps have heard of this sales methodology before. But with this read, I'll give you an actual modeling tool (linked below) to assist you</span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 20px;"> with using the methodology... give the thinking a clear form factor! </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">It all comes down to <strong style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px;">SCOTSMAN:</strong><br style="outline: none;" /><strong style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px;">Solution</strong> - can we technically / physically meet the need?<br style="outline: none;" /><strong style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px;">Competition</strong> - Who is our real competition? Is it internal politics or an incumbent? does my competition have an unfair advantage against me?<strong style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px;"><br style="outline: none;" /></strong><strong style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px;">Only Me</strong> - what does the client perceive is unique about us?<strong style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px;"><br style="outline: none;" /></strong><strong style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px;">Timescales</strong> - is it too near or far for us to be involved now? Why will they buy from us now? What's the compelling reason to act?<br style="outline: none;" /><strong style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px;">Size</strong> - to small or to large to be viable for us? Can we handle this alone? Should we partner, or go alone? <br style="outline: none;" /><strong style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px;">Money</strong> - do they have sufficient real, spendable budget? When is the last time they spent money on something like you are selling to them? <br style="outline: none;" /><strong style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px;">Authority</strong> - what is the decision making process? Who is the influencer and who is the nay sayer? Who's opinion matters? Who does the main budget holder like? <br style="outline: none;" /><strong style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px;">Need</strong> - What are they looking to achieve? What is the cost of NOT doing anything?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Score each of the above... Use the model spreadsheet below.. a score of less than 34 out of 42 should raise alerts.. the deal might not close... Through the process we'll learn of certain areas where we are weaker than others; this is where we focus our energy to improve that score.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">SCOTSMAN is a simple common language that can be understood across the organisation - now the technical folk for example, can quiz you on the qualification of a deal before they invest their time to help you.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
If you like to build out a model and go deeper, I have a <a href="https://dl.dropbox.com/u/53990998/scotsman-qualification-spreadsheet.xlsx" target="_blank">spreadsheet</a> that goes into more details on the topic. It has more detailed questions and allows for a deal model and progression with it. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Contact me at harpalkochar@gmail.com if you need more details and I'd be happy to walk you through the model...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">-Harpal</span></div>
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Harpalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06107616360898924341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7216505542856507149.post-83027582731182524292013-01-02T22:16:00.003-08:002013-01-03T01:21:22.944-08:00Our willingness to fail gives us the ability and opportunity to succeed where others may fear to tread...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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My Dear Friends,<br />
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I'd like to share with you this powerful quote ... The words inspire me in harder times!<br />
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<span style="color: #660000;">"Our willingness to fail gives us the ability and opportunity to succeed where others may fear to tread."</span><br />
<span style="color: #660000;">“I've missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I've lost almost 300 games. Twenty six times, I've been trusted to take the game-winning shot and missed. I've failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed." </span><b>—Michael Jordan</b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrnFed79SjOiTWm5xNFsoXLJ3NJ25yCMXYEXDLXxpFI3vZQTpBgNcgp2NW6RqdB2ltXH55_e1jj_jRF0-wCDqkI70g2PtmBU_k3gKr4ToVG-VfJOf7ezcIVZBxEnoM9iiRhohSgF6-M6c/s1600/208956_10150882255246682_765541901_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrnFed79SjOiTWm5xNFsoXLJ3NJ25yCMXYEXDLXxpFI3vZQTpBgNcgp2NW6RqdB2ltXH55_e1jj_jRF0-wCDqkI70g2PtmBU_k3gKr4ToVG-VfJOf7ezcIVZBxEnoM9iiRhohSgF6-M6c/s320/208956_10150882255246682_765541901_n.jpg" width="212" /></a>2012 was the year of experiences for me! After one failed attempt and 2-years of rigorous physical training, I fulfilled my long cherished goal of <a href="http://harpalsthoughts.blogspot.com/2012/06/cda-ironman-race-report.html" target="_blank">completing a Ironman triathlon</a> race. And that attitude of striving for harder goal rubs on ;-). Observing me, both my girls (aged 11 and 7) have taken to competitive triathlon sports. They both continue to better their vocal singing talents and their Taekwondo martial arts training. The older one earned her black belt first degree and while her younger sibbing can't get enough of yelling and shrieking with her moves in the class. As for my dear wife, her passion for dance and aerobics is unmatched and she continues to excel in her career as a IT business analyst. I've attached a picture of the four of us taken in early 2012. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgICW38a7aU8EFtEu3XuuwQ6xk2m1IO1EC6ZEI5Zea5yC9nkyq0rD_ffDileIbsfij55rKdcRbouqwgykCt1V4sOQ7G6RBZBJZowvyuf-ZrbGvBf1U6rkpG225QgqzrmpMnc-9alSNawCQ/s1600/409699_10150902447196682_141019119_n-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgICW38a7aU8EFtEu3XuuwQ6xk2m1IO1EC6ZEI5Zea5yC9nkyq0rD_ffDileIbsfij55rKdcRbouqwgykCt1V4sOQ7G6RBZBJZowvyuf-ZrbGvBf1U6rkpG225QgqzrmpMnc-9alSNawCQ/s320/409699_10150902447196682_141019119_n-1.jpg" width="269" /></a>We took the girls for a fun vacation to New York city and Washington DC in the summer. I also took the time to connect with my roots... first by attending my college reunion over a weekend in Miami... and then a memorable hiking/photography expedition to Zion national park.</div>
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Work is rock solid as usual. I finally moved to the Mac! I enjoy selling and can't get enough of doing just that every single day. The learnings from being a part of a sales team at IBM are unmatched. So I continue to grow and reinvent myself. I hope you too have experiences in 2013 that impact you for the better. Please do stay in touch.</div>
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<span style="color: #888888;">-Harpal</span><br />
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<span style="color: #888888;"><a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/harpalkochar/" name="13bdd5fec7a8b80b_13bd8be62b17998e_13bcef548ae39002_13bcef03bbd3f83a_13bcec02386cc1d2_webProfileURL" target="_blank" title="View public profile">www.linkedin.com/in/<wbr></wbr>harpalkochar/</a></span></div>
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Harpalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06107616360898924341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7216505542856507149.post-60600959061306789752012-07-05T09:30:00.001-07:002013-01-27T00:39:39.483-08:0010 Keys to the C-Suite<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgo8uK9vVXE_qScA1ExvCsRYiCRPbKTjABGzVQzb2lHjN5dP0TQf8wwIluuUTLoY2nosAWGLHDlnv_7cd27L3UrRLm6cNQKwwunUtiS9S9qJPL6NRNPNrU3HbfWQRkSuwNwWg7zgru8J8/s1600/c-e-o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="132" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgo8uK9vVXE_qScA1ExvCsRYiCRPbKTjABGzVQzb2lHjN5dP0TQf8wwIluuUTLoY2nosAWGLHDlnv_7cd27L3UrRLm6cNQKwwunUtiS9S9qJPL6NRNPNrU3HbfWQRkSuwNwWg7zgru8J8/s200/c-e-o.jpg" width="200" /></a>Working
with the C-Suite can be intimidating at the least for many sales
professionals. They are important, they are untouchable, they are too
busy, they are speaking in a different language, they are..., they
are..., they are..... Well, they are human. And the C-Suite is just like
you and me...except they make a lot more money than us. That aside,
here are 10 tips to communicating with the C-Suite.</div>
<ul style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0; margin-right: 0; margin-top: 0; padding: 0;">
<li style="color: #3a352a; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: square; list-style: none; margin-bottom: 0.7em; margin-left: 30px; margin-right: 0; margin-top: 0; padding: 0;"><div style="color: #3a352a; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 1.3em; margin-left: 0; margin-right: 0; margin-top: 0; padding-top: 3px; padding: 0; vertical-align: top;">
<b>Create
a Value Inventory </b>- A Value Inventory will help instil confidence in
your products and service. It is an effort that pays off time and time
again. In addition to your new found confidence, it is the foundation
for developing all sales tools.</div>
</li>
<li style="color: #3a352a; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: square; list-style: none; margin-bottom: 0.7em; margin-left: 30px; margin-right: 0; margin-top: 0; padding: 0;"><div style="color: #3a352a; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 1.3em; margin-left: 0; margin-right: 0; margin-top: 0; padding-top: 3px; padding: 0; vertical-align: top;">
<b>U</b><b>se
your Value Inventory to tie value to the C-Suite metrics</b> - The C-Suite
metrics are ratios that your products and services impact. For example,
if your product reduces labor cost, you actually impact operating costs
and profit. These are the ratio's the C-Suite cares about.</div>
</li>
<li style="color: #3a352a; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: square; list-style: none; margin-bottom: 0.7em; margin-left: 30px; margin-right: 0; margin-top: 0; padding: 0;"><div style="color: #3a352a; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 1.3em; margin-left: 0; margin-right: 0; margin-top: 0; padding-top: 3px; padding: 0; vertical-align: top;">
<b>Do
your homework before you call on the C-Suite</b> - I cannot impress upon
you enough as to the importance of doing your homework prior to a
meeting in the C-Suite. They expect you to know their business. You
should check LinkedIn for any relationships you have they may know who
you are meeting. Do your homework or parish.</div>
</li>
<li style="color: #3a352a; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: square; list-style: none; margin-bottom: 0.7em; margin-left: 30px; margin-right: 0; margin-top: 0; padding: 0;"><div style="color: #3a352a; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 1.3em; margin-left: 0; margin-right: 0; margin-top: 0; padding-top: 3px; padding: 0; vertical-align: top;">
<b>Create
a Value hypothesis</b> and estimate your value as it relates to the impact
on the C-Suite metrics before the deal, “hits the market” - This
document will establish a basis for your meeting. You can present the
potential value you will deliver in their terms using basically a
Business Case at the beginning of the sales process.</div>
</li>
<li style="color: #3a352a; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: square; list-style: none; margin-bottom: 0.7em; margin-left: 30px; margin-right: 0; margin-top: 0; padding: 0;"><div style="color: #3a352a; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 1.3em; margin-left: 0; margin-right: 0; margin-top: 0; padding-top: 3px; padding: 0; vertical-align: top;">
<b>Develop
discovery questions</b> that lead your prospect back to your value
proposition - Don't waste their time. Have discovery questions written
down and ready to discuss. Be sure they are relevant, and challenging.
Don't ask a question just to ask a questions.</div>
</li>
<li style="color: #3a352a; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: square; list-style: none; margin-bottom: 0.7em; margin-left: 30px; margin-right: 0; margin-top: 0; padding: 0;"><div style="color: #3a352a; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 1.3em; margin-left: 0; margin-right: 0; margin-top: 0; padding-top: 3px; padding: 0; vertical-align: top;">
<b>Capture
“current” cost and extrapolate</b> that cost over time to set up a
discussion on threshold for pain - People respond to pain. If you get
agreement from your prospect as to what their problems and goals are and
what the current cost of those issues, pains and goals, half the battle
is over. Acknowledgement of pain and the ability to capture the cost
will push a deal forward faster than any other thing.</div>
</li>
<li style="color: #3a352a; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: square; list-style: none; margin-bottom: 0.7em; margin-left: 30px; margin-right: 0; margin-top: 0; padding: 0;"><div style="color: #3a352a; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 1.3em; margin-left: 0; margin-right: 0; margin-top: 0; padding-top: 3px; padding: 0; vertical-align: top;">
<b>Discuss
threshold for pain and agree on a plan to move forward</b> - All too often
you lose to status quo. Why? Because of your failure to understand the
prospects threshold for pain. Even if you get them to acknowledge they
have issues, and you calculate the cost of those issues...the pain and
the cost may be acceptable by the prospect. In other words, they don't
care what it is costing them right now.</div>
</li>
<li style="color: #3a352a; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: square; list-style: none; margin-bottom: 0.7em; margin-left: 30px; margin-right: 0; margin-top: 0; padding: 0;"><div style="color: #3a352a; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 1.3em; margin-left: 0; margin-right: 0; margin-top: 0; padding-top: 3px; padding: 0; vertical-align: top;">
<b>Constantly
provide feedback to your prospect on your findings and analysis</b> as it
relates to their pain, cost of pain, and market comparison - We (sales
people) have been taught our whole life to correspond with the prospect
after we meet. This should be done every time you touch them, send a
note of thanks and a short description of what you discussed.</div>
</li>
<li style="color: #3a352a; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: square; list-style: none; margin-bottom: 0.7em; margin-left: 30px; margin-right: 0; margin-top: 0; padding: 0;"><div style="color: #3a352a; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 1.3em; margin-left: 0; margin-right: 0; margin-top: 0; padding-top: 3px; padding: 0; vertical-align: top;">
<b>Create
a high quality Business Case that includes, issue, pain, goal, value,
impact and investment</b> - remember the C-Suite has very little time, a
Business Case should be concise and complete with the issues, value
estimates, costs, metrics and plenty of graphics the will help explain
economic impact.</div>
</li>
<li style="color: #3a352a; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: square; list-style: none; margin-bottom: 0.7em; margin-left: 30px; margin-right: 0; margin-top: 0; padding: 0;"><div style="color: #3a352a; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 1.3em; margin-left: 0; margin-right: 0; margin-top: 0; padding-top: 3px; padding: 0; vertical-align: top;">
Provide
comprehensive implementation plan that includes follow up on value
delivered - A 360 approach will almost always pay off. You are now a
partner not a vendor.</div>
<div style="color: #3a352a; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0pt 0pt 1.3em; padding: 3px 0pt 0pt; vertical-align: top;">
Collateral borrowed from Michael Nick at <b style="font-style: normal; font-weight: bold;"><a href="https://go.madmimi.com/redirects/1341500510-ec85a3659c2d5266319db8d566277eb1-b8849b6?pa=10318316278" style="color: #597bb7; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">www.roi4sales.com</a></b> </div>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
</div>
Harpalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06107616360898924341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7216505542856507149.post-24514347669234223712012-06-28T20:53:00.000-07:002013-01-27T00:31:16.722-08:00Ironman Race Report<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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In Coeur D' Alene, Idaho, on June 24th 2012, at 11:52 PM after a near 17-hour race, I became an Ironman. My training lasted 2-years, averaging 5-6 days a week, several hours each day. Below is a run down of the events that happened on race day. <br />
<b> </b><br />
<b>Race day morning at home:</b><br />
When the alarm woke me up at 3:30AM, it felt like I hadn't slept at all the night before.. or for that matter the entire 12-months leading to the event. I gathered myself, showtime was ON and there was no looking back now. Two-years of focused effort was going to bear fruits today.. We had to leave the house at 4:45am and I had a lot to get through. I had a clearly documented <a href="http://harpalsthoughts.blogspot.com/2012/06/ironman-cda-race-nutrition-and.html" target="_blank">race day plan</a> that I had discussed at length with my coach Paul Kinney, so the chores were almost mechanical but time consuming.The race day bags were all ready so all I had to do was to take a bath, make my morning fresh juices, consume them and then relieve myself. I've been on a liquid vegetables/fruits juices breakfast diet for the past 2-months now and that worked really well on race day as well. <br />
<br />
<b>The nerve wrecking transition before the swim start:</b><br />
The conditions were cloudy and overcast. The waters in the lake Coeur D' Alene looked calm but that's where we, the contestants had it wrong.. I went through transition, checked my bike, breaks, tires, air pressure, filled race bottles with my main electrolyte drink i.e. coconut water, special needs bags, etc. By now it was 6:30AM and we were asked to get ready for the swim. The water temperature was a whooping 53 degrees Fahrenheit (~10 degrees Celsius). I used a cold water from a faucet nearby to fill a part of my wet suit
(this helps warmup and acclimatize the body to the colder waters). The start is a beach run format and no one is allowed to warm up in the lake which IMO (as we learned later) should be discouraged by Ironman management. Because of the mass start, it feels like one is swimming in a washing machine with very cold water.. the experience is more traumatic if one start ahead with the strong swimmers. So I decided to avoid that and start in the middle to the end of the pack. None the less, I still got slapped twice and one time I nearly lost my goggles to a nasty kick on my face. Here's a video of the start line up that gives most people goose bumps.<br />
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<b>The Choppy 2.4 mile swim:</b><br />
<br />
<b> </b>I started well (no ice cream headaches, heart palpitations etc) and I thought to myself.. I have the swim portion under control. That changed within 600 yards of entering the water. The race was a two loop course and based on previous practice swims, I hoped to finish under 1-hour and 30 minutes. The waters got very choppy, the currents picked up and my speed dropped. I saw several swimmers getting picked up. In all 85 swimmers out of 2300 left the race mid ways. Three water ambulances surrounded most of the sections I swam in looking for signed of distress from weaker swimmers. I tried not to make eye contact with them though I was very scared navigating the 2-3 feet tall waves .. I could not afford to be one of the failed swimmers.. I had a chip on my shoulder and a failed race from last year that I had to get over.. So I persisted... swimming overcoming the course one buoy at a time.. Coach Liz had once advised me on swimming with the head 6-inches under the currents in choppy waters like the ones I faced and I did exactly that.. In the end, 900 yards before the end I got a bad cramp in my right hip.. I was running out of time.. aiming now for a 2-hour finish facing the swim cutoff at 2 hours at 20 minutes. So I swam with the cramp in place.. almost not using my legs at all solely relying on my hands to get me to the shore.. In transition while changing I heard a man had suffered a heart attack in the water. The guy <a href="http://www.nwcn.com/home/?fId=160274565&fPath=%2Fnews%2Flocal&fDomain=10222&fb_source=message" target="_blank">died a couple of days</a> later which was very sad. <br />
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<b>The Long 112 mile bike ride</b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJCkYupKnbrFqPz9CTcY7qrFyhul-AfAw6MN_-PKBurNbCFO0MwUAPZxsTqHIE0cGj2lmAWk6hP5wttpdbEHMSPeWSBEcFs8jy_XIEfV27HxpWCX8tlCTWFi3rIx2fjviNXmw_m381vTo/s1600/0191_19387.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJCkYupKnbrFqPz9CTcY7qrFyhul-AfAw6MN_-PKBurNbCFO0MwUAPZxsTqHIE0cGj2lmAWk6hP5wttpdbEHMSPeWSBEcFs8jy_XIEfV27HxpWCX8tlCTWFi3rIx2fjviNXmw_m381vTo/s320/0191_19387.jpg" width="320" /></a>This year, CdA Ironman had a new bike route. It wasn't as technical or curvy as the one before but it had three climbs each lasting about 2-3 miles each with a steady 2-3% gradient. That kind incline is OK to handle for short spurts but that wasn't that case here. I drove the course the day before and it felt doable. What I did not factor was the headwinds that were set to come on race day :-). As I got on highway 95, fifteen miles into the bike ride, the winds picked up steam. Before I knew it, my bike speed was averaging the single digits on the uphills. The best I could do then was not to push too hard on the pedals, stay in the aero position, conserve energy and save my legs for the run. Coach Paul has an analogy of the race day human body being like a checking account.. you only take out as much as is barely needed. You risk going broke if you spend too much too early. I used Coach Kevin Coady's advice to coast the down hills and conserved energy even while doing high speeds. I finished the first 56-miles at 1pm well before the 1:30pm cutoff mark. But the smell of things that could potentially go wrong from last year's experience kept lingering.. The potential flat tire was the biggest concern. It would take me under 15-mins to fix a flat tire and so I was always planning time to handle two flat tires. Planning for that eventuality, I was just on the edge with the time. I cruised along to my next milestone which was the 92-mile checkpoint cutoff at 4pm. At mile 80, I crossed the physiological barrier of last year's event. It was at mile 80 last year that I completely fell apart and could go no further. This year I was feeling quite strong at mile 80.. Now I could see the end in sight .. I finished the 112 mile bike ride at 5:10pm, twenty minutes shy of the 5:30pm cutoff.<br />
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<b>The tenacious marathon </b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMrSXYugL0GIRUn79HjZCdLlh5rpUKmX3iI5sPRzWcs9YbCtayynXUVd2mCrmnFqkVVpu5ysfLiBtcVCYY-1Rs3m51TNt2FBY69-SxI_SueIoAzNWfuhAw0zZilWloHpMZx6z-X8ZNMFE/s1600/0191_25319.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMrSXYugL0GIRUn79HjZCdLlh5rpUKmX3iI5sPRzWcs9YbCtayynXUVd2mCrmnFqkVVpu5ysfLiBtcVCYY-1Rs3m51TNt2FBY69-SxI_SueIoAzNWfuhAw0zZilWloHpMZx6z-X8ZNMFE/s320/0191_25319.jpg" width="212" /></a>I had little left in my legs when I started the run, averaging a 12-min mile in the first three miles. It was clear that the run wasn't going to get any easier for the remaining 23 miles.I had taken down 2000 calories of cliff blocks on the bike and now the sugar repulsion was getting to me.. I found solace in chicken broth that was being served at the water stations that were a mile apart. I liked the broth so much that I quickly gulped down a couple of large glasses of the same.. before I knew it, the revolt within my body had started and I was throwing up every few minutes.. At mile 10. I caught up with coach Paul Kinney and discussed my situation with him.. If I could eat no more as was the case, I was sure to collapse before the end of the race. Paul's advice was that I stay with salt pills, that have vital electrolytes and keep drinking lots of water. A good samaritan on the run handed me a couple of caffeinated salt pills that really helped..<br />
I cross mile 13 around 8:30, thirty minutes before the half way point time limit. It was clear that I had to up my speed if I was to complete the race so I started jogging at a faster 13-min mile pace. The running felt alright til mile 15 when I decided to experiment with some food.. a piece of banana and oranges with that felt good and I was able to hold them back.. The new calories helped me keep going but by then, I had lost so much speed that my only option was to walk off the rest of the course. My goal was now to walk as fast as I could and to cross the the mile 21 cut off before the 10:30 pm deadline. It had gone pitch dark around 10pm and going next to the lake, I had to be careful of not getting into an accident.<br />
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I crossed mile 21 at 10:18pm well aware that my speeds were slowing down with each mile. The good thing was that I wasn't cramping in the legs. I was just very tired. At mile 23, I still had 50 mins left and 3.2 miles to cover. That distance looked hard to finish in my shoes. I tried running but could not hold a run for more than 1-2 mins at a stretch. So I gave up on the run and stayed at a fast 15-16 min mile walk.. <br />
So with that I completed the run at 11:52 PM, eight minutes short of the final cutoff. I was elated to hear my my name being called out at the finish line by the main voice of the Ironman, Mr. Mike Reiley.. Hearing the words "HARPAL KOCHAR... YOU ARE AN IRONMAN" made me jump in the air like I had no aches or pains at all..<br />
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The crowd support was simply amazing throughout. I've attached a video below that tells you of the electricity in the air at the end of the race. <br />
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Harpalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06107616360898924341noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7216505542856507149.post-10561520617153169502012-06-28T14:00:00.003-07:002013-05-02T13:23:29.346-07:00Ironman CdA Race nutrition and execution strategy<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Saturday:</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Simulaterace day morning schedule</span><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;"></span></div>
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<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level2 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 1.0in;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">wake up, take a bath </span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level2 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 1.0in;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">stretches, breakfast ( (Tea, Honey, Bread toast and one banana) 200 cals), relieve self, visualize the finish line): 6:30am </span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level2 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 1.0in;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Make vegetable juice 7:00am</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level2 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 1.0in;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Out of the house: 7:30am </span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level2 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 1.0in;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Sip/drink fruit and vegetable juice (in car) (300 cals)</span></li>
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<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Pre swim 15-min run</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Short Tri workout: 20-swim, 20-bike and 15 run (8:30am)</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Check-in Bike: 10 AM</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Lunch: Chicken Salad: noon</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Afternoon sleep: one hour</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">late afternoon snack: hummus, guacamole and lavash bread 3pm, cup of tea</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Dinner: 6:00pm </span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Transition bags setup 7pm</span></li>
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<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level2 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 1.0in;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">vaseline, chammy butter sachets, </span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level2 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 1.0in;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">salt pills in Nathan bottle holder (8) some in bento (6), </span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level2 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 1.0in;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">cliff blocks in bento and special needs, </span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level2 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 1.0in;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">fill zip log, caffeine blocks in special needs bag only)</span></li>
</ul>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Race visualization time 8:00 PM</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">In the bed 8:30 PM</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Sleep 9:00 PM</span></li>
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<b><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Sunday </span></b><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;"></span></div>
<ol start="1" type="1">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l10 level1 lfo2; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">wake up, take a bath, wear swim underclothes, shammy, over shirt, pants: 3:30am</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l10 level1 lfo2; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">stretches, breakfast ( (Tea, Honey, Bread toast and one banana) 200 cals), relieve self, visualize the finish line): 4am </span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l10 level1 lfo2; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Make vegetable juice 4:30am</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l10 level1 lfo2; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Out of the house: 5:00am </span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l10 level1 lfo2; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Sip/drink fruit and vegetable juice (in car) (300 cals)</span></li>
</ol>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Pre race morning at thelake: 5:15</span></b><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;"></span></div>
<ol start="1" type="1">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l9 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Find restroom and relieve myself</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l9 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Setup transition bags, mount Bento, helmet and eye glasses on bike handle</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l9 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Check bike tire pressure (~122-125)</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l9 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Mount</span><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;"> garmin</span><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;"> on bike, the under seat pouch with spare tubes and CO2 (three of each)</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l9 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Add run bottle to my run bag, check that brakes aren’t rubbing, check that bike is in correct gear, make sure the shoes are open</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l9 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Warm up run (15-mins) 6:00 AM</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l9 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Eat three cliff blocks and 8-ounces coconut water (150 cals) 6:30 am</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l9 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Put on swim suit: 6:30 AM, vaseline on hands, legs, shammy butter</span></li>
</ol>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Swim:</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Calories consumed so farbefore swim starts: 650 cals</span></div>
<ol start="1" type="1">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l6 level1 lfo4; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Start in the 70% of the pack when I see things are getting cleared in front</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l6 level1 lfo4; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">enter the water from the innermost point </span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l6 level1 lfo4; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">start slowly, stretching a lot, acclimatize to the cold water, breath every third stroke.. perhaps 4 stroke breathing– if I have to use 2 stroke breathing then I’m above threshold</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l6 level1 lfo4; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">technique: focus on rhythm, pulling myself forward & breathing into the pocket</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l6 level1 lfo4; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Count 30 strokes after each buoy to settle into rhythm each time</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l6 level1 lfo4; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">After first bouy, stop for 10-seconds, look around, gather myself and start the race.</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l6 level1 lfo4; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Plan to finish first half in 50-mns and total swim in 1 hour and 35 mins, finish strong with negative split</span></li>
</ol>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span lang="DE" style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ansi-language: DE;">T1 transition (15-mins)</span></b><span lang="DE" style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ansi-language: DE;"><br />
<br />
<b>Swim transition: </b></span></div>
<ol start="1" type="1">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l4 level1 lfo5; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Relax, let wetsuit strippers to their work, walk, remove under shirt and get T1 transition bag, enter enclosed area</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l4 level1 lfo5; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Take spare water bottle and pour it on self, use a wet sponge to remove the residual Vaseline</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l4 level1 lfo5; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">ask volunteer to put my wetsuit into my the bag</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l4 level1 lfo5; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Dry self, apply chammy butter, put on cycling clothes, heart rate monitor, shoes, head band, </span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l4 level1 lfo5; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Put bag of plantain chips on jersey pocket (200 calories)</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l4 level1 lfo5; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Ask volunteers to put on sun screen </span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l4 level1 lfo5; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Make sure there's nothing in the transition bag, that wasn't used</span></li>
</ol>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Bike:</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Onthe bike, I'll consume 2400 calories including plantain chips, coconut waterand cliff shots. Finish in 8-hours. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">COASTANY TIME YOU ARE ABOVE 25 MPH. PEDAL EASIER & FOCUS ON BEING AERO ANYTIME YOU ARE ABOVE 20 MPH.</span></div>
<ol start="1" type="1">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l3 level1 lfo6; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Be on bike riding by 9:00am latest</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l3 level1 lfo6; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Four cliff block packets on bike (800 calories)</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l3 level1 lfo6; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Coconut Water two 16' bottles on bike (200 calories) </span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l3 level1 lfo6; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">First 15-miles stay in Zone 2-3 (115-129), munch on chips </span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l3 level1 lfo6; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Stay in zone three (122-129) from miles 15 onwards</span></li>
</ol>
<div class="MsoNormal">
MILES 1-17 “Warmup”</div>
<ul type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l8 level1 lfo10; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;">BE CONSERVATIVE OUT & BACK AT THE START OF THE BIKE: constantly passing can burn a lot of matches; when coming up on someone who is going somewhat similar speed to me, “take a break” a legal distance behind them before passing; burned tons of energy passing nonstop here last year</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l8 level1 lfo10; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;">Start at HR 115-124 (zone 2) or so and let it gradually go up if I feel good</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l8 level1 lfo10; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;">MENTALLY: chill out on this part; better to go a little too easy</li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormal">
HILLS / HIGHWAY:</div>
<ul type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l2 level1 lfo11; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><strong><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Hill @ Mile 19-21:</span></strong><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;"> this is the hardest hill- shouldn’t feel any struggle here on loop 1; WATCH SPEED VERSUS HR: don’t push too hard when speed is high; relax, coast & recover on downhill</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l2 level1 lfo11; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><strong><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Gradual uphill @ mile 24-27: </span></strong><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">again, watch HR versus speed here- easy to push too hard on gradual uphill; </span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l2 level1 lfo11; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><strong><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">2 miles net downhill (flattish?): </span></strong><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">coast & soft pedal & high speeds</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l2 level1 lfo11; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><strong><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">kicks up again to peak elevation @ miles 30-32, </span></strong><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">recover on descent afterward, little climb to turnaround</span><span style="font-size: 5.5pt;">, </span></li>
</ul>
<ol start="6" type="1">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l3 level1 lfo6; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Take a water bottle at every stop, take three gulps in, throw bottle out.</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l3 level1 lfo6; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Eat every 25-mins on timer (three blocks, gulp of coconut water)</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l3 level1 lfo6; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">One salt pill every hour</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l3 level1 lfo6; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Sit up on the wheel once every hour to stretch hip flexors and back. STEEPER HILLS ARE IDEAL FOR THIS-- START DOING IT EARLY ON IN THE RACE INSTEAD OF WAITING UNTIL YOU ARE ALREADY TIGHT.</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l3 level1 lfo6; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Six salt pills on bike rack and 24 cliff blocks .. all will be consumed on the bike</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l3 level1 lfo6; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Finish first half by 1pm latest</span></li>
</ol>
<div class="MsoNormal">
BACK TO TOWN:</div>
<ul type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l5 level1 lfo12; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">almost all downhill EXCEPT: short uphill right after turnaround, net uphill in the middle of the 2nd long hill, then a long 3 mile climb up the back side of the mile 19 hill; should be TONS of coasting in here</span></li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Bike refill point:</span></b><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;"></span></div>
<ol start="1" type="1">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l7 level1 lfo7; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Refill cliff blocks four packets (800 cals)</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l7 level1 lfo7; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Replace new coconut water filled bottles (200 cals)</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l7 level1 lfo7; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">new bag of banana chips (200 cals), eat them all before you start, use the time to put together the plan for the next 56 miles</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l7 level1 lfo7; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Maintain zone 3 momentum</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l7 level1 lfo7; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Plan on being back in the transition tent by 4:45pm, plan a negative split</span></li>
</ol>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">T2 Transition (6 mins)</span></b><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;"></span></div>
<ol start="1" type="1">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l11 level1 lfo8; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">take garmin off bike mount & onto wrist mount before dismount</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l11 level1 lfo8; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">give bike to volunteer, find T2 bag, take off bike shoes, run bare feet to get foot to stretch </span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l11 level1 lfo8; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Get inside tent, use a wet sponge to get rid of sweat and sodium on the body</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l11 level1 lfo8; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Dry self, put on fresh clothes, cap, socks, shoes and chammy butter, sunscreen, body glide</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l11 level1 lfo8; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Put 12 cliff blocks (400 calories), chips (200 cals) in run jersey, eight salt pills in Nathan run bottle holder</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l11 level1 lfo8; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Drink a bottle of 8 ounces of water and a sodium pill before run start</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l11 level1 lfo8; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Check if nothing is left unused in T2 bag</span></li>
</ol>
<b><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Run</span></b><br />
<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Finish in fivehours</span><br />
<ol start="1" type="1">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l12 level1 lfo9; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Walk every aid station even from the beginning – vowing to restart running at the end of the last table each time.<span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;"> </span></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l12 level1 lfo9; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Maintain good cadence, even during the walk phases.</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l12 level1 lfo9; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Stay in Zone 2 for first 6-miles, then slowly start going into zone 3</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l12 level1 lfo9; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Munch on chips slowly, providing vital sodium and potassium</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l12 level1 lfo9; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Consume one bottle of coconut water by mile six and half a bottle of water by mile six.</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l12 level1 lfo9; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Start taking in salt pills only if cramping sets in or a feeling of bonking starts to set in (I would have already taken six salt pills on the bike).. relying on chips to give me the needed salt..</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l12 level1 lfo9; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Change coconut water bottle with fresh bottle of coconut water at special needs station, keep bag of chips handy but slow the intake.. take fruits, chicken soup in second half of run</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l12 level1 lfo9; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">focus on a negative split from mile 9 onwards</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l12 level1 lfo9; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Drink three bottles of regular water and two bottles of coconut water through the five hours of the run. </span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l12 level1 lfo9; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;">I hope my run-walk plan will give me steadier/more consistent pacing through the marathon and allow me to let loose and run the last 5, maybe, 10k. Looking over previous times, not having a regimented run-walk plan has resulted in huge variation in mile splits that cost a lot of time in the end.</span><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;"></span></li>
</ol>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Nutrition SHOULD BE MORE THAN300 / HOUR I THINK ON THE RUN. ALSO, I'D SET A TARGET RE: HOW OFTENYOU'LL FINISH & REFILL YOUR HANDHELD. EVERY 4TH OR 5TH AID STATION? IT'S SUPER EASY TO NEGLECT EATING / DRINKING ON THE RUN- DON'T! UNLIKE AN OPEN MARATHON YOU'RE ONLYSTARTING WITH A "HALF TANK" OF FUEL, SO YOU NEED TO EAT / DRINKMORE. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<ol start="6" style="margin-top: 0in;" type="1">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l7 level1 lfo7; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">DONT BONK! -- IF YOU DO BONK, I RECOMMEND HITTING THE COKE HARD AT AN AID STATION, JOG TO THE NEXT ONE & REPEAT... UNTIL YOU'RE RUNING WELL AGAIN. IF YOUR STOMACH FEELS GOOD ON THE RUN I RECOMMEND BEING MORE AGGRESSIVE THAN YOU PLANNED WITH YOUR NUTRITION (MAYBE AIM FOR HALF A GEL EVERY 15 MIN)</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l7 level1 lfo7; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;"> </span></li>
</ol>
<div class="MsoNormal">
FINISH:</div>
<ul type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo13; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">get to massage tent</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo13; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Get buddy’s to gently stretch me out</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo13; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">compression socks </span></li>
</ul>
</div>
Harpalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06107616360898924341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7216505542856507149.post-23923669857765611282010-12-31T16:43:00.000-08:002013-07-09T15:32:26.385-07:00The Amazing 2010<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-size: small;">Dear Friends and Family, </span> </div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">I wish you and your family a happy and prosperous new year. The year 2010 has been very eventful and exciting for me and I'd like to share some highlights with you all. On the work front, I switched jobs and am now working for IBM. I work in the sales group for </span><span style="font-size: small;">IBM's WebSphere brand products</span><span style="font-size: small;">. I continue to make deeper strides in the Healthcare industry and I stay excited at the future prospects. My new accounts are all local so I don't travel as much. Geetika and the kids now see me a little more than what they were accustomed to in the past. Which also lead us to some interesting personal space violation type challenges initially. Things settled down eventually with me learning to get more domesticated ;-). </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">As for my sports endeavors, I stay on the track to getting younger each year ;-). But the proof is in the pudding, correct? Please see the attached picture collage.</span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUE5auQbK9b51YVPzZHDAzVL08BRvl4SkHmxYy-rDvkjg0qcNW_8mkGPm_YDUkYOAt9fVQCl3dfZQYO_uTCdE0XfUhvQPTfdduF_si5MA-j1PKDrul4_hQClE19jyvzQEM0VpW7_vLmrw/s1600/Starred+Photos.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUE5auQbK9b51YVPzZHDAzVL08BRvl4SkHmxYy-rDvkjg0qcNW_8mkGPm_YDUkYOAt9fVQCl3dfZQYO_uTCdE0XfUhvQPTfdduF_si5MA-j1PKDrul4_hQClE19jyvzQEM0VpW7_vLmrw/s400/Starred+Photos.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">One of the two pictures in it was taken 6-months ago and the other, 10-years ago. You get a prize for guessing which picture was taken 10 years ago.. left or right? </span><span style="font-size: small;">Continuing from my first half Ironman </span><span style="font-size: small;">70.3 mile long </span><span style="font-size: small;">Triathlon odyssey in 2009, I went on to compete in three more half Ironman </span><span style="font-size: small;">races this year. I improved my personal record by over 90 minutes down to 7-hours and 22 minutes. I intend to compete in a 140.6 mile long full Ironman event this year. It is </span><span style="font-size: small;">slated for June 28th 2011 in<span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span></span><span style="font-size: small;">Coeur d'Alene, Idaho</span><span style="font-size: small;">. As for training to survive the event, I'm four months deep into it</span><span style="font-size: small;">.</span><span style="font-size: small;"> To prepare better</span><span style="font-size: small;">, I train </span><span style="font-size: small;">three days a week </span><span style="font-size: small;">under the guidance of a wonderful professional coach and with a Tri team. My diet is very regimented and lean. Training hard, seven days a week has now become a way of life for me. </span><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">On an artistic front, </span><span style="font-size: small;">I performed in my first ever theatrical musical "nautanki" play. My daughters got the gift of their life when we adopted a Labrador puppy dog. My wife Geetika is off to a new career in Information Technology consulting in quality control and business analyst. My older daughter is ~10 years old now. She is a talented singer, pianist and a martial artist. The younger one is ~6-years old and is diligently following her older sister's foot steps which makes logistics a little easier on us. I have attached a picture of the three of them to this note below.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAvaOEn6_g-XrwObVl8bkvjUosNJeF3_ltDmoDN4dRrr6oBfqa2pXktqjYgoS8kEokawTcnQ-lj9qFiCaDXiY83RBHbY_VML6Ulb-9tYbk7p-Plx_DWXbpX6lC9pLqPH8YGkjKBYABPok/s1600/131183_457314617306_613297306_6094006_3495270_o-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAvaOEn6_g-XrwObVl8bkvjUosNJeF3_ltDmoDN4dRrr6oBfqa2pXktqjYgoS8kEokawTcnQ-lj9qFiCaDXiY83RBHbY_VML6Ulb-9tYbk7p-Plx_DWXbpX6lC9pLqPH8YGkjKBYABPok/s320/131183_457314617306_613297306_6094006_3495270_o-1.jpg" width="228" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">That's all from me. I hope to catch up with you over the next year. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Warm Regards,</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Harpal Kochar</span></div>
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Harpalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06107616360898924341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7216505542856507149.post-16141849570742755872010-03-07T20:37:00.000-08:002013-05-16T11:22:20.920-07:0026.2 mile run manarthon.. Is it overrated??<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I ran the Napa marathon yesterday 03/07. It was my personal best time at 4-hours and 50 minutes. Last I participated in a marathon was 7-years ago.. And my reasons for dumping the sport then (which I seem to have forgotten) glared at me naked.. around mile-20 with my aches and pains.. in the knees.<br />
Don't get me wrong, I do enjoy doing long distance runs; just not the ones that drag out to 26 miles. While I enjoy running, the quality time alone and the grounded feeling, my pleasure limit is ~16-miles. Anything beyond that for me starts to enter the realm of torture. I wanted to quit at mile 20 in the race and the sag trucks hovering around was looking like a tempting option with every minute passing. But I still went on.. almost as if to prove a point. The pains brought back memories of the last leg of the Napa Vineman half Ironman race I did last year. And it was not fun. But once the Tylenol kicked in.. it wasn't as bad.<br />
None the less.. I am more or less done with Marathons for now.. I did one just to get rid of the ghost of the bad run in Napa last year and I feel just fine now. I will stick to my Triathlon training going forward and only do Tris for the remainder of the year. They are far more fun and chances of knee and back injuries is lesser. I have a couple of big half Ironman races coming up in May and July later this year. <br />
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I still have to figure out a balance for my electrolyte pills though.. I loose too much salt in the race.. I noticed my face is perpetually coated with body salts.. the cramps stepped in at mile 21. This is despite the 2-bananas and nuts I ate in the first 20-miles. I took in a couple extra electrolyte pills and the cramps went away.<br />
I had hoped to finish stronger than I started but that goal still alludes me. I stayed at a healthy 9:30 for the first 15-miles or so. I slowed down considerably to ~12-minute mile in the last 10-miles or so.. but hey.. I didn't walk or stop.. And that act in itself was a huge victory over the mind for me. A dear friend of mine, Dan (he is going to run the Boston Marathon next month) never lets me stop or walk when we run together. He sees walking as a mental defeat. Slowing down, reducing the stride and maybe even the cadence are OK.. but you walk only if you are indeed injured.. so I kept going ON.<br />
I met this one amazing guy during the race.. He wore a trophy shirt that said something like "Ran a marathon in all 50 states and in DC".. which I drew the conclusion as thinking he ran 51-marathons till date. I caught up with him around mile-17 and congratulated him. He corrected me stating that he had done more than one marathon in each of the states.. in fact he was running his 185th Marathon that day.. The guy was 60-years old.. and planned to do another 13-marathons this year.. Apparently the world record is around 600-marathons run by some crazy guy.. And here I was feeling proud of running my 3rd ever Marathon :-).</div>
Harpalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06107616360898924341noreply@blogger.com0