In our previous post featuring the wisdom of Le Herron, the much-loved and very successful CEO of O.M. Scott & Sons over an 18 year period stretching from the mid 60’s to the early 80’s, we saw, through some quotes from his book, Making Your Company Human: Inspiring Others to Reach Their Potential that the leader who can put the interests of others ahead of themselves is the one who wins.
Of course, this assumes the leader is talented and knows how to apply those talents both to team-building and to the sales and marketing process. Did Mr. Herron?
Well, during just a 10-year stretch of his tenure with Scott’s, the company’s sales increaed by 280% and its net income by some 560%. Scott’s growth in sales in the decade preceding their acquisition by ITT was only 50% and its growth in net income only 60%. Apparently, Mr. Herron was also well-qualified in the sales and marketing aspects of business.
The last post focused on on the internal, team aspect of leading a company through making it more human. This post will feature quotes highlighting some of his views on sales, marketing and effective positioning. And, we’ll see just how being more human fits here, as well:
“The genius of {our first two company leaders} was that they realized the issue wasn’t really selling grass seed. The consumer didn’t – and doesn’t – really want grass seed, or fertilizer, or a control product; what he wants is a lawn…they defined this company’s business not in terms of products, but in terms of results.”
“{Our founder}, O.M. Scott decided that our growth was to be based on a very fundamental principle; providing value to the customer…Dwight (his son and successor) believed in communicating it.”
“Paul Williams (a high-ranking Scotts veteran beginning in the 1920’s) understood that it was our ability to communicate what we could do for our customer that created our success.”
“Marketing is understanding what the customer’s needs are and communicating our solutions in ways that he can understand.”
“{They} had an uncompromising attitude toward the heart of our business – providing value to the customer, and communicating that value – no matter what lures there were toward easier but shorter-ranged gains.”
“{As innovators} we are really pioneers of new ideas…and before we can sell a new product, we usually have to sell the new idea that it’s based on…you have to understand it. And you have to help other people understand it.”
“Do your customers trust your company, your brand, or your product?” {Note from Bob: Mr. Herron’s point wasn’t that one was more desirable than another. Only that whatever the answer is, it must be understood.}
“Trust is generated by three elements: personal involvement of the purchaser, a sharing of knowledge, and a quality product bonded together by our two-way relationship with our customer.”
It’s hard to put a price tag on the value of consumer trust to today’s and tomorrow’s business. It’s a priceless ingredient, worth more to us than anything we could buy. Once we begin to take away from it…once we begin to lose the consumer’s trust by skimping on the quality of our response to him…we risk losing the greatest part of our success.”
“Trust can’t be bought. It can only be built, bit by bit, by all of us.”
Did some of Mr. Herron’s advice seem almost too…simple, logical and common-sensical? You can take the best-known books on marketing that are out there today (and many of them are terrific!); boil them down to their essence, and you’ll find the principles shared by Mr. Herron right in the middle of them.
Ahh, but we’re not through learning from him. Not yet. When we hear from him next, we’ll look at a marketing strategy embraced whole-heartedly by their customers which turned out to be immensely profitable for the company.
<
Enjoy this post? Receive an update when our next post is published by entering your best email address below and clicking Get Updates.
In our lives we have opportunities everyday. I consider my life richer for the opportunity to be able to call Le and his wife, Betty, my friends. They’ve made a positive impact in the lives of many and I am blessed to be one of them. This book, written by Le and his longtime friend/writer, Sherry Christi, has touched many and the principles Le teaches through the chapters, remain valuable for a lifetime. Thank you for sharing the good news with others, Bob.