To hear Michael Gordon tell it, we’re all in the sales business. And while all that hyper-communicating we’re doing these days can’t be discounted completely, he and his partner Troy Peple think they’ve come up with a formula for success that seems to be working.
“Don’t communicate. Connect.”
“It’s all about relationships,” says Gordon, Executive Vice President of Accelerent. “Putting that into practice is what Accelerent’s all about.”
Gordon and Peple, President of the organization, are enjoying Accelerent’s exponential growth these days. So are some of its members. At least a few have cited the organization’s influence as having stood between their companies and layoffs in a very tough economy.
Accelerent provides a forum for top executives of organizations in regions across the country. While membership is open to all organizations, there’s a catch. Once an executive has joined the group, no competitive organizations are allowed. That means that instead of having to compete with others in the group, every Accelerent event is filled with members and “friends” of the organization that offer a product or service that is unique to the group.
The gatherings consist of a series of executive-only luncheons, as well as monthly breakfast meetings, usually headlined by a nationally known speaker, that are held at the American Visionary Art Museum.
There’s more to the success of the formula than the non-competitive aspect, though. According to Gordon, “People like to buy from people they like. And Accelerent is great for getting to know people one-on-one. But more important than that? People like to buy from those who are recommended by people they like. And if there’s a better way to connect executives in a non-competitive atmosphere who can help each other do business, I haven’t found it yet.”
At a recent presentation, Accelerent President Troy Peple asked the entire audience to stand. He then asked those who were standing how many of them knew five top executives of leading companies in the Baltimore area. A few sat down. How many knew 15? Far fewer. Then he asked how many of the participants knew the top executives of over 200 leading organizations in the Baltimore area. Only his partner Michael Gordon remained standing.
“Chief Executive Officers at mid-market companies (Accelerent’s target market) like dealing with other CEOs. Accelerent helps them make those connections without feeling the pressure of having to ‘make a sale,’” says Gordon.
“We’ve found that you can communicate all you want, and the results will be uncertain,” he adds. “It’s making that connection that makes all the difference.”
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