Thursday, January 24, 2008

Engaged

On this information and knowledge soaked planet there are many organisations that are striving to make you part of their world.

It is not just networking groups that can appear to be desperate to hook you in; it’s shops and cinemas, pubs and clubs, trains and planes. Even the good old BBC wants you to email them your opinion, day and night, on any subject under the sun.

Your resources however, like mine, are a limiting factor. You need a Bull’s Eye measurable statement of excellence for your business because it will give you extraordinary clarity. The greater the clarity of direction you have, the greater will be your ability to discriminate when deploying your resources.
You will decide when and where and how to get engaged and when not to. Avoid being part of someone else’s business model, instead of being the driving force behind your own.

Sunday, January 20, 2008

Price

They say that fee or price follows value until you establish a brand. When you eventually do get a brand, the lines cross and then value follows fee. So if you try to book Bill Clinton to speak at your convention the fee will be $80k, never mind the topic.

It is an interesting concept. I speak to a growers association on Wednesday where my brief, despite the outline of my talk, is how to put your prices up.

In a buyer’s market, to increase prices you have to either add more value for your customers or you have to find bigger and or better customers.

That may mean a new business plan; it will certainly mean a new marketing strategy.

Talking the talk

Sometimes it is possible for an organisation to have all the gongs, all the Quality Standards and the Best Business Practice Awards. Everybody acknowledges that there really is a transparent and consensual approach to running the business.

Except when there is a jugular issue on the table and then the leader likes to keep a trump card up his sleeve. So the Board have all discussed the latest business strategy; they all agree that it would be best to defer the planned expansion.

But there is a glint in the eyes of the CEO who mutters underneath his breath “Never say never!” This behaviour could be seen as a legitimate and necessary perk of the job.

Or it could be seen as dishonesty.

Sunday, January 13, 2008

Excellence is easy

It really is easy to deliver excellence – sometimes.

There is a business that makes fine quality alcoholic drinks. They have some award winning products, they offer exceptional personal service to their clients, they have worked hard to create an effective distribution network, their IT system has recently been up graded, staff survey results are high, customer survey results are even higher. The market place is reasonably buoyant and the competition is manageable.

It really is easy to deliver excellence – sometimes. The massive challenge for us all is to deliver excellence consistently.

That really is hard.