Sunday, December 13, 2009

2010? - bring it on!


There is so much excitement out there from so many of the businesses I have been fortunate enough to work with this past month or so. The common denominator is without doubt the attitude, demeanour and determination of the lady or the guy at the top. Without exception.

With one group we were looking at the need for new, contemporary marketing strategies, no matter what business you run. It was agreed that change to market places, customer needs and competitor activity is so fast that the Board have to really embrace the trends. In fact the Managing Director of a garden centre and nursery said “We have to look at external factors first – the political, the regulatory, the economic, the social, the technological, the legislative and the environmental.”

He went on that “We must look at our business from the outside in, rather than from the inside out, before putting our 2010 marketing spend into the breach. That is how we will maximise value.”

Another who runs an award winning brewery said that “For us it is all about a living, dynamic brand that people can and want to believe in.” And yet a third owner said that she and her team are re writing their business model to make it fit for purpose in 2010. So I go into work and my staff may look at me and wonder whether they will have a job next week? after Christmas? next summer? And in tough times it is my job to believe in the answer. “Emphatically yes, there may be even more jobs by then.”

Everything we do and everything we say, every day, matters.

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posted by Tim @ 3:58 AM 0 Comments

Monday, December 07, 2009

Right up close

There is no doubt that we all have to get CLOSER to our customers or clients than ever before because that’s what differentiation boils down to.

Was a time when you could deliver the training or consultancy and just be satisfied to have done a solid days work. Not anymore. Trainers, consultants and speakers are ten a penny and most of their material is available to anyone online.

The differentiation is you, me, the human being, naked.

So recently a long standing client invited me to get involved in a political issue. I politely declined because I tend to avoid politics wherever possible. But the issue wouldn’t go away so I researched the pros and anti views. My client is pro and I, after due consideration, am anti. He wants to talk about it.

I have another long standing client who recently discovered that I fish. It’s the same sort of fishing he does and so he has suggested a day out together. Trouble is I am an introvert and so one of the reasons I fish is to put a bit of distance between me and the business world, just for a few hours. A days fishing with a client for me is a day’s work.

So I do believe that we have to get CLOSER to clients. And this does mean transparency; there will be no hiding place. I guess that the more transparent we are, clients will polarise. Some will like us for being the way we are, and others won’t.

I can live with that.

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posted by Tim @ 2:22 AM 0 Comments