Posts Tagged ‘success’
Winning In The Difference Economy
I’m not sure what department stores look like on a Tuesday afternoon in your neighbourhood, but in mine they are like ghost towns. Whole floors full of stock that changes with the seasons waiting to be bought by someone (they don’t know who), who happens to stop by. We all know the stories of the…
Read MoreWe Need To Stop Telling Customers What We Do
I’m driving along behind the white Ezy Tiles van, when we stop at a red light and I get close enough to read their sales pitch, which is an image and a single line. The picture is of three guys wearing dust masks that look like something you’d see in a documentary about chemical warfare.…
Read MoreThe Truth About Starbucks And The $4 Coffee
Before Starbucks you could buy your morning coffee for a dollar or two. So how was it possible for Starbucks to more than double the price of coffee overnight? The truth is that Starbucks didn’t actually invent the $4 coffee—they created the $2 experience. $2 felt like a bargain for the feeling of belonging in…
Read MoreThe Limitations Of Knowing ‘How To’
For years we’ve been rewarded for knowing the right answer. All of those gummed gold stars licked and stuck in copybooks next to neatly spaced handwriting, served their purpose. We can’t help wanting to know the answer. Knowing ‘how to’ is barely an advantage to the twenty first century business owner or entrepreneur, because there…
Read MoreWhat If You Had One Line To Tell The Truth About Your Product?
Imagine you have a giant billboard to tell your customers the truth about your product or service. You’ve got just one line to do it in. What would your truth look and sound like? Is the truth in that single sentence what you want it to be? If not, what do you need to do…
Read MoreYour Customers Don’t Just Want To Eat Cake
Picture the scene. A group of five girlfriends are out celebrating a birthday together. The evening is drawing to a close, dinner plates have been cleared and the last bottle of red has been emptied. The waiter offers dessert menus and watches for cues. The first woman to pipe up is adamant as she waves…
Read More5 Reasons Microsoft Failed To Compete In A Post iPhone World
Soon after Apple launched the iPhone in 2007, Microsoft’s then CEO Steve Balmer gave this short video interview. In two minutes he shed light on Microsoft’s business strategy which gives us some clues as to why Apple would dominate over the next seven years. 5 Strategic Mistakes Microsoft Made Post iPhone 1. Competing on price.…
Read MoreThe Most Dangerous Thing About Your Competition
….is your obsession with them. Yes, we live in a giant digital goldfish bowl. This makes it possible to get stuck watching and worrying about what our competitors are doing. Almost every move they make, every accolade, acquisition and award is there for the world to see. It’s far more productive and more profitable to…
Read MoreHow To Get The World To Beat A Path To Your Door
Traditional marketing in essence has been about doing something today in the hope that your business will reap the rewards in sales tomorrow. The marketer then has her eye firmly fixed on the future. Asking the question, ‘what do I need to do to get us from here to there?’ And yet the best marketing…
Read MoreThinking About Your Assets
Take a blank page. Draw a line down the centre. On one side list your tangible assets, things like stock, equipment, products and your website. On the other side make a list of your intangible assets, stuff like intellectual property, trademarks, brand names, the skills of your team, your customer database, reputation and the trust…
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