Are you willing to say NO?

Service market leaders have found that success begins with limiting their focus and saying “NO.” They say: NO to certain markets NO to some types of customers NO to certain categories of service offerings NO to some service levels NO to expansion in some geographies NO to certain growth opportunities Wonderfully, saying “NO” to all…

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What if you didn’t have a salesperson?

I have often asked my clients this question: “If you didn’t have a salesperson (even if that person was you) to sell your services, what would you do? How would you get new clients?” That answer is the foundation of your marketing plan. What steps would you need to take to identify and find clients,…

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Be Different, Not Just Better

I read Craig Terrels and Arthur Middlebrooks book entitled, Market Leadership Strategies for Service Companies. Definitely worth the read. I am struck immediately by the trap they say many service companies fall into, namely of “doing things better.” The need for constant improvement in process, quality, cycle time and a host of other operational activities…

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Positioning is Black and White

I rant about this regularly, but your positioning is critical. You must create a obvious uniqueness that allows you to differentiate yourself in the market. You must stand out. Check out this store that is doing it. Let it be a catalyst for you in defining your own position. >It only sells stuff that is…

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Are You Remarkable?

Seth Godin writes in Purple Cow If you’re remarkable, it’s likely that some people won’t like you. That’s part of the definition of remarkable. Nobody gets unanimous praise – ever. The best the timid can hope for is to be unnoticed. Criticism comes to those who stand out. Probably the scariest thing about putting yourself…

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Listening but not really hearing

Without question most of us really want to listen to our prospects, our clients… our market. And in many cases we have the tools and systems set up to listen. BUT… Are we really hearing them? There’s a great line in the movie ‘The Hunt For Red October.’ Maybe you remember it. Jack Ryan, looking…

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Strategy is all about making tough choices

In an article from Fast Company, Michael Porter, noted professor and management guru shreds his perspective on strategy. Some really good stuff… There’s a fundamental distinction between strategy and operational effectiveness. Strategy is about making choices, trade-offs; it’s about deliberately choosing to be different. Operational effectiveness is about things that you really shouldn’t have to…

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Are My Hinges Rusting Shut?

From a book I read a while back, this is a paragraph that struck me. I wrote it down immediately and it continues to remind me about keeping the hinges well lubricated. “I’m not nearly afraid of dying as I am of the hinges inside my mind and soul rusting closed. I am desperate to…

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Extremely Simple Explanation of Social Media

In response to a query on an industry forum I am part of, here were my thoughts on social media. Question: I don’t want to visit Barnes & Noble for another “____ for Idiots” book. Can you provide a simple explanation. Answer. Nope, sorry. No simple explanation. Even the “Idiots” guides are 260 pages long…

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Twitter, Facebook and Other Social Diversions

It’s now main stream. Take for instance VW.  Instead of sending commercial viewers to their own site, VW is sending them to their Facebook fan page. “All the cool kids are doing it,” a client of mine said recently. He wanted to get started. I’ve been hearing more and more requests for it recently. If…

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