Public Speaking
Just a few thoughts on a subject that terrifies most people. My best performances have come when I remembered these simple little points: 10 Pointers Ratio of preparation to speaking about 12:1. Talk at your audience and spray your eyes around the room, pause to focus...Justifying Acquisitions – The Board Paper
You have a Board Paper to write summarizing the benefits of acquiring your smaller competitor. You want to make an impact with a one page executive summary of why it’s such a good deal. What do you cover? Here some questions you need to answer: What is the total...How Do You Spread Your Story?
I’ve just finished re-reading the Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell. There is so much in this book to inspire entrepreneurs to think outside the box. The central thesis is that epidemics happen because they tip. They potter along, (Airwalk shoes, crime rates,...
Changing Cultures
There was a brilliant article in the Boston Globe last weekend that I’d like to summarize for you because it’s that important. Changing cultures is often necessary in business. Examples include the acquisition of a small bolt on acquisition where the...The Power of Habit – A Really Powerful Book
I didn’t read this book I consumed it. So many great case studies illustrating the power of habit. How Habits Work – Charles Duhigg, a New York Times journalist explains precisely how habits work, why we need to aware of the signals, and how to change them...
Proving Your Business Results
There was a time when you spent your ad budget and hoped it would work. I know half my advertising works, I just don’t know what half! Compare this with today’s world. Facebook gets into bed with Datalogix to work out whether Facebook advertising works....
Setting Cash Targets for Credit Control
It seems simple enough but seldom done. The ingredients of a robust set of monthly cash targets for your credit control team: Ensure all customers are clear on your terms of trade. Ensure you have a query/problem resolution system in place to resolve billing problems...
Preparing for a Trade Show – A little checklist
The death of the Trade Show was greatly exaggerated! In a world of LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare, social networks, Google + Hangouts, Skype etc – we still have a need for that face to face presentation of our ideas and products that only happens at...Why Do All $1Bn Markets Look Like This?
It’s clear that many $1Bn market segments end up with a few dominant players, sometimes only one (see previous post) and many many small players who have failed to scale, failed to reach that “Pillar” status. Your business is either remarkable or...Operational Excellence For Exits
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