by Ian Smith | Sep 21, 2015 | Positioning drives growth, Repositioning
I’ve just purchased Verne Harnish’s 2014 book, “Scaling Up, How a Few Companies Make It…and Why the Rest Don’t.” This is a follow up to the very successful “Mastering the Rockefeller Habits.” I’ve just started the book and it looks good but I’m already disappointed....
by Ian Smith | Jul 8, 2015 | Entrepreneurship, Marketing, Repositioning
Marketing is about telling your story. Sales is about allowing the prospect to tell their story. Storytelling is the key to success. Pick a random selection of 12 web sites and try to understand the story they are telling. What does their brand stand for? What do they...
by Ian Smith | Mar 9, 2014 | Repositioning
Last week the WSJ’s Katherine Rosman wrote a compelling piece that every CEO should study! The article explored the massive changes that large paper companies have had to embrace to survive the digital revolution. Read the article for yourself here. I’ve...
by Ian Smith | May 24, 2012 | Execution Tips, Leadership, Repositioning
My post this week was inspired by the book Great By Choice: Uncertainty, Chaos and Luck – Why Some Thrive Despite Them All by Chris Collins and Morten T. Hansen. As the authors illustrate so well there are times in life that are jugular key moments. Bends in the...
by Ian Smith | Jul 15, 2011 | Conglomerate Discount, Grooming For Sale, Maximize exit proceeds, Positioning drives growth, Repositioning
Global divestments hit a record 50% of all M&A deals this year as large public companies rushed to tidy up their portfolios and focus on their core businesses. Many businesses including Ebay, Fortune Brands, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Sara Lee, ITT and Marathon Oil...
by Ian Smith | Apr 15, 2011 | Being the Best, Compelling Stories, Exiting your business, Management Help, Repositioning
“Our culture celebrates superstars. We reward the product or the song or the organization or the employee that is number one. The rewards are heavily skewed , so much so that it’s typical for #1 to get ten times the benefit of #10, and a hundred times the...