November 2008

This month’s Ramble is as Random as ever:

• Bring Back The Glamour Of Flying
• Belief And Determination – Part 2
• ‘Arry
• Let Go To Take Control
• Cogito, Ergo Sum
• It’s 11 O’Clock
• Put Up Your Hand If You Didn’t Receive This
• You Are Old Father William
• Circulation Details
• And finally

Bring Back The Glamour Of Flying

Is low cost always good? Last month pictures of the first transatlantic jet flight 50 years ago by a BOAC Comet 4 made me realise just how far we have gone downhill with air travel. The original concept of low cost or budget airlines was good as it brought air travel within the budget of most people. But in our scramble for the best offers, we seem to have forgotten that travel for pleasure should be pleasurable. Can someone explain to me the pleasure of standing in a check-in queue for an hour, sitting in a departure lounge for two hours because the plane is late, buying your own food to take on board because you can’t trust that the airline will have any provisions, sitting with your knees rammed into the seat in front or queuing for the two toilets between 120 people?

And if you are a business traveller and have to endure this treatment on a regular basis, do you find that the experience contributes positively to your health, temper and business effectiveness?

So why do we all put up with being treated in this way? Even in these challenging times, most of us don’t buy our clothes from the cheapest retailer; we don’t patronise the local chippy in preference to a decent restaurant; we don’t drive round in the most basic car that we can find. So why on earth don’t we say enough is enough when it comes to air travel?

Tom Peters says, “You will be remembered in the long haul for the quality of your work, not the quantity of your work ... no one evaluates Picasso based on the number of paintings he churned out.”

I wonder whether there is a lesson for the airlines there, or indeed for any business that thinks that low cost is the be-all and end-all.


Belief And Determination – Part 2

In the October Ramble we looked at the positive effect of self-belief and a determination to succeed. Because it is so important, we will continue along that path this month.

Writing in the Fresh Business Thinking Newsletter, Guy Kingston says, “While thinking like a winner from the start does not itself guarantee success, thinking like a loser – believing that it is inevitable that one will not succeed – practically guarantees failure …”

He also suggests reading the biographies of great or highly successful people because, at some point, practically all of them found themselves in situations worse than the one you or your business might be in now.

He also suggests something that we have touched on in Random Ramblings in the past: “When something is not working, attempt another approach – you always have options, if only you sit down and think about them.”


‘Arry

Portsmouth Football Club striker Peter Crouch believes his return to the England squad has much to do with, then manager, Harry Redknapp's man-management skills. "He builds up players' confidence," said Crouch of Redknapp's style. "He tells you every day you can be a world beater and, eventually, you start to believe it."

Since then ‘Arry, as he is affectionately known, has taken over as manager of struggling Tottenham Hotspur. Result: instant performance transformation. Spurs striker Darren Bent says, "Harry can talk to people one to one and have a proper conversation with them …". "He has made us believe that we're good players and that we shouldn't be where we are.” (in the league).

Maybe management isn’t that hard after all if you talk to people, have proper conversations, and make them believe in themselves.


Let Go To Take Control

‘I don’t know.’ There was an interesting item on those three words in the BBC News magazine. They are words rarely used by people in power and almost never by politicians. But why? No leader or manager can know all of the answers. Why should we expect them to? It is said of Barack Obama that he knows what he doesn’t know. That is a very powerful asset.

If we can’t expect leaders to know everything, neither should we expect them to do everything. Business author and consultant, Trevor Gay, often says that one should let go to take control. By this he means that managers all too often try to do everything, to control everything and end up being so busy that they do not have time to stand back and look at the key issues challenging their department or company. Mark Foscoe posting on Trevor’s blog said, “I hope that President-elect Obama has the good sense to choose great people, to give them some tough but clear objectives and to stand back and let them get on with it. His role is to set the tone, to orchestrate his team and to keep them on track.” Note that: ‘orchestrate the team’ – be the conductor but don’t attempt to play all of the instruments. Surely, that should be the approach taken by all leaders?

Another aspect of letting go is to use outsourced specialists to undertake tasks that they can do as well, if not better, than you or your team. It may seem unwise to be doing this at a time when financial belts are being tightened, but if it allows you to gain control of your own time, so that you can focus on the strategic issues that will ensure survival, then it must be the right approach.


Cogito, Ergo Sum

"Cogito, ergo sum" (I think, therefore I am). René Descartes’ philosophical statement seems to have been extended by some businesses to mean ‘I think I have great products, therefore I am going to sell them’. According to research carried out by market research software providers, i2m, 27% of businesses believe they have a product or service that improves on existing solutions, and yet 13% do not know or are unsure as to why their customers need their product.

In our private lives we spend on discretionary items, whether it be a restaurant meal, clothes or a holiday. In the business world it’s not quite like that – or at least it shouldn’t be! Customers of any business buy products or services because they solve a specific problem. If you don’t know why the customer needs the product, are you likely to sell it to them? Are you absolutely sure that you are not in that 13%?


It’s 11 O’Clock

In the November edition of John Niland’s ‘The Outstanding Professional’ newsletter (www.success121.com), he refers to the daily phone call to clients, suggesting that one should make one. He reports on a business consultant who calls one client every day just to maintain contact. He has set his phone to remind him at 11:00am every day to make the call. Just by this simple expedient his business has increased. Of course, it is important to think of a plausible reason to make the call. In the June 2007 edition of his newsletter, John identifies 12 reasons to pick up the phone. Email me if you’d like a copy.

And I can add a 13th (lucky?) reason. You might get to understand the customer better and ensure that you are not in that 13%!


Put Up Your Hand If You Didn’t Receive This

Twenty percent of you may not be reading this newsletter. Apparently 20% of legitimate emails never reach the recipient’s inbox. This is because they are blocked by the ISP provider in the continuing fight against spam. There could be a whole range of reasons for this. One simple reason could be what is known as ‘hard bounce’. This is caused by a non-existent or unknown address, often the result of a typing error. I have the odd one or two Rambles bounce back, and always intend to try to find out why, but sometimes don’t get round to it. Now I realise that this may be affecting my credibility with ISP providers I’ll check my mailing list more carefully. What about you? You can read the full article by clicking on the link: http://www.freshbusinessthinking.com/articles.php?AID=1876&Title=Your+Reputation+Holds+The+Key+To+Deliverability

You Are Old, Father William

‘"You are old, father William," the young man said …’ So goes the first line of Lewis Carroll’s poem. I know the feeling! While in Liverpool I visited the Liverpool Football Club shop. After mooching round the lower level I climbed the stairs to the upper floor. Having walked miles around the city that day I was a bit weary and puffed a bit as I arrived on the top floor. A young sales assistant saw me and pointed out that there was a lift! To which I replied, “I’m not that old.” At least she had the good grace to smile rather than to argue with me! Not sure whether that represents good customer care or ageism!


Circulation List

You have received Random Ramblings because you have subscribed to it or you have been in contact with me recently and I thought that you might like to see a copy. If you no longer wish to receive Random Ramblings, click here to be removed from the circulation list.

If you know of anyone who might like to read Random Ramblings, I would be grateful if you would forward it to them. If someone else forwarded Random Ramblings to you, and you would like to receive your own copy, click here to be added to the circulation list.

Privacy Policy - It's very simple! We don't pass your details on to anyone.


And Finally

To finish, this month I am nicking an item unashamedly from John Niland’s newsletter. I have done so for several reasons; it may encourage you to subscribe to John’s newsletter (www.success121.com); it is a very clear explanation of the different aspects of marketing; and most of all because it is amusing.

TYPES OF MARKETING

You meet a woman in a bar and go right up and tell her, ‘I’m really good in bed’.
That’s direct marketing

You see a woman in a bar and get a friend to go right up and tell her, ‘My friend’s really good in bed’.
That’s advertising

You meet a woman in a bar, buy her a drink and next day send her flowers and a card that says, ‘I’m really good in bed’.
That’s PR

You meet a woman in a bar and she comes up to you and says, ‘I hear you’re really good in bed’.
That’s brand recognition!


Enjoy the month (what’s left of it!), whether your brand gets recognised or not!

David