Balance: Three-Legged Stools and Such
Business is about balance. Like a three legged stool, we balance marketing (I include sales in with marketing) with operations and with finance.
Sacred Cows
Figurative ‘sacred cows’ are paradigms held in such high esteem that no one in a company will ever question them despite an overwhelming amount of evidence that they are no longer working or may have never worked.
McDonald’s: Up or Down?
McDonald’s is pulling out all the stops in an effort to revive the company. Changing the menu, pulling the CEO, developing a new branding strategy, enhancing digital marketing, and of course, the obligatory corporate restructuring.
Raining Money
Raining money sounds too good to be true. It’s either a magic trick or a prank.
Planned Obsolescence Drives Innovation
The technology we currently use requires us to continuously deal with upgrades. Inevitably, products and their software become faster, less expensive, more user-friendly. We expect it.
Backorders Are Better than No Orders
When I first entered sales one of the best pieces of advise I received from one of my counterparts was, “Don’t ever let backorders stand in your way of making a sale…”
What You Resist Persists
It’s a given. If you dislike your mother-in-law, she’ll move in with you. That office copy machine will always break when you most need copies for an important meeting.
The Amazement of Success
Success is almost always a surprise. It seems to come when least expected. It is elusive. “I’ll know it when I see it,” I tell myself.
Face it: Burnout, Wipeout, or Brownout
Face it. Most workers are not engaged with their work. They simply show up; do what is asked; go home; and get a paycheck.
Low Expectations (A Secret to Happiness)
How would you feel if your employer or your client (if you are business owner) exceeded your expectations? It doesn’t happen often but it happens.