Plans never reflect what happens, so why bother?
Commercial success, that which delivers more than a wage, comes from only two places: Critical thinking The ability and willingness to be a bit different, experiment and embrace risk. Why is it then that the web is full of '7 point plans to….' Templates...
The simple 3 step lead qualification tool
Optimising a sales process is not just about the conversion rate, as that is an outcome, a function of many things that come before and contribute to that outcome. The challenge is more about optimising each stage in the process that leads to a maximised...
‘Is this current explosion of AI real and lasting, or just another tech bubble?’
There is no way around the fact that AI is now with us, and evolving at logarithmic rates. The unanswered question is ‘so what? There are two extreme schools of thought, and everything in between. On one hand we have those who are extremely wary: # It...
Where can a manufacturing business get money for nothing?
There is a simple answer, but the money is just a bit harder to find. It is tied up in your current operations, consumed by all manner of things that do not add value to a customer. Machine down time, rework, waste, on line inventory, double handling, and a host of...
The rule of the niche
Standard marketing advice in this day of homogeneity, and certainly my advice for SME's, is to ‘find a niche and own it’. Be the only one that competes in a market niche that you define. The deeper, darker and more remote the niche the better, because...
5 ways marketers should respond to disruptive AI.
In this new world of marketing, being reshaped by Artificial Intelligence, how should those concerned with the longevity and salience of their brands respond? Innovate. AI is really good at looking at what has happened in the past, but has yet to develop a crystal...
The one simple question all great leaders answer
People will achieve all sorts of great outcomes when they know and buy into the reasons why the immediate actions should be taken. ‘Why?. Imagine this scenario: Your boss comes to you to and tells you to drop what you are doing, and do this, just get it...
Who opened Pandora’s box?
Dr. Geoffrey Hinton, often labelled ‘the Godfather of AI' left his 'home' at Google so he could 'freely share his concern that AI could cause the world serious harm’. The idea of AI is not new. Philosophers and mathematicians through the ages have been...
Is this the most effective commercial obesity pill ever discovered?
The most valuable resource in every business is the time, talent, and energy of employees. However, as these are hard to manage, and do not appear on any balance sheet, they are often grossly under-managed or completely ignored. By contrast, Capital is...
How to find the profit hiding in the long tail
The 'Long tail' is a graphic recognition of the Pareto principle, the 80/20 rule. It holds true in every situation I have ever seen. Rarely exactly 80/20, but always somewhere in the region. We tend to accept it as a reflection of revenue and profit:...