Don't Give Customers Too Many Choices

Henry Ford made a fortune from giving customers one choice – your car in any colour as long as it’s black.

Back then life was simple.

Wine came in two colours – red or white. Coffee came with two options – Nescafé or Maxwell House.

In today’s fast-paced world we have so many choices and
so little time.

When it comes to choice, smart brands keep things simple.

Be A Leader Not Just A Manager

Great leaders can be hopeless managers.

And great managers can be hopeless leaders.

So what’s the difference between a manager and a leader?

Managers tell people what to do.

Leaders inspire people to do great things.

When people are inspired they need a lot less managing.

Aim to be a leader not just a manager.

Tell People Why You Do It

Why is a more powerful word than what.

But we go through life telling people what we do.

We rarely tell people why we do it.

We tell people what our company does.

We rarely tell people why our company does it.

People don’t buy what you do – they buy why you do it.

Do Your Research Before Launching A Business

Eight out of ten brands launching this year will not be around in five years.

Some will have crashed from lack of capital.

Some will have gone to the wall through lack of demand.

Others will have flopped because the original idea was flawed.

It sounds obvious but before launching a new brand – find out if there is a market.

A little research will help you avoid years of grief.

Pricing - The Day Of Reckoning Is Coming

Competition has driven the price of almost everything down.

Food, clothes and technology are cheaper in real terms than they were ten years ago.

Some sectors, including professional services, have bucked the trend.

But the day of reckoning is coming for hotshot accountants, lawyers and marketers.

Look at your prices, look at inflation and if the gap between the two has not been filled with innovation and an increase in productivity…it’s time to get worried.

Good Enough Is Never Enough

Perfection is a state of mind.

Nothing is perfect.

Everything can be made better.

But where do you stop?

When something is good enough?

Not in my book.

Good enough is never enough!

Delight Your Customers

You know what you make but what are your customers buying?

Is it a product, a service or a relationship?

Strong relationships lead to brand loyalty.

Brand loyalty leads to brand recommendations.

Recommendations lead to brand growth.

And brand growth leads to brand profitability.

Keep Playing The Fame Game

For brands to prosper, it’s essential to command centre stage.

Fame quickly wanes if a brand is hidden from public view.

Only meaningful marketing can keep it in the spotlight.

Too many brand managers forget that.

Once a star, always a star is flawed thinking.

To remain a star you’ve got to play the fame game.

Learn From Everyone

Workplace communication, as we all know, has to be two-way to be effective.

Bosses who don’t listen are dinosaurs and we all know what happened to them!

Training in the workplace should also be two-way.

Sometimes we are so eager to pass on our knowledge that we forget to ask – what can you teach me?

My best learnings come from our youngsters. They know more about many things than I do.

It’s important for teachers to sometimes sit at the feet of their pupils.