Anyone that knows me well would have heard me share 2 bits of marketing advice repeatedly. Those are:
1. True Fans
2. Category of 1
‘True Fans’ is Author and Technology Sage Kevin Kelly’s baby (founding editor of Wired magazine).
How to Scale Up: The 4 D’s
1. Drivers: Managers are Coaches.
2. Demands: Leaders balance stakeholders with profitable processes.
3. Discipline: #1 Priority each Quarter and Year
Regular meetings and communication.
4. Decisions: Focus on the biggest issues first.
Growth Problems ‘Growth Paradox’: People, Strategy, Execution, Cashflow
1. Switch from Managing to Coaching.
2. Strong Strategic Vision for Strong Scaling.
3. Company Strengths to Improve Revenue.
4. One Page Strategic Plan (OPSP).
5. Execution Plan – Regular meetings and reviews.
6. Cashflow: Have 3-10x more cash than competitors.
CCC = Cash Conversion Cycle.
How many days does $1 invested come back as turnover?
Reduce CCC by focusing on 4 areas:
Summary:
The opportunity to delight people you want to make a big impression on (investor, potential client, company leader, hiring manager, founder etc.) is easier now than it was 10 years ago.
However people still choose average.
This reminds me of the day I got hired at Ogilvy by the great Admen jacques burger, Mike Abel and friend Jason Harrison
David Ogilvy, founder of Ogilvy & Mather advertising agency explains his philosophy on hiring in one of his books…
“When someone is made the head of an office in the Ogilvy & Mather chain, I send him a Matrioshka doll from Gorky. If he has the curiosity to open it, and keep opening it until he comes to the inside of the smallest doll, he finds this message:
“If each of us hires people who are smaller than we are, we shall become a company of dwarfs. But if each of us hires people who are bigger than we are, we shall become a company of giants.”
I found a shop in a backstreet of Cape Town CBD that sold traditional Russian Dolls and bought a set and followed suit and hand delivered them with the same message to Jacques but signed it Will Green.
I got the opportunity to work with the best in the business and learnt at the “University of Marketing” and am a proud “Ogilverian.”
There is no excuse for being average.
You don’t have a business unless someone sells something.
It starts at the beginning from the top.
(@Startups take note of questions 3 and 4.)
1. “If we invest in it and it becomes successful it, will it move the needle for the customer?”
2. “Is it being well served today?”
3. “Do we have a differentiated approach?”
4. “Do we have competence and if not can we acquire it quickly?”
Amazon’s Customer Experience promise:
“Can Amazon improve the customer experience and make the customer’s life better?”
What is yours?
What’s the difference between:
‘Working IN your business’ vs.
‘Working ON your business’?
IN
When: Daily. Usually during ‘office hours’ and week days
Who: With employees/customers/founder
Where: In your office, where you ‘usually’ work.
ON
When: Rarely. Usually after ‘office hours’ and weekends or planned sessions at conferences, travelling or at a workshop.
Who: With co-founders and other entrepreneurs. With industry experts who have a fresh and unique perspective.
Where: Away from your desk, with your customers, at an innovation space.
In your favourite coffee shop or alone in a quiet space or on a walk.
A space to think, plan and do.
IN, revolves around working in your business for the present.
ON, revolves around working on your business for the future.
Growth by Colab 