Casual Articles - Business

Packaging That Sells Products or Not
For the last couple of weeks I have been covering the negative impression that consumers have about packaging. I have tried to dissect all of the ranting and raving from nay-sayers about packaging that doesn't work.Just last week Britain's National Federation of Women's Institutes (NFWI) launched a campaign highlighting supermarkets wasteful packaging policies. Granted this was in the UK, but similar initiatives could happen here. I checked it out briefly and I don't get it. They are complaining about an packaging that keeps the food protected and sanitary. It is akin to the article last week, "How To Package A Lobster." We need to be prepared and be aware that there are nonsensical reasons that your packaging may come under fire. Just be sure you are covering all your based and anticipate i

o help your company win. Let these ideas come up from your gut and your heart and your soul and your experience as a consumer.

Write down all the ideas--even the outlandish ones. Edit later.

Then, take a quick break--five or ten minutes. Stretch, go to the bathroom, grab a coffee or tea, and walk about a bit. Free your mind for a few minutes.

Part Two: The Homestretch

You now have those ideas down on paper or PDA or computer. Next you need to arrange and sort your ideas. Two quick tips:

1. Use the Transit Concept. You’ve probably been doing this already, but if you haven’t—there’s no time like the present. Just draw arrows or jot notes when cross-referencing within the Brand-Package-People triangle. Another technique is to use different colored highlighters for the different sides of the Transit Triangle.

2. Pareto. Vilfredo Pareto was an Italian economist who dis

Two Critical Success Factors in an ITIL Implementation
Any IT manager who wants to pursue the IT Service Management journey by implementing the Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) needs to understand two very important factors well in advance.• The first factor is to have dedicated, trained and committed process owners.If you want to have a successful Incident Management process which is under continuous improvement, you will need somebody who is ultimately responsible for it’s success and who can dedicate the time and focus to drive it and to make sure it actually happens. A lot of organizations makes one of the following mistakes:• The process owner is non-existent which means there is nobody dedicated to drive a particular process.There is a process owner, but he or she is bogged down in day to day reacti

Each human carries the vital spark of creativity inside. That includes all you small business owners and Chief Marketers. But most companies tend to focus on turning their workers into efficient little task-machines. This is usually done in the name of cost-control, or efficiency, or multi-tasking, or one of a hundred other masks that stifle the brainpower of everyday people.

Don’t buy into the myth that you aren’t creative. It’s a lie. Human = Creative. You may not be a skilled writer, or a graphic artist, or a wiz with spreadsheets. These are all skills that can be hired out. Imagination can’t be.

What you need is the proper setting to let the creativity come out. You need an hour of insight. We call this the Crystal Hour.

All the other tasks you engage in as Chief Marketer are crucial, but sometimes a bit tedious. Gathering surveys, working with your Achievers, proofing ads--these are critical jobs, but can be a drag. The window that lets the wind of inspiration blow into us is the Crystal Hour.

Please build on the following basic suggestions as you pursue your own future study of the Crystal Hour. Remember, always develop and nurture what works best for you.

What to bring to your Crystal Hour session:

Current background material: meeting notes or customer surveys
Other material; possibly from the Marketing Vault
Notes you took from any sessions with Achievers
Whatever you like to write on best: PDA, Spiral Notebook, Laptop, Big Chief Notebook, whatever. Just make sure it is comfortable.
Relaxed attitude--leave the deadlines behind

Part One: The first 20 to 30 minutes

Acquire Solitude.

Solitude is much more a state of mind than a location. You can plop down in the middle of a crowded coffee house or on a train or jet. Thousands of people can surround you. For many of us being one among hundreds re-energizes us.

Others need a special spot—a certain quiet room at home or a special place in their yard or on their balcony. For some the chatter of strangers siphons rather than strengthens their intuitive insight.

We do tend to stay a bit removed from friends and family during our solitude time. “Alone in a crowd”, we aren’t expected to engage others actively in conversation or play.

The idea is to draw on whatever environmental sources supply you with energy; in other words, cocoon yourself in the Climate that lets you create the best.

Then, let the ideas flow freely. Many techniques already exist. Some people rearrange their notes into a ship-shape outline; others freefall, letting their ideas shake out from their mind and then jotting them down on paper. Others sketch or doodle as they let the ideas percolate just underneath consciousness. Some focus and concentrate intensely; while others practice some form of meditation or “mind-emptying” exercise.

It doesn’t matter how you achieve the mind-frame that aligns you with your own creativity. Just find a way, and then get there.

Next, don’t be afraid to let the ideas come. Refine later.

During the first twenty to thirty minutes of your Crystal Hour, permit the ideas and associations to flow in. Don’t scrunch out ideas that seem too wacky. You can always “uncreate” a bad idea—your Achievers will be glad to help you with this. But it’s completely impossible to lead a marketing department if your own idea bank has zero deposits.

Just let the ideas awaken out of yourself. And don’t worry--at first-- where the ideas fit in the Transit Triangle of Brand/Package/People. Just take twenty minutes of time devoted to birthing the ideas that you will use to help your company win. Let these ideas come up from your gut and your heart and your soul and your experience as a consumer.

Write down all the ideas--even the outlandish ones. Edit later.

Then, take a quick break--five or ten minutes. Stretch, go to the bathroom, grab a coffee or tea, and walk about a bit. Free your mind for a few minutes.

Part Two: The Homestretch

You now have those ideas down on paper or PDA or computer. Next you need to arrange and sort your ideas. Two quick tips:

2. Pareto. Vilfredo Pareto was an Italian economist who disc

Business Entrepreneurs - The Quest for Respect
How many popular sayings do know pertain to “respect?” I know you have heard, “to get respect, you have to give respect;” and “respect is a two way street;” and “you have to earn respect;” and probably the most famous, “R E S P E C T, find out what it means to me!” Anyway you slice it, getting and giving respect are ingrained formalities in American culture. Some people demand respect, some people never get respect, other people give respect. Many different opinions exist regarding the importance of “respect;” however, you personality, work ethic, and motivation will dictate whether you believe “respect” to be important.Do you care if you get respect? Do you need to give respect to get ahead? Is respect important to your success? These questions have haunted many entrepreneurs during

l jobs, but can be a drag. The window that lets the wind of inspiration blow into us is the Crystal Hour.

Please build on the following basic suggestions as you pursue your own future study of the Crystal Hour. Remember, always develop and nurture what works best for you.

What to bring to your Crystal Hour session:

Current background material: meeting notes or customer surveys
Other material; possibly from the Marketing Vault
Notes you took from any sessions with Achievers
Whatever you like to write on best: PDA, Spiral Notebook, Laptop, Big Chief Notebook, whatever. Just make sure it is comfortable.
Relaxed attitude--leave the deadlines behind

Part One: The first 20 to 30 minutes

Acquire Solitude.

We do tend to stay a bit removed from friends and family during our solitude time. “Alone in a crowd”, we aren’t expected to engage others actively in conversation or play.

The idea is to draw on whatever environmental sources supply you with energy; in other words, cocoon yourself in the Climate that lets you create the best.

It doesn’t matter how you achieve the mind-frame that aligns you with your own creativity. Just find a way, and then get there.

Next, don’t be afraid to let the ideas come. Refine later.

Write down all the ideas--even the outlandish ones. Edit later.

Then, take a quick break--five or ten minutes. Stretch, go to the bathroom, grab a coffee or tea, and walk about a bit. Free your mind for a few minutes.

Part Two: The Homestretch

You now have those ideas down on paper or PDA or computer. Next you need to arrange and sort your ideas. Two quick tips:

2. Pareto. Vilfredo Pareto was an Italian economist who dis

Are You Living Your Career Dreams?
Inherent within the human spirit is a desire for fulfillment, a longing to carry out our creative aspirations by reaching new heights of accomplishment. Yet often the yearning for fulfillment can be suppressed by fear and apprehension. Perhaps we aren’t feeling good enough, smart enough or able enough to pursue and fulfill our dreams.Uncover Your True Passion!If you are considering a change in your career direction or wish to enhance your business to a new level, but are hesitant to make the transition, let me assure you that it is never too late to choose anew. As a matter of fact, many people change career directions several times throughout a lifetime and some don’t even discover their true passions until much later in life. So, if you are not living your career dreams or if you’re

train or jet. Thousands of people can surround you. For many of us being one among hundreds re-energizes us.

We do tend to stay a bit removed from friends and family during our solitude time. “Alone in a crowd”, we aren’t expected to engage others actively in conversation or play.

The idea is to draw on whatever environmental sources supply you with energy; in other words, cocoon yourself in the Climate that lets you create the best.

It doesn’t matter how you achieve the mind-frame that aligns you with your own creativity. Just find a way, and then get there.

Next, don’t be afraid to let the ideas come. Refine later.

Write down all the ideas--even the outlandish ones. Edit later.

Then, take a quick break--five or ten minutes. Stretch, go to the bathroom, grab a coffee or tea, and walk about a bit. Free your mind for a few minutes.

Part Two: The Homestretch

You now have those ideas down on paper or PDA or computer. Next you need to arrange and sort your ideas. Two quick tips:

2. Pareto. Vilfredo Pareto was an Italian economist who dis

How to Improve the Management Teams Wins for Winning More Business Part 2: Focus on People Skills
Over 70 years ago, Napoleon Hill realized that success for businesses comes from the people within those organizations. However, many organizations still fail to grasp this realization because soft or people skills still are viewed as secondary to job specific skills.One of the executive coaching activities that I employ when working organizations through a change management process is to ask these three questions and listen to the responses: When a person is promoted here at XYZ Company, it is usually because of her or his job specific skills or people skills? Usually 99% will agree that promotions are because of the job specific mastery.As a person is promoted up the management ladder, what skills will that individual need? Job specific ones from the

percolate just underneath consciousness. Some focus and concentrate intensely; while others practice some form of meditation or “mind-emptying” exercise.

It doesn’t matter how you achieve the mind-frame that aligns you with your own creativity. Just find a way, and then get there.

Next, don’t be afraid to let the ideas come. Refine later.

Write down all the ideas--even the outlandish ones. Edit later.

Then, take a quick break--five or ten minutes. Stretch, go to the bathroom, grab a coffee or tea, and walk about a bit. Free your mind for a few minutes.

Part Two: The Homestretch

You now have those ideas down on paper or PDA or computer. Next you need to arrange and sort your ideas. Two quick tips:

2. Pareto. Vilfredo Pareto was an Italian economist who dis

Customers Are Your Best Prospects
Many salespeople treat customers or clients as one-time sales opportunities. When they have this limited view, they fail to achieve additional sales opportunities with these customers. Not only is a client a client, but also they are always a prospect for something more.In order to gain this type of results, however, the salesperson must have a repeat business and relationship mentality.One of my favorite sales concepts is: Make a sale and make an income; sell a relationship and make a fortune.I know what some of you might be thinking, and no, I am not a mind reader. If I were, I would not be writing this tip now. Some of you may be thinking: Tim, I am getting 100% of my client’s business now, how can they be prospect for more business?There is more than one way to get

o help your company win. Let these ideas come up from your gut and your heart and your soul and your experience as a consumer.

Write down all the ideas--even the outlandish ones. Edit later.

Then, take a quick break--five or ten minutes. Stretch, go to the bathroom, grab a coffee or tea, and walk about a bit. Free your mind for a few minutes.

Part Two: The Homestretch

You now have those ideas down on paper or PDA or computer. Next you need to arrange and sort your ideas. Two quick tips:

2. Pareto. Vilfredo Pareto was an Italian economist who discovered the 80/20 rule. When you Pareto a problem or situation, you mercilessly look for that 20% of the input that controls 80% of the output. You look for that 20% of the customers that supply 80% of the profits. You look at those 20% of products that are generating 80% of the profits.

Start to ask yourself what is most important. What 20% effort will give us 80% results? Of course, you need some immediate action steps to boost sales, but it’s also important to supply vital “long-haul” insights you can graft onto the skeleton of your business.

Part Three: The Wrap Up

A couple suggestions as you near the end of the Crystal Hour:

1. Quickly review your notes. Don’t destroy them—not even the doodles. Gather the notes and scribbles and bits of paper and stick them in a file. The ideas that go into the discard pile during your first review may become worthwhile down the road.

2. Jot down a one page overview of your key marketing ideas. Don’t worry about punctuation and grammar and spelling. You will edit this overview for presentation later, once you are back at the office. Get the main two or three ideas on one piece of paper, with sketches if need be. You’ll build from this later.

3. Take just five minutes to relax. This part’s for you, not for the company or the cause. How often do you get five minutes away from the kids or the class or the spouse or the company? Just take five, enjoy the rest of your drink and the sense of a job well done. Imagination in the Chief Marketer is a secret weapon and a valuable asset. Unfortunately, most companies don’t use it, but yours can.

Remember: Brand (who you are) + Package (your Face to the Customer) + People (customers and employees) = Marketing Success.

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Once an entrepreneur has grown from working in his basement or garage to having employees the question about benefits will ultimately rise. That leaves small business owners in cross roads between spending money on benefits and spending money on growth.

Asking questions is a simple skill mastered by few to the detriment of many. Asking the wrong questions can result in a sale being lost, an employee being misguided, a manager not being listened to and projects poorly planned.

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