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Atricle Dump - Eye On The Pie: Branding From an Investors P.O.V.
How's Your OODA loop? the plane. When I got to the door, the woman taking my
ticket greeted me as if I arrived at her home for a party-- a
very different experience.What IS an OODA loop?John R. Boyd was a U.S. Air Force fighter pilot active during the 1950's. In the 1970's he helped design the F-16 and then went on to promote a concept called the OODA loop.OODA stands for Observation, Orientation, Decision and Action. This is a basic pattern for how we make tactical decisions. Col. Boyd is credited with coining this term, originating and promoting the concept which has become a strategic centerpiece for multiple military campaigns.Many acknowledge that the OODA loop concept is just as powerful in business as it is in the military. But it is just as powerful and simplistic a tool for an individual as it is for these larger venues. Particularly when it comes to decreasing the downtime of employees…particu I walked on the plane and heard upbeat music, saw the colorful comfortable seats, and was greeted by fashionably dressed flight-attendants by the time I sat down, the first thing I said to Nanci, a perky brunette from Atlanta, was "How can I invest in Song?" The plane hadn't eve Cheapskates! When building a business as a brand it's important to avoid
a myopic view and consider another important aspect of the
business game as well-- investing. After any amount of toil
and hard work to create a valuable product, service or
company the big game is when you go public-- when
money-minded people want more, they want a piece of your
brand pie.Pennypinchers, churls, moneygrubbers, niggards, pikers, pinchfists, scrimps – I HATE them. They have a scarcity mentality and they nickel and dime everyone. I don’t spend any time with them. Frugality is good, but being cheap is not smart when you want to create abundance, friends and happiness. One of the things I have learnt is that I should spend money where appropriate. Don’t take someone to a fast food joint to close a big deal. And don’t spend a fortune on things that show no ROI. But the biggest lesson I learnt is not to do business with tightwads.Pennypinchers want everything for nothing, and they always want discounts. Here’s what you should know about discounts: Assume you’re selling a product or a service for $200 and your costs total $150. Tha For many entrepreneurs who are just starting out or are flying solo for any amount of years, it's often inconceivable that anyone would want a piece of their business in the future when they are struggling to grow now. For those who find themselves in this implausible thought or for those who believe in the 'brass ring' of going public there are four things you should consider now that will enable that kind of big future. On a recent flight from Los Angeles to Orlando I experienced a flight of fancy beyond anything I have ever felt before. When I booked through Delta airlines, I was issued a ticket on a company I had not heard of before called Song. I thought it odd but nothing beyond that. That all changed from the moment I got to the gate. Waiting for the plane to board, I sensed a light buzz flowing through people at the gate. They were actually thrilled to be waiting. I thought that happy gas had been pumped into just this section because across from us was another group on another airline waiting to board who were not feeling the same thing. Then the pre-boarding began. A male Latin voice came over the intercom and began the boarding with... a joke-- a different experience. He then went on to announce the boarding procedure with so much joy that I couldn't wait to get in line. I wasn't even in a hurry to get on the plane. When I got to the door, the woman taking my ticket greeted me as if I arrived at her home for a party-- a very different experience. I walked on the plane and heard upbeat music, saw the colorful comfortable seats, and was greeted by fashionably dressed flight-attendants by the time I sat down, the first thing I said to Nanci, a perky brunette from Atlanta, was "How can I invest in Song?" The plane hadn't eve How Business Davids Can Overcome Goliaths r any amount of years, it's often inconceivable
that anyone would want a piece of their business in the
future when they are struggling to grow now. For those who
find themselves in this implausible thought or for those who
believe in the 'brass ring' of going public there are four
things you should consider now that will enable that kind of
big future.In the story of David and Goliath, young David challenged the mighty Goliath. King Saul wanted David to wear his armour so that he could fight Goliath in the traditional way. But David chose to forgo the armour, used a weapon of his choosing, and relied on his own speed, and was ultimately successful in slaying the giant Goliath.Small business owners viewing the Goliaths of their industry slugging it out using all the marketing weaponry in their well stocked armoury, can be daunted by the battles raging around them. And if they choose to fight them with the same weapons, they have much to fear. For large businesses, economies of scale is their most potent weapon. A very powerful weapon. But like Goliath, their strengths are also their weaknesses.Relat On a recent flight from Los Angeles to Orlando I experienced a flight of fancy beyond anything I have ever felt before. When I booked through Delta airlines, I was issued a ticket on a company I had not heard of before called Song. I thought it odd but nothing beyond that. That all changed from the moment I got to the gate. Waiting for the plane to board, I sensed a light buzz flowing through people at the gate. They were actually thrilled to be waiting. I thought that happy gas had been pumped into just this section because across from us was another group on another airline waiting to board who were not feeling the same thing. Then the pre-boarding began. A male Latin voice came over the intercom and began the boarding with... a joke-- a different experience. He then went on to announce the boarding procedure with so much joy that I couldn't wait to get in line. I wasn't even in a hurry to get on the plane. When I got to the door, the woman taking my ticket greeted me as if I arrived at her home for a party-- a very different experience. I walked on the plane and heard upbeat music, saw the colorful comfortable seats, and was greeted by fashionably dressed flight-attendants by the time I sat down, the first thing I said to Nanci, a perky brunette from Atlanta, was "How can I invest in Song?" The plane hadn't eve Parity Busters ight of fancy beyond anything I have ever felt before. When
I booked through Delta airlines, I was issued a ticket on a
company I had not heard of before called Song. I thought it
odd but nothing beyond that. That all changed from the
moment I got to the gate.In reality, your company’s products and/or services are very likely perceived by the marketplace as a commodity. In many cases where you’ve won market share, it is likely due to the fact that your account managers were better networked or better liked, were more persistent, or your main competitors simply blew the account, handing you the business. Unfortunately, these scenarios are the exception. The rule is that it can take some dumb luck, and a great deal of time, too.Everything today seems to be moving faster. And that means that even when you develop new products or services, competition is responding more quickly. So, how do you differentiate in this environment of parity? Below are some initiatives in which companies can invest to differentiate their Waiting for the plane to board, I sensed a light buzz flowing through people at the gate. They were actually thrilled to be waiting. I thought that happy gas had been pumped into just this section because across from us was another group on another airline waiting to board who were not feeling the same thing. Then the pre-boarding began. A male Latin voice came over the intercom and began the boarding with... a joke-- a different experience. He then went on to announce the boarding procedure with so much joy that I couldn't wait to get in line. I wasn't even in a hurry to get on the plane. When I got to the door, the woman taking my ticket greeted me as if I arrived at her home for a party-- a very different experience. I walked on the plane and heard upbeat music, saw the colorful comfortable seats, and was greeted by fashionably dressed flight-attendants by the time I sat down, the first thing I said to Nanci, a perky brunette from Atlanta, was "How can I invest in Song?" The plane hadn't eve Expense Report Approval een pumped into just
this section because across from us was another group on
another airline waiting to board who were not feeling the
same thing. Then the pre-boarding began.An expense report is the statement listing all the travel expenses of an employee owing to a business visit or pleasure visit. The employee has to fill up the standard expense report of his employer either online or manually and submit it to the authorized Approval Department within a specified time period for claiming reimbursement. The employee has to furnish the signature of the authorized person who has approved his visit. He/she needs to submit all the vouchers and bills of his expenses during his travel like air/train fare, hotel accommodations, transportation expenses, food expenditures and others. It is the responsibility of the employee to obtain the prior approval for his visit from the appropriate authority. The appropriate authority differs from organiz A male Latin voice came over the intercom and began the boarding with... a joke-- a different experience. He then went on to announce the boarding procedure with so much joy that I couldn't wait to get in line. I wasn't even in a hurry to get on the plane. When I got to the door, the woman taking my ticket greeted me as if I arrived at her home for a party-- a very different experience. I walked on the plane and heard upbeat music, saw the colorful comfortable seats, and was greeted by fashionably dressed flight-attendants by the time I sat down, the first thing I said to Nanci, a perky brunette from Atlanta, was "How can I invest in Song?" The plane hadn't eve Managing Document Revisions using Subversion the plane. When I got to the door, the woman taking my
ticket greeted me as if I arrived at her home for a party-- a
very different experience.Have you ever wanted to tear your hair out over revisions to a complex document or proposal?We recently worked with a team responding to an RFP (request for proposal) from a large state agency. The RFP itself was nearly 100 pages long. The proposal responding to this RFP would be in excess of 150 pages. Its preparation effort required input from workgroup members scattered from San Diego to Charlotte.Up to this point the company had done many long, detailed proposals. Their products were complex and involved technology components, civil works (concrete, drilling, boring), and network infrastructure, each of which had to be spelled out in detail.The proposal development method was "blunt" (I'll say blunt rather than "crude.") In an era of instan I walked on the plane and heard upbeat music, saw the colorful comfortable seats, and was greeted by fashionably dressed flight-attendants by the time I sat down, the first thing I said to Nanci, a perky brunette from Atlanta, was "How can I invest in Song?" The plane hadn't even taken off yet! When working with entrepreneurs and businesses of all sizes, I often stress the need to create a brand experience for the customer from every point of contact. Never was this point hit home so beautifully... and so fun. Let's breakdown my desire to invest in this company just from just a single contact in four points of connection we humans can relate to: One, most airlines are scrambling to cover losses and willing to slash prices to get people flying again-- Delta included. As they scramble to react, new airlines were capturing market share with lower price points. With Song, Delta made the decision to expand rather than dilute Delta's existing brand and value proposition. They needed to go in another direction and create something completely different to join the battle. Now I wasn't here too observe this personally, but it seems to me they responded like a nimble entrepreneur eyeing a market opportunity, not a giant digging in. To make big advances, bold steps are needed. Two, from the very beginning they had me emotionally. From the moment I was at the gate through when I stepped off the plane they touched me. I got to choose from a menu of great food and I got to choose my entertainment-- the music selection was better than a record store. I felt so good I didn't even think I was in the air. No emotional detail was spared. They nailed it big time. It was all planned down to the detail. I wouldn't have been surprised if the Captain came on and introduced Cirque du Soleil (the famed performers from Canada) would be performing soon. They had me from... the joke. Create and experience I'll buy more than a ticket. Three, they were able
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