I was in London at a business and networking event this week and I stayed in my favourite hotel – it’s a Travelodge which might not be everyone’s first choice but I love it because the staff are fantastic! They always seem to do something to delight me. As you can imagine there are many …
We are all looking for ways to get our business to the next level – that step-change that increases sales and profits beyond our current horizons. The truth is that for many small businesses that is elusive – we don’t know what it is – possibly costly, and probably time-consuming. We can seek inspiration in …
I originally wrote a version of this article in 2016 after the summer in Rio – it still applies to many sporting achievements – we tend to “punch above our weight” in many sports. So what makes TeamGB / ParalympicsGB so successful? Well funding for sure, all those lottery tickets we buy have a purpose, …
How Can Marginal Gains improve Business Productivity Read More »
The universe is telling me that I need to talk about money this week! It’s almost tax year end, it’s financial year end for a large number of businesses, we are being bombarded with seminars for Making Tax Digital and, well, there’s that Brexit thing which may mean some business disruption (if you haven’t already …
Supplier relationship management is often overlooked (compared to Customer Relationship Management) – do you manage yours? We talk a lot about customer relationship management – and this can of course include leads and prospects – and small businesses spend a lot of time (and effort, and money) managing their sales pipeline, and nurturing their …
We are all buyers of products and services. And the way we are now purchasing everything – from an iron to a holiday to a car – has changed dramatically. For those of us who are older (!) purchasing any of the above meant a trip to a shop, or a travel agent or a …
What is the buyer’s journey and how do I use it? Read More »
We all know the customers we like working with. The ones who “get” what we offer and who value and pay for our products and services. So wouldn’t it make sense to find more of them? Wouldn’t it make sense to attract more of them to come to us? Shouldn’t all our marketing be directed …
How Buyer Personas can help you attract the customers you want Read More »
in Uncertain Times – 3 ways you can have Certainty in your Business I originally wrote a version of this blog in 2016 – not long after The Brexit Vote. I wrote this immortal sentence “Whether you are happy about #Brexit or not, one thing is certain – we are going to be living in …
In Uncertain Times – 3 ways you can have consistency in your business Read More »
Someone asked me a week or so ago what to do about their CRM which they log into only rarely and is out of date and therefore not very helpful – and how to avoid this. There are three main ways to avoid this situation: It lives with you – your CRM should be as …
Task Lists! Are you an organised person who likes to make detailed tasks lists and tick things off religiously – or are you constantly chasing your tail lurching from one task to the next but never completing anything? Most of us are probably somewhere between these two extremes. Making lists but sometimes getting distracted and …
I’m a bit of a “CRM (Customer Relationship Management) freak” and so I often ask business owners if they have a CRM system in their organisation. Sometimes people say they have – it’s MailChimp. Now – MailChimp is a fabulous tool, and is an excellent “ESP” (Email Service Provider) but as a CRM it has …
Successful business owners acknowledge the importance of knowing the key numbers in their business. This doesn’t just mean their P&L or the bank balance (although these are obviously important). There are some numbers which will help you to understand where you are now – and most importantly, help you to set goals towards building a …
Well no, not really, but in many organisations it can feel that way. Do “Sales” and “Marketing” get along in your business? Do they compete for attention, complain that it’s not fair, and fight for the front seat in the car? Or in fact, do they blame each other if things are not going well. …
Working from Home? Working from home is now relatively common in many workplaces. Technology makes it easy for people to do so – they can access files and systems from home and the telephone system can be configured so that home workers appear to be “in the office” and so calls can be transferred, or …
——The Year of Productivity——- Those of you who have worked in larger organisations may have been familiar with Standard Operating Procedures or SOPs? These were documents that described, in minute detail, how to perform certain tasks. I worked for many years in the pharma industry – and we didn’t move without a SOP! Now you …
In the last few months I have been marketing a new service – a sales process workshop – to enable businesses to improve their sales processes. When I have been talking to people at networking events I tell them I am looking for businesses with sales teams. Many people looked at me and solemnly told …
When I’m working at my desk I usually have my phone face down on the surface near to me. I am guessing you’re the same? The idea is that we won’t see every notification that pops up on the screen (for example Duolingo telling me that my “health” is back to 100%) and we tell …
It’s a well-known fact that no-one would have any presents at Christmas if it weren’t for Santa and his team of elves (and the Reindeer delivery service). The fact is that Santa is already planning for Christmas 2019 – all the toys for this year have been allocated (have you been good this year?) and …
I work with many clients in a number of different sectors, however I generally find that each organisation’s “sales process” follows much the same path. You may find that you have a different name for each stage, and you may, for very good reasons, have more or fewer steps – but in essence you should …
Anyone else wonder where 2018 went? Next week will be December – and thoughts now should be turning to planning for 2019. True, there are still a couple of teeny weeny loose ends to be tied up “economy-wise” but there are still steps we can take to make sure we are ready to face whatever …
Come what May – now’s the time to start planning for 2019 Read More »
If you’re a new start-up, working on your own, you might wonder about the value of putting a full-on CRM (Customer Relationship Management) system in place. And as I have stressed elsewhere, “free” CRMs do exist, but it may still take some time to get your head round a new tool – and time is …
If you have been following this series of blogs then you will already know that “implementation” is a topic that is very dear to my heart. This is not just because that’s generally how I make a living (although the Lamborghini still isn’t quite on the horizon) but also because I believe passionately that good …
The Difference is Clear – the case for good systems implementation Read More »
The subject of Procurement (for that is what this is) could fill many blogs – but I will attempt to give a potted guide here! There are many procurement consultants out there and if you are inexperienced in purchasing systems (including consultancy) then you may want to engage one. They will assist in the entire …
Moirs Cleaning is based in Falkirk and has been providing domestic and commercial cleaning services in Central Scotland for over 11 years. Customer information was stored in an Excel spreadsheet – but the business is growing rapidly and this was no longer sustainable. Wildcat Solutions first met with Cariss Moir (Managing Director) in June 2015 …
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