Over the next 5 years customers will demand that their suppliers possess a greater understanding of their needs.
These are the powerful predictions of 82 per cent of the world’s business leaders who took part in an IBM poll. Seventy per cent of them said customers will expect new and different services – and 88 per [...]

“If you want different results, change your activities”.

This powerful call to action from business mentor and executive coach Jack Daly has galvanized me to change tack on more than one occasion – with great success.
With so many businesses hunkering down, cutting costs, bemoaning a sales shortage – and allowing their sales teams to [...]

From my experience as a business strategist and executive coach, too many top executives have the self limiting belief that ‘only they can do it’.
They also often run out of inspiration to think creatively so they keep on doing what they’ve always done and, guess what?- they keep on getting what they’ve always got.
Take these [...]

In my previous post I gave you some ‘wake up’ questions which prompted you to think how you will jump start your sales. 
The questions from sales guru Jack Daly challenged you on growth strategy and included key areas such as sales and marketing, presenting data to customers as well as branding and communication.    
If you didn’t [...]

As an executive coach I have found that many business leaders and sales managers have their own ideas about how they are going to jump start sales.
Unfortunately in my vast experience in strategy consulting, most of them don’t live up to expectations – and if they do there is no plan to sustain the winning [...]

While customers are constantly looking for ways to lower cost and improve margins they are also looking for new innovations to increase their market appeal and or competitiveness, just look at the success of smart phones and the iPad.
Innovation doesn’t have to be a ground breaking new technology it is about the execution and implementation [...]

Where would you like to be in four years’ time? At this time of year the answer may well include references to tropical seas and golden sands… If only! Back to reality, however: if you’re lucky enough to be soaking up the sun, enjoying a break with the family, give some thought to the question [...]

Identifying the drivers behind the profitability of your business – and maximising their impact -  is  key to its future prosperity. 
In my last post  we looked at the bigger picture – the broader areas of your business that harbour its primary profit drivers. Now it’s time for me to take on the mantle of performance coach [...]

Knowing where and how profit is made in your business – and how to maximise it – is key to surviving and prospering in the new economic cycle. 
As a company leader you have no doubt made tough decisions during the last two years, slashing costs and trying to hold onto sales. The question now is [...]

As a business strategist my previous blog highlighted the importance of creating the right organisational structure that reflects how you want the business to operate and not one that reflects functionality and seniority.  
One of the keys is to build it around roles and not individuals – often easier said than done. 
To separate the role from [...]