New Year Resolutions

We may as well face it, 2011 is as good as over. If you are not implementing an existing plan now, it's probably too late to start.

This means there is no excuse not to cast the eye further afield and start setting some goals for the the end of 2012. If you are glad to be seeing the back of this year, what should you be celebrating this time next year?

Overcoming Implementation Inertia.

One of the biggest hurdles managers face is the ability to work on their business, not in their business. Once a strategy has been developed, implementation is often the greater challenge. In fact, up to 80% of plans are never acted upon as day-to-day spot fires are always a priority.

What's my motivation?

There's an old joke that an out of work actor is getting by waiting tables. Confused on his first day he asks his boss, 'So I'm a waiter, yeah. But what's my motivation?"

Is your brand ready for the big time?

For a company that has been successful in one market, it can be frustrating that this success does not immediately translate to a new market. On paper there should be strong demand, but for some reason that does not turn into sales.

How unhappy should you make your customers?

As unhappy as possible of course; absolutely miserable. And scared too. In fact, not buying your products or using your services should terrify them!

Building customer dissatisfaction is the key to driving change in their behavior. The more they are unhappy with their current position, the more likely they will be to listen to your story and start considering your plan to make their lives easier.

Picking your odds on product favorites

When looking at their product portfolio, many managers start to feel a bit average. Is above average volume more important than below average profit? It should be as easy as betting on a horse race where you have trained every starter! However, there are a lot of underlying issues that can muddy the track.

The low value of price

It never hurts to have a price advantage, but relying on being the cheapest can be a risky strategy.

Take an importer I know who has let price drive their entire sales plan. It has been a real shock for them to discover that brand values and consumer loyalty are vital for long term key account relationships and not just empty buzz words. When volumes started dropping, and sales minimums were not being met, questions started to be asked. What was going wrong?