Do you have the intellectual horsepower coralled in-house?

G’day!

Well, Christmas and the New Year are over. It’s back to business. And things look promising. Demand is slowly coming back. Pricing is stable and margin management is a matter of process rather than life and death as it was a year or so back.

Many of the same issues still abound. Management calibre is average. The vision is 90 days max. Sales capability hasn’t been recognised for the crucial factor it is. Marketers are lost in projects rather than being out front leading the drive for customer value.

However, some things are changing. Dead wood have been given their marching orders. Contract-based performance periods are commonplace. Working assets are being given the focus that’s due.

2010 will be a benchmark year for the ambitious. Those wrapped in beaurocratic processes will feel the weight of the guillotine.

What’s key is great executable strategy. Are you ready? Do you have the intellectual horsepower coralled in-house? If not, get it organised or get in touch. We can help.

cheers

Pete Jeans

Director SMO

Insight, strategy professional execution and results

a fantastic Christmas and New Year to all

 

It’s been a challenging year for most of us….but we’ve come through….the economy is out of A&E; senior management isn’t frightened any more; consumers have started relaxing and spending. Not much else has changed.

As for me…life is good. I trust yours is too. Happy Christmas!

Email me if you need to chat around business needs you just find hard to meet. I leave nothing to chance.

Click on the email link below.

cheers!

Pete Jeans

Director

SMO

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around change, growth and improved capability…what is key?

 

The answer is clarity. Determining clarity. That’s it.

Complexity faces us all in every organisational challenge. The key is to enable best-practice strategic processes to blow the smoke off the stage… and view the reality of the real players; the real issues…and what are the practical options available?

Email me if you need to chat. I leave nothing to chance.

Click on the email link below.

cheers!

Pete Jeans

Director

SMO

E-mail Me!

OK…it’s close to being over…now let’s focus around growth

Some of the retailers reckon this recession in Australia is close to being over; some of the industrials are getting volume back slowly ( at the cost of margin albeitly ); consumer and business confidence is up ( from a low base ) and some parts of Australia didn’t even feel the recession due to strong local manufacturing and primary industry activity.

So what! you say?

Well, the time is NOW to get on with your plans. Those who implement their growth plans effectively earlier will get stronger incremental share gain.

What’s in it for me? you say?

There won’t be a better opportunity to show your stuff…’cos the business community has been frightened into conservatism. Anyone who does their strategic work well and goes for it…should clean up.

Email me if you need to chat. I leave nothing to chance.

Click on the email link below.

cheers!

Pete Jeans

Director

SMO

E-mail Me!

things are going to be different this growth cycle

Check out what people say about me at http://www.linkedin.com/in/petejeans

G’day,

My network tells me positive signs of demand emergence are evident. I’m contracting in the strategy and marketing services space…and business confidence is much better than 90 days ago.

Is your organisation… or your clients going to be proactive?…take the lead? …beat the competition on the upswing?…or sit tight until Feb 2010 until several months of stability have occurred?

Whichever way, things are going to be different this growth cycle. Strategy and effective market engagement will be kings instead of promotion and fluff.

Email me if you need to chat. I leave nothing to chance.

Click on the email link below.

cheers!

Pete Jeans

Director

SMO Sydney

E-mail Me!

Customers will respond to innovation in recessions

Someone asked me the other day what the critical imperative is around demand generation as the recession eases.

In the ‘92 Australian recession recovery period,  it was  all about focusing demand generation imperatives around the critical selection factors that clients use to prefer suppliers….typically the same compelling issues that sit at the centre of their offers to their clients.

No rocket science there.  But the element that gained best differential recognition was how the imperatives were executed….with flair, innovation; representatively across the  segments and distribution network…and with  adequate resources in place to get the orders and specifications.

It was, however,  firstly about creating an emotional reason for the buyers to connect with the market offer. Get this right and growth projects flow nicely.

Consequently, competitors lost out.  They were outgunned, out-innovated, out-offered , out-timed and  consequently, were disconnected from the trade buyers’ wallets.

This recession is different because the downturn happened more quickly. Companies want to survive. You’ve gotta help them with initiatives to turn on their customers’ spending. Do that…and you’ll survive and grow.

My guess is that customers will  still respond to  an innovative offer around the compelling benefit they offer their clients. It’s up to us as business leaders to innovate around that space to get their attention, interest and loyalty.

What’s your view. Please comment…or click on the email link below.

cheers!

Pete Jeans

Director

SMO Sydney

http://www.linkedin.com/in/petejeans

 

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Things are ready to start moving in Australia

There’s movement at the station…the economy is probably at it’s lowpoint…so the only way is up.

What’s happening?  Even though  the quantum of employment advertisements are low…some industry sectors are hiring additional seniors…particularly in the construction space for new projects….and there will be a few  new government  roles in NSW as the current administration re-shapes its bureaucracy into super departments.

Consumer confidence has bounced back to a neutral point as the result of Australia formally avoiding a technical recession definition…and government stimulus spending  has had some benefit ( particularly in the retail sector ).

Boards will probably wait until their July and August meetings to review the final preliminary results from 08/09. Let’s hope they give their CEO’s the greenlight then to spend prudently on people as cashflow improves over the next year.

My view? It’ll be July 2010 before discretionary investment spurts up. The housing industry will lead  a broad economic recovery in Spring 2010. 

What’s your view. Please comment…or click on the email link below to have a confidential chat.

cheers!

Pete Jeans

Director

SMO Sydney

http://www.linkedin.com/in/petejeans

 

E-mail Me!

When will new senior roles be available?

It depends of course, on the particular  industry and organisational circumstances as the economy starts to emerge from its malaise over the next  24 months.

Australia is now much better populated with senior talent who have returned from offshore; so competition for senior roles will be fierce. Only those who tightly fit the competency and chemistry slots will get in quickly once the ads go up.

Is it possible for jobseekers to create new roles now with targeted companies? Maybe…it depends on networks and reputation…and of course the intersection of need and timing.

How many new senior roles will be available as things turn round? Not many. Australia only has a few industry sectors that matter….and half a dozen companies of  note in each.

What’s your view. Please comment…or click on the email link below.

cheers!

Pete Jeans

Director

SMO Sydney

http://www.linkedin.com/in/petejeans

 

E-mail Me!

Some industry sectors in Australia might be getting ready to wake up

Something interesting is happening in Australia…more and more management consulting firms are looking for staff.

Is this the start of the corporate sector getting ready to wake up after completing their downsizing and costs re-adjustment…and re-examine their business models?

Or is it that the corporate sector’s planning  is lagging well behind the economic reality of savage demand downturn…and is so frightened…that they’re calling in the “boys from Boston”?

Athough there’s probably a bit of truth in both scenarios, my guess is that there’s some emerging optimism that things can’t get much worse… and that, despite an expectation that demand will be flat at these levels  for a year  or two at least, there are some pragmatic opportunities worth planning for.

What can you do about this? Leverage your networks to explore new potential roles and opportunities. The new financial year is almost upon us and budgets and new headcounts are being locked in now.

Let’s hope the pollies continue to demonstrate leadership…and force the banks to open the credit sluice gates in an effective way to rebuild confidence.

Please comment…or click on the email link below.

cheers!

Pete Jeans

Director

SMO Sydney

http://www.linkedin.com/in/petejeans

E-mail Me!

Is the current imperative on costs and cash control shortsighted? Should we tighten up on business model re-alignment?

Sure, cash is king. But we are going to come out of this recession. And those with their agility and capability intact and strengthened …will reap the benefits of the turnaround earlier.

That means a new commitment to insight and strategy development. Have you got adequate independant resources to give you strategic advice on the probable trigger period of the upturn?

Interestingly, there are organisations around in Australia who have the talent and foresight to get on with it. You know who you are. Some are getting ready and are just waiting for a cleaner balance sheet on July 1 and a freer credit environment later this year.

Those who wait for their competitors to change up a gear will get boxed in….and then,  it will be even harder to overtake profitably.

My opinion for what it’s worth right now in March 09 is that the next twelve months is a chance to restructure; put new customer engagement processes in place and build and trial value propositions that commercially prejudice the opposition.

That’s what gets me out of bed early. History is relevant…but it’s the future opportunities that really matter. Are you on top of that game? Do you understand them?

Please comment…or click on the email link below.

cheers!

Pete Jeans

Director

SMO Sydney

http://www.linkedin.com/in/petejeans

E-mail Me!