Under-resourced? Under-skilled? Swamped with urgent priorities? Once-in-a-lifetime mission-critical project coming up?

Morning,

The GFC impacts in Australia are slowly receding ( negative consumer sentiment, home lending, unemployent et al ) and have been replaced by the burden of a high aussie dollar ( cheaper imports ) and political uncertainty ( reduced infrastructure spending ) as the labour boat slowly sinks in each state and federally.

None-the-less, mission-critical projects exist in most industries and major players. And many organisations are spread so thin that resources can’t be easily collated to exploit once-in-a-lifetime opportunities.

That’s where we come in. Use us. Our broader and deeper industry sector experience means we can apply learnings elsewhere to your challenges and bottom-line quickly.

Email me to start a conversation that could be important and profitable.

email me.

cheers

Pete

Pete Jeans answers the questions…so what? and, what’s in it for me?

Hands-on leader, innovator, engager, paradigm-breaker...I leave nothing to chance

…probably the two most powerful questions we must consistently address in meeting customers’ needs….

So often these issues are forgotten in the rush to roll out a standardised value proposition. Leaders know what they’re doing. They’re across the dynamics in their industries….so it’s important to share your track record and what’s new and working elsewhere….with the caveat that what works elsewhere may not apply here. 

This is part of the answer to “so what?” and “what’s in it for me?” from a potential client’s viewpoint.

Critically, do some listening. Deeply probe the apparent needs to discover the hidden real compelling issues…and build a conversation.

What seems to differentiate a relationship is the quality of the converation. And differentiation is a key lever for preferred choice isn’t it! 

What works for you in qualifying leaders’ needs? Please comment below or email me.

cheers

Pete

…secrets from a change specialist…it’s all about passion for the project and great discipline

…years of experience. Multiple sector exposure. Varying team dynamics. Competitive challenges….no matter what the mix of project variables, there are some golden rules:

* Interview your project sponsors closely to clearly define their actual agendas

* Define and re-define the project scope and brief closely and regularly

* Conduct stakeholder analyses closely to define buy-in levers and active support engagement initiatives. Ask for their active support. Deliver against their needs.

* Integrate deep issues knowledge into the team structures

* Reject team candidates whose contribution is less than constructive

* Meet deliverables quality expectations on time every time

* Communication and feedback mechanisms need to be regular, real time and linked to decision tree and timetable frameworks

* Engender a sense of project passion and planned urgency

I’d be interested in your views! Share those with my readers in the comments box below!

The key to growth is confidence around clarity

Clarity from complexity. That’s what matters.

Now the GFC impact in Australia is lessening, management is back in the growth initiative phase. Jobs are being advertised. The trick going forward is to avoid the mistakes of the past.

That means decent customer needs research; continuous effective customer engagement and a commitment to compete. Gone are the days when we got on the paddock to play our own gameplan. Today, we’re getting on the paddock to win as often as we can with a strategy that beats the opposition.

The key is confidence around clarity. Most don’t understand how to achieve strategic clarity.

We can help. Email me Peter.Jeans2@three.com.au

cheers

Pete Jeans

Director SMO

Insight, strategy professional execution and results

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

E-mail Me

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

 

E-mail Me!