September 22, 2011

Cruising with The ONLY

Let the Numbers Speak
Social Media Can’t be the ONLY One Standing
The Silver Bullet for Leaders
I am always on the lookout for a good ONLY Statement. Regular readers will know what I mean. If you can declare that your organization is the ONLY one that .... you are well on your way to becoming distinctive and unique.
Uniworld offers river cruises throughout the world. Their ONLY is: “Uniworld is the only Authentic Boutique Cruise Line”.
How do they support this claim? By partnering with Red Carnation Hotels - “an award winning collection of five-star hotels.” By using the Red Carnation Hotels’ design team, Uniworld is able to create their fleet in the image of a boutique hotel: “...stunning interiors replete with all the comforts and conveniences you’d expect from the world’s finest hotels.”
Having been on several vacation cruises with most of the Cruise Line companies I can say that their claim is true. Look, feel and attention to detail creates a very different experience with Uniworld than any other Cruise Line that tends to be characterized by long line-ups, average food, too many passengers, mediocre entertainment and extra charges for everything. The Cruise Line Herd.
This is one of the best examples of an ONLY that has been created by a strategy to offer a unique experience for their customers.
Nicely done Uniworld! Oh, did I mention they hire “Human Being Lovers”?
Oh ya!

Cheers,
Roy


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Posted 9.22.11 at 04:22 am by Roy Osing | Permalink | Comments (2)

September 15, 2011

Business Strategy - Let the Numbers Speak

POINTS. Mans Ascent to ZERO
Social Media Can’t be the ONLY One Standing
Opposites Attract
The BE DiFFERENT Strategic Game Plan Creation Process:
1. HOW BIG do you want to be?
2. WHO do you want to SERVE?
3. HOW will you compete and WIN?

The HOW BIG question starts the process. Your growth goals determine the character and risk level of your strategy.
A plan to grow revenue at 10% per year will look quite a bit different than if you wanted to grow at 25%. The latter could require, for example, more resources, new target markets and customer segments and an acquisition to get the 25%.
The traditional approach determines “the numbers” at the END of the planning process. This has always been a problem because we end up not liking the numbers and we change them without adjusting the strategy. Can’t do that. The boldness of your strategy is governed by your growth goals.
Get your thinking straight on HOW BIG. Then create your strategy to achieve them.
It’s all about the numbers.

Cheers,
Roy


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Posted 9.15.11 at 04:00 am by Roy Osing | Permalink | Comments (0)

September 12, 2011

Social Media Can’t Be The ONLY One Standing

POINTS. Mans Ascent to ZERO
Schooled By the DEAD
Opposites Attract
Lots of buzz these days about how to create a Social Media Strategy for your organization. An extremely important consideration, but should be Second in Command.
Social Media is a means to an end and should be driven by your overall business goals. What’s your Strategic Game Plan? What are your business goals? What’s your ONLY Statement that declares your uniqueness in the marketplace? Who are you intending to serve?
Social Media planning needs a strategic context to give direction and meaning. The real question is: “What role can Social Media play in helping me achieve my overall business goals?” Determine your destiny, THEN create a meaningful role for Social Media:
- the content that your targeted customers are interested in;
- the look, feel and functionality of a web site including a Blog;
- the appropriate social media tools to use: Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Hootsuite for example.
Social Media gives you the capability to connect and have a conversation with people. When you “open your mouth to speak” to them, what will you say? THAT is the role of your Strategic Game Plan.
Make it First in Command.

Cheers,
Roy


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Posted 9.12.11 at 05:00 am by Roy Osing | Permalink | Comments (0)

September 8, 2011

Opposites Attract

Pay Attention to What They Buy
Schooled By the DEAD
Serve and Sell
Distinctive. Unique. Remarkable. DiFFERENT. All words to describe successful organizations that know how to thrive and survive over the long term. The challenge, of course, is to figure out HOW to get there.
One possibility is based on a contrarian attitude. Do the opposite to what the Faceless Competitive Herd is doing. Break from the trend. Get out of the box. If the Herd is doing it one way, do the opposite. If they are going north, go south.
Rock bands NEVER allow concert fans to record their music during a live performance. The Grateful Dead did exactly the opposite and enabled their fans to do it. The Herd treats the Collections function as a one-way ‘collect the balance due’ task. What if you treated it as a Credit Management function where employees are empowered to manage credit risk and work with the customer to develop a payment plan that was a win-win for both the company and the customer?
The Herd cuts prices. What if, as Lulu Lemon did during the recent recession, you held prices, refused to discount and added value?
You would BE DiFFERENT. You would get noticed. You would standout from the Herd.
Go against the Herd. Practice Opposition and get noticed.

Cheers,
Roy


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Posted 9.8.11 at 05:00 am by Roy Osing | Permalink | Comments (0)