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What Are They NOT Telling You?

Posted on August 17, 2020 By Denny

Before getting into consulting I had a very interesting discussion with a gentleman about the profession. He had been a highly successful business consultant for years and I asked, “What do you think is the hardest thing about the work?”

He told me a story about being hired by a huge company in China (I think) that brought him in for an extended stay with all the expense that involves. He studied their situation and finally presented his recommendations, carefully thought out and researched of course.

And — nothing.

“They rejected EVERYthing I told them,” he said. Frustration and bafflement. Total waste of time, except for his sizeable fee of course. He achieved nothing but a paycheck. Finally he concluded they had hoped his work would validate their preconceived conclusions.

When that did not happen, they hired yet another professional, he heard later. How that turned out he did not know.

Nice to get paid, he said, but you want to feel like you’re getting something done as well.

ch.

The PROBLEM: Closer Than You Think?

Posted on June 3, 2020 By Denny

As a veteran of thousands of company gatherings, it often impresses me how closely the core company staff reflects the views, attitudes and values of their top management officers. And over the years that has been obvious in many other groups I have had occasion to observe.

Even kindergarten classes are examples of that dynamic, with one class quiet and happy and sociable at their assignments and another class almost out of control, loud and in constant motion. The teachers were the problem — and the solution as well, of course.

We tend to influence those we spend time with, for good or ill. Hardly a news flash, I know, but one that bears repeating, perhaps now more than usual as we look around at the various crisis issues playing out across our nation and our economy and the world in general. But I am getting ahead of myself here.

The point is this: we must remember we are leaders. Those working for us take their guidance from us whether we choose to guide them or not — our attitudes and values and actions have an immediate impact on their decisions, at that point and further down the line. We affect a lot of people as we go through our day, and must take responsibility for it all. As the saying goes, “The Buck Stops Here.”

Those of us in top management are responsible for the greater success or failure of each project our companies take on and the overall fortunes of the business itself. We know that. But it’s actually possible to hide that fact from ourselves, personally and professionally. Strange but true: some CEOs never seem to understand the frictions and problems in their middle management actually stem from themselves. Clearly, one of the more difficult problems to deal with for an outside consultant, trying to help things work more smoothly.

I am reminded of a moment at a company party some time back, talking to one of the employees, a young mother and her teenage daughter at the sidelines. Both beautiful, intelligent, charming, great fun to chat with. We were discussing toxic work environments.

“Those jobs are awful,” I was saying, “the kind of thing where you just dread going to work, hating to see Monday morning roll around… Have you ever had a job like that?”

The young mom leaned in very close and whispered — “THIS is that job!”

Whoops!

To her credit, we had a good laugh about that, and I do hope she found better employment soon after. And her obvious talents and attributes were obviously lost to that company as she moved on.

Plan Your Trade Show NOW —

Posted on April 27, 2020 By Denny

This current state of Virus-panic and freeze-frame will not last forever, obviously. So let’s plan for success down the road a bit. When, exactly, can we HAVE the next trade show?? Okay, that is not certain at this point — but let’s be ready to rock when the green light finally shows, right?

Right?

Sure thing. Because a lack of planning is clearly the dumbest mistake any professional can make and trade shows are easily one of the most expensive moments in the coming year, for a lot of us.

There are a LOT of reasons why a given Trade Show is a money-sucking waste of time, but among those are some items Within Your Control. So that’s a good thing. Here are a few items we think are worth considering —

GET PROFESSIONAL HELP: Where? From your Best Clients.

Yes! Early on in your planning process, contact your top clients — maybe a dozen or so of your best customers. And ask these vital questions:

What was their decision point on choosing your company?

What is the best thing about your product or service?

How does your product or service help their business?

What trade shows do they usually attend?

Which exhibits really got their attention?

Clearly this input can help you choose WHICH would be the right Trade Shows for your company to take part in, and help shape your ideas on what to offer and your display materials.

STAFFING TRICK:  One item seldom addressed is the people you choose to be at the booth. The top sales hitters might be the obvious choice — but is that ideal for that environment? Few sales can be closed at the show, which is likely their strong suit. Consider this finding from a recent study on — bear with me now — dating habits. Really. Yes, dating. The big surprise: the MOST attractive quality of all, regardless of other factors, is simply Happiness.

No joke. Simple, genuine Happiness is far, far stronger in its overall attractiveness to others than good looks, nice clothing, fame, income or even health. We really enjoy being around people who love their lives and consistently enjoy themselves. They’re fun! Probably we hope it’s contagious, and to a point it is. Sure.

Faking it does not work. Any professional will see through the cold, grinning sales shark in an instant.

And your bouncy, good-humored, happy crew not only will charm and entertain your prospective clients, they will make the long hours at the show easier for everyone, maybe including you. In the meantime, your strongest closers are where they SHOULD be — back at the ranch, making calls and emails, bagging more sales for your company.

FOCUS, NOW, FOCUS:  Your company’s most valuable asset to your customers must be front and center. That seems obvious, I know, but a huge number of Trade Show exhibits fail to highlight their best feature, oddly enough.

Think of your booth display as a billboard.

Remember the rule of thumb for billboard ads by the interstate? Something like it must reach that motorist within seven seconds to be effective.

Your prospects are moving a bit slower of course, but still your graphic display has to almost  instantly reach a prospect as she strolls past and must address a problem she faces often. So, think: What is really your company’s strong suit?  Are you faster on turnaround? Less expensive? Better service? A stronger warranty? Find your focus and sell THAT. Your company’s other selling points will come up in later discussion.

GIVEAWAYS THAT WORK:  Time was, pens and coffee mugs with your logo were THE obvious choices. And for good reason, too, being useful and (to a point) durable. Thumb drives might be a good option these days.

We wish you the best of luck as you plan that big trade show.

New Ideas INSTANTLY??

Posted on September 29, 2018 By Denny

NEW CONCEPT NEEDED?? 

Recently in a discussion on how to develop new product ideas, someone said it should be possible to come up with new concepts for any specific industry — in less than a minute.

Sure, why not, eh?

Okay, someone else said, here’s your product line: PEPPER. Table pepper, ground black pepper. Sixty seconds — go!

Uh…

And we did it! In forty-one seconds this idea presented:

Fresh ground pepper at the fast-food drive-through.

Sure! A little piece of aluminum fashioned to create a spring-mechanism with one or two peppercorns inside. Grind your pepper for that sandwich!

Okay, we admit it’s not a feasible product. It would be way too expensive for the drive-through price parameters. Sure, we know that. But the quick idea was pretty cool, maybe. What do you think??

In any case, whatever you need in your product line, we can create marketable items for your consideration immediately.

Logo Design; a Bit Different

Posted on August 17, 2020 By Denny

We were recently asked to create a logo for an unusual enterprise — two apparently terrific young men who go out on weekends, riding their motorcycles and working to provide needed social services in their community.

How cool is that??

So we worked with them a bit and came up with drawings of the gentlemen — Joe & Tito — and their Harley-Davidson mode of transport. The image was placed on T-Shirts.

They loved it!  See what you think…

Let’s work together on your
next project

www.npdconcepts.com

937-238-6351