The most important question to ask yourself
Working with clients to develop a sustainable, robust and commercially viable strategy is usually not just a walk in the park that leverages my 40 years of doing this stuff. The technique I usually employ in conversation is what I call hindsight planning, a process...
Environmental research: A commercial necessity.
Last week I was fortunate enough to be invited to a session that outlined the latest Roy Morgan research focussing on Mortgage stress and superannuation. The data presented by Morgans CEO Michele Levine was both informative and disturbing in a number of ways. I...
10 steps to world class excellence
Watching Michael Phelps weave his magic in the pool at Rio has been more than a sporting feast, it was a lesson in superior performance that has required solid foundations and enormous hard work over a very long period. Where does that drive, determination, and...
Shoe-string marketing for SME’s
All small and medium sized businesses struggle with the problem of not enough marketing budget. They have come, or perhaps been led to the conclusion that marketing must be expensive, and often it is, but a bit of creativity goes a long way. You do not have to spend...
9 reasons to be wary of marketing automation
Marketing automation is the new game in town, it builds leverage onto marketing investments. Absolutely right, and I am a believer. Scott Brinkers amazing work illustrates just how rapidly it is advancing. Automation delivers the opportunity for huge leverage when...
6 strategies to build a brand on a shoestring
Small businesses everywhere suffer from the unequal access to the marketing funding they have compared to their larger competitors. Some complain about it, others get on and short circuit the system by turning it on its head. Large companies overrun with so called...
Census night melt-down was expected
Human beings are pre-disposed to trust, is it a part of our evolutionary DNA, we need each other to survive. We all know we are stronger in a group, relate to those similar to us, who share similar histories and beliefs, and who are held to us by shared relationships....
9 considerations when planning sales follow up
You never fail to get a sale because you followed up too much, but understanding the inflexion points in the process when you reach them is critical, and it will vary almost every time. You might follow up poorly, or with inappropriate ineffective material, but the...
4 simple measures of Digital Marketing Effectiveness for small business
Marketing has always been a bit like juggling. Lots of balls in the air, and everything seems fine until… it isn't. Digital has just added significant complication, try juggling on a unicycle. Many small businesses shy away from measuring the effectiveness of their...
12 common & avoidable marketing mistakes I see small businesses repeating.
How true is the old chestnut "those who do not know history are destined to repeat it"? It is an unfortunate truth, but in a business environment where 75% of new businesses fail, and 61% of actively trading businesses have no employees, it may be understandable. The...