Compare your current sales with your assumptions, your expectations and

your projections.
AAFES Sales are as expected
Myself-$!,!!! month minimum re"uired
Are you on trac#$
%es with &ni' of MAryland (A) pro'in* $+,! month - will .e towards /A00
-1/ with Empower 1etwor#
Compare your le'el of sales with last year.
Much .etter.
2hat are the trends$
-ncrease
Are they up or down$
&p
-s this trend temporary or permanent$
3ermanent
2hat do the trends su**est for the future of your .usiness$
&nlimited 4pportunity
2hat could you do to respond more e5ecti'ely to them$
0earn 6orean faster, 1etwor#in* with C47-C mem.ers, 3roduce8sell 0earn
6orean 1ow product9
Cash Flow Is Everything
0oo# at your cash :ow and le'els of pro;ta.ility from each product, ser'ice
and
area of acti'ity.
Are your pro;ts *oin* up or down$
&p
Are they on .ud*et or *oin* sideways$
0oo# at the percenta*es. Analy<e your return-on-e"uity, return-on-
in'estment,
and return-on-sales.
Are they increasin* or decreasin*$
-f your *oal is to .uild a *reat company, why isn=t your company already
*reat$
More capital re"uired for Empower networ#
2hich of your products or ser'ices is sellin* well today$
My sales s#ills and Empower 1etwor#
2hich of your products and ser'ices are the most pro;ta.le$
My sales s#ills and Empower 1etwor#
2hich ones are doin* poorly$
2hich ones do you lose money on$
>rin#in* too much alchohol
-s your current .usiness situation, positi'e or ne*ati'e, in any area$
More capital re"uired
?emporary or part of a lon*-term trend$
0on*term
)ow can you #now for sure$
Action
)ow can you ;nd out$
@ejoin Empower 1etwor# with (-M8Aic# Stri<heusB0i#e )o..sB3roject A240
2hat should you then do$
Ma#e $!,!!! ;rst C! days
Clarity Is the Key
2hy has your .usiness .een successful in the past$
My study of .usiness
2hat ha'e you done well in the past that has .een responsi.le for your
success to date$
My study of .usiness, mar#etin* and sales.
2hat are the most important s#ills and competencies that your company
possesses today$
My study of .usiness, mar#etin* and sales.
2hat are the 'ery .est products and ser'ices that you o5er ri*ht now$
My study of .usiness, mar#etin* and sales.
0oo# at the people around you. 2ho are your most 'alua.le people$
AF) Shoppette and &ni'ersity of Maryland (A) money
2ho are no lon*er as 'alua.le as .efore$
2ho represents a net loss or detriment to your .usiness$
(e prepared to as# and answer the .rutal "uestions.
The Customer Is the King
2ho are your .est customers today$
6oreans, sin*le males, and .usiness opportunity see#ers
2hat and where are your .est mar#ets$
Asia and the internet
2hat do your customers li#e the most a.out what you do for them$
Ma#e them happy
2hat do they compliment the most of what you o5er or do for them$
Ma#e them happy, tal# alot and 'ery smart in .usiness and life
2hat is your num.er one area of customer satisfaction$
Sales and presentation
2hat do your customers li#e the least a.out what you do$
2hen -/m an*ry or tired
2hat do they complain a.out the most$
1ot ha'in* what they want a'aila.le for purchase
2hat is it that you sell that your customers and potential customers prefer to
.uy somewhere else, rather than from you$
Identify Your Personal Strengths
0oo# at yourself honestly. 2hat are your own personal .est s#ills, "ualities
and a.ilities$
En*lish, Studyin*, strate*ic plannin*, mar#etin* and sales
2hat are the most important thin*s that you do at wor#, and for your
company$
>aily facility impro'ement, strate*ic plannin*, mar#etin* and sales
2hat are the most 'alua.le contri.utions you ma#e personally to your
.usiness$
-ncrease sales, customer ser'ice, and customer retention
Start Where You Are:
. 2hat is wor#in* the 'ery .est in your .usiness today$
Sales and mar#etin*
2hat parts of your .usiness ma#e you the happiest$
Mar#etin*
D. 2hat=s not wor#in* in your .usiness$
2aitin* on capital
2hat causes you the most a**ra'ation and frustration$
2aitin* on capital
C. 2hat are your most important products and mar#ets$
Me Esales8mar#etin*8en*lish s#illsF, Empower 1etwor# in th &S8South
6orean mar#ets
2hat accounts for the lar*est portion of your re'enues$
AF) and Empower 1etwor#
G. 2ho are your most important people$
AF) and Empower 1etwor#
2ho are the people who account for most of your results$
AF) and Empower 1etwor#
H. 2hat are your special talents and s#ills$
2hat is it you do that accounts for most of your success$
I. 2hat are the major chan*es ta#in* place in your mar#et$
2hat chan*es should you ma#e to compensate for them$
+. 2hat are your most treasured assumptions a.out your people, customers,
mar#ets,
products, ser'ices and yourself$
2hat if one of them wasn=t true$
2hat would you do then$
Imagine Starting ver
Jero-.ased thin#in* re"uires that you apply this KscraperL mentality to e'ery
part
of your .usiness. %ou do this .y as#in* this #ey "uestionM
Is there anything that you are doing in your business that,
knowing what you now know, you wouldnt start up again today, if you
had it to do over?
-nstead of stru**lin* to determine how you mi*ht modify, chan*e, ;x, re'ise,
impro'e or alter some .usiness function, you instead as#,
K-f - was not doin* this today, would - start it up a*ain today, knowing what I
now know?
?o start with, is there any product or ser'ice that you would not .rin* to the
mar#et, o5er or sell, if you had to do it o'er a*ain, startin* today$
Since N!O of your products and ser'ices are pro.a.ly *oin* to .e o.solete
within the next H years, there
may .e products and ser'ices you are o5erin* today that, .ecause of
chan*ed mar#et
conditions, you would not introduce a*ain today, if you had to do it o'er
a*ain, knowing
what you now know. ?hese products or ser'ices are prime candidates for
discontinuation
or di'estiture.
-s there any person in your .usiness that you would not hire, assi*n, appoint,
*o
to wor# for, or .ecome associated with if you had to do it o'er a*ain today$
Most of your pro.lems in .usiness will come from attemptin* to wor# with or
around a diPcult person,
who #nowin* what you now #now, you wouldn=t *et in'ol'ed with a*ain
today.
2ho does this .rin* to mind$
-s there any supplier, .an#er or 'endor that you are dealin* with today that,
#nowin* what you now #now, you wouldn=t *et in'ol'ed with a*ain today, if
you had to
do it o'er$
Sin!e many of your "usiness relationshi#s will not wor$ out over
time% you
must "e #re#ared to !ontinually reevaluate them% es#e!ially if they
are !ausing you any
#ro"lems or frustrations&
Analy'e Your Customers
-s there any customer that you are sellin* to or ser'icin* today that, #nowin*
what you now #now, you wouldn=t ta#e on a*ain as a customer$
Many companies are as#in* this "uestion a.out their diPcult customers and
decidin* to let them *o.
Sometimes, one of the smartest thin*s you can do is to K;re your customers.L
Encoura*e
them to *o and deal with someone else who would .e more appropriate for
them.
Assess Your (usiness #erations
-s there any expenditure in your .usiness that you would not authori<e a*ain
if
you had it to do o'er$
-s there any process, procedure or acti'ity that, #nowin* what you
now #now, you wouldn=t start up a*ain, or *et into, if you were ma#in* the
decision
today, #nowin* what you now #now$
-s there any ad'ertisin*, mar#etin* or sellin* methodolo*y or expense that
#nowin* what you now #now, you wouldn=t start up a*ain today, if you had to
do it
o'er$
6eep as#in*, K2hat=s wor#in*$L
and K2hat=s not wor#in*$L
Pay Attention To The Indi!ators
%ou can always tell when you are in a <ero-.ased
thin#in* situation .ecause it
causes you continuous stress, a**ra'ation,
frustration, ne*ati'ity and unhappiness. %ou
thin# a.out it continually. 4ften you .rin* it home at
ni*ht and discuss it at the family
dinner ta.le. Sometimes it will e'en #eep you awa#e
at ni*ht.
2hene'er somethin* is not wor#in*, or not wor#in*
out the way you expected,
or causin* you stress, ;nancial losses, a**ra'ation,
or irritation, as#,
Knowing what I now know, would I get into this
again today if I had to do it over?
-f the answer is K1o9L then your next "uestion is
How do I get out and how fast?
The )e!ision Is Inevita"le
)ere=s an important point. -f somethin* is not wor#in*, e'entually you will
ha'e to
*et out of it. %ou will ha'e to let the person *o, discontinue the product or
ser'ice,
eliminate the acti'ity or expense, or chan*e the method of operation. -t is
only a matter of
time. -t is not *oin* to *et .etter all .y itself. And e'ery sin*le executi'e who
;nally
decides to *et out of an unhappy situation says afterwards, K- should ha'e
done this a
lon* time a*o9L
A##ly This A##roa!h Continually
Pra!ti!e 'ero*"ased thin$ing as a +go forward, method for the rest
of your
"usiness !areer& A##ly it to everything you do% to every #art of your
"usiness% every single
day& A##ly it to every #rodu!t% servi!e% #ro!ess% #ro!edure and
#erson and "e sure that%
$nowing what you now $now% you would get into it again
today if you had to do it over &
If not% get out% and as fast as you !an&
)raw A -ine .nder the Past:
. -ma*ine startin* o'er a*ain in e'ery part of your .usinessQ is there
anythin* you
are doin* that, #nowin* what you now #now, you wouldn=t start up a*ain
today$
D. -s there any person in your .usiness life who, #nowin* what you now #now,
you
wouldn=t hire, assi*n, promote or otherwise *et in'ol'ed with a*ain today,
#nowin* what
you now #now$
C. -s there any product or ser'ice that, #nowin* what you now #now, you
wouldn=t
.rin* to the mar#et a*ain today$
G. -s there any in'estment that you ha'e made that, #nowin* what you now
#now,
you wouldn=t ma#e a*ain today$
H. -s there any .usiness acti'ity or process that you are usin* that, #nowin*
what you
now #now, you wouldn=t start up a*ain today$
I. -s there any customer or mar#et that, #nowin* what you now #now, you
wouldn=t
ta#e on or *et into a*ain today, if you had it to do o'er$
+. -s there any career decision that you ha'e made that, #nowin* what you
now
#now, you wouldn=t ma#e the same way if you had it to do o'er a*ain today$
Start With The (asi!s
?he startin* point of .usiness analysis is for you to as#M
K2hat .usiness am - in$L
2hat .usiness are you really in$
2hat .usiness are you really, really in$L
- soon reali<ed - was in the Kgoal
a!hievement "usinessL EMe ?449
RE@7F.
My .usiness was helpin* people to
achie'e their personal and .usiness
*oals faster .y pro'idin* them with
practical ideas
that they could use immediately to *et
.etter results.
?his insi*ht led me from tal#s and
seminars into audio and 'ideo
recordin*,
.oo#s, trainin* pro*rams and -nternet
.ased e- learnin* on a 'ariety of
su.jects, includin* the de'elopment
and presentation of the ?ur.ostrate*y
3rocess.
The Customer As Center#ie!e
K2ho is my customer$L
2ho is the person who .uys from you today$ >escri.e your customer in
detail.
2hat is the a*e, income, education, position, attitude, location and interest of
your ideal customer$
Many companies are not exactly sure of the answer to this "uestion. ?hey
ha'e at .est an
unclear picture of the psycholo*ical and demo*raphic characteristics of their
customers.
2ho will your customer .e tomorrow, if current trends continue$
2ho should your customer .e, if you want to .e successful in the mar#ets of
tomorrow$
2ho could your customer .e if you were to chan*e, impro'e or up*rade your
product or ser'ice
o5erin*s$
)etermine What You Sell
%our next "uestion isM K2hy does my customer .uy$L
2hat 'alue, .ene;t, result or di5erence does your customer see# or expect
to enjoy as a result of doin* .usiness
with you$
4f all the 'arious .ene;ts that your products or ser'ices o5er your
customers,
what do your customers consider to .e more important than anythin* else$
>o you #now$
%our a.ility to de;ne and promote this uni"ue .ene;t is the real #ey to
competiti'e
ad'anta*e and mar#et success. %ou next "uestion isM
K2hat do we do especially well$L
2hat do you do .etter than any of your competitors$
2here are you superior$
Customers only .uy from a particular company .ecause they feel that, in
some way, that company o5ers somethin*
that is superior to that of any other o5erin*.
2hat is your area of excellence$
Sac# 2elch of 7eneral Electric was famous for sayin*, K-f you don=t ha'e
competiti'e ad'anta*e, don=t compete.L )is philosophy was that 7eneral
Electric would
.e num.er one or num.er two in e'ery mar#et se*ment in which they
competed, or they
would *et out of that mar#et.
Are you num.er one or num.er two in your mar#et$
Can you .e$
2hat is your plan to achie'e this mar#et position$
)e/ne Your Com#etitor
?he next "uestion, which we will deal with extensi'ely in Chapter !, isM
K2ho is your competition$L
4nce you ha'e identi;ed your competition, you must as#,
K2hy does your potential customer .uy from your competition, rather than
from you$L
2hat 'alue or .ene;t does he percei'e that he recei'es from someone else
that he does not feel he
recei'es from you$
)ow could you o5set this perception$
Set Clear 0oals
-n performin* an examination of your .usiness, you must as# continually,
K2hat are my *oals$L
2hat are you tryin* to accomplish$
-f you are clear a.out your *oals, what is holdin* you .ac# from achie'in*
them$
%ou need clear, written, measura.le, time-.ounded *oals for e'ery part of
your
.usiness and personal life. %ou need short-term, medium-term and lon*-term
*oals. Each
*oal must .e in writin*, with plans for its accomplishment. %ou can=t hit a
tar*et that you
can=t see. Analy<e e'erythin* you do in the course of a day or a wee#.
2hat are the D!O of your acti'ities that could account for N!O or more of
your results$
Sometimes, just !O of your acti'ities, if you were to pursue them
a**ressi'ely, could account for ,!O of your
results.
2hat mi*ht they .e$
(e!ome A!tion*riented
2hat actions should you ta#e immediately in response to the answers to
these
"uestions$
2hat is the 'ery ;rst thin* you should do ri*ht now to increase your sales
and
impro'e your mar#et position$
Another *ood "uestion you should as# yourself isM
K2hy am - in .usiness at all$L
2hy do you exist$
2hat social purpose does your company ser'e$
2hat loss would occur to society if you ceased to do .usiness alto*ether$
-ma*ine that you had to *o in front of a *o'ernment tri.unal each year to
justify
your continued existence.
2hat would you say to the tri.unal in terms of how you ser'e, help, or ma#e
a
di5erence in the li'es or wor# of your customers to justify stayin* in
.usiness$
?hese are #ey "uestions that you need to as# and answer for your .usiness
on a
re*ular .asis. %ou should as# and answer these "uestions for yourself, as
well. -f you are
unclear or inaccurate in your answers to any of them, the health of your
enterprise could
.e in jeopardy.
Condu!t A (asi! (usiness Analysis:
. 2hat are your *oals for your .usiness$
2hat are you tryin* to accomplish$
D. 2ho is your ideal customer$
>escri.e him or her accurately.
C. 2hy does your customer .uy from you$
2hat special .ene;ts or ad'anta*es do you o5er that your competitors
don=t ha'e$
G. 2hat .usiness are you really in$
>escri.e your .usiness in terms of what you do for your customer, what
results you *et.
H. 2hat are the D!O of your acti'ities that could account for N!O of your
results$
I. 2hat is your competiti'e ad'anta*e, your Karea of excellence$L
-n what ways are you superior to ,!O or more of your competitors$
+. 2hat speci;c, measura.le actions should you ta#e immediately in answer
to the a.o'e "uestions$
Cha#ter Four 1 )e!ide E2a!tly What You Want
he world has the habit of making way for the man whose words and actions
show that
he knows where he is going! E1apoleon )illF
?ur.ostrate*y .e*ins with your decidin* exactly what you want to accomplish
in
the #ey areas of your .usiness life. 4nce you #now your *oals in each area,
you can then
decide upon the .est steps you can ta#e to *et there.
The 0SPA 3odel
%ou can use the 74S3A Model as a *uide for strate*ic plannin*. ?hese ;'e
#ey
thin#in* tools form the .asis for successful .usiness operations.
(egin With The End In 3ind
?he ;rst letter, K7L stands for 0oals. ?hese are the ultimate results that you
want
to achie'e. %our *oals are the end tar*ets that you aim at throu*hout your
.usiness year
or plannin* period. %our *oals are your sales, pro;ts, *rowth rate, mar#et
share, or
percenta*e of return on assets, e"uity, in'estment or sales. 7oals are always
measura.le.
2hat are yours$
Ste#s on the Stair!ase
?he second letter, K4L stands for "4e!tives. ?hese are the steps you will
ha'e to
ta#e to achie'e your *oals. ?hey are li#e the run*s on the ladder to *et to the
top.
%our .usiness o.jecti'es can .e speci;c rates of return from ad'ertisin*,
le'els of sales of
certain products and ser'ices, num.er of items shipped and .illed, monies
collected and
cost le'els for certain acti'ities. A lower defect rate or a hi*her sale amount
per customer
can .e o.jecti'es on the path to achie'in* the main corporate *oals. 2hat
are your
interim o.jecti'es$
5ow to 0et There
?he letter KSL stands for Strategies. ?hese are the di5erent approaches that
you
can ta#e to achie'e your o.jecti'es and reach your *oals. For example,
achie'in* a
speci;c le'el of pro;ta.ility will re"uire producin* and sellin* speci;c
"uantities of
products or ser'ices to a speci;c mar#et in a speci;c way. ?here are many
di5erent ways
to *o a.out accomplishin* these o.jecti'es. ?he way you choose is your
strate*y, and
may determine the success or failure of your enterprise.
>o you produce, mar#et, sell, deli'er yourself, or do you outsource some part
of
the process$ >o you sell direct, 'ia retail, direct mail, catalo* or -nternet$ >o
you char*e
more, char*e less, up-sell, cross-sell or discount$ >o you enter certain
mar#ets and
a.andon others$ 2hat is your strate*y$ -s it wor#in*$
Planning For Su!!ess
?he letter K3L stands for Plans. ?hese are your .lueprints for achie'in* your
*oals. %our plans are composed of step-.y-step lists of exactly what you will
do, day .y
day, to *et from where'er you are to where'er you want to *o. 3lans are
always .ro#en
down .y se"uence and priority.
Some thin*s ha'e to .e done before others can .e done. Some thin*s are
more important
than others in achie'in* the *oal or o.jecti'e. 2hen your plan is or*ani<ed .y
se"uence
and priority, you can accomplish much more in less time.
(usiness life consists almost entirely of projects, one after the other. A project
can
.e de;ned as a multi"task #ob, a jo. made up of many small jo.s, each of
which has to .e
done properly to complete the lar*er tas#. %our a.ility to plan, or*ani<e and
complete
multi-tas# jo.s, e'er lar*er and more complex, is the most important sin*le
element of
your success, in any ;eld.
)evelo# a (ias for A!tion
?he last letter in the 74S3A process, KAL, stands for A!tions. ?hese are the
speci;c tas#s
that you are *oin* to complete to carry out the plans to implement the
strategies to
accomplish the ob#ectives to achie'e your goals.
E'ery important tas# must .e clear, measura.le and time .ounded. -t must
.e assi*ned to
a speci;c person who is "uali;ed to perform the tas# correctly, on time and
on .ud*et.
$hat gets measured gets done!
Fo!us on Pro/ta"ility
?he central purpose of ?ur.ostrate*y is to .oost your cash :ow and pro;ts,
and
to increase your return on the money in'ested in your .usiness. ?he aim of
strate*y is to
*enerate a hi*her le'el of cash :ow and pro;ta.ility than you would reali<e
without the
strate*y, or with your pre'ious strate*y. -n short, it is to make more money
than you are
ma#in* ri*ht now from the way that you are doin* .usiness today.
?he essential resources of people, money and talent that you need to
succeed in
your .usiness are always limited. ?hey must .e focused and concentrated for
maximum
results. ?his is what a *ood strate*y ena.les you to do.
Four Ways to Im#rove Your (usiness
Settin* strate*y re"uires ma#in* hard decisions in four areasM First, you must
decide what you are *oin* to do more of.
2hat=s wor#in*$
2hat is sellin* well$
2hat products, ser'ices and acti'ities are the most pro;ta.le$
Second, you must decide what you are *oin* to do less of.
2hat=s not wor#in*$
2hat contri.utes 'ery little to *rowth and pro;ta.ility$
2hat should you discontinue or eliminate .ased on the realities of today=s
mar#et and today=s customers$
2hat can you do to reduce costs in areas where they contri.ute 'ery little to
results$
?hird, what are you *oin* to start doing that you=re not doin* today$
2hat new products, ser'ices or acti'ities should you introduce if you want to
increase your sales and
pro;ta.ility, or impro'e and streamline your acti'ities$
Finally, what are you *oin* to stop doing alto*ether$
@emem.er, the critical resources of time and money are always scarce. ?he
only way you can impro'e results is
.y discontinuin* certain acti'ities alto*ether. %ou can then channel those
resources into
areas where they yield hi*her le'els of .usiness results.
Clarity is the #ey to strate*ic success. ?he more time you ta#e to .e
a.solutely
clear a.out who you are, and what you want to accomplish, the more
successful and
pro;ta.le you will .e.
)e!ide E2a!tly What You Want:
. 2hat are your speci;c, measura.le lon*-term goals for sales and
pro;ta.ility in
your .usiness$
D. 2hat are the speci;c ob#ectives of sales, staPn*, production, deli'ery and
customer de'elopment that you will ha'e to achie'e to accomplish your
*oals$
C. 2hat are the 'arious ways that you can meet your o.jecti'es and achie'e
your
*oals$
2hat is the .est strategy for you in today=s mar#et$
G. 2hat should you do more of and really focus on to increase your sales and
pro;ta.ility$
H. 2hat should you do less of, .ased on your current experience$
2hat=s not wor#in*$
I. 2hat should you start doing that you are not doin* today$
2hat opportunities are a'aila.le to you$
+. 2hat should you discontinue, and stop doing altogether, so that you can
free up
resources for more pro;ta.le acti'ities$
Cha#ter Five 1 )esign Your Ideal Future
$e have been endowed with the capacity and the power to create desirable
pictures within
and to %nd them automatically printed in the outer world of our
environment! ESohn
Mc>onaldF
Some time a*o, - conducted a strate*ic plannin* session for the senior
executi'es
of a $+D .illion dollar company. ?he or*ani<ation was *oin* throu*h a period
of
considera.le tur.ulence, chan*e, competition and new *o'ernment
re*ulation. ?here had
.een lay-o5s, ;rin*s, downsi<in* and di'estments. My clients were the top
executi'es
who had sur'i'ed the recent turmoil, and the .lood lettin* was not yet o'er.
-n these
circumstances, they were .oth worried a.out the future and distracted in the
present.
Create A Five Year Fantasy
?o *et them centered and focused, - .e*an the strate*y session with a
process that
- call +Ideali'ation&, -n this process, which you can use yourself, - had the
mem.ers of
the top team create a K;'e year fantasy.L
K0et us put aside the current situation for the moment,L - su**ested.
K-nstead, tell
me what this company would loo# li#e ;'e years from now if it was perfect in
e'ery
respect$L
?his exercise forced them to ta#e their attention away from the pro.lems of
the
present and focus their thin#in* on the possi.ilities of the future.
As we went around the room, each person contri.uted an idea a.out what
the
company would loo# li#e if it were perfect. - wrote each idea on a :ip chart
and taped
the pa*es onto the walls where e'eryone could see them. -n less than half an
hour, we
*enerated D+ ideal descriptions.
2e then 'oted on these ideali<ed *oals and or*ani<ed them .y priority. 2e
ended up
with a series of clear o.jecti'es, includin* Khi*hly pro;ta.le, tremendous
mar#et
reputation, hi*h stoc# price, top leadership, fa.ulous customer ser'ice, *reat
place to
wor#, .est mana*ement, rapid *rowth rate and top reputation in the
industry,L amon*
others.
Thin$ In Terms f Possi"ilities
- then as#ed them, KAre these *oals possi.le$L 4ne .y one, they a*reed that
all of
these *oals were possi.le in ;'e years. ?hey mi*ht not .e achie'a.le in one
or two years,
.ut in ;'e years, e'ery one of them could .e accomplished with will and
determination.
2e came out of that session with e'eryone re'itali<ed and committed to
wor#in*
on achie'in* one or more of those ;'e-year fantasies. 4'er the next two
years, the
company completely reor*ani<ed. ?hey did more of some thin*s and less of
others. ?hey
started doin* thin*s that they had not done in the past, and they stopped
certain acti'ities
alto*ether. ?hey too# complete control of their corporate destiny and
chan*ed it.
3eter >ruc#er once wrote, K2e *reatly o'erestimate what we can accomplish
in one
yearQ .ut we *reatly underestimate what is possi.le for us in ;'e years.L
Thin$ A"out The Future
Future*orientation is a #ey element of strate*ic plannin* and strate*ic
thin#in*.
-t is a major responsi.ility of leadership and top people in e'ery area. 4nly
the leader can
thin# a.out the future. 4nly the leader can plan for the future. ?here is no
one else in the
or*ani<ation who can do it, and if the leader does not thin# a.out and plan for
the future
as an on*oin* part of his jo., it will not .e done. As they say in Alas#a, K4nly
the lead
sled do* e'er *ets a di5erent 'iew.L
)ow often and how well the top people in the company thin# a.out the future
lar*ely
determines the success or failure of the .usiness. K-f you don=t #now where
you=re *oin*,
any road will ta#e you there.L
?he de'elopment of the "uality of future-orientation re"uires that you
continually
create an ideal ima*e of your company some time in the future. You #ro4e!t
forward in
your mind 6*7 years and imagine that your !om#any is #erfe!t in
every res#e!t& You
de!ide e2a!tly how mu!h you would "e selling and earning at that
time& You imagine
your ideal sto!$ #ri!e% your ideal re#utation in the mar$et% your ideal
wor$ situation and
your ideal human environment&
(a!$ From The Future Thin$ing
4nce you ha'e a clear picture of your
ideal future, you then return mentally
to
your current situation and thin# a.out
what you would ha'e to do, startin*
today, to turn your future 'ision into a
current reality. ?his is called, K.ac#
from the future thin#in*.L
Ma#e a list of all the thin*s that would
ha'e to happen for you to reali<e your
fantasy sometime in the future. -t is
ama<in* how your perspecti'e
chan*es when you
loo# .ac# from the future, exactly as if
you were loo#in* .ac# from the top of
the
mountain to yourself down in the
'alley, and seein* the exact route you
will ha'e to
follow to *et to the top.
-eaders 5ave 8ision
-n CC!! studies of leaders re'iewed .y Sames Mac3herson, searchin* for the
common denominators of leadership throu*hout the a*es, the one "uality
that all the
studies had in common was the "uality of vision. 0eaders ha'e 'isionQ non-
leaders do
not.
?o .ecome a 'isionary re"uires that you de'elop the a.ility to ima*ine,
de;ne,
articulate, share and inspire other people with an excitin* picture of the
future. %ou *et
e'eryone in your .usiness committed to ful;llin* this 'ision, and to wor#in*
toward it
e'ery day. ?his is the #ey to leadership, and to .uildin* a *reat company.
Aristotle wrote, +We "e!ome what we re#eatedly
do&, %ou .ecome a leader .y thin#in*
the way leaders thin#, .oth in your .usiness and in your personal life. %ou
.ecome a
leader .y thin#in* a.out the future, and how you can ma#e it a present
reality.
9ow% 3ore Than Ever
(ut it is in times of rapid chan*e, and tur.ulence in the mar#et, that an
excitin*
'ision of the future .ecomes more important that e'er .efore. A 'ision can
.ecome the
force that .inds people to*ether into a solid team. -t can *i'e meanin* and
purpose to
wor#, e'en when times are tou*h and pay increases are not possi.le.
?here are many ways you can approach the de'elopment of a 'ision for your
or*ani<ation. Perha#s the very "est vision for your !om#any in!ludes
two $ey
!om#onents& First% it is fo!used on your !ustomers and on doing
something for them that
!hanges and im#roves their lives or wor$ in some way& Se!ond% it
!ontains a !ommitment
to excellence % to "e the very "est at doing what you do for your
!ustomers& These are the
$eys to vision&
%our 'ision is to K.e the .est9L at the most important thin* that you do for
your
customers. %our 'ision is to ser'e your customers in such a way that you are
seen as
superior in a particular product, ser'ice or acti'ity. -ma*ine that you could .e
#nown as
outstanding in any one thin* that you do for your customers. 2hat would it
.e$ %our
answer can .e the startin* point of a 'ision for your .usiness that chan*es
your future
completely.
Your Personal 8ision
%ou need a 'ision for yourself as well. 3roject forward H years in your
ima*ination. -f your future were perfect in e'ery way, what would it loo# li#e$
-f your
income, your position in your company or ;eld, your family life, your health,
your jo.
and e'ery part of your life were ideal in e'ery way, how would it .e di5erent
from today$
4nce you are clear a.out your 'ision, for yourself and for your .usiness, the
only "uestion you as# is,
&ow do I make it a reality?
?op people thin# continually in terms of how? ?hey thin# in terms of ta#in*
action, of what can .e done.
4nce you ha'e clari;ed your 'ision, and determined what you will ha'e to do
to ma#e it a reality, you then do somethin* e'ery day to mo'e you toward
the creation of
your ideal future. %ou ta#e complete control of your destiny. As >ruc#er wrote,
K?he 'ery
.est way to predict the future is to create it.L And the startin* point is 'ision.
)esign Your Ideal Future:
. 2hat is your 'ision for your company$ 3roject forward and ima*ine that
your
.usiness was ideal in e'ery way. 2hat would it loo# li#e$
D. 2hat is your 'ision for yourself$ -f your life and career were ideal in e'ery
way,
what would it loo# li#e$
C. -deali<e in each area of your .usiness. -f your products, ser'ices, sale and
pro;ta.ility were perfect, what would they loo# li#e$
G. -deali<e with re*ard to your people. -f your sta5 were ideal in terms of
s#ills,
a.ilities, personalities and results, how would they .e di5erent from today$
H. -ma*ine that a major ma*a<ine was *oin* to write a story a.out your
company.
2hat would you want them to say$
I. 3roject forward ;'e years and then loo# .ac# to today from that 'anta*e
point.
2hat would you ha'e to chan*e today to create your ideal future$
+. -n what one area would it .e most helpful to sales and pro;ta.ility if your
company were widely #nown as Kthe .est$L 2hat steps could you ta#e
immediately to
.e*in earnin* that reputation$
Create A 3ission Statement:
. >etermine your personal reasons for doin* what you do. 2hat *i'es you a
sense
of meaning and purpose in life$
D. >ecide upon the C-H #ey 'alues upon which your company is .ased.
-n'ol'e other
people in the discussion.
C. >e;ne the actions and .eha'iors that people will en*a*e in, .oth inside
and
outside the company, that are consistent with your 'alues.
G. >esi*n a mission statement, an ideal description of what your company
wants to
accomplish for its customers sometime in the future.
7& 2rite out a list of your 'alues, and what they mean, plus your mission
statement,
and share them with your sta5 and customers.
:& Create a personal mission statement for your career. 2hat do you want to
accomplish, and how do you want to .e #nown$
;& Create a mission statement for yourself and your family. 2hat is it that you
want
to accomplish or achie'e with your family in the years ahead$
Cha#ter Seven 1 <einvent Your rgani'ation
'very man of genius sees the world at a di(erent angle than his fellows!
E)a'eloc# EllisF
Sac# 2elch of 7eneral Electric once said, K-f the rate of chan*e outside your
or*ani<ation is *reater than the rate of chan*e inside your or*ani<ation, then
the end is in
si*ht.L
-n times of tur.ulence, you should .e prepared to rein'ent your .usiness as
often
as necessary as your external world chan*es.
As an exercise, ima*ine that you were startin* your .usiness o'er a*ain
today.
2hat would you *et into, or not *et into$
(undle of <esour!es
For *reater perspecti'e, stand .ac# and 'iew your .usiness as a bundle of
resources and
capa.ilities, li#e a ;re hose of talent and a.ility that can .e aimed in many
directions to
achie'e di5erent results. -nstead of limitin* yourself to seein* your .usiness
as an
or*ani<ation that is desi*ned to perform speci;c functions, producin* and
sellin* certain
products and ser'ices, thin# of it as .ein* capa.le of doin* a 'ariety of thin*s
completely
di5erent from what you are doin* today.
The 0reat Fire
As you thin# a.out rein'entin* your .usiness, ima*ine that your company
.urned
to the *round while you were away. 2hen you arri'ed at the scene, you found
that all
your sta5 were safe and standin* around in the par#in* lot.
As it happens, there is unoccupied oPce space a'aila.le across the street.
%ou
can immediately mo'e into the new space and start your .usiness anew.
)ere is the
"uestionM 2hich of your products and ser'ices would you .e*in producin*
and
distri.utin* ri*ht away, and which ones would you not start up a*ain,
#nowin* what you
now #now$
E2amine Every <elationshi#
-f you were startin* your .usiness o'er a*ain today, completely free from any
encum.rances of the past, which customers would you call ;rst, and which
ones not at
all$ 2hich 'endors, suppliers, .an#ers or other people would you immediately
*et in
touch with, and who would you call later, if at all$ 2hat would you do ;rst$
2hat would
you do second$ 2hat would you not start up a*ain, #nowin* what you now
#now$
<einvent Your Sta= <elationshi#s
1ow, let=s *o .ac# to the par#in* lot. 0et us assume that all of your people
are
safe and standin* around waitin* for instructions. 2hich of them would you
ta#e across
the street with you to the new .usiness, and which ones would you lea'e in
the par#in*
lot$ 2ho would .e the ;rst and most important person whose ser'ices you
would want to
secure$ 2ho would .e the second most important$ 2ho would .e third$ And
so on.
E2amine Your rgani'ation
-f you could rein'ent your .usiness, what would you do more of$ 2hat would
you
do less of$ 2hat would you start doin* that you are not doin* today$ 2hat
would you
stop doin* alto*ether$
-n rein'entin* your or*ani<ation, as# yourself, K2hat are my most important
talents, s#ills, a.ilities and core competencies, and what else could - do with
them$ 2ho
are my .est people and what else could they do$ 6eep thin#in* a.out how
you would
rein'ent your .usiness if you were startin* o'er. ?his will #eep you on the
cuttin* ed*e of
creati'ity and inno'ation.
Thin$ In Terms of E2!ellen!e
?he #ey "uestions in rein'ention are, K2hat could you .e a.solutely excellent
at
doin* in today=s mar#et$L 2here could you .e the .est$ 2here could you
achie'e worldclass
"uality$ 2here could you .e .etter than ,!O of your competitors$ K
?he mar#et only pays extraordinary rewards for extraordinary products and
ser'ices. 2here and how could you do what you do in an extraordinary
fashion$
<einvent Your Career
Finally, thin# a.out rein'entin* yourself and your career on a re*ular .asis, as
well. -f you were startin* o'er a*ain today, what would you do more of, less
of, start or
stop$ 2hat would you *et into or *et out of$
-f you were startin* your career o'er a*ain, what additional #nowled*e and
s#ills
would you want to ha'e$ 2hat can you do, startin* today, to ac"uire those
#ey s#ills$
-ma*ine that you could do a 'ariety of jo.s. 2hat would you really li#e to do
with your
life$
Since you were *oin* to ha'e to rein'ent yourself re*ularly throu*hout your
career, it is
'ery important that you thin# a.out how you would do it well in ad'ance of
when it
.ecomes necessary.
<einvent Your rgani'ation:
. -f you were startin* your .usiness o'er a*ain today, what would you do
di5erently$
D. -f you were startin* your career o'er a*ain today, what would you *et
into, or out of$
C. -f your .usiness .urned to the *round and you could only o5er one of
your products or ser'ices, which one would it .e$
G. 2ho are your most important customers, the ones who you would
immediately mo'e to ta#e care of, if you were startin* o'er$
H. 2ho are your most important people, .oth inside and outside of your
.usiness$
I. 2hat are your most important contacts and .usiness relationships, the
ones you would want most to preser'e if you were startin* o'er$
+. -f money were no o.ject, what steps would you ta#e today to rein'ent
your .usiness$
Cha#ter Eight 1 Sele!t the <ight Peo#le
&ere lies a man who know how to enlist into his service people better than
himself!
EAndrew Carne*ie -epitaphF
?he people in your company are the most important parts of your .usiness.
All wor#, all
performance, all results come from them, .oth as indi'iduals and when they
wor#
to*ether in teams of some #ind. ?he mana*er=s output is the output of his or
her team,
and of the indi'idual team mem.ers.
-n .usiness, people come ;rst. So.s, acti'ities and results are only achie'ed
after
the ri*ht people are in place. Sim Collins says in his .oo#, )ood to )reat, that
the #ey to
.uildin* a *reat .usiness is, K;rst, *et the ri*ht people on the .us, and
second, *et the
wron* people o5 the .us.L Any other approach is .ound to fail.
Two Key >ualities to -oo$ For
?he .est people ha'e two "ualities. First, they can .e counted on to *et the
jo.
done, to *et it done well and to *et it done in a timely fashion. Second, they
*et alon*
well with others. ?hey are *ood team players.
%ou should apply *ero"based thinking to each person who reports to you on a
re*ular .asis. Continually as#, K6nowin* what - now #now, would - hire, assi*n
or
promote this person a*ain, if - had to do it o'er$L
-f the answer is K1o,L then your next "uestion is, K)ow do - remo'e or replace
this
person, and how fast can - do it$L
2hat do you want and need those results to .e$
4nce you are clear a.out the results you desire, set speci;c measures of
performance on each jo., and each tas#. )ow will you and the candidate
#now whether
or not the jo. has .een done properly$ @emem.er, K2hat *ets measured,
*ets done.L
And, K-f you can=t measure it, you can=t mana*e it.L
Sele!t the <ight Peo#le:
. @an# e'ery one in your company on a scale from -!, with ! .ein* the
hi*hest, on their competence at their jo..
D. @esol'e to .uild a team of hi*hly moti'ated, competent and positi'e
employees to
help you *et the results you need.
C. ?hin# throu*h each new jo. or hire carefully in ad'ance. 2rite out the
description
clearly.
G. -nter'iew at least C candidates for a new position. -nter'iew the candidate
you
li#e at least C times, in three places, and ha'e him or her inter'iewed .y at
least C
other people.
H. Chec# references carefullyQ see# the fatal :aw or wea#ness that would
ma#e the
candidate unsuita.le.
I. )ire only positi'e, li#a.le peopleQ they ma#e the .est team players.
+. @esults are e'erythin*Q continually emphasi<e and explain exactly what
results are
expected from each person.
Cha#ter 9ine 1 3ar$et 3ore E=e!tively
+ecause its purpose is to create a customer, the business enterprise has two
, and only
these two" basic functions- marketing and innovation! .arketing and
innovation produce
results/ all the rest are costs! E3eter >ruc#erF
All .usiness strate*y is ultimately mar#etin* strate*y. 2hene'er you are
worried a.out the
health or future of your .usiness, *et .ac# to thin#in* a.out mar#etin* and
sellin*. Focus
sin*le-mindedly on increasin* sales and re'enues. Cuttin* expenses and
controllin* costs
is an on*oin* necessity, .ut you can=t cost-cut your way to .usiness success.
%ou ha'e to
increase cash :ow, and this only comes from sellin* more of your products or
ser'ices.
9o matter how !hallenging or !om#etitive the e!onomy a##ears% as
mu!h as
?@A of your mar$et is still unta##ed& ?here are almost always hidden
opportunities
around you. %our a.ility to unco'er and ta#e ad'anta*e of those opportunities
is the true
test of competence as an executi'e or as a .usiness.
)e!ide Who You Are and What You )o
0peciali*ation re"uires that you focus on speci;c products or ser'ices,
speci;c
mar#ets or speci;c customer needs. %ou must ;*ht the temptation to try to
o5er too many
products and ser'ices to too many customers in too many areas. %ou must
speciali<e,
.oth in your own mind, and in the mind of your customer.
2hat is it exactly that your product or ser'ice is desi*ned to achie'e, a'oid or
preser'e for your customer$ 2hat are the core competencies or proprietary
methods or
technolo*ies that ena.le you to speciali<e in this area$ 2hat speci;c pro.lem
or need can
you sol'e or satisfy for your customer$ And of all the di5erent results you can
*et with
your .usiness, where do you, should you, could you speciali<e$
See Yourself As A (usiness
-n your personal life, you should as# the same "uestions of yourself as well.
2hat
is your personal area of speciali*ation$ -n what way is your wor# superior to
your
competitors$ 2hat is the ideal position or area of responsi.ility for you to
apply your
talents$ 2here should you .e concentrating your ener*ies to *et the 'ery
.est results and
*reatest rewards possi.le$
Especially, you should continually as# yourself, $hat is it that I do very, very
well?
2hat is your personal area of excellence$ 2hat could it .e$ 2hat should it
.e$
-oo$ing Ahead
0oo#in* into the future of your .usiness or industry, what new competencies
do you need
to de'elop to lead your ;eld in the months and years ahead$ 2hat additional
#nowled*e
and s#ills do you need to ac"uire$ 2hat are those few tas#s, which, if you did
them in an
excellent fashion, would ha'e the *reatest positi'e impact on your career$ -n
what areas
could .e paid the 'ery most for the application of your special talents and
a.ilities$ ?his
"uestion is just as rele'ant for you as it is for your company.
3ar$et 3ore E=e!tively:
. >ecide today to dominate your ;eld, to .e the .est at mar#etin* and
inno'ation in your product or ser'ice area. 2hat is the ;rst step you should
ta#e$
D. >etermine your area of speciali<ation, .y product or ser'ice, mar#et or
type of customer. 2hat should it .e$ 2hat could it .e$
C. )ow do you di5erentiate your product or ser'ice from those of your
competitors$ -n what ways are you superior to anyone else$ 2hat could it .e$
2hat
should it .e$
G. 2hat are you .est mar#et se*ments$ 2here are your hi*hest pro.a.ility
customers$ 2ho can .ene;t the most from usin* what you sell$
H. )ow can you or*ani<e your .usiness so that you concentrate your
mar#etin* and sellin* e5orts on those customers who can .uy and pay faster
than any
others$
I. 2hat additional products, ser'ices, #nowled*e or capa.ilities will you
need to dominate your mar#ets in the months and years ahead$
+. 2hat should you immediately start doin* more of, less of, start or stop
to adjust to the current mar#et$
Cha#ter Ten 1 Analy'e Your Com#etition
1oncentrate your strengths against your competitors relative weakness!
E(ruce
)endersonF
Know Your Enemy
)ere then is a "uestion for youM 2ho is your competition$ Exactly$ %our
choice of
competitor determines almost e'erythin* you do in your mar#et, just as the
choice of an
ad'ersary determines e'erythin* a *eneral does in the process of conductin*
military
operations.
)etermine Their (uying 3otives
4nce you ha'e determined why it is that people .uy from you, you must then
as#
and answer, K2hy do people .uy from my competitors$L 2hat 'alue or
.ene;ts are your
potential customers con'inced that they recei'e when .uyin* from your
competitor rather
than from you$
2hat are your competitor=s #ey stren*ths$ 2hat are his areas of
speciali<ation,
di5erentiation, se*mentation and concentration$ 2hat does your competitor
ha'e that
you don=t ha'e$ 2hat does he o5er that you don=t o5er$ 2hat is he doin*
more of or
.etter than you$ 2hat is his uni"ue sellin* proposition$
=set Their Advantages
As you study your competitors, loo# for ways to o5set or neutrali<e the
ad'anta*es
their customers percei'e them to ha'e. 2hat are your competitor=s
wea#nesses$ )ow can
you exploit these wea#nesses$ 2hat do you do .etter than they do$ -n what
ways are
your products or ser'ices superior to their o5erin*s$ -n what areas do you
ha'e a distinct
ad'anta*e o'er your competitors$ 2hat can you do to o5set your
competitor=s stren*ths
and maximi<e your ad'anta*es$ )ow can you .etter position yourself a*ainst
your
competitors in a tou*h mar#et$
?he more time you ta#e to study and understand why and how your
competitors
are successful in sellin* to your customers, the more li#ely it is that you will
;nd an
opportunity to ta#e away their mar#et share. As Sun ?<u says in he 2rt of
$ar, K-f you
#now .oth yourself and your enemy, you will pre'ail in a hundred .attles.L
Analy'e Your Com#etition:
. 2ho is your competition for what you sell, with the exact customers you
are
tryin* to attract$
D. 2hat would happen if you chan*ed your o5erin*s in such a way that you
tar*eted
a di5erent *roup of customers, one that would .e easier to sell to$
C. 2hy do your potential customers .uy from your competitors$ 2hat
ad'anta*es do
they percei'e$
G. 2hat is your competitor=s uni"ue sellin* proposition$ 2hat special feature
or
.ene;t does his product or ser'ice ha'e that yours does not$
H. -n what ways are you superior to your competitors$ 2hat can you o5er
that they
cannot$ )ow can you emphasi<e this ad'anta*e in your sales and mar#etin*
e5orts$
I. 2here is your competitor 'ulnera.le$ )ow could you exploit this to your
ad'anta*e$
+. )ow could you alter your mar#etin* strate*y in such a way that you could
achie'e
dominance in a particular area, with a speci;c customer or mar#et se*ment$
Cha#ter Eleven 1 )o It (etter% Faster% Chea#er
he man who comes up with a means for doing or producing almost
anything better,
faster or more economically has his future and his fortune at his %ngertips!
ES. 3aul 7ettyF
?he most important sin*le determinant of your success is your area of
competitive
advantage. -t is more important than all other factors. -t determines the rise
or fall of your
.usiness, your le'el of pro;ta.ility, your position in the mar#etplace and
e'erythin* else
you accomplish.
%our competiti'e ad'anta*e must .e crystal clear to you and to e'eryone in
your
company, as well as to your prospecti'e customers, 0ac# of clear competiti'e
ad'anta*e
leads "uic#ly to diminished sales, loss of mar#et share, lower pro;ta.ility,
price cuttin*,
and ultimately to .usiness failure.
Your 5igh Con!e#t
%our .usiness was started .ecause you or your company had an idea for a
product or ser'ice that was di5erent or .etter from other products and
ser'ices. -t o5ered
to satisfy the same need or sol'e the same pro.lem .etter, faster or cheaper
than anyone
or anythin* else then a'aila.le.
%our a.ility to di5erentiate your product in the minds and hearts of your
customers is the #ey to winnin* them in the ;rst place, and then #eepin*
them after the
initial sale. ?o .uy from you, a customer must .e con'inced that, all thin*s
considered,
your o5erin* is di5erent and .etter than anythin* else that is currently
a'aila.le at the
same price. Sac# 2elch was famous for sayin*, K-f you don=t ha'e competiti'e
ad'anta*e,
don=t compete9L
Three Areas of )i=erentiation
?o succeed in a tou*h mar#et, what you sell must .e superior to your
competitor=s o5erin*s in at least three ways. It must "e "etter% faster%
!hea#er% and easier
to use in some way that ma$es it more attra!tive than rival #rodu!ts
or servi!es& -t must .e
sold more professionally or ser'iced with *reater sensiti'ity, speed or
ePciency. -t must
.e .etter in at least three areas.
4ne of your #ey jo.s in strate*ic thin#in* is to identify the three areas where
you are
.etter and then to emphasi<e those areas of superiority in all your mar#etin*
and sales
)ow could you achie'e operational excellence in your .usiness, or some part
of your
.usiness, in such a way that you could .e the low-cost pro'ider in your
mar#et$ )ow
could you dramatically reduce your costs of doin* .usiness and use this low
cost
ad'anta*e to increase your sales and pro;ta.ility$
-ead the Field
?he second area where you could achie'e competiti'e ad'anta*e is in the
use of
innovative te!hnology leadin* to the production of hi*h "uality products
and ser'ices.
Companies li#e Mercedes and @olex fall into this cate*ory, as does Sony and
0exus.
Customers are willin* to pay a premium for a .rand name that represents
hi*h "uality and
cuttin*-ed*e technolo*y. 2here are there opportunities for you to distin*uish
your
products or ser'ices .y usin* your ima*ination to .ecome the "uality leader
in your ;eld$
Close to the Customer
?he third area where you could de'elop competiti'e ad'anta*e is in .ein*
Kclose to the
customer.L ?his re"uires that you in'est the time to de'elop hi*h "uality
relationships
.ased on Kcustomer intimacy.L Customers will pay more and remain loyal
lon*er to
companies that seem to #now and understand them .etter than others.
3ro'iders of
speciali<ed ser'ices, such as consultin* ;rms, law ;rms and accountin* ;rms
fall into this
cate*ory.
-n what ways could you de'elop hi*her le'els of trust and credi.ility with your
customers$ 2hat could you do to demonstrate to your customers that you
really care
a.out them and their interests$ ?his strate*y can o5er a .rea#throu*h
opportunity,
especially in the sale of expensi'e products and ser'ices where resales and
referrals are
possi.le.
Pi!$ Your Targets
?o lead your ;eld and achie'e hi*her le'els of pro;ta.ility, you ha'e to .e
outstandin* in one of these three areas and 'ery *ood in the other two. 4ne
of the most
important decisions you ma#e is to choose your area of competiti'e
ad'anta*e, and then
to dedicate your company to achie'in* it.
Strive For Su#eriority
%our area of excellence is the #ey to your success in a competiti'e
mar#etplace.
?his is where your product or ser'ice stands out in comparison to your
competitors. -t is a
'alue or .ene;t that you o5er that no one else o5ers. 2ith re*ard to your
products or
ser'ices, what is it$ 2hat could it .e$ 2hat should it .e$
%our area of superiority is de;ned as an area of performance where your
product
or ser'ice is superior to that of your competitors. ?his performance di5erence
is
si*ni;cant enou*h that your customer will .uy it, and e'en pay you more for
it. -n what
way does your product perform .etter, in terms of *ettin* results that your
customer cares
a.out, than your competitors$ )ow could you impro'e the performance of
your products
or ser'ices in some meanin*ful way$
Finally, your uni3ue selling proposition is somethin* that you and only you
o5er
to your customers, and is somethin* that they really care a.out. 1o one else
does as well
as you do in this area. 1o one else achie'es the same .ene;t or result. 2hat
is your
uni"ue sellin* proposition$ 2hat could it .e$
-oo$ Into Yourself
4n a personal le'el, you must continually as# these "uestions of yourself.
2hat is your
personal area of excellence$ 2here are you superior to your competitors$
2hat is your
uni"ue sellin* proposition$ -n what ways do you do your jo. .etter or faster
than others$
2hat is it that you and only you do in an outstandin* fashion for your
company$ 2hat
could it .e$ 2hat should it .e$
3erhaps the most important area of superiority you can de'elop is your a.ility
to
do your jo. "uic#ly and well, in an excellent fashion, consistently and
dependa.ly e'ery
time. ?his is the #ey to success as an indi'idual in a competiti'e mar#etplace.
)o It (etter% Faster% Chea#er:
. -n what ways are your most important products or ser'ices superior to
those of
your competitors$
D. 2hat is your reco*ni<ed Karea of excellence$L -f you were to conduct a
sur'ey,
what would people say that your company does especially well$
C. -n what ways are your products or ser'ices faster to ac"uire, use and enjoy
than
your competitor=s$
G. 2hat is your uni"ue sellin* proposition$ 2hat is it that your products or
ser'ices
o5er that no other company can match$
H. -n what ways are your products or ser'ices cheaper to .uy and use, or
achie'e
superior ;nancial results for your customers for the same cost$
I. -f you were #nown for .ein* outstandin* in any one area of your product or
ser'ice o5erin*s, what one distinction would ha'e the *reatest positi'e
impact on your
sale and pro;ta.ility$
+. 0ist the three areas where your products are, or can .e, superior to any of
your
competitors. 2hat is your plan to achie'e this area of mar#et superiority$
2hat should
you do ;rst$
What )o You SellB
?he ;rst part of the mar#etin* mix is your 4roduct or ser'ice. Always de;ne
your
product or ser'ice in terms of what it KdoesL for your customers, 'ersus what
it Kis.L )ere=s
the "uestion, K-s your product or ser'ice, as you are o5erin* it today, ideally
suited for
your current mar#et and customers$L
5ow 3u!h )o You ChargeB
?he second part of the mar#etin* mix is your 4rice. -s your price the ri*ht
price for what
you are sellin*$ Should you chan*e your price in some way$ Should you
increase it,
decrease it, com.ine your price with other items, or add items to your price$
Should you
chan*e your terms or o5er somethin* di5erent for the same price$
)ou"le Your Pri!eB
-s there any place in your .usiness that
you could increase your prices and still hold onto your mar#et$
5ow )o You Sell ItB
)ow are you currently promotin* and sellin* your product or ser'ice$ 2hat=s
wor#in*$
2hat=s not wor#in*$ Should you chan*e your methods of ad'ertisin*,
mar#etin*, sellin*
or ac"uirin* customers in any way$
Sell 3ore Stu=
Especially, should you up*rade and impro'e your direct sellin* methods,
people,
presentation, and capa.ilities$
Is Your Phone <ingingB
E'er after, when - thin# a.out the e5ecti'eness of ad'ertisin*, - always as#,
K-s
your phone rin*in*$L
Where )o You SellB
?he fourth element of the mar#etin* mix is the 4lace. ?his is the speci;c
location where
the sale of your product ta#es place. 2here exactly do you sell your product
today$ >o
you sell in homes, oPces or in your own retail esta.lishment$ >o you sell in a
particular
city, state or nationwide$ >o you sell in stores or .y direct sellin* or .y direct
mail$ Most
importantly, should you chan*e the place at which you o5er your products$
A chan*e in the location where you o5er your product or
ser'ice could chan*e the direction of your .usiness. 2hat could it .e$
E2amine Your Assum#tions
2hene'er you ha'e diPculties sellin* a suPcient "uantity of your product or
ser'ice, you should examine all of your assumptions in the areas of product,
price,
promotion and place. %ou should .e willin* to consider the possi.ility that
your method
is completely wron* in one or more of these areas.
-t often happens that a sin*le chan*e in one of the K3=sL in the mar#etin* mix
can
chan*e the entire nature of your .usiness, .oost your results, increase your
pro;ta.ility
and mo'e you toward mar#et leadership. 6eep an open mind.
The Answers Are Changing
2hat is the correct mar#etin* mix for you to sell the 'ery most at the hi*hest
cost, and
earn the *reatest pro;t$ 2hat assumptions are you *oin* on that
may no lon*er .e true$
Change Your 3ar$eting 3i2:
C& (e prepared to challen*e e'ery aspect of your mar#etin*, especially if it is
not
wor#in* as well as .efore. 2hat areas cause you the *reatest frustration and
dissatisfaction$
D& 2hat exactly do you sell, de;ned as what it KdoesL for your customers,
'ersus
what it Kis$L
6& 2hat prices do you char*e$ )ow could you chan*e the way you char*e to
ma#e
.uyin* from you more attracti'e$
E& )ow do you promote your product$ Could there .e .etter ways of
ad'ertisin*
your products or ser'ices that would *i'e you .etter results$
7& )ow do you sell your product or ser'ice$ -s e'ery person who deals with
your
customers fully trained in e'ery #ey result area of sellin*$
:& 2here do you sell your product or ser'ice$ Should you .e explorin* other
locations or methods of sale$
;& Should you chan*e more than one of the elements of the mar#etin* mix at
the
same time$ Challen*in* mar#et conditions often call for .old departures from
the methods
of the past, especially if they are no lon*er wor#in*.
What Words )o You wnB
>eli.erately or accidentally, each product or ser'ice de'elops a reputation
that
positions it a*ainst its competitors. 2hat is yours$
Create Your wn Cheat Sheet
)ere is the "uestion. 2hat words do you own$ 2hat words should you own in
the
hearts and minds of your prospecti'e customers$ 2hat words could you own
if you were
to reor*ani<e and redirect your mar#etin* e5orts$
As an exercise, ima*ine one of your prospects meetin* with one of your
customers. -ma*ine that your customer called you and as#ed you what you
would li#e
him to say to your prospect to con'ince your prospect to .uy from you$
-f you could put to*ether a Kcheat sheetL with the exact words or phrases
that you
would li#e your customer to lea'e in the mind of your prospect, what words
would you
choose$ 2ould you choose words li#e excellent 3uality, high integrity, friendly
service,
nice people, 3uick responses to problems, easy to work with, great prices?
)ow do you want
to .e descri.ed .y your customers and potential customers$ 4f all the words
and phrases
that customers could use to descri.e your products and ser'ices, and your
company,
which would .e the most helpful for you and your .usiness$
What Is Your (randB
)ow are you descri.ed and thou*ht a.out .y others when you are not there$
2hat is
your personal brand? 2hat is your reputation$ )ow do other people thin# and
tal# a.out
you, .oth as a person and as a contri.utor to the or*ani<ation$
Position Your Com#any For Su!!ess
. 2hat is your company=s reputation in your mar#et$ )ow do customers and
competitors thin# and tal# a.out you$
D. 2hat words do people use when descri.in* your products or ser'ices to
others$
C. -f you could KownL certain words that apply to your company, your
products or
ser'ices, which words would you choose$
G. 2hat words, if they were automatically associated with your company,
would
ha'e the *reatest positi'e e5ect on your sales and pro;ta.ility$
H. 2hat chan*es would you ha'e to ma#e to assure that e'ery customer
contact
reinforced the messa*e that you wanted to send to your customers a.out
doin* .usiness
with you$
I. 2hat are the most important promises that you ma#e to your prospects to
*et
them to .uy from you for the ;rst time$ >o you #eep these promises after the
sale$
+. 2hat are the most positi'e thin*s that your customers say a.out dealin*
with your
company$ )ow could create a system to assure that more customers say
these thin*s$
Examine your complete ran*e of products and ser'ices, especially the newer
ones,
and as#, K2hich of these has the potential to .e a .i* seller$L 2hat would
you ha'e to do
or in'est in o help ma#e it a major source of sales and re'enues$
6eep as#in* yourself, K-f - had not already committed time and money to this
product, #nowin* what - now #now, would - start in'estin* in it a*ain today$L
Apply the S(& concept to yourself and your career. %ou ha'e se'eral areas of
talent and a.ility, core competencies, experience, #nowled*e and education.
2hat are
your cash cows, the s#ills that are central to your 'alue to the or*ani<ation$
2hat are your Kstars,L the emer*in* areas of acti'ity, or new s#ills and
#nowled*e
that can ma#e you extremely 'alua.le in the future$
2hat are your potential areas of *reat success$ 2hat are the projects,
responsi.ilities and areas of opportunity, which, if you exploit them fully, can
ena.le you
to mo'e ahead more rapidly in your career$
Finally, what are the Kdo*L areas of your wor# life$ ?hese are the tas#s or
s#ills
that you may ha'e mastered in the past, .ut which distract you from your
future. ?hese
are the jo.s and acti'ities that ta#e up a lot of time, .ut which are nowhere
near as
'alua.le as other thin*s you could .e doin*. 2hat are they$
)evelo# Strategi! (usiness .nits
. (e*in today to 'iew each product or ser'ice as a separate .usiness,
responsi.le
for *eneratin* a certain amount of pro;t e'ery month.
D. 7roup your di5erent products or ser'ices .y similar characteristics, similar
customers, or similar mar#ets.
C. 2hat are the cash cows of your .usiness$ 2hat are the core products or
ser'ices
that are essential to your o'erall pro;ta.ility$
G. 2hat can you do today to safe*uard and nurture your cash cows to assure
that
they continue contri.utin* sales and cash :ow far into the future$
H. 2hat are the KstarsL of your .usiness$ 2hat are the products that are
sellin* well,
increasin* in mar#et share, and *eneratin* hi*h pro;ts$
I. 2hat could you do to increase the sales and pro;ta.ility of your stars$
+. 2hat are the K"uestion mar#sL of your .usiness$ 2hich of your current
products
or ser'ices should you discontinue, #nowin* what you now #now$
What Is To (e SoldB
?he ;rst "uestion is, +What is to "e soldB, ?o answer this correctly, you
ha'e to de;ne
your product or ser'ice in terms of what it does, and how it .ene;ts your
customer. )ow
does it impro'e his or her life or wor#$ 4f all the .ene;ts that a customer
enjoys from
purchasin* your product or ser'ice, what is the primary .ene;t, the one thin*
that you
o5er that ma#es you superior to any other competitor in the mar#etplace$ >o
you #now
the answer to this$
Who Is 0oing To Sell ItB
?he second "uestion is +(y whomB, 2ho is actually *oin* to sell the
product or ser'ice
and *et the chec# from the customer$ )ow are you *oin* to recruit, train,
mana*e, ;eld
and support the sales person$ )ow is this salesperson *oin* to unco'er the
necessary
leads and *et face to face with the prospecti'e customer$
Who Is Your CustomerB
?he next part of the "uestion is KTo whomB,
5ow 3u!h Are You 0oing To ChargeB
-s there any price you would raise, lower or modify in some
way$
Colle!ting Payment
?he next "uestion is How is it going to be paid for? >o you re"uire
payment
in full, in ad'ance$ >o you re"uire a deposit when the sale is made and with
the .alance
to .e paid at a later time on certain terms$ >o you o5er credit or ;nancin*$
Especially,
what do your competitors do$
4ften a chan*e in the way you char*e, or in your pricin* structure, can
dramatically increase your sales. 2hat could you do di5erently in today=s
mar#et that
would ma#e it easier or more attracti'e to .uy your product or ser'ice$
)elivering The 0oods
?he ;nal part of the "uestion is How is going to be delivered
satisfactorily?
2hat is the exact process of *ettin* the product or ser'ice to your customer
in such a
way, and at such a le'el of "uality, that the customer .oth .uys from you
a*ain and
recommends you to others$
Sell 3ore E=e!tively:
. 2hat is the exact sales process necessary to sell your product or ser'ice,
from the
;rst customer contact throu*h to the close of the sale$ >o you #now$ )ow
could it .e
impro'ed$
D. 2hat must your prospecti'e customer .e con'inced of .efore he chooses
your
product o'er that of your competitor$
C. -f money were no o.ject, what special results or .ene;ts do you o5er in
your
sales e5orts that ma#e your product more desira.le than any other a'aila.le$
G. 2hat is your process for recruitin* salespeople$ 2hat media do you use$
2hat
le'els of education and experience do you re"uire$
H. 2hat #ind of a compensation system do you ha'e for salespeople$ 2hat is
it
.ased on$ )ow could it .e impro'ed so that it moti'ates .etter sales
performance$
I. )ow much of your .usiness comes from referrals from happy customers$
)ow
could you increase the num.er of referrals you *et as a percenta*e of your
.usiness$
+. 2hy aren=t your sales twice as hi*h already$ 2hat sales e5orts could you
ma#e to
tap into that N!O of the mar#et that has ne'er heard of you$
Follow the Formula
K2hy am - not at that *oal already$L 2hat is holdin* you
.ac#$ 2hat is the constraint, cho#epoint or .ottlenec# that sets the speed on
how fast you
achie'e your speci;c *oals of sales, cash :ow or pro;ta.ility in your
.usiness$
0et us return to my earlier "uestion, K2ould you li#e to dou.le your sales and
dou.le your income$L -f your answer is KyesL, then why ha'en=t you done it
already$ 2hy
aren=t your sales twice as hi*h$ 2hy aren=t your pro;ts twice as hi*h$ 2hat is
holdin* you
.ac#$ 2hat is constrainin* you$ 2hat is the limitin* factor$
Identify Your Personal Constraints
?hin# a.out your personal life and *oals as will. As# yourself, K2hat are my
most
important *oals$ 2hy am - not there already$ 2hat is it within me that is
holdin* me
.ac#$L
-s it the lac# of a particular "uality, attri.ute or s#ill that sets the speed at
which -
achie'e my *oals$ -s it a particular attitude or .elief that is holdin* me .ac#$
And most
important, what could you do immediately to alle'iate your #ey constraints,
startin* today$
Eliminate the <oad"lo!$s:
. Set clear, measura.le *oals for sales and pro;ta.ility. 1ow as#, K2hat
determines
the speed at which - achie'e these *oals$L
D. &se sentence completion exercises. Say, K2e could dou.le our sales if it
just
wasn=t for..L and ;ll in the .lan#.
C. -dentify the major .loc# to your achie'in* your most important *oal$ )ow
could
you remo'e it$
G. 0oo# within your company for the limitin* factors that hold you .ac#. 2hat
are
the cho#epoints in your .usiness$
H. Assess each person in each #ey position. Are they competent and capa.le
of
doin* what needs to .e done for you to .e successful$
I. 4nce you ha'e identi;ed your #ey constraint to .usiness success, as#,
K$hat else
is holdin* us .ac#$L 6eep as#in*, K2hat else$L until you *et to the real
pro.lem.
+. -n your own career and personal life, what sets the speed at which you
achie'e
your *oals$ 0oo# within yourself for the answers.
3a$e Faster% (etter )e!isions
2hene'er they .rin* you a pro.lem
or a "uestion, always as#, K2hat do you thin# we should do$L
<eengineer Your Com#any:
. 3ractice simpli;cation as a way of life. -n what areas of wor# has your life
.ecome
too complicated, and what can you do to *et it .ac# under control$
D. 3ractice <ero-.ased thin#in* with e'ery step and e'ery acti'ity. -f you were
not
now doin* it this way, would you start doin* it this way a*ain today$
C. ?a#e a sin*le complex process or jo. and ma#e a list of e'ery step from
.e*innin*
to end. )ow could you reduce the num.er of steps .y C!O the ;rst time
throu*h$
G. 2hat tas#s or acti'ities could you dele*ate to someone who can do them
+!O as
well as you$
H. 2hat parts of your .usiness could you outsource to companies or
indi'iduals who
speciali<e in that area$
I. 2hat parts of your wor# could you eliminate alto*ether with little or no
impact on
your .ottom line$
+. 2hat parts of your personal life do you need to streamline and simplify$
2hen are
you *oin* to do it$
Pum# .# Your Pro/ts:
. >o a complete pro;t analysis on e'ery product and ser'ice you o5er. @an#
them
from hi*hest to lowest.
D. -dentify the D!O of your products that account for N!O of your sales.
2hich are
they$
C. -dentify the D!O of your products and ser'ices that account for N!O of
your
pro;ts. Are they the same as your answer to TD$
G. After deductin* all direct and indirect costs, which are your most pro;ta.le
products or ser'ices .ased on cost and return on in'estment$
H. )ow much is your time worth on an hourly .asis$ (uild this cost into
e'erythin*
you do to *et an accurate measure of costs and pro;ta.ility.
I. Attri.ute a percenta*e of all *eneral and administrati'e costs to each
product or
ser'ice you sell. ?his exercise often turns pro;ts into losses.
+. -f your company was facin* serious ;nancial shorta*es, which products or
ser'ices
would you focus your ener*ies on, and which would you discontinue$ ?hin#
a.out doin*
it now.
It Starts From The To#
Encoura*e each person to ;nd ways to do their jo.s .etter, faster, and easier.
Allow them the freedom to experiment with impro'ements, with no fear of
criticism if
they don=t wor#. Sometimes the *reatest impro'ements occur as the result of
a series of
small experiments that were not successful.
%ou should stand .ac# re*ularly and examine e'ery product, ser'ice and
process.
)ow could you impro'e it in some way$ )ow could you ma#e it .etter, faster
or cheaper$
)ow could you *et the same or .etter results faster, or at a lower cost$ 1e'er
.e satis;ed
or content with existin* "uality le'els. Always loo# for ways to impro'e upon
them.
(rainstorm with your team re*ularly to *enerate ideas to cut costs, impro'e
"uality,
increase sales and .oost pro;ts. Encoura*e e'eryone to thin#, all day lon*,
a.out how
they can do their jo.s .etter. Ma#e this commitment to continuous
impro'ement a part of
your corporate culture.
Commit to E2!ellen!e
-f e'eryone in your mar#etplace referred to you and your o5erin*s as the
best in the business, what #ind of a di5erence would that ma#e in your sales
and
pro;ta.ility$
2ith that as your *oal, what would you ha'e to do, startin* today, to assure
that
e'eryone refers to you as Kthe .estL sometime in the future$ 2hat could you
do, startin*
today, to .e*in this process$ 2hat is the ;rst step you should ta#e$
>uality and Pro/ta"ility
K2hich of these companies do you feel is the .est in this particular industry$L
)ere=s the "uestionM -f such a sur'ey were done amon* potential customers
for what you
sell, where do you feel your company would ran# in such a comparison$
2ould you .e
ran#ed as Kthe .est,L or somewhere lower$ 2hat could you do to mo'e
higher in the
ran#in*s$ 2hat one step could you ta#e immediately$
5ow )o Customers )e/ne >ualityB
What )o Customers WantB
Commit to Continuous Im#rovement:
. )ow do your customers de;ne "uality$ 2hat is most important to them in
choosin* your product or ser'ice$
D. )ow do you ran# a*ainst your competitors on a scale from one to ten$ )ow
could
you impro'e your ran#in* immediately$
C. Set up a reward system in your company for su**estions and ideas to
impro'e
"uality and achie'e *reater customer satisfaction$
G. >o you ha'e "uality and performance standards for people, products and
acti'ities
in your company$ >oes e'eryone #now what they are$
H. 2hat company do you thin# is the .est in your .usiness, the most
respected and
pro;ta.le$ )ow could you .enchmar# yourself a*ainst them$
I. 2hat one step could you ta#e immediately to impro'e customer
satisfaction with
your company$
+. 2hat could you do personally to up*rade and impro'e the "uality of your
performance in the most important thin*s you do in your jo.$
)e/ne Your Core (usiness
2hat is your core .usiness$ -f e'erythin* else was stripped away, what would
.e left at
your core$
-dentify the D!O of opportunities a'aila.le to you today that can .e
responsi.le for
N!O of your sales and re'enues in the years ahead. ?hese will almost always
.e
extensions of your current .usiness, your core competencies, and your areas
of
excellence. %our choice of the opportunities a'aila.le to you lar*ely
determines the
future of your .usiness. 2hat are they$
Fo!us n 8alue
2hat are the D!O of your wor# acti'ities that account for N!O of your
personal
'alue and your contri.ution to your company$ -f you just dou.led the amount
of time you
spend on the D!O of your hi*h 'alue tas#s, and discontinued the N!O of low
'alue8no
'alue tas#s that you do, you could .ecome most of the most producti'e
people in your
company. ?hese are your core tas#s.
2hat are the D!O of pro.lems, a**ra'ations, and irritations that account for
N!O of
your headaches in your wor#$ 2ho are the most diPcult people, customers
or situations
that you ha'e to deal with each day$ 2hat can you do today to minimi<e or
eliminate
them$
(ased on this N!8D! analysis, what steps can you ta#e immediately to
impro'e,
increase, and stren*then your core products, ser'ices, customers and
acti'ities$ 2hat
should you do ;rst$
Where )o You E2!elB
-n what areas of your products and ser'ices are you, or could you .e better
than
,HO of your competition$
Advan!e Planning
?his 1itadel is your core .usiness. 2hat is yours$ 2hate'er it is, practice
KScenario
3lannin*L on a re*ular .asis. As# yourself, K2hat is the worst thin* that could
possi.ly
happen in my mar#et today$L
2hate'er your answer is to that "uestion, .e*in ma#in* pro'isions today to
assure
that you will .e a.le to sur'i'e, should it occur.
Your Personal Citadel Strategy
As an indi'idual, you must .e clear a.out your personal core competencies,
as
well. )ow could you impro'e in each one of them$ 2hat core competencies
will you
need to lead your ;eld in the years ahead$ 2hat is your plan to ac"uire the
core
competencies of tomorrow$
Con!entrate n the Core:
. 2hat is your core .usiness$ 2hat products and ser'ices are most
responsi.le for
your success today$
D. 2hat are your core competencies$ 2hat is it that your company does
extremely
well$
C. 2hat are the worst possi.le thin*s that could happen to your .usiness in
the next
year$ 2hat are your plans to deal with them, should they occur$
G. 2hat are your non-core products, ser'ices or acti'ities$ 2hat would
happen if you
discontinued them entirely$
H. 2ho are your core customers, and what are you doin* to assure that they
ne'er
lea'e you$
I. 2ho are your core people, the ones who are most important for the
sur'i'al and
*rowth of your .usiness$ 2hat is your strate*y to #eep them$
+. 2hat are your core functions$ 2hat are the thin*s you do that are central
to your
jo.$ 2hat acti'ities are peripheral$
Four Key >uestions
2hen considerin* .uyin* a product or ser'ice, customers ha'e four "uestions
that
must .e answered .efore *oin* aheadM
. 2hat does it cost$
D. 2hat do - *et for the money$
C. )ow fast do - *et the .ene;ts you promise$
G. )ow sure can - .e that - will *et those .ene;ts$
2hiche'er company or salesperson answers these "uestions most
con'incin*ly
wins the sale.
)eliver n Your Promises
K2hat results or .ene;ts do my customers expect of my
product or ser'ice$L and K)ow consistently do my customers *et those
results and .ene;ts
when they .uy my products or ser'ices$L ?his is the true de;nition of
K"uality.L
Uuality can .e de;ned as, Kthe percenta*e of times that your product or
ser'ice
does what you say it will do, and continues to do it.L
A "uality ratin* of !!O, or perfect "uality, means that what you sell always
deli'ers on your promises. A "uality ratin* of ,!O means that your product
*ets the
desired or promised results nine out of ten times.
-ittle Things 3ean A -ot
Federal Express has determined that if its "uality ratin* was ,,.,!O, they
would
ma#e mista#es in the deli'ery of GG,!!! en'elopes a day. At ,,.,!O "uality,
Federal
Express would collapse under its own wei*ht of confusion. ?hat is how
important "uality
is in a .usiness.
%our personal success is also determined .y how consistently and dependa.ly
you
perform and deli'er on your responsi.ilities and promises. %ou should
continually as#
yourself, K2hat results are expected of me$L
%our le'el of e5ecti'eness is always de;ned .y others, .y what they need
from
you. 0eaders are always as#in*, K2hat does this situation need of me$L 4nce
they are
clear, they concentrate their ener*ies in those areas.
As# yourself, K4f all the results - can accomplish, what are the most 'alua.le
and
important in terms of my rewards and my future$L
Im#roving Your A"ility to 0et <esults
)ere are se'en of the .est "uestions you can as# and answer to impro'e your
a.ility to *et resultsM
. K2hy am - on the payroll$L 2hat exactly ha'e you .een hired to
accomplish$
Ma#e sure that what you are doin* e'ery day is the answer to this "uestion.
D. K2hat are my hi*hest 'alue tas#s and acti'ities$L 4f all the thin*s that you
could .e doin* durin* the day, what are the acti'ities that you en*a*e in that
contri.ute
the *reatest 'alue to yourself and your company$
C. K2hat are my #ey result areas$L 2hat are the core competencies and #ey
tas#s
that you must a.solutely, positi'ely do in an excellent fashion to produce the
most
important and 'alued results expected of you$ @esol'e today to .ecome a
Kdo-it-toyourself-
project.L For the rest of your career, dedicate yourself to continually learnin*
and
impro'in* in those areas where top performance is most 'ital to your
success. 7ettin*
better at your #ey tas#s is one of the .est time sa'in* techni"ues of all.
G. K2hat can - and only - do that, if done well, will ma#e a real di5erence$L
?here is always somethin* that only you can do that can ma#e a si*ni;cant
di5erence to
your life and your wor#. -f you don=t do it, it won=t *et done. 1o one else will
do it for
you. (ut if you do it, and you do it well, it can ma#e a si*ni;cant di5erence.
2hat is it$
H. K2hat one s#ill, if - de'eloped and did it in an excellent fashion, would
ha'e
the *reatest positi'e impact on my career$L ?here is always one s#ill that if
you de'eloped
it and did it well, would ha'e a *reater and more positi'e impact on your
career than any
other sin*le s#ill. %our jo. is to identify that s#ill and then put your whole
heart into
.ecomin* a.solutely excellent in that area, whate'er it is.
I. K2hat one result, if - achie'ed it consistently for my customers, would
most
satisfy those customers and .rin* me the *reatest num.er of additional
customers$L 2hat
must your customer .e a.solutely con'inced that he or she will recei'e from
you in order
to .uy your product or ser'ice and to recommend it to his or her friends$ )ow
could you
impro'e your "uality and ser'ice in that area$
+. ?he ;nal "uestion for personal success, num.er se'en, is thisM K2hat is the
most 'alua.le use of my time ri*ht now$L &se this "uestion as your *uidin*
star
throu*hout the day. 6eep as#in*, What is the most valuable use of my
time, right
now?
All )ay -ong
-f you could only perform one tas# all day lon*, what one thin* could you do
that
would contri.ute more 'alue to your life and wor# than any other sin*le tas#
or acti'ity$
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TEA3GP<HECT AW-FFFF
Whatever your answer% #ut mastery of that tas$ at the to# of your
list of #riorities&
)edi!ate yourself to getting "etter and "etter doing the one thing
that !an ma$e more of a
di=eren!e than anything else& This is the $ey to getting su#er"
results at every stage of
your life and !areer&
n!e more% here then are the DC $ey ideas in the Tur"ostrategy
#ro!ess:
. Start Where You AreM >o a complete and honest analysis of your
.usiness as it is
today, includin* the current status of your sales, re'enues, pro;ta.ility and
the mar#et
situation around you.
D& )raw A -ine .nder the Past: Apply <ero .ased thin#in* to e'ery part of
your
.usiness. -f you were not doin* it today, knowing what you now know, would
you *et
into it a*ain today$
6& Condu!t A (asi! (usiness Analysis: Examine your products, ser'ices,
processes,
and acti'ities as if you were loo#in* at them for the ;rst time. (e prepared to
as# yourself
the K.rutal "uestionsL a.out each one of them.
E& )e!ide E2a!tly What You Want: Set clear, written, measura.le *oals
and
o.jecti'es for yourself in each part of your .usiness.
7& )esign Your Ideal Future: 3roject forward C-H years and ima*ine that
your
.usiness was ideal in e'ery respect. 2hat would it loo# li#e$ 2hat could you
do, startin*
today, to ma#e that future 'ision into a current reality$
:& Create A 3ission Statement: >ecide exactly what it is you want to
accomplish
for others with your .usiness. Ma#e it measura.le. Ma#e it excitin*. Share it
with
e'eryone.
;& <einvent Your rgani'ation: -ma*ine startin* your .usiness or career
o'er a*ain
today, with your present #nowled*e and experience. 2hat would you do
di5erently$
?& Sele!t the <ight Peo#le: Fully ,HO of your success in .usiness will .e
determined .y the people you choose to wor# with and for. ?a#e the time to
ma#e *ood
personnel decisions.
I& 3ar$et 3ore E=e!tively: ?hin# throu*h e'ery part of your mar#etin*
strate*y .y
applyin* the four principles of speciali<ation, di5erentiation, se*mentation
and
concentration to e'ery product and ser'ice.
C@& Analy'e Your Com#etition: >ecide exactly who you are competin*
a*ainst, and
why it is that your prospecti'e customers prefer to .uy from them. )ow could
you o5set
this percei'ed ad'anta*e$
CC& )o It (etter% Chea#er% FasterM Continually see# ways to ser'e and
satisfy your
customer in a superior fashion to any one else in your mar#et. 1e'er stop
raisin* the .ar
on yourself.
CD& Change Your 3ar$eting 3i2: -ma*ine .ein* your own mana*ement
consultant
and as#in* yourself hard "uestions a.out the appropriateness of your
product, price,
place and promotion in today=s mar#et.
C6& Position Your Com#any For Su!!essM >etermine how you want to .e
thou*ht
a.out and tal#ed a.out .y your customers and prospecti'e customers. 2hat
are the 'ery
.est words they could use to descri.e you$
CE& )evelo# Strategi! (usiness .nits: >i'ide your products and ser'ices
into one
of four cate*oriesM cash cows, stars, 3uestion marks and dogs. Ma#e one
person
responsi.le for sales and pro;ta.ility for each product or *roup of products.
C7& Sell 3ore E=e!tively: Focus sin*le-mindedly on up*radin* the "uality
of your
sales e5ort. )ire more selecti'ely, train more thorou*hly, and mana*e more
professionally. Sales are the life.lood of the .usiness.
C:& Eliminate the (ottlene!$s: -dentify the factors that determine how
fast you
achie'e your *oals of sales and pro;ta.ility. Concentrate on alle'iatin* these
.ottlenec#s
in e'ery part of your .usiness.
C;& <eengineer Your Com#any: Continually see# ways to streamline and
simplify
the process of producin* and sellin* your products and ser'ices. 0earn to
dele*ate,
outsource, downsi<e and eliminate the complexity of e'erythin* you do.
C?& Pum# .# Your Pro/ts: E'aluate e'ery product and ser'ice to
determine exactly
how much net pro;t you are actually earnin* from each item you sell. @esol'e
to
discontinue products and ser'ices that are not as pro;ta.le as others, and
channel more
resources into those products that are the mainstays of your .usiness.
CI& Commit To Continuous Im#rovement: -nstall the 6ai<en process of
Kcontinuous .ettermentL into your company. Find out how your customer
de;nes
K"ualityL and then continually stri'e to exceed expectations.
D@& Con!entrate n The Core: -dentify the most important products and
ser'ices
you o5er, and then focus on *ettin* .etter and .etter sellin* more and more
of them.
3ro.a.ly N!O of the mar#et potential for your core products has not yet .een
tapped.
D. Fo!us n <esults: Concentrate your .est ener*ies and resources on
*ettin* the
most important results possi.le for your company. Set priorities in e'ery area
and then
wor# sin*le-mindedly to complete the few tas#s that are more 'alua.le than
e'erythin*
else put to*ether.
?he most important part of the ?ur.ostrate*y is not what you learn, .ut the
actions you
ta#e, and how "uic#ly you ta#e those actions. ?here is a direct relationship
.etween how
fast you mo'e on a new idea and how li#ely it is that you will e'er mo'e on a
new idea.
@esol'e today to .ecome intensely action-oriented for the rest of your career.
Sust do it9
The Tur"ostrategy Pro!ess