Charles Bernard Shaw
"Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything." Charles Bernard Shaw Translation- Titans know to succeed they must embrace the concept of change. If they want to do more than last year, then they must increase the level of their current actions or change their actions. If they are going to maintain their leadership role, they must be flexible and be willing to change with the markets.
Herb Kelleher Chairman Southwest Airlines
Herb Kelleher Chairman Southwest Airlines Question: Which airline is the fifth largest in the United States and is the only airline to turn a profit for 24 consecutive years? You guessed it- Southwest Airlines. Mr. Kelleher put two basic business principles to work and never wavered from them: Find your niche market and be the best in it. Southwest Airlines is not the airline for people who want luxury and thrills. It is the airline for those who want the...
Sam Walton, founder of WalMart
"There is only one boss. The customer! And he can fire everybody in the company from the chairman on down, simply by spending his money elsewhere." Sam Walton, founder of WalMart Translation: Thank all of your customers who bothered to complain about something. For every customer who complains, surveys find that 20 others don't bother and go elsewhere. Listen to the complaints and act where appropriate to keep the other 20 customers.
If You Don’t See It, You Won’t Get It
If You Don't See It, You Won't Get It In hearing Guy Kawasaki speak about his early days at Apple Computer, evangelism was what made Apple a reality. Guy and his colleagues had to go out to software developers and convince them to commit resources to develop products for a hardware platform that wasn't on the market yet. No one knew if the Apple computer would work and more importantly no one knew how the market would accept it. As...
Where Can I Find Good Help?
Our booming economy is providing all executives with a key challenge----where to find good help. While I would love to have the answer for all of you (would be worth more than winning this week's NJ Power Lottery of $300 Million- wish me luck), I do have some insights that you should use for guidance. The biggest mistake manager's make is not knowing what to look for. Over and over again I have Sales VP's wondering why their industry experts...
You’ve got Only Five Minutes…
You've got Only Five Minutes- So Give It Your Best Shot! How many times have you gone on an appointment and had the customer say you've got five minutes, so start talking? Now I know you wouldn't do that (right?) but you have probably seen others fall into the trap and start spilling their guts (shotgun approach), hoping that something they say will grab the customers attention in five short minutes. It is safe to say that in 90% +...
Grover Cleveland
"It is not that they can't see the solution: It is that they can't see the problem." Grover Cleveland Translation: Titans concentrate on helping their customers understand their challenges and identify appropriate solutions. Non-Titans concentrate only on selling their features hoping they will be enough to make the sale. Features are commodity driven. Solving problems are solution driven and customers will pay more for solutions than features.
James A. Runde- Vice Chairman of Morgan Stanley
Did you know that the biggest IPO (Initial Public Offering) in history started with a cold call? That's right! A few years ago James A. Runde, Vice Chairman of Morgan Stanley, picked up the phone and called UPS CFO Robert J. Clanin regarding an IPO. Mr. Runde thought UPS was ripe for a solid market entry. Mr. Clanin made one stipulation in granting the appointment and that was not to talk about an IPO. Now you may be wondering what...
Who Needs Training Wheels?
As some of you know, my daughter Amanda will turn 6 years old on June 1st. My mother wants to buy her a bike and told me since she didn't learn yet how to ride a regular bike, we should buy her one with training wheels that can come off when she learns. My response? Not! Amanda already has an older bike with training wheels. If she really wants the comfort of training wheels, she can ride the old bike....