15 events in the last three weeks... about 1,500 people and all asked the same question: "What keeps you awake at night... about your business?" The top two answers haven't changed over the past 12 months that I have been asking the question and the top two are:
- how to get more/better customers?
- how to get more profit/cash?
I am not sure if this isn't just a deflection from the real issues which are/were (for a recent consultancy client [professional service firm]):
- get and keep the cash longer,
- sell more to existing customers,
- use existing clients and potential clients (friends and lovers) to reach new clients
- do not discount prices but charge more where possible and justify the value-add
- eliminate fruitless task/clients/marketing activities: just do a few basic things and do them stunningly well..., and underlying it all...
- an obsession with the numbers on a weekly (if not daily) basis
4 comments:
Back to reality.
Robert, can you open up this story a bit (without betraying any confidences). The PSF tag is a little elusive and ambiguous for me.
BB
Robert's six bullet points seem to me to be pretty much 'on the money' for most businesses.
TW
BB
THe company is a consultancy that specialises in health and safety within a particular industry. They employ 11 people including 7 fee-earners. Owned by husband/wife team who are the 100% share-holders.
They do consultancy and training with high value consultancy creating a sales stream for the lower margin/high revenue training...
Cute.
And now they are moving on to create a stream of assets (books, CDs, DVDs...)
The business has grown on the back of the H&S explosion and has a small number of key clients who are suddenly cutting budgets, cancelling courses and postponing consultancy.
Back to reality.
Robert, can you open up this story a bit (without betraying any confidences). The PSF tag is a little elusive and ambiguous for me.
BB
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