Business Strategy

The one-page method for reimagining your business and reinventing your marketing

This was a Kindle purchase for me but one of the few books recently that I stuck with from start to finish – so that’s saying something for me!

This book certainly resonated with my philosophy that product based businesses need to take a leaf out of the s difference-book-3d ervices industry and put their customers at the heart of their business.

To understand what really matters to people, ‘to create ideas and experiences that give your customers reasons to care and to belong, not just reasons to choose’.

As marketing is going through another dimensional shift as the digital revolution puts power firmly into the hands of our shoppers and consumers – working out how to create a difference that disrupts people and becomes part of their story and their lives.

If we want to really get innovation right and have it stick, then we need to figure out what needs people really have. The Difference Model does this by flipping product development on its head. Rather than starting with a product concept or idea, it explores people’s realities and how those needs can be met.

The fact that it comes with a practical, easy-to-use template makes it even better. I worked through this process for my own coaching business and was intoxicated by the impact of seeing the everyday challenges faced by businesses through the eyes of those on the ground confronting them. It gave me a whole new set of motives to appeal to.

I ended up highlighting sooo much of the content that I will end up buying the physical book too as I know I will reference it often.

Buy it here

Do you have a firm grip on what is going on in the engine room of your business?

Do you travel along in your business as you would driving a car? Do you jump into it and turn the keys each day, on the assumption that all is traveling ok, navigating the odd bit of traffic here and there? Are you driving your business in blind faith that everything is ticking along okay. Waiting for your yearly check-up/service to give it the all clear for another year?

Or do you manage your business like you would a race car? With a highly specialized team regularly assessing what’s happening under the hood. Monitoring, tweaking, refining… Making sure it is performing at its best?

What I’m talking about, is not what you see from above. It’s not the shiny interior or the odd accidental scrape you hit now and again.

What I’m talking about is stripping back the engine. It’s getting under the hood. Inspecting the parts that are past their use by date.

Its understanding what components are performing effectively and efficiently?
It’s identifying what parts are draining too more than their fair share of resource for little return?
Maybe opting for new accessories that would significantly enhance your performance?

I get it. You’re busy and who likes number crunching anyway?

But seriously, ignore the numbers at your peril! If it's not your strength, then get help with it. Market analysts are the secret weapon of large corporate companies.

Mining customer and sales data is the key to finding game changing insights which can in turn create strategies for improved sales, growth and profitability.