Margaret Reynolds When I ask this question of clients, I usually get one of two answers: “my largest competitor” OR “the economy”. WRONG. So, what should be the biggest fear? What you don’t know! Why? Most big shifts, the kind that put companies out of business or are transformative for an industry, are usually in blind spots. …
Do you remember when you were taught the four “P”‘s of product, place, price and promotion? They were at the heart of successful business marketing plans. Today, there is a “P” that trumps that them all—people. If you read this blog regularly, you are aware that we interview one high profile CEO each month to …
It really boils down to the first five minutes. How do you handle the first five minutes of an important opportunity? To do it well, you have to be practiced, almost intuitive, and true to your values and training to react the way you intend in that first five minutes. Why is the first five …
So, what do you believe? Is the economy coming back? Most economists say yes, but slowly. Most businesses say maybe–some are seeing more positive signs than others. Most people say not yet. However, the challenge may be that the “recovered” economy doesn’t look much like the robust economy of yesterday. Some businesses will never recover. …
It is a Sunday and it is getting close to football season. I am a college football fan. My challenge is that the team I root for, the one where my father in law became a NCAA Hall of Famer running back, and has served four generations of Reynolds’ is not a fan favorite where …
JIM WRIGHTTractor SupplyInterview with Jim Wright, Chairman and CEO of Tractor Supply Tractor Supply has made tremendous progress over the last decade and transformed itself in terms of the customer target and growth. How have you done that, especially in the last few years amidst such a challenging retail economy?We’ve done very well since 2008 …
The answer: it depends. Here’s why. Reality: the state of things as they actually exist, rather than as they appear or may be thought to be. Perception: What is perceived is the result of past experience, and interpretation of sensory information. Most of us accept our most closely held beliefs, our thoughts about things, as …
I am a huge sports fan. My husband is a golf pro, my oldest son played college and professional golf, my youngest son is playing Division 1 baseball and playing summer ball in the Cape Cod league. ESPN is our tv channel of choice. But the other day, I was thinking about sports, not as …
Businesses are doing their best to produce top results in a tough market. It is not easy. It is made even more difficult because too many businesses succumb to common myths–myths called best business practice by trusted advisers such as business schools, the papers, or most often, other business leaders. Many of the myths seem …
Selling cycle creep isn’t a new dance or rock bank; it is the ever-lengthening time it is taking customers to move through the selling cycle. In 2009, many customers just didn’t enter it at all, choosing to “just say no.” Today, customers are expressing interest, investigating new products and services, but stalling when it comes …
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