Focus on the champion

The iPhone is a hero product

An ancillary product refers to an additional product that is obtained as a free or supplementary purchase while buying another product. These types of products are usually offered as an incentive to customers, rather than reducing prices or offering discounts, to encourage them to purchase the primary product. The main product of a brand is typically considered as their flagship (or “hero”) product, which embodies their values and is prominently displayed in presentations and displays. It is the product that people recommend to others and urge them to try. Regardless of how many products a brand offers, the flagship product is the one that best represents the brand. I think we tend to be willing to pay for the flagship product as we believe it provides good value for money, unlike ancillary products.

Try something new

The pandemic probably accelerated innovation various fields as the unusual circumstances have allowed for a willingness to experiment and take risks without fear of failure. During or after a significant global incident, people are more open to trying new things and are given the freedom to fail, which can change their attitudes towards taking risks. Although human beings tend to stick to routine, which can result in incremental improvements, it is not conducive to exponential progress or thinking outside the box. I think to make new discoveries, one needs to break out of our routines.

““We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.””
— Albert Einstein

Kicking a habit

I think developing a conviction to change is a crucial first step towards making lasting changes. This conviction can then transform into a strong determination to change, which will motivate you to make sustained efforts towards implementing that change. Take the example of quitting smoking - you need to be aware of the harmful effects of smoking, and then increase your awareness until you firmly believe in the need to quit. This conviction will further strengthen your determination to quit, and ultimately, you will need to make a conscious effort to establish new habits. In this context, education and learning play an important role as they can help you develop the conviction and commitment needed to make lasting changes.

Contact me via e-mail to book a meeting where we can anaylise your goals, objectives and results.

What's the alternative?

c/o New York Times

Is there a correlation between expensive solutions and big effects?

I think the short answer is not necessarily.
While some expensive solutions may have a big impact, there are also instances where small, low-cost solutions can lead to significant outcomes. The relationship between cost and impact is not always straightforward, and it depends on the specific context and problem being addressed. In some cases, a simple and inexpensive solution may be the most effective, while in other cases, a complex and costly solution may be required to achieve the desired results. Ultimately, the effectiveness of a solution should be evaluated based on its ability to address the problem at hand, rather than its cost.

Better choices

I think that one of the most wonderful things about marketing is that you can create huge amounts of delight, memorability, and distraction with relatively small levels of expenditure. Organisations, businesses, and governments often seek grandiose solutions, overlooking the fact that small things can also have a profound impact human behaviour. Encouraging people to make better choices has a greater influence than using punishment as a deterrent. Most human actions deviate from physical laws, and are often disproportionate in nature, unlike the predictability of physics. The correlation between ‘Input A’ and ‘Output B’ is usually insignificant in human behaviour and can even be contradictory.

Constructive feedback

c/o The Guardian Nigeria

I’m always striving to learn and improve. Here are the steps that have helped me adopt feedback and improve my communication from R. Evon Benson-Idahosa.

1. Pause and resist the defensive posture and choose to listen with a heart that is open and pliable.
2. Don’t automatically attempt to counter what is constructive simply because it may be unsettling. Instead, breathe and look for patterns. Have you heard this before? Are there consistencies in the feedback? 
3. Rather than react, respond with gratitude and by asking clarifying questions. Can you explain what you meant by this or perhaps give me an example? 
4. Acknowledge the possibility that this may be a blind spot, because how we see ourselves is often rather different from how people see us. So take a census with some of those in your trusted circle. Do they agree with the feedback?
5. And finally, be unafraid and humble enough to look in the mirror to make the necessary adjustments. After all, it is only when we can see our imperfections that we have the opportunity to courageously transform them. 

These are her thoughts of the Tuesday.

One of the factors

Via KEA Startup Hub, Copenhagen

Start-ups, by definition have no momentum, and in business, before you gain momentum, you have to create the perception of momentum. This is why start-ups need marketing from the beginning of their journey, and this should not be - fake it, until you make it - either. Many people confuse marketing with telling lies or overt hyperbole (over exaggeration). It's about building excitement, curiosity, and interest about what you're doing. I have a proven track record of exceeding results in highly demanding environments from start-ups to corporates. Are you thinking about springing out as an entrepreneur? Contact me via e-mail for a 1:1 discovery meeting.

Rinse and repeat

One thing I've learned that when you "win", you can't come back the same way twice. You need to have a new mindset, a new fire, a new approach if you want to secure victory over and over again. And this must be all based on universal principles. Therefore, when success begins to slip from your fingers, for whatever reason, the response isn’t to grip and claw so hard that you shatter it to pieces. It’s to understand that you must work yourself back to the aspirational phase. You must get back to first principles and best practices.  

“Two principals of a happy life:
1. Use things and not people.
2. Love people and not things.”
— Unknown

Pave the way

c/o Shutterstock

As a leader your job is to help people get clarity on the things that matter the most. Clarity about the purpose will help translate the next steps for action to achieve the desired outcome. Marcus Buckingham said, “Effective leaders don’t have to be passionate. They don’t have to be charming. They don’t have to be brilliant…They don’t have to be great speakers. What they must be is clear. Above all else, they must never forget the truth that of all the human universals…our need for clarity is the most likely to engender in us confidence, persistence, resilience, and creativity.” I think clarity leads to attention and attention leads to results.

““If you cannot explain something in simple terms, you do not understand it.””
— Professor Richard Feynman

Health is wealth

I am currently re-reading the New York bestselling book, “Rich Dad Poor Dad” by Robert T. Kiyosaki. In a recent conversation with my son I said, “Wealth is measured in time, rich is measured in money.” And this allowed me to go deeper into the subject and explain that one could argue that wealth is measured in time because time is a finite resource that is equally distributed among all individuals. No amount of money can buy more time, so how we choose to use the time we have reflects our true wealth. On the other hand, being rich is often measured in monetary terms because having a large amount of money can provide us with financial security and the ability to purchase material goods and experiences that contribute to our quality of life. Ultimately, the definition of wealth and being rich can vary depending on one's personal values and goals.

““Money is numbers and numbers never end. If it takes money to be happy, your search for happiness will never end.” ”
— Bob Marley

It becomes a different thing

““Change your story, change your life. Basically, that’s what it is.” ”
— Deepak Chopra

In B2C decision making we are trying to minimise the risk of regret and in B2B decision making, we are trying to minimise the risk of blame. If you change the story about something, you change its meaning and if you change the meaning, you change our visceral response to it, and if you change our visceral response to it, you basically change our evaluation of it. This is essentially how decision-making works. Things are not things, we respond to things in a context from which we derive meaning, the meaning derives an emotion, the emotion drives a behaviour, and the behaviour then drives an act of post rationalisation.

Smart people

The traits that characterise a smart person can vary depending on individual perspectives and definitions of intelligence. However, I think some commonly recognised traits of smart people include:

1.         Curiosity: Smart people tend to be curious and have a strong desire to learn and explore new things.
2.         Open-mindedness: They are open to new ideas and perspectives and are willing to consider alternative viewpoints.
3.         Critical thinking: They have the ability to analyse and evaluate information, and to think logically and creatively.
4.         Adaptability: Smart people are able to adapt to changing situations and are flexible in their thinking.
5.         Persistence: They are determined and persistent in the face of challenges and setbacks.
6.         Emotional intelligence: They have good social skills and are able to empathise with others.
7.         Good communication skills: They are able to articulate their thoughts and ideas effectively.
8.         A broad range of knowledge: They tend to have a wide range of interests and knowledge in various subjects.

I think it’s important to note that intelligence is not limited to these traits alone, and that everyone has their own unique strengths and abilities.

Mind power

Trauma is not resistance to something that has happened, trauma is the trace of something that has happened and leaves on the depth of the body-mind, there may or may not be resistance to this trauma. I think trauma may have its roots in something that happened to us as a child, but we can also inherit trauma from our family or from our culture. Trauma does not necessarily have a personal origin, it can come from the collective field, whether that collective field is a family, nation, or race of people. For example, if a group of people have been persecuted their collective trauma is passed on from generation to generation. Why? This is because we are not bodies, we are minds born from minds, therefore, the content or at least some of the content of our minds is passed on. Especially the deep-seated trauma which can be passed on from one generation to another and that trauma is then felt in the experience in the body of the next generation.
Contact me via e-mail to arrange a confidential 1:1 meeting.

Rejection is not final

The majority of people are not born to sell, selling is something that we have to learn to do, and rejection is a critical component of sales. I see rejection as nothing more than redirection, as you can’t sell an expensive product to people who don’t have the money! If you know who your target market is then you know that they need the product and you know what their price point is, therefore, it’s all in the presentation - your pitch fixes product and price. Rejection is an indicator that something is wrong, either the product, target market or price because you are not focussing on the right target market or again your product or service presentation is not where it should be.

Are you struggling to deal with sales rejection? Contact me via e-mail to arrange a confidential 1:1 meeting to discuss your challenges.

Leadership commitments

When employees believe what you believe they will work for you with their metaphorically speaking, blood, sweat and tears. When employees don’t believe what you believe they will work only for your money. I think it’s best to be a leader who commits to their employees, and he acronym ”C.O.M.M.I.T.S“ stands for:
C = Create a shared vision
O = Own the results
M = Measure progress
M = Motivate your team
I = Inspire with your actions
T = Take calculated risks
S = Stay focused and disciplined

Embrace the challenges

Part of being an adult is that you have to plan your day. If you know you’re capable of more, a big reason why you’re not doing what you said you were going to do is because you didn’t plan out when you were going to do it. Nowadays, we are all dancing on a template trying to figure out how to deal with our current circumstances. There are always lot of ups and downs and I have accepted that it is supposed to be this way - What about you?
My mantra for April will be as follows: “I’m really excited about all the chaos in my life, and I am really looking forward to see how it all plays out.”

Be present

Decisions are not about right or wrong; they are about growth. Sometimes we win, sometimes we lose, but we always learn. Sometimes decisions leave bruises, but if they don't kill us - well, you know the rest.

What’s in your control:
- What you do?
- What you say?
- What you think?

What isn’t in your control:
- What other people do?
- What other people say?
- What other people think?

I think letting go of control takes a lot less energy and effort than trying to control everything. This will also allow you to be prepared for any outcome and spend more time being present, which is the only place we can fully live our lives.

See it and say it

It’s over 3 years since I took the Crucial Conversations education from the training company VitalSmarts (nowadays Crucial Leaning). According to their study, 65 percent of the participants said they stayed silent at work, even though it made them feel inauthentic. You can see why this is detrimental; not only are leaders missing out on the ideas, viewpoints and diversity their employees bring to the table, but the employees also feel like they can't be themselves.

 

Leaders and CEOs are also on an island as no-one dares to tell them what they really think. What they need is someone who can challenge them, and say, “You said this or that and you never followed through with it.” One of the most detrimental effects of workplace insecurity is when people don't speak up because they fear the outcomes: embarrassment, ridicule, being wrong, or being dismissed both literally and figuratively. And one of the roles of a coach is to hold people accountable for their words and actions. Contact me via e-mail to arrange a meeting the next time you find yourself afraid to speak up.

Self-discovery is a lost art

Coaching is a process of helping individuals or teams to achieve their goals, improve performance, and enhance their overall well-being. A coach can assist individuals in discovering their strengths and weaknesses, exploring their values, and identifying their priorities. I think self-discovery is a critical aspect of coaching as it helps individuals to gain a better understanding of themselves, both their aspirations and motivations. Many people struggle with self-reflection, and this is where a coach can be helpful in guiding them through the process.

 

Most people are poor judges of how introspective they are, research shows that people tend to overestimate their level of self-awareness. This is known as the “introspection illusion” and it can lead to inaccurate self-perception and decision-making. Therefore, having a coach who is honest, frank, and authentic can be beneficial in facilitating the self-discovery process by providing individuals with an objective perspective on their thoughts and behaviours. Contact me via e-mail to book a free 45 minute one-on-one coaching session to discuss your needs, and determine whether we are a good fit for a coaching relationship.

I do my best

I’m constantly taking in information, I read a lot of books and listen to loads of podcasts, I use some of the information. I don’t just copy/paste it as it’s conceptual and I like to understand what’s going on behind it, the theory, the thinking and this drives people mad because I can speak about methods and models all day long. Fundamentally, this is how I like to work – taking things down to its deepest level of understanding and then construct it relative to the context or situation, and how I can apply to what you are doing. One should always take the time, effort, and energy to think about the information you are receiving. When you get a real understanding for something, then you can see whether you really agree with the fundamental principles and either follow them or question them and develop your own ideas.