Uncategorized Archives - Page 7 of 13

Inside 1st Wave 🌊: Sell Painkillers

April 10, 2020 by Wim GE De Vos Leave a Comment

We are still inside the first wave. Economically the situation is beyond our control, beyond our understanding. Beyond anything any of us has ever gone through with our businesses.
But in times of stress the need to be calm, decisive and positive is higher than it has ever been.

We control our own destiny. We decide if and how get through this wave.
We need to get back to basics in each of our businesses.

In previous posts we talked about Cash. And we have talked about People.

So let us now discuss our Value Proposition under these extreme circumstances.

Extreme short version:

Inside the 1st wave of this shit storm.

Sell painkillers 💊 to your existing customers.

But only offer your most effective ones.

The ABC of your Value Proposition for the next 4-8 weeks

Note: You will need extreme FOCUS.
Say yes to a few things and no to many.
(This will serve us well in 2-3 months when trying to surf the second wave).

A) Customer segment: existing customers.

You have the trust (real asset right now), you have a relationship (basis of all business), you can show you truly care how they are doing.
These are the people you can serve right now.

note: this is NOT the time to look for new customers, segments.

B) Needs analysis: find the pain.

The pain right now is acute (confronted with it every day), it is very real, it is urgent to have a solution and you will find pretty universal.
This is the equation you have to solve. Treat the pain. Now.

note: this is NOT the time to look for demand of luxury or desires to be fulfilled.

C) Your Offering: sell painkillers.

Think of products & services you can offer that are effective painkillers.
Could be networking, could be explaining how to use Zoom, could be a sound system or a TV to forget about the shit storm out there for a couple of hours.

note: sell only the best painkillers. Focus on the pains you can relieve.

People will remember. Make sure they remember you and how you made them feel.

Focus on your existing customers who are in pain.

And apply your crafts. You are as essential as you have ever been.

Be well, be safe. ✌🏼

The dark horse

April 9, 2020 by Wim GE De Vos Leave a Comment

Every day we choose between 3 approaches for everything we do:

Custom, tailor-made, one-off
Personalised, configured, repeatable
One-size-fits-all, standard, commoditised

But when we make our choices are we consistent, smart, see them in context?

Ask which of the 3 approaches you choose in the following cases:

connecting with our customers
drafting and sending proposals
delivering control or audiovisual systems
hire and fire
remuneration
training
service
making cars, speakers, systems,…
…

I dare to think we all use far too much custom and standard approaches…

When the personalised, configured, repeatable approach is the dark horse* in the race for success.

Custom is overrated

One-size-fits-all is overused

Personalisation is the dark horse…

Asking ourself some simple questions may have a big impact 🤜🏻 💥

*Definition “dark horse”:
a candidate or competitor about whom little is known but who unexpectedly wins or succeeds

Day 21 – Inside the 1st 🌊: We the people…

April 3, 2020 by Wim GE De Vos 1 Comment

For full video drop – click here.

End of week 3 in lockdown here in Spain. And in a similar situation in many other countries.
Some are amazed how how much we have in common…
As people. You, me, everyone else.
The same is true for small businesses.

As discussed in a previous post, people are the foundation of a businesses.

Distilled from over 40 conversations over the last 3 weeks I propose the following Preamble in these times of business hardship, but hopefully also long after…

WE THE PEOPLE OF SMALL BUSINESSES,

believe in the Power of We, and therefore:

will grow and cherish the Community as a self-healing complex network of organizations. Each of which is the sum ⨋ of individuals to the power of their values. ⨋ (individuals)

will Connect with other people on a daily basis putting the relationship before any short-term gain. Connections are infinite and accumulate value over time.

will have the Courage to accept our own responsibility and attitude. Therefore we will empower others (team members, customers, suppliers) to allow them to rise to the occasion every day and thus contribute to the success of the organization. Freedom and the means to do so will be provided for all.

#thisisastoryaboutpeople

As always – looking forward to hearing from all of you soon. ✌🏼

For more on this “Covid19 – 3 wave 🌊 – storm”… click here

Inside the 1st Wave 🌊: Self-test for CASH to survive

March 26, 2020 by Wim GE De Vos 2 Comments

For full Video drop – click here

I will be brief*

I will be frank

I will share what generous wise people have shared with me these last 2 weeks.

Fact 1: We are facing the biggest challenge for small businesses in over 50 years**

Fact 2: This will hit us harder and last longer than any of us expected at first.

Fact 3: The mission of a business is first to survive and then to thrive. In That Order.

Advice:

Self-test and know where you stand – Download your Cash Stress Test NOW..

Evaluate your options and decide – do this together, do it fast.

Embrace your situation and act – maximise Cash & Time

Planning for a a future you cannot predict is a business owners´ job.

It is what we do.

Now is the time to lead.

You owe it to your business, to everyone in and around the company you built, to yourself.

Big decisions, with a big impact. 💥

For more on this “3 wave 🌊 – storm”… click here

*my video drop below for those interested can be found on my Facebook page

** I am aware of my european-centric view here.

*** tool developed thanks 🙏🏻 to Pablo at Fitness-KPI and Yulia at Genesis, home technology architects.

Time of the Maker Movement: a grassroots technology response to Covid19

March 22, 2020 by Wim GE De Vos Leave a Comment

Are the “Makers” a “manufacturing microfinance” network and part of the solution in times of crisis like these?

Thousands of “Makers” are responding in Spain, Italy and many other countries to Covid19 by locally manufacturing protective masks, filters, ventilators, spare parts, etc…

Another example that a combination of grit, growthmindset, innovation, technology and grassroots networks we can be part of the solution. All of us.

More information (in spanish) on the Spanish-speaking Maker Movement response to Covid19 via this link:

https://www.coronavirusmakers.org/index.php/es/

🙏🏻 Thankful that our local friends Robonautas have transformed their Kids Maker Lab into a micro manufacturing facility these days. 💪🏻

Maybe other countries can learn from this and win some time or help some local client facing individuals.

Small outfits with a (combined) huge impact 💪🏻.