HAVE A CLEAR VISION

Human beings have a lot in common. For instance most of us tend to:

• Be overly optimistic about our ability to perform and the timescales involved
• Expect things to work themselves out
• Underestimate our competitors
• Lazy in one form or another

These character traits can get us into a lot of trouble. They tend to stop us from making meaningful and realistic plans about our futures. I have found that the larger a company or team is the more likely they are to have a vision backed up by a fully thought out plan of action. This is normally because bigger organisations tend to be able to employ higher calibre personnel. Smaller firms tend not to have any systematic form of business planning and most don’t really have any idea of where they want to get to i.e. they have no Strategy so any broadly relevant direction will do.

If we are to be successful, grow and avoid the pitfalls of poor business planning it is imperative that we have some sort of idea where we are going, why and what it will take to get there. It starts with vision and a sense of mission and cascades down through strategic and tactical business planning. How else can our marketers know what is expected of them?

So be on a mission, know what is required, deploy your limited resources appropriately and you will succeed.

If you have any problems you know a man who can help.

BY WHEN? AND WHY?

I have a client, who’s  a self  taught Project Manager

He started out in the construction industry as a ‘Joiner’ and then worked hard to become a very experienced and effective Project Manager. During that time he has developed two favourite questions, by when? And, why?

These two questions put the people he is managing under real pressure because they have to tell him what he needs to know, now!

He insists on full answers that are simple, straightforward and honest.  He uses the information gathered to get the whole team pointing in the right direction, to take sensible steps forward and to do so as economically as possible.

When variations to the plan take place he always implements his favourite questions, because they get him reams of information i.e. they both help to expose and solve problems.

Well, he might be a good PM but he’s not very good at marketing his services! He tends to rely on merely doing a good job in the hope that his efforts are appreciated by someone. Sadly it doesn’t always work out that way for him.

So we put a few alternative suggestions to him that would generate new leads for his services.  He quite liked the sound of our direct mail methodology. I think he liked it because we based it on one of his favourite words, why!

We produced a mailing piece that had the title:

 ‘10 Things You Must knows Before You Employ a Project Manager’.

It contained ten key questions that any potential client needs to know the answers to before he appoints a PM. Of course, and not by coincidence, our client had the necessary combination of qualifications, relevant work experience and knowledge of the particular sector the campaign was aimed at.

Within days of having sent it out, and without any form of follow up, he received four invitations to attend exploratory talks with potential clients. We actually followed up his original mailing with six follow on postcards. The final results ended up with his having received ten requests for discussion and he eventually secured two full fee paying commissions!

So, sometimes it’s important to find out ‘WHY’ something is important and by ‘WHEN’ it needs to be done!

If you need some help with this sort of thing you know a man who can help.

Eureka Moments

They come in all sorts of different forms, from a myriad of stimuli and mostly at times when we least expect them.

Take laughter, what causes it or brings it on differs as much as the cause or subject matter.

But what about ideas or inspirational thoughts?

They usually come forward without any form of notice.

Most of my own ‘gems’ come to me whilst I am asleep. I don’t really know why but I suspect it is something to do with the fact that a number of experiences, thoughts or inclinations come together all at once.

As a consequence they often lead to ideas, concepts or hunches as to how to move forward.

When they happen what should we do?

I believe in most instances we tend to let them pass us by and thus take no benefit from them.

Most of our more powerful ideas and concepts come to us vicariously; remember the story of how Face book came about.

By the way, as I write this I am actually overlooking a magnificent beach scene at Camp de Mar, Majorca, Spain.

The view is stunning. I’m drinking a cold beer, others are eating Paella and people on the beach are enjoying their time off and are having a great time.

So why am I writing this?

Because, I have just had a fantastic idea to help one of my clients. He’s currently trying to break into a new region of the country as a Principal Contractor and that’s a BIG challenge.

He, and more importantly, his firm are unknown to the local construction community. So obviously there is zero local knowledge of their capabilities, no good will or trust

out there for him.

So, what is my great idea?

Well I think we should find an organisation that already service the kinds of people and organisations he needs to engage with.

In marketing parlance we could call this establishing a ‘Host Beneficiary’ arrangement.

But who is currently supplying my client’s ideal clients?

Is it architects, cost managers, structural engineers, property lawyers, accountants, bankers or even suppliers of products e.g. a BIM software or

planning report information.

Regardless of who it might ultimately be, if one can be secured and they are able to introduce my client to their clients, a potential win-win situation

can be achieved from the alliance.

I will probably recommend that my client joins forces with a large regionally based multi disciplinary design practice to deliver a set of CSR (Corporate

Social Responsibility) initiatives to local schools and colleges.

These normally take the form of workshops to introduce young people to the construction industry and too its many career options.

By co-funding and delivering such an initiative it will help to put my client at the centre of the regions more progressive community and will introduce them to their

‘Host’s’ clients, which will help raise their profile and standing.  Thus allowing them to claim to be an active member of the local business community.

I can imagine a great deal of goodwill will come their way as a consequence.

If you need a breakthrough idea, you know a man who can deliver.