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Learning Strategies Ltd

Hunting for, Prospecting & Acquiring New Business

12/12/2015

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This is an interesting metaphor. I have been looking at the Conference and Training facilities at Edinburgh Zoo for an event I have coming up in 2016. Looking around the Zoo I focused on the big Cat enclosures and witnessed the behaviour of Tigers, Lions and Cougars. And then my imagination started to run away with me.

Are you the hunted or the hunter?

On the African continent each morning a Lion awakes. If he's hungry he knows he has to go hunting. He knows he must out run the slowest gazelle or his family will starve.

​Every morning in Africa a Gazelle wakes up. He knows he must out run the fastest Lion or he will be killed.

How does this apply to you and your relationship with your customers?

It matters not whether you're a Lion or a Gazelle…when the sun comes up - you better be running.

It matters not whether you are an established business or a small start-up, you all require customers. Without customers there is no business activity.

This issue is not industry or sector specific. And you don't have to be a genius to apply it to your own context and your own enterprise.

What about building new processes to attract new customers and forge new partnerships?

The business world is changing and moving faster than ever before. The demands and the need to change is a 'constant driver' and a wake-up call for many. What is new and happening this year will be outclassed and commonplace in a year's time. What novelties we can implement this month, this week and today will be available to our competitors next month, next week and maybe even tomorrow.

Are you hungry enough?

Think now! Predictably, every day when the dawn rises on the horizon it is a good idea to be up and running towards new business opportunities.

You may have to 'encourage' them away from competitors, acting, thinking and being at least three steps ahead in market intelligence, predicting new innovations and trends - exploring new routes to market and new customers.

What does this mean for your business decision-making?
  • Are you geared up for running when the Sun rises?
  • Are your associates, teams, leaders, and business partners equally prepared to start the hunt?
  • Can you rely upon your supply chain to delight existing and prospective customers?
  • Do you have customer-centric processes ready in place to transact new business to delight your customers?
  • Have you segmented your clients and customers to appeal to their strategic imperatives? How can you contribute to help them to start working together to achieve those objectives?
  • How can you help your clients and customers to run steadily and without faltering to achieve their objectives?
  • Note, that some of your customers simply can't or don't want to run. If that is the case can you coach them to jog towards some of their objectives? With confidence in jogging comes the ability and stamina to take longer strides and with that, leaps of faith. You can coach your customers through this process.

If they are not running to shape your future what lurks in the background that could impact your business for worse?

Consider if you are not propelled forward jogging, running, sprinting when the Sun comes up will you be the hunted instead of the hunter?

 
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    Author

    Philip Atkinson is a strategic  advisor, trainer, coach and author of books and articles on organizational change and leadership 

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