17 May, 2010
The 1% Windfall by Rafi Mohammed
If we aren’t careful, pricing can be like a pendulum with large across-the-board increases or discounts. There’s a line for every customer, and getting the right amount of profit for each is the thesis of this book. The beauty of this is, increased profits for your company may not be from the endless pursuit to cut costs or restructuring. Rafi lays out 50 different ways you can increase your profits a little at a time. Now 1% may not sound intriguing, but consider this: if Wal-mart increased it’s profit by 1%, it would mean billions more in profit.
I talk with Rafi about how this works, bringing dormant customers back into the fold, and how to compensate salespeople.
More about the book at PricingForProfit.com.
5 Oct, 2009
I Love You More Than My Dog by Jeanne Bliss
We read and hear the stories people tell about Zappos, Trader Joe’s and other companies that don’t just have customers, they have fans. These are beloved companies, as Jeanne calls them. They have created a connection with their customers by how they’ve chosen to interact with them. This book looks at the 5 key decisions they make, and challenges you to find your way to join the ranks.
I talk with Jeanne about trusting your customer, what these decisions are and more.
More about Jeanne at CustomerBliss.com
30 Aug, 2009
Duck and Recover by Steven S. Little
While survival is on the mind of many, Steven wants to not only see you survive, but also to use opportunities around you to grow. So the book is divided into two parts: “Ducking” is positioning yourself at your strongest point. Think of a football linebacker in a three-point stance. “Recover” is growing while those around you are satisfied with just hanging on. He does this by challenging common held beliefs and giving guidance on cash flow, pricing and profit margins.
More about the Steven at StevenSLittle.com
20 Jul, 2009
Being Strategic by Erika Andersen
Everybody talks about strategy, but there is a big gap between discussing strategy, defining strategy and actually being strategic — so you can accomplish something. This book helps you approach business strategically, explaining what strategy is, why it’s important, and how to do it. “Being Strategic” offers you a step-by-step model and skills for strategic thought and action that are broadly applicable and thoroughly practical.
More about the book at BeingStrategic.com
25 May, 2009
Collapse of Distinction by Scott McKain
We live in a “Sea of Sameness”. Your mall is like my mall, and the same fast food restaurants are found on Interstate highways all across America. Can you compete? Of course you can, but not by offering the the same thing as everyone else. Scott lays out the way to become distinct: Clarity, Creativity, Communication, and Customer-Experience Focus. And I’ll warn you now, he’s going to challenge you on these points because everyone says they do it.
More about the book at http://CollapseOfDistinction.com. Scott blogs at http://mckainviewpoint.com.
