What Matters Most The questions you need to answer R. Greg Bohrer Marketing Manager Precision Door Service Voyages of Discovery Voyages of Discovery Questions sailors must ask: Where Now? Where Want to Be? Mission How Get There? When Know Arrive? Focus We are time-crunched, info-overloaded, constantly-stressed • Companies are losing focus – We focus on too many things • Nothing has really changed – We’ve lost sight of why it matters Focus Focus on your Purpose/Mission • Why in the beginning you launched your business, your project • Find your North Star • Visualize it • Start with Why • Simon Sinek Focus • “Strategy without tactics is the slowest route to victory. Tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat.” Sun Tzu, The Art of War Where are You Now? • Observe • Gather the relevant information • What do you see? • What is our current position - as of now... • Assess how the winds are changing before setting sail. • Anchor to good decision-making • Easiest one to ignore under time pressure Where are You Now? • Research • Most companies have an incomplete or even wrong understanding of who their customers are, how they perceive current interactions, and what they want and need in the future. - Forrester Research • Less than half use data for Customer Insights • Cannot take a guess on data • Your Data: • Sales data metrics – competitive info • Resources • Internal data, Marshall Marketing, Scarborough, Pew, NRF, Forrester, AMEX, US Census, Blogs Where are You Now? • Questions we ask ourselves • Who is our competition? • What are they developing? • How do we keep customers from using us? • What do we do that is unique? • Is it sustainable? • Are we really who we say we are? • Why? Where are You Now? “Even if you're on the right track, you'll get run over if you just sit there”. Will Rogers Where Do You Want to Be? • Orient • Process information and position yourself for a decision. • What are the implications? • Identify opportunities and create alternatives • What are others doing? • “Never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake.” Napoleon Where Do You Want to Be? Research & Ask Why • Look back where you’ve been. – Where would that course take you? – Does that align with your North Star? • Will narrowing or expanding your focus create a promising opportunity? – Precision – Home Street - CoinStar • Challenge your assumptions Gap analysis • Decisions are Choice Between Alternatives • What are the missing's? Difference = Opportunity Situation Actions Where Now Causes Alternatives Where Do You Want to Be? • • • • Decide on your course of Action Choose between available alternatives. Articulate what you won’t do The Tie Breaker question: – If overnight your biggest problem/issue was solved: What would you do differently tomorrow? What’s the first sign that you see or notice when the problem is gone? • Visualize it. How Will You Get There? “If you don’t know where you’re going, any road will do”. Alice How Will You Get There? Act • • • • • Focus on the gap. No perfect answers. Identify any barriers. Narrow options. Don’t play it safe How Will You Get There? Act • • • • • • Commit to them. Clarify the target Identify tools that can be used on each barrier. Customers should be your guide Don’t Assume Start moving. • Adjust. How Will You Get There? " We cannot direct the wind…. But we can adjust the sails." Bertha Calloway How Will You Get There? Adjust • Narrow Focus • Partnerships • Match Media to Message • Focus on what works • Don’t Assume • Results: – Average of 10-12% growth each year for the past 3 years Visualize • If you or your team are more visual in nature. • Patti Dobrowolski’s book Drawing Solutions Patti Dobrowolski How Will You Know When You Arrive? • What is your finish line? – – – – Can you measure progress toward it KPI’s Analytics Call Tracking How Will You Know When You Arrive? • Call Tracking How Will You Know When You Arrive? "Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted." Albert Einstein. Key to Success • • • • Rinse and repeat There is no finish line – Only beginnings Celebrate Go back to step one – Where are you now? – Where do you want to be? – How will you get there? – How will you know when you arrive? What Matters Most? " The important thing is to never stop questioning." Albert Einstein. Where Now? Where Want to Be? Mission How Get There? When Know Arrive? Thank You R. Greg Bohrer Precision Door Service bohrerg@precisiondoor.net