What’s the fastest way to improve your Proposals and Case Studies?
In these challenging times, it’s obviously important to grab every bit of new business possible. And Proposals and Case Studies have an important role to play here, except that too many folks make a basic error when writing them. It stems from the desire to be seen to...Relationship, Consultative, Insight or Experiential – Which Business Development Approach is Right For Your (Marcomms or Professional Services) Business?
Winning new clients is a long old game, so I’ll cut to the chase. Chances are it’s Experiential, with a big dollop of Insight, although some elements of all are involved. Let’s take a canter through each. Relationship selling was how it used to be done. You got...The Document vs Proposal Trap
On the face of it, there are huge similarities between significant business documents – Board submissions, say – and new business proposals. The former provides relevant information in a clear and persuasive manner, so the latter is surely the same, but...What to do if you think the bad times may be coming
I, together with some stellar colleagues, ran a business that enjoyed 13 years of unbroken growth. But no one defies gravity forever and even the best-run businesses will face a downturn, eventually. So come a downturn, what should you do, and when should you do it?...Company Secretaries: When does your company become too complex (and what to do if it is)?
In the sidelines of a recent, excellent ICSA panel discussion, the question arose “when does an company become too complex”? As the meeting concerned the role of activist shareholders, the first response was “when it starts to erode shareholder value”. The second...The 90 second test for Board papers
Board papers can be lengthy and complex, and this is particularly true for highly regulated sectors – financial and health, for example. But no matter how challenging the papers’ subjects may be – stochastic modelling of early pension redemptions, anyone?...Starry-eyed, bleary-eyed or gimlet-eyed. Which stage is your PR business at?
All firms go through a number of stages (with the exception of lifestyle businesses; irrespective of whether they are lifestyle by commission or omission), and that’s entirely natural. Progressing from one stage to another is usually painful, but it is a...Business plans – essential, or pointless distraction from the job of actually working for clients?
How to plan for growth
Don’t be vague…
It’s easy to inadvertently use vague terms in Board papers, resulting in inadvertent misunderstandings. Precision should be used, instead.