Differentiating your company from the competition

I talk with clients a lot about differentiating themselves and their product or service. Here are some ways for a company to be different:-

1. Your reputation - credible references, referrals, affiliations, business awards 
2. Your time in business 
3. Your team is friendlier
4. Your team is more knowledgeable/better trained
5. You offer free delivery. Or you go to the customer. 
6. Your product/service achieves results faster. 
7. Your product/service achieves same results with less - greener, more efficient
8. Your product, or the effect of using the service, lasts longer.
9. Your product tastes, smells sounds, looks, or feels better. Targeting the senses triggers basic human emotions.
10. Your product is light(er) or (more) compact.
11. Your product or service is easy to use. "Plug and play", working on the weekend, overnight turnaround. 
12. Your product has better safety features.
13. Your product is hand made or your service is provided by a Partner or Director.
14. You stand behind your products/services. You back-up your product/service with guarantees, warrantees or free replacements.
15. You offer your product or service at a lower price.

What have I missed?

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Should I ask a question during an Interview?

This is something every corporate interview client asks me. The answer is Yes, Yes, Yes.

And they should all be future "we" related, not past and "me".

Good questions can make all the difference in an interview. They can elevate or rerank you, highlight your skills and experience and showcase your confidence, commitment and accountability. Please add your suggestions...

1. Apart from the job itself, how could I help make the team/company perform better?
2. Assuming you think I fit the role, what's the most important thing I should achieve in the first 14/60 days?
3. What skills, traits and characteristics does this company value the most? 
4. Is there a mentoring programme and how does it work?
5. This position sounds even better now and I am really excited about it. Is there anything that I should be demonstrating to you today, that I haven't yet? 
6. What should I have achieved or proven 6/12 months from now that will demonstrate that I have met or exceeded your expectations?
7. How would you describe your company's culture? 
8. What attracted you to the organization?
9. What are the next steps in the selection process?
10. Could you clarify what you said about...?

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Holocaust Educational Trust

I was privileged to be at the Holocaust Educational Trust's Lord Merlyn Rees Lecture last night. Lord Janner welcomed everbody in his delightful Lord Janner style. Martha Vearney chaired it, Francis Maude spoke and Sir Ian Kershaw gave a deeply disturbing historical analysis about the interaction between Hitler, Heinrich and civil servants - raising the question about whether British civil servants would have acted any differently.  

At least 10 holocaust survivors were in the room. That was chilling and immediate. Three young HET amabassadors spoke incredibly movingly about their visits to Auschwitz. I cried like a kid.

I visited Ravensbrucke frequently when I was training teams from BASF Schwarzheide. We went there by bus - groups of maybe 30. We didn't talk much. Everyone should visit.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ravensbrück_concentration_camp .

The work that HET does is super-important with their mission including "combating antisemitism, racism and prejudice in our society today". http://www.het.org.uk/

More quotes from last night to follow....

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Happy Christmas

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I am rubbish at interviewing people

friend: I like the spin you put on my negative qualities - is this why they pay you the big bucks?

me: yep!!!! my job is to see people's potential and then sell them. Which is why I am rubbish at interviewing people!!!

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Nothing to add.

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbour. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover" (Mark Twain)

Nothing to add. 

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Do MPs only talk to improve their speaking records?

Paul Goodman makes several good points here about how speeches have changed in the House of Commons Chamber. I have always been in favour of shorter speeches and presentations. Long speeches are usually the result of a lack of planning and message/outcome focus.

I think MPs should only give way selectively - and only after they have made substantial progress through their speech. Otherwise they risk losing track of where they are and losing momentum in their speech. Not to mention that their speech makes less/no sense and loses its impact when constantly interrupted. This is all the worse when some of the interjections are not on substantive points nor do they add anything to the debate other than increase the speaking record of the MP concerned.

MPs should stick to the maxim of only saying something when they have something to say. And maybe we should judge them on the quality of their words - not the number of their words.   

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Avoiding Amnesia

Herman Cain's Libya gaffe and Rick Perry's temporay amnesia are great comedy but excruciating for the candidates and their managers. And hugely damaging for their careers and presidential chances. All campaigns are exhausting, none more so than US Presidential and Nomination campaigns, but the same lessons apply to this type of high-octane campaign.

• Have a plan B set of notes in large enough print to read without glasses to hand.
• Do your homework. Know your stuff. Know what you believe. 
• Delegate the speechwriting. But not the content!
• Take a few minutes before you go live to remind yourself of the key points you want to make.
• Talk to make points, not to create noise or fill up blocks of time.  
• Get enough sleep and exercise and water - avoid heavy nights out, distractions and fatigue.  

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Crafting Messages for Politicians

Crafting Messages for Politicians

Six Characteristics of the Successful Lobbyist.

The successful focus on real influence, a positive impact and tangible results. They are different to the smash-and-grab merchants who make money from making noise.

1. They get in early. By adding early value, clarity and knowledge, they influence far more than the loudest and most excitable latecomer. 
2. Total clarity of narrative - background, diagnosis and prescription. Focus on the explicit and the doable.
3. Concise, consistent and everyday language that diverse alliances can unite behind.
4. Cross party campaigning that avoids party or tribal politics. Starting with government, side-stepping the tribal, the political and the loaded.
5. Doing fewer things, but better. Like writing fewer letters but making them real, personalised and relevant to the MP, their interests and their constituency. Meeting face to face. Avoiding lazy, impersonal "activity report" items like 'No. of emails sent'. 
6. Successful ones also have one thing that can't be taught. Unless you like, respect, understand and spend time with MPs you shouldn't try political communications. How else can you understand? How else can you be believed or be trusted? Naturally and habitually building, and fostering, genuine relationships should be part of you. It shouldn't be part of your job.

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Article for City AM - How to improve your speech in 5 mins

For those put on the spot at short notice and those too lazy to prepare.

Decide, and then stick to, what you are trying to achieve. Do you want to inform or persuade? What must you achieve with your speech? What defines success? What is/are the Key Performance Indicator(s) you have to hit? You are not there to fill time with noise - You are there to achieve a result.

If persuasion is your goal, compare the unwanted current with the desired future and use "we" and "will". Paint the future picture. If transfer of information is your goal use the "tell them what you are going to tell them, tell them, tell them what you are going to tell them" maxim. If it isn't, don't!

Use fresh language and examples. Avoid tired metaphors. If you have heard the metaphor before - don't use it. Use language you would in a 1-2-1. Use short sentences and words - the basic rule is to use language your audience can readily understand. Max 15 words per sentence and 2 syllables per word. Narrow your message to 3 things. The audience wonʼt remember any more anyway. Headline your themes. Then unpack them individually. Identify and repeatedly use the words that summarise your message.

Never speak for more than 20 minutes - 10 is better. 3 - 5 even better. De-fluff the speech. If a word isn't working and actively adding to your message - bin it! Don't fall in love with the words - fall in love with your message. If sentences or words are there for any other reason - bin them. If words or sentences aren't working towards the results you need from the speech - bin them.

Spread your legs. Stand wide and strong. Breathe slowly from your belly. Speak slowly - It is almost impossible to speak too slowly!!. Stand up straight and smile at the audience or the camera's lens. Get your blood moving before the speech - 20 minutes walking or a few press ups. Drink water - still not fizzy.

Identify the top 5 most likely questions and note the 3 possible ingredients to each answer.

CityAM

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