David Smith, one of our outstanding Group Chairs, is also a keynote speaker at many major business events. Last week I heard him describe how ASDA went from £1 billion profit to £1 billion debt in 12 months and then what David and other members of the turnaround team did to get the business back […]
I’m writing this on Saturday, 17th April at 11.52. 24 hours prior, I set off for a mammoth lunch with very good friends, the first time I’d been out in ages. We all had far too much to eat and drink and I know nothing about the journey home having fallen asleep in the back […]
More often than not, after being introduced to someone and learning their name, the first question you ask (or are asked) is: “What do you do?” Conclusive proof, as if this is necessary, that to a great extent our work defines us – or at least many of us allow it to. On that basis […]
Discounting is an awful disease. More often than not it starts small and then quickly grows once the habit is formed. If it doesn’t kill your business it can cause serious damage. So why do so many companies do it? And what can you do to arrest it or better, not start it at all? […]
Last week, Property Academy members attended a live, private meeting with Colin Machlachlan, the former SAS soldier turned TV star of Channel 4’s ‘Who Dares Wins’ and Channel 5’s ‘Secrets of the SAS’. His story is extraordinary and he shared how he and his colleagues developed personal and team resilience to the most testing of […]
There are three key components to CX4.0* (the label I use to describe a new era of customer experience) and one is making the everyday things uplifting. I say uplifting rather than exciting because the bar is set at a relatively low level as is illustrated by this example received by a friend of mine […]
Since the beginning of 2020, (prior to the pandemic which has simply amplified and accelerated everything), I’ve been urging Property Academy members to realise that we’ve entered the era of CX4.0 and how they need to adapt to deliver the enhanced level of service customers expect. In case you’re new to receiving these posts let […]
I’m not sure if there’s a 2021 version of Mystic Meg or Russell Grant, but I do know someone whose ability to predict significant events is truly extraordinary. This man called the result of the last three UK general elections months before they were held. He called the Trump victory in 2016, long before anyone […]
Grant Leboff, Property Academy’s marketing expert, speaker and trusted advisor, gave a masterclass on branding for our members last week*. He had five key themes and one that really stood out for me was how to be different in a world of similarity. Are McDonalds and Burger King different? What about CocaCola and Pepsi? Nike […]
I tend to dismiss ghost stories, ‘strange’ phenomenon and conspiracy theories but my resolve was tested last week when over dinner, I mentioned someone in conversation whom I hadn’t spoken with for almost 20 years, and later, that very evening, he connected with me on facebook. Spooky eh? The reason I had recalled this individual […]