Topic

proposals

A collection of 120 issues

Funder Project Success

A delightful morning had me facilitating a workshop aimed at understanding different potential funding agencies’ viewpoints. The venture support varied among the six participants, from a few hundred thousand dollars, right through to multi-millions. One session looked at what business plans must exhibit for them to feel comfortable that success

Your Attitude Dish

I spent twenty minutes R&R last night reading the always entertaining AA Gill [http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/food_and_drink/eating_out/a_a_gill/article7030781.ece] review a recently opened London foodie haunt. It was partly because a friend had recommended it

Campaign Legacy

I saw the boss of a WPP-owned “communication channel agency” (basically PR person Ryan Williams, Group MD, Nota Bene) on telly, and was pleased to see him come across rather well. He was asked how firms could make the most of a huge event (like the World Cup). The issue

Project Implementation Memorandum

This grandiose title relates to a doc appreciated by a particular business funder. I get the impression it is for endeavours that have gone past the ‘prototype’ stage, yet are still to fully understand a comprehensive business plan. After a meeting with them recently, they kindly provided a checklist of

Darwinian Difficulty

There’s all sorts of wonderfully produced BBC documentaries celebrating Darwin’s 200th birthday and the 150th anniversary of his Origin of the Species publication. One such programme focused on what Darwin did not know at the time, and pondered whether it added or subtracted from his proposition. One base

Concept Doc

Many, many solution salespeople I met get frustrated by what they perceive as unappreciated effort. Spending hefty chunks of time crafting proposal-style documents often goes unrewarded when the pdf emailed over does not get read. Where it even exists (which is in a surprisingly small amount of cases) standardised documentation

Most Simple Deals Work

On a slightly tangential note for us solution sellers, I came across an interview with a Swiss chap that founded a hotel chain [http://www.timeslive.co.za/business/article283722.ece]. A quarter of a century later, the firm has 50 hotels throughout S Africa. Always interested in company founders,

Picture Your Prospects

I got a terrific wine rack, made from the staves of a Steenberg Merlot barrel by a Cape Town oak artisan [http://www.thatoak.co.za]. He spends most weekends in various shopping centres standing with a display of his craft. As I saw with my own eyes, his wares

Be A Menu Engineer

Here’s a fella that strikes me as owning his niche. American Gregg Rapp [http://www.menutechnologies.net/] says he’s specialised for two decades in helping eateries make more money purely from altering the presentation of their menu. In the video clip accessed from his website you see the

Selling and the Prevention Paradox

I first came across the appealing persuasion tactic of “nudging” last July [http://salespodder.com/think-of-a-nudge-policy/]. It seems a concept with legs. In an article on the Beeb [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/8019357.stm] light-heartedly debating merits of a possible anti-pork national health policy, this delightful