Monthly Archives: March 2009

Following up on obstacles to making sales

Posted on March 31, 2009 by

In January we blogged about Hyundai America’s buyer assurance plan. We noted in that post that we loved the idea and that time would tell if it worked. On February 17th, we notedthat JetBlue had picked up on the idea. … Continue reading →

Posted in Automobile Industry, Down economy, first mover advantage, sales | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Changes at GM

Posted on March 30, 2009 by

I have had the day to think about how I feel about Rick Wagoner being fired as CEO of GM and the process by which it happened. Those who have heard me speak know that I have cited GM as … Continue reading →

Posted in Automobile Industry | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Videos to watch

Posted on March 27, 2009 by

I have finally posted a couple of videos on the power and importance of business process management in marketing and sales up on YouTube. You can watch them here. Ralph

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Does tele-commuting work?

Posted on March 23, 2009 by

We don’t normally comment on general management issues, but I have always wondered about the true effectiveness of tele-commuting and flex hours. I understand some flexibility in start and end times, but over the last 15 years flex time/tele-commuting has, … Continue reading →

Posted in Down economy | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Signs of life

Posted on March 20, 2009 by

In my discussions with CEOs I am noticing a more upbeat tone. Perhaps it is just because they have gotten their costs in alignment with today’s reality, or maybe there are signs of life. On that note, in my air … Continue reading →

Posted in Down economy | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Some silliness has left the building…

Posted on March 19, 2009 by

Or should I say the airplane. I don’t fly US Airways very often for at least the reasons noted in a prior post. While I too commend Captain Sully and his crew for their terrific efforts, one of my goals … Continue reading →

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Quote of the day

Posted on March 17, 2009 by

I heard a terrific quote today from the CFO of NHS Inc. While not specifically talking about NHS, let’s be clear they are a fine company doing a great job, she described the job of the CFO/Controller as the person … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Another newspaper bites the dust

Posted on March 16, 2009 by

The Seattle Post Intelligencer announced today the end of their print edition. This continues the decline of print newspapers that many people believe is tied to fewer people reading print papers. While it is probably and provable true that fewer … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , | 1 Comment

Let’s quit spending money on Marketing

Posted on March 12, 2009 by

A lot is being written these days on how to justify Marketing expenses in this difficult economy. Advice comes from many quarters on the dos and don’ts of what you should promise or where you should look to make sure … Continue reading →

Posted in Down economy, Marketing | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Too funny or sad to pass up

Posted on March 8, 2009 by

I write a lot about airlines because I fly a lot and they are prime examples of how to become a commodity in a market where differentiation opportunities are plentiful. However, yesterday a story came to my attention that is … Continue reading →

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