Time for a tune up for you and your company?

It’s almost Spring and the economy is just starting to blossom. But is your business ready to blossom and grow into full bloom? Do you really want to continue business as usual? Can you or your company afford business as usual? Are you finding that you are working much longer hours and not achieving all the results that you had wanted?





Our experience has been that after the economy becomes tight, companies benefit from an effectiveness check. Much like your car does when you take it in for a tune up to make those adjustments that keep it running right. This covers the basic analysis of what is and what is not working, resetting the processes and reviewing the use of your resources to help cut costs and increase the output they generate.

That's why we're offering you our Spring time specials. Choose one from these packages.

• Analyze and identify key challenges that impact your profitability with recommendations for how to deal with them effectively and to navigate the profitability maze.
• Review and upgrade the branding opportunities for your company and your products to increase customer appeal and profitability.
• Review your marketing programs and recommend implementation upgrades that make the plans more effective.
• Discuss and develop a management action plan to ensure employees understand their role in reaching key goals and get the information they need to perform.



Book before April 15 and we will conduct two half-day sessions on one of these packages for $3,500 (30% off the regular rate). We will take the time to review the findings and recommendations with you and may even help get you started on the upgrades.

To reserve a time or for additional information, contact us

Spring ahead this year. Let us help.

John

John Maver
President
Maver Management Group
(925) 648-7561
Maver Management

Core Values are the Basis for Organizational Effectiveness

As you know by now, I spent 23 years at Procter & Gamble, starting at the bottom of the advertising/marketing ladder and with the company’s policy of promoting from within, rose to an executive level. The advantage that I had, as do all P&G employees, is the fact that the core values are known and lived by not only a few in management, but almost everyone around you.

It was easy to see employees, who were dedicated, management who cared about the staff and who knew the business and customers who were loyal. The logic of why this organization worked so well was obvious. It was the solid foundations on which this corporate structure was built. Those foundations were the corporate values. However, they were not mentioned overtly. Nor were they written up on any brass plaques or signs hanging on the walls. But evident they were. How did this organization succeed in having “everyone singing from the same book”? The answer lies in the nature and extent of the training that all staff experienced and shown daily by all around who served as role models.

Some management writers have coined the phrase “walking the talk”. It is intended to mean that management, and particularly top management, must model the behavior they expect of others. But how often does it happen and more importantly, does it work? As Lebow points out “The only thing that really changes behavior is when the proclaimed values are practiced at every level, including at the top”. The inference can be drawn that not only must managers “do what they say”, but there also must be a collective understanding of “what precisely it is that we should all do”.

In today’s economic environment, spending 23 years with one company is rare. So is the promotion from within concept because it entails training and development investments and the knowledge that much of the benefit is going to go to other companies as employees move on. We have been scripted as consumers and business managers to want “instant” gratification. Hire someone who has the talent and experience based on previous work and companies and utilize them until either they no longer can provide the value or they are lured away by other companies.

I have also found that candidates when evaluating possible employment opportunities with another company seldom consider the values of that company and whether they match with their own value set. Certainly position, title, compensation, perks and expected work are all evaluated Yet the single greatest reason for people moving from one company to another is their lack of fit with company values in one way or another.

Having worked for Procter & Gamble and then Clorox from the time I came out of graduate school, I perhaps foolishly assumed that all companies had positive company values. I quickly found that this wasn’t the case when I moved to my first privately held company. The business results and internal chaos were a direct reflection of ill-defined and often negative company core values.

Most successful companies focus on their core competencies, not to be confused with core vales, at least to some extent and there is a desire to hone those competencies. This leads to the companies instituting MBOs, Quality Circles, TQM, ISO9000+, Benchmarking, Process Engineering, Six Sigma and many others. While all these strategies are based on sound theory, they do not reflect the very nature of why the organization has been successful that of corporate behavior that is based on shared values - the Core Values of the company

We are often asked as we lead the strategic business planning process for clients, why we start with the Core Purpose of the company and the Core Values. All organizations have values, whether they are publicly evident or not. These drive the success of the business plan that we are creating. That success is ultimately dependent on the people in the organization and how well they work and exhibit the Core Values.

By now, you should be convinced of the importance of Core Values and making them a living part of your organization.

BUT!

The questions for you as a leader of your organization, whether at the “C” level or down through manager are:
1 What are your personal Core Values?
2 How well are they known and lived?
3 How do they match up with the Company’s Core Values?

You don’t need a behavioral scientist or an organizational development expert to help you. You and other business people can identify them and then instill them. If you need help, contact us. Core Values provide strong foundations for organizational effectiveness.

Thanks

John

John Maver
President
Maver Management Group
(925) 648-7561
Maver Management

Are you a Leader?

Of course you are! If you are holding any management or executive position you must be a leader. Or at least have some leadership qualities. But what are the key leadership qualities. Much has been written about leadership and many, many great leaders have been studied in detail. Some actually become “icons” by virtue of their success and that may or may now have anything to do with their leadership style.

We are not suggesting that you exhibit all of the attributes listed below. If you did, we all would be following you as an “icon”. The key is to review them and understand which ones fit you now and which ones you believe you could adopt to make you more effective. Be selective and pick the few that will provide the greatest leverage to you and your organization.

Leaders (distilled from High Impact Leadership by Mark Sanborn):
1. Spend 50-75% of their day focusing on the top 3-4 items in their business.
2. Focus on how best to use their time and energy and the time and energy of others.
3. Not only do things right, they do the right things.
4. Use future focus, strategic anticipation.
5. Achieve excellence by investing additional time and energy if it makes the product, service, or outcome noticeably better for their business.
6. Determine how to get people & organizations to improve.
7. Recognize the importance of setting goals for employees that are not easy to achieve.
8. Recognize that change is an indisputable good condition and make change (improvement) a necessity.
9. Involve people in how change will take place.
10. Continually grow through study and introspection.
11. Dare to be different.
12. Constantly ask themselves and others what has been done to add value to the organization.
13. Make sure they are asking the right questions and search for all the right answers.
14. Learn to act on incomplete information.
15. Are willing to make more mistakes.
16. Follow the adage "if it isn't broken, make it better".
17. Create a sense of urgency - ask "What's next?"
18. Realize that performance is achieved through coaching, training and practice.
19. Lead with enthusiasm.
20. Leaders Create Leaders.

How did you do? Did you recognize qualities about yourself on this list? What should you be doing that you could be doing that would make you a more effective leader?

We have worked with many senior executives. If you would like some help or mentoring, contact us. We would love to help.

Thanks

John

John Maver
President
Maver Management Group
(925) 648-7561
Maver Management

Analyzing Your Business Needs - And a Free Offer

Many companies struggle under the weight of large amounts of data. They have been unable to effectively and efficiently turn it into useful information. Worse still, they have not been able to use it to successfully analyze the business and therefore take the steps necessary to either handle the challenges or take advantage of the opportunities.

We have developed a simple questionnaire that we use with our clients to provide a snap shot of the business and can lead to targeted effort on improvements. This may help you analyze your business as well.

Just respond to each statement below with a simple ranking.
1 Strongly Disagree
2 Disagree
3 Neither Agree nor Disagree
4 Agree
5 Strongly Agree

Maver Management Group Business Self Assessment
1. Our business goals are clear and have been communicated to all employees.

2. Our business progress is at or above forecast and is accelerating.

3. We have a written business plan and strategies that are known by all managers and guide their activities.

4. We understand our core competencies and our business plans are built on them.

5. We have identified the key issues facing the company and a specific plan is in place to address each issue.

6. Our company and our products have a clear positioning and it is promoted by Sales and Marketing.

7. There is a clear customer focus across the organization.

8. We are a preferred supplier to our customers.

9. Our revenue and profit is usually very close to forecast.

10. Our financial measures and results are known and understood by all managers.

11. We have clear metrics that measure the progress on each of our business plan strategies and the advancement toward our long term goals.

12. We understand the bottlenecks in our operations and have programs in place to address them.

13. We have a strong development and training program for our personnel.

14. We have alliances with other companies that extend our capabilities cost effectively.

15. New products make up a growing percent of our business and their market introductions are at or ahead of forecast.

If you have ranked any with 1 or 2, you have identified an area of concern. If you have more than two or three statements ranked this way, you may have a significant problem ahead of you. Very few executives have ranked their operations as all 4s or 5s. If you rank your company in this way, you might want to get a second opinion from within your company. Generally, when this happens the others see the business differently.

This should give you a start on identifying the issues that are holding you back and also the areas upon which you might build to accelerate your progress.

Special OfferSince we use this tool regularly, share your results with us and we will provide an analysis of your results free of charge.

We’ll even discount our regular business planning price if we can help you use the analysis to accelerate your business progress.

Try it out!

Thanks.

John


John Maver
President
Maver Management Group
(925) 648-7561
Maver Management

Business New Year’s Resolutions

It’s a new year. A new quarter. A new month. And you have enthusiastically thought about how you will make this new time so much better for your company and for you personally. You have a clean slate upon which to write. Well, as they said in that car rental commercial, “Not exactly”. There are a number of carryovers from last year, quarter and month, right?

In fact, it is the carryovers and habits set before that are the major causes of new resolutions and plans not being put in motion or carried out.

Unfortunately, the thoughts are just in your head and unless they are written down in the form of a plan and shared with your organization, the chance of them actually happening is virtually zero.

There must be a concrete change in order to alter the course of events. If you keep on doing the same things, you will keep on getting the same results. It’s not just the definition of insanity; it is what happens to most businesses.

The most effective change is the creation of an updated strategic plan. It can be a plan created from scratch or one that is updated and modified to take into account the current business and industry environment. The Institute for Strategic Planning has found that 73% of companies do not have a written plan that is known throughout the company. No wonder that business continues as it always has.

This is the moment to invest the resources and time to put those new thoughts down in a plan and capitalize on the opportunities in front of you. Many see this as tedious and unproductive effort. Yes, it can be if not done properly or the plan is not acted upon. It needs to have assigned responsibility with measures that cause accountability and retooling of the plans based on in market responses.

Have you done this with your company yet? If not, what is stopping you? You don’t have to be the CEO, although that clearly would help. You can put this into action at any level and your success will attract others to you.

If you need a format, we have a simple one that has proven to work effectively across a broad range of industries. If you need help using it or whatever other format you choose, please contact us. We are experts at this type of work.

Just get started before the slate fills up with old carryovers.

Thanks.

John

John Maver
President
Maver Management Group
(925) 648-7561
Maver Management

The 12 Days of Strategic Planning Questions

“The 12 Days of Christmas” is a Christmas song that chronicles a series of gifts that are given just prior to Christmas. These are wonderful gifts on their own, but when taken together can be overwhelming. Think of all those animals and people.

Conversely, this article is a series of gifts for you, that on their own are valuable but taken together can really jump start your business progress. December is the month for final revisions to the strategic planning for companies that operate on a calendar year basis. Yes, we have recommended that it be done more frequently, at least every 6 months, but as a start, once a year. Here are 12 questions to ask about the plan you are creating - one for each of the 12 days of Christmas, so to speak. Despite appearances, since the questions are simple, the answers are not. They need study and reflection and of course action as you put them into your plan. Enjoy a new one each day.

1. Are you making your numbers now? If not, why not?

2. How has your target market changed in this past year? What are the key challenges that face your customers?

3. How well do your offerings solve the needs of your customers? What do your customers say?

4. What was the greatest success of your organization this past year? Does your plan provide for making this repeatable?

5. What was the greatest stress on your organization? How have you corrected this and set up processes that can operate without causing this stress?

6. If you were to evaluate your people, who would be in the top 10%? What are you doing to increase their impact on the organization and prevent turnover with them?

7. Given the significant talent pool that is currently unemployed, who are the 20 % of your organization that are least effective and how can you upgrade from the pool? This needs to be done surgically, rather than with a general cut.

8. What bottleneck is causing increased costs? As the economy improves and sales rise, how will you keep up with the new production requirements cost effectively?

9. How are you capitalizing on social media to increase your business?

10. What metrics are critical to monitoring the success of your plans? How are you measuring them and what are you doing to keep them in range?

11. What three things will you initiate that will make a significant difference to the results this next year? How do they leverage your and your company’s core competencies?

12. Do you actually have a written business plan that has been shared throughout the company?

Ask and answer these questions and you will have a better plan. Contact us if we can help.

Thanks and Merry Christmas

John

John Maver
President
Maver Management Group
(925) 648-7561
Maver Management

Branding Your Competition

Branding your competition, is that right????

We recently wrote about branding your competition as a way to make marketing work for you. Several people have asked us to say more about this as it seems so counterintuitive.

Branding is essentially the image that is created in the minds of customers or potential customers that will cause them to act in a certain way. Done correctly with solid support from what is branded, it can produce higher margins and is extremely valuable. Branding is created either intentionally or unintentionally. Customers and clients do develop a point of view and you may not like what they develop. Therefore, it is important that you work to create the correct image for you and your brand to the greatest extent possible.

Companies spend significant effort and resources to create a positive brand image. Clorox liquid bleach is essentially sodium hypochlorite solution. The generic house brands at supermarkets are also sodium hypochlorite solution. But, in the minds of consumers, Clorox is much, much more. In fact, Clorox works with many retailers to help them promote their bleach as the low price alternative, leaving Clorox as the premium priced (and premium margin) choice. Generic pharmaceuticals are mandated by the FDA to be identical in efficacy and safety to the branded product. Yet, people continue to insist on having their prescriptions filled with the brand name and pharmaceutical companies foster that attitude with their promotional messages to both doctors and patients. Some brand companies actually manufacture the generics through a subsidiary.

In both of these cases and many more, companies are effectively establishing the quality image in the minds of their target audience.

So why would you want to spend any effort on branding the competition? Negative advertising and promotion generally is not very effective. Reflect on the political ads last month for proof of this. However, making a positive statement about your competition and “slotting” them into a limited position in customers’ minds does work effectively. If you can select for your customers where and when they choose your competitors, you can also set up the times and places they choose you for more advantageous sales. You can define the basis of comparison in a manner that you win.

Here are some examples of how this might work. Southwest Airlines has said, “United and the other big carriers let you select your seat in advance. You can even pay for upgrades to get better seats. With Southwest, we keep prices low in part, by letting you choose your seat as you board the plane. Any seat. It also lets us leave on time. Plus, we don’t charge for bags.”

In golf, Titleist says, “Our balls are not the least expensive. They are what the pros play most because of distance and control. A little bit extra cost will give you better performance and isn’t that what you really want?”

In consulting, there are some very prestigious consulting firms. They are large, expensive and take a long time to complete their projects. But they are good, right? In fact, there is a saying that nobody ever got fired for hiring them. However, there are consulting firms that have the same level of expertise in their senior people, have lower overheads, are more flexible and faster and don’t use your dollars to train junior people. Branding the big firms here is relatively simple.

In all of these examples, branding of the competition takes place. There are many, many other examples. You have had fixed in your mind an element or two about the brands and it should provide a favorable position for you.

Let us know if we can help you create the right branding for your company and products and how to make it competitive.

Thanks,

John

John Maver
President
Maver Management Group
(925) 648-7561
Maver Management

Value of Branding for B2B Executives

Highlights from the Silicon Valley Brand Forum at Symantec

On October 12, 2010, a group of seasoned brand professionals gathered at Symantec Corporation in Mountain View, CA to discuss ways in which B2B companies are leveraging consumer brand marketing techniques in their own brand management.

John Maver of Maver Management Group began the event with a presentation about the challenges of getting B2B management to adopt a B2C view of brand marketing based on his 30+ years with Procter & Gamble and his current consulting with B2B companies.

John talks about key things you can do to sell the value of branding to B2B executives:



Contact John if we can help you and your company.

Thanks

John

John Maver
President
Maver Management Group
(925) 648-7561

Maver Management

Marketing in Today’s Economic Climate

Companies today are very careful about how they spend their cash. They have just experienced severe cut backs in almost every phase of their operations. Credit is extremely tight and with reduced personnel, the resources both in human and financial capital are scarce. Many companies have continued to invest in product development knowing that without it, tomorrow’s business opportunities will be suspect. Investments have also been made in process improvements to help offset the loss of personnel. Technology too has generally been upgraded, at least in some small way. All affect the internal workings of the company.

But what about the external aspect? What is being done to increase revenue instead of solely focusing on reducing costs and driving efficiencies?

Has your company upgraded the sales operation?

Has your company retuned the marketing plan so that it identifies customer or client needs more specifically and them brings your products and services directly in line with those needs?

We see too many companies that have neglected the revenue generation aspects of their business.

Here are some simple ways to help you drive revenue in support of sales:

Start with the customer. This almost goes without saying. Yet so many companies seem to almost ignore the customer and just generate programs. Go to your best customers and ask them to identify their greatest challenges. Find out how your offerings can best fit their needs and what they have valued most in doing business with you in the past. Getting new customers is VERY expensive. Keep and cherish existing customers and find out how you can provide even greater support to them. They will appreciate your efforts and will remember it at ordering time.

Retool the marketing plan. If indeed a written plan exists, it has to cascade from the company’s overall plan. The old plan is no longer viable in today’s economic climate. Build a new dynamic plan that focuses resources on the greatest leverage points. The old 80/20 rule holds true. Find the few elements that will maximize the return on your marketing investment and support them aggressively.

Brand, Brand, Brand. Take your focused positioning and drive the branding of your company and products in every aspect of your marketing and company operations. This is the single best way to increase the profitability of your efforts. Branded products or services have higher margins and well branded products or services are worth their weight in gold. Make sure that all of the company employees understand the importance of branding and the specifics of the branding you are creating.

Brand your competition. This may seem counterintuitive but it makes a lot of sense. By saying complimentary things about your competition and focusing on only certain aspects of their value, you can brand them into a place that has limited appeal to your customers or clients. For example, you could brand them as being the low price alternative. That can leave you the higher margin premium price business. It also defines the difference in quality. Of course, you need to be certain that the branding you are creating for both your offerings and those of competition are true.

Invest in yourself. If you do not provide sufficient resources to support your plan, it will fail. Many superb plans are still in the files of companies that have gone out of business because they were never supported.

Take advantage of social media. If you do not have a social media resource, get one. This is the best and most economical way of marketing these days and if you do it right, you can create a huge competitive advantage.

Don’t let the economy undermine your revenue generation. Build the right plans to capitalize on today’s economy and be successful. Let us know if we can help.

Thanks.

John

John Maver
President
Maver Management Group
925) 648-7561
Maver Management

Peace of mind

How is your piece of mind these days?

The pace of business is getting faster and faster. Customers and clients are becoming more demanding and lead times are getting shorter and shorter. Unfortunately payments are stretching out which causes financial stress to many companies. This financial stress is compounded by the business increases and the inventory and accounts receivable builds that go along with it. Cash flow is under pressure. Priorities are shifting and today’s top project may be gone tomorrow. The cutbacks in personnel have caused process problems and often times those employees who remain are handling multiple responsibilities, some of which are outside their personal core competencies.

Are you experiencing any or all of this in your company?

It can make you feel like you are out of control. We have written often about the importance of a written business plan that identifies for the company and all of the employees the direction you want to go and how you expect to get there. Having this game plan significantly reduces the stress. While it may not solve all of the pressures outlined above, it can put you more in control and that changes the entire outlook for you and the business.

You do have a written business plan, right???

How is it working for you? If you are having problems, perhaps either you have the wrong plan or it requires a tune up. Let us know if we can assist you in this.

A related question is, what do you have as your “security blanket”. As I watch our children over the years and our grandchildren today, I realize that all of them have a “security blanket” of some form. It can actually be a blanket or a stuffed animal or something comforting. But they all have one. They turn to it to reduce stress and give them peace of mind.

You may be asking yourself, “What does this have to do with me? I am a mature adult and I have no need for something this childlike.” In part, you are correct. You probably don’t want a real blanket or stuffed animal. But you do need something or someone toward which you can turn to help ease the stress and provide peace of mind. Take a look at pro athletes. They all have personal coaches, attitude coaches, motivators etc.

Most senior executives do not have anything like a “security blanket” and would never admit that they needed one. However, we encourage you to reflect on that issue for a moment. When times are stressful or you are having difficulty working through thorny issues with the business or an employee, to whom can you turn for help? You can’t go to your subordinates. They would sense weakness and really just want solutions not problems. You can’t go to the Board or to your boss. They too want solutions. After all, that’s for what they hired you. Spouses are loving but generally not involved enough in the business or its intricacies to provide unbiased help.

So to whom can you turn?

We recommend, hiring on retainer a senior, experienced professional who has been where you are and can provide solid, unbiased feedback, guidance, motivation and even training to you. This person can serve as a sounding board to let you explore alternatives as you work through challenges and opportunities. This trusted advisor, who keeps all of your interactions confidential, can be your “security blanket”.

You may not think this idea would work for you. Let me suggest that you take a look at some children and see how relaxed they are when they have their security blanket. What are you missing?

Contact us if we can be of assistance. We have been providing “security blankets” for many clients for years.

Thanks

John

John Maver
President
Maver Management Group
(925) 648-7561
Maver Management

The New Business Model – More Support

Recently, I wrote about a new business model that can accelerate business progress and is also extremely cost effective. This is the link to the article: The Cost Effective Way to Drive Business. Essentially, it makes use of experienced consultants who do the strategic and planning work, capitalizing on their knowledge, supported by lower level workers who are responsible for the execution of the tasks.

There are a number of staffing companies starting to provide this service of experienced consultants. Executive recruiters, for example, are finding short term opportunities for the talent in their data bases to the benefit of their clients, the candidates and of course themselves. This capitalizes on the new economy where companies are reluctant to commit to larger personnel expenditures or realize that there are significant unproductive periods in the executive week. This trend is spreading with other staffing companies offering the service of C level consultants on a short term or part time basis.

As a CEO or President you might consider this model and make use of the significant talent pool that is available to you at a relatively low cost. The great news is that you can test the model out in your business with no downside, as you can terminate it immediately in the unlikely event it doesn’t pay out.

To be clear, I am not recommending the use of large consulting firms for this model like McKinsey or Bain. No! Rather I am recommending experienced single or partnerships of very experienced executives who have the specific talents and track records required for your particular situation. You don’t want to trade one set of substantial overhead internally for another externally, all which impact your bottom line. Get lean and hire lean.

You may perceive this to be a very biased point of view since the Maver Management Group is a successful consulting company to C level individuals. While there is definitely a benefit to us from this model, it also reflects my long experience at the executive level with very large established companies, Procter & Gamble and Clorox, who operate with extensive executive staffs and generally promote from within. I have seen both sides of this opportunity. Hence, I am recommending it to my clients, whether they are well established or in the start up mode.

Please contact us if we can help you either create the plans for your company or set this model in operation to accelerate your business.

Thanks

John

John Maver
President
Maver Management Group
(925) 648-7561
Maver Management

Ten reasons to use Consultants in the New Business Model

We have been writing about a new business model for companies. One that is based on the use of specific experienced consultants, used in short bursts for the strategic development and program creation of all aspects for companies’ business. It uses lower level employees for the execution. There are a number of benefits for companies from using this model if they capitalize on the experience of knowledgeable consultants who also have low overheads and are therefore cost efficient. Not the large multilayered, high overhead consulting firms.

Here are 10 reasons to use consultants in this model:

1. Knowledge. Companies can select a consultant with the specific knowledge to address a particular challenge or opportunity and not be burdened by having to force fit an existing executive with some of the required knowledge into the position. You can get exactly what is needed when its needed.

2. Experience. While closely related to knowledge, this reason reflects the consultant’s success in applying the knowledge to a problem like yours from other companies. In effect this is a “test market” for you and a proof of claim for the expected result.

3. Bandwidth. In many instances you or someone else on your staff may have the experience and knowledge required, but in today’s cost driven economy there just isn’t the bandwidth. You are too busy with other tasks and are weighed down with administrative tasks as well. The consultant in this model gives you that short term bandwidth required to capitalize on the opportunity now.

4. Cost effectiveness. You only pay for what you need. This isn’t a long term commitment nor should it fill up full weeks at a time. Structured properly, you download the expertise quickly and pay for only that time. In the historical model, you would have the executive on a full time basis and during those less productive times, the hourly cost is high. It is also clear that executives want to be working on something and as a result, they start additional projects which require staffing and resources and added expense.

5. New ideas. There is a significant advantage to having worked successfully in multiple industries. One experiences different ways of doing business, many of which are applicable to the new client’s business. These fresh ideas have been screened for success through the experiences in the other industries. The ideas have an established track record which makes their potential impact much greater for you.

6. Creativity. Pick a consultant that has fresh ideas and knows how to adapt them for implementation in your industry. Creativity is not measured in business by the uniqueness of a thought. It is measured by the impact of a different idea on your business in the market place. Consultants who are able to apply learning creatively from one industry to another are gems.

7. Productivity. This is closely tied to cost effectiveness. In this model, you are able to substantially reduce the down time of meetings, time filling and information seeking. You also have the higher expense person working on the thinking portion and not on the hands on execution portion that can be handled by lower cost personnel. The productive time you wish you had for the higher level thinking is exactly what you should be getting in this model.

8. Flexibility. Hire the specific talents you need at any one time. Use them for exactly the length of time you need and then finish the assignment. If you think you will need more help in the future from them, offer a small retainer. You are not burdened with the challenge of deciding what severance to provide or how to remove an employee who may not have the specific skills required for a particular job.

9. Openness. Since the consultants don’t have to rely upon you alone for long term remuneration and livelihood, they will be more open and honest about the potential risks and rewards of the various projects and initiatives. They also recognize that their future with you is going to be based on success, not longevity and so they have to bring their “A” game every day and that causes openness.

10. Connections. Consultants who focus on specific business areas have established productive relationships and connections with other professionals who provide different services and expertise. They can recommend talent to you for these other areas. Once again, their reputation with you is on the line so you can be assured that you will get higher level talent recommended to you through these connections.

We expect that there are many other benefits as well to using this model. Contact us and let us share our thoughts on this and the applicability to your business. It will be well worth the hour you spend with us.

Thanks,

John

John Maver
President
Maver Management Group
(925) 648-7561
Maver Management

Branding Learning from Consumer Brands for Non Consumer Companies

(Part of a presentation given at the Silicon Valley Brand Forum for technology companies.)

Good Morning.

It is a pleasure to have been invited to The Silicon Valley Brand Forum to share some thoughts from my experience on Consumer Packaged Goods Branding as learning for non consumer companies.

From my experience, the consumer goods, professional, technology, financial, B2B and B2C industries have at least one thing in common. They all respond to branding. Every body, every product and every company is a brand. What you choose to do with them will result in generating increased margins, customer loyalty and long term success or alternatively, making them a commodity and driving them out of business.

My purpose today is to convince you that branding is absolutely critical in non consumer industries just as it is in the Consumer Goods industries.

I started with Procter & Gamble in Consumer Goods and became the Brand Manager for Tide, the company’s flagship. I learned a lot about branding and the benefits. Subsequently, I ran businesses in the professional and B2B industries. In those businesses not only did I use branding effectively, I capitalized on consumer branding and extended that branding into the other industries. I came to California to be President of the non retail division for Clorox, another major branding power. Subsequently, as a consultant I have had clients in a very wide range of industries and without exception have capitalized on branding to help them grow their business.

Many non consumer CEOs view marketing as the domain of consumer goods brands. They are wrong. Among Interbrand's 10 most valuable global brands, we find Microsoft, Intel, IBM, HP and GE. All generate far more B2B revenues than sales to consumers.

So why is it a common misperception that branding is a CPG domain alone?

As you know, non consumer companies generally don’t support branding to the same extent as consumer brands. Perhaps they don’t support the branding concept because their offerings have generally been presented directly to buyers by sales people and not via advertising or shelf position. Yet, there are logos on pens, coffee cups, calculators, USB memory sticks and other assorted items. What is the purpose of all this stuff? Proponents will argue that it builds brand by getting the business's name in the office of potential influencers and purchasers, where it will stay top of mind. But then, their materials, website, sales aids and more are all very differentiated and no clear message is delivered. If the name does stay in the customer’s mind, it is out of focus.

Some experts argue that branding plays no role in non consumer marketing compared to "hard ROI" activities that can be proven to drive revenue. Their arguments typically include:
• Buyers are rational decision makers (or a committee of rational decision makers) who are not swayed by emotional factors such as brands.
• Purchases are all about the relationship between the individual sales rep. and the buyer. If the non consumer brand means anything, it is created by the sales rep.
• Products do not really promote the product’s benefits. Those are a given. Price is the only thing that matters.
• Non consumer products are too complex to reduce to a tagline or ad.

While some of this is true, it is also misguided. I have led businesses in consumer packaged goods and non consumer industries and know from personal experience the value of establishing strong brands in both.

Here is why:
• If you sell on a cost basis, you will always be negotiating and competition’s price cuts are just as good as yours.
• You are ignoring the product development investments you have made and are not getting the value from them.
• You are essentially telling your customers that everyone is equal and that only the sales inducements matter.
• You have to over invest in your sales force.
• You are reliant on your sales people alone. Given the transition from company to company of employees these days that puts your business at risk. And you are paying to do it!

On the other hand, here are some of the benefits I have found of branding for non consumer companies.


Let’s use the David Letterman format:



10 It makes products less sensitive in regard to price increases.

9 It can insulate the business from movement of sales people.

8 Branding will provide clarity to the decision process for the customer. Less time is needed to close the sale of an offering.

7 Research shows that it leads to a greater willingness to try a product or service by customers.

6 Branding increases customer loyalty

5 There is a willingness to award a larger share of purchase requirement by customers.

4 The clear focus enables you to “transfer” the goodwill from one product to another.

3 Branding generates higher barriers to entry for competition.

2 Branding ties together all of the activities of your company and provides focus.

AND the number 1 benefit of branding for B2B companies . . .

It has been proven that branded products carry higher margins.

HIGHER margins.

Lessons from Consumer Brands
As the old wise marketing guru said, “Branding is the Essence of Successful Marketing”. Brand equity is a precious gem. While not particularly rare, it can be very valuable. So how do you tap into this treasure? Let’s look at some ways.

As we look at consumer branding or any branding effort for that matter you will note the following 4 critical elements: As an ex Tide Brand manager, I will use Tide as the example.

First, they focus on a Benefit that is meaningful to the customer. Tide is synonymous with clean clothes. Tide gets clothes clean. It has been the promise since Tide was introduced in the 1940’s as one of the first detergents to combat the film left by soap products. Clearly the reason that clothes are washed is to get them clean and therefore the Tide promise is VERY important to the target audience. It is so important in the branding that the promise has been on the box.



Second, there is a proof of claim, a Reason to Believe. This generally isn’t scientific proof given to consumers but could be in the technology world. Here you see it in visual terms in a side by side comparison in a print advertisement. Side by side comparisons have proven over the years to be the most effective demonstration of superior product performance.



Third, the Tone of the message supports the way the company wants the product viewed in the mind of the customers. It enables you to appeal to the emotional, as well as the intellectual aspect of the brain. Tide is a trusted worker. Here is this ad, you can see all three of the elements we have discussed - the Promise, the Reason to Believe and the Tone or C,,haracter statement.



Finally, the message is always consistent. It will vary in the way it is delivered but is always a consistent message. The products, ads and the Tide website follow the same positioning. If what is being branded is a company then everything from the receptionist on the phone through the orders and customer service should be consistent with the tone set out in the positioning.

Are you using this model for your branding?



Let me ask you a question. Who are the Second B in B2B or even the C in B2C? Who are the buyers in any of your industries? What are they like? What motivates them to buy? You do realize that they are also consumers, first and foremost, no matter what their business title. They respond to both the intellectual and the emotional stimulus.

Here are some simple illustrations:

Play along with me. You are a professional person. You have the steel trap mind of a buyer and are swayed only with logical arguments. Emotions and non factual items never would come into play with you. Right???

In N Out Burger

Have you ever eaten at In and Out Burger? Here is a spec. sheet for In N Out Burger’s biggest seller, the Double Double. See how appealing it is? Ready for lunch today?

Double-Double w/Onion Fact Sheet
Manufactured by IN-N-OUT Burger
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 1 serving (330.0 g)
Amount Per Serving % Daily Value
Calories 670
Calories from Fat 369
Total Fat 41.0g 63%
Saturated Fat 18.0g 90%
Trans Fat 1.0g
Cholesterol 120mg 40%
Sodium 1440mg 60%
Total Carbohydrates 39.0g 13%
Dietary Fiber 3.0g 12%
Protein 37.0g
Price $3.44

Or how about this one? More appealing???




Corvette

The ultimate sports car for years has been the Corvette. Here is the Fact Sheet. Perhaps, if you are an engineer, it is the primary selling message, but I doubt it.


Chevrolet Corvette
Base 2dr Convertible
MSRP $48,900
Length 174.6 "
Body width 72.6 "
Body height 49.1 "
Wheelbase 105.7 "
Curb 3,221 lbs.
Base V-8 engine size 6.2 liters
Horsepower 430 hp
Horsepower rpm 5,900
Torque 424 lb-ft.
Fuel tank capacity 18.0 gal.

Or, here are two other presentations for Corvette.





Tell me that you are not ready to get into your Corvette and ride over to In N Out Burger for lunch. Parking away from the other cars, of course.

Do you now agree that branding has an important place in the support of non consumer businesses just as it does in consumer? Are you ready to brand your company and your products? Do you really understand that it is far more than logos, and in fact, the entire company has to be aligned to the branding message you are trying to establish.

Let’s assume that you personally are convinced. If you work in a non consumer company, you probably have to convince other executives and the CEO that branding is crucial. This presentation should give you some ammunition.

Contact us if we can be of assistance. We have experience in many industries and most likely yours. as well.

Thanks,

John


John Maver
President
Maver Management Group
(925) 648-7561
Maver Management

Top 10 Reasons Branding is Important for B-2-B Companies

10 It makes products less sensitive in regard to price increases.

9 It can insulate the business from movement of sales people.

8 Branding will provide clarity to the decision process for the customer. Less time is needed to close the sale of an offering.

7 Research shows that it leads to a greater willingness to try a product or service by customers.

6 Branding increases customer loyalty

5 There is a willingness to award a larger share of purchase requirement by customers.

4 The clear focus enables you to “transfer” the goodwill from one product to another.

3 Branding generates higher barriers to entry for competition.

2 Branding ties together all of the activities of your company and provides focus.

AND the number 1 benefit of branding for B2B companies

It has been proven that branded products carry higher margins.

HIGHER margins.

Thanks

John

John Maver
President
Maver Management Group
(925) 648-7561
Maver Management

Incorporating Consumer branding models into B2b Teachnology Branding"

John Maver is presenting at the Silicon Valley Brand Forum on Tuesday October 12, 2010. The topic is "Learning from Consumer Brands - Incorporating Consumer branding models into B2b Teachnology Branding" Join us. As marketing in Silicon Valley evolves, more companies are looking to consumer brand companies to leverage their brand marketing techniques in high tech and B2B. What can we take from companies like P&G to make our technology brand management more effective? What is the difference between managing a brand for a network server and managing a brand for soap or cheeseburgers?

Hope you can join us.

Thanks

John


John Maver
President
Maver Management Group
(925) 648-7561
Maver Management

What Consultant’s Clients can learn from the airline industry?

A USA TODAY analysis of 2005-2010 government and consumer survey data, which ranked the airlines, had some simple conclusions. The winning airlines, Jet Blue and Southwest make it easy to fly, despite their low prices. They don’t charge extra for bags, phone bookings or changing flights. Boarding is organized and stress free. The airline personnel most often have the authority to make simple changes that solve most problems for the traveler. Importantly, these folks are upbeat and make flying fun.

As a client in any industry, you might want the same attributes from your consultants
• Expertise – both technical and in practice
• Ease of use and hassle free
• Low but value pricing
• No hidden or extra charges
• Simple operation and stress free
• Authority to make changes as required and not have wait for higher authority
• Consultants who are upbeat and make the work pleasurable.

Is that what you are getting now?

Of course if you are now using consultants at al,l you don’t get the benefit of their expertise or the business acceleration they can provide.

The larger older airlines are struggling with their own profitability and yet don’t get the message about what passengers want. This is not unlike many larger consulting firms. Their process is arduous from initial contact through to delivery. In the consultants’ case the deliverable is generally a thick report that will go on the shelf. Junior people do much of the work but don’t have the experience or the authority to make simple changes as they go. There are extra fees charges for add on projects to the basic proposal. So while these consulting firms may have the reputation like the large traditional airlines, they just don’t meet the needs of many of their clients. But they continue to be the “safe” choice.

It strikes us that the right way to go is for a company to hire a consulting company that has both the expertise and the ability to understand the needs of the client and deliver directly against those needs. The consultant can cut away much of the extraneous clutter in the proposal and focus on what needs to happen to deliver the result. Having consultants that have been line managers with previous bottom line responsibilities vs staff who have been trained only to serve others is the right way to go. These consultants can get to the core issues quickly and develop the plans to resolve them.

This is exactly what happens with the winning airlines. Next time you are looking for consulting help to provide either the expertise or the bandwidth needed to reach your goals, recall the winning airlines and apply their learning to your business.

Contact us if we can assist you in any way. We would be happy to provide a “boarding pass.”

Thanks

John

John Maver
President
Maver Management Group
(925) 648-7561
Maver Management

Putting Your Business Plan into Action

How is your business doing these days? Are you achieving the success with your plan that you had expected? You do have a plan right??

A number of companies are not achieving the expected results despite what they consider very good strategic business planning. Others don’t have a good plan and even with solid in-market activities are also struggling. Why is that? As we analyze these companies, it may seem obvious to us but certainly not to them. Otherwise they wouldn’t be doing it. Or would they?

Traditionally, strategy creation has been almost solely in the domain of the CEO and some of the senior executives. They huddle in conference rooms or even take it off site to a resort where they can also do some “team building” like golf. After the designated period, since most of these sessions have an end time set at the start no matter what unexpected issues arise during the sessions, a plan is “completed and agreed”. This is generally given to a designated implementer and the team returns to their regular responsibilities, pleased that the task has been completed. In many instances, little to no thought or resources have been given to the actual implementation. Hence, the results generally do not achieve the expectations.

Traditionally, the execution of business plans or daily activities are in the domain of the mid to lower levels of the organization. They are given a general idea of what they are expected to do and how to do it and then left to figure it out on their own. If there are additions of new programs or projects, usually they are added to the workload with resources to come from existing allocations. Not surprisingly, the results from this effort also do not meet expectations.

As you can see from the way the two scenarios are described, both are doomed to failure. Perhaps if you review the way that your company operates, you may be surprised to find that you are also falling into one or both of these traps.

Simply, you wouldn’t plan a trip without any idea of how you were actually going to get to your destination. And you would just get into the car without any idea of where you were headed and just drive. The same logic holds true in strategic business planning for success.

Clearly, strategy and execution have to be tied closely together. A recent issue of the Harvard Business Review had a lead article on this critical point. At Maver Management as we work with our clients we attempt to have at least a couple of “Implementers” on the strategic team just to insure that the team understands how the plan will be executed for success. Secondly, a significant element in the post strategic planning process is the cascading of the corporate plan down through the business units and functions. In this way, all will know exactly what is expected to be achieved and what their role in achieving it will be. It leads to coordinated business unit and functional strategic plans that directly tie to the corporate.

With a close tie together, it enables companies to make needed adjustments to the strategic plan quickly based on direct market place feed back. This keeps the plan current and on target. It is apparent that waiting for the next scheduled round of planning exercises a year off will not work in today’s fast moving economic climate.

The combining of strategy and execution may sound obvious. However, we have found that most companies do not do this and when they hire us to help them, are surprised that it is an important element of the planning process. Once they are underway, they see the merits and the results reinforce the wisdom of doing it.

The concept is basic. Are you tying your strategic planning directly to the execution?

Contact us if we can be of assistance. We have the experience and the successes.

Thanks

John

John MaverPresidentMaver Management Group(925) 648-7561Maver Management

The Cost Effective Way to Drive Business Success

How do you get the expertise required to drive to your business goals and still be able to keep costs under control?

The Problem
Companies both large and small have tried a variety of methods and models and have had limited success. Training and developing the expertise is expensive, resource consuming and takes a long time to germinate results. Hiring from the outside is risky since what you see on resumes and in interviews is not always what you get. Additionally, there is the added expense of recruiting and then once the hire is made, knowing that more than half will turn out to not fit well for very long.

The Solution
A better model for today’s economy is one that takes advantage of the services and talents that are readily available and does so in a cost effective manner. Our experience has been that the staffing model for today is a mixture of consultants and in-house talent. Having been personally involved with this model and its success with a number of companies, as well as participated with the other models, we know it works!

The Need
Expertise is required to quickly identify the opportunities and develop the plans required to reach the goals. It is also required to oversee the execution of those plans, since strategy and execution cannot be separated. Hiring this expertise as part of your company’s ongoing staffing can be cost prohibitive for small to medium sized companies and difficult to assimilate for larger companies. The requirement is for the brain power, not the administrative, paperwork and supervisory capabilities. Yet, for management employees, most of their days are spent on tasks other than creating.

Concurrently, there is also a need for the legwork and the administrative talent that will actually execute the plans and make certain that all the details are followed and completed in a timely manner. This is best achieved through in-house talent familiar with the organization with productive relationships to make it happen smoothly and quickly. This talent is not quite as specific as the expertise talent and from a cost standpoint can be quite reasonable.

How it works
The plan would be to put several high powered consultants, NOT consulting firms, but specific consultants on retainer, so that they can help you directly create and then oversee from a distance the strategies, plans, programs and execution. The actual labor of putting the plans into the market would be done by the in-house staffing.

In today’s marketplace, senior level expertise can be found in every function and is readily available. So, too, is the basic labor that is required.

The Benefits
A sample cost comparison might be:
Complete staffing in house
Senior executives (2) – Compensation, benefits, overhead, expenses etc –
annual cost $375K
Lower level management (2) - Compensation, benefits, overhead, expenses etc –
annual cost $125K
Total $500K

Recommended Model
Senior executives (2) - 2 days per month each –
annual cost $120K
Lower level management (2) - Compensation, benefits, overhead, expenses etc –
annual cost $125K
Total $245K

In addition to the significant cost savings, there are several other benefits. The consultants should bring fresh ideas with experience from multiple other companies. This can provide competitive advantage vs other companies in your industry. There is also no severance when projects are completed or alternative talents are required and flexibility in usage of time required.

An added benefit is that the company can get exactly the expertise and fit needed at any time and require existing management to take on tasks that are not squarely in their sweet spot. We all know how ineffective and expensive that can be.

Think about it. Doesn’t this model make more sense and not just because the Maver Management Group are consultants? Aren’t the benefits apparent for your company? Doesn’t this expand your capabilities and bandwidth most cost effectively?

Contact us if we can help get you started. We have the experience.

Thanks

John


John MaverPresidentMaver Management Group(925) 648-7561Maver Management

Is Strategic Planning Necessary?

"My business is small to medium in terms of revenue and staffing but has the opportunity to be much larger. Do I really need to develop a full strategic business plan?"

The best response to this question is, "Only if you want to stay in business and prosper." Consider the following reasons for strategic planning.

Competition is becoming tougher. In most cases, businesses your size find themselves competing with much larger companies, ones that know the benefits of strategic planning and practice it. From a defensive standpoint, it is important that you apply the same concepts to your operation.

Good financial control alone is not enough to ensure your business's success. In addition to a budget, you need long-term goals and plans to determine the future direction of your company.

Technology and the fast pace of change are making business management more complex. Strategic planning will help you foresee and react quickly to market changes and opportunities and identify areas in which your business is lagging behind.

You can use strategic planning to involve employees in all areas of your business, so they share your goals.

You can use your plan to communicate with bankers, who often do not understand the nature of your business. Bankers must be convinced that your company is in control of its future before they will lay their money on the line. A comprehensive plan, aimed at sustained growth in sales and earnings, can be very convincing.

As we work with our clients we have found that sound strategic planning provides the following benefits:

• Provides strategic direction to the entire company.

• Translates corporate objectives into actionable plans.

• Causes alignment, prioritization and focus.

• Allows clear simple communication throughout the organization.

• Provides resource optimization.

• Assigns responsibilities and timelines.

• Enables forecasting of revenues and expenses.

And most importantly, it DRIVES RESULTS.

Contact us if we can help.

Thanks,

John


John MaverPresidentMaver Management Group(925) 648-7561Maver Management

Turnaround or Business Acceleration?

Has the economy turned? The news continues to be full of stories that support both the need for continued turnaround work in companies as well as for business acceleration strategies in others. It’s true with the giant companies. GM pays back all the loans to the government and appears to be moving in the right direction. HP announces that it is cutting 9000 jobs and is still reorganizing and “getting right sized”. It’s true with the medium and smaller companies as well. We expect that you are either directly affected or someone close to you is.

How should businesses handle these economic times? Some businesses have pulled back and are still cost cutting and operating in a very defensive mode. Unfortunately, their life expectancy is going to be relatively short lived. Others are taking a more assertive stance. Assertive, not necessarily aggressive. They have created a solid business strategy and plan, built the right management team and are investing wisely in their future. They can have a bright future.

What is your company doing? Do you need turnaround or business acceleration work? How are you helping lead your company in these times?

We are finding that many companies are once again capitalizing on the skills and experience of strong consultants. They, once again, are viewing them as a wise investment rather than a cost choice. As a result, the companies are developing the right plans and doing so much faster than they would if they had to do it on their own. They are finding that the extra bandwidth for that short period of time is well worth the small expense and the ROI is significant.

The caution is to make certain that if you are hiring a turnaround consultant that they have the capability to go well beyond cost cutting and help build plans that will grow revenue. Without the right plan for the revenue growth, the company will stagnate and business will continue to be difficult.

On the business acceleration side, the plans need to be focused and as they look to the future, provide the right resources to handle the higher levels of business.

Is your company capitalizing on the experience of successful consultants? It doesn’t have to be the big name and big fee consultants. In fact, unless you are responsible for a VERY large company with extremely complex operations, you are probably better off with a company that can have its senior people work directly with you and your executive team throughout, rather than assigning junior people to do the analysis and assessment work.

Contact us if we can help. If your business needs help beyond our capabilities, we will tell you and probably have some recommendations for other companies that are exactly what you need.

Thanks

John


John MaverPresidentMaver Management Group(925) 648-7561Maver Management