“Elementary my dear Watson."

In business, I think expecially in sales, working is more and more trying to find out new opportunities: and quickly.

"Running to stand still" is infact the biggest concern.
Going around to find new business JUST to fill up the reductions coming from other areas that are suffering due to the business environment.

You may say, it's better to stand still than to go back but, from a purely motivational point of view, to see a double digit growth is the best fuel for everybody's self contiousness. On the other hand, seeing that all your work has brought a mere 3% is like someone cutting your tyres.

The business approach therefore is therefore quite moved towards the "new opportunity analysis" than towards the optimisation of the current contacts.
We are more and more becoming a sort of detective seraching for evidences and things that could change the game.

And what's the best detective ever if not mr.Sherlock Holmes?

I picked up some hints from Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's novels that could give us some pieces of advice to focus your magnifying lens.

'You see, but you do not observe. The distinction is clear.'

Quickly is the key word in today's business scenario. Doing things quickly means, most of the time, doing things "AS WE HAVE ALWAYS DONE". So, first of all let's stop and observe what we can do better or in a different way. Improve the efficiency and the effect of your work.

Data!data!data!" he cried impatiently. "I can't make bricks without clay.”

We are flooding into datas. We can see things in thousands of perspectives and, unfortunately, this means a lot work because there's always someone searching for the different angle to see the numbers. 

"If you have a watch you know what's the time if you have two you are always uncertain". So let us find the right datas to look at and distill all the info out of them. Data are necessary to understand where to go and what to expect, too many datas are dangerous.

"The world is full of obvious things which nobody by any chance ever observes."

First look into close to what you have always done. There are a lot of companies looking for big changes, big investments and new ventures.
These are clearly good things to do and part of a develoment strategy that can ensure a long term result (maybe) but are quite time and menpower consuming.
Quick and reliable results can sometimes come from places that you thought were not interesting.

“Elementary my dear Watson."

In reality there is no novel where Sherlock Holmes said these words but, everywhere in the world, this is one of his typical quotes.
Having said that, these point seem elementary and obvious but, when people are stressed and desperately looking for some solution, they often loose the calm and pragmatic approach that is necessary in these cases.

That's all for this week.
See you soon and enjoy today's "POST SONG"; U2's "Running to stand still"

Everybody's got a weapon of choice

Quigley down under

I don't know how many of you have ever seen that movie.

It is some years old and tells the story of Matthew Quigley (Tom Selleck), a cowboy and sharpshooter from America with a keen eye and a specially modified rifle with which he can shoot accurately at extraordinary distances. Quigley's weapon of choice is a customized 1874 Sharps Buffalo Rifle. He answers a newspaper advertisement that asks for men with a special talent in long-distance shooting with four words, "M. Quigley 900 yards," written on a copy of the advertisement, punctuated by several closely spaced bullet holes.

Once he moved to Australia, he grew his reputation (and his problems) thanks to his rifle.

And this is one of the main scene when the villain, Marston, who has noticed that Quigley only ever carries a rifle, decides to give him a lesson in the "quick-draw" style of gunfighting.

"I said I never had much use for one. Never said I didn't know how to use it."

Although it is true that you cannot be everthing for everybody you cannot forget the "business as usual", the gunfight for a cowboy, and keep well alive what generates the most of your business. 

But the only way to develop is to understand who you want to be. And the decision has to come both from listening but most of all from the ideas and your DNA.

The importance of listening is clear as well as the importance of implementing the signs you get from the market.

But this will not ensure you the development. You will be another one using the gun. Maybe a good one, maybe one of the best but still, one of the big group.

Unless you are very lucky, from the market you will be getting info about products as usual, i.e. what is available on the market with some minimal changes.

Everybody knows that, these kind of things only give you benefit on the short term. 

Great to keep your bread and butter alive. But not great to really differentiate on the market.

We should learn to listen and drive the discussion on a high level never entering into the specific points because, once you are drilling down too much you will simply look at the details. 

Looking at the reason why on that specific case you could not succeed. 

Looking at what was missing productwise or servicewise typical of a "me too" approach. 

And it is hard to change the world looking at the details and having a "me too" approach.

Giant steps forward will be made changing things because in today's market everybody's gaining access to everything. The old tactic of opening new market is today less and less winning as the new markets to sell the "usual things" are less and less.

So...

-To change things you cannot (only) listen to your customers although this will ensure you the day by day business.

-Knowing the process is the only way to dramatically change things. So, again, expertise, skills and some degree of risk are necessary.

-Ideas are ultimately worthless unless you activate them with focused and consistent actions

-Be the best on somehting and make people knowing you for that.

-Do not forget bread and butter. You may need that sooner or later.

Have a nice week

Things to do in 2014

Wishlists and rankings.

I really do not like them and this time of the year, everybody is making their own "special recipe" with things to do to become a great man, a leader, to earn more money or simply to lose some weight.
I have seen a list of 26 (twentysix!!!) points required to be a better leader.
Probably the point number one should be "NEVER write a list of points to become a better leader".

But apparently to be a great Blogger you need to put down a list. And here I am.
In this Blog I want to list the things I would like to do to improve myself and, in all modesty, that I think everybody should try and implement.
Simple, clear and straight forward points.

Let us then decide how many of them though.
I think that 3 is the perfect number. Enough to remember all of them and to give most of the information. Also when doing my presentations I tend  not to list more than 3 things in one slide or to give three reasons why something works better than something else.
Trying to limit the number of items obliges you to think about what is really important.
It is clear that "give more time to your family" or "try to have an hobby" are good points to improve life quality. But everybody knows that and everybody tries to do this. So I took these things out of my list.
I managed to bring the list down to 4 points. This is the bare minimum.

4 things to do in 2014 to be a little happier.

1) Always follow what you think is right.

It looks something normal but it's not.
We must first understand WHAT we believe and what we think it's right. We need to understand WHO we are and WHY we are doing what we are doing. We need to leard how to communicate it and then stick to that.
If you want to behave differently you will not show your abilities and your best parts. You will be simply an actor playing a different role from what you really are.
Always remember: “If you can't do great things, do small things in a great way.”  

2) Mens sana in corpore sano (a healthy mind in a healthy body).

We need to keep our body fit. Not only doing some sport but eating properly. I was once told: "would you put gravel instead of fuel in your car? Well, by eating what we're eating today we are doing this with our body".
I sincerely think that we are overestimating our "healing capabilities" by not caring about ourselves at all. Until it's too late.
Then, once we are taking good care of our body let us focus on our mind. Read, listen and learn. Find one new thing to learn: a Language, a sport, a game, whatever, and do it.
Keep your "mind gears" well lubricated.

3) Semel in anno licet insanire (once in a year one is allowed to go crazy)

Do something crazy. One thing that you want to do and that you always postpone.
Do one of the things that you want to do before you die.

4) Celebrate the achievements

We are always setting our targets higher and higher and working hard to reach them. It is always a difficult road, paved with problems, hurdles and difficulties. But when you are able to win, when you are capable to go there you must celebrate. Have your celebrating time will allow you to be rewarded and restart full and motivated.


Here it is then. My first list and, in all fairness, I quite liked doing it.

Some of these points are included in this manifesto.
This is my present for a great and happy 2014.
See you soon

 

Tell me WHY

It's still a tough time. Though people start being optimistic and there is apparently some positive trend.
It is now time to push the throttle and continue promoting your strategy and ideas.

My recent posts always put the accent on the NEED of having a strategy and to continuously pursue it but are we sure that we know what a strategy is?

I have started having this doubt after a read a post of an ex colleague that was referring to a book written by Simon Sinek "Start with WHY".
Frankly speaking I didn't have a clue about who is Simon Sinek and then I read his BIO. You can find it clicking HERE.
Well, interesting guy and with good ideas and capable to communicate quite well.

Something to learn here!
Being curious, I immediately checked a TED Talk that he made and that you can find here

I can summarize this video in three titles:

1) What you do and how you do it is important but make you no different from the others
2) Marketing message is crucial... we must tell WHY you do things and find "linke minded people" to spread this message and "like minded customers" to buy your strategy
3) There is, according the "law of diffusion of innovation", a tipping point that will make your strategy going from "shared among friends" to "shared everywhere" (or almost).

So... does it mean that willing to have a great product and being the "best one" in the business IS NOT A STRATEGY? Is "WE WANT TO DO" not a strategy?

Well that's tough point to understand. That's a tough point to understand on a "me too" society, where going to a supermarket you can find 100 different types of shampoo.

But it is true. You can be in the business, even survive or grow in the business telling people how good you are in manufactoring products, the products as usual, and how good are your products but you will never be the leader.

It is not that simple though to BELIEVE in something.

Most of all

to clearly TELL PEOPLE what you believe
to PROVE PEOPLE what you believe is right
to PRODUCE THE TOOLS  (or products) that will BE ACCORDING TO WHAT YOU BELIEVE.
to TELL EVERYBODY that you have already "early adopters" that used it and it was good

need a team that is fully involved and that must be a "like minded team".
If this is not the case the message will always be diluted and without a clear and precise  message you cannot reach the tipping point. This famous 15% that will have your "early majority" users (1/3 of the market) start using your solution and paying back your investment.
People don't buy what you do but WHY you do it.
Products, technology, target markets are just ways to reach the strategy.

Ideas
People
Communication
Products

Ingredients are always the same
Recipe is different
Results will the different

Have a nice week end

Assemble or Produce?

I must thank everybody's reading my posts.

So far this blog has been read almost 1600 times, but what is really great for me is that some of the people that read it contacted me to comment and to give me some more ideas for new posts.

This confirms what I once read... if you have something to say, you will find someone that will listen.

One of the recent chat I had with a colleague of mine about my last post was about the fact that what I am writing is not "produced" by myself but I am assembling ideas of others.

That's a good point indeed.
Is this reducing the impact or the meaning of what I am writing?
Well, I am not so sure. Let's put it in this way...

The company I work with is assembling components made by others (even though we are still manufactoring some of the key components that our competitor are buying outside) but we are continuously innovating and differentiating.
The clear strategy we have is to approach in a different way the market to give to the customers SOLUTIONS to increase the efficiency of the system, to improve the indoor air quality and to reduce the total life cycle cost.
But we are doing this assembling components that are made by others.
Where's the secret then?
The secret lays on HOW WE ASSEMBLE the components and HOW WE COMMUNICATE our ideas.

Well, that's also what I am doing. I am assembling in MY OWN WAY what I read, hear and see from others.

If I must be frank, the real reason why I am  keeping this Blog, beside the fact that I like doing this, is to try and learn and put down in a tidy way what I gather from others in order to share it with everybody.

"Before you are a leader, success is all about growing yourself. When you become a leader, success is all about growing others" and to grow yourself you must ALWAYS study, listen, look and learn.

At the moment I try to be a good assembler and this allows me to use, AGAIN, a quote from Mr.Jack Welch.

In one of his books, Winning, there's a good point. “You are not a leader to win a popularity contest – you are a leader to lead”

No reason to assemble for the sake of showing you are good.

Assemble to learn, to share and to give some ideas.

Ah, before going... I would like, like millions others, to remember Nelson Mandela BUT in a different way. I am sure he would have liked this, still modern after 73 years...

Have a nice week end

GET OFFGRID

I personally think that the best way to save the resources is not to use them.

There are infact very few resources that are considered inexhaustible (will not run out in foreseeable future) – these are solar radiation, geothermal energy (that must be managed with care though), and air (though access to clean air may not be). The vast majority of resources are exhaustible, which means they have a finite quantity, and can be depleted if managed improperly.

The only solution is to use them when it is REALLY NECESSARY and to increase our overall efficiency.

I like the increased sense of "recycling" that is growing more and more in Italy and I am proud of Belluno, the province where I live, being the best Province in Italy.
However, even though the recycling is good, the energy required to re-use the products (glass, plastics, paper) is relatively high and the quality of the recycled component is normally low.

As it is a mountain area though, we have a lot to improve. We are still using a lot of wood and biomasses in general to heat our houses. But too many of them have a poor insulation.

Improving the Energy class from the typical values today (Primary energy required of about 250-300kWh/m2) to much efficient values (150 kWh/m2 can be achieved by insulating and changing the heating and domestic hot water system with a heat pump) would help reducing even the consumption of these biomasses and gas.

Going back to the discussion about decentralization that I made on my on of my recent Posts There always the sun.

The reduction of the requirements and the possibility to relocate the production of heating, electrical energy and every other need close to the area where it will be used will help improving the overall distibution efficiency.

A great idea, that seems coming out from an 80s post nuclear war scenario but is quite suitable to meet the above targets, is the OFFGRID BOX.

This container includes all the components to be self sufficient, or almost self sufficient, for:
1) Electricity
2) Domestic Hot water
3) Water

A DELOCALIZATION concept brought to the maximum level.

Check this video and see how it looks like.

Maybe not the solution to all the problems but a good start.
From Italy...

A Greataly idea!

Have a nice week end

 

 

 

The art of Candles

One of the ideas I had when I started my Blog was to use it as a possibility for the Italian Companies to show their presentation.

The first Company that has given me its presentation is the "Cereria Pernici" based in Bergamo.
It is a great pleasure for me to introduce this company that is mixing the typical Italian Style and Handicraft.

The factory was established in 1892 and has a story entirely familiar.

New shapes and colours, perfumes and fragrances are studied each year in the workshop in Bergamo (Italy) and the family, the heir of a more than centennial tradition, oversees all the phases of the production with utmost attention and care.
"Cereria Pernici" uses only high quality materials in the respect of the same tradition of excellence the founder taught them to pursue.

Thier candles are all handmade and produced with a long manufacturing process. Some imperceptible differences made by these particular procedures enrich our products and they are a precious guarantee of uniqueness for the consumer.

The pride to possess these creations, unique and precious, enchants our customers, spread in more than 60 countries all around the world and it is the asset that our family entrusts to our affectionate customers since 1892.

There are several different product lines that can be see at http://www.pernici.it/index.php?lang=en including a senses' path that Elena Pernici wanted to create and dedicate to body care, mind well-being and restoring massage gentleness.

Should you want to contact them, check the web or leave a message on this Blog.

Have a nice week




There's always the sun

It is known to everybody. Questa è la terra del sole! This is the land of sun, as an old song says.

And sun, with wind and water, has allowed Italy to reach a good percentage of renewable energy production.

In total 13,6% was deriving from hydroelectric and 10% from Geothermal, Photovoltaic and Wind.

 

 

The Photovoltaic percentage is growing and, even though I always thought this was not going to be an option for the production of energy, it looks like I was wrong. The fact is that I grew up with some prejudices.

1) a sustainable technology is the one that does not need financial help

2) a good energy source is what is available when you need it

3) a good energy source can be stored

In reality photovoltaic is not ticking any of these boxes.

 

The first one is probably the quicker to achieve but mainly because the oil extraction is becoming more expensive and less efficient, the oil price is leveled relatively high and the solar cells are produced in a low cost country that, maybe, is giving some help to become the main (I wanted to say the sole) manufactorer.

But who cares... Machiavelli said "the end justifies the means" and our target is to increase the renewable energy production.

Target achieved.

Now some other challenges open before us.

1) we still need to increase the energy efficiency of our system. Starting from the houses (in western Europe 70% of the buildings are built before 1980) and going to the transports.

2) we need to find a way to store the solar energy.

I know about new batteries for PV being developed.

Is there anybody having some information?

I always thought that fuel cells could have been the solution. Store solar energy by generating Hydrogen. I am probably too optimistic though.

This is the key issue. Solving this limit will further boost the solar generation and will also change completely the energy production strategy. Decentralization. Istead of having power plants serving big areas, we will have local plants serving cities, towns, blocks. Less transport losses. Better control.

Clearly we will not be able to generate this

 

 

 

but it will be sufficient for a more sustainable development.

But then, another big challenge starts.

What are we doing with the current powerplants?

 

We are already facing this as, due to the crisis and to the unexpected quick raise of the renewable, the italian thermal power plants are woriking below the "phisiological level". This level is the one that allows to be repaid whithin the budgeted period and therefore to repay who has financed the structure.

 

Less need, less energy, less money.

 

The solution that has been put forward is simple... Let us put the burden on the enrgy bill as an extra tax. So in our bills we should pay for the Nuclear powerplants that have been discontinued, to sustain the renewable energy and also to sustain the non renewable that have been replaced by the renewable sustained by ourselves. Isn't that silly?

What about turning our life from being oil driven to be electricity driven?

What about replacing the gas burners with heatpumps? What about increase the electric transport?

Maybe someone will tell me "yes, but you have signed contracts saying that you must buy a certain minimum quantity of oil and gas". Maybe. Maybe not. But in this case we need to plan for our future. Possibily more sustainable.

 

Have a nice week end. Hopefully with a lot of sun

 

 

Too many choices... no choice

VERONA, one of the most beautiful cities of the world.
Besides the Arena, the Juliet balcony and all the "touristic attractions" what I like of Verona is the atmosphere. A mix of new and old, roman theater with Venetian style squares with "high Street" style shops.
And, clearly, the shopping part is one of the main attraction for "my better half"... my wife.

We were there with some friends and we decided to go and look for a restaurant.
I took out my mobile and started surfing and checking on Trip Advisor. Despite some recent facts that ruined the reputation of Trip Advisor, I usually choose the restaurant and hotels after a quick check there.
So... around Piazza delle Erbe...

this wonderful place where to have a drink, there are tens of restaurants and pizzerias. We looked at them, checked them and discussed whether that was a good one and at the end we ended up going to the usual one, the "Trattoria alla Colonna" that is known for its cotoletta.

This made me think about the incredible choice we have today in all the aspect of your life.

It is something that is creating expectations and a continuous sense of "not being satisfied" because the other choice was probably better.

But also there's a waste of time. What shall I buy? What shall I choose? Is it the right choice?
And this aspect is delaying the decision.

There is a great video of Barry Schwartz about this point that is explaning this effect quite well.

Clearly I am not as good as Barry Schwartz but I do basically agree on what he says. On every point he's raised. Even the Blue Jeans even though, I must say, my style is slightly different from his.

What I am currently experiencing is the same effect also on my work.

For a salesman having too many choices leads to not being able to focus on anything and always to try and find someone that had got something more.
People are not satisfied and stressed because they have too many things to sell and they're never enough.

-No specialization
-No knowledge
-No expertise

But also this is a bad sign of the current strategy of the companies.

Everybody is offering the same thing with some small little variations. Some details. Everybody swimming in the same red sea. Everybody eating each other and fighting on... price.

The  book "Blue ocean strategy" is a good manual to find how to get out of this deadly loop.

This is also part of the strategy. Product strategy, management strategy, development strategy.

Few things. Be different. Be happy.

 

Back to the roots

Pasta al pomodoro

Yes, Pasta al pomodoro is the food I mostly miss when I am abroad.

And the recipe is quite simple. I still remember my grandma preparing it.

A little bit of onion, one carrot and celery.

Then olive oil, tomatoes and basil.

You chop a slice of onion, the carrot and the celery together and you put it in the olive oil that is already warm. Few minutes with fire veeeeery low until the onion is light brown and then you put the canned tomatoes and you wait.

You see it starting bubbling, always at low fire stirring every now and then for some time until the oil starts been on the surface and the sauce is thick enough to be able to stay attached to the pasta.

Then the magic touch... Basil...

And that was starting at 8.00am and when I was child I had my milk and cereals with the pomodoro sauce bubbling in the background.

But that's Italy and I have a golden rule. NEVER expect finding something similar to Italy when you are abroad. And this is valid mostly for food. Not that the local foods are bad but the Italian food outside Italy is simply not the right one.

And once, a colleague of mine tried what I had told him to avoid. He tried to order a pasta al pomodoro during a business trip. I will not tell you what he received te comments that followed. But that was obvious. This was not their recipe. Not their cup of tea.

This allowed me to taste some delicious plates. Tajin in Morocco, Dahl in India even a well prepared Huggies in Scotland!

These were simply perfect. The right food in the right place.

Although the recipe is quite simple infact, to prepare the right Pomodoro sauce you need the right ingredients someone that has taught you how to put it together and experience.

This exemple came in my mind this week, during a meeting.

I had a meeting with my salesforce discussing about some opportunities they had.

One of the remarks I got from a lot of them was that we were missing some types of units because in one job they could not quote with what we had.

Always looking for what is missing and not arriving to the top of what is available. Being the best in a specific area is today crucial, more crucial that having everything and being one of the many swimming in a red ocean.

Most of the companies, expecially italian companies, must work as a corner store.
With their resources, that are limited, they must focus on one thing doing it very well.

And in today's world this is part of the strategy.

Clear cut choices. Unless you are a big name like NIKE, APPLE, SAMSUNG (but sometimes even if you are such a big name) you cannot be everything for everybody.

Simply identify where you can be the best, what you must have in term of tools and the IMPLEMENT everything.

IDEAS, TOOLS, PEOPLE

TOMATOES, A PAN AND MY GRANDMOTHER

Buon appetito