A half hour meeting that accomplishes exactly what you need is feasible. But it requires smart (not time-consuming) planning; discipline during the meeting (yes, you’ll have to be the heavy sometimes); and a laser focus on achieving results (getting what you need in 30 minutes). Ideally, after the meeting people should be saying two things: Wow, that meeting was rigid. I can’t believe we got all that done in a half hour. The information that follows applies to the most common meeting type - physical gatherings of 10 people or less. Most of this applies to non-physical meetings - such as teleconferences – as well, but not to extraordinary meetings called for extraordinary purposes. Plan Ahead
These tips are written for the benefit of both the journalist and you because the bottom line is that you are each dependent on the other for a successful outcome. You provide the best ingredients and the journalist makes the culinary masterpiece. You and the journalist are not adversaries. This article assumes a phone interview, since that’s the norm. Most journalists no longer interview sources in person unless there is some compelling reason (much of what follows also applies to in-person, print, and broadcast interviews). The most important thing to remember is that every time you speak with a journalist, the reputations of both you and your company are on the line. From the second you t
This idea-generating method originated with Alex Osborn, but was simplified by Michael Michalko (author of Thinkertoys – which you should keep under your pillow at night if you’re serious about differentiating). Michalko calls the method SCAMPER – which is an acronym for the types of questions you can ask yourself (or your group) that will spur ideas. Following are the basic differentiating SCAMPER strategies with in-depth questions for each strategy. S – Substitute something C – Combine it with something else A – Adapt something to it M – Modify or magnify it P – Put it to some other use E – Eliminate something R – Reverse or rearrange it Some of the following questions apply to products
Some people will tell you that differentiation is only for rapidly growing sectors. That’s not true. The fact is, you can bring a new product to market profitably in any of the five following industry types: Emerging industries Maturing industries Stagnant or declining industries Fragmented industries Leader - dominated industries And here are some strategy ideas for each industry type . Emerging Industries – they spring up quickly, attracting attention and investment in the early phases. Create a bold, win-early strategy – quickly make your product the standard that consumers want. Super-serve niche markets – create something for a market that is too small to interest bigger companies. Matu
