Rainmaking Secrets

Predicting the future and arguably the hardest play in business. Marketing is full of failed ‘new products’ that never took off in spite of the clever and careful planning of their promotions.

Dr. Simon Ramo and Dr. Donald Sugar, both successful high-tech business men offer a 4 measures system for improving the future of your business.

In their book, Strategic Business Forecasting (McGraw Hill 2009), the authors recommend you assign your ratings to rank a promising opportunity.

A. Probability - What is the likelihood a given event will occur?

B. Timing - When might that event occur? Today? Tomorrow? Next year? In the distant future?

C. Impact - To what extent will the event alter your organization?

D. Action Potential - How practical is it for you to act now in order to shape the future?

Assign numbers (1 to 10) to the four ratings (A, B, C, and D) and then add the scores.

The authors provide lots of vivid examples of the Four Measures system in practice.

In today’s roller coaster business world you need all the help you can to retire your predictions.

In the words of Yogi Berrq,

“the future ain’t what it used to be.”

Popularity: 3% [?]

Chess expert Bruce Pandollfini makes the point in his book, Every move must have a puspose, Strategies from Chess and Life, (Hyperion 2003) “nothing should be played without first considering what the opponent has just done.”

In an ideal play, in marketing as in chess your moves should always do at least two things in convert: foil out opponents aims while fostering ours. “We cant do either properly  if we do only one, and both can be accomplished by first assessing what the other player has done.”

Yet, social scientists who observe chess players eyes note beginners usually restrict their eye scans to just their side of the board. by contrast, experienced players inspect both sides.

I have found the same in marketing, negotiation and sales. Beginners ignore theire competitors. yet seasoned professionals first look at their opponents moves then plan theirs.

Popularity: 3% [?]