intime VALUES ~ WHY

Whilst talking to a Financial Services client preparing for RDR readiness, that week’s agenda focussed on their business specialities - helping identify what sets them apart from their competition. This is not as simple an exercise as you might think, which is probably why it’s so often overlooked by busy business leaders. As part of the process we began highlighting the differences between KSPs and USPs.

Taking nothing for granted (an essential quality in the coach / client relationship), let’s remind ourselves that the S.P.s above are Selling Points, with ‘K’ being Key and ‘U’ being that all important UNIQUE:

Key Selling Points and Unique Selling Points.

Prospects tick off the comparative KSPs as they browse Financial Service literature to make sure they are comparing like with like. But it is the UNIQUE that tips the balance, particularly when choosing a company, usually an individual, to manage their personal wealth.

Before the edges of fatigue and practical good began to blur, we turned to a short video to help us both re-focus.

This short film never ceases to inspire. It introduces a wonderful fresh way of thinking that gives all credit to its originator – Simon Sinek.

Take a look at this video and take time to consider:

a)      are you totally inspired and motivated by its contents? …and

b)      would you like to take advantage of a FREE ‘introduction to intimeCOACHING’  to harness inspiration and other business techniques to accelerate your own business potential.

Simon began as a student in anthropology, turning his fascination with ‘people’ into a career reaching into their persona, finding what inspires them and convincing them to follow that inspiration. This continued until he discovered ‘WHY’.

He wrote START WITH WHY which we commend you to read.

Because business is all about people – professionally, organisationally, interpersonally – Simon could be regarded, as we sometimes consider ourselves, as being a business anthropologist.

THE POWER OF WHY:

“Knowing the WHY can inform your actions as a brand, your brand voice, its character, and everything else that helps build it into something people want to have a relationship with.”

Attributed to Simon Sinek.

WHAT and HOW are vital, yes – they determine quality, viability, functionality, price, value, margin, service, logistics.

We all make rational (WHAT) purchase decisions every day … because it’s there at the time I want it.

The WHY is often forgotten in the content-driven, busy world of the SME. By ignoring it we miss a major trick.

WHY is what you make it:

personality,

inspiration,

possibility,

passion,

innovation,

character,

belief,

vision.

Now, you don't have to follow Simon's concept to a 'T' (after all he didn't add 'said'). But you can use the inspiration to help think about your own Key and Unique business qualities.

Take a look at intime PROFIT:

WHY

We think this is our WHY, because it's our passion, the success that drives us:

"We give business leaders the opportunity and method to accelerate their business potential."

HOW

We've a great and proven methodology that supports our coach / client relationship:

"By guiding business leaders through a regular, structured approach proven to identify and meet their specific objectives."

WHAT

We are interpreting the Simon Sinek experience to make this our USP – What makes us different, unique:

"The intime PROFIT ‘3 Step Process’ gives business leaders the guidance and opportunity to accelerate their business potential."

For more information call 08456 437 497;

e-mail intime@intimeprofit.com;

or visit http://intimeprofit.com/

 

intime Partner ExCels – going for Gold this Summer

Congratulations to Guy Baker – one of intime PROFIT’s Partners – who has emerged from the extensive selection process to be given one of the most prestigious volunteer jobs at this Summer’s Olympic Games.

Officially known as the XXX Olympiad, London is the first city to host this extraordinary event for a third time. (For Pub Quiz enthusiasts, it was previously held here in 1908 and 1948.)

Guy is assigned to Press & Media Operations in London’s ExCel. A massive operation and feather in the cap to be selected to the role. ExCel is host to 7 Olympic and 6 Paralympic events amounting to a massive 80 Olympic and 74 Paralympic medals. Events include: Boxing, Wrestling, Judo, Tae Kwon Do, Weight-lifting, Table Tennis and Fencing.

He, with his team, is responsible for ensuring the world’s lenses are in the right place at the right time. ‘Simple’ I hear you say. Certainly not, hence the selection process to find the right people for this highly responsible job.

Officials, press, photographers, volunteers are accommodated all over London (and beyond). Stressed when they get to ExCel, they need to be catered for, gathered, security checked (each time), held, escorted, led, located – so their lenses are pointing at the right events and at the right time for ‘that shot’. All this and back again for editing and despatch to make the deadlines each is tasked to illustrate.

Imagine getting it wrong and missing this:

  

Guy was selected for qualities such as personality and character; a sound and stable background; clear communication skills (listening, observing and directing); maturity and enthusiasm. He needs to be aware, alert, read the situation, and multi task.

He is representing the United Kingdom before the eyes of the world’s press with the same pride and vigour that he sits with and discusses business development opportunities with intime PROFIT clients.

As the cameras flash at the winners’ pedestals and the flags rise proudly behind the first, second and third medal winners, Guy might be forgiven for temporarily forgetting his own Gold, Silver and Bronze.

That is the Gold, Silver and Bronze service levels available from intime PROFIT. Intime creates a focussed approach to help business owners, partners and directors Review, Plan and then take the necessary Action to achieve higher profits.

Some call it business coaching – we call it good business sense. Most business managers don’t have the luxury of time, time to look at their business from the outside and with a fresh, unbiased pair of eyes.

That’s where intime PROFIT comes in – fresh eyed and offering the remarkable opportunity for you to understand why so many seemingly sound businesses do ask for outside help. Now, with the Gold, Silver and Bronze options – you can benefit from impartial advice to help increase sales and reduce costs at a price that’s right for you.

Take action today.

Ask for your FREE intime BUSUNESS one-to-one now.

Go for Gold

(…or of course Silver or Bronze – we’ll help you choose what’s right to make your business grow).

For more information please call 08456 437 497 or email info@intimeprofit.com

Or please visit  http://intimeprofit.com/

Grow your business? Simple. Grow a second head - two are always better than one.

Business is often a question of resource, people, capital, balance and books. Is there ever time to sit back, take stock and look constructively at our sales and marketing process? The answer is invariably, no.

So, we do this year what we did last year (and the year before!) and hope that if we do it often enough some of it will stick.  

A philosophy for change is a sound premise for business development, but change needs to be structured and measured. Middleton Murray is a company that adopted (and still uses) some of intime PROFIT’s business practices and approaches to development and growth.

“During the time I have had business dealings with intime PROFIT, I have always been impressed by the calm and considered approach and the results achieved. Having seen the material used at Intime PROFIT, and having used some of it to great effect in my own business, I can wholeheartedly endorse the Intime PROFIT concept as excellent means to improve any business.”

Angela Middleton,

Managing Director

Middleton Murray

  

With unemployment currently at 2.7 million, their business is part of a hot political and business potato. One aspect of Middleton Murray’s work literally creates employment opportunities through training and ‘Back to Work’ solutions.

Every month 30 unemployed 16 to 19 year olds in North London and another 30 in the South East are taken through Job Centre Plus advertising into a four week training programme. Middleton Murray’s innovation is music to the Government’s ears and funding is just part of a greater social reward they receive for orchestrating such outstanding hope from recessionary adversity.

The training is classroom based and covers an intensive programme of workplace skills as well as social grooming in self motivation and work ethics. Such learning and preparation is crucial for these youngsters, many of whom feel the world has forgotten them and have lost ambition and self esteem.  

The goal, and each candidate becomes increasingly confident and optimistic as they move towards that goal, is to guarantee each a job – an apprenticeship in business locally. At the end of the four weeks, Middleton Murray invite their corporate clients (employers) in and conduct a series of ‘speed interviews’. So far, everyone has been offered and taken a place.

Employers benefit because their enthusiastic fresh talent had been trained to meet local needs and all for the cost of an Apprentice wage. The young ‘former’ unemployed are given real chances through skill and opportunity. And Vince Cable gets to sleep at night.

The scheme was a natural development for Middleton Murray three or four years ago. As a progressive recruitment business their emphasis has always been on training.

On the premise that you can’t fit a square plug into a round hole, training knocks the corners off, re-shaping the candidate to better fit the opportunities available. Right fit, right employer / employee relationship:

OK, so why does anybody need help when you have such a good company in a much-needed sector and at a time of pretty awful unemployment?

Well, as intime PROFIT helps clients understand, a good company is not always a good business.

intime PROFIT will never share with third parties what we have actually done for and with a client, other than what that client has written themselves (above), but we can tell you some of the general approaches.

As an advisory practice we guide owner / directors of small to medium sized businesses and partnerships towards increasing profits through time-managed, deliverable and accountable activity. Proven methodology and simple business science will help clients to:

·         cut costs

·         add value

·         and increase new business = profitable turnover.

By working with intime PROFIT you open your doors to fresh insight and your mind to fresh ideas. Through weekly meetings we help stimulate thoughts, actions and routines that enable you to reach out to your market, further and more efficiently.

Business practice will improve as disciplines are tightened. Your actions will return favourably to the revitalised efforts you put in.

For more information on any of the above, please call intime PROFIT on 08456 437 497 or e-mail info@intimeprofit.com  or visit www.intimeprofit.com/. 

Create an Apprenticeship: if you would like to become part of Middleton Murray’s pioneering work to get unemployed talent back into the workplace and enjoy the benefits of an enthusiastic new member of staff, then call Angela Middleton who founded the business on 07725 837 637. Make a difference soon.