“Think Fast, Then Slow”
Our brains are wired to duck before we rationally understand what’s coming.
Our fight-flight-or-freeze wiring also focuses and intensifies our thinking on present danger: “tunneling”. So! All-hands-on-deck for navigating the C-19 pandemic! And, striving to be a hero in “the now” is even addictive.
But, future necessities exist too. We must step back, relax, get perspective and generate open-minded possibilities of what to do beyond NOW. How will you ideally make decisions now to fight fires that are also aligned with and supportive of both intermediate and longer-term strategic needs? Align three focal needs?
Questions:
- For tough times ahead, is there a better plan than simply cutting costs across the board?
- How can you strategically fix and/or downsize your, money-losing business (at both the customer and sales territory level) while refocusing on and renewing the most net-profitable?
- Price buying (and caving on the sell side) is – without any total system changes – a zero-sum, win-lose game. Can you counter “better price” with: “let’s co-create a win-win, sole supply process!”
- You can’t out compete with Amazon on spot buy orders via your website. But, Amazon can’t sell a customized, unbundled-services-for-fees replenishment solution. Can your firm proactively?
- Do you have the analytics and skills to challenge your best customers (and target accounts) to rethink how you change the replenishment process so that both parties win?
- As you downsize, but upgrade and renew, can you do it in a way that also moves you towards business-model innovations that will win in a world of Cloud Ecommerce (circa 2023)?
- Trends suggest that new e-selling models will be needed by 2023. What’s your e-selling vision? Who of your current reps can change (with coaching) to be part of new e-selling solutions?
- How can net-profit analytics help support all of these questions?
Live Into These Questions
We are conditioned to want immediate answers. But, my questions are colliding with a current C-19 pandemic and on-rushing Cloud eCommerce. There are ready, best answers for every company. Be patient. Befriend the questions. Let them lead you into new research and conversations. And, eventually best answers for your company will emerge.
A Live-The-Questions Webinar Series
Next Thursday (April 23rd), I will present a Coronavirus response webinar:
C-19 Paradigm Change: Getting to the “New Normal”
Until then, you can catch up with my on-going eCommerce series. This is not an either/or scenario. Distribution needs to adapt quickly. This is the shortcut to a holistic approach.