Inovação tecnológica pode ser obtida pela imitação 23/06/2010
Não há receita que leve à inovação. Mesclada com boa engenharia, investimento nas pessoas e gestão avançada, imitação pode funcionar na elevação do padrão inovador
Com o título "Imitação é mais valiosa do que inovação", Oded Shenkar, diretor da Ford Automóveis e professor da Universidade de Ohio, em entrevista para a "Harvard Business Review", enfatizou como a imitação é altamente relevante para o avanço tanto dos negócios quanto da ciência. Sua defesa baseou-se em levantamento sobre modelos de negócio e pesquisas científicas que detectou o valor fundamental da imitação para gerar os bons resultados alcançados.
Entre os casos estudados destacaram-se as experiências da rede Walmart (que se inspirou no Korvette); do McDonald s (que se baseou no White Castle); no Visa, MasterCard e American Express, que teriam seguido as trilhas desbravadas pelo Dinners Club; e ainda a Apple, que quase sempre trabalha aprimorando ideias lançadas por outras empresas.
Os resultados da pesquisa rejeitaram as visões simplistas que relegam a imitação a um posto de menor prestígio na atividade empresarial e na academia. Na pesquisa básica, tida como o universo nobre da geração do conhecimento, o pesquisador, em vários momentos, precisa apreender e repensar a tese de outros para evoluir em sua trajetória. Nas empresas, processo semelhante leva as empresas a incorporarem inovações disponíveis no mercado, para que sejam capazes de reprocessar e relançar produtos e serviços de nível superior.
Shenkar tomou a imitação como uma atividade complexa, que envolve ousadia e criatividade. Na economia, sem essa capacidade de absorção do novo, muitas vezes gerado por outras firmas, não haveria, por exemplo, o que simplificadamente se denomina de "transferência de tecnologia". As entrevistas de Steve Jobs (da Apple) sobre o iPad, ao relatar seu débito com o Kindle da Amazon (leitor de livro), ou o modo como incorporou e foi além das primeiras experiências de MP3 players, ou o sucesso do iPhone (anos após a existência do celular), ilustra o esforço criativo necessário para aperfeiçoar bens já disponíveis no mercado. Claro, é preciso estar em sintonia com as novas tendências para reprocessar produtos com charme e inteligência. Mas para isso o segredo nem sempre está na busca de alta tecnologia ou de inovações de ruptura, e sim na qualidade dos funcionários, da engenharia, na facilidade com que o conhecimento e a informação fluem no interior das empresas. Em ambientes abertos ao novo, a imitação não é vista como subproduto, mas como requisito para a inovação; não é estigmatizada, mas desejada.
Para países emergentes como o Brasil, cujas economias não atuam na fronteira do conhecimento, a imitação, longe de mostrar-se trivial, é atividade-chave para dinamizar a pesquisa e a competitividade das empresas. Principalmente porque pode viabilizar processos de aprendizagem tecnológica e de capacitação que seriam praticamente impossíveis de outra forma.
São vários os estudos que mostram como a China mantém há décadas um acelerado crescimento em muito baseado na imitação. O Brasil também fez - e ainda faz - uso intensivo desse recurso, ainda que não pareça ser motivo de orgulho. A Pesquisa sobre Atitudes Empresariais para Desenvolvimento e Inovação (Paedi), patrocinada pelo Ipea e pelo Cebrap mostrou como representantes de empresas (presidentes, diretores e gerentes) identificaram na inovação - via pequenas mudanças em produtos ou processos - a responsável pela geração de valor e de retorno do investimento.
Pelos argumentos de Shenkar ousaríamos dizer que muitas empresas brasileiras inovam ao imitar, mas nem sempre reconhecem a importância dessa escolha, dado o preconceito existente. Duas evidências da Paedi corroboram essa afirmação: 1) é alto o número de empresas que atribui importância à participação em feiras internacionais, em busca de novas tendências de mercado; 2) várias dessas empresas declararam sua intenção de competir no exterior. Para a economia brasileira, que tenta se livrar da tradição protecionista, a busca de contato e de absorção das práticas mais avançadas é passo essencial para a sua capacitação, diferenciação de seus produtos e salto para um desempenho sistematicamente inovador.
Não há receita milagrosa que leve à inovação. Mesclada com a boa engenharia, com maior investimento nas pessoas e gestão mais avançada, a imitação pode funcionar como peça-chave na elevação do padrão inovador.
No Brasil, o ambiente externo às empresas mudou para melhor nos últimos anos. Há muito ainda a fazer, principalmente na diversificação, desburocratização e ampliação das linhas e programas de financiamento. A universidade também pode contribuir para que a economia faça da inovação sua principal ferramenta de competitividade, pois não há outro meio de elevar o padrão de competitividade da nossa economia, de quebrar a dependência das commodities e de sustentar o crescimento.
Glauco Arbix é professor do Departamento de Sociologia, USP e Zil Miranda é doutoranda do Departamento de Sociologia, USP. Ambos são pesquisadores do Observatório de Inovação do Instituto de Estudos Avançados-USP.
(Fonte: Valor Econômico - 23/06/2010)
terça-feira, 29 de junho de 2010
sexta-feira, 25 de junho de 2010
Video inovação
http://epocanegocios.globo.com/Revista/Common/0,,EMI88693-16364,00-VIDEO+COMO+FAZER+A+INOVACAO+FUNCIONAR.html
quarta-feira, 23 de junho de 2010
Modelos de negocios
The 7 Best Business Models for Increasing the Value of Your Company
Jun 16, 2010 -
Warren Buffett would be happy to know I got up this morning and shaved with my trusty Gillette razor. Given the little blue stripe had faded to a faint ribbon, I treated myself to a brand-new blade from the five-pack I had just purchased at Walgreens for $22.99.
There are millions of people around the world who will wake up tomorrow and snap their own new blade into a Gillette razor, which is why Berkshire Hathaway’s investment in Gillette has performed so well in the past and will continue to grow now that Gillette is part of Proctor & Gamble.
In my experience, the single biggest thing you can do to increase the value of your business, no matter how big or small, is to create a recurring stream of revenue an acquirer can count on into the future.
Although all recurring revenue will have a positive impact on your company’s value, some forms are more desirable than others. Here is a hierarchy of different types of recurring revenue ranked from least to most valuable:
7. Irregular purchases: TV
Recently I finally caved and bought a flat-screen Panasonic TV. I had been clinging to my old Panasonic tube despite relentless teasing from my wife and anyone who came to our house to watch a big game. For me, a TV is an irregular purchase triggered by a breakdown or intense pressure to keep up with the neighbors.
Businesses whose customers repurchase in an unpredictable pattern are usually worth the least.
6. Regular, open-architecture purchases: deodorant
I swipe under my arms every morning with Degree Invisible Stick Cool Rush deodorant, and I buy a new stick every month or so. There’s nothing tying me to Degree, but I have been a loyal repeat customer for years.
Start tracking your repurchase rate from existing customers as it will be a number an acquirer will use to calculate your projected sales into the future -- and how much they’re willing to pay to buy your company.
5. Regular closed-architecture purchases: toner cartridges
More valuable than open-architecture consumables like deodorant are closed-architecture consumables like my Gillette sensor blades or my Xerox printer cartridges. I’ve made an investment in the platform, and that makes me more reluctant to switch providers.
Expect to fetch a premium for your business if you can demonstrate a loyal group of customers who have made an investment with you to become a regular customer.
4. Renewable subscriptions: magazines
One better than having loyal customers who repurchase is revenue that is guaranteed into the future. For example, I am a loyal subscriber to Men’s Journal magazine. Each year I get a re-up letter, and I send a check to cover my next 12 issues. Men’s Journal recognizes one-twelfth of my subscription fee the month it receives the check and each of the next eleven months.
Magazines are cheap compared to the subscriptions analyst firms like Yankee Group, Forrester Research or Gartner Group sell their customers, which can run into the hundreds of thousands of dollars, making them more valuable companies than their competitors who offer one-off consulting.
3. Renewable subscription, closed-architecture: the Bloomberg terminal
Bloomberg is such a valuable company because it combines a closed-architecture (you have to buy the Bloomberg terminal) with a subscription to the financial information Bloomberg publishes.
2. Auto renewal subscriptions: document storage
When you store documents with Iron Mountain, you are charged a fee each month until you ask for your documents to be shredded or you agree to pick them up. Unlike a magazine subscription, for which you have to make the conscious decision to re-up, Iron Mountain just bills you until you tell it to stop.
Iron Mountain tracks its cancellation rate down to the decimal point and can predict its future revenue well into the future, which is why it enjoys such an attractive valuation.
1. Contracts: wireless phones
The only thing more valuable than an auto renewal subscription is a hard contract for a defined term. AT&T pushes so hard to get you on a three-year plan for that new iPhone because its stock rises and falls based on revenue it can bank on into the future.
As you ascend the recurring revenue hierarchy, expect the value of your business to go up in lock step.
* * * * *
John Warrillow is the author of Built to Sell: Turn Your Business into One You Can Sell. He has started and exited four companies. Most recently John transformed Warrillow & Co. from a boutique consultancy into a recurring revenue model subscription business, which he sold to the Corporate Executive Board (NASDAQ: EXBD). In 2008 he was recognized by BtoB Magazine’s “Who’s Who” list as one of America’s most influential business-to-business marketers.
Jun 16, 2010 -
Warren Buffett would be happy to know I got up this morning and shaved with my trusty Gillette razor. Given the little blue stripe had faded to a faint ribbon, I treated myself to a brand-new blade from the five-pack I had just purchased at Walgreens for $22.99.
There are millions of people around the world who will wake up tomorrow and snap their own new blade into a Gillette razor, which is why Berkshire Hathaway’s investment in Gillette has performed so well in the past and will continue to grow now that Gillette is part of Proctor & Gamble.
In my experience, the single biggest thing you can do to increase the value of your business, no matter how big or small, is to create a recurring stream of revenue an acquirer can count on into the future.
Although all recurring revenue will have a positive impact on your company’s value, some forms are more desirable than others. Here is a hierarchy of different types of recurring revenue ranked from least to most valuable:
7. Irregular purchases: TV
Recently I finally caved and bought a flat-screen Panasonic TV. I had been clinging to my old Panasonic tube despite relentless teasing from my wife and anyone who came to our house to watch a big game. For me, a TV is an irregular purchase triggered by a breakdown or intense pressure to keep up with the neighbors.
Businesses whose customers repurchase in an unpredictable pattern are usually worth the least.
6. Regular, open-architecture purchases: deodorant
I swipe under my arms every morning with Degree Invisible Stick Cool Rush deodorant, and I buy a new stick every month or so. There’s nothing tying me to Degree, but I have been a loyal repeat customer for years.
Start tracking your repurchase rate from existing customers as it will be a number an acquirer will use to calculate your projected sales into the future -- and how much they’re willing to pay to buy your company.
5. Regular closed-architecture purchases: toner cartridges
More valuable than open-architecture consumables like deodorant are closed-architecture consumables like my Gillette sensor blades or my Xerox printer cartridges. I’ve made an investment in the platform, and that makes me more reluctant to switch providers.
Expect to fetch a premium for your business if you can demonstrate a loyal group of customers who have made an investment with you to become a regular customer.
4. Renewable subscriptions: magazines
One better than having loyal customers who repurchase is revenue that is guaranteed into the future. For example, I am a loyal subscriber to Men’s Journal magazine. Each year I get a re-up letter, and I send a check to cover my next 12 issues. Men’s Journal recognizes one-twelfth of my subscription fee the month it receives the check and each of the next eleven months.
Magazines are cheap compared to the subscriptions analyst firms like Yankee Group, Forrester Research or Gartner Group sell their customers, which can run into the hundreds of thousands of dollars, making them more valuable companies than their competitors who offer one-off consulting.
3. Renewable subscription, closed-architecture: the Bloomberg terminal
Bloomberg is such a valuable company because it combines a closed-architecture (you have to buy the Bloomberg terminal) with a subscription to the financial information Bloomberg publishes.
2. Auto renewal subscriptions: document storage
When you store documents with Iron Mountain, you are charged a fee each month until you ask for your documents to be shredded or you agree to pick them up. Unlike a magazine subscription, for which you have to make the conscious decision to re-up, Iron Mountain just bills you until you tell it to stop.
Iron Mountain tracks its cancellation rate down to the decimal point and can predict its future revenue well into the future, which is why it enjoys such an attractive valuation.
1. Contracts: wireless phones
The only thing more valuable than an auto renewal subscription is a hard contract for a defined term. AT&T pushes so hard to get you on a three-year plan for that new iPhone because its stock rises and falls based on revenue it can bank on into the future.
As you ascend the recurring revenue hierarchy, expect the value of your business to go up in lock step.
* * * * *
John Warrillow is the author of Built to Sell: Turn Your Business into One You Can Sell. He has started and exited four companies. Most recently John transformed Warrillow & Co. from a boutique consultancy into a recurring revenue model subscription business, which he sold to the Corporate Executive Board (NASDAQ: EXBD). In 2008 he was recognized by BtoB Magazine’s “Who’s Who” list as one of America’s most influential business-to-business marketers.
Valor do negocio
The Value of a Business
Jun 17, 2010 -
Placing a value on your business is rarely a simple matter. If you've poured time and sweat into building up your company, your view of the value will reflect the effort you've put in. But an independent appraisal can offer a very different number than what you might come up with. It's important to have an objective idea of what a business' true value is, if only because you may consider selling it in the future.
The Real Earnings of a Business
Joseph Caffrey, a business broker with Worldwide Business Brokers, explains that the value of a business can't simply be based on what you've put into it yourself. "To a large degree, a business is valued based on what the benefits of owning that business are. Though such benefits can be intangible (being your own boss, for example), the benefits that concern us are monetary. We want to determine, as closely as possible, the value of the benefits enjoyed by the owner. This effort entails a process known as recasting the earnings—i.e., we analyze the business' profit and loss numbers to try to identify the true 'discretionary earnings' or 'owner's benefits' of owning that business."
Offering an example, Caffrey describes the following situation: "By way of example, let's imagine a business with revenue of $1 million. A glance at the P&L reveals net income of $75,000. If the business is a corporation, we examine Form 1120 of the business' tax return and see that taxable income is also $75,000. We then analyze both P&L and the tax return to identify which or to what degree certain expenses are really 'owner's benefits.' We look for what is called 'discretionary spending'—spending the owner has control over, unlike payroll, utility costs or rent. Our objective is to determine the business' true profit or Seller's Discretionary Earnings (SDE)."
Owner's Benefits: The Determining Factor
For small business owners, there are many financial benefits that go along with owning your own business. There is a lot of discretionary spending that occurs in many businesses that owners directly benefit from, beyond the business necessities of certain expense.
"Examples of such discretionary expenses include the owner's health insurance (and that of the owner's family), life insurance and disability insurance. In many cases, the business pays for the owner's vehicle, its insurance and its maintenance. We determine these costs, pull them out and put them in the SDE column on the spreadsheet we've built.
Another modest benefit is that it is not uncommon for the business to pay for cell phones for the owner's family," says Caffrey. "More significant items include travel for tradeshows and association meetings, client dinners and, in the case of restaurants, the amount of food and drink enjoyed by the owners, etc. As an example, a business owner in Jacksonville, FL may get a mailer from his industry's association that the association's regional meeting will be held in Atlanta, GA and that the annual association meeting is in Honolulu, HI. The owner can attend the regional conference for $2000 or the national conference for $20,000. The $18,000 difference would be considered discretionary for our purposes and moved over to our SDE column. Another example is a real estate brokerage we've worked with that specializes in waterfront property. It is reasonable to assume that a boat, properly named, of course, is critical to the owner's business. The costs of owning/leasing and operating that boat are largely picked up by the business but are really benefits of owning the business."
Similarly, there's a question of the cost of the salary an owner draws against the business. If the salary is more than an owner would need to pay a manager to run the business—if the owner was absent from the day-to-day operations of the company—then the difference is also added to the SDE column.
Considering Similar Businesses
When putting a value on your business, it's also helpful to have an understanding of what similar businesses have sold for. Caffrey points out, "As in the real estate industry, databases exist recording business sales, by industry classification, by region, nationally and, to a lesser extent, internationally. We can determine what similar businesses have sold for… an analysis of such other sales will give the analyst a range of multiples that can be used to determine the 'comparable' value of the subject business. One example is a multiple of revenue in which the analyst will plot the sales price-to-revenue numbers on a chart, eliminate outliers, average the remaining sample and apply the result to the subject business."
There are other metrics used to determine the value of a business that take into account both the values of similar businesses and the SDE, according to Caffrey. "A database search shows that six similar businesses have sold in the past 12 months at .67, .59, .72, .94, .65 and .56 of revenue. The analyst eliminates the outlier (.94), averages the remaining sample (.64) and applies it to the subject business.
Though this is a very simplistic explanation of this stage of the process, the value of the subject business, using the Multiple of Revenue approach, would be $640,000… a more important metric is the Multiple of Earnings approach which will provide a more meaningful valuation because it is based on actual earnings (SDE) and shows what the buyer can expect as a return on his or her investment. The process is similar to the Multiple of Revenue approach in that the analyst looks at the same six similar businesses, calculates the sales price as a multiple of SDE (2.4, 1.9, 2.2, 3.1, 2.1 and 1.8), eliminates the outlier (3.1), averages the remaining sample (2.08) and applies it to the subject business. Again, though this is a very simplistic explanation of this stage of the process, the value of the subject business, using the Multiple of Earnings approach, is $582,400."
Taking a look at the different valuations that can be placed on your business is a useful process because each metric can help you along to the clearest understanding of the true value of your business.
Wise Bread is a leading personal finance community dedicated to helping people get the most out of their money. Get daily money tips by following Wise Bread on Facebook or Twitter.
Jun 17, 2010 -
Placing a value on your business is rarely a simple matter. If you've poured time and sweat into building up your company, your view of the value will reflect the effort you've put in. But an independent appraisal can offer a very different number than what you might come up with. It's important to have an objective idea of what a business' true value is, if only because you may consider selling it in the future.
The Real Earnings of a Business
Joseph Caffrey, a business broker with Worldwide Business Brokers, explains that the value of a business can't simply be based on what you've put into it yourself. "To a large degree, a business is valued based on what the benefits of owning that business are. Though such benefits can be intangible (being your own boss, for example), the benefits that concern us are monetary. We want to determine, as closely as possible, the value of the benefits enjoyed by the owner. This effort entails a process known as recasting the earnings—i.e., we analyze the business' profit and loss numbers to try to identify the true 'discretionary earnings' or 'owner's benefits' of owning that business."
Offering an example, Caffrey describes the following situation: "By way of example, let's imagine a business with revenue of $1 million. A glance at the P&L reveals net income of $75,000. If the business is a corporation, we examine Form 1120 of the business' tax return and see that taxable income is also $75,000. We then analyze both P&L and the tax return to identify which or to what degree certain expenses are really 'owner's benefits.' We look for what is called 'discretionary spending'—spending the owner has control over, unlike payroll, utility costs or rent. Our objective is to determine the business' true profit or Seller's Discretionary Earnings (SDE)."
Owner's Benefits: The Determining Factor
For small business owners, there are many financial benefits that go along with owning your own business. There is a lot of discretionary spending that occurs in many businesses that owners directly benefit from, beyond the business necessities of certain expense.
"Examples of such discretionary expenses include the owner's health insurance (and that of the owner's family), life insurance and disability insurance. In many cases, the business pays for the owner's vehicle, its insurance and its maintenance. We determine these costs, pull them out and put them in the SDE column on the spreadsheet we've built.
Another modest benefit is that it is not uncommon for the business to pay for cell phones for the owner's family," says Caffrey. "More significant items include travel for tradeshows and association meetings, client dinners and, in the case of restaurants, the amount of food and drink enjoyed by the owners, etc. As an example, a business owner in Jacksonville, FL may get a mailer from his industry's association that the association's regional meeting will be held in Atlanta, GA and that the annual association meeting is in Honolulu, HI. The owner can attend the regional conference for $2000 or the national conference for $20,000. The $18,000 difference would be considered discretionary for our purposes and moved over to our SDE column. Another example is a real estate brokerage we've worked with that specializes in waterfront property. It is reasonable to assume that a boat, properly named, of course, is critical to the owner's business. The costs of owning/leasing and operating that boat are largely picked up by the business but are really benefits of owning the business."
Similarly, there's a question of the cost of the salary an owner draws against the business. If the salary is more than an owner would need to pay a manager to run the business—if the owner was absent from the day-to-day operations of the company—then the difference is also added to the SDE column.
Considering Similar Businesses
When putting a value on your business, it's also helpful to have an understanding of what similar businesses have sold for. Caffrey points out, "As in the real estate industry, databases exist recording business sales, by industry classification, by region, nationally and, to a lesser extent, internationally. We can determine what similar businesses have sold for… an analysis of such other sales will give the analyst a range of multiples that can be used to determine the 'comparable' value of the subject business. One example is a multiple of revenue in which the analyst will plot the sales price-to-revenue numbers on a chart, eliminate outliers, average the remaining sample and apply the result to the subject business."
There are other metrics used to determine the value of a business that take into account both the values of similar businesses and the SDE, according to Caffrey. "A database search shows that six similar businesses have sold in the past 12 months at .67, .59, .72, .94, .65 and .56 of revenue. The analyst eliminates the outlier (.94), averages the remaining sample (.64) and applies it to the subject business.
Though this is a very simplistic explanation of this stage of the process, the value of the subject business, using the Multiple of Revenue approach, would be $640,000… a more important metric is the Multiple of Earnings approach which will provide a more meaningful valuation because it is based on actual earnings (SDE) and shows what the buyer can expect as a return on his or her investment. The process is similar to the Multiple of Revenue approach in that the analyst looks at the same six similar businesses, calculates the sales price as a multiple of SDE (2.4, 1.9, 2.2, 3.1, 2.1 and 1.8), eliminates the outlier (3.1), averages the remaining sample (2.08) and applies it to the subject business. Again, though this is a very simplistic explanation of this stage of the process, the value of the subject business, using the Multiple of Earnings approach, is $582,400."
Taking a look at the different valuations that can be placed on your business is a useful process because each metric can help you along to the clearest understanding of the true value of your business.
Wise Bread is a leading personal finance community dedicated to helping people get the most out of their money. Get daily money tips by following Wise Bread on Facebook or Twitter.
domingo, 13 de junho de 2010
Inovação coletiva
The Power of Collective Innovation
Jun 11, 2010 -
Most companies have Marketing, Research & Development (R. & D.) and/or New Product Development (NPD) functions staffed with professionals and managers who are responsible for innovation. The vast majority of the products/services are created and launched by these functions.
Outside Innovation Help
There are a couple of other innovation sources that are used inconsistently. The first is outside innovators, from large well-known companies like Ideo or Nottingham & Spirk, to small shops. Using a larger firm gains access to its breadth of expertise but is also more costly. This cost may be prohibitive for small or mid-sized companies. Using small shops is much less costly, but equally less predictable in the results. Check out the track record and skills/experience of whomever you plan to use.
Collective Innovation
There is another source of innovation that is often ignored or underutilized. This is the innovation that resides in the minds of the company’s employees. If a company has hundreds or thousands of employees, there are many high potential, undiscovered ideas for innovation that remain untapped. The obvious approach is to ask managerial employees not working directly in Marketing, R. & D. or NPD. But I am referring to the larger group, “the rest of the employees,” professional, clerical and hourly in all kinds of jobs.
These people’s jobs all depend on the company and its products or services for their living. They work with or around the facilities, products/services, customers and suppliers all day, every day. They inevitably talk about the company and “what it does” with friends, neighbors, relatives, and so forth. Ideas pop into their minds regularly about how products could be improved, or totally new products developed. These ideas almost always get lost because there is no process to capture share.
A Process That Works
The collective ideas of hundreds of people are a powerful source of innovation that is just waiting for management to tap into it. If your company doesn’t have such a process, it should. A sponsor that is a member of C-suite management must be named. This person will “oversee” the process and make sure it progresses and gets the support and visibility it needs. Three major factors are involved in this CIF process:
1. Collective Innovation Forum (CIF): Creating a regular periodic forum in which people who do not usually present their ideas can comfortably do so. They can know when these are scheduled and present concepts to a panel of “experts” from Marketing, R. & D. and NPD. I have seen this done most successfully on a Quarterly basis. Step two is an essential step to making this process successful.
2. Screening & Classification of Ideas: Assigning “help” to the person(s) with ideas, including professionals to do renderings, make prototypes, and organizing presentations will reduce the fear/intimidation factor. A small group of professionals, the Screening & Classification Action Team (SCAT), would receive all ideas submitted and classify them into three categories:
a. “Interesting’ (Ideas to be saved, but of small or no likely immediate use)
b. “Familiar’ (Similar to something already in existence, or a concept that is a near duplicate of ideas previously tried and found unsuccessful)
c. “Potential for Use” (Ideas which are genuinely interesting, innovative and worthy of presentation, review and consideration.
3. Follow-up & Feedback: This is a very important step which can “make or break” the CIF in several ways - how well it is done, how it is handled, and how well outcomes are communicated.
The first premise of this entire CIF process is that “there are no bad/dumb ideas!” Some are just less useful or immediately appropriate than others. Every person who submits an idea, with the supporting “form” explaining their concept and why it has merit, receives a personally signed thank you letter from two appropriate senior executives: one who is directly responsible for their area of work and the other from the head of the Collective Innovation Forum. They also receive a “certificate” designating them as a Contributor to the “Collective Innovation Forum.”
What the SCAT Does
The SCAT gives all submissions identifying numbers, acknowledges and files them ideas according to what they involve: new product, new process, methods improvement, cost reduction, etc. If duplicate ideas are submitted, it is important to recognize and manage this. Groups can submit ideas (since there is no direct financial reward, who gets credit can be shared). Feedback on the status of submissions should be both actively communicated, and easily accessible.
By now you are saying, “this will take someone to manage all this.” That’s right. It will also require time for making renderings, prototypes and presentations. But so what? This is a treasure trove of ideas from people who live and work with the company and its products every day.
Somewhere in here will be some real gems. Many of the submission will not be ”winners” but if every idea is treated with respect and appreciation, there will be a positive motivational effect among those who submit them.
Someone tactful will also have to be chosen and prepared to explain honestly, but tactfully to these people (and there will always be a few) who are upset why their idea was not “used.” Making this kind of feedback timely, honest, tactful and appreciative in tone will resolve all but the most difficult issues. The SCAT has a tough but important and potentially very lucrative job.
Meanwhile, there must be capacity and willingness of the marketing, R. & D. and NPD staff to improve, refine and implement the best ideas. If there is any organizational NIH (Not Invented Here) factor, it must be addressed and discouraged. Making this point clear is the job of the senior management sponsor.
The CIF Recognition Dinner
Finally, when some truly excellent innovations have been submitted, implemented and launched, it is time for recognition. An annual Collective Innovation Forum dinner should be held and everyone submitting an idea invited. This dinner should be attended by senior executive management who address the group about the importance of innovation and their appreciation of the number of submissions (which can be reported and tracked as they come in).
First, Second and Third Place “best innovation awards” can be given along with a number of Honorable Mentions. Everyone should be given something small, but tangible and symbolic, at the dinner (e.g., A key chain—innovation is “key” to our success). Everyone who has submitted an innovation should stand to be recognized.
This Collective Innovation Forum process will generate many new product concepts and other improvements. It will show employees at all levels that they can contribute in a whole new way. Communicated and managed correctly, a CIF it will also confirm how important innovation is to the future of the company its employees.
* * * * *
John L. Mariotti is President and CEO of The Enterprise Group. He was President of Huffy Bicycles, Group President of Rubbermaid Office Products Group, and now serves as a Director on several corporate boards. He has written eight business books. His electronic newsletter THE ENTERPRISE is published weekly. His Web site is Mariotti.net.
Jun 11, 2010 -
Most companies have Marketing, Research & Development (R. & D.) and/or New Product Development (NPD) functions staffed with professionals and managers who are responsible for innovation. The vast majority of the products/services are created and launched by these functions.
Outside Innovation Help
There are a couple of other innovation sources that are used inconsistently. The first is outside innovators, from large well-known companies like Ideo or Nottingham & Spirk, to small shops. Using a larger firm gains access to its breadth of expertise but is also more costly. This cost may be prohibitive for small or mid-sized companies. Using small shops is much less costly, but equally less predictable in the results. Check out the track record and skills/experience of whomever you plan to use.
Collective Innovation
There is another source of innovation that is often ignored or underutilized. This is the innovation that resides in the minds of the company’s employees. If a company has hundreds or thousands of employees, there are many high potential, undiscovered ideas for innovation that remain untapped. The obvious approach is to ask managerial employees not working directly in Marketing, R. & D. or NPD. But I am referring to the larger group, “the rest of the employees,” professional, clerical and hourly in all kinds of jobs.
These people’s jobs all depend on the company and its products or services for their living. They work with or around the facilities, products/services, customers and suppliers all day, every day. They inevitably talk about the company and “what it does” with friends, neighbors, relatives, and so forth. Ideas pop into their minds regularly about how products could be improved, or totally new products developed. These ideas almost always get lost because there is no process to capture share.
A Process That Works
The collective ideas of hundreds of people are a powerful source of innovation that is just waiting for management to tap into it. If your company doesn’t have such a process, it should. A sponsor that is a member of C-suite management must be named. This person will “oversee” the process and make sure it progresses and gets the support and visibility it needs. Three major factors are involved in this CIF process:
1. Collective Innovation Forum (CIF): Creating a regular periodic forum in which people who do not usually present their ideas can comfortably do so. They can know when these are scheduled and present concepts to a panel of “experts” from Marketing, R. & D. and NPD. I have seen this done most successfully on a Quarterly basis. Step two is an essential step to making this process successful.
2. Screening & Classification of Ideas: Assigning “help” to the person(s) with ideas, including professionals to do renderings, make prototypes, and organizing presentations will reduce the fear/intimidation factor. A small group of professionals, the Screening & Classification Action Team (SCAT), would receive all ideas submitted and classify them into three categories:
a. “Interesting’ (Ideas to be saved, but of small or no likely immediate use)
b. “Familiar’ (Similar to something already in existence, or a concept that is a near duplicate of ideas previously tried and found unsuccessful)
c. “Potential for Use” (Ideas which are genuinely interesting, innovative and worthy of presentation, review and consideration.
3. Follow-up & Feedback: This is a very important step which can “make or break” the CIF in several ways - how well it is done, how it is handled, and how well outcomes are communicated.
The first premise of this entire CIF process is that “there are no bad/dumb ideas!” Some are just less useful or immediately appropriate than others. Every person who submits an idea, with the supporting “form” explaining their concept and why it has merit, receives a personally signed thank you letter from two appropriate senior executives: one who is directly responsible for their area of work and the other from the head of the Collective Innovation Forum. They also receive a “certificate” designating them as a Contributor to the “Collective Innovation Forum.”
What the SCAT Does
The SCAT gives all submissions identifying numbers, acknowledges and files them ideas according to what they involve: new product, new process, methods improvement, cost reduction, etc. If duplicate ideas are submitted, it is important to recognize and manage this. Groups can submit ideas (since there is no direct financial reward, who gets credit can be shared). Feedback on the status of submissions should be both actively communicated, and easily accessible.
By now you are saying, “this will take someone to manage all this.” That’s right. It will also require time for making renderings, prototypes and presentations. But so what? This is a treasure trove of ideas from people who live and work with the company and its products every day.
Somewhere in here will be some real gems. Many of the submission will not be ”winners” but if every idea is treated with respect and appreciation, there will be a positive motivational effect among those who submit them.
Someone tactful will also have to be chosen and prepared to explain honestly, but tactfully to these people (and there will always be a few) who are upset why their idea was not “used.” Making this kind of feedback timely, honest, tactful and appreciative in tone will resolve all but the most difficult issues. The SCAT has a tough but important and potentially very lucrative job.
Meanwhile, there must be capacity and willingness of the marketing, R. & D. and NPD staff to improve, refine and implement the best ideas. If there is any organizational NIH (Not Invented Here) factor, it must be addressed and discouraged. Making this point clear is the job of the senior management sponsor.
The CIF Recognition Dinner
Finally, when some truly excellent innovations have been submitted, implemented and launched, it is time for recognition. An annual Collective Innovation Forum dinner should be held and everyone submitting an idea invited. This dinner should be attended by senior executive management who address the group about the importance of innovation and their appreciation of the number of submissions (which can be reported and tracked as they come in).
First, Second and Third Place “best innovation awards” can be given along with a number of Honorable Mentions. Everyone should be given something small, but tangible and symbolic, at the dinner (e.g., A key chain—innovation is “key” to our success). Everyone who has submitted an innovation should stand to be recognized.
This Collective Innovation Forum process will generate many new product concepts and other improvements. It will show employees at all levels that they can contribute in a whole new way. Communicated and managed correctly, a CIF it will also confirm how important innovation is to the future of the company its employees.
* * * * *
John L. Mariotti is President and CEO of The Enterprise Group. He was President of Huffy Bicycles, Group President of Rubbermaid Office Products Group, and now serves as a Director on several corporate boards. He has written eight business books. His electronic newsletter THE ENTERPRISE is published weekly. His Web site is Mariotti.net.
Grande pensador moderno
O otimista pragmático - C.K. Prahalad (1941-2010)
A capacidade de ler sua época com rara clareza fez de Prahalad um inspirador para as empresas modernas
Por Rodolfo Araújo*
Mundo da gestão perdeu em 16 de abril um de seus principais inspiradores. Coimbatore Krishnarao Prahalad morreu aos 68 anos, em San Diego, na Califórnia. Doutor pela Harvard Business School, era professor de estratégia na Ross School of Business da Universidade de Michigan e considerado um dos mais influentes pensadores pela Thinkers 50, lista de referência dos grandes nomes da administração. Sua obra pode ser revista por três fios condutores: conhecimento, poder do indivíduo e, sobretudo, olhar para o futuro a partir de uma visão inclusiva de desenvolvimento – e não apenas em teorias centradas em custos. Para o pensador indiano, as estratégias corporativas deveriam ser arquitetadas a partir de oportunidades.
Prahalad iniciou a defesa dessa visão junto com Gary Hamel, um de seus principais parceiros, com quem escreveu, em 1990, o célebre artigo The Core Competence of the Corporation, e fundador do conceito de “competências essenciais”. Para os autores, as empresas não eram um conjunto de silos, mas ambientes dinâmicos de conhecimentos, técnicas e tecnologias sobre suas atividades.
A parceria gerou, em 1994, o livro Competindo pelo Futuro, no qual reforçaram essa perspectiva promissora de desenvolvimento. Segundo a dupla, “nos negócios, como na arte, o que distingue os líderes dos retardatários é a capacidade de imaginar com originalidade o que é possível”.
Prahalad alertou as empresas para a força do consumidor de baixa renda
Em O Futuro da Competição, escrito com Venkat Ramaswamy, em 2004, Prahalad atualizou sua reflexão ao inserir as experiências individuais como centro do processo de cocriação de valor, que passava a ocorrer em rede e de maneira colaborativa com o consumidor e outros agentes. Os autores retrataram um cenário de transparência e crescente acesso à informação, que deslocava o poder das empresas para as pessoas, criando a necessidade de diálogos baseados na confiança. A força de uma marca, portanto, estaria na qualidade das experiências proporcionadas, ou seja, nos vínculos genuínos e singulares estabelecidos entre ela e seus públicos.
Já sua visão de desenvolvimento inclusivo ganhou notoriedade em 2004, com A Riqueza na Base da Pirâmide. No livro, Prahalad alertou as corporações para a criação de novos campos de negócio focados nos emergentes consumidores de baixa renda e a consequente constituição de um ambiente de inclusão e prosperidade em países pobres.
Ao sofisticar sua visão sobre o futuro, Prahalad traçou a sustentabilidade como a fronteira principal da inovação, ou seja, como referência de transformação da maneira pela qual as empresas pensam seus modelos de negócio. Em 2008, com The New Age of Innovation: Driving Cocreated Value through Global Networks, Prahalad e M.S. Krishnan enfatizaram a importância das transações focadas nas experiências individuais e no uso inteligente de recursos em um contexto que chamou de “ecossistema global” de organizações.
Sua principal virtude foi, sem dúvida, a capacidade de ler sua época com rara clareza e, a partir dessa interpretação, criar um legado simultaneamente otimista e pragmático, ao articular e revisitar conceitos atuais e nem sempre bem conectados. Para construirmos o futuro de forma ativa, como Prahalad pregava, é preciso combinar imaginação e ação, ou seja, pensar não nas velhas (ou melhores), mas nas próximas práticas. Foi o que nos ensinou.
*Rodolfo Araújo é professor da Business School São Paulo e consultor da Thymus Branding
A capacidade de ler sua época com rara clareza fez de Prahalad um inspirador para as empresas modernas
Por Rodolfo Araújo*
Mundo da gestão perdeu em 16 de abril um de seus principais inspiradores. Coimbatore Krishnarao Prahalad morreu aos 68 anos, em San Diego, na Califórnia. Doutor pela Harvard Business School, era professor de estratégia na Ross School of Business da Universidade de Michigan e considerado um dos mais influentes pensadores pela Thinkers 50, lista de referência dos grandes nomes da administração. Sua obra pode ser revista por três fios condutores: conhecimento, poder do indivíduo e, sobretudo, olhar para o futuro a partir de uma visão inclusiva de desenvolvimento – e não apenas em teorias centradas em custos. Para o pensador indiano, as estratégias corporativas deveriam ser arquitetadas a partir de oportunidades.
Prahalad iniciou a defesa dessa visão junto com Gary Hamel, um de seus principais parceiros, com quem escreveu, em 1990, o célebre artigo The Core Competence of the Corporation, e fundador do conceito de “competências essenciais”. Para os autores, as empresas não eram um conjunto de silos, mas ambientes dinâmicos de conhecimentos, técnicas e tecnologias sobre suas atividades.
A parceria gerou, em 1994, o livro Competindo pelo Futuro, no qual reforçaram essa perspectiva promissora de desenvolvimento. Segundo a dupla, “nos negócios, como na arte, o que distingue os líderes dos retardatários é a capacidade de imaginar com originalidade o que é possível”.
Prahalad alertou as empresas para a força do consumidor de baixa renda
Em O Futuro da Competição, escrito com Venkat Ramaswamy, em 2004, Prahalad atualizou sua reflexão ao inserir as experiências individuais como centro do processo de cocriação de valor, que passava a ocorrer em rede e de maneira colaborativa com o consumidor e outros agentes. Os autores retrataram um cenário de transparência e crescente acesso à informação, que deslocava o poder das empresas para as pessoas, criando a necessidade de diálogos baseados na confiança. A força de uma marca, portanto, estaria na qualidade das experiências proporcionadas, ou seja, nos vínculos genuínos e singulares estabelecidos entre ela e seus públicos.
Já sua visão de desenvolvimento inclusivo ganhou notoriedade em 2004, com A Riqueza na Base da Pirâmide. No livro, Prahalad alertou as corporações para a criação de novos campos de negócio focados nos emergentes consumidores de baixa renda e a consequente constituição de um ambiente de inclusão e prosperidade em países pobres.
Ao sofisticar sua visão sobre o futuro, Prahalad traçou a sustentabilidade como a fronteira principal da inovação, ou seja, como referência de transformação da maneira pela qual as empresas pensam seus modelos de negócio. Em 2008, com The New Age of Innovation: Driving Cocreated Value through Global Networks, Prahalad e M.S. Krishnan enfatizaram a importância das transações focadas nas experiências individuais e no uso inteligente de recursos em um contexto que chamou de “ecossistema global” de organizações.
Sua principal virtude foi, sem dúvida, a capacidade de ler sua época com rara clareza e, a partir dessa interpretação, criar um legado simultaneamente otimista e pragmático, ao articular e revisitar conceitos atuais e nem sempre bem conectados. Para construirmos o futuro de forma ativa, como Prahalad pregava, é preciso combinar imaginação e ação, ou seja, pensar não nas velhas (ou melhores), mas nas próximas práticas. Foi o que nos ensinou.
*Rodolfo Araújo é professor da Business School São Paulo e consultor da Thymus Branding
Vendas confecções
Roupas femininas: alavanque as vendas da sua loja
Publicado em 5 de 11 de junho de 2010 às 03h31 por Fernanda Peregrino
O internauta Anderson quer aumentar as vendas da loja de roupas e acessórios femininos, que sua esposa tem em Montes Claros, Minas Gerais. O empreendimento está em funcionamento há três anos.
“As vendas estão piorando. Ao lado, há uma concorrente que vende cinco vezes mais que o nosso comércio. Os produtos são praticamente iguais, e alguns chegam a ser mais caros. Por que será que o concorrente está obtendo esses resultados? Será que influencia na compra o fato da loja ser bonita, reformada e bem montada?”
Confira as dicas do Consultor Sebrae:
Queda nas vendas
As causas para a queda nas vendas podem ser diversas, seja pelo resultado de uma crise que leva aos clientes a comprarem somente o necessário ou por uma mudança no mercado ou na gestão inadequada do negócio por parte dos dirigentes de uma empresa.
Não há como sugerir alguma solução imediata, sem que se conheçam exatamente os fatores que estão levando a empresa a sofrer com a diminuição das vendas. Mas é fundamental que conheça corretamente as suas despesas, a fim de analisar se o preço dos produtos e a margem de lucro do seu negócio estão adequados; projetar os valores a gastar; planejar reduções; e controlar as despesas para que não saiam dos limites estipulados. É preciso enxugar ou cortar ao máximo o que for possível.
Ouça os clientes
Seria desejável fazer uma pesquisa junto a sua clientela e analisar o que esta acontecendo e o que mudou nesses últimos meses. Procure saber se as exigências dos clientes estão evoluindo e o que esperam da loja com relação aos produtos, formas de pagamento, atendimento, etc.
Pesquise o mercado
Em paralelo, seria importante sondar o mercado, a fim de analisar como estão os modelos que comercializa, saber se há novidades e quais são as tendências do setor. Além da loja ao lado, deve sondar outros concorrentes e verificar como eles estão driblando a concorrência, que tipo de produtos e/ou serviços eles estão oferecendo, quais são as promoções e as formas de divulgação para atrair a clientela, etc.
Com essas informações, poderá definir ações focadas para uma eventual alteração dos produtos e também específicas em promoção e marketing com vistas ao aumento das vendas e à recuperação do seu mercado.
Aumentando as vendas
Para alavancar as vendas, o ideal seria buscar diversificar a carteira de clientes, aumentando a divulgação da empresa e seus produtos através da propaganda boca a boca, da distribuição de folhetos e mala direta e instalação de faixas, que são opções de divulgação relativamente baratas.
Vale mencionar que como o mercado varejista é muito competitivo, não basta oferecer bons produtos, sendo necessário dispor de um bom ponto-de-venda (loja), promover os produtos (através de ações de divulgação) e ter preços justos que os clientes estejam dispostos a pagar.
Segundo Augusto Aki, Consultor de Acesso a Mercado, quanto mais competitivo for o comércio local, mais importantes serão as ações de mercado ligadas a:
- amplitude do mix de produtos;
- especialização por nicho de mercado;
- tamanho físico e ambiente da loja;
- comunicação visual dentro da loja e vitrine;
- opções de crédito;
- agressividade em preços;
- ponto comercial;
- serviços agregados (ex. customização de roupas);
- “acolhimento” ao cliente;
- merchandising, promoção e ferramentas de fidelização dos clientes;
- marca;
- ações de impacto (ex. “aceitamos sua roupa usada como pagamento” x doação);
- e uso da web para comunicar conceitos de moda.
Para ele, o conhecimento sobre moda também cresceu e está mais acessível, tornando os consumidores mais especialistas, o que pressiona as lojas a oferecerem um atendimento melhor, pois os vendedores precisam estar à frente de seus clientes, transformando-se em consultores de estilo.
Desta forma, deve-se pensar em alternativas para agregar valor ao negócio e se diferenciar da concorrência. Agregar valor é oferecer o inesperado ao cliente; ir além da obrigação; oferecer mais e melhor e o que ninguém ainda oferece. Embora alguns itens acima estejam relacionados ao atendimento e estejam no rol de obrigações de qualquer loja, o atendimento é um importante diferencial competitivo.
Capacitação
Também poderá acessar informações de interesse nos cursos “Como Vender Mais e Melhor” e “Análise e Planejamento Financeiro”. Estes cursos podem ser realizados via internet de forma gratuita ou presencialmente. Ligue 0800 570 0800 e se informe. A versão online é gratuita.
Publicado em 5 de 11 de junho de 2010 às 03h31 por Fernanda Peregrino
O internauta Anderson quer aumentar as vendas da loja de roupas e acessórios femininos, que sua esposa tem em Montes Claros, Minas Gerais. O empreendimento está em funcionamento há três anos.
“As vendas estão piorando. Ao lado, há uma concorrente que vende cinco vezes mais que o nosso comércio. Os produtos são praticamente iguais, e alguns chegam a ser mais caros. Por que será que o concorrente está obtendo esses resultados? Será que influencia na compra o fato da loja ser bonita, reformada e bem montada?”
Confira as dicas do Consultor Sebrae:
Queda nas vendas
As causas para a queda nas vendas podem ser diversas, seja pelo resultado de uma crise que leva aos clientes a comprarem somente o necessário ou por uma mudança no mercado ou na gestão inadequada do negócio por parte dos dirigentes de uma empresa.
Não há como sugerir alguma solução imediata, sem que se conheçam exatamente os fatores que estão levando a empresa a sofrer com a diminuição das vendas. Mas é fundamental que conheça corretamente as suas despesas, a fim de analisar se o preço dos produtos e a margem de lucro do seu negócio estão adequados; projetar os valores a gastar; planejar reduções; e controlar as despesas para que não saiam dos limites estipulados. É preciso enxugar ou cortar ao máximo o que for possível.
Ouça os clientes
Seria desejável fazer uma pesquisa junto a sua clientela e analisar o que esta acontecendo e o que mudou nesses últimos meses. Procure saber se as exigências dos clientes estão evoluindo e o que esperam da loja com relação aos produtos, formas de pagamento, atendimento, etc.
Pesquise o mercado
Em paralelo, seria importante sondar o mercado, a fim de analisar como estão os modelos que comercializa, saber se há novidades e quais são as tendências do setor. Além da loja ao lado, deve sondar outros concorrentes e verificar como eles estão driblando a concorrência, que tipo de produtos e/ou serviços eles estão oferecendo, quais são as promoções e as formas de divulgação para atrair a clientela, etc.
Com essas informações, poderá definir ações focadas para uma eventual alteração dos produtos e também específicas em promoção e marketing com vistas ao aumento das vendas e à recuperação do seu mercado.
Aumentando as vendas
Para alavancar as vendas, o ideal seria buscar diversificar a carteira de clientes, aumentando a divulgação da empresa e seus produtos através da propaganda boca a boca, da distribuição de folhetos e mala direta e instalação de faixas, que são opções de divulgação relativamente baratas.
Vale mencionar que como o mercado varejista é muito competitivo, não basta oferecer bons produtos, sendo necessário dispor de um bom ponto-de-venda (loja), promover os produtos (através de ações de divulgação) e ter preços justos que os clientes estejam dispostos a pagar.
Segundo Augusto Aki, Consultor de Acesso a Mercado, quanto mais competitivo for o comércio local, mais importantes serão as ações de mercado ligadas a:
- amplitude do mix de produtos;
- especialização por nicho de mercado;
- tamanho físico e ambiente da loja;
- comunicação visual dentro da loja e vitrine;
- opções de crédito;
- agressividade em preços;
- ponto comercial;
- serviços agregados (ex. customização de roupas);
- “acolhimento” ao cliente;
- merchandising, promoção e ferramentas de fidelização dos clientes;
- marca;
- ações de impacto (ex. “aceitamos sua roupa usada como pagamento” x doação);
- e uso da web para comunicar conceitos de moda.
Para ele, o conhecimento sobre moda também cresceu e está mais acessível, tornando os consumidores mais especialistas, o que pressiona as lojas a oferecerem um atendimento melhor, pois os vendedores precisam estar à frente de seus clientes, transformando-se em consultores de estilo.
Desta forma, deve-se pensar em alternativas para agregar valor ao negócio e se diferenciar da concorrência. Agregar valor é oferecer o inesperado ao cliente; ir além da obrigação; oferecer mais e melhor e o que ninguém ainda oferece. Embora alguns itens acima estejam relacionados ao atendimento e estejam no rol de obrigações de qualquer loja, o atendimento é um importante diferencial competitivo.
Capacitação
Também poderá acessar informações de interesse nos cursos “Como Vender Mais e Melhor” e “Análise e Planejamento Financeiro”. Estes cursos podem ser realizados via internet de forma gratuita ou presencialmente. Ligue 0800 570 0800 e se informe. A versão online é gratuita.
quinta-feira, 10 de junho de 2010
Mercado de luxo
Mercado de luxo abre espaço às pequenas empresas
Revista INCorporativa - Da Redação
Nem só de Daslu, H.Stern, Tânia Bulhões e Fasano vive o mercado de luxo nacional. Marcas menores, mas não menos exclusivas, também têm se esforçado para abocanhar uma fatia dos R$ 6 bilhões anuais movimentados por esse segmento. São empresas que fabricam desde banheiras vitorianas esmaltadas até embalagens requintadas para presentes e roupas infantis no melhor estilo europeu.
Três em cada cinco empresas que atuam no Brasil vendendo produtos e serviços para os consumidores do luxo são genuinamente brasileiras e parte desses negócios está na mão de pequenos e médios empresários. Passada a crise e com a gradativa recuperação do mercado, a expectativa é que novos empreendedores comecem a se voltar para a alta renda.
A última pesquisa realizada pela MCF Consultoria, em parceria com a Gfk Brasil, mostra que mais da metade das empresas de luxo começou a operar na última década. "É relativamente fácil empreender no luxo e as empresas de menor porte têm elementos que atendem bem a esse público", diz Silvio Passareli, coordenador do curso de Gestão do Luxo, na Faap. Segundo ele, esses negócios costumam dar certo porque os produtos são fabricados em pouca quantidade e sob os olhos do dono, o que garante exclusividade e qualidade. "O grande segredo é ter a ideia e um comportamento de luxo", afirma. Para ele, o empreendedor que se destaca nesse mercado ou é ele próprio um consumidor do luxo ou estudou muito os meandros desse mercado.
Inspiração europeia.
A grife infantil Primo Bambino é um exemplo da primeira possibilidade. Ela surgiu depois que a dentista Ana Lúcia Lorenzo decidiu comprar em Nova York e na Itália o enxoval do primeiro filho. Diante do sucesso que as roupas fizeram entre as amigas, ela trocou o consultório por um ateliê de costura em Uberaba (MG), hoje com 40 funcionários. Uma peça pode custar até R$ 800. Ana Lúcia também trabalha com joias. Já vendeu uma pulseira com anjos barrocos, em ouro e topázio imperial, por R$ 2,5 mil, para uma menina de 9 anos.
A estratégia da empresária para ganhar mercado foi decisiva para o sucesso da grife. As coleções desenhadas por ela começaram a ser vendidas em butiques selecionadas de roupas femininas. Ser uma frequentadora dessas lojas encurtou caminhos. O primeiro ponto de venda da Primo Bambino foi a Daslu. Hoje, a marca está em 12 endereços no Brasil. "Vendemos no máximo três peças iguais numa mesma cidade e só trabalhamos com encomendas dos lojistas."
A produção limitada é tão decisiva para quem se dispõe a trabalhar com o luxo que esses empreendedores nem sempre fazem planos de crescer. A empresária Jennifer Bresser, que há dez anos faz lembrancinhas para casamentos e outros eventos com embalagens artesanais, tem capacidade de produzir 200 peças por dia e não quer chegar a muito mais do que isso. Sua meta é conseguir fabricar o suficiente para garantir a pronta entrega. "Nos últimos dois anos, duplicamos o faturamento e não pretendemos expandir", diz.
No Rio Grande do Sul, um empresário recém-chegado ao mercado de luxo optou pelo público de alta renda desde o início. A Doka Bath Works fabrica banheiras vitorianas esmaltadas, feitas à base de ferro fundido. Cada peça custa entre R$ 5,5 mil e R$ 9 mil. "Tinha de focar em clientes com poder de compra muito alto", diz o fundador Bruno Tomasi. Para garantir a exclusividade, ele limita o número de showrooms em cada uma das 50 cidades em que está presente hoje.
Dos quatro elementos fundamentais para conquistar um consumidor do luxo - exclusividade, beleza, qualidade e tradição - , só o último deixa a desejar entre as pequenas empresas brasileiras. Mas essa também não chega a ser uma barreira intransponível, diz Silvio Passareli. Segundo ele, manter um fio condutor e surpreender o cliente com mimos pode tornar uma marca tão atrativa quanto as mais centenárias do mercado.
Revista INCorporativa - Da Redação
Nem só de Daslu, H.Stern, Tânia Bulhões e Fasano vive o mercado de luxo nacional. Marcas menores, mas não menos exclusivas, também têm se esforçado para abocanhar uma fatia dos R$ 6 bilhões anuais movimentados por esse segmento. São empresas que fabricam desde banheiras vitorianas esmaltadas até embalagens requintadas para presentes e roupas infantis no melhor estilo europeu.
Três em cada cinco empresas que atuam no Brasil vendendo produtos e serviços para os consumidores do luxo são genuinamente brasileiras e parte desses negócios está na mão de pequenos e médios empresários. Passada a crise e com a gradativa recuperação do mercado, a expectativa é que novos empreendedores comecem a se voltar para a alta renda.
A última pesquisa realizada pela MCF Consultoria, em parceria com a Gfk Brasil, mostra que mais da metade das empresas de luxo começou a operar na última década. "É relativamente fácil empreender no luxo e as empresas de menor porte têm elementos que atendem bem a esse público", diz Silvio Passareli, coordenador do curso de Gestão do Luxo, na Faap. Segundo ele, esses negócios costumam dar certo porque os produtos são fabricados em pouca quantidade e sob os olhos do dono, o que garante exclusividade e qualidade. "O grande segredo é ter a ideia e um comportamento de luxo", afirma. Para ele, o empreendedor que se destaca nesse mercado ou é ele próprio um consumidor do luxo ou estudou muito os meandros desse mercado.
Inspiração europeia.
A grife infantil Primo Bambino é um exemplo da primeira possibilidade. Ela surgiu depois que a dentista Ana Lúcia Lorenzo decidiu comprar em Nova York e na Itália o enxoval do primeiro filho. Diante do sucesso que as roupas fizeram entre as amigas, ela trocou o consultório por um ateliê de costura em Uberaba (MG), hoje com 40 funcionários. Uma peça pode custar até R$ 800. Ana Lúcia também trabalha com joias. Já vendeu uma pulseira com anjos barrocos, em ouro e topázio imperial, por R$ 2,5 mil, para uma menina de 9 anos.
A estratégia da empresária para ganhar mercado foi decisiva para o sucesso da grife. As coleções desenhadas por ela começaram a ser vendidas em butiques selecionadas de roupas femininas. Ser uma frequentadora dessas lojas encurtou caminhos. O primeiro ponto de venda da Primo Bambino foi a Daslu. Hoje, a marca está em 12 endereços no Brasil. "Vendemos no máximo três peças iguais numa mesma cidade e só trabalhamos com encomendas dos lojistas."
A produção limitada é tão decisiva para quem se dispõe a trabalhar com o luxo que esses empreendedores nem sempre fazem planos de crescer. A empresária Jennifer Bresser, que há dez anos faz lembrancinhas para casamentos e outros eventos com embalagens artesanais, tem capacidade de produzir 200 peças por dia e não quer chegar a muito mais do que isso. Sua meta é conseguir fabricar o suficiente para garantir a pronta entrega. "Nos últimos dois anos, duplicamos o faturamento e não pretendemos expandir", diz.
No Rio Grande do Sul, um empresário recém-chegado ao mercado de luxo optou pelo público de alta renda desde o início. A Doka Bath Works fabrica banheiras vitorianas esmaltadas, feitas à base de ferro fundido. Cada peça custa entre R$ 5,5 mil e R$ 9 mil. "Tinha de focar em clientes com poder de compra muito alto", diz o fundador Bruno Tomasi. Para garantir a exclusividade, ele limita o número de showrooms em cada uma das 50 cidades em que está presente hoje.
Dos quatro elementos fundamentais para conquistar um consumidor do luxo - exclusividade, beleza, qualidade e tradição - , só o último deixa a desejar entre as pequenas empresas brasileiras. Mas essa também não chega a ser uma barreira intransponível, diz Silvio Passareli. Segundo ele, manter um fio condutor e surpreender o cliente com mimos pode tornar uma marca tão atrativa quanto as mais centenárias do mercado.
sábado, 5 de junho de 2010
7 dicas para um networking poderoso
High-ROI Networking
Scott Allen
Jun 02, 2010 -
Networking is addictive. For the most part, that's not entirely a bad thing. Networking is one of the most cost-effective forms of marketing, plus all the benefits to other areas of your business. But there is a potential dark side: It can become a huge time drain without producing proportionate results.
It's easy to understand the appeal of networking. For starters, there's generally no rejection. In fact, you've probably been to a networking event or two that felt kind of like a post-modern hippie lovefest. Networking simply feels better than most activities that we can engage in under the umbrella of "doing business."
Also, networking pretty much always works… eventually. And that's the first step on the slippery slope. See, once you have a taste of success from networking, it becomes a validation of whatever networking strategy and activities you've engaged in. Whatever you've been doing is working, so you obviously just need to do more of the same to get more results, right? It's self-validating, and that's why it's so addictive.
What if someone could show you a way to get double, triple, quadruple the results from your networking activities? Surprisingly, many avid networkers don't even want to take a look. They've already adopted the "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" philosophy.
Most people network haphazardly, with little or no strategy. Do you know what networking event (or networking site — the same is true online) most people attend? The first one someone they know recommends to them. There's no consideration as to whether it's the best format and the right people for their business.
Even those who have some kind of networking strategy are usually missing one key element:
For maximum return on your investment in networking, align your networking strategy with your business objectives.
I often hear self-appointed networking evangelists saying that you should network as much as possible, at any opportunity, because "you never know where your next opportunity may come from." That makes about as much sense as a scientist going into the lab and just throwing random chemicals together because "you never know where your next breakthrough discovery may come from."
If you want to maximize your results in the lab, you take a highly methodical approach, and your experiments focus on the area of research in which you're hoping for a discovery. While it's true that many of history's greatest scientific discoveries were happy accidents, that's because those scientists kept an open eye and recognized the unexpected opportunity when they saw it, not because they were engaged in random experimentation.
The same is true of networking. Sure, you can network anywhere, not just at networking events. Sure, once you're engaged with people, you treat everybody equally. Sure, you keep your eyes and ears open for unexpected opportunities. But for maximum results, choose venues and activities that are highly focused on supporting your business relationship needs. Time is the one truly limited resource. Choose well how you spend it.
So how do you determine those needs for your business?
In the book I coauthored with David Teten, The Virtual Handshake: Opening Doors and Closing Deals Online, we introduced the idea of the 7 Keys to a Powerful Network:
1. Character. Your integrity, clarity of motives, consistency of behavior, openness, discretion, and trustworthiness. This is driven by the reality and the appearance: the real content of your character, and what each acquaintance thinks of your character.
2. Competence. Your ability to "walk your talk" and do well the job that you claim to be able to do; your demonstrated credentials and capability. It includes functional knowledge and skills, interpersonal skills, and judgment. Similarly, this is driven by both the real level of your competence and by what each acquaintance views as the level of your competence.
3. Relevance. Your acquaintance's value to you, defined as their ability to contribute to your specific goals. The acquaintance's relevance is also driven by the value of the acquaintance's own network.
4. Information. The data that you have about the acquaintance. First are the basic coordinates: e-mail address, phone numbers, family Information, and so on. Also invaluable is information about their professional background, how their career is advancing, what coworkers say about them, what their likes and dislikes are, and so on.
5. Strength. The closeness of the relationship between you and your acquaintance. This reflects the degree of trust and reciprocity between you.
6. Number. How many people you know directly, including both strong and weak ties.
7. Diversity. Heterogeneity of your network by geography, profession, industry, hierarchical position, age, sex, ethnicity, political orientation, etc.
These are dimensions in which you can assess both your current network and what you need to support your business objectives, as well as the gap between them.
Every business has a unique combination of needs in these dimensions. For example, for a barber, the single most important element is competence. You can meet hundreds of people, pass out thousands of business cards, but most people are going to be reluctant to refer people to you until they know you give a good haircut. Relevance is a non-issue — everybody gets haircuts.
On the other hand, if you sell enterprise software into Fortune 500 companies, having a large number of contacts isn't a priority. You only have a few hundred potential customers, so having thousands of LinkedIn connections won't help you much. On the other hand, building strong customer and industry relationships and having a great deal of information about your prospective customers is critical to your success.
It would be great to have a network that's strong in all of these areas, of course. As a practical matter, though, it's really only possible to focus on a couple of them as the focus of your networking strategy. Start by assessing your current network (a subjective score of 1 to 10 in each area will work fine). Now consider your current business objectives for, say, the next three to six months. Which two of the seven keys, if you improved your network in those areas, would best help you achieve those goals?
Now you have the basis for determining the focused, personalized networking strategy that will allow you to achieve more results with less effort.
There are dozens of different tactics for each of the seven keys. Here are a few to get you started:
1. Character. Be a connector and take the initiative to make introductions proactively. Keep commitments. Respect confidentiality. Say "thank you." Volunteer.
2. Competence. As Will Rogers said, "If ya done it, it ain't braggin'." Make sure your online profiles are fully filled out with all of your major accomplishments and credentials. Write and speak on your topic of expertise. Say what you're going to do, then do it. Communicate clearly and accurately.
3. Relevance. Define your ideal customer, partner, employee, etc. Seek out venues where those people congregate. People tend to know others like themselves, so if you meet more people like your ideal customer, they'll give you opportunities to meet still more. Meet and cultivate relationships with the leaders and influencers in those groups. Use online networks like LinkedIn or OPEN Forum Connectodex to make highly targeted connections.
4. Information. Manage your contacts and collect data about them as you get it — birthday, kids, religion, interests, etc. Use LinkedIn to monitor career changes and other status updates from your contacts. Get a business card scanner. Make sure your own information is readily available and current in all your online points of presence.
5. Strength. Take a sincere interest in others. Be of service. Choose action over conversation. Help someone accomplish something in their business. Stay in touch on a regular basis.
6. Number. Opt for public or small group conversations and keep the one-on-one interaction focused on action. Participate less in more places, both online and in person. Publish. Speak.
7. Diversity. Assess your network and fill in the gaps (what kind of people do you not know?). Plan ahead. Start by meeting people now who can support some future goal. Once you've got a moderately diverse network, meet your friends' friends.
As you pursue these, it's helpful to realize that some are complementary, while others have an inverse relationship. For example, sharing information tends to help build stronger relationships, as does demonstrating your character. On the other hand, building stronger relationships typically means spending more time with each person. The more relationships you try to maintain, the less time you can spend with each person. Thus, it's difficult to work on building both stronger relationships and more of them. Similarly, it's difficult to pursue both relevance and diversity; by definition, they are competing priorities.
Put these techniques into action and you're on your way to becoming a high-ROI networker. High-ROI networkers don't spend their time seeking out people to talk to and telling them about their business. They draw people to them. They create such a presence, such an impression, that people seek them out, not vice-versa.
When people start seeking you out instead of the other way around, your whole networking paradigm changes. You'll quickly find that there's no shortage of opportunity — only a shortage of time to act on it.
Scott “Social Media” Allen is a 25-year veteran technology entrepreneur, executive and consultant. He’s coauthor of The Virtual Handshake: Opening Doors and Closing Deals Online, the first book on the business use of social media, and The Emergence of The Relationship Economy. His latest venture, NFN8 Media, maintains a growing portfolio of niche content and community sites. He enjoys working with entrepreneurs and serves on the advisory board of several startups.
Tags: financial management, financialmanagement, networking, networking strategy, roi, scott allen, social networking
Scott Allen
Jun 02, 2010 -
Networking is addictive. For the most part, that's not entirely a bad thing. Networking is one of the most cost-effective forms of marketing, plus all the benefits to other areas of your business. But there is a potential dark side: It can become a huge time drain without producing proportionate results.
It's easy to understand the appeal of networking. For starters, there's generally no rejection. In fact, you've probably been to a networking event or two that felt kind of like a post-modern hippie lovefest. Networking simply feels better than most activities that we can engage in under the umbrella of "doing business."
Also, networking pretty much always works… eventually. And that's the first step on the slippery slope. See, once you have a taste of success from networking, it becomes a validation of whatever networking strategy and activities you've engaged in. Whatever you've been doing is working, so you obviously just need to do more of the same to get more results, right? It's self-validating, and that's why it's so addictive.
What if someone could show you a way to get double, triple, quadruple the results from your networking activities? Surprisingly, many avid networkers don't even want to take a look. They've already adopted the "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" philosophy.
Most people network haphazardly, with little or no strategy. Do you know what networking event (or networking site — the same is true online) most people attend? The first one someone they know recommends to them. There's no consideration as to whether it's the best format and the right people for their business.
Even those who have some kind of networking strategy are usually missing one key element:
For maximum return on your investment in networking, align your networking strategy with your business objectives.
I often hear self-appointed networking evangelists saying that you should network as much as possible, at any opportunity, because "you never know where your next opportunity may come from." That makes about as much sense as a scientist going into the lab and just throwing random chemicals together because "you never know where your next breakthrough discovery may come from."
If you want to maximize your results in the lab, you take a highly methodical approach, and your experiments focus on the area of research in which you're hoping for a discovery. While it's true that many of history's greatest scientific discoveries were happy accidents, that's because those scientists kept an open eye and recognized the unexpected opportunity when they saw it, not because they were engaged in random experimentation.
The same is true of networking. Sure, you can network anywhere, not just at networking events. Sure, once you're engaged with people, you treat everybody equally. Sure, you keep your eyes and ears open for unexpected opportunities. But for maximum results, choose venues and activities that are highly focused on supporting your business relationship needs. Time is the one truly limited resource. Choose well how you spend it.
So how do you determine those needs for your business?
In the book I coauthored with David Teten, The Virtual Handshake: Opening Doors and Closing Deals Online, we introduced the idea of the 7 Keys to a Powerful Network:
1. Character. Your integrity, clarity of motives, consistency of behavior, openness, discretion, and trustworthiness. This is driven by the reality and the appearance: the real content of your character, and what each acquaintance thinks of your character.
2. Competence. Your ability to "walk your talk" and do well the job that you claim to be able to do; your demonstrated credentials and capability. It includes functional knowledge and skills, interpersonal skills, and judgment. Similarly, this is driven by both the real level of your competence and by what each acquaintance views as the level of your competence.
3. Relevance. Your acquaintance's value to you, defined as their ability to contribute to your specific goals. The acquaintance's relevance is also driven by the value of the acquaintance's own network.
4. Information. The data that you have about the acquaintance. First are the basic coordinates: e-mail address, phone numbers, family Information, and so on. Also invaluable is information about their professional background, how their career is advancing, what coworkers say about them, what their likes and dislikes are, and so on.
5. Strength. The closeness of the relationship between you and your acquaintance. This reflects the degree of trust and reciprocity between you.
6. Number. How many people you know directly, including both strong and weak ties.
7. Diversity. Heterogeneity of your network by geography, profession, industry, hierarchical position, age, sex, ethnicity, political orientation, etc.
These are dimensions in which you can assess both your current network and what you need to support your business objectives, as well as the gap between them.
Every business has a unique combination of needs in these dimensions. For example, for a barber, the single most important element is competence. You can meet hundreds of people, pass out thousands of business cards, but most people are going to be reluctant to refer people to you until they know you give a good haircut. Relevance is a non-issue — everybody gets haircuts.
On the other hand, if you sell enterprise software into Fortune 500 companies, having a large number of contacts isn't a priority. You only have a few hundred potential customers, so having thousands of LinkedIn connections won't help you much. On the other hand, building strong customer and industry relationships and having a great deal of information about your prospective customers is critical to your success.
It would be great to have a network that's strong in all of these areas, of course. As a practical matter, though, it's really only possible to focus on a couple of them as the focus of your networking strategy. Start by assessing your current network (a subjective score of 1 to 10 in each area will work fine). Now consider your current business objectives for, say, the next three to six months. Which two of the seven keys, if you improved your network in those areas, would best help you achieve those goals?
Now you have the basis for determining the focused, personalized networking strategy that will allow you to achieve more results with less effort.
There are dozens of different tactics for each of the seven keys. Here are a few to get you started:
1. Character. Be a connector and take the initiative to make introductions proactively. Keep commitments. Respect confidentiality. Say "thank you." Volunteer.
2. Competence. As Will Rogers said, "If ya done it, it ain't braggin'." Make sure your online profiles are fully filled out with all of your major accomplishments and credentials. Write and speak on your topic of expertise. Say what you're going to do, then do it. Communicate clearly and accurately.
3. Relevance. Define your ideal customer, partner, employee, etc. Seek out venues where those people congregate. People tend to know others like themselves, so if you meet more people like your ideal customer, they'll give you opportunities to meet still more. Meet and cultivate relationships with the leaders and influencers in those groups. Use online networks like LinkedIn or OPEN Forum Connectodex to make highly targeted connections.
4. Information. Manage your contacts and collect data about them as you get it — birthday, kids, religion, interests, etc. Use LinkedIn to monitor career changes and other status updates from your contacts. Get a business card scanner. Make sure your own information is readily available and current in all your online points of presence.
5. Strength. Take a sincere interest in others. Be of service. Choose action over conversation. Help someone accomplish something in their business. Stay in touch on a regular basis.
6. Number. Opt for public or small group conversations and keep the one-on-one interaction focused on action. Participate less in more places, both online and in person. Publish. Speak.
7. Diversity. Assess your network and fill in the gaps (what kind of people do you not know?). Plan ahead. Start by meeting people now who can support some future goal. Once you've got a moderately diverse network, meet your friends' friends.
As you pursue these, it's helpful to realize that some are complementary, while others have an inverse relationship. For example, sharing information tends to help build stronger relationships, as does demonstrating your character. On the other hand, building stronger relationships typically means spending more time with each person. The more relationships you try to maintain, the less time you can spend with each person. Thus, it's difficult to work on building both stronger relationships and more of them. Similarly, it's difficult to pursue both relevance and diversity; by definition, they are competing priorities.
Put these techniques into action and you're on your way to becoming a high-ROI networker. High-ROI networkers don't spend their time seeking out people to talk to and telling them about their business. They draw people to them. They create such a presence, such an impression, that people seek them out, not vice-versa.
When people start seeking you out instead of the other way around, your whole networking paradigm changes. You'll quickly find that there's no shortage of opportunity — only a shortage of time to act on it.
Scott “Social Media” Allen is a 25-year veteran technology entrepreneur, executive and consultant. He’s coauthor of The Virtual Handshake: Opening Doors and Closing Deals Online, the first book on the business use of social media, and The Emergence of The Relationship Economy. His latest venture, NFN8 Media, maintains a growing portfolio of niche content and community sites. He enjoys working with entrepreneurs and serves on the advisory board of several startups.
Tags: financial management, financialmanagement, networking, networking strategy, roi, scott allen, social networking
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