I have recently been reading a book called "Big Winners and Big Losers", as naturally I wish to be the former and avoid the latter in Japan Relocation! This is a summary of what I have learnt.
I am going to do this across several posts, today being the first.
Great relocation companies have the following attributes;
1.
They have a “Sweet Spot”
2.
They have “Agility”
3.
They have “Discipline”
4.
They have “Focus”
Great companies are also said best to have either one of the 4 following strategies (or may be a combination);
Focused
Cost Leadership (ie. low cost orientated); a narrow view and one type of customer
Cost
Leadership (ie. low cost orientated); a broad view and many kinds of customers
Focused
Differentiation (ie. not cost lead); a narrow view and one type of customer
Differentiation
(ie. not cost lead); a broad view and many types of customer
The four secrets of long term business success are therefore to articulate one of the above approaches, with the 4 attributes as follows;
1. Position yourself in a sweet spot; be in uncontested space
2. Move with agility; get out of contested space and into uncontested space
3. Be "hard-to-imitate" and disciplined; protect your uncontested space
4. Concentrate and focus; exploit your uncontested space
THE FIRST ATTRIBUTE; SWEET SPOTS
“Sweet spots” can be attained by;
- Co-designing products with your customers
- Embedding yourselves in your customer’s infra-structure
- Being brokers between your customer’s needs and the satisfaction of those needs
Tune in again soon to learn about the 2nd, 3rd and 4th attributes!