Why Buy the Quarter-Inch Drill?

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Bob Schultek Author of The Gauntlet “The customer rarely buys what the company thinks it is selling him.” Peter Drucker “People don’t want to buy a quarter-inch drill. They want a quarter-inch hole.” Theodore Levitt Customers don’t care about products or services – they want solutions. Developing a creative, satisfactory solution to a vital, unmet customer need is the origin of many businesses. But as it matures, the business often loses its focus on how it makes a …

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Why Teams Bond

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Bob Schultek Author of The Gauntlet Teams bond when they struggle together to accomplish an objective. Every military, athletic and business leader knows this truth and relies upon it. Why do team members choose to join in the struggle? Accomplishing the objective is meaningful. The struggle provides a unique opportunity to make a difference, to contribute to a vital, significant endeavor. Participating enables mastery. Struggling with the team to overcome barriers enables the mastery of individual strengths that increase satisfaction, self-confidence and …

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Why Innovations Succeed

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Bob Schultek Author of  The Gauntlet The pursuit of innovation is a vitally important strategy for organizations seeking to accelerate their progress. Companies dedicate significant time, energy and investment to it, often optimizing the efficiency of their innovation process with the goal of improving their success rate. But what if this effort does not improve their ability to predict which innovations will succeed? As Dr. W. Edwards Deming, the renowned quality and management expert observed, every process is …

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3 Attributes That Increase Your Value to Customers

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Bob Schultek Author of The Gauntlet In a commoditized market, why do customers choose to build enduring relationships with some suppliers? It’s all about the strategic value you produce for them. Customers cite 3 attributes that increase your value: 1.   Reliability Customers expect you to keep your promises—it’s the price of admission into the relationship. If your team makes it easy to do business, perhaps delivering exceptional service as well, then your value is increased. What …

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Powerful Moments of Connection

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  Last weekend, a few of my closest friends and I gathered to share memories, stories and laughter at our college reunion. Each of us wandered off at times to reflect on our personal journey during those years, but by far, the most rewarding, enjoyable moments occurred when we were together, reconnecting with the experiences that created our bond. In addition to being the essence of a meaningful lifetime, enduring relationships are the lifeblood of a sustainable …

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Prioritizing Opportunities

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Bob Schultek Author of The Gauntlet Promptly and efficiently evaluating multiple business opportunities can accelerate your reaction to them; move too slowly and the best opportunities may vanish. Ask these three questions for each opportunity to prioritize the alternatives by potential strategic value produced for your business: What quantifiable benefits are produced if the opportunity is successfully exploited? How soon will these benefits be realized? How likely will identified obstacles be quickly overcome? This prioritization will enable you to …

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Creating Your Future

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Bob Schultek Author of The Gauntlet Balancing stability with the need for innovation is a key obligation for leaders. The sustainability of your business depends on finding a suitable equilibrium. Stability pays the bills, relying on structure and standard procedures to boost productivity and ensure high quality that increases reliability and reduces risk. But another consequence of this conformity is the cultivation of bureaucracy that breeds fear of failure, compromising innovation and resulting in a drift towards …

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Growth Is About Progress

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Bob Schultek Author of The Gauntlet You may believe that your business is not changing but is that true for your customers? How do you know? How will changes they are experiencing impact your business? Contributing to a customer’s growth is the most sustainable means of building enduring relationships that help your business thrive. Growth is about progress, and progress requires navigating change to succeed now and in the future. Change cultivates innovation, which then enables progress. …

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Speaking to Persuade

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Bob Schultek Author of The Gauntlet It requires empathy to convince someone that your stance on an issue is worthy. We tend to communicate messages the way we like to hear them, without realizing how our listener might hear them. As a result, messages are often not understood as intended. Asking the other person to explain first, and listening for how they try to persuade you, provides clues about how they interpret what they hear from you. …

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What Drives Customer Loyalty

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Bob Schultek Author of  The Gauntlet Surveys assessing business-to-business customer loyalty, measured as increased sales per customer over multiple years, consistently cite “selling experience” as the primary driver with a response rate that exceeds 50%; a “lowest price” response typically receives about a 10% rate. Additional response choices include better products or services, brand familiarity, higher performance than competitors, and others. When seeking to explain how “selling experience” creates this positive impact, it becomes clear that the …

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