Earlier, we shared takeaways from Donald Keough’s THE TEN COMMANDMENTS OF BUSINESS FAILURE.
Today, by way of Seth, we learn of Ed Welch’s list of 101 ways a business WILL destroy itself. Lots of chewy nuggets in Ed’s PDF — below are a few of the chewiest nuggets...
#1. When you have a great product that’s selling well - look for ways to make it cheaper – your customers won’t be able to tell the difference.#5. Do everything you can to keep your customers from creating a community – you don’t want them talking to each other.
#16. Make sure your employees care more about procedures and rules than customers.
#22. Never try to build customer evangelists – mass advertising has always worked better!
#47. Make sure everyone in your company understands that people are loyal to products and brands – NOT other people and relationships.
Do any of the 101 entries include "Feel free to insult your customers, they won't mind as they are loyal to the product"???
Cos that "Hint" of yours is really insulting!! ;-)
(actually, it's kinda scary you felt you needed to add it).
Great list though, I'm ticking them off one by one.
Posted by: Gordon | September 15, 2008 at 09:04 AM
Hey everybody ... Gordo got snarky!
Lighten up Gordon. Lighten up.
(BTW, "Gordo Got Snarky" would be a killer band name.)
Posted by: johnmoore (from Brand Autopsy) | September 15, 2008 at 09:10 AM
Hi John:
Maybe we can make the world a better place? When businesses better value their tribes of customers - everyone wins. ;)
Ed
Posted by: Ed Welch | September 15, 2008 at 11:34 AM
We have to try to make the world a better place...
Posted by: Martin | September 15, 2008 at 02:16 PM