What’s your biggest business learning from the past year?
Lately I learned about Ogilvy’s behavioural science approaches to business challenges that require behaviour change such as improving the perceived value of a product or service. Two examples stood out to me; Adobe reducing customer churn and KFC selling more $1 chips.
- Adobe achieved about a 9% increase in retention rates (worth millions). Instead of agents in the customer service team asking customers why they were cancelling (industry standard approach), they asked, why did they choose adobe in the first place?
- KFC increased total chip sales by 56% just by using the slogan “Our chips for $1 – maximum of 4 per person”
I guess the real learning is that very simple changes can have a massive impact, but finding the one that works sometimes requires analysis, research, trial & error and expertise.
What’s the one thing SMEs need to know to thrive this year?
Change is hard but necessary, if you don’t know what to change or how, then get help from an expert.
What would the title of your autobiography be?
“Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat – he died how he lived” OR
“The Partnership Director: From Boutique to Billions, By Sir James Patrick Quinn”
What three words would describe you?
Curious, Easygoing, Connoisseur
What book or podcast are you currently reading or listening to?
Sooo many podcasts, one that I’ve listened to for many years is Kermode & Mayo’s Film Review (now Kermode & Mayo’s Take as they left the BBC), very enjoyable reviews, interviews and general wittering on. I watch quite a few on youtube now like Diary of a CEO, Chris Williamson etc.
I also look out for podcasts that have Rory Sutherland on as a guest as I think he is always an interesting and funny guest, he is Vice Chair of Ogilvy and the reason I got interested in the behavioural science approaches I mentioned before.
Also I can’t forget I’ve been listening to a partner of Active Directions, Steve Cole of Signature Consulting has a podcast Path to Partnership where he speaks to Partners in Accounting firms about their career journeys.
The best piece of advice I’ve ever been given is…
Probably “go to Australia” (I’ve been here 17 years now) OR
“James stop referencing old movies, nobody has seen them”.
What’s something you wish people would ask you?
How can Active Directions help my clients? OR
More wine?
