Holden Advisors Blog

(Part 3 of 3)

(Part 2 of 3)

In the first blog of this Asking Great Questions series, I talked about the need or rationale for asking questions.  Great questions can undoubtedly be great tools in the right hands.  However, as any good craftsperson can tell you, the key to getting the most out of your tools is knowing how to use them. Using a hammer to drive in a screw never works, no matter how hard you pound.

Remember the Subway “Five-dollar footlong” jingle from 2008? Ten years later, Subway is doubling down on the promotion with a two-month run of $4.99 footlong sandwiches. While the news is music to the ears of delighted deal-seeking Subway customers, not all is well in Sandwichville.

I don’t like arctic cold. I like it even less when I have to take care of unexpected car maintenance. What we would do ourselves in summer, we might look for someone else to handle in winter. Eleven-degree temps can color a person’s perception of value. It can make us do the unthinkable.

(Part 1 of 3)

Great leaders spend their time looking forward and inspiring their team to build an exciting future.   These leaders actively embrace curiosity and reward people that ask great questions rather than ones that offer quick answers.

After visiting family in India over the holidays, I was scheduled to fly back to the US. But due to unforeseen circumstances, I had to change plans. So naturally, I looked into rescheduling my booking with Emirates. I initially bought the ticket at INR 60,000 which is equivalent to $900. It was peak season, so the price was higher than normal. The price for the new date of travel, now out of peak season, was INR 50,000 plus a reschedule fee of INR 3,500. So, I happily called Emirates to reschedule, assuming that I would get back INR 6,500 with the new booking.

What sales people want from you dear Santa – I mean dear CEO and dear GM for 2018!

Nothing beats the smell of a real Christmas tree. Every year on the weekend following Thanksgiving, my wife and I head to the local pop-up seller where tree farmers from up north display their wares of Balsam, Frasers, and Douglas Firs. We evaluate each tree based on size, ability to hold ornaments, the shape, propensity for needle drop, etc. and select a full tree carefully measured to be one inch lower than our ceiling.

‘Tis the season for car commercials and countdowns.  I will spare you the sentimentality of the great American holiday car spots.  Instead, I bring you a bit of fun to close out this holiday season.  We’ve had a super year working on really complex and challenging pricing issues, discovering hidden value for clients, and working with sales people to protect that value in negotiations.  Some of those same consultants are also talented (and competitive) writers who enjoy sharing insights with our followers.  Let’s see who scored the most page views on their blogs.