There is an old joke about a bear that goes something like this... Two guys are out in woods hiking when all of a sudden a huge, black bear starts chasing them. Both hikers end up in a tree, but bear begins to climb tree after them. The first guy gets his sneakers out of his knapsack and starts putting them on. The second guy says, "What are you doing? The first guy says, "I figure when bear gets too close, we'll have to jump down and make a run for it." The second guy says, "Are you crazy? You can't outrun a bear..." The first guy says, "I don't have to outrun bear. I only have to outrun you...

Outrunning your competition, while providing unparalleled customer service is getting tougher and tougher. Daily, senior executives face an unrelenting assault on their business strategy driven by globalization, faster absorption of newer technology, shorter product life cycles and constantly evolving marketing wild card - ubiquitous World-Wide-Web!

If quality was mantra of 80's and ‘re-engineering' business term for 90's, then velocity is key for 21st century!

Over years, Global Marketing gained an astute appreciation for ways and means of developing and running a successful business in industrial automation industry. After much thought and lots of trial and error, we have learned various ‘truths' and complied them into 10 business axioms.

While there is no magic wand or silver bullet to guarantee success in any business, these 10 axioms will help you traverse uncertain and ever-changing market. They will help you develop a business strategy and execute tactics that obtains sustainable growth and above average return to your stakeholders.

We begin with Global Marketing business axiom # 1:

Stay in front of your business - if you don't your competitors will!

This may seem obvious, but all too often Global Marketing is called in to help a client after they are in serious trouble. Many times we find that senior executives wait until growth subsides, profit margins erode and competitive pressures force steep discounting as de facto business strategy. This condition didn't occur overnight, it happens over time.

How do you tell someone who is complacent, that they are complacent? This is not meant to be double-speak, but to convey a powerful point in a pithy manner. No one plans to be complacent in business, it happens slowly over time and one day company faces severe cut-backs and CEO and management team struggle to find a way forward before bankruptcy becomes only answer.

The sad truth is that this scenario could easily be averted.

Wishful promises don’t cut it in small-town businesses or big-city corporations. It doesn’t matter what role you’re in. If you tell me you’ll do something, I expect you will do it whether you’re a business, an employee, a co-worker or my boss. You’re one setting my expectations, so why wouldn’t I believe what you tell me?

It baffles me. I’ve found in twenty years of management few people meet or exceed expectations they set and they control. I’m not talking about deadlines other people set for you. I’m talking about ones you establish. Maybe it’s because few people take their own words seriously. If you do you can differentiate yourself at work. People who consistently do what they say they’re going to do, without sandbagging, are memorable. They’re people with credibility. They’re ones you want to hire and promote and do business with.