Stakeholder Management (SM) is a title that – unlike many terms and labels found in business, which can over-elaborate or complicate the simplest of activities – does exactly what it says on the tin. SM is a the practice of involving, understanding and working with any person who has a stake or interest in a […]
Mike Utting's blog
The news will be awash with quotes and analysis regarding the verbal communication after the debate, but there probably won’t be many talking about body language.
Whether it’s a restaurant menu, an egg or a card for Easter or raw materials for manufacture, we all like to have a decent selection to choose from. There does, however, come a point in the “proliferation of choice” where diminishing returns set in. Confusion comes along, decisions are delayed and quality is harder to […]
A rare astronomical event is currently taking place and we have witnessed its impact on North Sea tides during the last few days, peaking on Saturday. The event is of special interest to SpringTide – because we refer to its effects in the name of our company. Every month, when there is a new moon […]
What an honour it was to be asked to take part at Warwickshire College, Rugby for the Peter Jones Enterprise Academy negotiation challenge and also being a ‘dragon’ hearing the student pitches. The Peter Jones Enterprise Academy was set up by Peter Jones, CBE, entrepreneur and star of ‘Dragon’s Den’, with a view to encouraging […]
Having worked with hundreds of clients, managed well over a billion dollars in spend and executed a few thousand events over the years; when I joined SpringTide I was pretty sure that I knew a lot – more than most within the sourcing industry even. I know when it’s best to take a collaborative approach […]
The owners of Mr Kipling Cakes are reacting to a drop in sales by demanding their suppliers pay an annual charge to remain working with them. Find out more about their approach and if there might be a better alternative.
“Negotiation is the DNA of business” as Lord Sugar pointed out this week on BBC One’s The Apprentice. And he’s right. In business, negotiation is essential to creating the the biggest profit margins, which ultimately leads to the success of a company. Negotiation can either create a deal where both parties are happy and want to move forward, […]
One of my first meetings as a consultant was with a gentleman who is a leader of a manufacturing company that primarily made metal screws. I was introduced to this person via the president of a chamber of commerce (a warm introduction) who I was networking with, and thought to myself that this gentleman is going to truly […]
Getting the right information and guidance to make buying decisions can be tricky – especially for consumers purchasing through the web in the utilities sector.