Books | The Trust Edge

Bob Chapman, Sandler sales coach and guest contributor to this blog, recently sent an interesting email in which he recommends the book, The Trust Edge.

The book, written by David Horsager, describes actions and attitudes that help build trust with every key stakeholder. The core concepts seem well worth sharing.

Economy | What Employers Really Want

Some years ago, I wrote a book called, What Employers Really Want: The Insider’s Guide to Getting a Job.

What Employers Really Want took the first detailed look at the hiring process from the employers’ perspective.

                                   

The goal was to explain the inside viewpoint to help job seekers understand and navigate the job search to find the right job – and right employer – for them.

Taxes: What's Luck Got to Do With It?

What does luck have to do with taxes?

Perhaps a great deal. Marc Myers, in the book How to Make Luck, shares some interesting facts.

Briefly, during the thirteenth century, Italy emerged as a vital trading center.

With great ports located on calm seas, Italy was ideally positioned for traders and goods coming from or heading to Europe and Asia, including shrewd and savvy Dutch traders.

Manufacturing | Who Will Make it in America?

Andrew Liveris, in Make it in America, makes a strong case for reviving US-based manufacturing as a means of revitalizing the US economy.

As part of his analysis, he tackles the touchy topic of education.

He highlights these facts from a 2010 Bill Gates' speech to the American Federation of Teachers:

• Per-pupil spending has doubled since 1973
• Adult-student ratios have tightened from one adult for every 14 students to one for every eight
• Math and reading scores remain flat
• Graduation rates have plummeted from second in the world to sixteenth
• Our 15 year olds now rank behind 22 countries in science and behind 31 in math

Manufacturing | Will We Make it in America?

We’ve been exploring the role of manufacturing in job creation and the economy, using Make it in America (2011) as a jumping off point.

The author is Andrew Liveris, CEO of Dow Chemical, and he makes a strong, clear case for reinventing our economy with manufacturing at the core.

To accomplish this, he outlines a US policy agenda with five key objectives:

1. Make it easier for business to keep or locate operations in the US
2. Remake the manufacturing sector with a focus on advanced, high-value products
3. Create an economy that can sustain itself and produce long-term job creation and economic growth
4. Prepare the next generation’s workforce for the changing economy
5. Improve America’s global competitiveness, both in the short and long term

Manufacturing | Should We Make it in America?

US manufacturers are among the most productive, innovative and efficient in the world. That’s a significant competitive advantage.

Manufacturing has been the historical bedrock of the US economy and the foundation for economic growth throughout the world.

In fact, Andrew Liveris, CEO of Dow Chemical and author of Make it in America (2011), notes:

The American manufacturing model, the one that created so much prosperity here over the past century, that created the middle class, was the most successful economic model in history. Other nations learned from that success.

One of the things those nations learned was that in order for business to thrive, they needed to create a business-friendly environment.

We learned the opposite lesson. US manufacturers currently face 20% higher imposed costs than those experienced by our primary trading partners. These costs occur in the form of taxes, employee benefits, tort costs, regulatory compliance and energy costs.

Yes, you read that correctly. It’s more cost effective to locate and operate in eight of our nine largest trading partners. In alphabetical order, these are:

• Canada
• China
• Germany
• Japan
• Korea
• Mexico
• Taiwan
• United Kingdom

Only France has a higher structural cost burden and lower cost advantage in a head-to-head comparison of the five cost factors. US policymakers are pricing US manufacturers right out of the global marketplace.

Manufacturing is an uphill climb under the best of circumstances. In the US, manufacturers start that journey with backpacks 20% heavier than almost every major trading partner. That's a significant competitive disadvantage.

Now, consider this: In the past three years, these excess costs have increased nearly 3%. If that basic trend continues, by 2020, US manufacturers will be hauling backpacks 30% heavier than competitors.

At what point does a competitive disadvantage become an insurmountable obstacle?

US policymakers must take a close look at the costs they continue to impose on manufacturing, because manufacturers are certainly crunching the numbers, reading the runes and studying the spreadsheets.

And while they're at it, they're asking: Should we make it in America?

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Related
Manufacturing | Could We Make it in America?
Manufacturing | Would We Make it in America?
Manufacturing | Will We Make it in America?
Manufacturing Institute: 2011 Structural Cost Report

Manufacturing | Would We Make it in America?

Why would any manufacturing company operate in the US, when that one decision can cost millions (billions) in upfront and long-term costs?

In Make it in America (2011), Andrew Liveris, CEO of DOW Chemical, highlights a range of factors that pose significant challenges for the American economy in general and the manufacturing sector in particular.

He refers to a study from the National Association of Manufacturers that places the excess US cost burden at 17.6%. Cost burden calculations include corporate taxes, employee benefits, tort costs, pollution abatement compliance and energy costs.

Manufacturing | Could We Make it in America?

For some time now, many have tacitly accepted that US-based manufacturing jobs are gone for good.

We’ve all heard the arguments, ranging from the cost of labor to corporate tax rates, regulatory burdens, waning innovation and declining numbers of engineers, mathematicians and scientists.

Andrew N. Liveris, the CEO of DOW Chemical and author of Make it in America (2011), presents an interesting rationale for focusing on manufacturing to reinvent the US economy.

The idea is certainly not new. But as the country wraps up its third year of recession-recovery, it’s an idea worth revisiting.

Manufacturing | Lean for the Machine

Many US manufacturers focus on optimizing internal capabilities to gain competitive advantages in a relentless global marketplace.

These internal capabilities range from top-notch design and shopfloor talent to expertise with specialized materials and tools. They include defining and documenting decision models and methods.

They include effective, accurate bidding and pricing procedures, and clear, well-documented internal processes that boost accuracy, efficiency and outcomes.

Is Price Pressure Affecting Your Bottom Line?

by Bob Chapman & Barbara Spencer Hawk

The Manufacturing & Technology eJournal has just published our article, Is Price Pressure Affecting Your Bottom Line?

Read it and share your comments, questions, feedback and examples.

Add your perspective to the mix by taking our survey in the sidebar. [See updates below.] We're collecting data for a comprehensive white paper, so your input has been and continues to be invaluable.

It's Official, Email has No Hyphen

E-mail in 2002 AP Stylebook
(Photo: 8Crossbridge Communications 2011)

Did you catch the breaking news? The Associated Press (AP) Stylebook has dropped the hyphen from email.

It’s about time. Crossbridge has spelled email without a hyphen since the mid-1990s.

For almost two decades, the Stylebook editors have insisted email is spelled “e-mail,” since it’s a short form of the term “electronic mail.” The hyphen kept the term consistent with other “electronic” short forms, such as e-book, e-business and e-commerce.

Photos Attract, Quality Content Sells

Recently, I picked up two nonfiction books, simply because the cover photos caught my eye.

Huck, by Janet Elder, looked like a sure thing. All the crucial heart-tugging elements were there:

• A mother battling breast cancer
• A stalwart, caring father
• A precocious young boy
• An adorable puppy

Books | Competitive Intelligence

Based on the recommendation of a colleague, I recently read Competitive Intelligence Advantage, by Seena Sharp. The book focuses on ways to use information to minimize risk, avoid surprises and grow business in a rapidly changing world.

Books | BrandSimple

In BrandSimple, Allen P. Adamson shares some interesting information regarding the history and steps some of the best-known brands have taken to establish and build brand recognition.

His process is basic and high level:

Sell More: 4 Key Steps Solve Manufacturer & Distributor Conflicts

Sell More: 4 Key Steps

It’s no secret. The business relationship between manufacturers and distributors is important, valuable and fraught with challenges.

Four basic issues drive unnecessary costs in the sales/distribution channel: fixing mistakes, expediting orders, holding excess inventory and wasting time waiting.

Meanwhile, margins grow tighter. Sales and marketing costs rise. Profits fall.

B2B Writing | Improve Web Content & Styles

We've been working with a client to develop a new website. The old site was primarily photo-based with little explanation and no description. The new site is simple, clear and dynamic, and both the content and visuals are tailored to suit their primary target customer groups.

As part of this redesign, we've discussed the value of creating a custom web content style guide, a simple device for tracking special terms, treatments and spellings. Since this client has multiple websites and an official blog or two, keeping track of these details and being consistent are important.

Consistency is important for you, too, because:

Books | Grab Action Grammar

Because I write for so many different industries and environments, I have numerous grammar and style books on the shelf.

Why? Every environment requires a slightly different approach to language usage, and each arena differs in terms of what is considered acceptable or not acceptable.

Without exception, the first resource I turn to is Action Grammar, by Joanne Feierman.

Books | Have We Lost the Elements of Style?

Chances are, if you're a writer or hang with writers or want to become a writer, you're familiar with the timeless classic, The Elements of Style (Strunk & White). It presents essential rules for writing well in a world drowning in a flood of words.

This book has been updated and republished repeatedly since the the 1910s. No, that's not a typo: Elements has been used in classrooms for 100 years, and it's as relevant today as it was then. You have to wonder what William Strunk would say about our evolving language, murky word choices, lavish descriptions and bigger-better-braggart world.

Spotlight | Crossbridge Projects

We're working to implement a more effective way to show relevant examples, case studies, success stories, tips sheets, graphics, etc. For now, click on the links below to see Crossbridge books and success stories that you might find interesting.

Overview: Business & Industry
Challenges, Solutions & Results

Overview: Education
Education that Works: Tech Prep, Education & National Science Foundation

Success Stories: Business & Industry
Highlights a small sample of Crossbridge projects for industry, manufacturing and business

Success Stories: Tech Prep & Higher Education
Spotlights a small collection of projects related to Tech Prep and technical and community colleges

Success Stories: National Science Foundation
Spotlights select projects related to NSF

Book: What Employers Really Want
The Insider's Guide to Getting a Job

Book: Job-Seekers Guide
From the Big Book of Jobs