THE HUNDRED
A hundred is a significant number, a milestone, the bridge between double and triple figures. Although this Philosopher-in-Residence cum Managing Director has spent nearly 7 years at the helm of the good ship Make Me A Plan, I still remember the excitement of passing 100 clients.
100 days in office is seen as a key benchmark of what politicians promise to do, and what they then do if elected to office. In the Sales Manager post I’m recruiting for at the moment, how would-be Plankinders would develop and close deals in their first hundred days forms part of the assessment process.
The Hundred is also a variation of the sport of cricket, started in 2021 with the aim of targeting a new audience for the game. Played over just 100 balls (see what they did there), the format is a departure from typical full test series, played over a multi-day assessment until both teams are out from their innings (yes really, if you’re not familiar!)
There was already a shorter format though, limited-overs matches such as Twenty20 and One Day Internationals (an over is six balls bowled). Consequently, some cricket purists and seasoned fans felt that The Hundred was an unwelcome and unnecessary dilution of the sport.
However, the format has continued, despite a multitude of opinions as to whether it has been profitable, well-received, good for cricket and so on.
There’s a business lesson to be learned here. I used to be a fan of customer surveys, and I definitely believe there is still scope for these…BUT. A wise man once told me, you can’t please everyone. Sometimes, if you ask people what they want, and you don’t give it to them, the outcome for them is worse than if you didn’t ask. A wise woman once told me, that people respond to surveys with their best life in mind. They might intend to consume your new product or service, but that heartfelt venture so dear to you was just a tick box on a questionnaire they’ve long forgotten about to them and aren’t realistically going to be purchasing.
There’s not a solution to the pleasing-everyone conundrum, but, one thing I have found, is, if you believe in the thing to start with, keep committing to it, either until you fall out of love with it or it really would be financially ridiculous to continue.
Next fortnight I’ll be writing On Trevithick, my hometown Camborne’s great son. I promise it won’t be an uphill battle to read (if you know, you know). Please get in touch with any particular aspects of this subject you’d like me to write about.
In the meantime,
Happy Planning
PS If you want some other free tips for your business life, check out the Working Well blog – out fortnightly on Wednesdays, courtesy of Make Me A Plan’s Productivity Expert, Penny Le Kelly. Browse the latest edition here: