Seven Business Strategies you Can Borrow From The Beatles

1. They were not a group but a team. And actually a High Performance Team. That’s why they achieved so much. Most 'teams' in organisations are still groups i.e. they have not bonded, not gathered purpose nor established protocols: that’s why they often achieve so little.
2. John and Paul totally respected –loved- each other but were fiercely competitive hence the constant sparks of creativity which were much more difficult  to access once  they spent time away from each other. Your departments e.g. sales and marketing should be competitive  and they are. But they must respect each other, which often is not the case. Hence the missing spark of productivity.
3. The Beatles sold hope, but  in the form of music. You must sell hope, whether it is a drug that ensures eyes that are no longer sore, a greener lawn or a great education. Hope is what you sell. It's how it's  packaged that is key.
4. They gave us what we wanted: hope, but then gave it in a form that we needed: they helped us to grow up. You’ve got to help your customers grow up, in particular  take ownership e.g. for looking after their eyes properly, their lawns or shopping in a more environmentally sound manner.
5. The Beatles were good, in fact  really, really good because they practised.  Businesses still need to learn to rehearse. Until the skill is totally 100% wired in and there is no chance of ‘forgetting the words'. Despite the noise from the crowds.
6. It’s not that you don’t like Maxwell’s Silver Hammer. It’s just that you are not ready for it yet.  Keep flexing your product mix . Don’t stay safe. Sure, Across The Universe is a winner. But Maxwell brings some new potential customers into the fold.
7. The logo was incidental, the name a background discussion. The product was all. The critical message for all of us.