How and where are you selling your product or services? This is your route to market. And it's just as important - if not more important, than your product itself. Your route to market needs to work for your customer, and the best or right one, is the one that makes it easiest for a new customer to find you... if you get this wrong they'll go straight to your competitors and buy from them instead. In todays marketplace it is easy to get left behind or put yourself in danger by sticking to only what you've always done or known. It's a good idea to take new opportunities, find new channels or routes to market and gain more market share.

Who’s the best driver in the world: Rally star Sébastien Ogier or F1 champion Lewis Hamilton? Trick question. Both are viable contenders, but only for a given value of “best”. Their driving styles are worlds apart. F1 is a matter of speed, precision and perfect understanding of the vehicle. A rally champion may not hit the same raw m.p.h., but they need to drive with flamboyance and a will to improvise. There’s a fundamental difference in mindset and skill set involved, and a champion behind one wheel may end up in the middle of the pack behind another. There’s a lot more to the choice than: “well, they both drive fast, don’t they?” So it goes with many things - including sales and marketing.

To increase marketing spend, to freeze it, or cancel it altogether...? Are you finding that the current political climate is making you indecisive? Are you making or NOT making decisions on the business because of fear?

I was fortunate enough to be at Gulfood 2019 at the Dubai World Trade Centre last week where over 5000 exhibitors showcased over 20 000 brands and 100 000 visitors from around the globe come together to savour and trade in all things foodie. It is billed as the World’s largest annual food and beverage fare in the Middle East.

We’ve all done it.  The New Year hits and we’re filled with resolve to exercise more; eat better; spend more time with family, and – of course – sleep more. We do it all. All for one week.