Book Review: The Inside Advantage
By Robert H. Bloom
Reviewed by: Jonathan Herps
Category: Strategy
Rating: 5 Stars
Who should read this book: Every business leader!
“I provide readers with a simple path of discovery: a process that will help them identify the core strengths inside their business and create a realistic, low cost strategy that will quickly drive growth. I’ve put it in simple language that, while easy to understand, reflects my lifetime of experience in growing businesses.”
― Robert Bloom
Jonathan Herps’ comments:
Discovering Your ‘Inside Advantage’
Robert H. Bloom, author and former president of The Bloom Agency, discovered that every enterprise has at least one strategic asset, one existing strength that can form the foundation for future growth. Bloom calls it Your Inside Advantage. This strength usually lies unrecognized in an activity the business is currently performing or in a concept or an idea that the business already owns. Finding this hidden potential and becoming well known for it will grow your business.
In the book, Bloom explains “Growth Discovery Process”, the process that uncovers your business’ ‘Inside Advantage’.
WHO + WHAT + HOW + OWN IT = INSIDE ADVANTAGE
- WHO is the core customer most likely to buy your product or service in the quantity required for optimal profit?
- WHAT is the uncommon offering that your business will own and leverage?
- HOW is the persuasive strategy that will convince your core customer to buy your uncommon offering versus all competitive offerings?
- OWN IT! Is the series of imaginative acts that will celebrate your uncommon offering and make it well known to your core customer.
Bloom’s process is a plain-language path of discovery using only these four steps. Whether you are a business leader, a manager or an entrepreneur, this Growth Discovery Process will enable you to gain a profound insight into the core values of your enterprise. It will guide you to a clear understanding of who your customers are and what your special offerings to those customers should be. Finally, the process will stimulate a host of ideas which Bloom calls Imaginative Acts, that highlighting your Inside Advantage and making it well known to current and prospective customers.
This strategy has been refined over Bloom’s 45 years’ experience in growing businesses and brands of every size and type, including famous companies such as Southwest Airlines, T-Mobile, T.G.I. Friday’s, Zales, Nestlé, and L’Oréal.
The key to growing your business already exists inside your business – you just have to find it. Bloom’s four step Growth Discovery Process is powerful and easy to implement, making this a vital read for all business leaders.
About Jonathan Herps
Jonathan Herps is one of only a handful of Scaling Up / Gazelles Certified Coaches in Australia. He works with medium to large mid-market companies, that share a single trait – a burning desire to build a great business.
“I help growth oriented CEO’s who are obsessed with growth and hungry to learn, but are stuck in the “Growth Trap”.
- They’re frustrated with their growth rate,
- feel like they’re working too hard for not enough return, and
- know there’s a better way to scale
- but haven’t found it yet.
Find out more about Jonathan, and get in contact to discuss growing your remarkable company.
Take a look at Scale Up Growth Strategy Business Services.
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