Insights · Curated reading
Think clearly. Act wisely.
Create impact.
Tools that hold up in ERP projects, pre-sales conversations and escalations.
Three pillars: thinking, acting, relationships
I
Thinking
Spot cognitive biases before they turn into bad decisions.
II
Acting
Decide with structure — not from the gut and not from fear.
III
Relationships
Understand customers, don't just know them. Turn complaints into loyalty.
01 — Clear thinking
Six biases that sink projects.
Our stone-age brain was built for the savannah — not for ERP roadmaps, vendor selection or hiring decisions. Once you know the mechanics, you can correct yourself before it gets expensive.
"In recent years we have created a world we no longer understand."
No. 01
Survivorship bias
We only ever hear the success stories — never the ten thousand who failed. Judge probabilities, not anecdotes.
No. 02
Confirmation bias
We bend facts until they fit our worldview. Actively look for evidence that contradicts you.
No. 03
Authority & halo
White coat, dark suit, title — and we hand over our thinking. Status is not an argument.
No. 04
Sunk-cost trap
We throw good money after bad. Costs already incurred do not belong in any future decision.
No. 05
Loss aversion
Possible losses weigh more than equivalent gains. That's why the illusion of "zero risk" feels so tempting.
No. 06
Self-serving bias
Credit success to ourselves, blame failure on circumstances — the most comfortable bias. And the most expensive in leadership.
"Correlation is not causation."
Before you spin a story out of two data points — ask which third variable you're missing.
02 — Acting wisely
Four principles for everyday work.
01
Avoid problems instead of solving them
It is easier to say what one should not do than what is right. Sidestep the traps and clever action remains.
02
Info diet over data flood
More information does not mean better decisions. News are to the mind what sugar is to the body.
03
Willpower is a battery
It runs down. Make hard decisions in the morning, break them into small steps, recharge in between.
04
Hire better people
A leader is excellent if they hire people who are better than themselves.
A pilot's rule
"Never Panic."
Storm ahead? First fly closer, then decide. Most worries never materialise — and the ones that do are solved better with a cool head.
03 — Relationships & sales
The account journey in six steps.
5 – 20% of customers generate 50 – 60% of revenue. Only 35% of customers are actually profitable — yet 60% of sales spending often goes to the unprofitable ones. The lever is focus.
Step 01
Account selection
Concentrate sales resources where potential is highest — not every customer deserves the same attention.
Step 02
Strategy comparison
Compare the customer's strategy with your own and find the overlap.
Step 03
Core messages
Translate that overlap into crisp, memorable messages — consistent across every touchpoint.
Step 04
Voice of the customer
Understand the customer's perception, language and decision logic — and align your communication with it.
Step 05
Value proposition
Bring to the point why the customer should buy from you in particular.
Step 06
Buying centre
Map tasks, roles, power and interests of every decision-maker — and derive a relationship plan from it.
"It's about understanding the customer — not just knowing them."
04 — Escalation
Resolve complaints in five phases.
A complaint handled well binds customers more strongly than a flawless run. The prerequisite: a conversation with structure.
Phase 1
Greeting
Set the tone — calm, present, attentive.
Phase 2
Listen & defuse
Let pressure out without absorbing it.
Phase 3
Clear the conflict
Separate the substance from the emotion.
Phase 4
Solve the problem
Agree on concrete next steps — binding and traceable.
Phase 5
Closing
Strengthen the relationship. A well-handled complaint is a loyalty engine.
05 — Stance
Five principles of success.
"Dreams + reality + determination = a successful life."
Principle 01
Write down your personal principles — and hold yourself strictly to them.
Principle 02
Hyperrealists see reality and its consequences as they are — not as they wish them to be.
Principle 03
Set goals, identify problems, eliminate them. In that order.
Principle 04
Consider the second- and third-order consequences — not just the immediate ones.
Principle 05
Every good decision is preceded by a learning phase. Don't skip it.
From reading to capability.
These tools come alive in training — translated to your projects, your customers, your language.