John N. - Tutor in Scottsdale, AZ (85258)

Algebra Has a High Payoff!

Perhaps the highest of any subject. We’ll work with you one-on-one to make sure the concepts and applications are thoroughly understood.

These number skills will open the doors on other subjects that can have a high payoff… such as physics, civil, mechanical. aerospace, or electrical engineering. You’ll find industrial sales and commercial real estate firms companies rely heavily on salesman that are good with numbers.

The best of these salesmen earn well into six figures a year.

I’m an electrical engineering graduate from Iowa State University. I also was a Registered Professional Engineer, but let it lapse as I became involved in sales and general management.

As a result of this experience, I found I liked the challenge and excitement of working with companies in trouble. So became a turnaround manager -- managing start-ups and troubled companies whose sales and net profits had fallen below acceptable levels.

I developed a business planning system that works very well. Although the companies were in different industries, the need to carefully plan their activities and track their performance was crucial to their survival.

My last firm was a good example. When hired I was told that the division was on the bubble. We had to achieve a turnaround, or it would be liquidated.

I joined the firm as senior v.p. and general manager of a division of Dataquest, a Dun & Bradstreet company. This market research and publishing operation offered consulting services to manufacturers published a trade magazine, and a wide variety of pricing, specification, and market studies.

My task: Increase market share and reverse substantial losses the division suffered in recent years. We established specific goals for each of our five marketing groups. Then developed a plan for each group – and worked the resulting plans until we had the results we needed.

The president of Dataquest, David Jorgensen, wrote in a review: “You took a division with losses in a depressed industry and transformed it into a real winner even though the industry is still depressed. Outstanding Performance!”

The key factor was the planning system and the management of the system by all the participants. The system works. I’ve seen some people use it to effectively plan and manage their careers. It is covered in detail in my "Business" turoring noted above.

business

I have spent most of my business life as a sales, marketing, or general manger in small to mid-sized industrial companies. In virtually every instance my primary responsibility was to place the operation on a profitable growth track. While the products and markets varied from company to company, most of the techniques used carried over from one company to the next. My primary tool was a planning system that I developed and refined over time. I found many companies would develop an annual plan, and rarely refer to it during the course of the year. In order to optimize our plans, frequent reviews were necessary. These reviews were scheduled on a weekly basis early in the life of the plan. Later, we would move to a monthly review. During every review, we tried to see if there were ways in which the plan could be refined and made more effective. The most effective planning process involved all major departments: marketing & sales, engineering, accounting, manufacturing, human resources. Action steps were the responsibility of individuals in these departments. The emphasis was on reaching targets that were realistic, tangible, and measurable -- and in some cases quite detailed. i.e. improve margins in individual products, not just product lines.