My favorite phrase

I was a consultant once--and to be an effective consultant you need to master a single phrase that serves you in almost every situation. That phrase is:

"It depends".

While I'm no longer a consultant (a great definition of which is "someone who takes your watch and tells you what time it is"), "It depends" is still very relevant in my world and probably yours too.

The current environment is so dynamic, so multi-faceted, so unsure that broad-based answers no longer cut it. I get asked questions like this: "so, how's business?"

"It depends". If you're talking about the service award sector, which is pretty stable, business is "not bad". If you're talking about the incentive travel business, the answer is "awful".

Or "how's the entire market?"

"It depends". The electronics business is probably pretty good. Housewares? Better than "good". Luggage? Not so much.

It's 9/11 all over again. Incentive travel stops--dead. "Bling" goes into recession and travel goods (like luggage) goes into depression. "Home and Hearth" stuff like cappuccino makers and high-end food processors are popular. Big-screen TVs and GPS units get selected. Briefcases? Nah.

So while we ruminate over the state of the business it's important to know that "It depends" is fully in play. I spoke to a leading reseller and they told me that 2009 will be fabulous because of what was put in place in 2008. 2010? They're much more bearish on that. "It depends".



Pete