decisions, decisions. Better decisions, made more easily.

Using a variety of methodologies - and decades of real world experience - we encourage you and your colleagues to pause for breath, and apply cool, calm logic to situations that can appear much more fraught when you are actually inside them.

We do this by helping you weigh all the evidence one way and the other, with due regard to its true significance, maximising your chance of an optimal outcome. We seek to ensure that no relevant factors are missed or ignored, and, on the other hand, that no factors are given undue weight either.

Then we lay out all your options logically, documenting your decison-making process so that any other stakeholders will understand why particular choices have been made.

We offer wise heads, independence, boundless enthusiam and "no bull**** or politics".

We combine the talents of a small, coherent group of senior business thinkers. The company was begun
by Stephen "Yolly" Yolland - well-known Melbourne strategic thinker, writer, ad man and public speaker.

decisions, decisions has a special emphasis on sales, marketing and advertising, but we also maintain cordial formal relations with a select group of advisers in other areas such as personal development, public speaking and presentation skills, leadership/team development, organisational and manufacturing strategy, event management, accounting and law. These experts are available to call on as and when our clients need them.

We are also especially interested in achieving true buy in - "alignment" - of staff to an organisation's strategies and goals, using the unique new "Corporate Alignment" diagnostic survey, for which we are professionally accredited consultants, and also "Eat Big Fish" seminars (please see below).

SO WHY EMPLOY OUR SERVICES?

We are always interested to see if we can TRANSFORM situations, not just achieve small, incremental improvements.

Our clients are many and varied. It's not, of course, that people cannot make good decisions on their own - but most people have to take vital strategic decisions, especially regarding their marketing activity, at the same time as handling a myriad of day-to-day operational matters. And that's a recipe for poor decision making.

So we provide senior managers with timely, confidential and independent support - and we seek to ensure that all stakeholders 'come along for the ride' as well.

Most often, conversations with our clients start with comments like "I know we could be selling more/working harder/smarter/more successfully; I just can't put my finger on why we're not getting there." In response, we provide - at the very least - "a fresh pair of eyes", with no pre-conceptions clouding our judgement.

And when we've had a chance to talk to you in detail, you'll never die wondering what we think, either.

So how do we do what we do? Well, it isn't rocket science. But it does require good questioning techniques, research, empathy, brain power, wide experience, a variety of tried-and-tested tools, and strong logical discipline.

In our experience, understanding which questions to ask - in what order - is half the battle, because all decisions, no matter how significant, are basically similar.

EAT BIG FISH

decisions, decisions is one of Australia's most enthusiastic promoters of the business concepts contained in Adam Morgan's seminal work on "Challenger" brands, called "Eating The Big Fish". (See the link to Adam below.)

We have conducted a number of one and two-day "Big Fish" seminars for leading corporations, unleashing insights and ideas "locked" in the minds of their senior managers. We help people achieve "thought leadership" in their marketplaces, competitive advantages for their businesses, and a "step change" in their expectations of success.

These seminars have created incremental productive potential and marketing insights worth millions of dollars.

We believe virtually any company will reap real benefit from "Big Fish" and we would be amazed if the Return on Investment did not vastly exceed the effort and costs involved. It is a tremendously exciting "whole of business" energising tool.

Well, that's us. If you are interested to learn more about any of our diverse range of corporate services, please do get in touch.

"It was great to see you at our conference again this year. Must credit you with something,. Your words last year were direct and piercing. My commitment and sales output from that day on (after the hangover faded!) close to doubled in one year. Thanks for being so frank."

"You really are an "enthusiasm fountain". Fantastic. Very relevant and very timely."

"I'm sorry; I couldn't talk more after your session ended; I was so moved I had to go away and think. Thank you so very, very much."

"The only training session we have ever set up where people were complaining it didn't go on long enough."

"I have literally seen people moved to tears with the inspiration Stephen offers. Teams can be re-invigorated and re-focused
on what's important in a half hour chat that combines humour and solid business knowledge. I'm actually never quite sure what he's
going to say when he stands up, but I can honestly say I have never been in his presence and not learned something new and valuable."

"Yolly has a unique ability to relax an audience. He can be hilariously funny - but when he turns to what really matters,
you can hear a pin drop. He's the only speaker we've ever had on a training course whose session was scored 11 out of 10 by attendees."

“Whatever you have to communicate, explain it to Steve Yolland and he’ll get it over to an audience of 10 or 1,000 with huge impact.
In another age, he’d have been one of those speakers whose words are written down and re-told. You see it in the nodding heads.
People from all walks of life just get him. Of course, it helps that his understanding of consumers is amazingly comprehensive,
instinctive and insightful.”

“Anyone who goes by the name 'Yolly' has got to be able to back it up. And he does. Put a beer in the left hand, a microphone in the right hand and an audience directly in front and it creates a 'Bermuda Triangle' environment where you can actually get dragged into a passionate force of commonsense.”

“He knows the world of sales, advertising and marketing like the back of his hand. What is more remarkable is he seems to know almost
as much about life generally. You might not always agree with him, but he’s one of the ten most interesting people I’ve ever met in my life.”

Tim Stanford, former Marketing Director Cadbury Confectionary, & now Principal, Ynot Strategic Solutions

Before moving to Australia from the UK, Stephen took a combined honours degree in English and Theology at Southampton University, and then enjoyed a very successful career in the computer industry, in a variety of senior sales and general management roles.

In 1986 he was the British Public Speaking Champion, and a Finalist in the British Debating Championships. He was also runner-up in the European Speaking Championships in Finland.

Actively involved in citizenship issues, in June 1983 he was the Liberal Party parliamentary candidate for Fareham, achieving the most successful result for his party in that seat in the modern era. He was also a member of the Liberal Party's national policy and representative body, the Liberal Party Council, and has maintained an interest in international relations, social justice issues, and the highs and lows of political campaigning.

Since moving to Australia in 1987, he has advised a number of Australian political, charitable and social organisations on their public presence, and forged a highly-acclaimed second career in advertising and marketing. He is also regularly heard broadcasting on both ABC and commercial radio on a wide range of issues including marketing and sport, and is in constant demand as a motivational speaker. He is also the voice (or voices!) behind many of Australia's best-known radio advertising campaigns, including, for many years, Budget Rent a Car.

After many years of being glued to the radio at two in the morning listening to the travails of his beloved Southampton FC, he counts being recently interviewed on the pitch at St Mary's Stadium as the Club's representative in Australia as "without any doubt, my finest hour".

Steve is 47, married with one child, and lives in Doncaster in Victoria.

TO ENQUIRE ABOUT BOOKING STEVE, PLEASE EMAIL yolly@decisionsdecisions.com.au

1. Always “be noticed”.
    - Because if you aren’t, nothing else matters.

2. Excite your customers. Engage them.
     - They never deserve to be bored by your messages.

3. Challenge the status quo. Be a "Challenger" brand.
     - Because all companies – even market leaders – should think like “Challengers”
       if they seek dramatic and sustained success.

4. Watch your brand's progress like a hawk.
     - Because a brand is never still. Its position in the market changes constantly.

5. The influences on a brand are sometimes beyond an advertiser’s control.
    - So you need to constantly trim the sails in a known and planned direction or risk
      being blown off course.

6. The whole organisation must be aligned to its marketing messages.
    - Many talk about this, few do it. And the passion for alignment always starts at the very top, with the CEO.

7. Great brand management can change the world.
     - It adds (or saves) jobs, grows real wealth, offers better consumer choice, and it increases
       real shareholder value in a measurable way. You and your staff should aim for nothing less!

And please be honest with yourself.

Remember: if your ads aren't working, it's nobody's fault but yours. Why? Well, if you're getting great work from your ad agency, and you're turning it down, that's your fault. And if you're getting inadequate work, and you're still employing them, then that's your fault too.

From time to time we will add links to websites that we have found important, useful, thought-provoking or just plain funny. You need to BOOKMARK our page before you leave, by the way! Press Ctrl + D, or just go up to Favourites and add us to your list. Thanks!

SOCIAL ISSUES

Make Poverty History You watched the Live8 concert. Heard the news. Were moved. OK, now do something. Go here.

Global Call To Action Against Poverty The overall campaign of which Live8 was just a part. Don't wait for someone else to do something. Because they may be waiting for you.

The Hunger Site Click here to donate food to the world's hungry, and to access other related "click and donate" schemes. Costs you nothing - well, just a few seconds out of your day - but no cash. And please tell your friends. Actually, why not add the link to your own website? Also, if you need to buy someone a unique (and uniquely useful) present, just checkout gearthatgives.com.

livingroomcandidate.movingimage.us Some decisions are more important than others. This is a fascinating archive of every TV commercial ever released during a Presidential election in the US. Thought-provoking, worrying and uplifting. But a warning - you can easily spend hours here!

MARKETING, STRATEGY, BUSINESS

Eat Big Fish In our opinion, Adam Morgan is perhaps the world's most clear-headed thinker on creating competitive advantage and sustainable growth. Click this link to read more about his ideas. Unfortunately, he's in London most of the time. So talk to us about an "Eat Big Fish" seminar.

The Klein Partnership One of Australia's leading independent research consultancies. Using world's best practice, they arrive at both quantitative and qualitative insights that deliver true competitive advantage for their clients.

CEO Express USA-focused, but nevertheless this must be the most massive collection of web resources for busy executives that we've found so far. If you can't find what you want here, it probably doesn't exist.

bettermanagement.com This is a website that seems to boast a vast amount of useful information, reports, e-newsletters and much more on many aspects of making managerial decisions. Registering for their email is well worthwhile in our experience.

McKinsey Quarterley The website of the quarterly newsletter from the famous consulting firm. Packed with helpful stuff.

Adrants Subscribe to the wittiest daily newsletter on the lunacies - and wonderful successes - of the advertising world, worldwide. Links to many useful thought-starters and campaigns, and just a jolly good read.

STUFF THAT DIDN'T FIT ELSEWHERE

Make Bullshit Stuck for that killer phrase for your next report? Don't pay us a fortune to come up with it for you. Just click here and then click the "Make Bullshit" button. You know it makes sense.

Radical Tees A collection of deliberately radical t-shirts designed by Steve Yolland. You probably won't agree with all of them. Or any of them. That's actually the whole point. If we fail to debate, we fail.

Wikpedia An interesting experiment creating an online encyclopedia. Easy way to find that useful fact you need.

Kenny Richey Some things in life are more important than business. Like the impending execution of an innocent man.

The Last Page The last page of the Internet. Yes, the very last. We recommend visiting it at least once a day ...

We have no formal commercial relationship with any of these websites. We do not warrant the information contained on these websites as accurate or represent it to you as advice to follow. All information on this website is Copyright Decison Makers Pty Ltd and may not be reproduced or used without permission. All Rights Reserved. This is a really long disclaimer, isn't it? Anyway, unless the word aqbsquatulation has been used in its correct context elsewhere than in this warning, it does not have any legal or grammatical purpose and may, for the purposes of this disclaimer, be ignored. No animals were harmed in the construction of this website. Those of you with an irrational fear of the unknown will be relieved to hear that reading this website backwards produces nothing other than a headache, and there are no hidden messages of an unpleasant nature. Have a nice day.