What the hell are you doing in Minsk, Drayton?

Yes, Minsk, folks. And no, it's not a secret location near Manchester.

I'm doing a talk in Belarus (of which Minsk is the capital) because I impressed someone in Cuba a couple of years back when we did a seminar on how to sell cars - oh, it's too complicated to explain.

But the organiser, Natalia, asked me a question, and I wonder if your answers would be the same.

She asked what new things I thought people should be doing in marketing or management because of the present misery - which has affected people in Eastern and Central Europe far worse than here.

I replied:

"There is absolutely NOTHING new in management or marketing to be learned from the current crisis. But there are many OLD things that people have NEVER learnt.

In Marketing a) Always measure, not gamble on what you or your boss or your wife likes. b) never spend without testing on small numbers before wasting money on large numbers.

In Management a) look outside at customers, not inside at your own organisation - "There is only one profit centre in business. It is your customer" - Peter Drucker. b) Ask constantly about every person in your business: "What is this person doing to make or save money for the business?"

And, in marketing and management: Never have a meeting unless it has a purpose that you are SURE is aimed at improving profits and that any decision will be acted on.

I am rather depressed that I decided these things made sense about 40 years ago. I have learned nothing much since, which is no surprise. But nor has anybody else, which is.

Or am I wrong?