1. H2Oil Research Seminars Summer 2012
Adding value through mining and minerals
research – while still turning a profit…
Phil Newman, CEO CRU Strategies
May 30th 2012
31 Mount Pleasant, London Augusto Leguía Norte Nº 100 of.506,
WC1X 0AD UK Las Condes, Santiago, Chile
Tel: +44 20 7903 2000 Tel: +56 2 231 3900 Fax: +56 2 231 4314
Fax: +44 20 7278 0003
PO Box 1269, Langley, WA 98260 USA
517, Tower 2, Bright China Tel: +1 360 321 4707 Fax: +1 360 3214709
Chan An Building, 2911 West 54th Street,
7 Jianguomennei Avenue Minneapolis, MN 55410, USA
Beijing 100005, China Tel: +1 612 922 9092 Fax: +1 612 920 3225
Tel: +86 10 6510 2206
CRU STRATEGIES
A division of CRU International Ltd
Fax: +86 10 6510 2207 Level 2, Kalpataru Synergy, Opp. Grand Hyatt,
Santa Cruz (East), Mumbai 400055, India
Tel: +91 22 3953 7395 Fax: +91 22 3953 7200
2. Goals and objectives.....
• Errrr?
• Lesson #1: don’t enter any research without knowing these...
• So – what are the audience’s expectations here?
• Is there an alternative title here?
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CRU Strategies
3. Working in a niche consultancy
(what’s it like, is it for me?)
CRU STRATEGIES
A division of CRU International Ltd
4. Presentation objectives
• How do we get commercial regarding research?
• Developing a business model for you
• How do we teach engineers/economists/academics to learn ‘business
101’?
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CRU Strategies
7. Back to the objectives – getting COMMERCIAL about
research...
• What is it we are doing when we conduct research, how do we define
research?
• This is important if we are proposing to try and make a business...
• What is CRU’s business model? (and we’re not unique!)
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8. The business model...
• CRU (Commodities RESEARCH Unit) does industrial research and
seeks high value subscriptions...
• There are others in the same space...
• Can you think of other examples?
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CRU Strategies
9. CRU Strategies: what exactly do we do?
THE CRU GROUP
CRU Analysis CRU Events CRU Strategies
• CRU Strategies is the consulting division of the CRU Group
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11. Making space for creativity in (market) research reports
No structure – what is fact
and what is opinion?
Practical application lacking
Tells a story
Includes some opinion at the
boundaries of the facts
Uninspiring
Facts presented in
equal weight
Good bedtime reading
• You have to be cognisant of
the client...
• ...and the report’s purpose
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CRU Strategies
12. 4 x 4 matrix..... (a personal view)
Accounting Practical application of
PROCESS
Painter / decorator creative thinking to
Alan Hanson deliver value
Accounting for the mafia
Salvador Dali
Lionel Messi
CREATIVITY 12
CRU Strategies
13. It’s easier said than done – some cock ups....
• Pump company part I
• Indian steel company
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14. When it goes right – you can deliver immense value to
the client.....
• Pump company part 2, 3, 4, and 5!!!!
• Project Shakira – agricultural demand
• Diversification strategy (not forgetting that do nothing is a valid option)
• Sulphur burner....
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15. Analysts Consultants.... (making the switch)
‘research for profit’ / consultancy – what do people struggle with?
• FIT FOR PURPOSE
• ASSUMPTIONS
• OPINION
• In market research – we spend time thinking about the bigger picture
and put ourselves in the shoes of our clients?
• If I was a European aluminium producer; would I be worried about the
shale gas issue in the US?
• What are mid-tier copper producers more concerned about: being
taken over or rising costs and the weak $?
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CRU Strategies
16. Selling your services: Business 101.....
• Would Sheldon be your business
development manager?
• But Sheldon can add tremendous
value – if you can manage him...
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CRU Strategies
17. Returning to the earthquake
• There is no point converting your engineers to salesmen
since, frankly, it cannot be done...
• But, and this is important, some understanding of commercial reality
needs to be continually injected into the culture of the group...
• Thinking about the needs of the market can bring the creative and the
process together internally – and provide the seeds for external
conversations and from these seeds, challenging and profitable
projects can emerge....
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CRU Strategies
18. And finally, what does CRU Strategies look for?
• Curiosity,,,,
• What do we look for in our employees...
– GSOH
– Smart (and I don’t mean ‘looks good in a suit’)
– Prepared to challenge
– Organised and creative (almost the definition of an oxymoron!!)
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CRU Strategies
19. Thank-you for your attention; your homework:
Is consultancy research?
Phil Newman, CEO CRU Strategies
phil.newman@crugroup.com
www.pitchingforbusiness.com
31 Mount Pleasant, London Augusto Leguía Norte Nº 100 of.506,
WC1X 0AD UK Las Condes, Santiago, Chile
Tel: +44 20 7903 2000 Tel: +56 2 231 3900 Fax: +56 2 231 4314
Fax: +44 20 7278 0003
PO Box 1269, Langley, WA 98260 USA
517, Tower 2, Bright China Tel: +1 360 321 4707 Fax: +1 360 3214709
Chan An Building, 2911 West 54th Street,
7 Jianguomennei Avenue Minneapolis, MN 55410, USA
Beijing 100005, China Tel: +1 612 922 9092 Fax: +1 612 920 3225
Tel: +86 10 6510 2206
CRU STRATEGIES A division of CRU International Ltd
Fax: +86 10 6510 2207 Level 2, Kalpataru Synergy, Opp. Grand Hyatt,
Santa Cruz (East), Mumbai 400055, India
Tel: +91 22 3953 7395 Fax: +91 22 3953 7200
