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Many businesses utilize only 50% or less of their growth potential. While ambitious businessleaders strongly believe in their product, they often struggle to come up with the right plan to accelerate growth. In this book, former McDonald's top executive and serial entrepreneur René H. Savelberg reveals his framework for organising and accelerating business growth.

Find out how the companies we know and love, grow their business by thinking and doing things differently. And how you can do the same. Based on his 30 years of experience with growth companies, Savelberg developed a unique and easy-to-follow 8-step 'business acceleration framework' with which any company can grow. No matter how small you start or how big you already are.

'Believe in yourself, grow and conquer the world!'

At the age of 34, René H. Savelberg became the youngest CEO in the McDonald's global system. As CEO of McDonald's Holland, Serial Entrepreneur and International Keynote Speaker, he worked with high-performance companies around the world. He discovered that many of these companies invest in the same three key drivers to grow their business; standardisation, partnerships and people-focus. His book explains how you can also use these building blocks to accelerate and maximise your growth and business potential.

'Sparkling with great examples' - Jury Dutch Management Book of the Year

'Fascinating and inspiring read' - Credit Agricole Suisse Asia

'Very practical, easy to implement' - Accor Hotel Group

Inhoud

FOREWORD KICKSTART GROWTH

INTRODUCTION WHAT IS BUSINESS ACCELERATION?

STEP 1 STANDARDISATION
LONG LIVE THE ASSEMBLY LINE

STEP 2 PARTNERSHIPS
DON’T-DO-IT-ALL-ALONE

STEP 3 CORE VALUES
THE VALUE OF ‘WOW!’

STEP 4 THE TRUNK
EVERYTHING REVOLVES AROUND PEOPLE

STEP 5 THE SUPPORT ORGANISATION
EMPLOYED BY THE GARBAGE COLLECTOR

STEP 6 THE INTERNAL CUSTOMER
FAN-TAS-TIC CUSTOMER SERVICE

STEP 7 FEEDBACK LOOPS
INFORMATION IN YOUR VEINS

STEP 8 THE EXTERNAL CUSTOMER
WHERE’S YOUR ‘LIKE’ BUTTON?

AND NOW, LET’S GET TO WORK!

ABOUT RENÉ H. SAVELBERG

LITERATURE

RECOMMENDATIONS

René Savelberg

The secret of BIG

8 steps to conquer the world with any product

First published in 2022 by

Haystack Publishing

www.haystack.nl

needle@haystack.nl

Author: René H. Savelberg

Proofreader: James Storie

Cover design: Jessica Wieberdink

Layout: Debbie Brok

Photo back cover: Santos van den Berg

ISBN 9789461265401

NUR 800

BISAC BUS020000

Thema KJB

© 2014-2022 René H. Savelberg

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced and/or published by means of print, photocopy, microfilm, audio tape, electronically or in any other way, or stored in a retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the copyright owner.

Although this book has been written and compiled with great care, neither the author nor the publisher accepts any liability for damage caused by any errors and/or imperfections in this book.

FOREWORD KICKSTART GROWTH

Most people think small. When they see a tomato, they see nothing more than a tomato, an ingredient for a salad. Not the Heinz family: in 1876 they introduced their first bottle of tomato ketchup and eventually conquered the whole world with this product. Joseph Campbell, together with his partner Arthur Dorrance, also saw more in the tomato than the average greengrocer: they turned it into tomato soup and Campbell’s soon became a worldwide empire. These people didn’t think small, but big.

For growth you don’t necessarily need a complicated product, nor a super-innovative service that no one has ever heard of. In fact, preferably not! The fastest growing companies sell something basic, something everyone knows and needs. The deciding driver for successful growth is not the product or service. But what is it then?

I have always been fascinated by growing companies, and I’ve been lucky enough to work at some of those companies. One of them was McDonald’s, where I spent every day asking myself what we owed our success to and how we could sustain our growth at McDonald’s.

Actually, I’ve been on a journey all my life with McDonald’s, its entrepreneurship and its growth. As I was able to look in the kitchen of more and more successful companies, I slowly but surely discovered what all these companies had in common. By now I think I have found the answer for successful, continuous growth: a framework and model with which you can successfully grow any organisation.

I hope that you also choose to go after growth. Because growth is actually more valuable than success. Success is by definition something temporary, while by choosing growth you safeguard the continuity of your company. This also forces you to remain flexible in a world that changes constantly.

I also believe that companies don’t need Masters of Business Administration, but Masters of Business Acceleration - accelerating takes us further than administering.

Almost every day, I meet people with potentially great products or ideas. Successful butchers with one shop. Great cabinetmakers with one machine. Popular restaurant owners with one restaurant. Brilliant consultants with one employee. Don’t get me wrong, some people don’t want to grow, for example because leadership doesn’t fit their character, and that’s fine. But many entrepreneurs and managers want to grow, but don’t know how. I wrote this book for them.

So, if you are in the business of developing software that everyone loves, a shoe that runs super smooth, a restaurant that’s full every night of the week or a new gadget that everyone likes?

Then believe in yourself, grow and conquer the world!

René H. Savelberg

rs@velberg.com

info@nationaalgroeiplan.nl

@rsavelberg

nl.linkedin.com/in/rsavelberg

www.nationaalgroeiplan.nl

INTRODUCTION WHAT IS BUSINESS ACCELERATION?

Three teenagers stare at the screen of a smartphone, with red and blue tins in their hands. Their skateboards lie idly by at their feet. They look breathlessly at a snowboarder making a backwards double-somersault high in the Alps. They see a mountain biker dropping carefree into the depths of a canyon. They watch a surfer glide along a giant wave in the surf of the Pacific before he himself disappears into it. A hang glider drops off from a sharply pointed mountain top and disappears into thin air. Damn, so gutsy!

The teenagers watch the film in slow motion and analyze the jumps of their heroes. One of them tries to imitate the backward somersault seen in the film. He ends up flat on his back, but stands up laughing and accepts another can with a high five from his friends. He opens his can of soda and puts it to his mouth, while another tries the somersault again.

Is this an advertisement? No, the three boys are merely playing themselves at a skate park in a local neighborhood. But the movie they were watching was indeed advertising, sponsored by that red-blue can of soda: Red Bull. Particularly effective advertising, when you consider that this simple drink barely existed a generation ago and that it now sells eight billion cans a year. Eight billion!

Dream scenario

With action and adventure, Red Bull has been captivating young people for more than twenty-five years. With stunts and targeted sponsorship, the simple energy drink has become synonymous with risk and gutsiness. Red Bull is all about pushing your limits and trying out all that your mother warned you about. From a medical point of view, the drink is relatively harmless, although with its high levels of caffeine and taurine, it’s a risky booster. All the rumours about the health risks only contribute to the tough image. The negative publicity and sales bans in some countries build up the brutal, cross-border image.

Red Bull is the dream scenario for breaking into an overcrowded market with a new brand. The soft drinks market seemed to be stuck at the end of the eighties and was roughly divided between Coca-Cola and Pepsi. On a business trip in Thailand, the Austrian Dietrich Mateschitz came into contact with the drink, which he launched as Red Bull at the Monaco Grand Prix in 1987. As a seasoned marketeer at both Unilever and Procter & Gamble, Mateschitz knew what it took to market a brand. Today, Red Bull is the market leader in energy drinks, a market that Mateschitz largely created himself. The brand grew from cool to chill. Over the years the target group has broadened, so that it appeals to young people with different lifestyles. It covers the youth market, from techno clubs to extreme sports.

Dietrich Mateschitz had the imagination and the guts to make his own childhood dream come true. That is the magic of his success. The Red Bull fantasy is authentic: Mateschitz himself also tumbles through the air as a stunt pilot and regularly shreds in a Formula 1 car. Not only is he a handy marketeer, the Red Bull feeling comes from within him. Mateschitz knows how to combine the ‘realness’ of extreme top sports with the stimulating effect of his soft drink. Young people believe that Red Bull improves their performance, and that’s how it works for them. Red Bull gives them wings.

Red Bull definitely has business acceleration power, that’s for sure. But who or what do we thank for this? Where does it come from? Can we do the same as Red Bull?

Magical attraction

Large, successful brands have a magical appeal. Young people have a thing for Red Bull, I have a thing for Coca-Cola. You have a thing for IKEA, I have a thing for Walmart (yes, really!). It’s something astounding, we feel a personal relationship with the producers of drinks and retailers, with brands and people we don’t even know. They become our house guests, they grow up with us. Shopping in our favourite shops and eating in our favourite restaurants feels familiar. We connect with many brands, whether we like it or not. How do these companies get that done anyway? How do they manage to connect tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands and sometimes millions of people? How can companies like IKEA and McDonald’s continue to grow and succeed, being accepted and embraced in societies and cultures around the world? What is the secret of a brand like Unilever’s Ben & Jerry’s? How does this brand convince millions of people that they are doing good for the planet when they buy their ice cream? And how does the same Unilever manage to excite the opposite feeling in millions of people through sinning with a Magnum ice cream?

All my life I have been fascinated by the magical appeal of successful companies and brands. How have they managed to grow so big - so big that it looks as if they have developed a perpetual-motion machine that grows by itself?

Aren’t you always talking about McDonald’s?

As a boy, I re-built American cities with my little brother. We took our toy cars for a drive in the deep streets of our own cardboard Manhattan and even took videos of it with a super-8camera. I was already impressed by the United States and its well-known companies that had grown into global multinationals. In America, that’s where it happened. After my graduation from Hotel Management School, I went there as soon as possible for a Masters in Hotel and Foodservice Management. I lived in Miami in the early eighties when it was still a city where the Colombian mafia and pensionados dominated the streets. I lived next to the headquarters of Burger King and regularly went to their concept store to see and taste what new products and flavors they had come up with. After my Masters I went back to the Netherlands, where for a long time I wasn’t even aware of my fascination for fast growing companies. Until a colleague pointed my passion out to me.

In 1971 the Dutch supermarket-chain owner Albert Heijn brought McDonald’s to the Netherlands, in fact the McDonald’s in the city of Zaandam was the very first McDonald’s store in Europe. I had been following the growth of this renowned brand with great interest for some time. Over lunch with colleagues, I regularly analysed the growth of the company and the appeal of the concept. One day my colleague shoved a job ad right under my nose. ‘Hey René, you always talking about McDonald’s, this is 100% for you.’

I was immediately convinced. In the job advertisement, McDonald’s Netherlands was seeking a Local Store Marketing Coordinator, who would help McDonald’s restaurants to market themselves locally - in a smart way. Trying out all sorts of marketing tricks at a company that I had admired for years seemed like a fantastic opportunity to me!

Unfortunately, the recruiter at McDonald’s thought otherwise. On the phone he tried to get rid of me as quickly as possible: ‘Hotelschool and an MBA in America? No, I’d rather not. You guys think differently’. To make matters worse, my Hotelschool was based in Maastricht which was regarded as one of the best classical hotel schools in Europe: I had done my utmost to be accepted to that school, but the good name of the school now worked against me. ‘No, no, then you have been educated far too classically. We prefer to train our people in our own way’. The recruiter said, already starting a closing sentence. I thought about my current job, which didn’t inspire me much, and I thought I had to make my move now, and soon. I took a deep breath and verbally put my foot in the door: ‘I understand what you mean, McDonald’s is a totally different concept. But apart from my education, you don’t know anything about me at all. So at least give me the opportunity to introduce myself. Let’s meet in person. One cup of coffee - and then you’ll be rid of me again.’

Fortunately, the man could appreciate my tenacity and I was allowed the chance to sell myself. The result of that interview was that I was hired. I could start right away, only not right away in that nice marketing position. First, I had to start with the basics...

My first Big Mac

First I followed the complete training program for new franchisees. For months I learned everything about the products, the layout of restaurants, the logic on the work floor, preparing products, shadowing shifts and so on. I was trained in every function and task so that I knew exactly what every detail meant and what role it played in the operation: from cleaning tables, floors and toilets, to cooking French fries for hours until my hands were sore because of the square handle of the French fries basket. The highlight, of course, was preparing and serving McDonald’s’ world-famous hamburger, my first Big Mac.

I learned everything about the daily operation of a McDonald’s restaurant, which also gave me a deep respect for all the employees in the restaurants. Even now when I come to a McDonald’s restaurant and order a Big Mac with French fries, I still remember how to prepare them.

Three building blocks

Only after completing my training I was allowed to start in my new ‘guerilla-marketing’ role. My first challenge was to supervise the marketing of the opening of the new McDonald’s restaurant in Eindhoven, the thirty-seventh location of McDonald’s in the Netherlands.

I loved the work and in the years that followed I continued to grow along with the explosive growth of McDonald’s, in the Netherlands and far beyond. In my fourteen years at McDonald’s I started on the floor preparing Big Macs, but was also given the opportunity to eventually grow to become Managing Director, a position I held for seven years. In all my years at McDonald’s I learned a huge amount, but everything I learned about successful growth actually started on the floor, as a trainee, cleaning and cooking in McDonald’s restaurants. The Big Mac was prepared in exactly the same way every day, the collaboration with colleagues and suppliers was seamless and we put tremendous dedication into helping customers in an as fast and friendly a manner as possible. These were actually the three building blocks that I found to be present in every successful, growing company, and that I see as the unique recipe for Business Acceleration:

BUSINESS ACCELERATION = Standardisation + Partnerships + People-Focus

Standardisation

To start, of course you need a good product or service, but it doesn’t have to be genius level. Much more important is that it is of good, consistent quality and scalable. This can only be achieved through extensive standardisation. Remember, if every McDonald’s were to prepare its own version of the Big Mac, McDonalds would likely still be just one restaurant in San Bernardino, California.

Every employee and every appliance needs to be able to prepare each product quickly and efficiently. Every customer should experience the same quality, at every visit. Imagine if KLM pilots were allowed to follow their own beliefs and standards... Standardisation is the most obvious success factor for growth, but it’s also the most underestimated.

Partnerships

Some companies think they’re alone in the world. They don’t realise how dependent they are on other companies, including suppliers and specialized consultants. In our network and society in particular, each company is just one link in a chain, and if you don’t perfect the quality of that chain you will never grow. Only the best is good enough: you have to work with the best suppliers and the smartest advisors - not for the short term, but for the long term.

The Swedish fashion chain Hennes & Mauritz (H&M) sells affordable clothing, but also works with the world’s best clothing designers, a different one every year: Stella McCartney, Karl Lagerfeld, Viktor & Rolf. If you cut back on a relationship, whether business or personal, you can be sure it’s going to be a short-term relationship. If you want to grow like Hennes & Mauritz, you have to look for the best partners and invest in a long-term relationship. So, in the words of an American Indian tribe: if you want to travel fast, go alone. If you want to travel far, then go together.

People Focus

All the energy you put into your business has to be people focused. Your customers, employees, partners: everyone deserves personal attention.

Mars, the American manufacturer of snacks such as Mars and M&M’s, is the largest family business in the world, with a turnover of almost forty billion dollars. The company has been criticized for years for its rigorous, performance-oriented organisational culture. Now, it is widely praised for its family values. Mars may be strict, but it is also a fair company. It has been chosen by Fortune as one of the best companies to work for. The Mars factory candy store in Slough in the UK is run by a lady who has worked there for more than sixty years. And she is not the only female ‘boss’: the so-called ‘traditional’ Mars has more women in the top than most/many competing companies.

People focus is the most important building block of Business Acceleration. Clients and employees are not there for your organisation, it’s the other way around; your organisation is there for your clients and employees. Only when that awareness is rooted in your corporate DNA can your organisation grow.

In order to clarify how you can achieve this people-focus in a growing organisation, I have developed what I call the Christmas tree model. It illustrates how to let human energy flow through any organisation and thus achieve long-term growth.

A Christmas tree with people

It has taken a long time, but in my opinion it has now become clear that people are more important than machines and processes. The blind faith in traditional command and control techniques introduced by people like Frederick Taylor (author of ‘the principles of scientific management’) is slowly but surely disappearing. Virtually every manager and entrepreneur now agrees that everything revolves around people, and more importantly, motivated people. But how can you arrange the energy and therefore the talents and potential of employees in such a way that a company starts to grow?

To make this clear, I will compare a healthy, growing organisation with a well-equipped Christmas tree.

This is the end of the preview. Go to Haystack.nl for more information about this book. Or buy this book at your favourite (local or online) bookshop.

RECOMMENDATIONS

“My passion lies in building something out of nothing. And then letting it grow. Every day people come to me with the question of how to do the same, and how to grow their business. I always find it difficult to explain, but this book by René explains exactly how it should be done. Step one is creating something out of nothing and, growth will follow.”

Leen Zevenbergen, entrepreneur, bestselling author management books (‘best management book 2007’), international keynote speaker, co-founder B Corp Europe, co-founder Mind Challenge

“To students who want to get into the Quote 500, I always say, quit your education right now. Most successful entrepreneurs owe their fortune to a combination of street smarts, an enormous zest for work and a little bit of luck. Not a diploma. Of course, that doesn’t mean that the learning has to stop. We are very fortunate that René wanted to write this book!”

Paul van Riessen, editor-in-chief Quote

“Never mysterious again! ‘The Secret of BIG’ can be applied by anyone! René’s book is a wake-up call. Stop the nightmares of today, stop daydreaming and apply it immediately. Get into your zone. Enjoy business happiness. Open your filter, make the step from “Great to Cool” and use all this know-how! Then the new year will be a great year.”

René C.W. Boender, bestselling author management books, international keynote speaker

“According to René, ‘The Secret of BIG’ is about ‘standardisation + partnerships + people focus’. This theme is worked out smoothly and beautifully with nice examples and cases: from McDonald’s as the largest living room in the world, to working on the, or rather, with a conveyor belt. And what the Windcentrale, Airbnb and Gordon Ramsay have in store for growth. In short, serious reading material for anyone who understands that we are not going to get there in the old way, but that some of the old principles are and will remain very useful”.

Ronald van den Hoff, director and co-founder Seats2Meet, Mindz.com, Author ‘Society 3.0

“Based on his years of experience, René Savelberg has written a very accessible book about business acceleration for companies. A book full of practical examples, handy and very suitable to ask yourself: how is business acceleration organised in my business? Is it standardisation, partnerships and people focus? Or is it more, or something different, like pro-active investing in the digital world of products and services? If nothing else, this book definitely challenges you to think deep!”

Lex van den Ham, vice president Capgemini Consulting

“In the past 12 months, 60% of economic growth in the Netherlands came from companies that did not exist five years ago. Growth is vital for our economy, for individual companies and the people involved. René Savelberg writes about it as I know him; dedicated, engaged and very inspiring. A must-read for anyone with ambitions”.

Ruud Hendriks, commissioner Eyeworks TV, Theodoor Gilissen Bankers, founder Startupbootcamp, presenter BNR News Radio, author

“In these fast-paced and ever-changing times in which, to be successful, new, gutsy entrepreneurship is desperately needed, this book by René Savelberg is not an unnecessary luxury. It is more of a much-needed modern way to quickly gain insight into how to grow your business. The book gives practical tips and insights, easy to apply for every type of entrepreneur. This should not be a surprise with an author who has such a wide range of experience and expertise”.

Caro van Eekelen, senior vice president Suite Novotel & Novotel United Kingdom and Benelux (Accor Group)

“As long as I have known René, he knows how to inspire people. He generates raw energy through his enthusiasm and positive view of organisations. In ‘The Secret of BIG’ the reader experiences the spark that René has shared with companies for many years. A book with many inspiring examples and above all, a very personal view on growth”.

Peter de Roode, chairman of the jury Management Book of the Year (2009), organisation consultant

“An absolute must-read for all managers who want to achieve growth within their business. René describes in a clear way what the key success factors are for a company to achieve growth (e.g. standardisation, partnerships, people, customer focus etc.). Moreover, he illustrates this with clear and understandable examples, which for me are also very recognizable from my own career at Coca-Cola and with the fast-growing Regus company”.

Tom Tempelman, Managing Director Regus Netherlands

“Nice to read how René Savelberg made his dream come true. He has learned many lessons through his great passion for McDonald’s, which every entrepreneur, looking for their own Business X Factor, will benefit from”.

Henkjan Smits, consultant strategic communication and reputation management, BXF.nl

“The Secret of BIG is’ written in a very accessible way and draws on Rene’s years of experience. The book contains practical and inspiring insights, which every manager can use”.

Sjaak Mark, general manager AKO Retail

“This book is not only good for your company but also for your personal development. Eighteen years ago, as a waiter at van der Valk Hotels, I thought that I would rather have my own hotel chain and went for it with all my energy and vision. Now I have 61 of my own hotels with 2500 employees and I can look back on solid growth and I can recommend René’s latest book to every entrepreneur who wants to grow. A practical and clear book for anyone who is looking to grow, rather than shrink, because it’s possible!

Chris Luken, founder/owner Hotelbon and Fletcher Hotels.

“Growth and its associated secrets concern me every day. René knows how to inspire and excite the spirit with his analysis of The Secret of BIG’. In doing so, he offers a firm basis when choices have to made. Worthwhile, even for those who do not necessarily want to grow their business”.

Bart van den Nieuwenhof, general manager La Place restaurants

“René Savelberg is an enthusiastic entrepreneur with passion and energy. In his book he takes the reader into his fascinating world of thought. This is a ‘feel good’ book about entrepreneurship, with a lot of practical wisdom”.

Prof. Dr. Jan Adriaanse, professor Turnaround Management at the University of Leiden, founder of global think-tank ‘Turnaround PowerHouse’.

“Growth always starts with small steps. Step by step, inch by inch. In his book, René Savelberg explains clearly and precisely how to turn inches into miles. By focusing on three success factors, you will grow faster and get larger. A must for every entrepreneur with ambition”.

Bernd W. Mintjes, founder Investormatch, associate professor University of Groningen

“If you are chosing to grow your business, read this book. This book will grab you right away. Not only because of the intriguing title, but also because of the practical and easily applicable approach to how you too can grow. No more secrets from now on. With this book, business acceleration becomes simply a matter of acting and persisting. I already feel like decorating my Christmas tree.”

Martijn Driessen, founder and director of Entrepreneur Consultancy

“The Secret of BIG’ is a very interesting read for entrepreneurs who don’t have ‘ketchup in their blood’. How do I make growth predictable and manageable? Those are the questions of many entrepreneurs to which René Savelberg has the answer.”

Aldebert Wiersinga, co-founder and managing partner Value Creation and Company (VC&C)

“Great book that really got me thinking. The way René Savelberg approaches the theme of business acceleration is not only very refreshing but also very practical. Many companies and organisations can benefit from this. Just do it!”

Arno Bloem - Director Vebego International

“As one of the chosen ones, I had the opportunity to read this book by René Savelberg. What immediately struck me was the easy way in which the author shares his experiences. Sometimes it is good to read recognizable stories, other times you get handed new insights. In any case, it is a book you can easily read through. As far as I’m concerned, it’s highly recommended for every entrepreneur, director and manager who is open to further development”.

Hans Démoed, managing director Professional Networks Netherlands

“René Savelberg’s growth strategy has made us look differently at our company, at our customers, at our partnerships and at our environment. Since then, our various webshops have experienced significantly stronger growth. Outstanding!”

Bob van Tol, founder and owner of Wordwide Webshops

“The customer is not part of your work, the customer IS your work” writes René Savelberg. For hoteliers this has been an obvious fact for centuries, but for other organisations and industries, often a challenge. In this book René Savelberg demonstrates in a simple and pragmatic way how organisations can benefit from knowledge from the hospitality sector to grow their own business successfully and structurally. Business accceleration is not a coincidence but a choice”.

Annette van de Meene, general manager Hotelschool The Hague Consultancy & Training

“The interplay of forces between the major consumer brands. The fascination for these brands, how to reach the top with passion and dedication. It’s all there - a fascinating story.”

Andrew J. Rommes, partner Amrop Executive Search

“René Savelberg knows how to fascinate you as a reader with insightful stories about companies like McDonald’s, Virgin and IKEA. Companies that are pioneers of growth, perfection and all have an eye for detail. From his years of experience as an entrepreneur, both in Europe and the United States, René provides practical tools that every reader can apply. It inspires, motivates, and ensures that you and your organisation take immediate action, heading towards the strongest possible growth. And that’s exactly what this book is aiming to achieve.”

Adriaan Buyserd, attorney at law Banning Advocaten

“An inspiring book that, for once, does not derive its growth from the hocus-pocus of new media and technology, but from the organisation and the people themselves. A source of hope for real entrepreneurs “

Dirk Spillebeen, program director Institute for Business Development (IFBD), Belgium

“It may come as no surprise that a book on business acceleration inspires with so many examples. But the passion to want to tell his story explodes from the pages, which makes you want to read it in one go. With this, René Savelberg has written a book that every entrepreneur with aspirations for growth wants to read and actually only puts away once, when it’s finished”.

Christiaan van Mansfeld, director DDB & Tribal Interactive Marketing Amsterdam

“During a congress that I was allowed to sit in on, I was very touched by the René’s story. I was particularly struck by the fact that there is more business acceleration in people and organisations than people often realise, but that you have to manage it with standardisation, partnerships and people focus. It certainly doesn’t happen by itself and overnight, but it does lead to sustainable and successful growth. It’s a good thing that all this is now elaborately explained and clarified in a well-organised book. Enjoy reading!

Enrique Figee, Director FoodReflection

“It remains tremendously inspiring to meet entrepreneurs with a challenging ambition. At the MBO & Growth Fund we see wonderful examples of this every week. ‘The Secret of BIG’ is a valuable book that is easy to read and can help many entrepreneurs on their way to achieving their dreams”.

Ab van Urk, partner MBO & Growth Fund

“René Savelberg takes us through The Secret of BIG in his new book. As a manager in healthcare, I read the first chapters with considerable caution; for me, focusing on growth is focusing on the earning model, which is like cursing in church in my line of business... Slowly but surely the book gets to me and I become enthusiastic; standardisation may not sound very attractive, but it creates clarity, gives direction and above all guarantees quality. I am especially touched when Rene describes the Christmas tree model, with people focus as the most important building block of business acceleration, and core values being the base for success. As René himself also says; it’s not all new what he is telling. But it’s inspiring how he succeeds in connecting a range of core issues so that you not only get a successful recipe, but also really get a taste of the recipe. In the book I feel the author’s belief and drive to connect people with each other, which enables us to develop enormous business acceleration together. I disregard my first thought that this book is only meant for the commercial sector, this book is interesting for everyone who wants to be successful in their work!

Hanneke Vrielink, Director Cordaan Youth

“Former McDonald’s CEO René Savelberg proverbially hits the nail on the head with his new book. Through the core values Standardisation, Partnership and People Focus he describes how successful growth can be organised. It is an analysis that is applicable in the Quick Service Restaurant industry as well as in the Do-it-yourself industry, and possibly in many other sectors. Highly recommended for managers who embrace growth!

Emiel Hopmans, managing director Van Neerbos Groep / CRH D.I.Y. Europe

“René Savelberg proves with this book that he is not only a gifted entrepreneur, but also an excellent writer. His clear style combined with practical recommendations on how to grow businesses make this management book a real ‘page turner’. Like no other, Savelberg draws from his own experiences and observations. He knows how to uncover the structures and techniques of successful companies and how to make them replicable. Because the core of his book is: you can create your own success! Use your mind and learn from the successes of others. Combine that with your own vision and creativity and the success is yours. Savelberg has filled a hole on the management bookshelf with insight and pleasure. His energy explodes from the book. Read it!”

Eric Eggink, chairman WorldPensionSummit, managing director Eggink Van Manen Communication Consultancy

“You have to want to grow, but you can’t grow on your own, as growing isn’t an automatic process. To grow, your head, heart and hands must work together. With practical examples and tips, René Savelberg gives a simple insight into how a well formulated growth goal, linked to conviction, decisiveness, and the right people, comes within your reach”.

Gert-Jan van den Nieuwenhoff, general manager AHOY, chairman CLC-Vecta

“You will read Rene’s book in one breath! That’s the power of this book. Insights and practical lessons from successful companies are shared in such a way that you rightly feel like taking advantage of them and going for growth yourself”!

Patrick van Gils, head of corporate communications Makro Netherlands

“The Secret of BIG’ is an inspiring book in which the author takes readers behind the scenes of successful companies and their entrepreneurs in an engaging way. A useful manual, richly illustrated with successful examples that are easy to follow. The crucial role of the human factor and the continuous focus on customer service are clearly expressed. The book is timeless and is directly applicable to both entrepreneurs who want to grow successfully and for successful entrepreneurs with the ambition to excel”.

Hans Diederen - chief executive Credit Agricole Suisse Asia

“René has looked into many kitchens and knows the world’s largest kitchen inside out. So he really knows what he’s talking about when it comes to smart business. But knowing is something else than sharing. And sharing is René’s way of life. His secret? Passion. Passion for business, for success and for growth. And passion for talking about it. That’s how I know him. And that’s what this book is all about. A page-turner for every ambitious manager and entrepreneur “

Ferdinand Helmann, Director Porter Novelli PR (Omnicom Group)

“This book provides a unique frame of thought for achieving successful growth in a changing world. The framework for business acceleration as outlined by René Savelberg, based on his own experiences and research, and offers many perspectives for companies wanting to take the next step”.

Dries van der Vossen, Managing Director Bilderberg Hotels

“Smart business and hard work, standardisation, partnerships, people focus; in this book, René Savelberg takes the reader to the sources of the success of leading companies and provides a model for accelerating growth for each company. Practical, applicable, credible - a book that gives you energy to start tomorrow with the most important change; standardisation!

Erik van den Noort, Director Grand Catering (Jaarbeurs Groep)

“René Savelberg is a successful, passionate and committed entrepreneur. In his book he describes in a practical and appealing way the lessons for growth that he has learned during his impressive career. A must for every organisation wanting to grow!

Yvette Moll, head of media & publicity National Police Force

“Nearly all organisations realize that they need to grow, become more agile, maintain their competitive edge and - in order to survive - become faster and fiercer. But how do you do this? And preferably all at the same time. René Savelberg gives the answer in this book about business acceleration. And then all of a sudden it becomes a lot easier...”

Peter Hulsbos, general manager YACHT, a Randstad company

“Rene Savelberg describes in a clear and concise way how a company can focus on growth, without applying complicated models. Everyone can understand his positive way of business acceleration and it has been proven in practice. With this book, positive managers get a clear insight into how to bring their company acceleration and growth. Rene’s catchy practical examples illustrate the positive way of systematically building a growing organisation. The secret of growing BIG is revealed to the public here, highly recommended!

Cees Martens, vice president marketing, EMEA & IGBU at Ansell Healthcare

“René Savelberg has a keen eye for what makes companies successful. He discovered a recession-proof pattern. Read this inspiring book, choose to grow and embrace the Christmas tree model”

Hans Groen, director Focus conferences

“In today’s economy, ‘growing’ is the biggest challenge for small and large companies. But how? In this book, René Savelberg describes how organisations and companies can differentiate themselves from the competition by thinking and working more efficiently and smarter. The three building blocks of the success formula are the framework for achieving growth, regardless of the circumstances and with a strong focus on the people within the organisation. Despite the complexity of this subject, the book is practical and “action oriented”, making it an excellent tool for leaders and managers who want to turn the tide to achieve further growth”.

Ido Shikma, vice president human resources Central & Eastern Europe CGI

“René Savelberg has finally committed his growth formula to paper. His years of hands-on practical experience in optimizing business and operating in a people-focused way are now very clearly described in this book. In all respects an inspiring framework and entrepreneurial approach that is interesting for every organisation, in good and in lesser times...”

Mohamed Baba, partner Mexit, director strategy & policy a.i. City of Amsterdam, organisational consultant

“You will not find the definite answer to business acceleration in this book. The answer lies in YOU. This book makes you realise that. And you’re going to use it, too. René Savelberg’s book is a must-read for anyone who wants to move forward”

Gerd Leers, former Mayor of Maastricht and Dutch Minister for Immigration, Asylum and Integration

“For all those who have a responsibility in organisations and companies, it is very useful and valuable to know René’s secret, which in this book, is clearly and convincingly revealed. It leads to proven “growth”.

Bert Mertens, Director Cooperative and Management Rabobank Nederland