Markets, Brand & Stakeholders
Connecting outward with the openness of Dui: customer value, brand and reputation, sales and pricing, negotiation, cross-cultural communication and public affairs.
Customers & value proposition
Useful tools: Jobs to be Done; Value Proposition Canvas; Net Promoter Score; Customer journey mappingUnclear customer needs
Contemplation through the crack of the door: too narrow. Leave the meeting room—observe customers ethnographically in their real context.
六二：窥观，利女贞。
Contemplation through the crack of the door. Narrow perspective: widen the view.Dependence on one big customer
A one-eyed man who can see: keep independence and integrity in an unequal relationship. Cap single-customer revenue share and build a second tier deliberately.
九二：眇能视，利幽人之贞。
A one-eyed man who is able to see. The perseverance of a solitary person furthers. Keep independence and integrity in a non-ideal relationship.Customers quietly leaving
The bed is split at the leg: erosion starts at the base. Track early signs of silent churn—usage frequency, repurchase intervals—instead of waiting for complaints.
初六：剥床以足，蔑贞凶。
The leg of the bed is split. Those who persevere are destroyed: misfortune. Erosion begins at the base.Upgrading customer experience
Sincere joyousness: good fortune. Fix the trust-breaking moments first, then add moments of delight.
九二：孚兑，吉，悔亡。
Sincere joyousness. Good fortune. Remorse disappears. Relationships built on trust last.Going upmarket or mass-market
A big wagon for loading: undertake only if you can carry it. Go upmarket only when you own the wagon—craft, service and brand narrative.
九二：大车以载，有攸往，无咎。
A big wagon for loading; one may undertake something—no blame. You have the capacity to carry larger ventures.A complaint escalating into a crisis
Three foxes caught, a yellow arrow received: remove hidden causes, act with central fairness. Fix root causes behind the complaint and publish the improvement.
九二：田获三狐，得黄矢，贞吉。
One kills three foxes in the field and receives a yellow arrow. Perseverance brings good fortune. Remove hidden threats; act with central uprightness.Deepening B2B relationships
Influence in the back of the neck: deep, steady resonance. Extend from procurement to the client's strategy and technical levels—multiple points of contact.
九五：咸其脢，无悔。
The influence shows itself in the back of the neck: no remorse. Deep, steady resonance unmoved by surfaces.Developing a new customer segment
Joint approach: lead by resonance, not force. Enter a new segment through genuine shared value rather than heavy subsidies.
初九：咸临，贞吉。
Joint approach; perseverance brings good fortune. Lead by influence, not by power.Customer loyalty
Remorse disappears: measured, central conduct lasts. Loyalty comes from predictability; reducing variance in experience matters more than adding points.
九二：悔亡。
Remorse disappears. Measured, central conduct lasts naturally.Co-creating with customers
A sincere, kind heart: supreme good fortune. Involve key customers in early design and recognise them with credit or early access.
九五：有孚惠心，勿问元吉。有孚惠我德。
If in truth you have a kind heart, ask not. Supreme good fortune. Truly kindness will be recognised as your virtue. Benefit stakeholders sincerely and returns follow.
What job do customers 'hire' our product to do?
When did a customer last surprise us?
Brand & reputation
Useful tools: Brand equity (Keller); Brand architecture; Reputation risk map; Brand auditAn ageing brand
A large fruit still uneaten: decay keeps the seed of renewal. Find the part of the brand still cherished and rebuild around it rather than starting from zero.
上九：硕果不食，君子得舆，小人剥庐。
There is a large fruit still uneaten. The noble person receives a carriage; the house of the inferior is split apart. The end of decay keeps the seed of renewal.Rebranding
Grace or simplicity? A white horse comes as if on wings. Successful rebrands often subtract, letting the essence be seen again.
六四：贲如皤如，白马翰如，匪寇婚媾。
Grace or simplicity? A white horse comes as if on wings: not a robber, a suitor. From ornament back to simplicity; the sincere newcomer is a partner.Negative social-media buzz
Checked with a brake of bronze: stop small risks immediately. The first two hours decide the trajectory—respond fast, sincerely, facts first.
初六：系于金柅，贞吉。有攸往，见凶，羸豕孚蹢躅。
It must be checked with a brake of bronze. Perseverance brings good fortune. If one lets it take its course, one experiences misfortune. Even a lean pig has it in him to rage around. Brake immediately when small risks appear.A brand ambassador in scandal
He splits with them: no blame. Separate promptly and clearly, stating the values the brand stands by.
六三：剥之，无咎。
He splits with them: no blame. In a decaying group, keep your integrity and leave the clique.Brand extension
The goose reaches the tree and may find a flat branch. Extend into categories consistent with core brand associations, not merely profitable ones.
六四：鸿渐于木，或得其桷，无咎。
The wild goose gradually draws near the tree. Perhaps it will find a flat branch. No blame. Find the right place in an imperfect environment.Restraint in a luxury brand
A yellow lower garment: supreme good fortune. True luxury is restraint; reduce exposure and raise the quality that speaks for itself.
六五：黄裳，元吉。
A yellow lower garment: supreme good fortune. Authority exercised with modesty and service.Apologising after a reputation crisis
Tears in floods, sighing and lamenting: good fortune. An effective apology acknowledges, takes responsibility, repairs and prevents—none can be missing.
六五：出涕沱若，戚嗟若，吉。
Tears in floods, sighing and lamenting: good fortune. Sincere reflection and compassion bring the turn.Building thought leadership
Brightness rising twice: perpetuate the light. Thought leadership comes from steady original insight, not occasional high-profile appearances.
离：利贞，亨。畜牝牛，吉。
Perseverance furthers; success. Care of the cow brings good fortune. Fire must cling to something in order to shine.Over-marketing
Cockcrow penetrating to heaven: claims beyond reality fail. Promise slightly less than you deliver, and let customers carry the message.
上九：翰音登于天，贞凶。
Cockcrow penetrating to heaven. Perseverance brings misfortune. Claims beyond reality fail.Brand consistency
Not giving duration to one's character brings disgrace. Write a brand 'constitution' so every market and channel keeps the core expression consistent.
九三：不恒其德，或承之羞，贞吝。
He who does not give duration to his character meets with disgrace; persistent humiliation. Wavering values lose trust.
If our brand vanished tomorrow, who would genuinely miss it?
Where is the gap between what we say and what we do?
Sales, channels & pricing
Useful tools: Price waterfall; Value-based pricing; Channel conflict matrix; Sales funnel analyticsRaise prices or protect volume?
Firm resolution, walking in the middle: decisive, not excessive. Raise prices by segment and product, step by step, with clear value communication.
九五：苋陆夬夬，中行无咎。
In dealing with weeds, firm resolution is necessary. Walking in the middle remains free of blame. Decisive, not excessive.Addicted to discounts
Coming joyousness: misfortune. Pleasing for its own sake loses principle. Taper promotion frequency; replace price stimuli with membership value and service.
六三：来兑，凶。
Coming joyousness. Misfortune. Flattering to please loses principle.Channel conflict
The wagon dragged back, the oxen halted—not a good beginning, but a good end. Define clear customer allocation and pricing rules per channel; protect partners' interests.
六三：见舆曳，其牛掣，其人天且劓，无初有终。
One sees the wagon dragged back, the oxen halted, a man's hair and nose cut off. Not a good beginning, but a good end. A blocked start can still turn.Direct sales or distributors?
Holding together from within: build direct relationships with core customers; entrust the long tail to trusted distributors.
六二：比之自内，贞吉。
Hold to him inwardly; perseverance brings good fortune. Internal cohesion precedes external alliances.Dependence on marketplaces
Seeking nourishment from the wrong height: dependence on the wrong source. A marketplace is a channel, not a home—build your own customer data and reach in parallel.
六二：颠颐，拂经，于丘颐，征凶。
Turning to the summit for nourishment, deviating from the path: continuing brings misfortune. Depending on the wrong sources.Declining sales performance
Looking upward for approval, or hesitating—both bring remorse. Diagnose whether it's market, product or incentive before acting.
六三：盱豫，悔。迟有悔。
Enthusiasm that looks upward creates remorse; hesitation brings remorse. Depending on approval, or dithering—both lead to regret.Pacing a large deal
Waiting at meat and wine: calm patience is strength. Don't concede to quarter-end pressure—let time pressure sit with the other side.
九五：需于酒食，贞吉。
Waiting at meat and wine; perseverance brings good fortune. With resources secured, calm patience is strength.Building channels in a new market
Horse and wagon part; seeking union brings good fortune. Build new-market channels from a few high-quality partners, not a wide net.
六四：乘马班如，求婚媾，往吉，无不利。
Horse and wagon part; seek union—going brings good fortune. Now actively look for allies and partners.Price transparency
Possessing truth that links together: no blame. Transparency may compress margins short-term, but builds trust and efficiency long-term.
九五：有孚挛如，无咎。
He possesses truth, which links together. No blame. A leader's integrity binds everyone together.Sales incentives driving short-termism
Following creates success, yet perseverance brings misfortune: when gains come too fast, check their legitimacy. Add collection quality, retention and compliance to incentives.
九四：随有获，贞凶。有孚在道，以明，何咎。
Following creates success; perseverance brings misfortune. To go one's way with sincerity brings clarity—how could there be blame? When gains come too fast, check their legitimacy.
Are we pricing value or pricing cost?
Which channels create customer value, and which merely take a cut?
Negotiation & commercial relationships
Useful tools: BATNA / ZOPA; Principled negotiation (Fisher & Ury); Guanxi & mianzi; Negotiation preparation canvasDeadlocked negotiations
The goat stuck in the hedge, unable to advance or retreat: acknowledging difficulty is the way out. Change the issue, the people or the venue to break the frame.
上六：羝羊触藩，不能退，不能遂，无攸利，艰则吉。
A goat butts against a hedge; it cannot go backward, cannot go forward. Nothing serves to further. If one notes the difficulty, this brings good fortune. In a deadlock, acknowledging difficulty is the way out.A dominant counterpart pushing hard
Treading on the tiger's tail, it does not bite: move with courtesy and measure. Stay polite and firm; answer pressure with objective criteria, not emotion.
履：履虎尾，不咥人，亨。
Treading on the tail of the tiger. It does not bite. Success—through propriety and measure in dangerous company.Whether to make the first offer
Waiting in the meadow, keeping to what endures. With good information, anchoring first helps; with poor information, listen first.
初九：需于郊，利用恒，无咎。
Waiting in the meadow; it furthers to abide in what endures. Danger is distant: keep your rhythm.Working through intermediaries (face)
Not reaching the prince, one meets the official: no blame. In face-sensitive contexts, informal intermediaries let both sides concede with dignity.
六二：过其祖，遇其妣；不及其君，遇其臣；无咎。
She passes by her ancestor and meets her ancestress. He does not reach his prince and meets the official. No blame. Go through the appropriate intermediate channel, not over heads.Restarting after talks broke down
Noblehearted return: no remorse. Restart by restating shared interests and owning your own missteps, not by repeating old positions.
六五：敦复，无悔。
Noblehearted return: no remorse. Sincere review and correction.Sharing value in a long partnership
Increase without depriving others wins lasting support. In long partnerships, letting the other side earn a little more often buys far greater continuity.
上九：弗损益之，无咎，贞吉，利有攸往，得臣无家。
If one is increased without depriving others, there is no blame. Perseverance brings good fortune. It furthers to undertake something. One obtains servants but no longer has a separate home. Winning support by giving.Disagreement over contract terms
Not perpetuating the affair: a little gossip, good fortune in the end. Split disputes into principle and technical; concede technical points quickly.
初六：不永所事，小有言，终吉。
If one does not perpetuate the affair, there is a little gossip—in the end, good fortune. Settle early.Using advisers and go-betweens
Penetration under the bed, using many priests and scribes: communicate through trusted experts. An independent third party can say what you cannot.
九二：巽在床下，用史巫纷若，吉无咎。
Penetration under the bed. Priests and magicians are used in great number. Good fortune. No blame. Communicate through trusted experts to dispel doubts.Keeping integrity in negotiation
Being prepared brings good fortune; secret designs bring unease. Short-term information advantages are usually paid for with the long-term relationship.
初九：虞吉，有它不燕。
Being prepared brings good fortune. If there are secret designs, it is disquieting. Once there is duplicity, trust is hard to sustain.Negotiating across a wide cultural gap
The wanderer fussing over trivia draws misfortune. First understand the other side's relational logic and decision process, then argue the terms.
初六：旅琐琐，斯其所取灾。
If the wanderer busies himself with trivial things, he draws down misfortune upon himself. Haggling over trifles abroad invites trouble.
If talks fail, what is our best alternative?
Whom must the other side report back to?
Cross-cultural communication & Europe–China business
Useful tools: Culture Map (Meyer); High/low context (Hall); Hofstede dimensions; Interpreter briefing protocolWhen 'yes' doesn't mean agreement
Contemplation through the door-crack sees only the literal. In high-context communication 'yes' may mean 'I heard you'—confirm agreement through follow-up actions, not words.
六二：窥观，利女贞。
Contemplation through the crack of the door. Narrow perspective: widen the view.Trust between a European team and a Chinese HQ
Inner truth reaches even pigs and fishes; it furthers crossing the great water. Set regular, predictable two-way communication and keep every small promise.
中孚：豚鱼吉，利涉大川，利贞。
Pigs and fishes. Good fortune. It furthers one to cross the great water. Perseverance furthers. Sincerity can move even the hardest to reach.Inefficient cross-cultural meetings
The Gentle: repeat and diffuse. Send materials before, check understanding during, circulate written minutes after—bridging language and style.
巽：小亨，利有攸往，利见大人。
Success through what is small. It furthers one to have somewhere to go. It furthers one to see the great person. Gentle influence that penetrates everywhere, like wind.Guanxi and European compliance
Treading a smooth path, the quiet person's perseverance: relationships build trust, but must operate within transparent, auditable rules.
九二：履道坦坦，幽人贞吉。
Treading a smooth, level course; the perseverance of a quiet person brings good fortune. Independent judgement undisturbed by noise.Hospitality, gifts and anti-bribery limits
Nourishment: careful in words, temperate in eating and drinking. Adopt a clear gifts-and-hospitality policy and explain it openly at the start.
颐：贞吉。观颐，自求口实。
Perseverance brings good fortune. Pay heed to the providing of nourishment and to what a person seeks to fill their own mouth with. How someone nourishes self and others reveals character.Translation and interpreting risk
Keeping the jaws still, words have order. For key negotiations use professional interpreters briefed on terminology; use sworn translation for critical documents.
六五：艮其辅，言有序，悔亡。
Keeping his jaws still. The words have order. Remorse disappears. Measured speech is a form of stillness.European staff adapting to Chinese management
Severity brings remorse yet good fortune; laxity ends in humiliation. Make explicit which standards are non-negotiable and which can be localised.
九三：家人嗃嗃，悔厉吉；妇子嘻嘻，终吝。
When tempers flare up in the family, too great severity brings remorse—good fortune nonetheless. When woman and child dally and laugh, it leads in the end to humiliation. Better firm than lax.Chinese staff integrating in Europe
One arrow for the pheasant brings praise and office in the end. Language, legal and practical support are small investments that win long-term loyalty.
六五：射雉一矢亡，终以誉命。
He shoots a pheasant. It drops with the first arrow. In the end this brings both praise and office. A small investment wins reputation and recognition.How the company is seen in European media
Contemplation: the observed need sincerity and dignity. Open up proactively and tell the story of local contribution rather than only reacting to criticism.
观：盥而不荐，有孚颙若。
The ablution has been made, but not yet the offering. Full of trust they look up. Observing and being observed both require sincerity.Cross-cultural misunderstandings escalating
Seeing a wagon full of devils, first drawing the bow, then laying it down: once misperception clears, the enemy can be a partner. Verify intentions before escalating.
上九：睽孤，见豕负涂，载鬼一车，先张之弧，后说之弧，匪寇婚媾，往遇雨则吉。
Isolated through opposition, one sees one's companion as a pig covered with dirt, as a wagon full of devils. First one draws a bow against him, then lays it aside. He is not a robber; he will woo at the right time. As one goes, rain falls; then good fortune comes. Once suspicion is cleared, the enemy can become a partner.
Does their silence mean agreement, thought or refusal?
Which of our habits are we mistaking for universal common sense?
Government, regulators & public affairs
Useful tools: Stakeholder mapping; Regulatory horizon scanning; Public-affairs strategy; Licence to operateNew regulation raising compliance costs
Contented limitation: success. Build compliance into process design; it costs less than checking afterwards.
六四：安节，亨。
Contented limitation. Success. Natural, internalised rules work best.Engaging with government
Contemplating the light of the kingdom, influence as a guest of the king: show up as a contributor of expertise and public value, not only as an interested party.
六四：观国之光，利用宾于王。
Contemplation of the light of the kingdom; it furthers one to exert influence as the guest of a king. Study excellent models and outside opportunities.Grants and industrial policy
Someone increases him, ten tortoises cannot oppose it; constant perseverance brings fortune. Subsidies should serve strategy, never bend strategy to them.
六二：或益之十朋之龟，弗克违，永贞吉。王用享于帝，吉。
Someone does indeed increase him; ten pairs of tortoises cannot oppose it. Constant perseverance brings good fortune. The king presents him before God: good fortune. Lasting support calls for long-term integrity in return.Facing a regulatory investigation
The king's servant beset by obstruction, not through his own fault: co-operate fully, preserve records, let specialised counsel lead communications.
六二：王臣蹇蹇，匪躬之故。
The king's servant is beset by obstruction upon obstruction, but it is not his own fault. Bearing difficulty for the greater good—no blame.A period of policy uncertainty
'What if it should fail?'—tie it to a cluster of mulberry shoots. Keep crisis-awareness while securing your core stakeholders.
九五：休否，大人吉。其亡其亡，系于苞桑。
Standstill is giving way: good fortune for the great person. 'What if it should fail?' In this way he ties it to a cluster of mulberry shoots. Keep crisis-awareness even as things improve.Public–private partnerships
Peace: the small departs, the great approaches; communication flows above and below. PPPs hinge on transparent risk-sharing and continuous dialogue.
泰：小往大来，吉，亨。
The small departs, the great approaches. Good fortune, success. Heaven and earth unite: communication flows above and below.Standing in the local community
Modesty that comes to expression: inner humility is recognised outwardly. Long-term, low-key, substantive involvement beats one-off showy donations.
六二：鸣谦，贞吉。
Modesty that comes to expression; perseverance brings good fortune. Inner modesty is recognised outwardly.The ethics of lobbying
Innocence: if one is not as one should be, misfortune. Use the 'could this be public?' test and register every lobbying activity.
无妄：元亨利贞。其匪正有眚，不利有攸往。
Supreme success, perseverance furthers. If someone is not as they should be, misfortune; it does not further to undertake anything. Authenticity without calculation.Staying neutral amid geopolitics
Retreat: keep distance without hostility, with reserve. Neutrality requires principles that are clear, consistent and public.
遁：亨，小利贞。
Success. In what is small, perseverance furthers. Retreat itself can be a path to success.Seizing a policy window
The king offers him Mount Qi: endorsement from the top. Policy windows reward projects prepared in advance; preparing after the window opens is too late.
六四：王用亨于岐山，吉无咎。
The king offers him Mount Qi. Good fortune. No blame. Endorsement and mandate from the top.
What risk worries the regulator most—and can we help solve it?
Would we be comfortable if our lobbying were made public?