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The Chief Outsider
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Recent Posts
AI Search is Here – And it’s Reshaping the Buyer Journey
Part 1 of our four-part series exploring how AI search is transforming visibility, SEO, and digital strategy - and what CEOs need to do now to stay competitive.
| Executive Takeaways |
| Declining web traffic isn’t random - it’s a symptom of changing search behavior. AI search is already impacting over 25% of user journeys - and growing fast If you’re not being cited, you’re missing opportunities-period. |
Marketing…the big “M” and the little “m”
Mon, Feb 22, 2016 — When it comes to understanding the function of Marketing, there are often common words that enter the equation like “website”, “brochures”, or “sales collateral”. While these are tools that typically originate from the Marketing department, they only scratch the surface of what Marketing encompasses in total. A wise person once characterized the poorly understood function in the terms of “there is a big 'M' in Marketing and a little 'm'”. Wow, that is profound. So, what do we mean when we say the big “M” of Marketing?
How to Brand the Service Component of your Business
Thu, Jan 28, 2016 — In the two previous posts I discussed the concept of branding a service delivery process and some of the benefits of pursuing this approach. Then I offered some real-life examples of effective service and discovery process brands. In this final installment, I will present steps to guide you as you create your own service process brand. In the simplest terms, it means standardizing and naming an existing process, then promoting it to customers.
Branded Service Processes Create Value and Profits for these Companies
Thu, Jan 21, 2016 — In my previous post, I introduced the concept of branding a service delivery or discovery process and outlined some of the benefits of pursuing this approach. In this installment, I will share some real-life examples of service process branding to give you a better idea of how it works. Below are three examples of branded service delivery. The third is explained in greater detail to more fully illustrate execution of the concept.
Brand Your Service Delivery Process to Grow the Business
Thu, Jan 14, 2016 — In this post and the two that follow, I’m going to share a straightforward approach to increasing profits that most of the companies I encounter fail to exploit. Implementation is within the reach of small and medium sized companies and the potential rewards should grab the attention of CEOs.
How to Build a SaaS Company
Wed, Dec 16, 2015 — I was recently engaged to help a software company, Atera, prepare to launch as a global SaaS provider. Having operated for some time, the company sought to remake itself by adopting a new business model. Since new opportunities often emerge from ongoing business activities, this type of transformation is not unusual. I would like to present here some of the critical elements and steps in the process of getting the Atera SaaS product to the point of launch.
Automating Ourselves: A New Era of Productivity
Mon, Nov 30, 2015 — Today’s Automation Tools are Designed to Make Your Digital Tasks Flow More Smoothly I recently hired Danielle, an administrative and marketing assistant, to help me with my workload. Since I haven’t been able to use technology to fabricate more hours in the day just yet, Danielle helps me to optimize the hours that I do have – as a crucial piece of my team, she assists me with administrative support, the management of my business schedule, and various marketing projects.
Nine Billion Company Names – The Economist on Naming Companies
Mon, Nov 30, 2015 — I love marketing and being a marketer. Working with a CEO to propel a company forward is exciting. Having the CEO see the excitement one creates from great marketing can be wonderful. Knowing that you helped fill a need, solve a problem, or even satisfy some craving can be fulfilling for the marketing team and the business. CEOs expect this.
Five Steps to Creating Customer Lifetime Value
Mon, Nov 23, 2015 — As we approach the end of the year, it makes sense to think about keeping those customers your team has worked so hard to land this year, and building CLV – customer lifetime value. We’ve long heard about the costs of keeping clients vs. obtaining new ones. The common belief is that it’s 50% easier to sell to existing clients than to new prospects. According to Bain and Co., a 5% increase in customer retention can increase a company’s profitability by 75%. Gartner Group says that 80% of a company’s future revenue will come from just 20% of its existing customers.
Do CMOs Really Matter? Harvard Business Review Says Yes!
Thu, Oct 29, 2015 — The October 2015 issue of Harvard Business Review contains an interesting article that discusses the value that Chief Marketing Officer bring to organizations, Do CMOs Really Matter? The business press and academic studies have questioned the value of having a marketing person as a member of the executive team over the past few decades. As you can imagine, the answers have varied. 66% of CMOs recently surveyed indicated they are continually under pressure to demonstrate the value of marketing.