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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. |
Sales is RIGHT? It IS Marketing's Fault?
Sun, Sep 30, 2012 — The Eternal Conundrum. The sales executive comes to you and says that marketing isn't delivering qualified leads. The marketing executive responds that they are delivering qualified leads, but the sales people can't close them.
Business Growth Strategies: Keeping a Stainless Reputation
Thu, Sep 27, 2012 — A Case Study on Sustaining Generational Growth Blickman, a fifty year old family owned business, is a leading manufacturer of high quality stainless steel materials handling and storage equipment for the health care industry. The customers include facility planners for hospitals, outpatient surgery centers, doctor’s offices, laboratories, clinics, and any health industry facility that needs fabricated stainless steel materials handling and storage systems. Blickman is owned and operated by two brothers. One serves as CEO and the other serves as CFO. The company recently invested in creating more capacity and needed help with strategic planning to increase revenue and utilize the additional capacity. The company did not have a CMO and brought in a CMO from Chief Outsiders. Because of the economic downturn, many new healthcare facility construction and expansion projects were unfunded and on hold so the market growth was stagnant. The business was not growing as the owners envisioned, and there was no strategic growth plan or marketing strategy to take advantage of the Blickman brand’s excellent reputation. The market has evolved to an RFQ lowest-bidder-wins environment. Blickman is not the lowest-cost provider and does not want to compromise their quality image by producing inferior quality. Blickman had not done a strategic plan and the focus was on day–to-day operations and opportunities. There were no strategic marketing initiatives.
7 Leadership Insights for CEOs from a U.S. Air Force Major General
Wed, Sep 26, 2012 — “Be the boss you wish you had” is the cornerstone of leadership wisdom that was imparted by US Air Force Major General Garrett Harencak to those attending a recent networking meeting by the Commerce & Industry Association of New Jersey (CIANJ). Major General Garrett Harencak, a highly decorated general, captivated the audience for an hour speaking on a subject he is passionate about: leadership. According to the General, leadership is something that you have to “practice every day”. Admittedly, it is not something that he has fully mastered, although I am sure he is quite accomplished. Leadership is something CEOs, small business owners, or anyone leading a team (in business or otherwise) can always strive to improve upon (including myself).
The New CEO Mandate
Mon, Sep 17, 2012 — Guest post by Luis Gallardo, Author of Brands & Rousers: The Holistic System to foster High-Performing Businesses, Brands & Careers.
Win/Win Outcomes When You Have Family In The Business
Wed, Sep 5, 2012 — Ricci Victorio is our guest blogger this week. She is an expert in dealing with Family Businesses. If you are the CEO or owner of a family business and are preparing for a succession transition to the next generation, it is likely you are facing some very difficult decisions that will affect the lives of your family and business team. After working with family businesses through the maze of succession planning issues for nearly 20 years, I have come to believe there is no business gain worth a family loss. The only way through difficult issues is to address them in a straightforward objective manner with a commitment to finding a win/win solution, not a win/lose scenario on anyone’s behalf. Does this scenario sound familiar? Key members in a family business have been battling with each other for the last several years as to how to manage and share assets related to their family business, as well as who should assume the mantle of President. Issues have now escalated where legal action may be initiated.
Customer Retention, or BJs Chickens Have Flown The Coop!
Fri, Aug 31, 2012 —
What To Do When Your Sales Are Up But Your Profits Aren't?
Thu, Aug 16, 2012 — Several times as a CMO, I have been called upon to solve a net profit, rather than a total revenue problem. Sales in these cases were not bad. Not where we wanted them to be, but adequate. The problem was that no one was making any money.
Can Your Product Be Easily Replaced?
Sun, Aug 12, 2012 — Have You Heard of Wally Pipp? Pipp was the first baseman for the New York Yankees in 1925. Folklore has it that on June 2 he asked to sit out the game because of a headache. The coach substituted Lou Gehrig, and that was the beginning of Gehrig’s streak of 2,130 consecutive games. What would happen to your product if it was replaced by a competitor, or worse, from another industry altogether?
Passing the Baton: Helping Family Businesses Prosper!
Thu, Aug 2, 2012 — What Makes a Family Business Work? This past week, I had lunch with Christopher Wolfslayer, a colleague fromSovereign Bank who is in charge of Business Development, and the subject of family businesses came up. Both of us have had a lot of experience working with families that work and live together and we shared some of our perspectives.