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AI Strategy for Financial Services CEOs: Why “Good Enough” is no Longer Enough
AI in financial services has moved from lofty claims about AI's use to being at the center of the growth conversation, shaping how you compete, run, and stay trusted. Margins are under pressure as customers benchmark you against their best digital experiences, whether they are opening a checking account, redeeming loyalty points, disputing a card charge, or seeking hardship help.
Quarterly Business Reviews: A CXO guide to Best Practices
Thu, May 16, 2024 — Most companies run regular QBRs (Quarterly Business Reviews). Getting into QBR practice its benefits, like getting your broader team buy-in on your sales and marketing team issues, creating a sense of urgency on important cross-team action items, building a learning culture within your team, sharing new product initiatives in advance, collect and measure customer feedback (or NPS) regularly. Not to mention you get valuable team face time, undistracted by daily sales activities.
All In On AI? A Practical Approach To Leveraging AI
Fri, May 10, 2024 — How Do You Eat An (AI) Elephant? A long-standing joke is “How do you eat an elephant? Answer: One bite at a time.” I feel the same holds for AI, especially for those organizations and individuals that might feel a little overwhelmed by all of the talk (hype) about AI and that if you are not leveraging all of the latest and greatest AI technology you are already behind and you will never catch up. Your approach may need to be “one bite at a time.”
The Power of a Positioning Statement for Growth in Small and Mid-Sized Businesses
Tue, May 7, 2024 — Many small and mid-market businesses find themselves at a growth impasse, not due to a lack of opportunity but because of misalignment across various functional areas. As a fractional Chief Marketing Officer (CMO), my role often involves diagnosing these misalignments and charting a course for renewed growth. One of the most effective tools I recommend is creating and utilizing a clear positioning statement.
The Art of the Proposal: Do’s & Don’ts
Tue, May 7, 2024 — CEOs often struggle with why their sales team doesn’t close more deals. A common reason why deals don’t close is the proposal is not being presented in a way that communicates the most value to the prospect. Worse, the salesperson is having trouble getting feedback from the prospect regarding the proposal's status and, therefore, keeps it on their forecast for a ridiculous amount of time. This article will provide a way to ensure your team creates the most value for your product and service, enabling your company to win more deals and increase revenue.
Growth Gears: The Buyer's Journey
Thu, May 2, 2024 — How Marketing and Sales Work Together Increase Your Brand’s ROI I’ve seen it before–a company’s sales department blaming the marketing department for ineffective marketing and the marketing department blaming sales for not properly incubating leads and getting potential customers to convert.
5 Essential Tools for Frustrated C-Level Executives
Wed, May 1, 2024 — Are you a C-level executive grappling with stagnant growth despite your best efforts and a talented marketing team? If so, you're not alone. Many businesses face this challenge, but the good news is that there are solutions. After over twenty years in the marketing industry, with the last two years as a fractional CMO, I’ve identified five essential elements that can reignite your growth engine.
Analyzing Customer Data to Gain Actionable Insights
Wed, May 1, 2024 — Customer data is crucial when creating a sales and marketing strategy. But humans are not made of data, so when considering the customer, you must acknowledge that the data itself doesn’t reveal the whole story. How marketers gain actionable insights – and drive growth – through data is a more important question to ask and answer.
Set and Forget -- A Losing AI Approach
Tue, Apr 30, 2024 — In the realm of business, artificial intelligence (AI) is commonly touted as nothing short of a marvel—a powerful tool ready to solve complex business and marketing issues autonomously. Yet, its effective implementation demands more than faith; the precision and care needed in deploying AI is like the insight and foresight of a skilled navigator charting a course. Without the guidance of a well-crafted strategy and the implementation of precise safeguards, the flow of data-driven decisions risks devolving into a frustrating logjam of inefficiencies, missteps, squandered resources, and missed opportunities.
5 Questions Every CEO Needs to Ask About AI
Fri, Apr 26, 2024 — "66% of CEOs and the C-Suite are dissatisfied (or ambivalent) with their organization’s progress on AI..." Whether to employ AI as a business tool is no longer in question. A recent BCGX Radar Report cited that: 89% of CEOs and the C-Suite rank AI and Gen AI as a Top 3 Tech Priority with 51% ranking it as the #1 priority. 66% of CEOs and the C-Suite are dissatisfied (or ambivalent) with their organization’s progress on AI because of: A lack of talent/skills An Unclear AI and Gen AI roadmap and investment priorities No strategy for Gen AI and Responsible AI.