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Go-To-Market Cultural Alignment: The Invisible Variable in U.S. Expansion
Many companies that find success outside the United States have one thing in common: the need to succeed in the U.S. market.
That is not complicated or surprising. The United States is the largest economy in the world and, in many categories, the single biggest available market. World Bank data clearly shows the scale of the U.S. economy relative to most global markets. For companies in high-tech, scientific, medical, industrial, and systems integration sectors, the U.S. is not just attractive. It is strategic.
Company leaders want to grow. The U.S. is where they look. They are not wrong.
Keeping it Real: The Next Four of 10 Reasons Why Your SWOT is Really a SWAG
Mon, Oct 17, 2016 — Let’s keep it real: While myriad technology-driven changes have garnered much of our strategy-related attention and interest over the last several years, the need to evaluate an organization’s fundamental strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats is more important than ever.
What Does a Fractional CMO Cost?
Wed, Oct 12, 2016 — A Growing Spectrum of Fractional CMO Service Providers Ensures a Range of Fee Levels More CEOs are hiring fractional executives to bring expertise to their management teams, but are they really affordable? And how should a CEO evaluate their value and the quality of work they deliver? These are really good questions! After all, there’s a wide range of skills, seniority and experience from marketing consultants, agencies and firms that call themselves fractional or outsourced CMOs. So, as you’d expect, there’s a wide range of price points from these sources. But to get started, let’s put these into a few oversimplified categories: “Single Shingle” Marketing Consultants “Loose Confederations” of Brokered Marketing Consultants “Professionals” who are Part of a Firm Senior management from a marketing or advertising agency Partners from an “Executives-as-a-Service” firm (such as Chief Outsiders) Partners from a large consultancy (such as McKinsey & Co, Bain)
Let’s Get Real! Three of 10 Reasons Why Your SWOT is Really a SWAG
Mon, Oct 10, 2016 — I once experienced a recurring dream where I stood at the front of Mrs. Streebeck’s fifth grade class, completely unable to speak. “Where is your homework, Mr. Sparrow?” the teacher asked. The shame and guilt of being unprepared caused my throat to tighten and my vocal chords to freeze. It was horrifying. Never mind that in the nightmare I was also fully exposed—buck naked, as we say in the South—but that’s not the point. Even if tucked away in my subconscious, I’ve always been mortified of being unprepared. Most of you reading this post feel the same way – and that’s why you’re here.
What Can Tesla Teach Us About Customer-Focus?
Thu, Oct 6, 2016 — I wouldn’t mind getting my hands on a Tesla. Sleek, fast, future-forward – and electric to boot – the unique combination of “smart” and sustainability features on the Model S, Model X, and Model 3 make the car company’s offerings so irresistible to buyers, that Elon Musk and his team have struggled to keep up with demand.
If Marketing “Leads,” Sales Will Follow: Achieving Alignment For Revenue Success
Thu, Sep 29, 2016 — Travel with me, if you will, back to 2006. It was a time, in the corporate world, when the sales team had all of the power and most of the fun. Company credit card in hand, they would organize meetings at conferences, trade shows, meetings on the golf course, or at their favorite hospitality event. Pleasantries were exchanged, orders were placed – and business kept rolling forward.
Machine Learning: Removing the Emotion from Investing
Sat, Sep 24, 2016 — Humans are emotional creatures. We have an ingrained response to pursue the things that make us feel good, and avoid the things that can harm us. In marketing we often appeal to the emotional side of our customers, playing a little with the promise that humans are not ruthless, calculating automatons - they have sentiments, worries, and aspirations, and we try to find ways to appeal to those. Emotions are part of what make us human, and guide many of the decisions we make in our lives - even when they shouldn't.
Standing in the Middle of the Road
Thu, Sep 22, 2016 — In this VLOG, Deborah takes a perspective from Margaret Thatcher, former Prime Minister of Great Britain who understood that a middle of the road or half a position was no position at all. As a CEO, being clear on what you stand for, what your position is on important matters and the direction your company should be heading in, is critical to avoiding the kind of decision paralysis that can limit the potential of your business and your team. Check it out!
The CEO's Challenge of Staying Relevant in an Accelerated World
Mon, Sep 19, 2016 — And what to do about it Almost all CEOs face the challenge of maintaining relevancy in the markets they serve. More specifically, what keeps many CEO’s awake at night is the realization that something is materially changing in their company, in their markets, or within what was once a marquee product line. Yet, the rank and file just can’t see it. And if they do see it, they aren’t responding fast enough. Maybe our CEO can’t fully understand it. But their instincts tell them that it’s more than a seasonal blip; it’s something systemic that could rock the company off its foundation. In many instances, the problem boils down to the company not innovating fast enough. The world is seemingly passing it by. Relevancy is lost.
Forging a Solid Go to Market Plan – Without the Assumptions
Wed, Sep 14, 2016 — Business owners and entrepreneurs live in a constant state of observation. Equal parts tenacious and curious, they never stop watching, listening, and comparing their product and service offerings to the competition. They ask themselves daily, hourly: “Is the competitor’s product better?” and “Am I really putting an impactful marketing message out there?”-- often secretly wondering if they truly know the answer.