.png?width=1500&height=398&name=CO_Corporate%20Logo%202021_4C_HOR_FNL-1%20(1).png)
Outsider Insights | From Hustle to System: Why More CEOs Are Rebuilding Their Sales Function
Outsider Insights
Across Chief Outsiders, we talk to hundreds of CEOs every month. In this new series, we explore the trends and challenges we’re hearing from these discussions – and what you can do if you’re facing the same issues in your business.
Phoenix Rising: Reinventing B2B SMBs in the Fires of Disruption
Tue, Mar 5, 2024 — Certain dynamics can make a CEO think more than twice about how to ensure their company is not “left behind” like archaic brands of the past. Remember BlackBerry? Blockbuster? Yahoo? Their riches-to-rags stories reveal that these companies did not stay agile, ignored market warning signs, and found themselves severely impacted or bankrupt.
Navigating the Choppy Waters of Recession: A Healthcare Marketing Survival Guide
Thu, Feb 22, 2024 — As the dark clouds of economic recession gather on the 2024 horizon, healthcare companies must brace for the choppiness ahead. It's no secret that the healthcare sector, once deemed recession-proof, now faces the stark reality of financial strain, with more than half of hospitals already operating in the red. This alarming statistic not only signifies the urgency for change but also beckons a strategic pivot in how healthcare entities approach marketing.
Listening with Eyes Wide Open: Harmonizing Voice-of-Customer and AI Insights for CEO Success
Wed, Feb 21, 2024 — In my experience, growth successes and challenges almost always have some foundation in voice-of-customer (VoC). That’s a sweeping statement, but as a CEO if you lack up-to-date insight into what your customers want and need, how they anticipate that changing, and how they think of your brand, your offerings, and your competition, you may be running your company with your hearing impaired. As someone who uses hearing aids, I know I need to wear them and look directly at a speaker, or I miss information and must make guesses to fill in the blanks. That invariably slows me down and leads to misunderstandings and errors.
Forecasting the Best Impact on Your Marketing Dollars
Thu, Feb 8, 2024 — With the 2024 U.S. presidential election approaching, Americans are once again keenly interested in predicting outcomes. Techniques for forecasting election results using punch cards and early computers were developed in the late 1960s. Today, the use of AI has significantly improved our ability to predict election results and tabulate them accurately. Interestingly, the principles of forecasting elections and projecting the impact of marketing dollars in the business world share some similarities.
Full-time or Fractional? Focusing on the Next Generation of Your Company’s Leadership
Tue, Jan 23, 2024 — Nothing quickens the pulse or conjures beads of sweat on the brow of a mild-mannered CEO than the departure of a key member of the executive leadership team. Like it or not, the door to your company’s success swings in both directions, and often, you may find yourself on the drafty side, wondering how you’re going to replace that experience, counsel, and leadership.
New Year’s Resolutions for Businesses: Fine-tuning your appetite for growth
Tue, Jan 16, 2024 — Final in a 3-part series Oh, that resolution to exercise more and eat a healthier diet. It sounds so right—but incredibly daunting. Can I keep it up? When it comes to our own fitness, plenty of folks help us with tools, plans, and the mindset to climb that mountain. But we need to select the right ones, at the right price—or an intended investment in our future could instead be a wasted expense we can’t afford. And it couldn’t hurt to have an accountability partner who keeps us honest.
New Year’s Resolutions for Businesses: What self-work do you need to do?
Thu, Jan 11, 2024 — Second in a 3-part series Reflecting on Business Self-Improvement It’s a common question people are asking themselves in January: What’s the self-work I need to do this year to make myself healthier, happier, more financially secure.... But as a CEO obliged to your board, employees, and stakeholders, are you asking the same questions of your business?
New Year’s Resolutions for Businesses: Charting the Way Forward
Mon, Jan 8, 2024 — First in a 3-part series Reflecting on the Past and Setting the Stage for the Future It’s January. You’ve probably thought about New Year’s resolutions, even if only to decide firmly against them. January also is when my husband and I mark our birthdays. So, while we aren’t the formal resolution types, we are especially prone to take this time to think about the year behind, the year ahead, and where we want to be in the future.
What’s the #1 Job that Marketing Needs to Do for Your Business?
Wed, Dec 13, 2023 — I joined a group of colleagues recently to brainstorm a request from one person’s client: “Develop a catchy, differentiating idea that hooks prospects.”