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The CEO Dashboard Should Show Direction, Not Just Activity
If your dashboard only tells you what happened, it’s reporting history. A CEO needs direction.
Steps Taken Aren’t the Same as Direction
I've spent a fair amount of time backpacking, and one thing becomes obvious when you've been walking for several hours: knowing how far you've walked isn't the same thing as knowing whether you're headed in the right direction.
Your watch can tell you that you've taken 22,000 steps.
What CEOs Should Look for in a B2B Manufacturing CMO: Part 2
Mon, Oct 2, 2023 — In my previous post, we discussed the importance of hiring a CMO who understands the buying process. Someone who can identify the customer’s pain points and what they need to move forward at each stage of the buying process. Now, let’s consider the role of emotion in influencing the buyers’ decision and how that applies. Appealing to Emotions Although it’s easy to think otherwise, emotions play a role in both B2B and B2C marketing. And, yes, that even applies to industrial buyers! When industrial buyers won’t take a risk, that can be an emotional decision. They don’t want to risk the consequences that come with a bad decision—being viewed poorly in their job, adding even more tasks to an already full workload, or even losing their job by going with the lesser-known alternative. After all, haven’t we all heard that “nobody ever got fired for choosing IBM?”
Four Ways that Fractional Leadership is Transforming a Resource-Starved World
Fri, Mar 24, 2023 — In a world where much is spoken about uncertainties, there still are many things that are as certain as ever. Despite the impact of a shaky global economy and a population still looking to shake off Covid’s impacts, hard work – and ingenuity – still rule the day. Individual efforts of unaffiliated workers comprise more nearly 60 percent of the U.S. workforce today, thanks to modern socio-economic values that embrace such flexibility. This also has given rise to a new trend -- building and leveraging common shared resources, especially at the upper tiers.
When to Hire a Fractional CMO, Part 3
Wed, Jul 21, 2021 — Find Your Fit: Five Qualities to Look For Of all the partnerships in our lives, few have the “break-up” potential of the full-time Chief Marketing Officer, and the company they’ve pledged their allegiance to. The most recent stats on the matter bear this out: Last year, the average tenure for a CMO was just 40 months – an 11-year low, according to headhunting firm Spencer Stuart. The survey also noted the lowest-ever median tenure (25.5 months in 2020) – a sign that could point to increasing pressure for quick results for newly-minted CMOs, or, like completing a puzzle, finding that piece that’s the right fit.
Winning the Job Seeker Sweepstakes: Use Marketing Strategies to Attract and Retain Employees
Thu, Jul 15, 2021 — There’s a new battle being waged today – one that is not being fought with elbows, firearms, or words. Instead, it’s a battle over human resources – an all-out war to attract employees, in one of the most robust “seller’s” markets we’ve experienced in our professional lifetimes. The implements being used in this skirmish – hiring bonuses, perks, and ever-swelling salaries.
When to Hire a Fractional CMO
Tue, Jun 22, 2021 — Introduction: Greening Your Garden - How a Fractional CMO Can Accelerate Your Growth In the world of botany, there are only a fortunate few who have the expertise to produce green, healthy, and thriving plant life every time they put a seed in the ground. For the rest of us – well – we generally need MiracleGro or some other catalyst to make the garden grow. As a CEO, you, too, are invariably looking for your own version of MiracleGro – that evasive ingredient you need to help catalyze growth and turn your brown landscape a verdant shade of green. The good news? A confluence of trends, including the rise of the “gig economy” and the COVID-19 pandemic, have supported the notion of the fractional Chief Marketing Officer – essentially, a gardener supreme who brings the plant food, seeds, and water in a bid to help you sow success.
B2G: Three Reasons Why Marketing to Government Can be a Win-Win Proposition
Wed, Jun 16, 2021 — The days of the $1,300 toilet seat and the $800 screwdriver are long over. Today, government procurement is an intricate process that ensures government agencies have the tools, resources, products, and services they need to serve their constituents, and that providers are offering the best combination of price and quality.
Marketing with Impact: Four Goldmine Strategies
Fri, May 21, 2021 — Of all the ways to make money, panning for gold is probably among the most difficult. But what if I were to give you all the panning equipment and a map indicating exactly where the gilded stash is buried? A little easier now, right? Today, I’m here to deliver the precious metals – a goldmine of marketing strategies that, if followed, may not result in gilded nuggets, but instead more customers, more revenue, and a golden future.
Focusing Your Sales Force During an Economic Downturn
Thu, Oct 1, 2020 — By Aurora Toth and Ann Anderson During times of business volatility, companies are forced to make quick decisions about how to deploy their resources – financial and human. While we acknowledge that Sales is an expensive function within an organization – it is a critical one. Times of crisis provide an opportunity to look at how the salesforce is deployed, where it creates the largest impact, areas you may be missing and how to either refine or completely redesign Sales to achieve your business objectives. My colleague, Ann Anderson is the founder at Retail Partner Solutions. Ann has spent 25+ years partnering with America’s largest retailers such as Target, Walmart, Walgreens, Barnes & Noble, Sam’s Club, Costco and more to help CPG brands thrive in-store and on store shelves.
Supply Chain Savvy
Fri, Sep 18, 2020 — How CEOs of mid-size companies should think about their supply chains during any crisis As CEOs grapple with managing through the current economic volatility wrought by COVID-19, another area we dive into in this series of articles is supply chain management. My collaborator on this subject is Juli Lassow of JHL Solutions who spent her career at Target, Inc. in Merchandising and Global Sourcing roles. Juli now helps companies plan and navigate the intricacies of a modern supply chain and adjust strategy during times of change.