Today, we’re going to whip up a secret sauce.
Now, I can’t promise that this tasty combination will result in your anointment as a Kitchen Hero or the envy of Gordon Ramsay. But when basted upon your business, your clandestine condiment could unlock the kind of business success that will have your competitors salivating and your customers asking for seconds.
Thu, Jan 14, 2021 — Measure, Measure, Measure There are many things in our life that would fall flat if we opted not to use measurements: Everything from home construction to a load of laundry would be a bit off kilter if not for the rulers, cups, and spoons that allow us to be precise with our intentions. Strange that for several generations, then, that in the advertising and marketing arena, the only measurement used was in dollars and cents. Along the way, there would be creative campaigns, print ads, billboards, and radio commercials, with no means to really measure whether they were hitting the mark.
Fri, Dec 18, 2020 — Creating Like No Other There’s no body part more popular these days than the human eyeball. Marketers invest millions of dollars in a competition for its attention; technology companies plunk down billions in development costs to wow it with the latest devices and apps; and content creators seek to create visually appealing potions with just the right amount of sizzle to keep it pointed in their direction. This never-ending bid for eyeball-inducing superiority has created a crowded, cacophonous landscape unlike anything we’ve ever seen. For businesses, we must find a way to elbow and muscle aside competitive interests and earn an interested gaze that could, with a little luck, lead to buying behavior.
Tue, Nov 24, 2020 — Hiring Talent and Setting Them Free It is highly unlikely that the New England Patriots of the NFL would have won so many championships if they kept quarterback Tom Brady on the bench. The NBA’s Chicago Bulls would likely have been a perennial loser if Air Jordan was grounded on the sidelines. Fortunately for these players and their fans, rather than being threatened by their greatness, their coaches put their own egos aside, embraced their excellence, and got out of their way.
Thu, Nov 12, 2020 — Embracing Your Competitive Advantage Ask any sports athlete what gives them the fire to take their field of play, and they will likely cite the prospect of beating their rival. Indeed, without the subplot of competition, sports would be exceedingly boring – for both the players and the viewers. As CEOs, competition, too, represents our drive, our passion, our reason for being. Though we might actually prefer owning the playing field and having it all to ourselves, we can be relatively assured that we will have company as we pursue excellence and strive for the only true tangible measure of success – revenue growth.
Thu, Nov 5, 2020 — Knowledge Is Power What’s holding you aloft in 2020? Whether or not you have cracked the code of 2020, most CEOs have spent the year snapping back to a changed reality. In our last blog, we looked at the importance of being engaged, insightful, and plugged in as the “table stakes” of leadership change in turbulent times. But all the engagement in the world is pointless if you don’t know the direction from which your headwinds and tailwinds are coming.
Mon, Oct 28, 2019 — There was a time when the most effective business-to-business sales tools were the fork and knife. It almost seems quaint to recall those days when the power of the relationship – and a juicy steak – were all that was needed to land or renew an even juicier piece of business. Today, the relationship has been relegated to appetizer status – giving way to a buffet of product details and benefits that can make the difference between sales satisfaction, or heartburn. I was thinking about this lately during a chat with a mid-cap CEO, whose company enjoyed dependable, steady growth over the years. His “secret weapon” was a long-time sales leader who “knew everybody.” But then the sales leader retired and guess what? Business flattened. What happened? Their company depended too long on relationship selling alone.
Mon, Mar 26, 2018 — If you are one of the many CEOs who spent the last few months reflecting upon your company’s current growth strategies, it is time to push forward. By gathering insights about your competition, brand, and customers, you can create a powerful advantage. In fact, the right information can be a springboard for innovation and growth, as well as an effective way to successfully drive differentiation and brand equity.
Wed, Nov 8, 2017 — If you are the CEO of a B2B company, you may have heard of the latest innovation in generating revenue: Account-Based Marketing (ABM). This article will explain the why’s and what’s of ABM so that you can ensure your company is driving the maximum results. Let’s face it: your leads probably suck. They suck either because there aren’t enough of them, or the quality is poor. Most likely it is both. Your sales team is always asking for more and better leads – and you are too.
Fri, Jul 28, 2017 — In my last post I shared a process for companies to consider using when evaluating new products for new markets. The core idea is to test “customer readiness” before making significant investments in Marketing and Sales. And the vehicle for testing is to use a cross-functional Customer Development team to reach out to prospects to create and expedite learning moments. Uncover the facts, test your assumptions, and iterate on the product, if absolutely required, before executing the big launch. In this post, I’ll share an experience I’ve had when using this approach.