Most leaders would look closely at the source of the claim: is it coming from a credible source, or from a promoter with a dubious reputation? Hopefully, since it is coming from me, you would think it is coming from a credible source. But the question stands: is the claim [More]
The question, however, is whether each of those interdependent functions are really "best of class" in their area. Or perhaps more specifically, whether the staff in these areas are considered stars, and whether these areas deserve priority investments. The answer is, usually, no. The functions of these non-core areas of [More]
Here are four steps to begin the process: 1. Define your "as a service": At one time, it only meant software. It may have been an API (applications programming interface), a webhook, plug-in, a website, or some other mechanism that provided metered functionality, either to another application, or to a [More]
Years ago, companies realized that their (expensive) factories were sitting idle whenever there wasn't enough demand. They reckoned that if they built products in their factories for other companies during downtime, their ROI would skyrocket. In the food industry, this was called "co-packing". White labelling in the digital world uses [More]
One of the current practices (let's not call it a "best" practice) that people use on LinkedIn, is to reach out to a prospect based on an affinity of some type, and then ask to be a connection. The request to be a contact can start out innocently ("I notice [More]
While you may be doing many of these ideas already, it always makes sense to look at this question anew. Each of them probably deserves its own tipsheet, but for now, consider this one a checklist. Marketing (Bums in seats) Partners (put together a partner kit): Either share downstream revenue [More]
The conventional wisdom is that segment-of-one marketing is the logical outcome of big data, and that the gains (more relevant targeting, more effective ad buys, lower costs, higher sales, etc.) far outweigh the risks. But have they? As organizations move to more sophisticated data-oriented marketing, it is all too easy [More]
So how to solve this problem? The high-level answer is that this is precisely what marketing should be doing: generating leads. And turning leads into proposals is precisely what the business development function is responsible for. So where's the disconnect? Yes, CRM, marketing automation, content strategy, thought leadership, newsletters, advertising, [More]
And then, an old picture crops up, or an embarrassing tweet, or a tone-deaf social media post is surfaced. When this happens, your reputation — and a lifetime of good work — goes out the window. Yes, disaster. Yes, people change over the years, so what you said (or posted) [More]
Sadly, many organizations (and some individuals) want the former, but their words and actions demonstrate the latter. Why? When it comes to marketing, there is always a strong linkage to emotion, with significant effort spent building visuals and writing engaging copy. But when it comes to operational corporate communications, too [More]
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