The Competitive Advantage

June 26, 2018

A 3-Point Tune-up for Your Sales & Marketing

We’re halfway through 2018… how are you doing so far?

Like taking your car to the mechanic every 5,000 miles, halfway-through-the-year is a good time to “look under the hood” of your sales & marketing efforts to see how you’re really doing. If your “engine” is running smoothly… great! If it feels a little rough… it might be time for some ‘tweaking.’ And if it is, we hope this 3-Point Tune-up will help.

May 27, 2018

Think. Plan. Do. A Smarter Way to Grow Your Firm

Those who are regular readers of my content have heard me say (on more than one occasion), that “Market Research is an industry that does not embrace marketing and sales”… particularly among agencies and consultants. And when these firms do decide to execute some business development efforts, they often just execute. There isn’t a lot of thinking or planning that goes into it… in reality, they’re just “winging it.”

Why does this happen? Why do the smart people at these firms not invest the time upfront to help ensure better results on the back end?

May 7, 2018

Has marketing changed over the years? ‘Yes’… and an even bigger ‘No!’

We hear it all the time… “Marketing is so different compared to the way it used to be.” Or, “Marketing is changing so fast that I can’t keep up.” And you know what? Both statements are true.

Think of all the technology-driven tools, developed in just the past few years, that have impacted the way we work: marketing & email automation, social media, CRM and SFA, data & analytics, SEO and – more recently – chatbots, AI and blockchain. In fact, there are more than 5,000 (!) software platforms and apps purpose-built to support marketing and sales. (Want to see them? Click here: https://cdn.chiefmartec.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/marketing_technology_landscape_2018_slide.jpg)

It’s mind-numbing!

August 15, 2017

Content Marketing Has No Value, If No One Sees It!

It’s very interesting… almost all ‘content marketing’ planning sessions focus solely on the first word: content – what topics are to be covered, who you’re writing for, which keywords should be focused on, which format you will use (blog, case study, eBook, infographic, etc.) and who’s going to create it.

But that’s only half the equation. Many people (most, in fact) assume because their content is “good” (at least they think it is), that it will be found by their target market. Not necessarily!

July 11, 2017

My son quit his job last week to pursue his dream!

For the last two years – since graduating from college – my son has been working as a financial analyst for a healthcare consulting firm in Dallas. And it’s a great firm… fast-growing, profitable, a leader in its niche, beautiful offices, takes great care of its employees, and so on.

But he hasn’t been happy… he wants to be in New York and he wants to change industries (from healthcare to music/entertainment). So, he’s saved his money, quit the firm and is moving north! Next week!

February 14, 2017

No 2017 Marketing & Sales Plan? There’s still time!

Here we are… a month and a half into the new year and you never got around to putting together a marketing & sales plan for 2017. First of all, know that you’re not alone. A busy Q4 plus the holidays put a lot of businesses behind the eight-ball when it comes to planning.

But, don’t use that as an excuse! Just because the new year had already begun doesn’t mean there’s not time to still put down on paper what you’re going to do this year to achieve your revenue growth goals. So, here are my suggestions for getting it done…

January 17, 2017

Strategy & Planning are Easy… Marketing Execution is Hard!

OK, strategy and planning are not easy… not even a little. They require focused time and critical thinking – two assets often in short supply around the office. But once they’re done… they’re done. Then the real work begins.

I was out of town last Thursday and Friday working with a new client. It was for two days of coaching on marketing strategy and planning… helping them to focus their business development efforts then putting in place some targeted tactics to execute over the coming months. And it went really well.

Now the question is… will any of those agreed-to tactics actually get executed?

December 8, 2015

To Be Really Successful… Try a Little ‘Negative Thinking’

Part 4 of the ‘Retreat Series’

It’s that time of the year when most firms are working (some might say ‘scrambling!’) to finish their 2016 Marketing & Sales plan. Setting lofty goals… thinking about opportunities for growth… considering the possibilities for success. All good stuff!

But I submit that you’ll create a more focused plan and achieve even greater success if you think ‘negative.’ That is, in addition to the opportunities in the marketplace, also look at your business through the lens of the problems and the challenges you face.