Understanding Customers: Social Media Teaches Another Lesson
Marketing is the understanding of your customer for the cost-effective process of selling the right product or service at the right time and at the right price. Inexplicably, Verizon joins the list of big companies failing to understand how poor research and judgment would draw fire from their customers and social media. You might recall the wireless company [...]
[Read more...]Overview: Marketing Plan Essentials For Best Results
If you haven’t completed a strong marketing plan to complement your business plan, you’re missing some salient benefits. An effective marketing plan generates revenue and alleviates uncertainty for your business. In addition, a marketing plan provides you with tangible values: When employees are apprised of your marketing vision, you’ll benefit from more teamwork and employee [...]
[Read more...]New Cyber Attacks: Tips For Internet Security
Dec. 26, 2011 Do you need more evidence to be diligent in using best practices for security on the Internet? Christmas and Hanukah don’t matter to cybercriminals, as they don’t observe holidays. They’re working hard to disrupt lives and steal money. Consider three examples: 1. As much as $1 million was reportedly stolen and given [...]
[Read more...]Think About 9 Key Questions Before You Form a Partnership
Sure, there good reasons to partner in business. A business has more flexibility with more than one owner. Too, it can help a business to accelerate its growth to have two or more partners. But it can also be a hindrance, especially then there isn’t unanimity on business issues. If you find someone with [...]
[Read more...]2011 Year-In-Review: Top Biz Coach Topics
Dec. 23, 2011 Here are 2011’s most-read Biz Coach columns: In January, the most popular column was Human Resources – Slow Motion Gets You There Faster. It featured an analogy with a famous American composer, pianist, and actor: Hoagy Carmichael. Mr. Carmichael is credited with coining the phrase, “Slow motion gets you there faster.” [...]
[Read more...]10 Basic Tips — Leadership For Business Profit
In the new economy – a former Great Recession that seems to linger and linger – companies will succeed by being a leader in generating capital. Unfortunately, this economy has become a zero sum game for many businesses. They stay alive by taking market share from their competitors, not by innovating. At some point to dominate [...]
[Read more...]Football Lessons For Growth – 9 Steps For Strategic Alliance Success
En route to the first two Super Bowl wins in the 1960s, I recall three factors about Vince Lombardi’s Green Bay Packers – they were intense, skilled and balanced. A fourth factor – they kept it simple. Even as a kid watching them on TV, I could almost anticipate most of their plays depending [...]
[Read more...]Who Profits from Android’s Security Issues? Not Users.
Dec. 19, 2011 Countless headlines detail the cyber dangers of Android-based devices, which is why 22 applications were taken off the market by Google. The operating system’s issues stemmed from malware infections. So who can benefit? Certainly it isn’t Android users. “We continue to advise readers to be very cautious in downloading Android applications,” [...]
[Read more...]11 Sales Strategies to Outsell Your Big Competitors
Big companies have obvious advantages over small businesses. Their brands are well-known. They can afford sales training, sales-support staff and customer-relationship management software. On the other hand, there are good reasons why Cyber Monday has become big. Yes, many online customers do it to save money on sales taxes. The other salient reason – [...]
[Read more...]Lagging Profits? Year-End Is Ideal For Reflection, Planning
Dec. 15, 2011 Year-end is a perfect time for reflection and planning for your business. Don’t be distracted from improving your business because of all the negative news: RealtyTrac reports homeowners from Seattle to Sarasota face another round of foreclosures. Nearly 50 percent of Americans are either characterized as low income or in poverty. U.S. business expects [...]
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