In its essence, leadership in an organizational role involves (1) establishing a clear vision, (2) sharing (communicating) that vision with others so that they will follow willingly, (3) providing the information, knowledge, and methods to realize that vision, and (4) coordinating and balancing the conflicting interests of all members or stakeholders. A leader comes to the forefront in case of crisis, and is able to think and act in creative ways in difficult situations. Unlike management, leadership flows from the core of a personality and cannot be taught, although it may be learned and may be enhanced through coaching or mentoring. I'm here and ready to lead.
Five rules for your About page When someone comes to your site for the first time, they're likely to hit 'about' or 'bio'. Why? Because they want a human, a story and reassurance. Here are some helpful guidelines (okay, they're actually imperatives): 1. Don't use meaningless jargon: ... is a recognized provider of result-based online and mobile advertising solutions. Dedicated to complete value chain optimization and maximization of ROI for its clients, ... is committed to the ongoing mastery of the latest...
And that's the frustration of the marketer or the artist who hasn't figured out how to navigate critics and the marketplace. If you need the validation and acceptance and patronage of everyone you meet, you'll get stuck, and soon. Everyone isn't going to get it. Everyone isn't even going to get you, never mind what you sell. Experienced marketers and artists and those that make change understand that the new is not for everyone. In fact, it's not even for most people. Pass them by. They can catch up later. It...
How to deal with the colleague/board member/voter who is quick to criticize whatever you're proposing? It can't work/it's been done before/it's never been done before/you can't do it/we don't have the time/money/skills... So easy to be right when everyone else is wrong, so easy to be confident when someone else is putting themselves on the line. I start with this: do we agree that there's a problem? An opportunity? Do we agree that we need to take action, that something needs to be done, that there's an opportunity...
Let's assert that marketing works. The money and time and effort we put into marketing goods and services actually works. It gets people to change their minds. It cajoles some people into buying and using and voting for things that they otherwise wouldn't have chosen. (If it doesn't work, save your money). If it works, then, are you responsible for what happens after that? If you market cigarettes aggressively, are you responsible for people dying of lung cancer? I think there are two ways to go here: 1. You...
New statistics from Morgan Stanley Research seem pretty damning for the notebook industry. After months of decline, the unit sales growth rate per month dipped into the negative in August. Is this a statistical blip, or is the iPad really hitting laptop sales? Morgan Stanley's reasoning: "tablet cannibalization." Since the Apple iPad is pretty much the only device in this class that's on the market, the implication is that its arrival has resulted in a serious dint on the potential for notebooks to sell well. With...
There are three stages of preparation. (For a speech, a product, an interview, a sporting event...) The first I'll call the beginner stage. This is where you make huge progress as a result of incremental effort. The second is the novice stage. This is the stage in which incremental effort leads to not so much visible increase in quality. And the third is the expert stage. Here's where races are won, conversations are started and sales are made. A huge amount of effort, off limits to most people, earns you just...
Put random folks in at the top and loyal customers come out at the bottom... A billboard leads people to a website, which gets some people to subscribe via email which drives some folks to respond to a promotion which leads a few to come back for the stuff that isn't onsale, which leads to someone who can't live without you. That's the obvious path of outbound marketing. Most people you pour into the funnel hop out long before they become loyal customers. The thing is, some funnels are more efficient than...
Loyalty is what we call it when someone refuses a momentarily better option. If your offering is always better, you don't have loyal customers, you have smart ones. Don't brag about how loyal your customers are when you're the cheapest or you have clearly dominated some key element of what the market demands. That's not loyalty. That's something else. Loyal customers understand that there's almost always something better out there, but they're not so interested in looking. Loyalty can be rewarded, but loyalty...
Heartfelt criticism of your idea or your art is usually right (except when it isn't...) Check out this letter from the publisher of a magazine you've never heard of to the founder of a little magazine called Readers Digest: But, personally, I don't see how you will be able to get enough subscribers to support it. It is expensive for its size. It isn't illustrated... I have my doubts about the undertaking as a publishing venture. Of course, he was right--given his assumptions. And that's the except part. Criticism...
I believe it is not just a logo or a name that establishes a company’s identity, but rather a collection of feelings, attributes, promises and expectations that a name symbolizes. Much like a human relationship, a brand should meet expectations, deliver on its promises and remain true to its ideals in order to build trust. I strive each day to reflect my core values to inspire, share, evolve and exceed; all the while, maintaining a “100% jerk free” policy. Leadership is in my blood and carved in my DNA. These next 10 years will be my time to lead. Who knows I might be the next captain of your Sales organization. Get to know me here.
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