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Slade Kobran
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Recent Posts
The AI Training Economy: The Human Expertise Behind the Agent Revolution
The challenge of training AI models on human expertise is not new.What is new is that three college dropouts just built a $10 billion business by productizing that exact problem at scale.
A Recipe for Outbound Marketing Success in an Inbound Marketing World
Thu, Jan 8, 2015 — I had a conversation recently with a business associate who was pronouncing dead the discipline of outbound marketing – which, simply stated, is the technique of reaching out to a prospect proactively to gain their attention and ultimately, their business. This associate went on to say that his recent attempt to send a direct mailer to hundreds of prospects was an abject failure. Hardly any business had resulted from the investment. When I probed as to the reasons for the failed outbound marketing attempt, I learned that this individual conducted no appreciable follow-up, had not developed a plan to reinforce the message in the mailer and had no rhythm, cadence or even schedule for reaching back out. It is often forgotten in this brave new world where inbound marketing – abetted by social media and other relatively easy portals for a prospect to initiate contact with a business – rules the day that the outbound side of the equation, when executed well, can still have a place in many business’s toolkits.
The Brave New World of New Markets - Five Steps to Conquering New Business Frontiers
Wed, Sep 24, 2014 — If there’s one thing that has been constant in the history of America, it’s the spirit of exploration. From Lewis and Clark to Dora the Explorer, our tales of wanderlust have been well-chronicled and have led to great advancements in science, medicine – and business. If you think that’s a heady legacy to live up to, you’re right. However, as responsible business stewards, the need to grow and expand is what fuels our passion to seek new markets for our business. As you consider whether the time is right to expand your company into new markets – either geographically or by customer type – ponder this. According to a study by KPMG, 90 percent of U.S. business executives involved with business development and corporate strategy have seen revenues increase from high growth and emerging markets. This is a sure sign that a broader expansion will open our business up to a world of new possibilities – and financial rewards.
How To Differentiate Yourself When You're Not that Different
Wed, Oct 9, 2013 — Positioning is a critical step in any business’ marketing strategy. It defines the company, forms the basis for messaging, drives the marketing approach and impacts the way in which products and services are priced. To be effective, positioning must be clear, compelling and, most importantly, differentiated. One of the most common complaints I hear from sales people is that their company’s positioning sounds the same as everyone else they sell against. Their products are “innovative”, their services are “world class”, and they are “customer focused.” These are all examples of buzzwords that marketers use to try polish their position. But spin is not enough. Instead, business leaders need to find or create real differences they can leverage in the market.
Don’t Let Your Business Journey Become “The Ride From Hell”
Sun, Aug 18, 2013 — My wife and I recently took a trip to Virginia to help my daughter look for an apartment as she is moving from New Jersey for her first post-college job. We were lucky enough to find a nice place in a good neighborhood where she and a friend from college will live in their first “grown-up” apartment. This made all of us very happy and certainly helped relieve some parental anxiety. Our task finished, we headed back to NJ at around 1pm on Sunday, and that’s when it happened. Our pleasant weekend was hijacked by one of the worst road trips I’ve ever taken, as no matter which way we went, we ran into traffic tie-ups and delays. We finally pulled up the driveway around 9 pm both aggravated and exhausted. Once I had a chance to relax and catch my breath, I got to thinking of ways to equate the ride to lessons I can use in my business life and work with growth-oriented midmarket companies.
How to Differentiate When You’re Not That Different?
Sun, Nov 11, 2012 — Positioning is a critical step in any business’ marketing strategy. It defines the company, forms the basis for messaging, drives the marketing approach and impacts the way in which products and services are priced. To be effective, positioning must be clear, compelling and, most importantly, differentiated. One of the most common complaints I hear from sales people is that their company’s positioning sounds the same as everyone else they sell against. Their products are “innovative”, their services are “world class”, and they are “customer focused”. These are all examples of buzzwords that marketers use to try polish their position. But spin is not enough. Instead, business leaders need to find or create real differences they can leverage in the market. But how do you differentiate yourself when you’re not that different?
For Business Strategy, Timing Can Make All The Difference
Thu, Sep 6, 2012 — I got to thinking the other day about the importance of timing for successful business strategy. I can remember several instances when I had made or been part of business proposals that were not initially approved, but ended up being put into place and were very successful. Some were vehemently shot down and dismissed with words like “we will never do that!”, only to have us do the exact thing proposed sometime later. One example was a proposal to our CEO for expanding our product portfolio with a service line adjacent to our main business. Although we were the established market leader, we felt our future growth prospects were limited and that within a few years we would be faced with the scenario of trading customers with our competitors and raising prices in order to meet our financial goals. Our proposal was to launch a new product line, either through our own development or through an acquisition, which would serve as a source of future growth. We presented what we considered to be a compelling business case which detailed the large market opportunity, attractive margins, fit with our sales model and, most importantly, the pain points we could address for our customers. Although a departure from our main product, it was a fit with our core capabilities, and was a credible expansion for our business.
Overcoming Team Building Resistance
Tue, Aug 21, 2012 — I am a big believer in teams in a business environment. I don't just meant people working together well, but actively taking steps to know each other as people, form bonds and work with a common purpose. I've always tried to foster a strong team dynamic in the groups I've led, and have taken active steps to create an environment in which those bonds could grow.