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The CEO Dashboard Should Show Direction, Not Just Activity
If your dashboard only tells you what happened, it’s reporting history. A CEO needs direction.
Steps Taken Aren’t the Same as Direction
I've spent a fair amount of time backpacking, and one thing becomes obvious when you've been walking for several hours: knowing how far you've walked isn't the same thing as knowing whether you're headed in the right direction.
Your watch can tell you that you've taken 22,000 steps.
Analyzing Customer Data to Gain Actionable Insights
Wed, May 1, 2024 — Customer data is crucial when creating a sales and marketing strategy. But humans are not made of data, so when considering the customer, you must acknowledge that the data itself doesn’t reveal the whole story. How marketers gain actionable insights – and drive growth – through data is a more important question to ask and answer.
Set and Forget -- A Losing AI Approach
Tue, Apr 30, 2024 — In the realm of business, artificial intelligence (AI) is commonly touted as nothing short of a marvel—a powerful tool ready to solve complex business and marketing issues autonomously. Yet, its effective implementation demands more than faith; the precision and care needed in deploying AI is like the insight and foresight of a skilled navigator charting a course. Without the guidance of a well-crafted strategy and the implementation of precise safeguards, the flow of data-driven decisions risks devolving into a frustrating logjam of inefficiencies, missteps, squandered resources, and missed opportunities.
Earn the Right to be Heard as a Brand
Thu, Apr 25, 2024 — How to Build Trust With Your Sales & Marketing Today’s business’ decision makers are savvy. They can sniff out inauthenticity a mile away. This means marketers have to put in the work to build rapport with a prospect and earn the right to be heard. So many brands jump into conversations and ask for something immediately. While you might get lucky now and then, more times than not, you will actually have to build trust and provide value before a true connection is even a consideration. Great marketing can help you do this!
The Benefits of a Unified Sales and Marketing Strategy
Mon, Apr 22, 2024 — It used to be that companies could achieve growth by simply focusing on sales or having sales and advertising be complementary marketing tactics. But today, macro and micro pressures along with evolving landscapes across industries have resulted in a more competitive landscape. Tools like artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) provide a level of sophistication, and these tools can help business leaders bridge strategies and tactics across different business units.
Seven Steps to Shorten Your Sales Cycle
Thu, Apr 11, 2024 — Does your company provide customers with expensive business inputs? Or are you crucial in other ways to your customers’ business success?
Phoenix Rising: Reinventing B2B SMBs in the Fires of Disruption
Tue, Mar 5, 2024 — Certain dynamics can make a CEO think more than twice about how to ensure their company is not “left behind” like archaic brands of the past. Remember BlackBerry? Blockbuster? Yahoo? Their riches-to-rags stories reveal that these companies did not stay agile, ignored market warning signs, and found themselves severely impacted or bankrupt.
Navigating the Choppy Waters of Recession: A Healthcare Marketing Survival Guide
Thu, Feb 22, 2024 — As the dark clouds of economic recession gather on the 2024 horizon, healthcare companies must brace for the choppiness ahead. It's no secret that the healthcare sector, once deemed recession-proof, now faces the stark reality of financial strain, with more than half of hospitals already operating in the red. This alarming statistic not only signifies the urgency for change but also beckons a strategic pivot in how healthcare entities approach marketing.
Full-time or Fractional? Focusing on the Next Generation of Your Company’s Leadership
Tue, Jan 23, 2024 — Nothing quickens the pulse or conjures beads of sweat on the brow of a mild-mannered CEO than the departure of a key member of the executive leadership team. Like it or not, the door to your company’s success swings in both directions, and often, you may find yourself on the drafty side, wondering how you’re going to replace that experience, counsel, and leadership.
Preparing for 2024: Is Your Marketing Funnel Integrated with Your Sales Funnel?
Wed, Dec 20, 2023 — Final article of the 7-part series: Accelerating Growth In 2024 with Strategic Business Planning In the relentless pursuit of growth, businesses often find themselves at a crossroads - a bustling marketing funnel generating a stream of leads, yet somehow, the path to conversion seems elusive. One study found that 71% of potential customers are not contacted, while only 13% of potential customers become opportunities.