Marketing Planning Workshop
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Thursday, October 7, 2010
Monday, June 21, 2010
Maxwell Connect: 7 Things You Can Do to Become More Interesting
06.18.10
Maxwell Connect: 7 Things You Can Do to Become More Interesting
A big part of being an interesting person, is being interested in other people; making them feel interesting. You’ll be amazed how interesting you become to them.
In Everyone Communicates, Few Connect, Maxwell recommends seven things to make yourself more interesting. They were presented in the context of speaking to audiences, but as you will see, they have application to one-on-one communication as well.
- Take Responsibility for Your Listeners. It is our responsibility to make our communication enjoyable. It is our job to add value to others. Ask “What can I do to involve others and draw them into the conversation?” He reminds us, “Creating positive, memorable experiences does more to connect families than just about anything else.”
- Communicate In Their World. “If you want to get your message across, you have to learn how to communicate in someone else’s world…. Too often speakers are unwilling or unable to get out of their own world and say things from the perspective of their listeners.” You have to learn to connect what you want to say to what others’ needs are. “People don’t remember what we think is important; they remember what they think is important.”
- Capture People’s Attention from the Start. People make quick judgments about us all the time. As Sonya Hamlin suggests in How to Talk So People Listen, “from the moment when others first meet us, they are consciously or unconsciously evaluating us and deciding whether to keep listening or simply dismiss us. She says, If we’re not captured by something in those first moments, it’s ‘Excuse me, I see a friend,’ and off they go.” If it’s all about us and our opinion, it’s more likely that they’ll look for the friend.
- Activate Your Audience. Communicate energy and passion.
- Say It So It Sticks. “If you want people to remember what you say, you need to say the right thing at the right moment in the right way.” Timing is important. Find common ground and say things in an interesting way. Pause. “Connecting with people is a two-way street. It is a dialogue, not a monologue.”
- Be Visual. Paint vivid pictures in people’s minds. “Anything that can help people visually helps them to connect.”
- Tell Stories. “Perhaps the most effective way to capture people’s interest and make the experience enjoyable when you talk, is to include stories….We use stories to make sense of our experience. And when we share them, we help people understand us, themselves, and their world.”
"There's different ways that you can measure people's greatness. And the way I like to measure greatness is: How many people do you affect? In your time on earth, how many people can you affect? How many people can you make want to be better? Or how many people can you inspire to want to do what you do?"
—Will Smith, Vanity Fair, July 1999
John Maxwell asks, “In the end, what good is our communication if its impact ends the moment we stop speaking?”
Monday, June 7, 2010
37 Startup Insights
Earlier this year, I had a chance to attend SxSW. One of the highlights of my trip was a startup dinner which included Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson, the founders of 37signals. At the time, they had just come out with their new book "Rework". I had downloaded a copy to my Kindle, but hadn't had a chance to read it yet. Now I have. Twice. It's a great book. Lots of practical advice for entrepreneurs. I highly recommend it. My second time through, I decided to pull out some of my favorite parts.
You're encouraged to share your favorite insight by using the convenient "tweet" links next to each one.
37 "Signals" From 37 Signals
1) Great businesses have a point of view, not just a product or service. [tweet]
2) Writing a plan makes you feel in control of things you don’t actually control. [tweet]
3) You have the most information when you’re doing something, not before you've done it. [tweet]
4) Stuff that was impossible just a few years ago is simple today. [tweet]
5) Failure is not a prerequisite for success. [tweet]
6) Don’t make assumptions about how big you should be ahead of time. [tweet]
7) Don’t sit around and wait for someone else to make the change you want to see. [tweet]
8) When you build what you need, you can assess quality directly instead of by proxy. [tweet]
9) Solving your own problem lets you fall in love with what you’re making. [tweet]
10) What you do matters, not what you think or say or plan. [tweet]
11) When you want something bad enough, you make the time. [tweet]
12) The perfect time to start something never arrives. [tweet]
13) Start a business, not a startup. [tweet]
14) You need a committment strategy, not an exit strategy. [tweet]
15) Huge organizations talk instead of act, and meet instead of do. [tweet]
16) Build half a product, not a half-assed product. [tweet]
17) Getting to greatness starts by cutting out stuff that’s merely good. [tweet]
18) The real world isn’t a place, it's an excuse. It's a justification for not trying. [tweet]
19) The big picture is all you whould be worrying about in the beginning. Ignore the details. [tweet]
20) Decide. You’re as likely to make a great call today as you are tomorrow. [tweet]
21) The longer it takes to develop, the less likely it is to launch. [tweet]
22) It’s the stuff you leave out that matters. [tweet]
23) Focus on substance, not fashion. Focus on what won't change. [tweet]
24) When good enough gets the job done, go for it. [tweet]
25) When you make tiny decisions, you can't make big mistakes. [tweet]
26) Pour yourself into your product. [tweet]
27) You rarely regret saying no but you often regret saying yes. [tweet]
28) Better your customers grow out of your product, than never grow into them. [tweet]
29) You can’t paint over a bad experience with good marketing. [tweet]
30) All companies have customers. Fortunate companies have audiences too. [tweet]
31) Instead of out-spending your competitors, out-teach them. [tweet]
32) Let customers look behind the curtain. [tweet]
33) Leave the poetry in what you make, there is beauty in imperfection. [tweet]
34) Marketing is not a department, it's the sum total of everything you do. [tweet]
35) Don’t hire for pleasure; hire to kill pain. [tweet]
36) Don’t make up problems you don’t have yet. [tweet]
37) A business without a path to profit is a hobby. [tweet]
What are your favorite insights from Rework?
Looking for other startup fanatics? Request access to the OnStartups LinkedIn Group. 130,000+ members and growing daily.
Oh, and by the way, you should follow me on twitter: @dharmesh.
View Original Article
You're encouraged to share your favorite insight by using the convenient "tweet" links next to each one.
37 "Signals" From 37 Signals
1) Great businesses have a point of view, not just a product or service. [tweet]
2) Writing a plan makes you feel in control of things you don’t actually control. [tweet]
3) You have the most information when you’re doing something, not before you've done it. [tweet]
4) Stuff that was impossible just a few years ago is simple today. [tweet]
5) Failure is not a prerequisite for success. [tweet]
6) Don’t make assumptions about how big you should be ahead of time. [tweet]
7) Don’t sit around and wait for someone else to make the change you want to see. [tweet]
8) When you build what you need, you can assess quality directly instead of by proxy. [tweet]
9) Solving your own problem lets you fall in love with what you’re making. [tweet]
10) What you do matters, not what you think or say or plan. [tweet]
11) When you want something bad enough, you make the time. [tweet]
12) The perfect time to start something never arrives. [tweet]
13) Start a business, not a startup. [tweet]
14) You need a committment strategy, not an exit strategy. [tweet]
15) Huge organizations talk instead of act, and meet instead of do. [tweet]
16) Build half a product, not a half-assed product. [tweet]
17) Getting to greatness starts by cutting out stuff that’s merely good. [tweet]
18) The real world isn’t a place, it's an excuse. It's a justification for not trying. [tweet]
19) The big picture is all you whould be worrying about in the beginning. Ignore the details. [tweet]
20) Decide. You’re as likely to make a great call today as you are tomorrow. [tweet]
21) The longer it takes to develop, the less likely it is to launch. [tweet]
22) It’s the stuff you leave out that matters. [tweet]
23) Focus on substance, not fashion. Focus on what won't change. [tweet]
24) When good enough gets the job done, go for it. [tweet]
25) When you make tiny decisions, you can't make big mistakes. [tweet]
26) Pour yourself into your product. [tweet]
27) You rarely regret saying no but you often regret saying yes. [tweet]
28) Better your customers grow out of your product, than never grow into them. [tweet]
29) You can’t paint over a bad experience with good marketing. [tweet]
30) All companies have customers. Fortunate companies have audiences too. [tweet]
31) Instead of out-spending your competitors, out-teach them. [tweet]
32) Let customers look behind the curtain. [tweet]
33) Leave the poetry in what you make, there is beauty in imperfection. [tweet]
34) Marketing is not a department, it's the sum total of everything you do. [tweet]
35) Don’t hire for pleasure; hire to kill pain. [tweet]
36) Don’t make up problems you don’t have yet. [tweet]
37) A business without a path to profit is a hobby. [tweet]
What are your favorite insights from Rework?
Looking for other startup fanatics? Request access to the OnStartups LinkedIn Group. 130,000+ members and growing daily.
Oh, and by the way, you should follow me on twitter: @dharmesh.
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
10 Ways to Enrich Your Company’s Facebook Page
However, the simple act of creating a Facebook Page for your company will not generate results. It is important for company pages to be appealing and engaging.
Affect Strategies has outlined 10 ways that companies can enhance their company’s Facebook page.
1. Populate your company page with a constant flow of industry news as well as news from the company.
2. Upload videos and photos of your company’s products, people and activities.
3. Create invites and post information for events that the company is organizing or participating in, such as webinars, conferences, tradeshows or speaking engagements.
4. Join network and industry groups related to your company’s business.
5. Refrain from engaging in games/applications that are not related to your company, as they will clutter your page and distract your audience.
6. Sync your Facebook updates with other social media, such as Twitter, LinkedIn or a company blog.
7. Consider conducting a contest or giveaway that only friends/fans can enter to win – encouraging them to invite friends or spread the word about your Facebook presence.
8. Use the Notes application as a blogging tool, which can be connected to an existing blog or updated independently.
9. Create a Discussion Board to engage your friends/fans in conversations about topics relate d to your company.
10. Develop Facebook Ads that are targeted specifically at your ideal customer/client profile. A small investment can boost interest in your Facebook presence and encourage participation.
Facebook Fast Facts
o There are more than 450 million active Facebookusers
o Facebook’s fastest growing demographic is those 35 years old and older
o 70% of Facebook users are outside of the U.S.
Source: Facebook
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Even Non-Beer Drinkers Should Take A Swig
Even Non-Beer Drinkers Should Take A Swig
Ever wonder who thinks up some of the domain names out there…what are they thinking…or is it what they’re drinking?
Bill Fisher loved beer, so way back in the early nineties he bought the domain name beer.com. It wasn’t intended for business, just pictures of beer guts and jokes. In fact, he so loved his brew that he also bought the domain names for his two favorite beers, Budweiser and Guinness. Eventually the internet began to boom and, evidently, Bill’s pics and jokes amused the folks at Budweiser and Guinness…well, sort-of. Fisher handed over the domain names so as not to go to court for trademark infringement, though he did end up with a stash of free beer and two free tickets to Ireland. It was the simple premise of beer.com, however, that changed his life forever.
“Whoever has the clearest, simplest address, the root name, they’ve got credibility,” says Mike Zapolin, the author of Internet Warrior, and former VP at Bear Stearns & Co. “There’s this amazing opportunity to buy the name of a category from a technical person or hobbyist, put some money in it, and you might be toe to toe with a Fortune 500 company in months.”
Mike, now nicknamed “Zappy”, bought beer.com from Bill and brewed new content. This time, InBev came calling…he sold the “business” for $7M. Zappy encourages tapping the barrel of internet identification, citing that 70% of all media is consumed online. The opportunity, he says, is in advertising. Of all the internet content, only 7-8% is advertising and it’s predicted to go to 10% by the end of 2011. To put this in context, a single percentage point increase represents an additional $7B spent. And, like all successful advertising, it’s the location that ultimately determines success.
So where do you start when it comes to building an online presence? John Battelle, CEO and Chairman of Federated Media says you still need the fundamentals: you need a solid brand. You need a great product or service, strong messaging and a well focused target audience. Do you know what you stand for, what you’re selling and who you are selling to? He encourages creating a fundamental foundation before launching into cyberspace, but when you are clear with who you are and what you’re selling, there are 3 quick things you can do to cut through the clutter:
1. Engage in behavior that already exists. Google went after search; pre-existing products/services were phone books and libraries. Facebook went after connectivity; pre-existing methods were the phone, letters and parties. Match.com just took the brick & mortar bar and made it virtual. Look at human behaviors that already exist and then establish a location for them online.
2. Choose a generic domain name. Too often we want to personalize, but these internet experts all agreed that shoes.com, chocolate.com, creditcards.com, etc. were far more lucrative targets than “yourname”.com…unless of course you’re Ashton Kutcher. Only businesses with well established brands (household names) tend to see mileage from the use of their brand name. So the message: say what it is.
3. Connect. Social media platforms such as Facebook are here to stay, and the fastest and most effective way to advertise is through links and connections, now called “Friend Casting”. Friend Casting is where links are shared by friends and built-in networks, who then forward information virally. You need a social media platform from which to launch, and the entire panel agreed that Facebook is the future for connecting. In fact, Facebook gets more traffic these days than Google!
So…with over 80 million Millenials turning to the internet for, well, everything, and using their friends on Facebook for purchasing pointers and perspective, it’s time to bring your beer to the party.
Ever wonder who thinks up some of the domain names out there…what are they thinking…or is it what they’re drinking?
Bill Fisher loved beer, so way back in the early nineties he bought the domain name beer.com. It wasn’t intended for business, just pictures of beer guts and jokes. In fact, he so loved his brew that he also bought the domain names for his two favorite beers, Budweiser and Guinness. Eventually the internet began to boom and, evidently, Bill’s pics and jokes amused the folks at Budweiser and Guinness…well, sort-of. Fisher handed over the domain names so as not to go to court for trademark infringement, though he did end up with a stash of free beer and two free tickets to Ireland. It was the simple premise of beer.com, however, that changed his life forever.
“Whoever has the clearest, simplest address, the root name, they’ve got credibility,” says Mike Zapolin, the author of Internet Warrior, and former VP at Bear Stearns & Co. “There’s this amazing opportunity to buy the name of a category from a technical person or hobbyist, put some money in it, and you might be toe to toe with a Fortune 500 company in months.”
Mike, now nicknamed “Zappy”, bought beer.com from Bill and brewed new content. This time, InBev came calling…he sold the “business” for $7M. Zappy encourages tapping the barrel of internet identification, citing that 70% of all media is consumed online. The opportunity, he says, is in advertising. Of all the internet content, only 7-8% is advertising and it’s predicted to go to 10% by the end of 2011. To put this in context, a single percentage point increase represents an additional $7B spent. And, like all successful advertising, it’s the location that ultimately determines success.
So where do you start when it comes to building an online presence? John Battelle, CEO and Chairman of Federated Media says you still need the fundamentals: you need a solid brand. You need a great product or service, strong messaging and a well focused target audience. Do you know what you stand for, what you’re selling and who you are selling to? He encourages creating a fundamental foundation before launching into cyberspace, but when you are clear with who you are and what you’re selling, there are 3 quick things you can do to cut through the clutter:
1. Engage in behavior that already exists. Google went after search; pre-existing products/services were phone books and libraries. Facebook went after connectivity; pre-existing methods were the phone, letters and parties. Match.com just took the brick & mortar bar and made it virtual. Look at human behaviors that already exist and then establish a location for them online.
2. Choose a generic domain name. Too often we want to personalize, but these internet experts all agreed that shoes.com, chocolate.com, creditcards.com, etc. were far more lucrative targets than “yourname”.com…unless of course you’re Ashton Kutcher. Only businesses with well established brands (household names) tend to see mileage from the use of their brand name. So the message: say what it is.
3. Connect. Social media platforms such as Facebook are here to stay, and the fastest and most effective way to advertise is through links and connections, now called “Friend Casting”. Friend Casting is where links are shared by friends and built-in networks, who then forward information virally. You need a social media platform from which to launch, and the entire panel agreed that Facebook is the future for connecting. In fact, Facebook gets more traffic these days than Google!
So…with over 80 million Millenials turning to the internet for, well, everything, and using their friends on Facebook for purchasing pointers and perspective, it’s time to bring your beer to the party.
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
10 Tips For Writing Ad-Copy That Sells
If you’re going to write an ad that generates a dynamic and powerful response, follow the ten tips below to ensure your success:
1. Highlight a Single Benefit. It’s important to create focused ad-copy so that your prospects don’t become confused and overwhelmed. Choose a single benefit of your product or service that you wish to highlight above everything else. This is your “principle selling position” or PSP.
In order to create a PSP, ask yourself how your product or service is different than your competitors. Are you faster? More reliable? Provide better customer service? Make sure to paint a picture that shows your potential clients and customers exactly how your product or service will improve their life or solve their problems.
2. Write A Compelling Headline. Today’s consumers are exposed to thousands and thousands of ads every day, so in order to process all this information, they generally skim over information. If your headline doesn’t instantly grab their attention, you’ve most likely lost them. To create the most powerful statement, base your headline around your PSP.
3. Highlight Your Strongest Selling Points. The first few paragraphs in your ad-copy are incredibly important. You want to create a strong desire for your product or service by highlighting some of the most compelling benefits. Put together a bulleted list of the benefits your customer will receive by doing business with you.
4. Write Directly To Your Target Market. Always imagine exactly who you are writing for and then right directly to them. Are you writing to women? Men? Teenagers? Individuals struggling with their weight? It’s important that your language suits your intended audience so that they are better able to relate to you.
5. Use The Power Of Multimedia. As our audiences become more and more distracted, we need to create better ways to capture their attention. Using audio and video in your ads, engages more of the senses and, as a result, creates a much more interactive experience for your potential clients and customers.
6. Create Emotional Connections. Write copy that creates emotional connections through targeted benefits. For example, imagine that you’re selling facial cream. A feature might be that it contains retinol. However, that isn’t going to elicit any sort of emotional response. Instead, you should say, “Eliminates Wrinkles!” or even better, “Use Acme Cream and Instantly Look Ten Years Younger!” You have now turned a boring feature into a strong emotional benefit linked to people’s strong desire to look younger.
7. Use Testimonials. Obviously, it’s much more important what other people say about you and your small business than what you say yourself. So, make sure to include real and convincing testimonials of clients and customers singing your praises. Ask for permission to include their full name and a link to their website if applicable.
8. Write In A Natural Voice. The best way to write is in a very natural and unaffected tone. In fact, just write it exactly how you would say it. You want to make sure that your prospects feel comfortable reading your copy.
9. Incorporate A Call To Action. End by telling the reader what to do; e.g. “Ring now” or “Click here to order now for immediate delivery!” Needless to say, ordering details must be clearly visible and simple to follow.
10. Ask For The Sale.At some point, you will need to come out and ask your prospect to purchase your product or services. When you do, make sure to incorporate one of the following three items:
- A Great Deal: “40% off!”
- A Sense Of Urgency: “Only Ten Slots Available!”
- Risk-Free: “Backed By Our 30-day, No-Questions-Asked, Money-Back Guarantee!”
So, the next time that you are faced with writing an ad (whether it be a sales letter, brochure, newspaper ad or the likes), make sure to incorporate these ten tips for the best possible results.
1. Highlight a Single Benefit. It’s important to create focused ad-copy so that your prospects don’t become confused and overwhelmed. Choose a single benefit of your product or service that you wish to highlight above everything else. This is your “principle selling position” or PSP.In order to create a PSP, ask yourself how your product or service is different than your competitors. Are you faster? More reliable? Provide better customer service? Make sure to paint a picture that shows your potential clients and customers exactly how your product or service will improve their life or solve their problems.
2. Write A Compelling Headline. Today’s consumers are exposed to thousands and thousands of ads every day, so in order to process all this information, they generally skim over information. If your headline doesn’t instantly grab their attention, you’ve most likely lost them. To create the most powerful statement, base your headline around your PSP.
3. Highlight Your Strongest Selling Points. The first few paragraphs in your ad-copy are incredibly important. You want to create a strong desire for your product or service by highlighting some of the most compelling benefits. Put together a bulleted list of the benefits your customer will receive by doing business with you.
4. Write Directly To Your Target Market. Always imagine exactly who you are writing for and then right directly to them. Are you writing to women? Men? Teenagers? Individuals struggling with their weight? It’s important that your language suits your intended audience so that they are better able to relate to you.
5. Use The Power Of Multimedia. As our audiences become more and more distracted, we need to create better ways to capture their attention. Using audio and video in your ads, engages more of the senses and, as a result, creates a much more interactive experience for your potential clients and customers.
6. Create Emotional Connections. Write copy that creates emotional connections through targeted benefits. For example, imagine that you’re selling facial cream. A feature might be that it contains retinol. However, that isn’t going to elicit any sort of emotional response. Instead, you should say, “Eliminates Wrinkles!” or even better, “Use Acme Cream and Instantly Look Ten Years Younger!” You have now turned a boring feature into a strong emotional benefit linked to people’s strong desire to look younger.
7. Use Testimonials. Obviously, it’s much more important what other people say about you and your small business than what you say yourself. So, make sure to include real and convincing testimonials of clients and customers singing your praises. Ask for permission to include their full name and a link to their website if applicable.
8. Write In A Natural Voice. The best way to write is in a very natural and unaffected tone. In fact, just write it exactly how you would say it. You want to make sure that your prospects feel comfortable reading your copy.
9. Incorporate A Call To Action. End by telling the reader what to do; e.g. “Ring now” or “Click here to order now for immediate delivery!” Needless to say, ordering details must be clearly visible and simple to follow.
10. Ask For The Sale.At some point, you will need to come out and ask your prospect to purchase your product or services. When you do, make sure to incorporate one of the following three items:
- A Great Deal: “40% off!”
- A Sense Of Urgency: “Only Ten Slots Available!”
- Risk-Free: “Backed By Our 30-day, No-Questions-Asked, Money-Back Guarantee!”
So, the next time that you are faced with writing an ad (whether it be a sales letter, brochure, newspaper ad or the likes), make sure to incorporate these ten tips for the best possible results.
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
How the Best Leaders Build Trust
Most people don't know how to think about the organizational and societal consequences of low trust because they don't know how to quantify or measure the costs of such a so-called "soft" factor as trust. For many, trust is intangible, ethereal, unquantifiable. If it remains that way, then people don't know how to get their arms around it or how to improve it. But the fact is, the costs of low trust are very real, they are quantifiable, and they are staggering.
In 2004, one estimate put the cost of complying with federal rules and regulations alone in the United States -- put in place essentially due to lack of trust -- at $1.1 trillion, which is more than 10% of the gross domestic product. A recent study conducted by the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners estimated that the average American company lost 6% of its annual revenue to some sort of fraudulent activity. Research shows similar effects for the other disguised low-trust taxes as well.
Think about it this way: When trust is low, in a company or in a relationship, it places a hidden "tax" on every transaction: every communication, every interaction, every strategy, every decision is taxed, bringing speed down and sending costs up. My experience is that significant distrust doubles the cost of doing business and triples the time it takes to get things done.
By contrast, individuals and organizations that have earned and operate with high trust experience the opposite of a tax -- a "dividend" that is like a performance multiplier, enabling them to succeed in their communications, interactions, and decisions, and to move with incredible speed. A recent Watson Wyatt study showed that high trust companies outperform low trust companies by nearly 300%!
I contend that the ability to establish, grow, extend, and (where needed) restore trust among stakeholders is the critical competency of leadership needed today. It is needed more than any other competency. Engendering trust is, in fact, a competency that can be learned, applied, and understood. It is something that you can get good at, something you can measure and improve, something for which you can "move the needle." You cannot be an effective leader without trust. As Warren Bennis put it, "Leadership without mutual trust is a contradiction in terms."
How do the best leaders build trust?
The first job of any leader is to inspire trust. Trust is confidence born of two dimensions: character and competence. Character includes your integrity, motive, and intent with people. Competence includes your capabilities, skills, results, and track record. Both dimensions are vital.
With the increasing focus on ethics in our society, the character side of trust is fast becoming the price of entry in the new global economy. However, the differentiating and often ignored side of trust -- competence -- is equally essential. You might think a person is sincere, even honest, but you won't trust that person fully if he or she doesn't get results. And the opposite is true. A person might have great skills and talents and a good track record, but if he or she is not honest, you're not going to trust that person either.
The best leaders begin by framing trust in economic terms for their companies. When an organization recognizes that it has low trust, huge economic consequences can be expected. Everything will take longer and everything will cost more because of the steps organizations will need to take to compensate for their lack of trust. These costs can be quantified and, when they are, suddenly leaders recognize how low trust is not merely a social issue, but that it is an economic matter. The dividends of high trust can be similarly quantified, enabling leaders to make a compelling business case for trust.
The best leaders then focus on making the creation of trust an explicit objective. It must become like any other goal that is focused on, measured, and improved. It must be communicated that trust matters to management and leadership. It must be expressed that it is the right thing to do and it is the economic thing to do. One of the best ways to do this is to make an initial baseline measurement of organizational trust and then to track improvements over time.
The true transformation starts with building credibility at the personal level. The foundation of trust is your own credibility, and it can be a real differentiator for any leader. A person's reputation is a direct reflection of their credibility, and it precedes them in any interactions or negotiations they might have. When a leader's credibility and reputation are high, it enables them to establish trust fast -- speed goes up, cost goes down.
There are 4 Cores of Credibility, and it's about all 4 Cores working in tandem—Integrity, Intent, Capabilities, and Results. Part of building trust is understanding -- clarifying -- what the organization wants and what you can offer them. Be the one that does that best. Then add to your credibility the kind of behavior that builds trust. (see the 13 high trust behaviors below). Next, take it beyond just you as the leader and extend it to your entire organization. The combination of that type of credibility and behavior and organizational alignment results in a culture of high trust.
Consider the example of Warren Buffett -- CEO of Berkshire Hathaway (and generally considered one of the most trusted leaders in the world) -- who completed a major acquisition of McLane Distribution (a $23 billion company) from Wal-Mart. As public companies, both Berkshire Hathaway and Wal-Mart are subject to all kinds of market and regulatory scrutiny. Typically, a merger of this size would take several months to complete and cost several million dollars to pay for accountants, auditors, and attorneys to verify and validate all kinds of information. But in this instance, because both parties operated with high trust, the deal was made with one two-hour meeting and a handshake. In less than a month, it was completed. High trust, high speed, low cost.
13 Behaviors of High-Trust Leaders Worldwide
I approach this strategy primarily as a practitioner, both in my own experience and in my extensive work with other organizations. Throughout this learning process, have identified 13 common behaviors of trusted leaders around the world that build -- and allow you to maintain -- trust. When you adopt these ways of behaving, it's like making deposits into a "trust account" of another party.
1. Talk Straight
2. Demonstrate Respect
3. Create Transparency
4. Right Wrongs
5. Show Loyalty
6. Deliver Results
7. Get Better
8. Confront Reality
9. Clarify Expectation
10. Practice Accountability
11. Listen First
12. Keep Commitments
13. Extend Trust
Remember that the 13 Behaviors always need to be balanced by each other (e.g., Talk Straight needs to be balanced by Demonstrate Respect) and that any behavior pushed to the extreme can become a weakness.
Depending on your roles and responsibilities, you may have more or less influence on others. However, you can always have extraordinary influence on your starting points: Self-Trust (the confidence you have in yourself -- in your ability to set and achieve goals, to keep commitments, to walk your talk, and also with your ability to inspire trust in others) and Relationship Trust (how to establish and increase the trust accounts we have with others).
The job of a leader is to go first, to extend trust first. Not a blind trust without expectations and accountability, but rather a "smart trust" with clear expectations and strong accountability built into the process. The best leaders always lead out with a decided propensity to trust, as opposed to a propensity not to trust. As Craig Weatherup, former CEO of PepsiCo said, "Trust cannot become a performance multiplier unless the leader is prepared to go first."
The best leaders recognize that trust impacts us 24/7, 365 days a year. It undergirds and affects the quality of every relationship, every communication, every work project, every business venture, every effort in which we are engaged. It changes the quality of every present moment and alters the trajectory and outcome of every future moment of our lives -- both personally and professionally. I am convinced that in every situation, nothing is as fast as the speed of trust.
Copyright © 2009 Stephen M. R. Covey author of The Speed of Trust: The One Thing That Changes Everything
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Why Networking By Keith Ferrazzi
KEITH FERRAZZI can help: He is the world’s foremost expert in professional relationship development. He has transformed the lives and careers of clients and readers worldwide, bringing 20 years of research and experience to the art and science of business relationship development. His signature focus on success through relationships – a deeply energizing passion – has fueled his own incredible rise to prominence. Both Forbes and Inc. have called him one of the world's most "connected" individuals.
Why Networking by Keith Ferrazzi
Friday, April 9, 2010
The Art of the Introduction: Top Ten Tips
This post is by Chris Fralic, a managing partner at First Round Capital. Last week Chris gave a presentation at BootStrapperSummit in New York on the “art of the introduction” and we asked him to write a version of that presentation for TechCrunch. First impression matter, and getting the right introduction can make or break a business deal. You may also want to read out post titled Greetings! for more tips on first interactions. You can follow Chris on Twitter at @ChrisFRC
I’ve been a VC for about 4 years now, and I do a lot different things in my job. But I’d have to say that making introductions, asking for them, and being introduced is something I do every single day. In fact, I looked through the 12,403 emails I sent in 2009, and 2,603 or over 20% contained the word “intro” or “introduce” or “introduction.” Along the way I’ve noticed there are some best practices, so I’ve put together a Top Ten list here from what I’ve learned.
Some qualifiers: First, this is for email introductions only, and focused on busy people who live and work in email. Second, it helps to have a personal reputation – it’s not just the words or format in your email, but it’s about who you are and the previous experience others have had with you. In the post below you’ll see I’ve called the person asking for the introduction the Subject, the person you’re trying to reach or making the introduction to is the Target, and the person making the introduction is the Connector. So let’s get started with a practical guide to The Art of the Introduction to help you increase your effectiveness, reduce your inbox load, and have people look forward to responding to your introductions.
1. SUBJECT LINE MATTERS This one is a big one – DO NOT use just “Introduction” or “Intro” alone as email subject line. That’s the equivalent of sending a resume titled “resume.doc” – it says nothing. You should have the names and company names of both people being introduced in the email subject line.
2. WHAT’S IN IT FOR THE TARGET? Ever hear the line about everyone’s favorite radio station? WIFM – What’s In it For Me. WHY should the Target care about this introduction? Put it in the first sentence or paragraph. Another way to look at it – is there any evidence in your email introduction that you know anything about the Target whatsoever?
3. CONTENT MATTERS Are you being specific enough about what you’re asking the Target to do, and are you actually saying what your company does? If you’re looking for a job or career help, did you attach your resume? If you’re introducing your company, did you attach a deck or executive summary or at least a paragraph explaining what you do? Links are not enough – they’re generally useless if the person reading it is on a Blackberry or on an airplane.
4. MAKE IT EASY TO REACH YOU Consider having your email signature (and your reply signature) contain all of your relevant contact information. You want to be one click away from a call or email. Every deck or executive summary should contain your contact information on the first and last slide.
5. MAKE IT EASY TO HELP YOU DON’T just verbally ask someone to make introduction – the follow through rates on those are usually low, and it puts too much work on the Connector. A best practice is to craft an email from the Subject to the Connector that contains EVERYTHING and can be easily forwarded to the Target (from the road a Blackberry, etc.)
6) CREATE FIREWALLS This one needs some explanation and some caveats – if the Connector is really close to both parties or has achieved a certain level of relationship with the Target, it can be fine to introduce both parties directly. But it often makes sense to consider the benefits of using a “Firewall” – the best/easiest example is via LinkedIn where it’s easy and completely up to each party to forward or accept the Introduction. Another alternative to a direct introduction is for the Connector to forward information to the Target to see if they’re interested first.
7. “LEAN FORWARD” ON YOUR RESPONSE When someone engages on a response you can really tell – it makes a difference and gets the ball rolling (e.g. offering some quick insight into the problem or opportunity at hand, offering multiple times/places to meet, etc)
8. CLOSE THE LOOP But don’t create an endless loop – don’t copy everyone on each of the 12 emails it takes to find an open time to talk. Instead…
9. EMBRACE THE BCC Blind Carbon Copy is the most powerful and least used feature in email. One simple BCC lets the Connector know that the introduction has been received and is under way.
10. EVERY INTRODUCTION CAN BE A WIN/WIN Help people out when you can and be honest and helpful even if you can’t.
I hope you find something useful here, and I’d love to hear about the best tips you’ve learned as you practice The Art of the Introduction.
I’ve been a VC for about 4 years now, and I do a lot different things in my job. But I’d have to say that making introductions, asking for them, and being introduced is something I do every single day. In fact, I looked through the 12,403 emails I sent in 2009, and 2,603 or over 20% contained the word “intro” or “introduce” or “introduction.” Along the way I’ve noticed there are some best practices, so I’ve put together a Top Ten list here from what I’ve learned.
Some qualifiers: First, this is for email introductions only, and focused on busy people who live and work in email. Second, it helps to have a personal reputation – it’s not just the words or format in your email, but it’s about who you are and the previous experience others have had with you. In the post below you’ll see I’ve called the person asking for the introduction the Subject, the person you’re trying to reach or making the introduction to is the Target, and the person making the introduction is the Connector. So let’s get started with a practical guide to The Art of the Introduction to help you increase your effectiveness, reduce your inbox load, and have people look forward to responding to your introductions.
1. SUBJECT LINE MATTERS This one is a big one – DO NOT use just “Introduction” or “Intro” alone as email subject line. That’s the equivalent of sending a resume titled “resume.doc” – it says nothing. You should have the names and company names of both people being introduced in the email subject line.
2. WHAT’S IN IT FOR THE TARGET? Ever hear the line about everyone’s favorite radio station? WIFM – What’s In it For Me. WHY should the Target care about this introduction? Put it in the first sentence or paragraph. Another way to look at it – is there any evidence in your email introduction that you know anything about the Target whatsoever?
3. CONTENT MATTERS Are you being specific enough about what you’re asking the Target to do, and are you actually saying what your company does? If you’re looking for a job or career help, did you attach your resume? If you’re introducing your company, did you attach a deck or executive summary or at least a paragraph explaining what you do? Links are not enough – they’re generally useless if the person reading it is on a Blackberry or on an airplane.
4. MAKE IT EASY TO REACH YOU Consider having your email signature (and your reply signature) contain all of your relevant contact information. You want to be one click away from a call or email. Every deck or executive summary should contain your contact information on the first and last slide.
5. MAKE IT EASY TO HELP YOU DON’T just verbally ask someone to make introduction – the follow through rates on those are usually low, and it puts too much work on the Connector. A best practice is to craft an email from the Subject to the Connector that contains EVERYTHING and can be easily forwarded to the Target (from the road a Blackberry, etc.)
6) CREATE FIREWALLS This one needs some explanation and some caveats – if the Connector is really close to both parties or has achieved a certain level of relationship with the Target, it can be fine to introduce both parties directly. But it often makes sense to consider the benefits of using a “Firewall” – the best/easiest example is via LinkedIn where it’s easy and completely up to each party to forward or accept the Introduction. Another alternative to a direct introduction is for the Connector to forward information to the Target to see if they’re interested first.
7. “LEAN FORWARD” ON YOUR RESPONSE When someone engages on a response you can really tell – it makes a difference and gets the ball rolling (e.g. offering some quick insight into the problem or opportunity at hand, offering multiple times/places to meet, etc)
8. CLOSE THE LOOP But don’t create an endless loop – don’t copy everyone on each of the 12 emails it takes to find an open time to talk. Instead…
9. EMBRACE THE BCC Blind Carbon Copy is the most powerful and least used feature in email. One simple BCC lets the Connector know that the introduction has been received and is under way.
10. EVERY INTRODUCTION CAN BE A WIN/WIN Help people out when you can and be honest and helpful even if you can’t.
I hope you find something useful here, and I’d love to hear about the best tips you’ve learned as you practice The Art of the Introduction.
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
What Makes Us Happy; Seven Questions for a Client Centered Proposal
"...keeping you great"
HEADLINES:
"If you wish to persuade me, you must think my thoughts, feel my feelings, and speak my words." ~ Cicero as quoted in Persuasive Business Proposals Small Font Size? -- just heard from Ray King, founder of AboutUs.org, that the font size of my insights shows up small in his in-box. Are any of the rest of you experiencing the same problem with the insights? The font size should be roughly the same as any email you receive. Please let me know -- thank you.
What Makes Us Happy? -- David Brooks, NY Times columnist, wrote an interesting peice this week summarizing what research shows makes us happy. My favorite few lines -- "The daily activities most associated with happiness are sex, socializing after work and having dinner with others. The daily activity most injurious to happiness is commuting. According to one study, joining a group that meets even just once a month produces the same happiness gain as doubling your income." It's the last line that particularly garnered my attention.
What About the Rest of the Executives? -- Members of various CEO organizations receive this "happiness" benefit of a monthly forum meeting -- but what about the rest the executives? Gazelles has been testing a monthly forum process with CFOs, COOs, HR, IT, Sales, and Marketing executives this past six months with 22 leading-edge growth firms. Given the initial positive feedback, we'll be rolling this out with 40 additional firms in the fall -- stay tuned.
What Doesn't Make Us Happy? -- writing proposals! Some of the very best executives, program managers, engineers, and consultants freeze up when they have to put what they know and what they're recommending on paper. You can make the best face-to-face presentation, but inevitably the client wants something in writing. And almost all major government contracts require a proposal. Tom Sant, the guru of proposal writing and author of Persuasive Business Proposals, even has research showing that sales people will often skip going after multi-million opportunities because they don't want to submit the necessary proposals!
What A Proposal Isn't? -- Tom Sant, who has taught thousands of top executives how to write winning proposals, notes "Writing a winning proposal isn't a matter of content. It's a matter of structure and process. Say the right things in the right order and you'll win." What his book focuses on is the process -- the steps to follow to develop and write a clear, compelling, persuasive proposal -- the same methodology Sant uses when he works directly with a client.
Seven Questions for a Client-Centered Proposal -- I'm a huge fan of the right questions, and Sant has seven that drive writing a winning proposal (I would get his book and go right to that section of the book for the details). Here are the seven questions:
1. What is the client's problem or need?
2. What makes this problem worth solving? What makes this need worth addressing?
3. What goals must be served by whatever action is taken?
4. What goal has the highest priority?
5. What product/applications/services can I offer that will solve the problem or meet the need?
6. What results are likely to follow from each of my potential recommendations?
7. Comparing these results to the customer's desired outcomes or goals, which recommendation is best?
Sant also has twelve questions for developing a consultative proposal -- powerful list.
The Language of Success (Email). This is the title of Sant's latest book and focuses on general business writing, especially email. The key is eliminating jargon and developing a straight forward approach to communicating your message. BTW, my one "must" re: emails -- that the subject line must match the email. Often in email strings the subject of the email changes but no one has changed the subject line to match! The other "must" is communicating just one main idea in an email. If there are several subjects, write a separate email to the same person covering each subject -- that way they can forward to and copy the people appropriate to the specific topic. And I'm more likely to get a response to a single-subject email then if I stick multiple subjects in a single email.
The Giants of Sales -- Sant also wrote one of my favorite classic sales books entitled The Giants of Sales: What Dale Carnegie, John Patterson, Elmer Wheeler, and Joe Girard Can Teach You About Real Sales Success. Some sales fundamentals never change and Sant has gleaned the best from these four fathers of sales. At a minimum, if you're a sales professional, you should know the history and giants of your own profession and their timeless knowledge. NOTE: Elmer Wheeler's classic book Tested Sentences that Sell is another must read -- I was blown away by the insight and power of using one simple word vs. another -- particularly powerful in the internet world of sales.
Thursday, April 1, 2010
The #1 Reason Why Salespeople Fail to Close
The bottom-line reason that traditional sales tactics are inefficient and ineffective is that the seller is motivated by an attitude; of “whatever it takes “to push product out the door in order to make a quick sale. Typically, the seller knows a lot about the product’s features and benefits, has a good story to tell, and persistently overcomes objections until the deal is closed. Yet many sellers seldom delve deeply enough to uncover the prospect’s true motivation for doing business, especially from the buyer’s perspective.
You can dramatically increase your closing ratio by understanding that prospects buy for their reasons—not yours. The art of the sale is in developing the-desire-to-acquire-in-your-buyer! People buy emotionally, then rationally justify their decisions. Touting features and benefits followed by applying price pressure, actually sets up sales resistance, which then leads to a frustrating conclusion for both buyer and seller.
Easily close more profitable sales and the lifetime value of a repeat customer by asking open-ended questions first. You are naturally curious to find out what problems the prospect has that matches up with the benefits of your product or service. Here are some examples of open-ended questions:
• How long has this been a problem?
• What have you done so far?
• When did the problem first happen?
• What is important for you to do right now?
Highly paid sales professionals are problem solvers positioning themselves as trusted advisors, rather than product pushers. The motivation for the prospect to do business comes when the prospect acts on your advice to immediately solve an important problem. (That’s right; the customer is buying you and your understanding of his problem first!)
Nick Murray, the famous financial sales coach, says it best: “People don’t care to know, until they know you care.”
Pain-problems are stronger motivators than gain-problems. Most sales messages are geared toward what a customer has to gain in the transaction, and are met with skepticism because the customer is afraid that she might be disappointed in the promised future result. Whereas, pain-problems demand immediate satisfaction, otherwise if nothing is done the pain will continue to get worse.
No pain—no sale.
You, the professional seller, must know your product’s features, benefits, the market it serves, and be knowledgeable about your competition too.
Nonetheless, you will be spinning your wheels, unless you develop the skill of asking the right questions to uncover your prospect’s buying reasons and position yourself as a problem-solver; not a problem-giver.
You can dramatically increase your closing ratio by understanding that prospects buy for their reasons—not yours. The art of the sale is in developing the-desire-to-acquire-in-your-buyer! People buy emotionally, then rationally justify their decisions. Touting features and benefits followed by applying price pressure, actually sets up sales resistance, which then leads to a frustrating conclusion for both buyer and seller.
Easily close more profitable sales and the lifetime value of a repeat customer by asking open-ended questions first. You are naturally curious to find out what problems the prospect has that matches up with the benefits of your product or service. Here are some examples of open-ended questions:
• How long has this been a problem?
• What have you done so far?
• When did the problem first happen?
• What is important for you to do right now?
Highly paid sales professionals are problem solvers positioning themselves as trusted advisors, rather than product pushers. The motivation for the prospect to do business comes when the prospect acts on your advice to immediately solve an important problem. (That’s right; the customer is buying you and your understanding of his problem first!)
Nick Murray, the famous financial sales coach, says it best: “People don’t care to know, until they know you care.”
Pain-problems are stronger motivators than gain-problems. Most sales messages are geared toward what a customer has to gain in the transaction, and are met with skepticism because the customer is afraid that she might be disappointed in the promised future result. Whereas, pain-problems demand immediate satisfaction, otherwise if nothing is done the pain will continue to get worse.
No pain—no sale.
You, the professional seller, must know your product’s features, benefits, the market it serves, and be knowledgeable about your competition too.
Nonetheless, you will be spinning your wheels, unless you develop the skill of asking the right questions to uncover your prospect’s buying reasons and position yourself as a problem-solver; not a problem-giver.
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
3 Lead Management Mistakes Marketers Make That Stunt Sales Growth—and How to Avoid Them
It's no secret that marketing and sales departments don't understand each other. Both groups are crucial to the success of a business, yet they tend to work apart, lacking common strategies, processes and technologies. This split can have serious consequences for the bottom line. Marketing departments can be all too eager to send to sales every prospect who has ever downloaded a white paper or registered for a Webinar. Sales often considers such leads as unqualified and therefore unworthy of their time. Even less strategic for the company's bottom line is when salespeople dutifully follow up on each and every Bob, Jack and Sally that offers up contact information. They end up spinning their wheels chasing down prospects who aren't interested.
By developing a strategic approach to lead management, marketers can avoid common pitfalls that halt sales growth. For example, fixing these three common mistakes can help transform your lead-marketing activities into a cohesive and powerful lead-management program that boosts sales and demonstrates the value marketing brings to the organization.
1) Failing to agree with sales on what constitutes a qualified lead.For any company with a sales force, the definition of what comprises a "hot" lead is often a much-debated topic. If you're not already on the same page with your sales organization about what constitutes a qualified lead, you need to be, as this is the first step to successfully developing a powerful lead-management approach. When you're able to send sales a list of prospects exhibiting criteria that indicate a propensity to buy, they will be more likely to engage in meaningful conversations with leads rather than spending time needlessly chasing down cold opportunities.A solid lead-scoring approach not only helps sales to rank prospects against each other, but can smooth the lead flow and help you build a more powerful and accountable marketing organization based on rigorous analysis and testing, rather than intuition and educated guesswork.
2) Relying solely on self-declared prospect information.Self-reported data, such as demographic and firmagraphic information, can be vital as you correlate attributes of leads that generate sales. For example, you might find that mid-size companies in the Western United States appear to have a greater affinity for your product than those on the East coast. You could adjust your marketing efforts and lead scoring techniques accordingly.Although valuable, the information prospects provide such as occupation, company name, company size, and timeline to purchase can also be unreliable: Self-reported information tends to be aspirational as people give answers they believe are more desirable; company information tends to roll toward the mean as people at very large companies downplay their size while those at tiny companies pad their numbers; and people sometimes lie because they do not wish to reveal personal details.To avoid relying on inaccurate information, a solid lead-management approach should also take into account a prospect's behavior, such as Web-site visits, white paper downloads, email opens and clicks, etc.
3) Not accounting for recency and frequency of prospect behavior.The first behavioral component is the action itself. But beyond that, you should also account for the recency and frequency of the behavior--how often and how recently a person took an action. The quality of a lead changes both over time and as more or less interaction with the prospect occurs. For instance, consider the difference between a prospect who takes a product demo today and another who took it six months ago. The behavior is the same, but the person who most recently took the demo is more likely to be in an active phase of the buying cycle.
The art and science of lead management is critical to streamlining the lead-to-sales process and improving marketing ROI and impact on company revenue. And a key attribute of top-performing B2B marketers is their ability to build processes and systems that effectively track and manage leads. Lead management has traditionally required a lot of hands-on maintenance. But fortunately, powerful tools are now available that automate these processes for marketers. Now, by fixing a few avoidable mistakes, B2B marketers can focus on what's really important--the bottom line.
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Building a successful Web site is a Science
This article is not about information technology resellers or technology marketing, but it shows the point that technology is significant in everything we do today.
Friday, March 5, 2010
Building a successful Web site is a science
Jacksonville Business Journal - by Dolly Penland Correspondent
James Crichlow
 |
| Lime Leaf Thai Restaurant principals Vilayvanh Lovan, Songkhame Lovan, Kevin Anderson and Noi Anderson. Lime Leaf includes customer reviews as well as menus on its Web site. |
This is especially important because only 8 percent of people look beyond the third page of search results, according to a 2008 Jupiter Research survey. Digital research site comScore Inc. reports Americans made 15.2 billion searches in January, with 65 percent of those conducted via Google. Yahoo! accounted for 17 percent, Microsoft Corp. 11 percent, and Ask Network and AOL combined for a little more than 7 percent of searches. With so much information and so many sites out there, small businesses must do whatever they can to stand out, attract traffic to their sites and make sales.
“There are literally tens of millions of Web sites coming on the Internet every other month,” said David Brown, chairman and CEO of Web.com. “As a result, if you just build a site and don’t use the science of optimization, you’ll probably be found deep in the pages, eighth or 80th. Search engine optimization is a science, but there’s some art to it, too. The science is understanding how the search engines, primarily Google but also Yahoo!, Microsoft and some others, determine relevancy.
“They determine relevancy based on things like key word density, how many times certain words are in your Web site, key word location on the home page, how many links to your Web site there are from other sites that are credible and how many links you have outbound to those kinds of sites, how often you are mentioned in blogs and what kind of information you provide that proves your relevancy.”
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Monday, March 15, 2010
E-mail marketing thrives despite social network use
Twitter, Facebook and similar sites open new venues, but quantity of direct messages grows.
By Arlene Satchell
Sun Sentinel
Posted: Sunday, Mar. 14, 2010
Social networking Web sites such as Facebook and Twitter are providing businesses with new ways to market their products to existing and future customers.
But as businesses rush to "friend" and "tweet" their way into consumers' hearts, is e-mail marketing being trumped by social media?
Some industry experts contend that e-mail adoption and use remains strong with businesses and consumers alike.
"E-mail is still the central hub for how people want information to be pushed to them," said Karen Talavera, a digital marketing expert in Lake Worth, Fla.
According to Forrester Research, 90 percent of online Americans currently use e-mail as a mainstream communication channel.
"It's very simple to use and cost-effective," said Jude Diaz of Wealthwise Technologies, a Florida investment advisory firm that has been using Constant Contact's e-mail marketing service. "You see a lot of nice results with minimal efforts."
In November, gym owner Gregory Drew sent a promotional offer to 4,134 women in the Boca Raton, Fla., area. He used a geographically targeted e-mail marketing platform from CityTwist.
The e-mail campaign cost him about $250, but his return on investment was $10,400 in revenue - the value of 26 new memberships.
"It's worked better than any other form of marketing I've used," Drew said. "I've had 10 times the results."
By 2014, consumers are forecast to receive an average of more than 9,000 e-mail marketing messages annually in their primary in-boxes, according to Forrester. Spending on e-mail marketing is also expected to climb to $2 billion that year, up from $1.2 billion in 2009.
To distinguish their messages from spam, e-mail marketers should adhere to standards established by the federal CAN-SPAM Act, which regulates commercial e-mail, Talavera said.
For example, the standards stipulate providing an unsubscribe option and sender information, such as business name and address with each message.
CityTwist has had success in the downturn with its geo-targeted e-mail marketing technology and has had to hire more staff to meet growing demand.
For 5 cents per e-mail, businesses can send e-mails with discounts or special offers to residents in a specific zip code or a targeted radius of their locations using CityTwist's software.
Talavara said e-mail marketing's low cost compared with other forms of direct marketing is helping to drive adoption in the economic downturn.
Starting at $15 a month, a business with a database of 500 or fewer e-mail addresses can send customized messages using Constant Contact's e-mail marketing system.
Tracking tools that show how many e-mails were opened, forwarded or not delivered are provided, said Lisa Sparks, a Constant Contact executive.
Read more: Charlotteobserver.com
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
‘Social media is a beast’ – So how can your business tame it?
Note: The Skinny blog is written by Rick Smith, editor and co-founder of Local Tech Wire and business editor of WRAL.com.
DURHAM, N.C. – “Social media is a beast that cannot be avoided.”
Amen, brother.
Executives from across the Triangle gathered for an interactive panel discussion Tuesday about “Social Media and Your Business.” After presentations from Mr. LinkedIn for the Triangle (also known as Chuck Hester, communications director at iContact and the creator of LinkedIn Live Raleigh events), and a Q&A involving four players in the social media space, the audience peppered the group with challenges and queries about the rights, wrongs, opportunities and obstacles in using social media tools.
In the spirit of messaging and listening, The Skinny chose to ask attendees at the Local Tech Wire Executive Exchange event to share their most important takeaways. As the first cited above indicates, social media – Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, LinkedIn, YouTube, and more – is rapidly assuming a prominent if not dominant tool in media marketing. It’s not just personal; it’s business.
Just like effective tweets, most are short but offer some keen insight. Here are some of the attendees’ thoughts:
• “The bullhorn no longer works.”
• “Listen, listen, observe, crawl before you jump into it.”
• “Customer advocates can be the best defense against social media ‘trash talkers.’”
• “Feedback … feedback … feedback – It gives unhappy customers a chance to sound off. So you can take actions to recover. Way better than letting this spring negative press.”
• “Go slow. Listen a lot before you speak.
• “Establish relationships before setting your agenda.”
• “Social media is a tool. It does not replace all other marketing and media.”
• “Transparency is very important, but creativity is what makes a big difference.”
• “Engaging in the conversation is more helpful rather than just springing out constant messages.”
• “Don’t be scared of social media.”
• “Among the social media panel and the audience, there is still no agreement. I think it is showing how painful this is for everybody.”
• “Take your core marketing strategy and use social media as another tool.”
• “Establish relationships with your social media community before you promote your business brand.”
• “Social media is an opportunity to honestly develop a relationship. That relationship is integral to your community. It is trust.”
• “Be authentic at all times!”
• “Correct usage and limits for social media” need to be defined by a business before using them.
• “Information can spread quickly through social media.”
• “Using social media effectively: Being consistent.”
• “Focusing social media on your target, using the appropriate voice and engaging …”
• “Social media is a community of relationships”
• “Listen and don’t send one-way messages.”
• “Old folks can do it, too!”
• “Determine your audience; select your best channel to reach them.”
• [Key points to develop internally]: “Awareness about growth prospects, policing.”
• “The importance of treating connections as real people you want relationships with.”
• “Don’t be afraid of social media. It represents an excellent opportunity to connect with your customers and provide superior customer service.”
• “[The discussion] confirmed my thoughts about the tools – they’re just the latest pipe. All the basics of marketing and interpersonal communications still apply.”
In addition to Hester, other panelists included: Delisa Reavis of ChannelAdvisor, Jeremy Smith, former CEO and co-founder at Twine Interactive, Booby McDonald of MMI Public Relations and Peter Wylie of Three Ships Media.
Following the panel discussion, LTW then played host to a LinkedIn Live Raleigh event for face-to-face social media interaction. That event drew well over 250 people.
As the attendance at this event and the turnout as well as the good give-and-take at the Exchange event clearly showed, social media is a beast. If tamed and trained, its power can transform your business. If unleashed untrained and unrestrained and not watched, user beware.
Get the latest news alerts: Follow LTW at Twitter.
Copyright 2010 Local Tech Wire. All rights reserved.
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Box of Crayons Newsletter Four ways to tap into your inner Boogaloo
The launch of Do More Great Work has had a rhythm all of its own. If it was a dance, it would have been a combination of the quickstep,The League of Extraordinary Dancers, and a bad attack of malaria. In other words, interesting, slightly too sweaty and I'm glad to take a break.
Now, post-launch, I'm thinking about what I want my rhythm of work and life to be. Here's what I'm considering:
* Who do I love?
I love that the last line in the last Beatles' song is "And in the end the love you take/Is equal to the love you make."
Pretty much every deathbed moment has people thinking about the people that matter in their life, and not so much whether their Inbox is down to zero. (Maynard Keynes the economist may be an exception. He wishes he'd drunk more champagne. Which is also good advice by the way.)
What's the rhythm that allows you to hang out with those you love and those that love you back? I know for me I'm constantly seduced by the busywork and spend too much time holed up in my office. That's going to change.
Who makes you smile? - See #5 in The 5.75 Questions You've Been Avoiding
* What do I love?
This is one of those big Great Work questions. What's still giving me juice, exciting me, making me dance?
I don't want to just be doing stuff because I was doing it 12 months ago just because of momentum.
For instance, I know that I love the creating process - taking ideas and turning them into something funky and inspiring and useful for people.
And as I look ahead in my calendar, there's almost no space held for that. I'm traveling and delivering workshops and having fun … but that's not going to be enough.
What do you need to hold time and space for?
* Public/Private
My wife and I have a code phrase, "public/private". It's uttered on those occasions where one of us - almost always me - is about to reveal something that really should stay private between Marcella and me. It gives us (me) the chance to rescue myself from a moment of Too Much Information.
With social media lapping at our feet everywhere we look, this question of public/private is starting to mean something different for me now. It's how much time do I spend in the public eye and connecting with all of you, and how much time am I private, on retreat.
Where do you stop the performance?
* What's really urgent?
Chris Brogan, who is as prolific as he is wise (ie. very) has just published a post called "The Assault on Anywhen". In it he rails against this ever intensifying circle of urgency that drives all we do. Everything, it seems, requires an immediate response and was due yesterday.
I've been getting caught up in all of this recently too. Time to take a breath and find out what's important rather than urgent (with a hat tip to Steven Covey).
What really matters?
Don't Take My Word For It
Smart people thinking out loud about balance.
"Happiness is not a matter of intensity but of balance, order, rhythm and harmony."
-Thomas Merton
"If you're interested in 'balancing' work and pleasure, stop trying to balance them. Instead make your work more pleasurable."
-Donald Trump
"Just as your car runs more smoothly and requires less energy to go faster and farther when the wheels are in perfect alignment, you perform better when your thoughts, feelings, emotions, goals, and values are in balance."
-Brian Tracey
"Love and work... work and love, that's all there is."
-Sigmund Freud
"It must be a balance in everything we do, not too much of everything, keep it simple, not complicated."
-Abdullah Amad Badawi
"Problems arise in that one has to find a balance between what people need from you and what you need for yourself."
-Jessye Norman
"In art and dream may you proceed with aban don. In life may you proceed with balance and stealth."
-Patti Smith
"In today's society we sometimes forget to balance our hearts and our heads; this is the reason we stop laughing."
-Yakov Smirnoff
Now, post-launch, I'm thinking about what I want my rhythm of work and life to be. Here's what I'm considering:
* Who do I love?
I love that the last line in the last Beatles' song is "And in the end the love you take/Is equal to the love you make."
Pretty much every deathbed moment has people thinking about the people that matter in their life, and not so much whether their Inbox is down to zero. (Maynard Keynes the economist may be an exception. He wishes he'd drunk more champagne. Which is also good advice by the way.)
What's the rhythm that allows you to hang out with those you love and those that love you back? I know for me I'm constantly seduced by the busywork and spend too much time holed up in my office. That's going to change.
Who makes you smile? - See #5 in The 5.75 Questions You've Been Avoiding
* What do I love?
This is one of those big Great Work questions. What's still giving me juice, exciting me, making me dance?
I don't want to just be doing stuff because I was doing it 12 months ago just because of momentum.
For instance, I know that I love the creating process - taking ideas and turning them into something funky and inspiring and useful for people.
And as I look ahead in my calendar, there's almost no space held for that. I'm traveling and delivering workshops and having fun … but that's not going to be enough.
What do you need to hold time and space for?
* Public/Private
My wife and I have a code phrase, "public/private". It's uttered on those occasions where one of us - almost always me - is about to reveal something that really should stay private between Marcella and me. It gives us (me) the chance to rescue myself from a moment of Too Much Information.
With social media lapping at our feet everywhere we look, this question of public/private is starting to mean something different for me now. It's how much time do I spend in the public eye and connecting with all of you, and how much time am I private, on retreat.
Where do you stop the performance?
* What's really urgent?
Chris Brogan, who is as prolific as he is wise (ie. very) has just published a post called "The Assault on Anywhen". In it he rails against this ever intensifying circle of urgency that drives all we do. Everything, it seems, requires an immediate response and was due yesterday.
I've been getting caught up in all of this recently too. Time to take a breath and find out what's important rather than urgent (with a hat tip to Steven Covey).
What really matters?
Don't Take My Word For It
Smart people thinking out loud about balance.
"Happiness is not a matter of intensity but of balance, order, rhythm and harmony."
-Thomas Merton
"If you're interested in 'balancing' work and pleasure, stop trying to balance them. Instead make your work more pleasurable."
-Donald Trump
"Just as your car runs more smoothly and requires less energy to go faster and farther when the wheels are in perfect alignment, you perform better when your thoughts, feelings, emotions, goals, and values are in balance."
-Brian Tracey
"Love and work... work and love, that's all there is."
-Sigmund Freud
"It must be a balance in everything we do, not too much of everything, keep it simple, not complicated."
-Abdullah Amad Badawi
"Problems arise in that one has to find a balance between what people need from you and what you need for yourself."
-Jessye Norman
"In art and dream may you proceed with aban don. In life may you proceed with balance and stealth."
-Patti Smith
"In today's society we sometimes forget to balance our hearts and our heads; this is the reason we stop laughing."
-Yakov Smirnoff
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Top Ten Ways to Market Your Business in 2010
With the New Year comes the perfect time to start fresh and renew your commitment to effectively marketing your business. Here are a few ideas from Naz Creative on marketing your business in 2010.
1. Blog It
How many times have we all said, “You know, I think I’ll start a blog,” and then not follow through with the idea? Blogs have become a powerful and important internet marketing tool. What was once considered to be a fun little hobby is now serious business. Blogs can increase your search engine visibility, give you expert level credibility and they can give your customers a place to communicate with you. To get the most benefit from your blogging, flag categories and make them search engine friendly with tags. In addition, remember to create back links from relevant words in your blog posts to your website.
2. Let Your Customers Sell Your Product
Customer testimonials are one of the most powerful forms of advertising there is. This year, ask several of your best customers to jot down a few positive notes about their experiences with you. Testimonials are great material for just about any piece of correspondence including emails, newsletters and websites. Testimonials are absolutely essential to any powerful marketing plan, especially web marketing.
3. Advertise More
Find out where your competitors are advertising and give it a try, or try a brand new option. The key to finding good places to advertise is not to panic and bail out early! Many times business owners give up on advertising before it has a chance to work, so be tough and give it a few tries before throwing in the towel.
4. Generate Some Buzz - Press Releases
Give people a reason to talk about you. Some great ways to get people to notice your business are by offering free food or drinks, hosting a contest, or participating in a charity project. Don’t forget to distribute a press release to generate even more buzz!
5. Roll Out the Welcome Mat
Promote your business in 2010 by hosting an event. Ideas for becoming a charming host include hosting an award presentation, celebrating your favorite customers with a reception or even a simple open house. Remember that hosted events are most successful when they are adequately advertised.
6. Share Your Plans with Others
Use a calendar like the one offered by iGoogle. By adding your events to the calendar and allowing others to see it, they’ll be more aware and more likely to take an interest in what you are doing.
7. Get Out of Your Rut
Pick something about your business and change it. Get a new logo, print new business cards, or even re-vamp your entire website! Adding a colorful splash of variety to “business as usual” is an excellent, time-tested method of perking up sales.
8. Ask Your Customers What They Think
Get ideas and learn how to improve your services by sending out a customer survey. Your customers’ ideas and answers to your questions may surprise you! Customer surveys are the best way to find out what your customers really think about what you are offering.
9. Go Contact Crazy - E-mail Marketing Campaigns
Collect email addresses by adding an opt-in form to your website and your blog. Communicate regularly with your email list by sending web-exclusive offers to your customers. As email has rapidly become the communication method of choice for many, email marketing is a cost-effective and successful method of promoting your business.
10. Get the Facts - Analytics are the way
Track visits to your website and learn where your visits are coming from. Is your traffic targeted, “good” traffic? Google Analytics is an excellent tool for educating yourself on the facts of your website
1. Blog It
How many times have we all said, “You know, I think I’ll start a blog,” and then not follow through with the idea? Blogs have become a powerful and important internet marketing tool. What was once considered to be a fun little hobby is now serious business. Blogs can increase your search engine visibility, give you expert level credibility and they can give your customers a place to communicate with you. To get the most benefit from your blogging, flag categories and make them search engine friendly with tags. In addition, remember to create back links from relevant words in your blog posts to your website.
2. Let Your Customers Sell Your Product
Customer testimonials are one of the most powerful forms of advertising there is. This year, ask several of your best customers to jot down a few positive notes about their experiences with you. Testimonials are great material for just about any piece of correspondence including emails, newsletters and websites. Testimonials are absolutely essential to any powerful marketing plan, especially web marketing.
3. Advertise More
Find out where your competitors are advertising and give it a try, or try a brand new option. The key to finding good places to advertise is not to panic and bail out early! Many times business owners give up on advertising before it has a chance to work, so be tough and give it a few tries before throwing in the towel.
4. Generate Some Buzz - Press Releases
Give people a reason to talk about you. Some great ways to get people to notice your business are by offering free food or drinks, hosting a contest, or participating in a charity project. Don’t forget to distribute a press release to generate even more buzz!
5. Roll Out the Welcome Mat
Promote your business in 2010 by hosting an event. Ideas for becoming a charming host include hosting an award presentation, celebrating your favorite customers with a reception or even a simple open house. Remember that hosted events are most successful when they are adequately advertised.
6. Share Your Plans with Others
Use a calendar like the one offered by iGoogle. By adding your events to the calendar and allowing others to see it, they’ll be more aware and more likely to take an interest in what you are doing.
7. Get Out of Your Rut
Pick something about your business and change it. Get a new logo, print new business cards, or even re-vamp your entire website! Adding a colorful splash of variety to “business as usual” is an excellent, time-tested method of perking up sales.
8. Ask Your Customers What They Think
Get ideas and learn how to improve your services by sending out a customer survey. Your customers’ ideas and answers to your questions may surprise you! Customer surveys are the best way to find out what your customers really think about what you are offering.
9. Go Contact Crazy - E-mail Marketing Campaigns
Collect email addresses by adding an opt-in form to your website and your blog. Communicate regularly with your email list by sending web-exclusive offers to your customers. As email has rapidly become the communication method of choice for many, email marketing is a cost-effective and successful method of promoting your business.
10. Get the Facts - Analytics are the way
Track visits to your website and learn where your visits are coming from. Is your traffic targeted, “good” traffic? Google Analytics is an excellent tool for educating yourself on the facts of your website
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Outsource Marketing - A Smart Choice For Technology Businesses
Many businesses believe they have only two choices when it comes to marketing - establish an internal department or contract specific services with a marketing agency. There is a third option worth exploring. Strategic outsource marketing provides the commitment of an internal resource and the capabilities of an agency without the operating costs of either.
Comparing Options
If your firm hires a VP-level marketing executive you can expect to pay upwards of $175,000 in salary and benefits just to start. While your new VP may be able develop a marketing strategy, your firm will still have allocate a considerable budget to outsource projects to creative agencies for tactical execution.
Outsourcing services to a typical full-service agency means you pay for all of their services – even if you don’t use them. Operating costs for every department must be absorbed by all the clients. A strategic outsourcing firm combines the best of both worlds. A dedicated project manager works with you to develop a marketing strategy designed specifically to meet your company’s needs. The strategic outsourcing firm then provides your technology company with a full array of marketing expertise under one umbrella to bring your message to an increasingly demanding and hard-to-reach audience. The key distinction with a strategic outsourcing firm is that you only pay for what you need – when you need it!
The first and most critical benefit of strategic marketing outsourcing is a company pays only for the services used for the length of time needed. The marketing team assigned to your firm can be scaled to suit projects of any size and scope. With an in-house team, you have consistent expenses. With an outsourced marketing department, you only pay for resources when you need them.
Breadth of Services
Search engine optimization, online business networks, business blog….marketing tactics and supporting technologies are changing at lightning speed. Outsource marketing provides access to a team with expertise in every marketing discipline. A quality "turn-key" marketing firm can provide specialists in all marketing disciplines as well as vertical industry experts. Time to Focus on Your Core Competencies By outsourcing the marketing function, your internal team will have more time to spend on what you do best: product innovation, customer service or quality control.
"Ins" in the Industry
From knowledge of online printers with 2-day turnaround to friendships with editors, outsource marketing firms bring industry know-how to your firm. Marketing firms have day-to-day contact and partnerships with direct mail list firms, printers, journalists, reporters and more. And we often find uncanny overlaps between a product of one client and the service of another.
Views from the Outside
While an outsourced marketing department takes the time to intimately learn your products, technologies, and customers, its team member do not have years of ingrained company culture. Firm members are not afraid of suggesting radical ideas. Because marketing team members may work on several outsource teams, they often have fresh and objective viewpoints to share.
Why Strategic Outsourced Marketing Makes Sense for Technology Firms
With its attractive advantages, marketing outsourcing might be assumed to be a logical choice for nearly every company looking to grow its business. But certain key characteristics of technology firms make strategic outsource marketing extremely attractive.Staying smart in today’s volatile business environment requires access to resources well-versed in current practices across all marketing disciplines. But technology firms must focus on their intellectual property and product life cycles, and often cannot focus on the latest in marketing tactics. Outsourcing the marketing function lets key executives in the firm to focus on the core competencies instead of trying to keep up on the latest internet marketing strategy.
Consider Strategic Outsource Marketing for Your Firm Today
Companies that outsource the marketing department can focus on their core competencies while a seasoned team of experts handles marketing. Marketing is improved across the board as the entire function becomes driven by objectives, strategies, a marketing plan, and budget.For more information on the benefits of an outsource marketing department, or to arrange a marketing assessment meeting, contact us at 734-864-4094 or visit the Clarity Quest website. Christine Slocumb has 15 years of marketing, business development, and product management experience in Fortune 50 and startup firms. Christine has worked with technology firms on marketing strategy, business planning and marketing implementation. Clarity Quest is a leading Michigan marke
ting firm.
ting firm. By Christine SlocumbPublished: 12/5/2007
Polls
Which social media is more important to you on a daily basis?
Twitter
Facebook
Blog
Texting
IM
Vote
Poll Author
Charles Kelly
http://polls.linkedin.com/p/77828/jrubo
Which social media is more important to you on a daily basis?
Blog
Texting
IM
Vote
Poll Author
Charles Kelly
http://polls.linkedin.com/p/77828/jrubo
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Five B2B Marketing Trends for 2010
By Chris Koch
We’re a research organization, so making predictions is fraught with risk. We need to stick to the numbers. But we’ve identified some trends for 2010 that we think will accelerate. Some are sure bets, such as the continuing growth of social media. Others are long shots, because they don’t represent the majority of marketers today—and perhaps never will. But they should. See if you agree:
Marketing and sales will share leadership. Okay, so just 17% of the 31 companies we surveyed in ITSMA’s recent survey, Sales Enablement Practices and Trends: Increasing Marketing’s Impact, have marketing and sales report to a shared leader—say, a vice president of sales and marketing, for example.
But we think this number is going to go up. It has to.
For the past two years, marketers have told us that sales enablement is a top priority. We think that sales enablement consists of more than brochures, data sheets, and tools. It should extend to shared goals and metrics between marketing and sales.
The only way to know whether marketing is improving salespeople’s effectiveness is by having them share accountability for revenue and sales quota goals. Yet of the companies we surveyed, just 16% have shared metrics between sales and marketing. Worse, only 25% of companies said that their marketing and sales groups even have an understanding of each other’s goals and metrics.
That’s got to change. Especially when you consider that many of the activities that traditionally defined marketing—collateral and trade shows, for example—are going away.
Increasingly, marketers are going to become more directly involved in supporting the customer relationship. Some 48% of respondents to ITSMA’s recent Market Pulse survey are going to increase spending on sales enablement, and more than 50% are going to increase spending on lead-nurturing activities such as thought leadership and private events.
Social media becomes integral to the buying process. In ITSMA’s How Customers Choose survey, we found that use of social media among IT and business buyers of technology rose 50% over last year and finally pushed to majority status; 55% said they use social media as part of the technology buying process in 2009 versus just 37% in 2008. More important, we found that executives in large organizations use social media more than in smaller organizations and that C-suite executives actually use social media more than their lower-level buying peers. Just 15% of CEOs and directors said they did not use any form of social media at all, whereas 34% of manager/directors and 26% of VPs and assistant VPs said that they ignore the stuff.
This has big implications for marketers. It means that social media is taking hold within your biggest, most valuable accounts at the highest levels.
This makes sense when you consider what our IT buyers have been telling us for years: that their peers are by far their most preferred and trusted choice for information during the buying process. This year, our research showed that most buyers go to colleagues inside their own companies for referrals of people to talk to about a purchase. No doubt, they would like to expand that circle beyond the company—30% say they rely on peers from councils and communities they belong to, and 29% say they speak to colleagues at other companies for referrals.
Within this elite audience, social media is becoming a tool for expanding the circle of trusted peers that they can call on when they’re about to make a big purchasing decision. Marketers can enable these relationships by creating and managing online communities. Indeed, we’ve seen a dramatic rise in the percentage of B2B marketers that say they’ve built online communities themselves or through third parties such as LinkedIn and Facebook. In ITSMA’s social media survey in April, 43% said they had built their own communities and 54% had built group pages on Facebook or LinkedIn. By October, the percentages were 70 and 79, respectively.
Social media integrates into the thought leadership supply chain. Among respondents to ITSMA’s recent Market Pulse survey, 58% said they planned to increase spending on thought leadership development—nearly as many as the 73% who told us they planned to invest more in social media.
We don’t think that’s an accident. Social media is a helpful new piece in the supply chains for both thought leadership development and dissemination. For example, by tracking employee blogs, you may find some new subject matter experts who can help develop and refine thought leadership. Tweets are the raw nuggets that become blog posts that eventually lead to thought leadership white papers.
And social media tools are great ways to tease your thought leadership content and lead customers and prospects to other marketing channels, such as events and the Website. In ITSMA’s survey Web 2.0 Gets Strategic, 67% of respondents said that driving traffic to the Website was a primary benefit of social media.
The importance of the epiphany stage of the buying process grows. With buyers themselves doing more and more research during the buying process, providers need to make sure that they can be found.
Providers stand a better chance of being found if they create content for every stage of the buying process, including the stage that occurs before customers even think about buying. In the epiphany stage, marketers educate customers and prospects about business issues and future requirements, helping them reveal needs (see The Epiphany Stage: The Missing Link in the Buying Process).
How should marketing accomplish this goal? By creating idea- and trend-based thought leadership that helps clients discover and respond to the most important business issues they face and by taking clients out of the day to day to collaborate and spark new ideas. The best epiphany marketing also gives sales a reason to call on customers to discuss the content.
There’s plenty of opportunity for differentiation in the early stages of the buying process. In ITSMA’s How Customers Choose survey, just 16% of buyers said that their providers are very helpful in showing them the possibilities to solve their business challenges. And just slightly more than 50% of buyers said that providers’ thought leadership marketing is helpful in this regard. Companies that invest in understanding buyers’ business issues and creating good thought leadership around those issues have a tremendous opportunity to stand apart from competitors.
Cloud computing and costs will drive partnerships. In our Market Pulse survey, 42% of respondents said they were planning to increase their investments in partnerships. In part, this is due to already lean staffs being unable to shrink further. Even in the darkest days of the recession last January, 43% expected their budgets to remain unchanged or to increase in 2009. The lean staffs and budgets that have been with us since the dot-com crash don’t have much fat left to cut. Marketers are looking to share costs by working with partners. It’s also an inexpensive way to grow when the economy improves.
But we think that cloud computing will also drive a need for more partnering. The development of cloud-based platforms such as Salesforce’s AppExchange or Apple’s App Store show how partner ecosystems will become more important for B2B over time—much as the “Wintel” platform redefined provider partnerships at the beginning of the client/server era.
What trends do you see coming in 2010?
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