Working in large organizations I became very familiar with “leading” and “lagging” indicators and, admittedly, sometimes I found what I thought was the “complexity” of the concepts to be a bit overwhelming. But, I’m very data-driven and very committed to measuring the impacts of my efforts whether working in an organization, for a client or for myself. The premise is really quite basic: if you are looking for Continue reading “The Value — and Limitations — of Leading Indicators”
Category: Business Development
Create, Co-create, Collaborate or Die
We’re all familiar with the saying: adapt, migrate, mutate or die. Charles Darwin put forth his theory of evolution in 1859 and its relevance to businesses has long been applied by academics and business experts. But, in today’s fast-paced environment, while still applicable it suggests a pace that is much slower than our reality.
Adapting, migrating and mutating takes time–sometimes a long time.
While it may not be relevant from a biological standpoint, businesses today might be well advised to follow a different piece of advice: Continue reading “Create, Co-create, Collaborate or Die”
Influencing Target Audiences – Work From the Inside Out
There are four ways that people learn about our products and services:
1. Through their own experiences with us.
2. From their friends, family and colleagues – word of mouth.
3. Through the media – news reports, articles, etc.
4. Directly from us through our own advertising, web sites, social media, etc.
I always list these four sources of information in this order, because Continue reading “Influencing Target Audiences – Work From the Inside Out”
Do Happy Employees = Happy Customers? No!
Common wisdom suggests that there is a direct correlation between employee and customer satisfaction. Common wisdom, of course, is often flawed. Just ask a couple of my favorite business authors, Dan Ariely (Predictably Irrational) and Steven Levitt (Freakonomics). Sometimes the things that we believe to be true, simply aren’t.
A few years ago an article in the Harvard Business Review Continue reading “Do Happy Employees = Happy Customers? No!”
Are We Over-Relying on Technology for Interpersonal Communications?
Anybody who has ever observed people–usually, but not always, teenagers–standing together, yet communicating via text messaging can recognize that sometimes technology is overused. Whether email, social media, texting or the use of mobile devices, the downfall of these practices is to minimize face-to-face or voice-to-voice contact which can be a definite drawback. In business settings, studies consistently indicate Continue reading “Are We Over-Relying on Technology for Interpersonal Communications?”
Leveraging Consumer Feedback – Even When It’s Negative
In the old days, communicators communicated to their audiences. These days communicators, if they’re communicating online, are communicating with their audiences–whether they realize it or not. The old “conversations” were generally cloaked in privacy. When I saw a television ad that generated some kind of response from me, I might share it with the few people I was watching the commercial with, or talk about it later with friends. But, my response was fairly limited.
Enter social media. Today Continue reading “Leveraging Consumer Feedback – Even When It’s Negative”
Practical Applications of QR Codes
Ever since I heard of them I’ve been enthralled with QR codes. Not so much the traditional (and rather “boring”) applications where they simply take users to a web site, but more creative and practical uses that really leverage this technology to convey information and, in some cases, accomplish tasks.
Most recently, for instance, while on a trip and going through the airport security check-in, I spotted another passenger Continue reading “Practical Applications of QR Codes”
Leveraging Social Media for Non-marketing Applications
When we think of social media we tend to think of its use as a marketing tool whether we’re talking Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, Pinterest, etc., etc., etc. And, using social media as part of your marketing efforts often makes sense (depending, of course, on your objectives and your audience). But social media can provide benefits beyond marketing. For example: Continue reading “Leveraging Social Media for Non-marketing Applications”
Taking Social Offline – The Best of Both Worlds
I monitor a number of LinkedIn groups (admittedly more of a “lurker” than a participant at this point…) and recently came across what I thought was an interesting application of networking that leveraged an online community to create an offline community. It remains to be seen how effective this effort will be, but Continue reading “Taking Social Offline – The Best of Both Worlds”
Spread the Word – You’ll Get Exceptional Customer Service at Road Ranger!
On a recent shopping excursion with my friend Mary she told me about a phenomenal service experience she recently had while on a trip with her mother. They had stopped at McDonald’s and Mary, who prefers Coke products, found that Coke was temporarily unavailable. So, she decided to walk across the parking lot to a nearby gas station – Road Ranger.
She got her Diet Coke and then found that there were long lines at the counter so Continue reading “Spread the Word – You’ll Get Exceptional Customer Service at Road Ranger!”