I love a new year. Although I realize that, technically, every day is the beginning of a new year, there’s something about the New Year that makes me both reflective and optimistic about what lies ahead. As a pretty goal-oriented person, I enjoy the process of looking back, learning, and looking forward. It’s the basis of strategic planning, after all, a personal passion of mine. Each year I spend time to commit my goals to writing and I track my progress throughout the year. I don’t achieve every goal, but I do belief that I’m more effective than I would be if I didn’t take the time to plan. I had some great successes in 2012 and a lot of very rewarding experiences–both personally and professionally. But there’s always room for improvement and, regardless of what I achieve, I always want to achieve more. So, in 2013, there are a number of things I’d like to do better: Continue reading “What I’d Like To Do Better in 2013: New Year’s Resolutions”
Category: Sales
To Discount or Not to Discount – the Potential Perils of Perks to Drive Social Media Engagement
I was interviewed recently for a blog on the use of perks to drive social media engagement. It’s an interesting topic and judging from the proliferation of such contests and competitions online an important one. Aside from questions related to the efficacy of such competitions, businesses should also be aware of–and knowledgeable about–the impact of these perks on their desired brand image and the laws related to contests, sweepstakes and lotteries.
Are You Talking to Yourself on Social Media?
As I work with clients, or evaluate social media sites as part of the research I do on the topic, I frequently find that many sites–even those owned and managed by some top organizations–are more engaged in conversations with themselves than with interested followers or fans. They’re not sharing information that is of interest or value to their audience–they’re talking about themselves! That’s a strategy destined to fail. Why? Continue reading “Are You Talking to Yourself on Social Media?”
The Value of Business Dashboards
One of the most important elements of successfully implementing a strategic plan of any size (whether a business plan, an annual company plan, a marketing plan, etc.) is establishing benchmarks or objectives that are specific and quantifiable and that will be tracked throughout the planning period. The use of dashboards is a great way to visually – and simply – convey information on how the organization is doing. Sharing this information openly Continue reading “The Value of Business Dashboards”
The Value — and Limitations — of Leading Indicators
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”
Are Travel Agents Making a Comeback (and why you should care)?
The Internet has had a dramatic impact on many industries and businesses–creating opportunities for some and destroying them for others. Consider the changing nature of the publishing industry and the impact of being able to buy online for companies like Best Buy and many others. But business tends to be cyclical and it is often true that “what goes around comes around.” A recent article in the New York Times suggests that this may be the case for at least one industry — Continue reading “Are Travel Agents Making a Comeback (and why you should care)?”
Business Development Through Speaking
Have you ever attended a seminar, webinar or other presentation where you felt “tricked” into listening to what could best be described as a “sales presentation”? Haven’t we all… As a marketing/communication consultant I often do speaking engagements both “live” and via webinar. And, over the years, I’ve attended a lot of these presentations. While I do think that these types of activities can be good for business development, it’s best approached as a long-term approach and not a “quick sell.” Continue reading “Business Development Through Speaking”
The Power of Networking
Attended a session on networking at a women’s business event yesterday, so the following guest blog from Gina Abudi is particularly timely for me – some great recommendations. Thanks Gina! Continue reading “The Power of Networking”