Is Leadership Training More Important Than Flowers?

Aug 28, 2012 | Leadership Development

I just got off the phone with a prospective client. They have serious employee and management retention issues. They have few managers with the right skills to be effective managers, let alone develop into effective leaders, they have a multitude of staff with less-than-effective front-line customer service skills, they are in an industry that is growing by leaps and bounds, and their reputation for less-than-stellar service is starting to spread. So why are they calling my office? They've...

Get it “Right”

Aug 21, 2012 | Sales, Marketing & Customer Service

My company is working with several clients who are at that stage of their business planning process where we're analyzing their marketing strategies. An obvious component of this step is revising or developing marketing materials that convey the "right" message, to the "right" target market, to get the "right" results. Getting it "right" with the marketing materials can propel a company's business strategies forward with greater success. Getting it "wrong" can create confusion,...

Why I Won’t Hire You – or Even Interview You

Aug 14, 2012 | Leadership Development

That title may sound a bit rough for some of you, but if you're looking for a job - or you know someone who is - pay attention. Let me share some insights from an employer's perspective as to why you may not be able to land that job - or even the interview - for which you think you're well qualified. As a bit of background, I've been looking to hire a part-time, marketing assistant to support me and my team with brand management, social media, and general in-office admin tasks. I've also made...

Why You?

Aug 7, 2012 | Sales, Marketing & Customer Service

Why do your customers come to you? Why do they pay you money for your products or services instead of another organization? Why you? It’s a short, two-word question, but the answer could transform the way you operate and market your business. You see, the answer is what sets you apart from everyone else. It’s your brand. It’s your unique differentiator. It’s your top-of-mind awareness pitch. It’s all of those and every other nifty marketing term out there which indicates what benefit...