“Every generation seeks the Holy Grail of instantaneous influence—in the information age we seek the sound bite that moves the masses—but it doesn't exist. Human behavior is influenced over time, within a context, and by focusing primarily on how people feel.” Anette Simmons, The Story Factor Good...
Recently, I was consulting a CEO on strategic presentation skills, they tended to keep talking without stopping and needed some work to better connect with the people in the room. We talked about the importance of pausing during the presentation and asking a question to...
Too many Chief Marketing Officers are trapped in “brand conversations” behind their desks, in conference rooms, or around the boardroom table, and it’s hurting their organization’s connection to the customer, the understanding of what’s happening with their brands, and the ideas necessary to drive growth. I’ve...
Big ideas, when they stick, can guide an organization to an extraordinary future. It helps you determine when to move and where. It provides a shared vision that creates cohesion within your organization, which can lead to superior execution over time. To discover or refine your...
This could be called the first law of Cult Branding. Know thy Customer better than they know themselves. This could be called the Secret Law of Cult Branding. Customers Don't Know Why They Buy. This might be deemed the problem with the conventional market analysis. Don't Ask Why, Observe!...
“The best way to capture moments is to pay attention. This is how we cultivate mindfulness. Mindfulness means being awake. It means knowing what you are doing.” Jon Kabat-Zinn The truth is that many of us spend most of our time in the office. Think about how...
Are you busy? Isn’t that a stupid question to ask? Of course you are. You have a lot to do and it all NEEDS to get done. That’s the way it seems. But, truthfully, a lot of what you’re doing is probably getting in the way...
Your new product or service is great. You want to tell people. Why not shout it as loudly as you can to as many many people as you can? Because, until you have an audience, you have to work exponentially harder to make your message matter....
Dominant organizations occupy positions of ultimate profitability. They do this by providing their customers what they want, even before their customers know they want it. Whenever Apple unveils their latest iGadget, they already have legions of excited customers eager to buy. How do they do that?...
The letter BlackRock’s Larry Fink sent CEOs highlights ideas that are familiar to our readers. Here’s the insight: “Society is demanding that companies, both public and private, serve a social purpose. To prosper over time, every company must not only deliver financial performance but also show...