Marketing Entrepreneurship Business Blog for SMB's

Marketing Entrepreneurship Business Blog for SMB's

Marketing Strategy Blog - Management - Page 6

11 Things People Do To Become Superstars In The Workforce

11 Things People Do To Become Superstars In The Workforce

Forget what you have always been told about how people get ahead in the workforce. No, you don't need to sleep with your boss or your clients for that matter. No, you don't have to be "Mr Nice Guy" 24/7, and you certainly don't need to play office politics. 

There are ways to improve your chances of landing that dream job - and it's not as hard as you think.

1.  Engagement:

Being an engaged employee means that you know a thing or two about the business. You have definitely learnt the art of listening to those at the top of the pyramid and those who are just starting in the mail room. You read every memo from management and you participate at every level in the organization without complaining that "there are too many internal memos" or that "the social club puts on crap events". You listen, learn and comprehend the value of engaging people around you and having them remember who you are.

2.  Competitive:

Contrary to popular psyche testing on how to be the best employee in the office, a little bit of competition is healthy. If you are looking to spearhead your career and take that top job or a dream job in the Executive team, then you need to have a competitive spirit to be the best. That doesn't mean stomping on the person beside you to "win" nor does it mean that you need to spruik your successes from the rooftop. What it does mean is that you need to set benchmarks for yourself and your team, and ensure that you are reaching it and you have the drive and competitiveness inside that won't stop until you reach the goal you have put in front of you. Some people fear competition and some misuse it. The trick is to compete with yourself and the benchmarks that have been set before you.
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How to nail a marketing internship

Interning at Marketing Eye is no easy task, but is often rewarding and highly valuable in the competitive job market - many of our superstar marketing and graphic design interns have ended up securing paid work for us.

While we've heard horror stories of other agencies taking advantage of their interns by making them fetch coffees or run personal errands, Marketing Eye invests time in our interns and arms them with requisite knowledge that will help them stand out of the crowd. 

Want to nail your own marketing internship, or feeling nervous about starting a new one? Check out our pointers below. 
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Are some business women cutting off their noses to spite their face?

Are some business women cutting off their noses to spite their face?

An extraordinary thing happened yesterday. I arrived at a client meeting and was greeted by their inhouse / incumbent agency and felt like I had walked into a one-woman war zone.

It was suppose to be a meeting whereby both parties worked together on different projects to accelerate the growth of a company, working on the strengths of each agency - but it didn't quite go to plan.

Firstly, this woman walked into the room, didn't acknowledge me at all and sat down and started typing away on her computer. After 10 minutes, she was faced with having to be introduced to me and as she shook my hand, she nearly broke it. I hear men say that this happens with people who try to make a statement, but in 14 years of business, this has never happened to me. I have never met a woman who has shook my hand so aggressively that my fingers turned blue.

My first thought was about how the meeting was going to unroll and whether it was worth me being there.
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10 Ways To Get Focused And Achieve Results

"Blame the fact that you have attention deficit disorder (A.D.D.) or that you are an A-Type Personality - or just blame the fact that you have never been able to concentrate," said a man sitting on the plane next to me as I moved from reading a book, to reading board papers to stretching - all within 10 minutes.

"But if you keep doing that, you will achieve nothing."

I have neither A.D.D. nor do I have a strong A-Type personality (although some people may challenge that), but I do have problems from time to time focusing and for that matter being able to sleep through the night because I am thinking of a hundred things at once.
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Should an entrepreneur risk it all?

Should an entrepreneur risk it all?

The Rich 200 list is littered with entrepeneurs who have sold their businesses. 

Someone once said to me that they never wanted to be on that list because there are only two outcomes that derive from being placed on this list: 1. Telemarketers will harrass you for the rest of your life. 2. You will go broke.

Jan Cameron, the founder of successful retail chain Kathmandu knows this only too well. She built her business over 20 years to be the most successful retail business in the outdoor adventure space, selling for a reported $247 million and being placed on the Rich 200 list only to be in BRW today with the journalist reporting that she almost certainly won't be there this year. Why? She sold her business and then after a break decided to get back into the game and invested $80 million into Retail Adventures discount group. Not long after, she had to double her investment to keep the chain alive. Plagued with poor management and a bad company culture, the chain was put in Voluntary Administration in October. 
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Join the Marketing Eye team

Join the Marketing Eye team

Marketing Eye is expanding and evolving… and you could be a part of our global growth.

We’re on the hunt for an experienced marketing communications manager to head a team in Melbourne. Because our work is so varied and diverse, we’re taking our time to pick the right person with the right mix of experience across a broad range of marketing skill sets. Our salary packaging is commensurate with experience and passion for marketing, and great performance will be rewarded with bonuses and perks. 
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Happiness: Positive changes that every person can make

Happiness: Positive changes that every person can make

Happy people are more successful, just ask Shawn Achor, the author of The Happiness Advantage.

"People who cultivate a positive mind-set perform better in the face of a challenge and in every area of your business, you will show improvement if your brain is positive" said Achor at a recent speech to 800 global entrepreneurs.

In fact, sales people who were happy outsell their less positive colleagues by more than 37 per cent and positive people in organisations are not only happier, they perform better and live longer, healthier lives.
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Who is the business person of the year?

If we believe what we read, then the world is stuffed. Literally. More debt than the Great Depression and unemployment is at an all time high - what else could we possibly be doing to destroy our world.

Yet, there are people who don't look down the barrel of pessimism and they continue on a path of global dominance and financial reward.

In the US, people who continue to show the world how it is done:


1. Howard D Schultz, Founder and CEO of Starbucks. I have just finished reading the book on Starbucks and I am impressed. It's a great story and an even better marketing blueprint that many other companies have followed but failed to duplicate. He is the 2011 Fortune Magazine Businessperson of the Year and a billionaire to boot.

2. Jeffrey P Bezos, Founder and CEO of Amazon. Another great book to read is the story on Amazon and its continued global dominance. I use to buy from Book Depositary because I thought it was cheaper, but Amazon through its acquisition has gained my loyalty and a few gold stars. Another marketers dreamboat, Amazon's business model is as impressive as its Founder.

3. Mark Zuckerberg, Founder and CEO of Facebook. Not only do I love the movie which did not portray Mark in the best light, but nevertheless gained incredible insight into the world of how a business like Facebook was founded and built. Since then, Facebook has listed on NASDAQ with questionable results but that still hasn't dampened my enthusiasm for Mark Zuckerberg as an entrepreneur with steely result. He may be a bit odd, but who isn't? Look at Bill Gates - is he normal? I don't think you can reach the upper echlon of business like this and be 100% normal. He is a fascinating character and it will be interesting to see how well Facebook does in the next few years. Nevertheless, Zuckerberg has made his money and will always be the Founder of Facebook.

In Australia, there are three amazing businesspeople that I would place in the top 30 businesspeople in the world:


1. Gina Reinhardt, Mining Magnate: This women is invincible. She is strong, determined, smart and well respected. It may seem like she came from nowhere but be assured she is no strinking voilet and while the world is fascinated by this magnate who holds the title of the richest woman in the world, she keeps her cards close to her chest. Like anyone, I am very interested in what makes this woman tick and am incredibly interested in where her media interests end up.

2. Jack Cowin, Hungry Jacks: An incredible gentleman and more respected than any other businessman I have met in Australia. He has a loyal following and plays the game privately and without fanfair. His advice is invaluable and he has an electric group of friends that I think highlights the diversity of his personality. Noone can dispute his business acumen and ability to find a good deal. On top of all of that, he is a family man. Absolutely my favourite businessman in Australia although he is Canadian.

3. Gail Kelly, CEO, Westpac Bank: This woman is dynamite. She embodies so many great things about a woman who is successful. Great family, incredibly smart, good communication skills and very strategic. On top of that, she has a great family. Need I say more.






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Is fun allowed in the office?

Is fun allowed in the office?

At Marketing Eye, as we are a marketing consultancy firm, there is never a day whereby everyone is in the office. The other day it was quiet - a bit too quiet. Everyone was working away diligently. So, I did what any leader would do. I said to everyone "we need to have some fun". And fun, we had.

We set up a photoshoot, which the young guys in the office instantly became photographers. Everyone was asked 'to act silly' and we all laughed, played around and were back at our desk in half an hour with big smiles on our faces.

It's amazing what small things can do for team spirit.

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Is Your Engine Well-oiled?

Is Your Engine Well-oiled?

Without health, you have nothing.

No matter how much money you make, it cannot save you if you have a terminal illness.

Some months ago, Iris Medical came to us and asked Marketing Eye if we could help educate the market on the importance of preventative health measures. So often business men and women get caught up in every day life and they neglect their health. They may go to the gym a couple of times a week and eat healthily but as we all know, even with these measures, the stress of working and life can add to increasing our chances of illness.

Iris Medical is unique in that it provides men and women with a complete health test. It is advisable to do these tests every single year, to stay on top of your health. By doing them, women may experience early detection of breast cancer for instance and men may find out whether or not they may have a heart attack in the near future or perhaps prostate cancer.

With Kerrianne Kennerly, the latest high profile person to get breast cancer, it's once again very topical.

So, is your engine well-oiled?
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Exciting job @ Marketing Eye Atlanta $100k salary

Exciting job @ Marketing Eye Atlanta $100k salary

It's not often that a really cool and rewarding job becomes available, but with an exciting company like Marketing Eye expanding into the US - there seems to be an abundance of opportunities.

We are looking for a dynamic, really talented, Marketing Manager who not only can write a strategy, but can implement it with ease. A creative knack to keep our creatives in line would also be super handy, along with a firm understanding of social media, direct marketing, advertising, branding and promotions.
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How small business owners can manage stress

How small business owners can manage stress

No matter who you are, at times, as a small business owner, you will get stressed.

It's how you deal with it that counts.

Which has me thinking. I am what I affectionately call a "stress pet". Someone, who stresses a lot. If not daily, bi-daily. I find things to stress about that sometimes deserve my attention, and then others that certainly don't.

Managing stress has always been an issue and I have over time tried everything. But just like any diet, or new health regime, you need to keep with it long after the actual decision to do it in the first place and constantly remind yourself that it is something that requires ongoing work, not just a quick fix.
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Sales - without it, your business does not exist.

What keeps you awake at night?

Some say a sales manager never sleeps. Constant questions seem to plague their minds - will I make that budget? How will I close this sale? Have I got the right team for the right job?

What if there was a way to help answer these questions? Some miracle program whereby sales managers no longer have to stress about the duties and targets of their entire sales team, but just focus on their own task at hand. A program which can change those plaguing questions from “Will I make that budget?” to “we will make that budget”

I received an email from the Sales Coach Academy, who provides a powerful and proven sales coaching program for sales managers. I was asked what are my biggest sales frustrations? What traits my ideal sales team would posses? And pretty much what keeps me awake at night?

The aim of the short survey is obviously to work out the needs of Sales Managers, what frustrates them and what concerns them most about their sales team. It provides questions that more or less allow you to vent your sales frustrations, so that the Sales Coach Academy can base their coaching programs around the areas of high interest to sales managers.

I strongly suggest you take the survey if you have been involved in the sales industry throughout your career – which most of us have! Perhaps we can finally get some answers to those questions that keep us awake at night!

Alison Lovatt, Marketing Eye.

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