Tag: people

Marketing strategies mean so many things to so many different people, that there is no standard code - or is there? While I have been using the same marketing strategy format for the past 20 years, I am always alarmed when I see a sales person write up a marketing 'to do list' and proclaim that this is in fact their marketing strategy. Likewise, when an entrepreneur hires a college graduate who writes up a marketing strategy based on the format that they learnt at college, which is out-dated, lacking in relevance and most likely not something that the student has had the ability to actually learn in-depth.

When you first start a business, many of us don't have a manual, any formal training and are generally learning as we go. This style of taking a business from startup to fully fledged successful business, comes with many hurdles - some that are too large to overcome.

What makes our agency special? It's a question that I am asked frequently, and it always makes me think "what is it that is our secret sauce?". What makes us different from the marketing company down the road?

The last quarter has been an interesting time, particularly with the influence of the global economy and in particular, the movement that has been a follow-on affect of the Trump Presidency.

The turmoil we are experiencing now, is nothing short of scary. What if one of these "fools" actually sends off a bomb and it heads in our direction? I'm scared, are you?

When I was a child, I thought I would grow up, have a successful career, get married, have children and live happily ever after.

But that was what we were always led to believe. That's what happens in life... right or at least we were told.

Last night I attended an event just for an hour or so that my friend was hosting. I caught up with a few people and without realizing it, had to take a few steps back.

The reason being is sometimes things are best left in the past, especially people, and who wants to know what someone else is doing? I certainly don't.

I am so caught up in everything to do with technology, I have to be constantly reminded as to why the technology exists - and that is to better serve the people around us. From customers and prospects, to employees and suppliers, our ability to engage, interact and create conversation is imperative to our ability to be more successful.

I've had a phenomenal start to the new year - by choice. 

I chose to look at 2017, literally through a new set of glasses, and with a mindset that begs for change.

Change is a strange word, because it means so many things to people, and rarely does it mean the same from one person to another.

I encapsulate my thoughts on change, by looking at my life and how fortunate I have been, then looking ahead and seeing what purpose I have that underpins my next stage of this incredible journey.

With planning on the agenda this week and new hires, it has become apparent that we have to look closely at the past to ensure that our business goes into the future with it's best foot forward.

I'm in heavy business planning stage right now and I am looking for a lot of growth and development within our business. Our products need further development before August, and our APP must be finished for our clients, licensees and employees so that training and development as well as the marketing dashboard is at their fingertips.

I'm a strong believer in technology and how it powers performance. I don't hide behind the fact that I believe that marketing needs to reinvent itself and allow robots in, while still maintaining the personal touch. It's a hard combo and no-one really has it right. Marketing automation was supposed to solve this problem but there is no program yet on the market that actually does this well enough.

The human touch is still over-needed.

To keep abreast of what is going on in our industry and to maintain our position of leadership, we are working more on innovation and technology, while teaching new staff, new ways in which they can work to better perform for clients.

A catalyst for this is change is needed every year in a growing progressive company. You can't deliver upon continual growth at the rate we are aiming for without making sure you are a step ahead of the market - always.

People buy-in is instrumental and at my own fault I have sometimes forgotten that inclusion when I have impulsively developed a new or innovative process. Fairly stereo typical of an entrepreneur who is creative, but not acceptable and sustainable.

If your business hasn't:

Developed a business plan for 2016/17
Developed a marketing strategy that is not the same as last year, for 2016/17
Audited your processes for constant improvement across all areas
Set  your sales goals and ensured all team members are across them
Invested in people management, development and growth allowing adequate budget for the year
Made innovation your number one motivator for staying on top
Bought a copy of Gazelle's and completed the two page template and shared with your team

In everyone's lives, we have been given something that money cannot buy, and that is time. Today, we have an extra day in our year that we can do what we want with and make the most of being fortunate enough to add the extra day we weren't banking on to our lives.

So, what are you going to do with it?

I've decided to take control: