Strategies for 2010

From a recent edition of Harvard’s publication, Working Knowledge, A First Look At Faculty Research: “Congratulations. Your business is surviving the recession. You made the necessary adjustments, weeded out under-performing distributors, shed unprofitable or unreliable customers, deleted poor-selling products from your portfolio, and concentrated your marketing dollars on media and channels that you could prove delivered a strong return on investment. You may have downsized, voluntarily or involuntarily, since the recession began; but at least you're still in business.”  What follows are Professor John Quelch’s “…seven top recommendations for marketers looking to plan ahead…”    

Action Items: Call (813) 321-1300 to schedule your Marketing and Technology Improvements Strategy Session

Please see: Top Recommendations from Harvard Professor John Quelch



How to Give a Great Presentation

From CIO.com: “Carmine Gallo, presentation coach and author of the upcoming book The Presentation Secrets of Steve Jobs (McGraw-Hill, October 2009), has counseled many executives on how to give a great presentation. He's also witnessed many common—yet avoidable—presentation errors that people always seem to commit.
Here are Gallo's top five ways that people ruin their presentations and his strategies on how to avoid making them. Above all, Gallo says, remember that the most engaging speakers have a simple secret weapon: ‘They practice much more than the average presenter.’”

Action Item: Call (813) 321-1300 today for your Presentation Strategy Session

Please see: 5 Ways to Ruin Your Next Presentation



Focus on Your Customers, Not Your Competition

The focus of your strategy sessions should be your customers, not your competition.  This summarizes “The Delta Model” for strategic planning described in a book of the same name co-authored by MIT Sloan School professor Arnoldo C. Hax.  In brief, the premise is that time and money spent on developing, increasing and strengthening relations with your customer/client base produce more benefits than spending those resources on combat with your competition.   

Action Item: Call (813) 321-1300 today for your Customer-Centric Strategy Session

An interview with Professor Hax: Strategy as Love not War

Entrepreneurs Transforming the Web

Inc. Magazine recently featured thirty ambitious entrepreneurs who “…are transforming the Web, empowering other start-ups, and turning your conference room into one big whiteboard.” Not one is over the age of 30.  The successful ventures include “an online marketplace that provides (small food producers) with a nationwide platform -- a virtual farmers market, if you will -- to peddle their peach-blackberry preserves, organic whoopie pies, and hand-harvested rock salts”.  Another is a live video website that draws 31 million visitors a month.  The individual success stories are accessed by clicking on the “PROFILES” link near the top of the article’s first page.

Action Item: Call (813) 321-1300 today for your Software and Technology Strategy Session

Please see: Inc.'s 30 Under 30

Three Different 2010 Economic Scenarios

From a Business Week piece:  “…as you're knee-deep in 2010 planning I encourage you to hedge your bets and consider a variety of possible scenarios. That way, you can be prepared for just about anything…To be sure, small companies don't have a fleet of analysts on whom they can call, but that doesn't mean you can't evaluate the possibilities and make at least general plans for a variety of future scenarios. The worst thing you can do is assume past circumstances—good or bad—are predictors of future events.”  The author suggests three possible 2010 scenarios as thought provokers to get your creative juices flowing. 

Action Item: Call (813) 321-1300 today for your Marketing Strategy Session

Please see: BusinessWeek's Article: Make Smart Marketing Bets in 2010

Is Your Business Model The Next Target?

BusinessWeek recently interviewed FCC Chairman, Julius Genachowski, regarding new regulations for an “Open Internet” as well as other media, telecom, and technology issues. A final decision on controversial “net neutrality regulations” isn't expected for months. The controversial issue is regulations that could force an internet service provider to host websites it would otherwise not host due to its moral, political or a-political standards.  See: A Chat with FCC Chief Genachowski

Chairman Genachowski said regulations are needed to ensure that broadband subscribers can access all legal Web sites and services, including Internet calling applications and video sites that compete with the broadband companies' core businesses.  "Internet users should always have the final say about their online service," Genachowski said. See: Julius Genachowski, FCC Chairman, iPhone User

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