Gleanings from my reading

"True audaciousness comes about when people have the pluck and the courage to say ‘screw it, let’s do it. I see a gap in the market, I’m going for it’ that’s a special thing..."

  

2/1/14
But we so often get the benefit exchange wrong. The number one error is we talk about attributes vs. benefits. We get lost in the qualities of an idea or a product rather than translating those attributes into the benefits they deliver for a colleague or customer. Telling me that a proposal addresses a problem in workflow is citing an attribute; demonstrating how it saves money or increases efficiency is showing a benefit. Rack and pinion steering is an attribute of a car; responsiveness that makes you feel safer on the road is a benefit. 

A benefit exchange is the heart of persuasion. It answers the question, "What's in it for me?" for the person you are seeking to influence.
Good benefit exchanges focus on what your audience wants - not what you want. That's the second common error we make. Don't fall into the trap of communicating based on the benefits you desire. Think from the perspective of those you want to influence and speak to that world view.
Make the Benefit Immediate,Make It Personal:, Speak to Your Audience's Values,
Know What You're Up Against, Be Real



But you probably won't be surprised when I tell you that Charlie Rose's interview was more interesting, and came across as significantly more professional. The man is great at asking questions and getting out of the way; he uses short, open-ended questions when he wants elaboration, and short, yes-or-no questions when he wants to be pointed.
Kevin Rose, on the other hand, ends every question in the interview with a series of possible answers. Instead of performing an interview, he administers a multiple-choice exam. In the process, he not only uses time that his interview subject could spend talking, but also misses out on serendipitous conversational outcomes. With the multiple-choice question format, you simply water the conversation down.
We all do this. "What are you doing for the holidays? Are you staying in town, or are you going somewhere, or do you have to work?..."

The #1 tip for asking better questions? Cut them off at the question mark.

Those better, terser questions will make you a better conversationalist, a more effective information-gatherer. A more efficient speaker. And, perhaps paradoxically, a more pleasant communicator.
It takes will power to be concise. But effective questions will double your conversational effectiveness, and just might make you a little more interesting yourself.
I think there are a couple conditions here. You have to 1)understand the meeting expectations, 2)who you're talking with and 3)where you are in the relationship.



Festina Lente…make haste slowly….a wise strategy!


" this traverse may be the poorest, without oppress of toll, how frugal is the chariot that carries a human soul" - Emily Dickenson Books are the cheapest way to go to places. Reading can let you live a thousand lives.

More content would mean more trash. Content worth reading or hearing or viewing is hard to find. Though, there is something to be said about even the least worthy content that causes someone to notice the brand. Of course, more of the trash then when the worthy content arrives no one will bother to notice it. This is fodder for marketing consultants!

Content Marketing (when capitalised) has been subject to well...too much crap being made. Quantity and quality are highly associated - people are rushing to make more things, not better ones, and there's still only the same number of hours in the day.

one present, thoughtfully considered, even if it cost nothing, is worth far more than a slew of random, unconsidered and useless gifts that people don't want, don't use, and don't value.

the examples are distribution channels not marketing channels. Some might be one in the same but you cannot tell me that these brands didn't advertise on other avenues to consume. Example, I am sure ESPN advertised their programs within print, radio, etc. Thus, I feel your argument should be focused more on the marketing channels and where brand's target markets lie. For example, it might not be intelligent for a brand that focuses on Men 18-30 to push content to Pinterest. just marketing channels are where the brands need to look at, not distribution.

All around us is an unprecedented, ever-increasing and overwhelming flood of messages and information that shows no signs of receding. If you are fortunate enough to have your message noticed, you will have about 5 seconds to capture the viewer's interest or the they will move on and forget. In such a huge ocean of stuff, whether you choose a focused approach or a higher volume one likely makes little difference -- either would be but a tiny drop in the tsunami. This, it seems to me, is a fundamental problem that the cheerleaders of content and social marketing fail to address.

With every change there is in marketing tactic, the most important is the contents you make, which need to be interesting, creative and most of all quality and unique. Invest in branded content or earned media, social media marketing should still be the secondary tactic to support your content visibility.

Less content, meaning more concise, consistent, useful, informative and easy to understand content, can definitely be more effective. People are bombarded with content everyday and it is the challenge of every brand to be extremely creative, not just go with the flow, and stand out by creating content that matters and speaks for it-self with the same voice no matter what channel is being utilized. As long as the content is tested and positive results are obtained, the number of channels can be any number.

I think there's a certain weakness to your argument. The brands you enlisted as enviable examples runs media as a business, not as a marketing tool as several commentators have pointed out. Going back to history and using it as a map for the future is another mistake as the media landscape has changed so much. And still does... The critical mass of audience and customers can no longer be reached with a one stop solution as you suggest. We live in a world where the competition is everywhere and it will get harder, not easier, to build and sustain you share of voice and wallet. So I'm curious of your suggestion for a multichannel content marketing strategy. What do you consider to be best practise?

I call this situation the curse of the multi talented and this attitude springs out of the need to do many things to survive which is often necessary in some situations. However, true power and success comes when we focus all our brilliance on one thing like using the magnifying glass we are able to burn the paper. It's better we learn how to do one thing and be world champion than do a thousand things and be nobodies which is often the case!

The strategy would vary based on the brand's life cycle. An established and iconic brand like Washington Post or ESPN adapted themselves to the connected world and organically grew their participation across media platforms & channels. A newer brand would not have this luxury , it would need to build & disseminate content across channels , simply because today's audience is far more fragmented.

Storytelling is a powerful force. Stories—fiction and non—make ideas stick,, they change minds and shape us in often subconscious ways. I believe the mind of a well-read person is heavily influenced by the books of her past.

1/1/14

I like the idea of honor. Humans are fashioned in such a way that, we love to be praised and desire it; it is purely psychological. Now the whole idea of honor is used to psychologically affect peoples' behavior. When you are honored you do more and in some cases it encourages other persons in the society to do same. Some of these honors can boost a persons confidence and change his course of life so that the person lives the best of his or her life from that moment; in some cases, people receive resources to help them to do what they had dreamed about all their lives. You may pretend you don't want it or care but in actual effect you really do. Businesses and other ventures have sprung up worldwide because of the discovery of this psychological aspect of humans. For me, I applaud anything that tries to encourage and empower us to be better humans.  me

At the beginning of every new year like this one, we make big decisions and when it is time for us to deliver we get cold and let it slide. Doubts set in. I will like to add one here; burn down your bridges. Go public with it and give it a date; (this is what burning down my bridges mean to me, you may have your own). This sounds crazy but this will make you strive to achieve it because you know if you don't, people wont take you seriously again and they will think you are only a loud mouth. Burning down your bridges is doing things that will rob you of all options or excuse to run away. Do you really want it? then go for it but lock the gate behind you and throw the key away so that it is either you succeed or fail.

For me, if I attempt something big and I don't get it I get very happy because I knew I was trying to make it happen, which is better than just sitting on your laurels. 'As long as I was trying to make it happen' am cool with it. Go high!

me

Outstanding Customer service is vital to every company. There leaves little doubt that people make the difference; the right people for the right job. I agree that A\B testing is important and allows us to evaluate and determine what cost it’s going to take to meet the future objectives of the organization. There are a certain number of customers that each of my customer service team members can handle, and with each customer having different needs that number can be different for each CSR doing the work. One must also understand the objectives that are set for the role; be it trouble shooting, account development, revenue growth... or is it all of the above? In essence, not only is there a need to have a good way to measure customer service and its effects on your company’s objectives, it should be done on a continuous basis to help the organization maintain its touch with its customer base. This becomes especially important as customers’ expectations continue to grow and change in today’s marketplace.

2013
The best time of my day is the night where there are no calls or noise and the world lives me alone. At this special period, I do what I love best, reading and reflecting. So I have adopted the life of the owl. I thank God I can read, what can I do without reading? when I read I can taste it in my mouth. for me books a lively things. mine


Not matter how careful you get, there will always be a mistake hiding and noticeable at the last minute. Keep removing them but if they will take all your time, live them alone because life must go on. Don't stop because of mistakes. mine

Do things become clearer as you grow older or do you just get better at settling for smaller answers?”


I often heard from potential matches "I don't want a relationship that is a project." I found that alarming and consistently began to redirect their thinking with this theory. Each of us should be an on going work in progress where we are ever evolving and learning more and more about ourselves and the world around us. I believe that any "ship" worth sailing is worth maintaining through hard work. Every relation"ship" I have had (work, romantic, friend, mother/child, family) required on going nurturing and engineering. Grow clearer and do the messy work in order to enjoy the better version of you and others.



I watch the social media space and I often see companies wasting money on ineffective campaigns. I personally think companies should focus on providing their Customers reasons to talk which requires fixing the Customer and product experience. Often the best content is never created by the company but instead it is created by their Customers as they interact with the company and their products. It may not be a sexy approach or require paying agencies. Yet I am resistant to talk about it as often as I should because it is against the grain of what many talk about with social media.      
Social media misfits"


www.mjskok.com/resources/introduction models


 if you learn from a failure it is not a failure'. It is the only way to grow



Michael Skok Oh yes, you absolutely need to have a sales strategy at ground zero. This is why so many startups crash. Nobody looks at sales as one of the pillars because they're too busy developing the product and expecting people to beat a path to their door because they're so enamored with what they created. Look, we know the sales strategy will change within the first 3-6-12 months as we go forward, but all rockets need a launchpad. Sales strategy HAS to be a separate entity and shouldn't be mixed in with marketing, service, and support. Whether its B2B or B2C you need (1) to establish vertical markets where you can direct your sales objectives, (2) determine which parts of the country are best to sell your product or service, (3) figure out how long or short the sales cycle is from contact to close. Direct sell, indirect sell, outsource your sales, or channel partners, etc. Ask your next startup - "Who are the top 10 companies you want to go after?" If they can't give you 10 names, then it's like not knowing your first 10 phone calls of the day when you walk in the office - they're practically unemployed.

“It's not that I'm so smart, it's just that I stay with problems longer.”

-- Albert Einstein

If you want to build a ship, don’t drum up the men to gather wood, divide the work, and give orders. Instead, teach them to yearn for the vast and endless sea. -- Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

The greatest workers and executives have “learning agility.” Learning agility is the willingness and ability to learn from experience and then apply those lessons to succeed in new situations. Leaders and employees who are learning agile continuously seek new challenges, solicit direct feedback, self-reflect, and get jobs done resourcefully.
In fact, we have found through working closely with thousands of senior executives that learning agility is the leading predictor of success – No. 1 above intelligence and education.

 The other big news was this also underscored that GM chose continuity over disruption. It said that GM’s board did not want to break the mold and stay steady on its positive glide path. The company has had a metamorphosis coming out of bankruptcy. It is building cars and trucks that consumers want. And, in choosing Mary Barra, GM’s board is voting to continue the company’s current strategy and trajectory

A grass dies when it is uprooted from the soil, its potential to become a forest is dies wit it. 

“Follow your bliss and the universe will open doors for you where there were only walls.”

                                                                           - Joseph Campbel1