Sales and marketing are changing, and we all know why: buyers increasingly control these processes. They are cultivating their own access to information, they're bypassing marketing and sales as a result, and the information they trust most is from their peers who are already using the product or service they're... read more →
Oct
09
Sep
08
Every organization needs a clear, coherent strategy. Whether you're the CEO, or the manager of a customer reference or customer advocacy program, the organization you're responsible for needs one. That's what keeps people on the same page, and keeps you moving forward. Yet when talk turns to strategy, I continue... read more →
Jun
01
If you want to reach and influence buyers today, you have to educate them. They can increasingly avoid traditional marketing and sales approaches that pitch, spin, manipulate, or try to control the conversation. Marketing and sales need to respond to this reality, and no one in your firm is better... read more →
Jun
01
As you kick off a new year, spend a few minutes thinking about this: there is much more value to be harvested from customer references and advocates. Indeed, they represent the most dynamic area in marketing today. I call this "The OTHER 90%" and you can liken it to the... read more →
Jun
01
I hope you're set to enjoy the holiday season (if you're stressed out, here's a quick tip--take the 2 things you're most stressed about and resolve to stop worrying about them. How? Just remember that most people in the world have much harder lives than we can even imagine). As... read more →
Jun
01
HOW TO CREATE AN IRRESISTIBLE ROCK STAR VALUE PROPOSITION How do you move customer references and advocates to the level of "Rock Stars" -- those rare advocates who can have a major impact on your business? The short answer is: take the same approach top sales people do First, position... read more →
Jun
01
What follows is a customer experience cautionary tale, illustrating the kind of lapse that can happen even at a company with a global reputation for being customer-centric. I suppose if it can happen at Apple Stores — meant to be a beacon of customer service — it can happen anywhere.... read more →
Jun
01
Since the Anthony Weiner campaign for mayor of New York is tied up at the moment with massive damage control and no campaign manager, I thought I'd help out with a little speech writing. Hey, I did some writing for the Bush 41 campaign back in '88, so you can... read more →
Jun
01
Suppose I told you that you have access to a resource that is more empathetic, more interesting, and more persuasive to potential buyers of your products and services than even your best sales or marketing people. A resource that can do a significant amount of the marketing work that you're... read more →
Jun
01
published on the HBR Blog Network: The marketing head of an ambitious technology firm recently shared with me a vexing problem: Apple was one of their customers. But the executive and her team could essentially tell no one. The restrictions that Apple placed on them were that airtight. It's one... read more →