Category: Zigging when others zag
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When it comes to CRM–“No single event has very much value.”
Good CRM is either a habit or a struggle. Customer relationship management is not actually management. In the 1990's "crm software," such as ACT! for the personal computer and enterprise-based systems such as Brock provided a way to proactively manage data for selling. These software products were tools for businesses that wanted to be systematic,…
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Catching sight of patterns that control us
One of the most important steps in innovation is seeing the patterns that confine us. That's why it's so important to listen to people who question conventional wisdom and the status quo. They may not be right but they are most probably signalling some previously unnoticed pattern. The New Yorker: The Woman Who Coined the…
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Be choosier about your customers, and think twice about referrals
For many solo professionals, having a business model based solely on referrals is a matter of pride. If you receive a sufficient number of referrals to be selective, you are very lucky. In the long run, identifying your best prospects and pursuing them is better for your business. If your customers give you many referrals,…
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Empowered by CRM tools
We now have many tools for keeping track of customers and capturing transactions. We can set automatic reminders and prompts. And we can use those tools to drive away our customers the same way a nagging sales person keeps calling, "are you ready to buy?" We can use the same tools to send very human,…
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Marketing is about using data in the context of your customers lives
No amount of data analysis can replace understanding how your product or service functions in the lives of your customers. Measure and listen and then leverage your understanding to make your customers' lives better. Marketwatch WSJ archives: 'Thick Data' lessons from stoma bags and Lego bricks, 2014-Mar-23 by Christian Madsbjerg and Mikkel B. Rasmussen In…
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Assigning ourselves a job
Looking for a job is not about working on a resume or searching job listings. It's about assigning work for yourself. Ask The Headhunter: 2 Big Time Sucks: Resume and Slowpoke Employers, 2014 by Nick Corcodilos What’s the problem (or the opportunity) the manager faces? What are the possible solutions? What resources will you need…
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Playing along in social media
I'm not saying there aren't pitfalls in using social media, but if more people looked at it as a game where they can choose their own effort level and humor the other players a little… we'd all be better off. Quartz: Why I've finally joined Facebook on Facebook's tenth anniversary, 2014-Feb-4 by Gideon Lichfield Google…
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The Discovery of a New Ally in Fighting the Misunderstanding of EMail
I've grown accustomed to 'mass misunderstanding' when it comes to email. Both business professionals and others have all sorts of unfounded and irrational beliefs about it. It's compounded by the fact that email isn't just one thing, and it doesn't stand still. It's constantly evolving and branching off. I suspect one cause of the misunderstanding…
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The cult of the individual is required for innovation
In 2010, Joe Henrich, Steven J. Heine, and Ara Norenzayan published a paper which shows that much of the behavioral research performed during the last 50 years, which often uses American and European college students, is useless for predicting behavior in other cultures. Adbusters: Is There Such a Thing as "Human Nature"?, 2013-Oct-25 by Ethan…
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To help the economy, try making the unpopular choice
At the Economist, blogger "G.I." reviews evidence that our increasing income gaps are due to a 'winner take all' phenomenon driven by herd behavior that favors the popular. While I don't think it's the complete explanation, I'm sure it plays a role. Choosing is hard work, and better information doesn't necessarily make it easier. So…
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