5 Things to Look Out for in a Business Executive

/in /by

Hiring the right executive can help catapult your business forward and impact your bottom line. The role of the business executive varies depending on the organisation but there are some underlying traits that every executive should possess. We have created a list of the top five things you should look out for when hiring a new executive:

Communication skills

This is a key skill that every executive search firm looks for in their candidates. They should be highly developed communicators both verbally and written with the ability to communicate to all levels particularly senior level. As part of the role, the business executive will be required to interact with a wide variety of individuals from different departments and also with people from outside the organization so they need to be able to adapt their tone and language to each audience. The business executive will also be required to make presentations and take part in board meetings so they need to have bags of confidence.

Ability to inspire and motivate those around them

Executive recruiters look for candidates who are self-motivated and also possess the ability to inspire and motivate those around them. As well as results, and the all-important bottom line, a good business executive will also boost staff morale which will ultimately lead to higher productivity. As Andrew Carnegie would say “there is little success where there is little laughter.”

Negotiation skills

The business executive should also possess the ability to build positive relationships and negotiate with a variety of individuals and achieve objectives through these relationships.

Strategic thinking

The role of the business executive varies depending on the organization but almost certainly they will be expected to set more effective strategies. Therefore, the executive needs to be a strategic thinker who can see the big picture and understand the specific paths that will lead there. They should be able to act on the big and small picture at the same time – helping the organization achieve long-term growth and sustainability while delivering short-term goals.

Commercial acumen

Another thing that you should look for in a business executive, and something an executive search firm will lookout for is commercial acumen. It’s important that they have an awareness of how their role and department impacts the wider organisation and the external forces that affect the business.

When recruiting for a business executive you need to make sure they tick all the right boxes, which is why some companies benefit from enlisting the help of professional executive recruiters who can find the right candidate for you. They can develop a clear understanding of what you need and connect you with the right person who’s going to be able to live up to that expectation.

A business executive plays a vital role in the organisation so the stakes are high. It’s essentially a leadership role – get it right and the results can be amazing but get it wrong and it can have a catastrophic effect on the entire organization and your bottom line.

Are Trade Shows Still Worth Your Time?

/in /by

StrategyDriven Marketing and Sales Article |Trade Shows|Are Trade Shows Still Worth Your Time?Most small businesses today focus their marketing and networking online. They sell themselves online with a website and social media profiles. But they also find new suppliers and connections online. This has countless advantages, mainly that it makes launching a business a much more accessible prospect and it allows you to reach a wide audience quickly. But, with so much of today’s business done from behind a computer screen, face to face contact is limited.

Trade shows run all over the world, all of the time. Some shows focus on different industries, products, and niches. They appeal to different people. Some attract members of the public, others industry professionals only. Unfortunately, many small business owners are neglecting these fabulous opportunities in favor of online development. This can be a massive mistake, and taking part in trade shows can still be an exceptionally valuable way to use your time.

A Chance to Make a Personal Connection

People trust people. If someone tells us something face to face, we’ll believe it more than we would if we read the same thing online, where it would be surrounded by fake news and unreliable opinion. It’s easier to trust the word of a person when you can look into their eyes and read their body language when they say it.

That’s why personal contact will always be valuable and worthwhile in business. Getting out there at trade shows gives you a chance to meet people face to face. To tell them about your business and answer their questions. It’s also a chance to provide them with materials to take away. Tangible things that they can touch, and come back to, which will make a much bigger impression than something that they can scroll past online.

A Better First Impression

It’s thought that in person we have around seven seconds to make a first impression when we meet someone for the first time. Online, it’s much less. If you don’t immediately impress someone with your social media update or advert, they will scroll right past. If your website doesn’t load instantly, they will look elsewhere.

A trade show gives you several chances to make that all important first impression. People might see your stand from across the room and walk over. Then, you get an opportunity to sell yourself in person. You even get another chance if you give them something to take home, or they see your team later in the day.

StrategyDriven Marketing and Sales Article |Trade Shows|Are Trade Shows Still Worth Your Time?Time to Be Bold and Stand Out

Your stand at a trade show offers you a great way to attract a crowd and bring people in. By using your space to its best, you can really draw in a crowd and get noticed in a way that you might not among millions of other websites online.

Add x-stand banners, posters and props to your stand. Make sure if you sell a product, you’ve got it with you. Make sure your visitors can see any freebies or promotional materials without having to ask or search. When it comes to getting your stand just right, it’s often a good idea to keep things quite simple, with plenty of white space so that your products or informational materials can do the talking. But, using splashes of color, making the most of the height that you’ve got to work with and adding welcoming props, like plants and flowers can all help you to get noticed.

Remember, your stand isn’t the only thing that you’ve got going for you. Choose the team members that you take very carefully. You want knowledgeable people, but also charismatic people that are happy to talk to strangers and get stuck into a crowd. You want chatty people that get the point across well. The kind of people that sell well and are remembered afterward. Then, kit them out in promotional uniforms that stand out and set them apart.

Use Digital Marketing to Boost Trade Show Performance

Of course, nothing is stopping you teaming your digital media efforts with your trade show appearance for maximum benefit. Start a countdown to your attendance online. Use a hashtag and offer freebies to anyone that can prove they follow you online. Encourage your visitors to share pictures, videos, and updates on social media throughout the day and do the same yourself. Keep things fresh and exciting by sharing as much as you can on the day, and release previews of what you’ll be offering beforehand to create a buzz and peak interest. The two can work together remarkably well if you make the most of the tools at your disposal.

The Opportunity to Offer Extra

A trade show is your chance to come up with some great freebies that will get you remembered. Stationary, badges, notepads, tote bags and other branded materials often work well. Branded sweets and other accessories can also be fun. Try to make sure whatever you offer is in keeping with your brand message, and give everyone a cool tote to carry their freebies, for a bit of easy advertising.

A Great Networking Experience

Trade shows aren’t just a way for you to meet potential customers, give them information and sell your stuff. It’s also a fantastic networking opportunity. You’ll meet other people in your industry and get a chance to see what they are doing well, and what isn’t working. You might meet new suppliers and other people that can help your business to grow. Or you might just make new friends that become part of your support network.

Fantastic Experience for Your Team

As a small business, you might have a relatively small team with little experience. They might not have been to shows before, and their experience with the public might be limited. Taking them to a trade show can give them a great experience. It can help to boost their confidence, improve their knowledge of your company and their skills at selling it, and give them a chance to see how other businesses are doing things. It can be valuable training for your team, which could help them both now and in the future.

Market Researchers Must Master Storytelling

/in /by

StrategyDriven Marketing and Sales Article |Market Research|Market Researchers Must Master Storytelling Market research is an essential tool in developing and differentiating brands and services But the research business is rapidly being disrupted by the encroachment of SaaS competitors, emerging methodologies, lower pricing and easier consumer access.

Change creates opportunity

The insights industry is clearly at a crossroads. We know that while disruption poses threats to business models, it also creates opportunity. The research and insights function has the opportunity to grow, though it must transform itself to thrive by improving communications, positioning and sales processes to demonstrate its organizational value. Therefore, we need to rethink the paradigm of the 150-slide Power Point data dump. Instead, brand stewards should focus on delivering compelling, contextualized, clearly elucidated and actionable insights that inspire rather than provoke. To be all those things, our work must tell a story.

To tell better stories researchers and marketers must optimize it use of media by thinking differently about delivery formats. These three paths to can begin your journey.

1. Think differently about presentations

Too many research presentations employ a narrative structure that focuses on the process, rather than the objectives of the research. A preferable approach is to focus on key objectives, putting calls to action, and takeaways, front and center. With a narrative approach, a deck might include a table of contents and a topline of insights followed by pages of dense data. In contrast, a deck with an objective-based structure outlines objectives and relevant insights/solutions. A well-crafted, objective-based deck organizes and curates data in support of those points as succinctly as possible.

2. Think differently about video

Brand stewards should consider how video formats are calibrated to the nature of the research messaging. Relevant formats to consider, include: movie trailers and documentary films. The choice should depend on what type of message is to be delivered. If it is a sales message, you want to inspire action and a movie trailer style may be preferable. That would ideally be quite short (:60 or less), with quick cut editing, dramatic music, and much less data and text. Alternatively, when you want to inform, a documentary style may be optimal.

On a completely separate note, one underutilized tool is sprinkling in video clips with actual consumer insights sessions. One method to consider is short excerpts of 1-2 minutes that bolster key points, problems to overcome, and opportunities. These video clips should be well edited, with a strong narrative structure. And, if you can capture actual footage from consumer sessions, it will enhance the impact of your videos.

3. Think differently about experience

Experiences are the other main distribution channel for research/insights. While share-out events are important, insight professionals often give short shrift to the experience and audience profile. One should experiment in both areas to maximize learnings and maintain audience attention. To heighten the experience, a variety of formats should be explored, whether styles of presentation, event formats, or otherwise. Brands might consider using actors to pose as target consumers, or feature articulate, charismatic consumers themselves.

It’s worth the effort to explore new event formats, such as live, “fishbowl” style events, in which consumers sit on a panel in real time, along with business people; then have the audience and speakers swap places. Unfortunately, when it comes to telling stories, we often neglect the consumers of our work. Oftentimes research socialization events have different audiences. Whether marketing, senior management, strategy/insights, sales or other constituencies, each event should be formatted and experiences calibrated to the motivations and level of knowledge of each audience.

As the market research industry continues to be challenged by disruptive business models and ever evolving consumer habits, presentations must change in profound ways. We must continue to improve our ability to communicate, to strategically position, and sell our work. To succeed, we must optimize media formats that communicate our deliverables and the marketing stories we tell.

About the Author

StrategyDriven Expert Contributor | Kory GrushkaKory Grushka is the founder of Stories Company, a creative agency that helps business leaders tell critical stories through presentations, video/animation, infographics and dashboards, among other tools. Kory is a creative director, strategist, business development executive and former corporate lawyer. He has extensive experience in a variety of industries, having managed brand strategy, innovation and design projects for Fortune 500 companies ranging from CPG to technology.

Rethinking Daydreaming: Why A Wandering Mind Benefits Business

/in /by

StrategyDriven Innovation Article |Creative Thinking|Rethinking Daydreaming: Why A Wandering Mind Benefits BusinessWhere does an idea come from? It’s a debatable question, and one that likely invokes an image of classic cartoons and lightbulbs above heads. In real life, those “eureka!” moments most commonly crop up at unexpected times; you might be in the shower, or taking the garbage out, when suddenly the solution to a problem you’ve been working so desperately to solve, freely presents itself – and you weren’t even thinking about it! This is no modern phenomenon, either. We all know the iconic story of Sir Isaac Newton and the proverbial apple which hit him on the head at just the right moment, so that alas, the beginnings of his theory on gravity was born. What you might not know, however, is that other such instances of lightning strikes of inspiration are documented throughout the history books and span well into the present day. One thing connects these incredible moments of realisation: daydreaming.

In our productivity-obsessed world, “daydreaming” is not a popular concept. After all, who has time to sit with their feet up, lost to the world, while notifications overflow their many digital devices? Our modern culture sees daydreaming as either a luxury or just plain laziness – but in reality, focused daydreaming is a powerful tool of ideation that businesses cannot afford to overlook. If the mind is a machine, daydreaming is the oil that keeps the cogs moving. From writer’s block, to tricky problems, trying to force ideas only tightens everything up; hence pushing forward becomes impossible. Businesses that welcome daydreaming see the value in letting employees get up from their desk so they can spend some time going for a wander or relaxing in a new environment. This space to breathe will be far more effective in producing top ideas and creative solutions to problems than getting someone to force it out through hard work ever could be.

To harness the power of focused daydreaming, you have to make it practical. As nice as looking out the window thinking about dinner might be, it’s unlikely to produce any ground-breaking ideas. Perhaps you’re wondering how then, on occasion, good ideas come to you at random times? The answer lies in the separation of the conscious and unconscious brain. While you’re thinking of other things, your subconscious keeps ticking over in the background. This is where goal-oriented thinking comes in; for daydreaming to be productive, it is key you marry the goals of your two distinct minds. Fuel your brain by doing your homework. Spend some time gathering and processing all the relevant information – remember, you don’t have to do anything with it just yet, you just need to make sure you have good knowledge of all the relevant resources. With your mind full of information, switch off and do something else for 30 to 60 minutes. Have a coffee, go for a walk, doodle, listen to music – whatever it is that suits you, totally remove yourself from the problem for that block of time. When you come back, you’ll likely find that fresh ideas and solutions are suddenly available to you – and if they’re not, try the process again. Take breaks, breathe; the lower the pressure, the more likely you are to actually discover the answer you’re searching for.

For the remaining daydream skeptics, just take a look at some of the world’s most prominent geniuses and artists. Einstein credits daydreaming – or what he called his ‘thought experiments’ – with some of his greatest achievements, having apparently come up with his theory of relativity whilst imagining the journey he’d take sitting on a beam of light. The composer Mozart would daydream about music while on walks through the tranquil countryside, allowing the sounds of nature to become the foundation of his later compositions. Thomas Edison had an unusual technique wherein he’d hold ball bearings whilst relaxing, as he began to fall asleep, he’d drop the balls thus waking himself up so he could note down any ideas that came to him. The list of daydream advocates is long and embellished with innovators, but there is only one way you can prove the power of daydreaming in business to yourself and colleagues: that is to try it. So wise up, walk away, and discover what new and inventive solutions come to you whilst thinking of other things – so you can finally achieve that “Eureka!” moment.

About the Author

StrategyDriven Expert Contributor | Chris GriffithsChris Griffiths, author of The Creative Thinking Handbook: Your Step-By-Step Guide To Problem Solving In Business, is founder and CEO of OpenGenius. Griffiths has helped thousands of people worldwide drive business growth using highly practical innovation processes, including teams and individuals from Fortune 500 and FTSE 100 companies, the United Nations, governments, the European Commission and Nobel Laureates. He is a pioneer in combining creative thinking strategies with technology to enhance productivity and is behind the iMindMap and DropTask apps, now utilized by over two million people worldwide.

Are You Connecting With Your Customers?

/in /by

StrategyDriven Customer Relationship Management Article |Customer Service|Are You Connecting With Your Customers?There are so many things that go into making any kind of business truly successful in the modern age. The truth is that trying to keep up with all of the things that you have to deal with as a business owner can actually be somewhat overwhelming. The main issue is trying to figure out what needs to be at the top of the list of your priorities. A lot of different people will give you different answers to this question. They will say that you need to focus on marketing your business. Others will insist that you need to pay attention to your bottom line above all things. Others will say that keeping up with the times should be your number one priority. However, the truth is that the thing that you should really be paying the most attention to combines all of these things together. The truth is that the one thing that you need to be focusing on more than anything else is your customer base. Your customers are the only reason that your business is something real and not just another pipe dream and you need to make sure that you’re connecting with them properly. However, that can often be something of a challenge. With that in mind, here are some things that you can do to connect more effectively with your customers.

Understanding them

The first thing that you have to understand when it comes to making sure that you’re connecting with your customers is that you have to understand who your customers actually are. There are plenty of great businesses that come up with incredibly effective marketing techniques that still end up failing because they haven’t actually figured out their demographic. This isn’t just a matter of knowing the vague age groups or gender of your target audience. You need to be able to understand your target customers well enough that you can create a clear and detailed profile of them. That way you can not only tailor your marketing to them but you can tailor all aspects of your business in such a way that it is going to be as appealing to them as possible.

Understanding the modern landscape

Of course, it’s not just your customers you need to understand, you also need to understand the context that both you and they are in. The most important change that has come about in terms of how businesses and customers relate to one another is that people generally aren’t as receptive to traditional advertising as they might once have been. Not only that but they often actually find more overt and traditional forms of advertising frustrating and distasteful. Ads are skipped at the start of Youtube videos and pop-ups are closed almost instantly. Customers are interested in content in the modern era and you need to be sure that you’re providing them with just that. Just look at the way that a lot of brands are using social media these days. They’re not just advertising their products. They’re talking to people, making jokes, creating an emotional connection that is essential to building a relationship with customers in the modern era.

Embracing new technology

Technology has also played a major part in the way that businesses connect with their customers. The internet and social media are obvious examples of this but there are ways to go beyond that in how you embrace modern technology. Something that allows you to queue up social media posts on sites like Twitter or your business’s blog means that you’re able to keep up with a clear upload schedule while still focusing on other elements of your business. A few weeks is a lifetime online so a service like that is incredibly valuable. A chatbot on your website is also incredibly useful since it lets you automate a degree of your customer service and remove any barrier between your customers and the information and support they need. Check out this bot building resource page for information how to really get the most out of your website. These might not be the biggest changes in the world, but they’re the kinds of things that can make a huge difference.

Going beyond marketing

The idea of the chatbot raises an interesting point in terms of how you might need to change the way that you’re thinking about connecting with your customers. Most of the time this idea is focussed around marketing, which is certainly important. However, it’s also important to understand that your relationship with your customers goes way beyond marketing. You also need to think about the support and customer service that you’re offering at every stage of your customer’s interaction with your business. Otherwise, you’re going to be putting in plenty of effort into bringing in customers, but no effort into keeping them.

Putting in the effort

Speaking of effort. It’s essential to understand that if you want to connect with your customers in a meaningful way, you have to be willing to put the work in. This is not a part of your business that you can set aside until it’s convenient. It’s an integral part of your business from the very start and if you’re not paying it enough attention, you’re going to end up in trouble.

Of course, it’s essential to understand that this is far from the only thing that you have to worry about when it comes to trying to really make your business the best it can possibly be. The reality is that you need to give the same level of care and attention to every single part of your business because if you don’t then you’re going to end up dropping the ball. It can often feel like you’re spinning plates and keeping them all level can be an exhausting challenge. But that’s just the nature of the beast when it comes to running your own business. It’s the choice that you need to be sure of before you dive in for good. You need to be sure that you’re the kind of person who can handle the pressure and challenge that comes with running any kind of business at all.