Linda's Marketing Leverage Blog

Gloom, Gloom, Go Away--Media Naysayers: DON'T Come Back Another Day

I opened my  browser to CNN.com today to be faced with: "America the Miserable? Have Americans had their optimism "beaten out" of them by the lagging economy, terrorism fears and two wars?"

Ladies and gentlemen, I know bad news gets attention (we used to say it sells newspapers, but today it gathers eyeballs and clicks). However, this fixation of the media with doom and gloom, Armageddon, the end of American civilization as we know it, etc. is just too much.

Let's review where we stand today:

• The stock market has rebounded, and is close to 10,300 at the end of today's session.
• The financial industry has stabilized, we're no longer in danger of massive collapse, and many banks have already paid back their TARP loans
• Unemployment is still high, but this is a lagging indicator and already starting to inch downward
• Cash for clunkers got people buying cars again, removed older inefficient cars from the street and the used car pipeline, and helped dealers clear out inventory
• There has NOT been a terrorist act on American soil since 9/11, in spite of less than exemplary performance by our intelligence agencies. Several potential terrorist acts have been stopped before they could be executed, and we learn after each of these.
• We did NOT have an H1N1 flu epidemic, because proper precautions were taken. As a result of the high sensitivity to the potential for pandemic flu, we vaccinated a lot of people and raised the general consciousness about proper hygiene and illness prevention techniques--something that's good for all of us long-term.
• The war in Iraq is going about as well as can be expected. The war in Afghanistan is also going about as well as can be expected, unfortunately. The problem there is we went into a quagmire where we had no chance of winning. Tribal conflict has been ongoing in this area of the world for a thousand years. Why did we think we could win when no one else could make headway in this mess?
• American scientists, entrepreneurs and athletes continue to excel in their respective fields. We continue to see innovation and creativity in all walks of life.

So please CNN and the rest of the media world, call off the funeral. To quote Mark Twain, the rumors of our death are greatly exaggerated.This is still a great place to live and work and we are still the envy of most of the rest of the world.

Let's change our perspective and look at the glass half full as our economy rebounds and we move forward to ongoing American success.

Why Creating Green Value Makes Good Marketing Sense

In the latest episode of MarketingThoughtLeadership, environmental and health trend expert Colette Chandler tells us why creating authentic green value should be an integral part of every organization’s marketing strategy.

Listen now.

Why Creating Green Value Makes Good Marketing Sense

Colette Chandler
The Marketing Insider, Inc.
www.marketing-insider.com

Colette Chandler is the leading expert in helping companies better understand environmental and health trends and the consumers driving them. Her company conducted groundbreaking research in the Midwest that aided companies in better understanding the attitudes, behaviors and purchasing decisions of consumers as it relates to the environment, natural health and wellness.

In this podcast, Colette tells us why creating authentic green value should be an integral part of every organization's marketing strategy.

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Give it All You've Got: What Business Can Learn from Shaun White

Whether or not you're a fan of snowboarding, Shaun White's recent Olympic performance was spectacular.

It's not just that White won the gold medal, far outpacing his fellow snowboarders. It's how he went about winning. As the top ranked competitor, White was the last person to ride, meaning he had the advantage of seeing everyone else's run. He  delivered a great first run that no one else could top. Therefore, he went into his second run knowing he'd already won the gold medal.

It would have been easy to kick back and just do a simple routine on what was essentially a victory lap. Instead, White chose to take it to the max, giving it all he had with a difficult routine, including the double MacTwist maneuver he invented himself and had not yet shown the world.

Good enough wasn't good enough. White chose to up the bar and go above and beyond. Because White is probably the best snowboarder in the world, he doesn't get much competition. To stay sharp, he finds ways to drive himself to new levels of performance--even building his own private halfpipe where he can develop new tricks and techniques in private.

Business would be well advised to pay attention here. How many times do we stop at good enough--when we've beaten the competition, won the business--instead of giving it all we've got? How often do we settle for good enough instead of going for the best we can possibly be? What have we done to set the bar higher,  for ourselves as well as our competitors?

Time to go above and beyond. Invent a double MacTwist of your own. Or maybe even a triple....

Productizing Your Personal Services Business

Ed Poll
Principal
LawBiz Management Company
www.lawbiz.com

Ed Poll advises law firms and their leaders on practice management, business development, and financial matters. Ed is unique in that he has long-term experience in both business and law, having practiced law for 25 years, served as the CEO and COO of several manufacturing businesses, and built a successful consulting practice to small and large law firms for 15 years. Ed is a nationally-renowned instructor for law firms, bar associations and universities, and he's written numerous books and audiotapes on running a profitable law practice.

In this podcast, Ed talks about why product creation is critical to the success of personal services businesses and he shares his tips for creating effective products.

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Why Products Matter for Service Firms

In the latest episode of MarketingThoughtLeadership, renowned law business expert Ed Poll, principal of LawBiz, tells us why product creation is critical to the success of professional services firms--as a way to generate credibility, visibility, and passive income, and to leave a legacy.

Listen as Ed shares his tips for creating effective products.

What Steve Jobs Could Teach Mel Gibson

It's very simple...YOU are the brand. What you say, what you do, how you say it, the environment you set--all impacts what people think about you and your products. Steve Jobs gets this. Mel Gibson unfortunately doesn't.

Take a look at these two recent videos. The first is a compilation of key words and phrases used by Steve Jobs in the recent iPad product launch.

In the second, Mel Gibson is interviewed about his new movie opening, but becomes defensive when asked about anti-Semitic remarks he made several years ago and eventually curses at the reporter...

Using SaaS to Enable The Next Generation in Non-Profit Fundraising

In the latest installment of MarketingThoughtLeadership, Carol Schrader CEO of givezooks tells us how givezooks! is using software as a service (SaaS) to help non-profit organizations conduct more effective fundraising, as well as what it means to be a social entrepreneur.

Listen now.

Using SaaS to Enable The Next Generation in Non-Profit Fundraising

Carol Schrader
CEO, givezooks!
www.givezooks.com

Carol Schrader brings over 20 years experience as an entrepreneur and marketing executive in the software industry to her role as CEO of givezooks! Among the companies she's worked for are Valisys, Sherpa, Documentum, Agile Software and Killarney Group, a consulting firm specializing in marketing and business strategy consulting to emerging companies. She's also been involved with many non-profit organizations, both as a fundraiser and board member.

In this podcast, Carol talks about how givezooks! is using software as a service (SaaS) to help non-profit organizations conduct more effective fundraising, as well as what it means to be a social entrepreneur.

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