Linda's Marketing Leverage Blog

Top of Mind Thursday November 27, 2014: A Pause in the Proceedings

Today is Thanksgiving, the day Americans give thanks for the many blessings we receive throughout the year.  

It's also the start of the traditional holiday shopping season, which used to begin on the day AFTER Thanksgiving, known as Black Friday.

First we saw the advent of Cyber Monday. Then Small Business Saturday. Now we see pre-Black Friday sales, and in some cases, stores opening on Thanksgiving to start the shopping frenzy just a little bit ahead of the pack.

I find it highly unlikely that jumping the gun with an early sale will positively impact a store's business for the season. In particular, many consumers are consciously avoiding stores that open on Thanksgiving and force their employees to work on the holiday.

This year, let's take time for a pause in the frenzy to remember the true meaning of Thanksgiving. Holiday shopping will still proceed on Friday, but a pause to stop and reflect will do us all good.

 

To subscribe, please click here.

Let us help your business rise to the top.

[email protected]
(650) 281-4854
www.leverage2market.com

Tweet

Just a Moment for Marketing: The Replay Review

Linda asks: How do you handle split decisions in your work environment?

Top of Mind Thursday November 20, 2014: Speaking About the Unspeakable

There are no words to describe the horror and sadness at the brutal killing of four men in a Jerusalem synagogue on Tuesday. 

 

A house of worship, whether a church, synagogue, or mosque, is a house of sanctuary--a place where people can feel safe to pray or just to escape the problems they face in their daily lives.

What happened to four men at prayer in a house of worship in Jerusalem is unspeakable. Yet if we don't speak out about this type of incident, it will continue to happen, and that in itself is unspeakable.

"Never again!" is a declaration we hear about the Holocaust, but every genocide in history started not with mass killings, but with acts of violence like this one.

It doesn't matter whether the victims are Jewish, Christian, Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu or something else. We must speak out to stop this from happening again.

 

To subscribe, please click here.

Let us help your business rise to the top.

[email protected]
(650) 281-4854
www.leverage2market.com

Tweet

Just a Moment for Marketing: The View from the Top

Linda advises: Have your feet firmly planted on the ground.

Top of Mind Thursday November 13, 2014: What You Say Isn't What They Hear

This week I am at the Sonata adult piano camp in Bennington, Vermont. In addition to practice and performance, we also have classes on musical subjects. 

 

Today's class was about musical overtones. Playing an A on the piano doesn't give you just that note, but a whole series of other tones that resonate in the background...an octave, a fifth, a third, and eventually the entire chromatic scale. We hear these other tones in the background and they change the way we hear the music.

Similarly, in your business there are likely overtones that creep into your communications: things that aren't said overtly but that influence your message. This can be everything from your brand image to employee interactions, competitive and market pressures, and even how much the listener is predisposed to be tuned in to what you're trying to say.

Stop and think about how these hidden elements may be changing your communications. How can you create a more conducive environment for getting the right messages heard?

 

To subscribe, please click here.

Let us help your business rise to the top.

[email protected]
(650) 281-4854
www.leverage2market.com

Tweet

Just a Moment for Marketing: Beware the Underdog

Linda observes: The underdog never rests on his laurels.

Top of Mind Thursday November 6, 2014: Change is in the Air

Republicans clearly trounced their Democratic rivals in Tuesday's election, putting both houses of Congress in Republican hands. This means we should be expecting significant change in Washington, right? 

 

Well, not exactly. Historically, between 80 and 96% of incumbents are re-elected to Congress each term. That means that even though there will be some changes with a new party in charge, for the most part,  we've returned the usual suspects to office.

Two weeks ago, Democratic political pundit James Carville told me no one individual can come to town and dramatically change Washington. Unfortunately, President Obama learned this the hard way.

Rather than wait for Washington to lead the way, wouldn't it make more sense for our businesses and organizations to take steps to change themselves?

I suspect, however, that in a short time, we'll see this dance play out again, and  again...unless something dramatically changes.

 

To subscribe, please click here.

Let us help your business rise to the top.

[email protected]
(650) 281-4854
www.leverage2market.com

Tweet

Just a Moment for Marketing: Don't Treat the Symptoms

Linda advises: First, understand the cause or issue.