So how does this new digital age of marketing affect your messaging to who you want to reach. First – let’s clarify who we are talking about.
When we are talking about the C-Suite --- we are including: CEO, CFO, COO, CIO, CLO, President and "close-to C-level executives" (C2CLE) like EVP Sales, SVP Marketing, SVP HR, Divisional President, etc.
The C-Suite and close-to-C-Executives are hyper-focused on improving results and employing strategies that will result in corporate growth, increase of market share, challenge & surpass competitors, acquire new customers, increase loyalty and retention, bolster margins, decrease costs, manage risks, increase shareholder value, attract and retain skilled workforce, and improve productivity. (Ref. Huthwaite, 2007)
Your message or product has got to talk to one of those areas of focus and propose a solution that the executive can apply to their current situation and/or problem.
Now, in this new digital age - executives are more likely to manage their own research, subscriptions, articles of interest, etc., as opposed to delegating a manager or assistant to do it for them – and your materials and messaging will have to be relevant to their area of focus and concern. They will not waste time trying to figure out how or if your service/product is a fit … that’s up to you to show them.
It's important that your marketing be an integration of traditional and new medias, because your "door in" may not be the C-Level Executive (CLE)... but the "Close to C-Level Executive" (C2CLE) or their direct reports and they use it all almost intuitively! That means if you are using keywords --- the phrases and/or words need to be in the language of the executive to even show up on their radar.
So let's do a quick review of who are you creating content for. Can they see themselves in the solution or benefit you are positioning? Remember they don't want to hear about your product ... they want to hear about answers to problems and needs and solutions. Do you understand the difference between the selling cycle and buying cycle --- and do you know where your prospect is within it. If you can’t answer these questions, or you don’t clearly know how your solution or service can improve, increase, reduce, expand, aka *answer* the client’s need – then get started right now.
There are even different “use” practices, according to Forbes, based on the *Generations* (see previous blog).
1. How often do you access the internet for business intelligence?
Daily - 81% under 50, 62% over 50.
Several times a week - 14% under 50, 24% over 50
Weekly - 2% under 50, 8% over 50.
2. Those who see value in internet tools, such as:
Search engines - 66% under 50, 58% over 50
Subscription search engines – 44% under 50, 17% over 50
Links from websites, blogs or other online content – 40% under 50, 16% over 50
Guidance from contacts in online communities – 30% under 50, 6% over 50
3. Accessing information different ways (% that claim daily use on online tool):
View work related videos online on business related websites -
33% under 50, 11% over 50
Use web-enabled mobile device to search for or read content related to work -
31% under 50, 9% over 50
Network professionally in an online community -
28% under 50, 6% over 50
It is essential that you know who you are trying to reach - and the best source to reach them, using the language that means something to them.
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Forbes Insights : The Rise of the Digital C-Suite
How well do you know your audience - are they Generation Wang, Generation PC, or Generation Netscape? Unless you understand your market and the sources they use for information gathering, you may be missing out on how to market and establish a dialogue with the C-Level Executive you want to talk to.
According to Forbes, the following is a general profile of established and emerging C-Level Executives and how they use media today.
"Generation Wang - This group is made of executives who entered the job market prior to 1980. These over-50s advanced in their careers with a terminal on their desks, but may still be equally or more comfortable with non-digital forms of communication. Not having been raised in the PC age, they are digital immigrants, conversant in computing while thinking in their native analog tongue.
Generation PC are those whose career starts coincided with the rise of the PC in the early/mid-1980s, Generation PC members are the digital settlers of the corporate world. Generation PC came of business age with word processors, spreadsheets, and desktop presentation software, and it was the first group to
send email, build Web pages, employ search engines, and see business move to the Internet. Now that its members are 40-50 years old, they are an increasingly dominant force in the C-suite.
Generation Netscape is the generation whose careers began with the growth of the Internet in the 1990s, Generation Netscape is the most Internet-savvy group. The under 40s don’t know an office without email or home pages, and they are the most willing to leverage the newest wave of Web-centric tools and experiment with emerging technologies. Members of this group are entering upper executive ranks and will be a growing influence on the C-suite."
Right now, a generational change is taking place that is transforming how executives use the internet on a day-to-day basis. Executives who started their careers with the advent of the desktop computer, are now assuming leadership positions. Research shows that they are more likely to see a greater value in Internet technologies - and gather information from different sources, including video and mobile devices. Integrated marketing is essential --- and having a solid understanding of the practices your audience employs. This isn’t about age, this is about who uses what type of media to retrieve information that they are interested in.
They consider the Internet a primary source of information leading colleagues, professional networks, and the traditional mediums of print, TV, radio, conferences and trade shows. And here is a distinct difference - members of the C-suite actually do the research themselves. Today, it is more likely that an executive prefers to do the research.
So what does that mean to you? That means your marketing and messaging has got to be produced so that it speaks to them – one size will not fit all --- and even more important --- show and demonstrate you understand their business, their challenges and have solutions or recommendations that they can envision or apply to their specific business objectives.
If Forbes feels this is significant enough to do a study on, then perhaps you need to look at your marketing, messaging and channels to see whether they will ever reach your target audience.
For more information call 619-337-3710
According to Forbes, the following is a general profile of established and emerging C-Level Executives and how they use media today.
"Generation Wang - This group is made of executives who entered the job market prior to 1980. These over-50s advanced in their careers with a terminal on their desks, but may still be equally or more comfortable with non-digital forms of communication. Not having been raised in the PC age, they are digital immigrants, conversant in computing while thinking in their native analog tongue.
Generation PC are those whose career starts coincided with the rise of the PC in the early/mid-1980s, Generation PC members are the digital settlers of the corporate world. Generation PC came of business age with word processors, spreadsheets, and desktop presentation software, and it was the first group to
send email, build Web pages, employ search engines, and see business move to the Internet. Now that its members are 40-50 years old, they are an increasingly dominant force in the C-suite.
Generation Netscape is the generation whose careers began with the growth of the Internet in the 1990s, Generation Netscape is the most Internet-savvy group. The under 40s don’t know an office without email or home pages, and they are the most willing to leverage the newest wave of Web-centric tools and experiment with emerging technologies. Members of this group are entering upper executive ranks and will be a growing influence on the C-suite."
Right now, a generational change is taking place that is transforming how executives use the internet on a day-to-day basis. Executives who started their careers with the advent of the desktop computer, are now assuming leadership positions. Research shows that they are more likely to see a greater value in Internet technologies - and gather information from different sources, including video and mobile devices. Integrated marketing is essential --- and having a solid understanding of the practices your audience employs. This isn’t about age, this is about who uses what type of media to retrieve information that they are interested in.
They consider the Internet a primary source of information leading colleagues, professional networks, and the traditional mediums of print, TV, radio, conferences and trade shows. And here is a distinct difference - members of the C-suite actually do the research themselves. Today, it is more likely that an executive prefers to do the research.
So what does that mean to you? That means your marketing and messaging has got to be produced so that it speaks to them – one size will not fit all --- and even more important --- show and demonstrate you understand their business, their challenges and have solutions or recommendations that they can envision or apply to their specific business objectives.
If Forbes feels this is significant enough to do a study on, then perhaps you need to look at your marketing, messaging and channels to see whether they will ever reach your target audience.
For more information call 619-337-3710
Monday, July 12, 2010
Mass Data Management (MDM) needs top notch project managers
IT Business Edge published a white paper that identifies that MDM is in the newly adoptedstage... and while many companies have started to look into it... and others already have implemented it, it is something we definitely can market to because (as evidenced in the white paper) there are problems. System Integrators are claiming to be experienced in the actual project planning and implementation – and coming up short. For companies who are trying to work with existing talent base, and provide superior "learning tools and techniques" to increase the value of their current project management team --- I urge you to visit www.ProjectConnections.com.
The Project in Practice whitepaper, by IT Business Edge is 57 pages long and worth the read --- but the message inside the message is that Project Management - or the lack of PM skills, can cost a company dearly. Is this something you are willing risk? What if you could find a site that could face your challenges --- at different levels, in different scenarios, with expert assistance at the click of the mouse... and that is cost effective because you control the level of membership? The site exists, and it is at www.ProjectConnections.com.
The Project in Practice whitepaper, by IT Business Edge is 57 pages long and worth the read --- but the message inside the message is that Project Management - or the lack of PM skills, can cost a company dearly. Is this something you are willing risk? What if you could find a site that could face your challenges --- at different levels, in different scenarios, with expert assistance at the click of the mouse... and that is cost effective because you control the level of membership? The site exists, and it is at www.ProjectConnections.com.
Friday, June 4, 2010
Critical Influence Skills That Get Project Managers a Powerful Seat at the Table
http://www.projectconnections.com/promo/webinar-20100623.html
Session Overview:
Influence is "the capacity or power of persons or things to be a compelling force on or produce effects on the actions, behavior, and opinions of others." This session brings that definition to life in the project setting, to show how much project and organizational power a PM can actually have even without any direct authority; how to identify your current influence shortfalls and do something about them fast; and how the art of genuine well-meaning influence on projects can be unexpectedly fun and liberating for those in the challenging PM role.
What You'll Learn:
What powerful influence looks like in the project setting
The project manager's necessary span of impact
What it means to have your rightful seat at the table
How the most impactful project managers build and exercise their influence
Critical sources of credibility in the project setting
The business, project, and people insights that matter the most
The communication skills that result in the highest level of influence
How influential PMs act every day
Session Overview:
Influence is "the capacity or power of persons or things to be a compelling force on or produce effects on the actions, behavior, and opinions of others." This session brings that definition to life in the project setting, to show how much project and organizational power a PM can actually have even without any direct authority; how to identify your current influence shortfalls and do something about them fast; and how the art of genuine well-meaning influence on projects can be unexpectedly fun and liberating for those in the challenging PM role.
What You'll Learn:
What powerful influence looks like in the project setting
The project manager's necessary span of impact
What it means to have your rightful seat at the table
How the most impactful project managers build and exercise their influence
Critical sources of credibility in the project setting
The business, project, and people insights that matter the most
The communication skills that result in the highest level of influence
How influential PMs act every day
Friday, May 7, 2010
Thursday, May 6, 2010
The Danger of Digital Isolation
In this morning's briefings, this headline caught my attention - just as they wanted. The lead-in... "Communication technology can make leaders "more current and knowledgeable," but James Champy writes that he sees the potential for plugged-in leaders to become more distracted and remote. A sense of connection can be deceiving, he warns: "Technology, in the hands of unskilled leaders, can create distance, and even a false sense of security." This linked to Harvard Business Review online/Imagining the Future of Leadership blog (http://blogs.hbr.org/imagining-the-future-of-leadership/2010/05/does-leadership-change-in-a-we.html).
I find this interesting because the term leader is so loosely used in today's workforce.
I find this interesting because the term leader is so loosely used in today's workforce.
Leadership Sabotage: Intentional or Not?
Leadership Sabotage: Intentional or Not?
Well written with very good insights and red flags to observe. Worth the read.
Well written with very good insights and red flags to observe. Worth the read.
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