Advice & Insight
Reflections on customer advisory boards, customer relationships, and what it takes to strengthen them both.
Looking for a complete primer on advisory boards? Read The Expert Guide to Powerful Customer Advisory Boards.
What Drives You During the Holidays?
As we are full force into the holiday season, I want to ask, what drives you? Whether as a business owner or employee, what is it that makes you get up in the morning, head to work and want to do a good job? It’s a question that anyone can answer, and for me the answer is easy — my kids.
Back to Work!
During our annual Farland Group kickoff meeting, our President, Jane Hiscock, had asked us (and I’m paraphrasing here) — share a goal you achieved and the steps you took to get there.
Executive Engagement: Tips on How to Retain and Grow Executive Relationships
Executives require a different level of engagement and focus. Done well executive relationships will drive lasting value to your B2B marketing and sales strategies.
Still Afraid of AI? Don’t Be!
In a previous post, I discussed how it’s difficult to pinpoint the number of jobs that automation or AI will steal from humans. And, that employees’ fear of their duties being diminished or scaled back is partly due to a lack of knowledge about the technology.
Should the Squeaky Wheel Get the Oil?
In developing customer listening systems – whether digital tools like Twitter or more complex systems like Advisory Boards – avoid course correcting for the loudest voice in the room. Instead, listen for the most important.
The Customer Engagement Challenge
An ongoing customer engagement strategy requires planning and an investment in the development of compelling content and interactions that keep your customers coming back. Here are tips in building a more systematic engagement approach with your customers.
The Best Response to Unwanted Customer Feedback
Difficult customer feedback can be challenging to listen to, but can provide the foundation for a very positive future relationship.
Mastering Executive Engagement What's Holding You Back? (Part 1)
Strong relationships with your c-level customers can accelerate change, uncover opportunities, and strengthen your company’s position. What keeps B2Bs from earning those relationships—and realizing their value? We’ve identified 10 common—but surmountable—barriers that hold B2Bs back.
Mastering Executive Engagement What's Holding You Back? (Part 2)
Strong relationships with your c-level customers can accelerate change, uncover opportunities, and strengthen your company’s position. What keeps B2Bs from earning those relationships—and realizing their value? We’ve identified 10 common—but surmountable—barriers that hold B2Bs back. In Part 2 of this series, we explore the struggle and barriers to realize value.
It’s Time to Embrace AI as an Asset, Rather than Fear it
During a recent client advisory council meeting, one business leader stated that while everyone talks about AI, only about 1 in 20 companies are actually using it. One reason is a lack of understanding of how it all works and how to apply it; but for some it is also based on the fear that AI will eliminate jobs.
Getting to a Customer Engagement Mindset
Many marketers are stuck in an activity mindset, focused more on the event calendar and the client reference database than strategic conversations with customers. In contrast, an engagement mindset creates a strategy focused from the outside-in rather than from the inside-out. Here are ways to shift your approach toward an engagement mindset, even when you can't achieve a full-scale transformation.
All is Not Lost for Brick and Mortar in the Digital Age of Shopping
A couple of years ago, I ventured out on Black Friday to find uncrowded stores, likely due to technology and the shift in the way consumers buy products. And last year on Thanksgiving night, I decided to switch it up a bit and opted to shop online.
From Seller to Advisor: Engage Your Customers to Help You Stop Pitching
At the 2015 ITSMA annual conference, we considered, "If it is all about the customer experience, why are we still pitching?" We share the key takeaways from our discussion with Janis Fratamico, Director, Relationship Marketing at Bloomberg and David Coates, Director, Customer Programs at Iron Mountain, about relationship-based engagement...and four ways your can help your organization work from a customer point of view.
Personalization Matters: Extend the Value of Your Client Relationships
Personalization requires a focused strategy that extends beyond the acquisition phase of the customer life cycle. Tips on how approach the personalization challenge for B2B businesses.
Let’s Stop Pretending We are Good at Multi-Tasking
The brain is not designed to multi-task effectively when you need to focus. If we all stopped multi-tasking in meetings, we believe we could cut meeting time in half.
Why Building a Positive Customer Journey for All Ages Matters
“How can we better engage the customer? What can we do to enhance the buyer experience?” These are common questions that C-suite leaders struggle with.
Customer Advocates are Your Content Engine
Content marketing is a growing area of investment. Building content that connects to prospects and customers can be most powerful by enlisting your customer advocates.
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