bBlog: The sales, marketing and business weblog
24th September 2002

Definitions of Knowledge Management

“It’s about using information strategically to achieve one’s business objectives. Knowledge Management is the organizational activity of creating the social environment and technical infrastructure so that knowledge can be accessed, shared and created.” -Robert K. Logan

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24th September 2002

ITpapers — White Paper Search

“ITpapers is the Yellow Pages of White Papers, with links to over 25,000 White Papers. A free service, ITpapers enables visitors to find links to precisely the White Papers they need, quickly and easily, with summaries and visitor reviews guiding their selection.”

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24th September 2002

The Barista Principle — Starbucks and the Rise of Relational Capital

“How did a small Seattle company turn itself into a global synonym for java and joe? The answer, we believe, lies with an ingredient as central to Starbucks’s business as the premium coffee beans it roasts: Relationships. ‘Starbucks starts and ends with core values … [and] the core values emanate from and around relationships with people,’ says Anne McGonigle, the company’s vice president for special projects.”

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24th September 2002

Higher Power

“Some entrepreneurs love to take matters into their own hands when it comes to selling face-to-face. Others choose to delegate selling authority — and in so doing, they cheat their businesses out of a great deal of selling impact. My question: What does the first group know about selling that the rest of us wish we knew?”

posted in Sales | Permalink | Comments Off

24th September 2002

The Correct Recipe for Workflow Automation

“Automation, in any field, is an alluring proposition. The idea that we can take a manual process and apply technology to it in a way that reduces costs and increases speed, reliability and accuracy is irresistible. However, this temptation is a significant trap for organizations that intend to implement workflow automation software.”

posted in Technology | Permalink | Comments Off

24th September 2002

ITpapers — White Paper Search

“ITpapers is the Yellow Pages of White Papers, with links to over 25,000 White Papers. A free service, ITpapers enables visitors to find links to precisely the White Papers they need, quickly and easily, with summaries and visitor reviews guiding their selection.”

posted in Technology | Permalink | Comments Off

20th September 2002

Study: Web Drives BTB Buying Decisions

“Business decision makers are more influenced by advertising on the Web than on any other medium, according to a study released [9 Sep 2002] by washingtonpost.com, Nielsen//NetRatings’ @plan and MORI Research.”

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20th September 2002

Customers: Your Most Valuable Asset

“This original article by Pat Friesen was first published in one of my favorite marketing publications, Target Marketing magazine, June 2002 issue and is partially reprinted here with her permission. As creative professionals, we must constantly look outside our industry for new — and renewed — ideas for finding and keeping clients. Though Pat is often talking about marketing of products, there is always crossover to the selling of services.”

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20th September 2002

How To Secure An Effective Testimonial

“There’s more to obtaining testimonials than just asking your customers for their comments and feedback. If you want to have powerful testimonials that catch your prospects attention and build a relationship of trust, consider the following testimonial strategies.”

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20th September 2002

Opt-Ins: When ‘No’ Means ‘Yes’

“In this age of increasing privacy awareness and regulation, the message is finally starting to filter through to the snake-oil salesmen that they actually need your permission before they send you junk by email. This is why you’ll more often than not see an ‘opt-in’ box adjacent to most forms that require you to enter your email address… They provide you with this choice so as to comply with data protection laws, but be warned that their main priority is to get as many email addresses as they can (to use or sell as they wish). Because of this, they use a number of tricks to make you opt-in when you have no intention of doing so. My favourites are listed here for your entertainment and awareness.”

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20th September 2002

18 Ways to Take Charge — Fast

“There are few career moments as exciting — and these days, as perilous — as taking over the top job at a company, business unit, or department. But what exactly do you do once you’re in charge? This online guide provides 18 tactics — and case studies — to help you take the reigns running.”

posted in Leadership | Permalink | Comments Off

20th September 2002

How to Interview a Candidate for an Executive Position

“My goal when I interview a candidate for a position is threefold: 1) to get a strong feel for the quality, personality, and style of the person, 2) to assess how well he or she lines up with the requirements for the job, and 3) to sell the opportunity. I feel that I am simultaneously ‘buying,’ in the sense of evaluating the individual, and ’selling,’ in the sense of making the candidate more interested in the job.”

posted in Leadership | Permalink | Comments Off

20th September 2002

How To Secure An Effective Testimonial

“There’s more to obtaining testimonials than just asking your customers for their comments and feedback. If you want to have powerful testimonials that catch your prospects attention and build a relationship of trust, consider the following testimonial strategies.”

posted in Marketing | Permalink | Comments Off

17th September 2002

Repetition breeds brand confusion, study on ads finds

“Repetition of advertising slogans breeds more confusion than loyalty among consumers, a University of Toronto researcher has shown. In a paper that conflicts with the fundamental marketing tenet that repetition helps memory, business professor Sharmistha Law shows the more people hear advertising catchphrases, the less they remember which brand they go with.”

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17th September 2002

IAB Resources and Research - Case Studies

“When it comes to connecting brands with customers, fostering action and driving sales, Interactive media and marketing has been proven effective time and time again. At this site, you’ll find a constantly growing repository of case studies, research and other information that demonstrate how Interactive efficiently increases brand awareness, brand attributes and purchase intent.”

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