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Falling Short on Consultant Expectations
 If a client doesn't control the consulting relationship, a project will fall short of expectations. Only when clients engage consultants based on merit and manage those consultants carefully, and only when company staff are seen as integral as the individual consultants, can companies hope to achieve or even exceed the goals they set"
So said
Read How to Lead Consultants to Exceed Expectations...
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Differentiated or Not? |
 "Differentiator" is the most challenging element of creating a value proposition.
Our prospects know that they have alternatives to address their challenges and achieve their opportunities. They are well aware of multiple potential providers who offer capable products and/or services. They will decide on which supplier to engage using decision criteria which include both organizational and personal factors.
What they need to understand, and we as marketers need to communicate is why our existing clients buy from us? What makes as different in a way meaningful to them.
In the Marketing Interaction blog, Ardeth Albee explains how most organizations miss the point by focusing on the minute differentiation from their product or service, and miss some of the best sources of the secret differentiation sauce. The result is a challenge standing out from others and more expensive marketing.
For No Differentiation in Corporate Messaging post... |
LinkedIn Debunked:
Is it Worth my Time?
by Sandor Kiss |
You're facing creating and executing a new marketing and sales campaign. It's not more of same products and/or services to the same clients you've always sold to.
You know it's going to take time, the only resource sales people really control. Painful, ouch!
Not necessarily, In the second of a recent article series, Sandor Kiss, digital marketing guru and Member of Strategico, shares a real case study of how a digital tool, free at that, can really be worth your time.
Read LinkedIn Debinked, Part II: Is it Worth My Time?....
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A Few Good Expenses
If you need a break, spend 2 minutes 53 seconds (as have over 876,000 viewers) to watch this video clip so telling of the sales professions.
View A Few Good Expenses...
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 | Do you have time for a coach?
Tuesdays 7:30 - 10:00am,
February 22nd, March 1st, 8th, 15th
Does this descibe your own situation?
- You need a sales tune-up, but can't take time out of your busy schedule
- You're not confident you're capturing a fair share of the economic upturn
- Your sales team needs best practices to get them energized and engaged
Each of the four weekly modules builds your confidence applying critical elements of consultative selling; value, process, skills and approach.
The coach, Brian Pleet, challenges participants to examine current selling practices, consider new techniques, develop customized tools, then practice and perfect them within their own selling environment.
"This was a rewarding course, and would recommend it to all levels of a sales team. If I were to sum it up in one word, this course if about Communication. How to Communicate, What to Communicate and When to Communicate it."
- Shawna Guiltner, President, NGC Product Solutions
Review the program description and registration...
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Getting your marketing & Sales act together
| At June's The Art of Marketing event., six of North America's leading marketing visionaries and bestselling authors shared their ground-breaking concepts that have transformed marketing strategies and advertising practices around the world.
Strategico proudly sponsored this "Art of..." event, which attracted over 1,000 Calgarians. Brian Pleet contributed a feature article to the event magazine expounding his long held belief that marketing and sales must get their act together to deliver the best possible results.
Read Marketing vs. Sales: Getting Your Act Together..
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 | Back to School for BtoB Marketing
Tuesdays,
February 1st - April 5th,
6:00 - 9:00pm,
University of Calgary Downtown CampusJoin Brian Pleet for 10 Tuesday evenings this winter term as he facilitates the 6th iteration of Marketing: Business-to-Business for UC Continuing Education. This course is credited towards the Marketing Management Certificate and allows participants to: - Critically assess and evaluate business environment and market situation
- Collect and analyze relevant business information to determine marketing strategy decision
- Develop and communicate a comprehensive marketing strategy
For course and registration details...
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What planning can you do in a half-day?
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Deliver a strategy session for a busy Board of Directors... including two brand new Directors...and an actionable strategic plan as the output....in half a day!
Recently Brian Pleet and Alli Marshall planned and facilitated an engaging ½ day strategy session using visual and interactive approaches. With significant time invested in event planning, the half-day set a foundation for strategy development through a situational analysis, followed by drafting a common goal statement and establishing measurable objectives for the year. Read the full What can you do in a half-day portfolio...
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