When leveraged well, social media can serve as a potent tool. It allows a manager to gain insight into competitors, the market, buyers and their needs, trends and to discover opportunities to reach new markets. When well leveraged, social media can also provide insight into new services and the development of new and improved products. Other benefits of social media [...]

Brands are faced with a perplexing conundrum when it comes to effectively marketing their products or services. Striking the perfect balance between promoting them while not coming across as overly promotional takes finesse. The companies that excel in this area will find that their efforts are fruitful.  So, how can businesses subtly promote themselves by delivering content their target audience [...]

 It is natural for a business to want to sell to a particular group of customers – in other words, to find its niche. First, people typically feel comfortable in one to two areas. They are reluctant to step outside of their comfort zone. Second, the theory that companies should sell to target audiences is one of the most common [...]

 Lest anyone think that corporate social responsibility is fluff, they should consider the following: Fortune Global 500 firms spend roughly $20 billion on corporate social responsibility annually. (1) It is literally big business. What, exactly, is corporate social responsibility? More than 100 Fortune 500 chairmen and chief executive officers define it as the following: (2) Delivering value to customers by [...]

Winning the confidence of customers was important before the recent crisis. Now, in the forever altered world following the crisis, earning their trust is imperative. Social listening and engagement play a critical role in doing so. During months of social isolation, people turned to and relied on social media to maintain a connection to the outside world. Businesses must pander [...]

Effective leadership can be the defining factor determining business success or failure during a crisis. Those who hold leadership positions have the most power in their organization. So, it stands to reason that they exert heavy influence on the direction of the company, employee relations and productivity. Employees who work for exemplary leaders will feel more motivated, more supported and [...]

 Times of crisis and demonstrations of employee appreciation often happen in silos. This sounds counterintuitive. Surely, employers would know they should display gratitude to improve morale during difficult times. Unfortunately, and to the detriment of the business, this is often not the case. Why does this happen, even to employers with the best of intentions? During crises, people are running [...]

Recent events have made remote working a reality for many businesses that may not have considered it before. With more employees working from home temporarily, some companies are recognizing the benefits of remote work and some employees are finding they prefer it over going to the office. These developments have greatly increased the possibility that more employers will change their [...]

Cold outreach is essential to driving business growth. However, 40 percent of sales professionals indicate that prospecting is the most challenging aspect of their job. (1) Most people dread prospecting because they fear saying the wrong thing – and with good reason. The risk of this happening increases when salespeople get stuck when they speak to a gatekeeper because they [...]