I’ve enjoyed my share of take out over the last year! My favorite, at least once a month, was Chinese. I’m a fan of spring rolls, those delightful veggie dumplings, orange crispy beef, chicken with broccoli in garlic sauce with a side of Lo Mein. While everything has changed in […]
Advice To Executives
Watching Flowers Grow
I was inspecting my violets for new growth and realized that for me personally – flowers and plants rest my mind. During the last year, when anxiety could have gotten the better of me, I stayed calm and focused by counting new leaves. Everyday I inspected the plants on my […]
DANGER! DANGER! The Reverse Pyramid
Companies often compile what I call the reverse pyramid and use it to direct Marketing activities and spend in order to achieve targeted growth. The thinking goes something like this: Take the average deal size (ADS) – calculate the average selling price (ASP) – then compute how many MORE ASDs […]
Outsmart the Brand Police
A couple of weeks ago we spoke with marketing leader Michaela Dempsey about the brand of her company Scout RFP. The essence of their brand – their relationship with their customers – was a good introduction to brand. This week we’re speaking with Kevin Kerner, CEO of Mighty & True. […]
Segmentation and MORE
It’s impossible to live without segmentation. White shirts hang next to the blue strip shirts and are worn with tan suits. Blue cheese goes with fruit in a dessert course or blue cheese gets crumbled into a salad. All the toy trucks and cars go into the yellow bin. Socks […]
A Mindful Pause
When I started From the Road, I had a simple goal – share what works. Subscribers are saying that despite all that is new, some basic principles prevail. There are customers looking for more and there are innovative providers – someone and something for everyone. Connecting these two entities is […]
The Perfect CMO Cocktail – Shaken Not Stirred
In this episode of From The Road, I share four characteristics of a successful CMO. A frequent question I hear from a CEO is what to look for when hiring a CMO. Sometimes the CEO is considering whether to promote the current VP of Marketing to CMO and invest in […]
Money and Marketing – Marketing Headcount – Part 2
The right construct for the marketing organization starts with the Marketing Plan. Here’s a quick look at the Marketing Plan. In the plan, marketing is laying out the programs that will be required to deliver the revenue target for the company. Finance provides guidance on the company’s operating plan, which […]
Pivot to Government – Market for Growth
Is your company begging for a government ‘go to market’ strategy? If the answer is yes, this week’s From the Road episode is for you! My guest is Lou Anne Brossman, CEO of Virtual Marketing Inc. and founder of a learning platform dedicated to Government Marketing – Government Marketing University. […]
Money and Marketing – Part 1 – The Program Budget
This is a guide and is based on leading analyst guidance. Multiply the company quota for NEW license revenue by 4-6% to find the Marketing Programs Budget (MPB). License revenue can be revenue from annual subscriptions (as-a-service models) or actual license revenue – whatever revenue you recognize in your fiscal […]