Stu’s News with Trina’s Tips Spring 2008 Proof Power Most firms spend huge amounts of their marketing resources and materials, major portions of their submittals, and considerable chunks of their presentations focused on “Proof”…trying to demonstrate to clients that their firm is unquestionably capable of doing an excellent job for them… “Last […]
Winter 2007 Positive Power In balancing the information in each issue, the last focused on the big picture…global concepts, major trends, and issues. Here are some ideas for helping you, on multiple fronts, in gaining marketing acceptance, in gaining acceptance to project solutions, and in fact achieving the kinds of outcomes you’d really like. […]
Fall 2007 Global Financial Concerns We really don’t like reading “alarmist” articles. Some trend sources we read tend to be regularly alarmist, perhaps to boost readership. However, multiple sources are now pointing consistently to some financial problems that may affect us fairly soon – from the next few months to the coming year. When […]
Spring 2007 The Times They Are a-Changin’ The kinds of changes to which Bob Dylan was referring in his 1964 album’s title song are different. But surrounding issues are amazingly the same. In the last ten years, work has been easy to get. Now, markets are shifting; some that were hot are not. And […]
Winter 2006 Kickoff Punchlists At the beginning of workshops, I conduct what’s known as a “Town Hall” introduction. Each participant introduces himself or herself and then adds the biggest question he or she would like to see answered or the biggest problem he or she experiences in marketing or client relations. Examples of some common […]
Fall 2006 Worlds in Worlds in Worlds If you think about the hierarchy of worlds within which we live, you might begin with the “projects” we do. Cumulatively, those projects fall within a “market” we serve. Cumulatively, markets fluctuate with “Megatrends” – such as global economics, sustainability, population shifts, migratory patterns, automation, etc. The […]
Spring 2006 E-Journalism for E-Newsletters The electronic newsletter, or “E-Newsletter,” can be an image-enhancing, sales-stimulating client communications vehicle. It helps firms of all sizes use the Internet for business development. It’s relatively inexpensive and can be used as a print piece – such as a proposal insert or handout. Precepts that govern the format […]
Fall 2005 Scenario Planning Firms that are doing the “best” – enjoying strong workload, growth, profitability, and a flow of challenging projects – do so, by plan or accident or the gut feel of a leader, by being in alignment with growth markets. When a market is growing, the firms that serve that market […]
August 2005 Flat World Strategies The World is Flat, provides a detailed perspective, with scores of examples, of ways in which companies … even small ones … use technology to provide products and services that are better, faster, and cheaper. Those companies become more competitive, and enjoy growth and profitability. As most firms in […]
June 2005 Practical & Expansive Feedback from many readers indicates preferences for information that’s practical … readily applied, even as a reminder or extension of a Mandeville workshop … and also information that’s expansive … causing readers to think beyond the day-to-day pressures of the work environment. So … The Practical … Many firms are […]