Marketing Eye

Expert Marketing Blog - Page 42

Only recently, I came back to manage the Marketing Eye business, something I haven't done in more than 6 or 7 years.

It's a daunting task because all of a sudden you have responsibility and there are new ways in which you need to navigate how you lead the team, and take them where you want to go, but also, where they want to go.
Read more about: When the founder comes back to manage the business, sometimes there's a shock!
It's that time of year and we are featuring 10 companies to watch in Atlanta that are going to hit the big time. That means companies that are innovative, smart and have the capabilities to be large organizations or game-changes in their industry.
Read more about: Are you a Top 10 Company to watch in Atlanta - if so, we want to feature you in Marketing Eye Magazine
So, a young guy applies to be the Director of Sales and Marketing for a fast growing startup in the Fintech space. His name is John Doe. He had experience as a sales manager and he wants to test the waters in the fast-moving environment of the startup life. He’s a natural born salesman. He’s very charismatic and outgoing and seems to just say “yes” to every opportunity he comes across. So, John doesn’t think twice when taking on new challenges. He applies to that job with the prospects of huge earning potential and a great learning experience. When he gets called in for his interview, the entire team loves his energy. The hiring manager pretty much makes up their mind the minute he leaves that they’ll offer him the position.

Read more about: Why John Doe Failed at Sales AND Marketing
The Marketing Eye is all about supporting our veterans. In fact, I’m a veteran myself! After serving a tour in Iraq I pursued a career in sales and marketing and I haven’t looked back since. The Army gave me the experience I needed to be able to compete with the best in the private sector. And you can bet that I used every resource that was available to me when I started out.

Read more about: Free Resources for Army Veterans in Sales
A first world problem for sure, but it is one I see regularly as an entrepreneur and one who travels widely around the world.

We all work hard. I don't have children, but I see a lot. I have opinions, just like most, but there is some substance in my opinions because I have been around for a long time.

Parents work hard to build their businesses and wealth. They do so because mostly, they didn't grow up with the wealth that they would have liked, or perhaps they just want to live a better life.

They accumulate wealth, and with that comes big houses, flash cars, holidays in the South of France and skiing in Aspen, and so on.
Read more about: It's our responsibility to not bring entitled human beings into the world
Having the ability to communicate succinctly is crucial in all areas of life, and if a message can be said in one sentence rather than a paragraph, why not choose the former?

In reality, it is easier said than done. Maintaining professional communication requires constant practice and puts oneself in uncomfortable situation, just like everything else. One of the great ways to hone this skill is to avoid the usage of filler words, such as “uh”, “um”, and “like.” We all do it, yet it takes conscious efforts to exercise professionalism. Let’s take a closer look:

Read more about: How Present Are You?
If you run a marketing team, you will realise a few things; firstly that no marketing team can be all the same, and secondly, a mixture of personalities and skills is required for optimum performance. When choosing a team, it's best to steer away from selecting people just like you, or like another person who you rate as being a good marketer on your team. The reason is simple; a strong, competent, successful marketing team has to have a mixture of personalities that collaborate, support, encourage, nurture and push each other to reach their full potential both individually and as a team.

While this may seem idealistic, it's a reality for any competent marketing manager who has the 'balls' to think outside the box when they are putting together a team of people to take a company to the next level.
Read more about: How to create a high performing marketing team
Have you completed your businesses marketing strategy for 2017/18? If you want to hit and execute your sales goals for the coming year then you might want to get onto it. 

If you have left it until now to write your 2017/18 marketing strategy, then you are really hitting a fine line, because there is a lot to be done before executing a powerful, deliberate marketing campaign in July that will see your company hit sales targets, connect with customers and accelerate your potential in the marketing for the year to come.
Read more about: What your marketing strategy for 2017/18 should address
My flight was delayed from Atlanta to Los Angeles and it didn't matter. I was in high spirits, drinking sparkling mineral water in the Amercian Airlines Lounge and writing down my ideas of how I would now change the company's business plan in highsight of the first quarter of this year.

I am inspired beyond belief and like many entrepreneurs, having the motivation to kick goals, climb any mountain and put on a brave face even though you may be scared shitless - is something that comes very naturally to me.
Read more about: Change it up, reinvent what you are doing and expand your market
I found myself recently in a situation where in any normal situation, you would fire an employee who was responsible for a particular function in the business, and did not perform and was not achieving results. More than that, while their attitude was fine, they didn't put in extra effort nor did they 'think' about what they were doing on a day to day basis.

No matter how much coaching or development that took place, nothing changed.
Read more about: Never, ever give up on your employees
They say that jealousy is a curse. I tend to agree. It hinders your judgement and affects your ability to see clearly - and that's just the start.

The green-eyed monster is a mental cancer (B.C. Forbes quote), and can be a huge culture killer, leaving employees that are affected by it disengaged and unproductive.
Read more about: Jealous that someone is climbing the ladder faster than you?
I won't lie. I walked into Spanx yesterday and was completely and utterly in awe. Wow! Seriously, Wow! The wide hallways, the high ceilings, the writing on the wall, the pictures, the space, the innovation, the courtyard, the conference room and the kitchen - were a dream.

Sara Blakely is not only the youngest self-made female billionaire in the world today, she is also known widely as the nicest, kindest and most giving. On top of that, she is beautiful, has an unbelievable family and is changing the world, not just our figures when we put on a pair of Spanx to shape the areas we don't want the world to see.
Read more about: Spanx is the number one coolest office in the world today
As an avid technology enthusiast, I am always looking up new and exciting technologies that may be instrumental in our clients future marketing campaigns.

One such technology asked for Marketing Eye's competitors, and did an analysis on where they sit from a digital perspective compared to Marketing Eye Atlanta. It was fascinating. Our company is a mere 4 years old in the US, and in year one, we realized that we outperformed all our competitors on Google listings/rankings and all areas of social media. It was something we were very proud of, as we don't spend all day pushing this medium, but a bit over 30 minutes in total including writing this blog.
Read more about: Why your marketing company's social media presence counts
By all means be competitive, but never be the person who leaves someone else behind just to win. 

After listening to the most fascinating man I have ever had the privilege of listening to on team work yesterday, I am completely empowered to bring my team to one level, together and with the same philosophies of a Navy Seal Team.

In fact, I bought some copies of two books today; No Easy Day and No Hero, from a former Navy Seal, hoping to inspire change.
Read more about: The team is everything, and if you are not on it - get out now!
I am the first to admit that at times I have wanted to tear my hair out over some of the behaviors of millennials. So much so, I have sworn over and over again to never hire another millennial only to find that my next recruit is in fact a millennial. Why? Because that person was the best person for the job at that point in time.

The things that have me so frustrated about millennials are:
Read more about: Let's lose using the term 'millennials' and start using 'humans'