The Wealthy Business - by EnergizeGrowth

The 24-Hour Customer: New Rules for Winning in a Time-Starved, Always-Connected Economy

In her new book, Adrian C. Ott summarizes the new 24/7 customer when she says "For innovators and marketers it is not about the TIME value of money; it is about the MONEY value of TIME."

This contemporary study of customer behavior in a time deficient world will expand your perspectives on strategic positioning and selling. Adrian gets to the heart of what motivates people, and has the research and models to support her ideas.

I seldom see such a vast collection of case studies in one business book. From healthcare to software, you'll find examples that inspire you to position your offerings in innovative ways.

Order or download your copy NOW before your competitors do. I am certain you will find one new strategy to energize your business and improve your customer relationships. Time's a wasting!

[photo courtesy of Adrian C. Ott]

Copyright 2010, Lisa Nirell. All rights reserved.

Book Publishing Advice for B2B Companies

"Lisa, congratulations on launching your book.  I have a book that I want to write, but I just can't seem to finish it."

Have you caught yourself saying that to your author friends? Is Chapter One sitting in your desk drawer gathering dust?  Don't feel badly--you are not alone. 

 

Photo courtesy of Don
 
If I was given a dime for every time someone has told me that they have a burning desire to write a book, I would be a multi-millionare. 

Many of you may have a great book that you are dying to share with the world, but just don't know where to begin. The e-reader revolution is creating alot of publishing buzz--and confusion.  As a result, it has also caused lots of experts and executives to delay their decision to move forward. 

Listen to this bonus 70 minute audio interview and you will hear how three authors (including me) have:

•navigated the publishing industry in our own unique way
•developed a cogent book marketing strategy
•bucked the traditional publishing channels and thrived

Other authors you'll hear from include:

Carol McClelland, PhD, Founder and Executive Director of Green Career Central  is author of three books, most recently Green Careers for Dummies -- Your Guide to the Green Economy

Stephen Moulton, President and Chief Insight Officer of Action Insight is author of The CEO's Advantage--7 Keys for Hiring Extraordinary Leaders

A special thanks goes to our host, Samantha Hartley of Enlightened Marketing, for leading this interactive call. 

copyright 2010, Lisa Nirell.  All rights reserved.

Zappos and Amazon: A Marriage Made in Shoe-Heaven?

I barely survived three "mergers" in my 27 year career. Most proved to be greedy land grabs motivated by impatient investors, stagnation, or bored founders.

Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh's new book, "Delivering Happiness," and his stock sale to Amazon prove to me that some mergers may just be made in heaven.

photo courtesy Jake Chessum

Read this Inc. Magazine article and hear Tony's first hand account of the acquisition. Amazon's willingness to offer a "quitting bonus" speaks volumes of the positive impact of Zappos' culture on other successful organizations. 

To what degree do your values and culture drive defining moments in your company?

If you rated yourself low on that question, order your copy of "Delivering Happiness" now. A "rags to riches" story well worth reading.

copyright 2010, Lisa Nirell.  All rights reserved.

Two Surefire Ways to Slay the Anti-Growth Dragons

 

(photo courtesy of http://www.webweaver.nu/clipart/dragons3.shtml)

Let’s be honest. In today’s volatile economy, strategic growth planning and marketing innovations are easily pushed aside in favor of reactively averting poisonous arrows and perilous moats. 

Those hazards continuously threaten us—and often appear from a surprise enemy. How many of us keep putting our foot on the gas and have not slowed down to finesse these dangerous conditions?

We may not be able to control unforeseen events and demanding clients. What we can control is how we respond. It starts with arming ourselves with knowledge and confidence.

Knowledge begins by understanding the most common pressures our clients are facing:

C.K. Prahalad, Innovation, and the Meaning of Life

C.K. Prahalad is one of those few global business luminaries who demonstrated a sincere willingness to support my new business initiatives. He lived and breathed innovation. Last month, he generously agreed to an interview for this blog.  Sadly, this interview will never happen due to his sudden passing.  Yet his influence will affect millions in the long-term.

C.K. Prahalad and Marshall Goldsmith, March 2010 (photo courtesy of Anil Kripalani)

C.K. has impacted my professional work in three areas. I trust these may apply to other business developers and executives as well:

Marketing Strategy Meets Sales Strategy

I recently met Jill Konrath, the founder of Selling to Big Companies and author of the book with the same name.

I haven't met a sales powerhouse like Jill in a long time, and had to share my experiences with you.

What I most appreciate about Jill's book, "Selling to Big Companies," is her practical, no-nonsense view on selling to decision makers in today's understaffed, overstressed organizations. 

Growth Planning, Grazing Elk, and Black Swans

Nassim Taleb, author of The Black Swan, defines this metaphor as a highly improbable event that has 3 characteristics:  It is 1) unpredictable 2) it carries a huge impact; and 3) after the fact, humans want to concoct an explanation that makes it appear less random.  For example, Google is a Black Swan. They just celebrated their five year anniversary, and their stock continues to trade above $575/share. You could say that Barack Obama's highly effective, viral online presidential campaign was a positive black swan. The September 11, 2001 events exemplified a negative black swan.

Sometimes, you just have to let the positive black swans (serendipitous events) unfold, sit back, and enjoy the ride.

Last Wednesday, mother nature presented me with a black swan.  As I was preparing for a very busy day in the office, 42 elk interrupted my schedule.