With so many people chasing so few jobs it is vital to make a great first impression. Now we can help with a great CV writing service which can be tailored to your needs. Just click on http://www.gb-marketing.com/cvwritingservice.htm and find out how you can get a head start in the job hunt.
With so many marketing posts gone during the recession, the marketing department in many companies is struggling to keep pace with the day to day running of the marketing function. This leaves no time for the longer term strategic development and new product development which is so vital for the companies future success. The answer to this problem is interim managers who can take on projects or whole departments to ensure that the important marketing jobs are covered. One big benefit is that the the interim manager will be an industry professional with great experience which can be applied to your business.
If you would like more information on this topic do get in touch on graham.bailey@btinternet.com
Well we’ve all come through another year, so its time to review the past 12 months and look forward to the coming 12. For all those continuing to do good business in the toughest economic climate in decades, well done and keep going. For all those struggling against the tide, look for the market gaps and go for them! And to all my colleagues, customers and friends - a very happy Christmas and a prosperous new year.
With so many businesses still in survival mode and the U.K. and European governments taking the axe to puiblic spending what should the marketer do in such difficult times. One of the wisest approaches is to get close and stay close to your best customers and listen to what they are telling you about their business and its prospects. It seems like Marketing lesson 1 but how often do we actually put it into practice. Some useful tips are:-
1. Check your feedback loops from customers.
2 Set up formal and informal talk sessions to enable you to listen to them.
3. Brief your whole organisation on the need to feedback all customer comments and criticisms.
4. Be proactive in getting out there amongst the customers - you’ll learn loads and they will see you responding to their needs.
5. Don’t cut things that will impact on your customers perception of your treatment of them.
You can do no worse than try some of these as they have been known to work and it will also make you feel more positive about your business.
The annual rush for university places has become even more interesting this year with a huge shortfall of places for both undergraduates and postgraduates. This poses an interesting problem for the teaching/learning world that if so many people are thirsting for knowledge then how will we meet this demand. So far the response has been noticeable by its absence but there will be organisations and individuals who see the opportunity and take it - where will you and I be in this?
As more and more marketing effort is concentrated on CRM strategies and relationship marketing, I raise the question ‘How good is the average marketeer at developing relationships?’ This goes beyond hosting discussion forums and sending e-newsletters to the core of relationship nurturing and building. Most of us are not giving enough time and attention in our marketing planning to this fundamental skill. I believe we should all work harder at this and probably get some help to do it well.
Keep building the relationships!
Its a question which many have posed and few have answered completely so I thought it is time to explore this whole area more fully from Youtube to Twitter and Facebook to Flickr. I have put together a comprehensive guide to the world of social media which will initially run as a training course but can be adapted to a workshop session or in house consultancy to get you started. Let me know if you would be interested to learn more at graham.bailey@gb-marketing.com
With so much written in recent months about the credit crisis and the state of the world economy many businesses are focusing on the tough times and how to weather the storm - quite right you need to be responding to this. However the smart marketing planning is preparing yourself for the upturn so that as the green shoots appear you have a plan ready to implement and take advantage of the recovery.
I have recently been working with companies in the manufacturing, service industry and charity sectors and in each case our focus has been on preparing the plans to take advantage of the improvement in the business climate, if you would like to explore this for your company then get in touch now as if you leave it until the recovery is in full swing you will have already missed significant business opportunities.
As we continue to see massive changes in global business, politics and technology; some may ask whether there is a whole new world order and do the established norms still apply in business. The answer to this question is both complex and simple as we most certainly cannot use the same strategies that we have in the past however the learning and trends can help us to plan future activities. The secret is to maintain the knowledge and skills of your workforce so that whatever the eventuality you have the skill base to cope with the changes. This includes flexibility of both your organisation and the staff so that any circumstance can be met with a change plan to either take advantage of the changes or avoid the threats in the market place.
An analysis of this skill set can be undertaken quickly and cost effectively to highlight the strengths and weaknesses of your team and an action plan produced to address the solutions. If you would like to discuss this course of action do get in touch and we can begin to put the appropriate set of skills required in place.
As more and more companies feel the impact of the credit crunch and all it’s associated impacts, there comes the need to save costs wherever possible. One of the favourite pots to raid has always been training and new product development, as they do not give an immediate return and can therefore be cut with no apparent effect. So far, so good - however one of the very real hidden dangers is the fact that we are storing up problems for the future as when the economy recovers we will neither have the products or people skills to take advantage of the upturn.
There is considerable evidence from previous recessions that those organisations who continue to invest in their products and people emerge faster and fitter from the difficult economic times than those who cut these areas of spending significantly.
I am working on a number of programmes which look at ways in which organisations can profit from the current situation and will keep you posted as these ideas and programmes develop. Don’t cut the very things which are your future profit earners!