BeTuitive: business magazine

Blockbuster Teams

Posted on December 06, 2007 by Kathryn Regina.

According to the book Blockbusters, it’s a company’s innovative product—not it’s price point, customer service or depreciation schedule—that creates value for customers. To discover the key practices required for developing “blockbuster” products, authors Gary S. Lynn, Ph.D. and Richard R. Reilly, Ph.D., conducted a two year study of “blockbuster” product development teams. Here’s what we thought of their findings:

Kathy:

Out of the five “best practices” for new product development, I thought the most interesting one was that successful teams always have senior management that is “intimately involved” with the project. This seems to run contrary to most management situations. It also raises the question as to how these managers have time to be both teammates and management. Nevertheless, the authors insist that “coming up with the ‘big idea’ is only the beginning,” and that when management merely pops in once in a while to check in on things it’s not only unhelpful, it often results in “hit and run” accidents. The authors observed that in successful teams, senior management played one of three roles: project leader, technical guru or coach.

Jeff:

The authors’ observation that successful teams were “not especially concerned about building friendships or even insisting that everyone like each other,” adds a harsh robotic-like element to what is otherwise a set of reasonable best practices. However, upon closer examination it seems like what the authors really observed from the successful teams was that friendships aren’t all that’s needed for a strong team, and that strong teams can exist even if not everyone gets along. That’s a lot different than saying that in order to be successful you have to be unconcerned about building friendships. Because that just sounds creepy, to be honest.

Kevin:

Keep it open. Keep it clear. Keep it consistent. That seems to be the lesson from the book summary, “Blockbusters,” which identifies the five necessary steps to lead a product development team. When I say keep it open, I mean lines of communication, ideas and focus must be open to all possibilities. It never serves people well to be forced down one unwavering path. It is important to be clear about what your product is, what the competition provides, who your audience is and who your competitors are. A clear idea of this allows the unique and alluring elements of your product strategy to flourish. Lastly, maintaining consistent communication and problem-solving techniques between developers, managers and decision makers discourages the occurrence of mistakes, unfavorable relationships and unwanted surprises.

Joanna:

By reading specific accounts of real-life company sagas, it becomes clear that Lynn and Reilly's "5 keys to developing great new products" are vital steps to becoming successful. The summary highlights Iomega's trip to success and teaches the reader that all 5 rules (Commitment of Senior Management, Clear and Stable Vision, Improvisation, Information Exchange, and Collaboration Under Pressure) are not simply step-by-step suggestions. Rather, all 5 must be used tgether from start to finish in a balanced collaberation between all departments of the company.

December 6, 2007 in award winning design, award winning magazine, award winning newsletter, Blogs, build credibility, business credibility, Business editorial, business magazine, Business Marketing, Business newsletter, Business publications, company magazine, company newsletter, Company newsletters, Company publication, corporate magazine, Corporate newsletter, Corporate publications | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack

The BI Marriage: Accuracy with Strategy

Posted on October 17, 2007 by Kevin G.

I was reading a great article today about setting up a solid BI system for mid-to-large sized companies.

Garry Garis, author of the article notes, “You do not get a second chance to be wrong and these companies know that their credibility is vital to sustaining customer relationships and ultimately, profitability.”The foundations of a BI system must be solid if anything is able to be built upon it. The accuracy of information is key.

Being able to effectively leverage information to make better business decisions is a powerful strategy if done correctly. Knowing where you get your information, how it is processed and to who it should go to is only half of the battle. Garis offers some key points on how to ensure you have a solid strategy with your accurate information.

October 17, 2007 in Brand enhancement, build credibility, Building B2B Relationships, Building Customer Community, Building Customer Intuition, business credibility, Business editorial, business magazine, Business Marketing, Business newsletter, Business publications, Business relationships, company newsletter, company newsletter sample, Company newsletters, Company publication, Corporate Blogging, corporate magazine, Corporate newsletter, Corporate publications | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBack

Submit Submit Submit

Posted on August 20, 2007 by Kevin G.

A news source that I often link to, DMNews, is in the final stages of accepting submissions for an Email Marketing Guide. If you have the chance, I would recommend taking a look at their site and see if there is anything you could submit.

August 20, 2007 in award winning blog, award winning design, award winning magazine, award winning newsletter, Award winning publications, Brand enhancement, Building B2B Relationships, Building Customer Community, Building Customer Intuition, Business editorial, business magazine, Business Marketing, Business newsletter, Business publications, Business relationships, company blog, company magazine, company newsletter, company newsletter sample, Company newsletters, Company publication, Corporate Blogging | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

6 blogging blunders

Posted on August 08, 2007 by Kathryn Regina.

If you're a regular blogger you should check out this article on common blogging mistakes. Among the top mistakes are not providing enough links, writing huge blocks of text and disabling comments.

6 Blogging Blunders

August 8, 2007 in award winning blog, award winning design, award winning magazine, award winning newsletter, Award winning publications, blog publish, Blogging Tools, Blogs, Brand enhancement, build credibility, Building B2B Relationships, Building Customer Community, Building Customer Intuition, bulk email marketing, business credibility, Business editorial, business magazine, Business Marketing, Business newsletter, Business publications, Business relationships, company blog | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Six Productivity Tips

Posted on August 02, 2007 by Kathryn Regina.

I love that Brazen Careerist. Really, I just love her title. But I think her article on productivity offers some helpful insights as well. If you want to get more done in less time--and who doesn't?--you should check it out. My favorite tip is "focus on outcome."

Six Productivity Tips to Put Time on Your Side

August 2, 2007 in award winning blog, Blogs, build credibility, business credibility, Business editorial, business magazine, company blog, company newsletter, Corporate Blogging, corporate magazine, Corporate publications, create newsletter, Custom publisher, Custom publishing, E-Marketing, e-newsletter, e-zine, Email Marketing, email service, ezine, ezine marketing, grow relationships, how to publish online, magazine design, magazine outsourcing, marketing newsletter, newsletter design | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Reinforcement and Challenge: The Components of Strong Branding

Posted on May 16, 2007 by Kevin G.

I have been thinking a lot about branding lately and came up with a couple ideas about it. Branding is all about the relationship a consumer has to a company and its products. This relationship is enhanced through new experiences, better quality, and improved reputation.

Often a relationship is strengthened by reinforcing the positive qualities. This is found in reward points for a certain amount of purchases, excellent customer service around trusted products, or improved stores or website to better serve customers.

Brands are also strengthened when they challenge their consumers into thinking differently about their product, service or company. Apple did it with computers and Starbucks did it with coffee. By challenging the consumers, they learn to refocus their view of a brand in an effort to improve the relationship.

These two commercials for BMW seem to do just that. Watch both and see which is more effective for you and how you see BMW as a brand.

May 16, 2007 in award winning design, Blogging Tools, Building B2B Relationships, Building Customer Community, bulk email marketing, business credibility, business magazine, Business relationships, CMO, Company publication, Corporate Blogging, Corporate newsletter, creating company newsletter, Creative emails, Custom publisher, Customer Intuition, Educating Clients, Educating Prospects, forbes magazine, grow relationships, magazine design, Strategic Internet Marketing | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Everybody's Workin' for the Weekend

Posted on May 14, 2007 by Vinnie Lacey.

When was the last time you told a job interviewer you have trouble getting things done? Probably never. We all like to think productivity is our strong suite. In reality, getting things done is a common obstacle, with nuances for every job position and industry.

Not to fear. No, really...c'mon now...take your forehead off the keyboard and get those pencil erasers out of your ears.

There are a few things that anyone can do in today's time-crunched business world to turn unsightly "to do's" into gold star "all done's." Our friends over at Yahoo Finance share these "Five Steps to Being More Productive."

Now excuse me while I go clean out my inbox.

May 14, 2007 in audio publication, award winning blog, award winning design, award winning magazine, award winning newsletter, Award winning publications, Blog Outsourcing, blog publish, Blogging Tools, Blogs, Brand enhancement, build credibility, Building B2B Relationships, Building Customer Community, Building Customer Intuition, bulk email marketing, business credibility, Business editorial, business magazine, Business Marketing | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Simple and Balanced for Perfection

Posted on March 21, 2007 by Kevin G.

I find that being organized and well-balanced is one of the best strategies to take to ensure a productive and satisfying work week.

Often times the week starts out as planned as we manage tasks and then mid-way through we find ourselves pulled in every direction to please the whole world. Well, so it seems.

With custom publishing, it’s important to keep a balanced and fresh feel with each issue. If you feel the content is too sales oriented, try adding a cartoon or survey to engage your audience. If the publication engages the reader but fails to draw measurable results, try adding a sales incentive or response mechanism to monitor reception beyond open and click performance.

There are many different ways to balance the perfect publication. By keeping it simple and direct its hard to leave not satisfied with your results.

March 21, 2007 in audio publication, blog publish, Blogs, business magazine, Business Marketing, Business newsletter, Corporate publications, create email newsletter, how to publish online, inc magazine, online marketing, opt-in email, Opt-in Email Marketing, outsource magazine, publish online | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

In Review: No Yelling

Posted on February 28, 2007 by Kevin G.

No Yelling: The 9 Secrets of Great Leaders

“What is your major malfunction?” Not exactly the words you would expect to hear from your boss (unless his last name is Patton, and he prefers pushups to coffee in the morning).

We all communicate in different ways to get what we want. Managers, CEOs and other leaders need to understand the necessary steps to take to get their team to work as a unit and get what they want. The US Marine Corps. manufactures leaders through effective training in the physical and mental realms. Former marine, Wally Adamchik, knows the methods to handle high stress situations, manage a team, and complete tasks that mirror the likeness of the business world.

In No Yelling: The 9 Secrets of Marine Corps Leadership You Must Know to Win in Business, Adamchik lets readers in on this classified information:

1. Integrity

The individuals that work with--not underneath--you need to trust and respect your efforts by demonstrating integrity. By building trust, maintaining consistency and establishing non-negotiable terms, your integrity as a leader will develop.

2. Technical Competence

Demonstrate the knowledge and ability to complete the menial, labor-intensive or specialized tasks your workers do for you. By offering a sincere effort to level with your team, they learn to accept and respect your role as a leader.

3. Set the Example

Delegating work to a team does not ensure its completion. Maintaining professional composure and being a role model for others communicates what a leader expects out of a team.

4. Self-Awareness

It is impossible to be conscious of the tasks and people around you if your personal standards of practice are not identified. Being self-aware allows leaders to assess unique situations, recognize effective methods of team members, and continually improve leadership style.

5. Take Care of People

A happy worker is a good worker. Recognize workers’ accomplishments, give sincere attention to concerns, and make a natural effort to connect on a personal level. What goes around comes around.

6. Make New Leaders

The leader will not be there forever, and the team must be able to uphold its responsibilities for the company. By developing a team of leaders culturally and personally, each member will take ownership and pride in their tasks as they become accountable for successful completion.

7. Commander’s Intent

When a team knows where it’s headed and why, it will be more willing to spearhead new initiatives and venture into uncharted territory.

8. Culture and Values

By creating a positive and productive working culture with an honest and comprehensive value system, a team will be able to identify and respect the foundations of their company.

9. Rehearsals and Critiques

Creating scenarios for your team to practice within allows for mistakes to be made. When these mistakes are critiqued in a clear and non-threatening, non-judgmental manner, your team will be conscious and motivated to minimize recurrence of the same error.

In Review

At the end of this book, these secrets may seem like common knowledge—but that’s a result of the clear examples and content that progresses naturally from one secret to the next.

These secrets not only identify the personal qualities a leader must have, but also address the practices necessary to foster a happy and productive team. Though you might occasionally want to shout “Drop and give me 20,” No Yelling makes it clear how good leadership is created for any team. As you were, soldier.

February 28, 2007 in audio publication, award winning blog, award winning design, award winning newsletter, Award winning publications, Blog Outsourcing, Blogging Tools, Blogs, Brand enhancement, Building B2B Relationships, Building Customer Community, Building Customer Intuition, business credibility, Business editorial, business magazine | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Mapping Your Search Results

Posted on February 21, 2007 by Kevin G.

I found a great new search engine that displays your search results in a whole new way.

Imagine viewing and modifying your search results in a visual format - like cities displayed on a map. The name of the search engine is Quintura. When you type in a keyword, the search engine will display related terms in varying placement and font size. I haven’t figured out the reasoning behind it, but it might have something to do with relevancy or amount of information.

It’s like sorting through search terms on a map. Try it out for yourself.

February 21, 2007 in audio publication, award winning design, award winning newsletter, Blog Outsourcing, Blogging Tools, Brand enhancement, Building B2B Relationships, Building Customer Intuition, business credibility, business magazine, Business newsletter, Business relationships, company blog, company newsletter, Company newsletters | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

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