And Why John Cleese Tickles Our Funny Bone, Every Time

by Francine Carb, President

I recently attended Kimmel Center lecture by John Cleese. While many of these events are an opportunity to listen to and simply be in the presence of great generals, heads of state, authors, and adventurers, the ‘Master of Silly Walks’ hit the mark with me.

John had quite a few pithy stories and lessons learned to share with the audience. I’ll paraphrase and share them with you, in a business context:

1. Stepping out of political correctness, every now and then, allows us to be honest, without being offensive. There’s great freedom to saying what we mean, without worry about repercussions.

Businesses—especially technically- or engineering-oriented businesses—are often paralyzed by the need to get everything exactly right, rather than focus on the audience. Take a step back, speak in the voice of your customer, and you’ll be heard with honesty and integrity.

2. Being creative requires free time and the ability to just play. Being playful produces lots of creative ideas. When’s the last time you allowed yourself to just play? Without fun, I’m afraid we’re already well down the path to become serious bores.

Take some time to allow yourself and your mind to relax. You’ll be amazed with your newfound ability to problem solve or handle a challenging situation. Go ahead and try that ‘out of the box’ idea you’ve been mulling over. It might be just the thing to get out of your comfort zone and move the bar—especially if you are a leader at your company.

3. Telling a joke, with laughter as a result, requires practice and skill. Telling a joke where people can’t stop crying, cackling, and foot stomping requires a gift.

Not everyone is, or should be, an entertainer; however, laughter can get most people to open up and more easily contribute to a conversation. And isn’t opening up a very useful objective of any company-client or boss-employee relationship.

Ready to have some honest communications with your employees, customers, and peers? Contact the marketing professionals at Markitects for more information about our Markitecture workshops and other consulting services for companies that desire growth.

A Master at Capturing Space… One Church at a Time

by Francine Carb, President

It’s a new year and unlike most of the prior decade, we’ll be facing some unprecedented challenges. Are you ready to take them on? Here are my top 5 business predictions and some prescriptive suggestions to best take advantage of them.

Competition will have a comeback.
There should be no argument that the business climate has been pretty blah for a fairly long period of time. We’ve become complacent and even the most business-savvy of us are used to a bland, if not dreary, competitive environment. That’s going to change this year. With companies upping the ante on investments in capital, people, and technology, you’d better get on your game and start investing in marketing your company. Look to traditional and digital advertising, as well as public relations, to take a jump in 2017.

More businesses will be shopping for your products/services/solutions.
With more competition, and more marketing activity, B2B customers will take shopping very seriously. Price won’t be the major factor either. New ideas, alignment of values, and solid performance will get their attention—while excellent account management and customer service will keep them coming back for more. Look to increased competition for new hires, overall marketing communications, and creative approaches on the rise. Intelligence and creativity will be the most sought after characteristics in companies and people for 2017.

Storytelling will take center stage as the marketing technique of choice.
All businesses have needs. It’s the alignment of these needs with your approach/methodology/culture that will convince new customers to select your company. While experience and skills do matter, storytelling is what will differentiate your company from others. Businesses feel most comfortable when selecting a company who understands their specific needs and has accomplished similar work for similar companies—hence storytelling. Take a hard look at revamping your case studies, testimonials, and presentations to add more engagement. Speak directly to customers to gain the appropriate understanding to become a great raconteur in 2017.

Mobile-friendly is no longer an option.
When is comes to websites, email marketing, and events, it is no longer an option to not be mobile friendly. Google will no longer prioritize your content as important and customers will be less likely to find your information organically. With consumer marketing completely on board, it’s time to ensure that you make a meaningful first impression with B2B customers and prospects alike.

Marketing Automation fees will come down from the stratosphere.
Marketing automation products that are currently sold as upgrades to Salesforce and other CRMs will have to address their exorbitant fee structures in 2017. We all want them; however, we all cannot afford them. 2017 will bring new service offerings and lower fees, so we no longer have to juggle multiple spreadsheets after every marketing outreach campaign—or so I hope.

Check back next year for my top 5 business predictions for 2018!

Looking for out of the “icebox” thinking, masterful execution, and double-digit results from your marketing efforts? Look no further than the professionals at Markitects.

From now until December 31, 2016, if you sign up for a Markitecture strategic planning engagement, you will receive a YETI HOPPER 20.

Your Markitecture includes:

• A half-day workshop
• Competitive analysis for up to 6 competitors
• Client interviews with up to 6 customers
• One hour presentation with 5-10 solid recommendations

For fees and more information contact Francine Carb, President.