It’s an intimidating question. How many CEOs of companies under $100 million can confidently say that they’re influencing the market? Very few. There are only a few companies that influence any market; the rest of the companies are just followers. The simplest way to influence a market is with a patent or legal barrier. The

Note: This is part 2 of a 4-part series. Last week, I talked about creating differentiation to separate yourself from the pack. An important point to remember is this – differentiation doesn’t take place in your mind; it takes place in the mind of your buyer. Many B2B executives miss this point, focusing on differentiation

In an earlier post, I talked about the importance of patience while implementing a strategic marketing program. This type of initiative is very different from a typical marketing campaign, where you usually know how well it’s working right away. In a business-to-business company, the rewards of a well-executed strategic marketing program can take months, quarters

In my last post, I talked about some of the common high-level marketing challenges that many mid-market CEOs experience, and provided some recommendations on how to address them in 2015. In this post, I’ll address many of the common operational marketing challenges I see, and discuss how I’ve resolved them in my own companies and

In my last post, I talked about a “solution” to the frustration that many mid-market CEOs and leadership teams feel when it comes to the marketing function. Today, I’d like to take the next step and provide some actionable items that many of you can begin tackling right now and in 2015. I’ll start with

To most mid-market CEOs, the term “marketing” is one that causes frustration at some level. And there’s a good reason why: The marketing function is the least understood business function for most mid-market companies, and it has changed more than any other function over the last 20 years. When you take something that’s already confusing

Last month I talked about how to inspire action by communicating from the inside out. This certainly struck a chord; it was great to hear from so many of you. Once you realize that communicating from inside out is more likely to inspire people and change behaviors, the next step is determine exactly what you

Many of you have heard me talk about the importance of having a clear purpose – for yourself and for your company. People want to be inspired. Your employees want to be inspired. If your company can’t inspire them, they create their own sense of purpose and end up leaving you when they find a