We should all take the opportunity to get to know a business top to bottom, side to side. There isn’t a job you shouldn’t want to take on.

For example, in order to learn the motorsports marketing business, you should try taking on any job at a national event. If you are a marketing guy, try selling tickets. If you are a finance person, try being an usher. If your expertise is in HR, maybe you should work in concessions to see the depth of the business. Read More...

Our colleague, Mike Timmesch at Skyline in Minneapolis, had a great article on their website recently. Extracted from his story is this list of key ideas:

1. Know your customers better than anyone else.
2. Market segmentation is essential.
3. Push marketing is broken because the customer is in control.
4. Don’t just measure ROI, keep improving it.
5. Marketing goes beyond the marketing department.
6. Have a marketing career path.
7. Know and live the difference between environmental sustainability and greenwashing.
8. Bridge the sales and marketing divide.
9. Keep your marketing education going after graduation.
10. Market your marketing. Read More...

The single biggest challenge I have ever encountered with shows (on whatever scale) is how to collect leads and what to do with them after you’ve collected them. The problem seems to start with the simple act of collecting them. There are three steps:

1. Collecting them.
2. Processing them.
3. Taking action with them. Read More...

I remember when my kids were little I’d remind them to practice their table manners and good behavior at home so that when we were out in public they’d remember them. Good manners make a good and unforgettable impression on strangers, particularly ones you want to do business with.

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