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The Role of Marketing for Boards of Directors
Small and emerging companies often do not put together a board of advisors or board of directors for many reasons. Some entrepreneurs believe that businessmen and women would not be willing to serve on their board of advisors for the little or no compensation that the new company can afford. Another reason small and emerging companies do not have boards of advisors is that often the entrepreneur does not want advice from others. In some extreme cases, entrepreneurs believe they do not need advice from others. GSI knows better.GSI works with entrepreneurs, like Kelly O’Brien, President of TurningPointe Marketing, www.turningpointemarketing.com, who has hired our firm to assist her in putting together a strong board of advisors to help her grow her company. Entrepreneurs like Kelly O’Brien are finding out that having a board of advisors for your company that meets regularly can pay huge dividends.Beginning with its first meeting on November 18, 2004, Turning Pointe Marketing’s board of advisors consisting of 6-12 members will meet quarterly for one year to help expand the company’s business model. Currently the company provides intensive marketing clinics twice a month for its clients where Ms. O’Brien, in a classroom/boardroom environment, helps create marketing approaches for each of the company’s clients.In the future, the Turning Pointe Marketing will greatly expand its use of technology, virtual classrooms and will be writing articles and books on marketing for a broad audience. The board of advisors will play an essential role in making this large-scale expansion of the offerings and media used by the company a reality within two years.For more information on TurningPointe Marketing, contact Kelly O’Brien at kelly@turningpointemarketing.com. For more information on the services that GSI provides to help organizations create and manage boards of advisors and boards of directors, please contact Herb Rubenstein at herb@growth-strategies.com.

omers, and snubbing them for the larger orders. This is short-term profitability and long-term disaster. When those large order companies go out of business or are consolidated, the supplier could be left without any customers.

Complacency of either partner is an insidious relationship-killer. Continuously ask your alliance partner questions in a way that encourages them to relate performance problems and shortcomings. Ask, "What haven’t we done lately?" And ask, “What is it you really need from us?”

Dependency on your alliance partner can put your business at a similar risk. If you become the weak link in the alliance and your alliance relationship no longer delivers value to your partner, more than not, they will discontinue the alliance.

If you or your alliance partner is not relationship oriented little problems can easily escalate. Then anger comes and the blaming others for your current situation. The not invented here, mentality often exhibited by senior management is a result of low relationship tolerance. Also the lack of commitment to the alliance or innovations developed by alliance partners can easily slay your relationship.

There is the situation where you might lose control of a technology or best practice to an alliance partner who later becomes a competitor. A while back, Staples and Office Depot were going to merge but it did not work out. A problem for Office Depot was that Staples learned of an Office Depot best practice during the merger talks. Office Depot was delivering COD to small businesses in the northeast and getting most of the business. After the failed merger, Stapled duplicated Office Depot’s practice and took away Office Depot’s competitive advantage in the area.

Goals Based Pitfalls

In situations where a customer is the driving force behind a Partnering arrangement,

Is Your Underperforming Employee Incompetent Or Is It AADD
AADD – Adult Attention Deficit Disorder is often difficult to understand. This is especially true when it exists in one of your key employees. It may often be disguised as peer relationship problems, moodiness, forgetfulness, lack of commitment, complacency and even substance abuse. Now for the disclaimer --- I am not a medical doctor nor do I profess to be an expert on AADD. The objective of this article is simply to bring to your attention that erratic, unusual and unacceptable behavior can sometimes be related to a medical condition that often is overlooked. This condition is called Adult Attention Deficit Disorder. If this article suggests any familiarity of circumstance with any of your employees then seek a professional medical opinion.It’s Not Just For KidsMistakenly, people have believed that ADD was a childhood condition that often disappeared at the onset of adulthood. That is not always the case. It has been proven that ADD often persists into adulthood and can have a dramatic impact on an employee’s performance at work. It has been reported that more than 50% of children diagnosed with ADD carry the condition well into their adult lives.However, ADD in adults is difficult to recognize. Sometimes when an employee has difficulty starting a task, staying focused and following through it is simply considered poor performance or incompetence. The inability to pay attention for long periods of time is a common symptom of ADD. The inability to complete assignments, lack of organization and talking excessively are also common symptoms. It is easy to understand why this behavior is often interpreted as plain old poor performance. However, other symptoms for ADD often occur in addition to those behaviors that may mislead us. Other symptoms include a lack of self control, poor memory, anxiety, depression, punctuality, poor attendance and inconsistent emotional behavior.If one of your underperforming employees has ADD and it has not been recognized or treated, it is likely that this employee will also demonstrate a very low self esteem. They may seem to be lazy and feel like they are not as smart as everybody else.Be careful of AssumptionsDon’t make assumptions. If you have a valuable employee that you suspect is not living up to your expectations you might want to consider asking them to be tested. However, before you make that l

Caveat Pars, partners beware! Partnering, as with any activity, has its unexpected challenges and pitfalls. Actually, this is probably more so than in traditional adversary relationships. In adversary relationships you must always watch your back. In relationships based on trust or what is perceived as trust, one can be lulled into a false sense of security. While you need to protect yourself from these dangerous situations, you do not want to create them by exhibiting the wrong attitude.

To keep your alliances healthy, conflict should be dealt with immediately. This is your best chance for moving forward in any relationship. But, improperly challenged, conflict can be the death sentence to an alliance.

Alliance conflict emanates from five core areas:

1. Values

2. Goals

3. Facts

4. Procedures

5. Misinformation

Conflict doesn't have to be a roadblock to a successful alliance if you and your partnering alliance members are willing to resolve the conflict at the core level, in a timely manner. In fact, the resolved conflict can lead to a stronger relationship through improved communication. Unfortunately, conflict that is left unresolved will lead to fatal flaws that will erode the relationship.

Some of the more common areas of conflict in alliance relationships are accessibility, culture clashes, hidden agendas, management tenure, poor communications and unrealistic expectations. Many advocates and consultants for alliances believe that the alliance mortality rate is around 50 percent.

If you wait to build partnering relationships until all the potential pitfalls are unearthed, your industry will pass you by. Others, who you might have considered as possible members for strategic alliances, might be aligned with your competition. Be realistic though, as with a spouse, partnering alliance members don't change with time. They do not become, who and what, you want them to be. But rather, evolve to whom and what they desire. If you suspect core problems, you probably are accurate in your assessment and the chances for a successful alliance is greatly diminished. Partnering, like marriage, will not change people. What it does do, is to remove the facades, and exposes the good and bad.

Trust in others and the belief that alliance Partnering starts at the top are crucial elements to your success. These two topics are frequent causes for failed Partnering agreements when they're not followed. Also, in alliance agreements, be cautious of things you can't see now but may experience later. Little things like the small print in a detailed alliance contract. Don't let your enthusiasm cloud your judgment.

Just because you're working with a company of integrity, it doesn't mean they will look out for you. Even in a Partnering relationship, you are still accountable for your own success and well-being. Make sure your bottom-line expectations take into account that servicing the partnering agreement is going to require extra resources. Be certain of everybody's alliance partnering goals. Here are examples of potential Partnering pitfalls. Be aware of them before you enter an agreement. Your chances for success will increase.

At Timex:

Timex, for example learned the hard way. They forfeited $60 million in lost revenue and learned about the challenges of Partnering overseas. You could say it took a licking and kept on ticking. After 18 months of frustration, Timex wanted out of the partnership it created in India. It all started a decade ago when it was illegal to export watches into India. Timex wanted into the market and proceeded to select a local watchmaker as its partner. Unfortunately Timex should have spent more time on due diligence and asked around a bit more about the partner to be. Timex assumed it could dominate the relationship and have the Indian manufacturer carry out its manufacturing needs on cue.

Was Timex surprised? The head of Timex’s joint venture in India, Robert Werner was quoted in a Los Angeles Times article as stating, “Until its Indian joint venture, Timex had been accustomed to owning companies outright, and its problems in India were a learning experience for many at Timex.” He said It took Timex six months of negotiations and an undisclosed settlement before the company could rid itself of the partner.

Today, Timex is happily partnered with Indian watchmaker Titan Industries, which is a subsidiary of Tata Group, one of the largest corporations in India. The Timex-Tata joint venture went to market in late 1992 and in its first year sold 400,000 watches. Two years later annual sales leaped to 1.9 million watches. They have been enjoying partnering success for over a decade now.

At Donnelly Corporation:

Founded in 1905, Donnelly Corporation started as a glass mirror manufacturer and supplier for the turn-of-the-century (1900) furniture industry. Today, through joint ventures and strategic alliances, they have operations in 12 countries and are successfully Partnering around the globe.

Dwane Baumgardner, chairman & CEO at Donnelly feels strongly about what it takes for Partnering to work. When we visited at their Holland, MI headquarters he said to me, "If you have management that is not operating on the basic believe, that it has to start at the top, those beliefs have to be held and permeated throughout the organization. For example, with employees, if you have to believe your people can be trusted, that they want to work together in a supportive and cooperative fashion. The same must be true with another company; you have to believe when you form a strategic alliance that they will operate with the same motive that you operate. If you don't have those beliefs, I think you're going to run into problems."

Values Based Pitfalls

In looking at the issue of values, frequently partners of an alliance will have core values that are conflicting. This is especially a problem with issues like trust and integrity. Corporate culture clashes; employee turf protection, and resistance of certain employees to new ideas can wreak havoc on your efforts to maintain a prosperous alliance.

When one of the alliances partners does not completely embrace the principles of Partnering, big challenges occur. This can include top-level executives or even supervisory and functional employees in departments, divisions or regions within a Partnering organization. As an example, DuPont believes that if a contractor is looking just to maximize his profits, on just one job, then Partnering with that contractor is not for DuPont because they know there will be problems in the relationship.

Because the dynamics of alliance relationships are constantly changing, inflexibility of partners can kill an alliance quickly. Each member must be willing to give a little, especially in times of change for a Partnering agreement to work. Just as devastating is a partner making a Partnering commitment, and having a hidden agenda that would be destructive to the alliance. Not quite as bad is a partner deciding they don't want to follow through, or one that does not have the capability to fulfill their commitment.

Supplier relationships can become challenging, especially when business is great. Suppliers can make the relationship mistake of conveniently forgetting about the loyalty of smaller long-term customers, and snubbing them for the larger orders. This is short-term profitability and long-term disaster. When those large order companies go out of business or are consolidated, the supplier could be left without any customers.

Goals Based Pitfalls

In situations where a customer is the driving force behind a Partnering arrangement,

Don't Neglect Those Seminar Rituals
Once everything is in place for your seminar, workshop, conference or other event and all of the finishing touches have been applied to the main venue room, make a point of testing the delegate experience. Run a presentation or a video on the screen and try out seats in all corners of the room to check for screen and text visibility. Test the sound level at the furthest point from the stage and remember to compensate for the deadening factor of the audience. You will also want to find areas that you feel may be problematic once the audience has arrived so that you can quickly make adjustments.As you sit in various seats, pay attention to the overall feel of being there.• Is it pleasant?• Are there draughts from doors or air-conditioning units?• Can you smell cooking from the kitchens?• Does the room look clean and tidy from this angle?• Are there distractions like activity outside a window that the presenters cannot see but the audience can?• Does the view from the seat reflect the value of the ticket?Remember that, for longer events, this seat may be home-for-a-day to your delegate and they will appreciate small touches like easily reachable water bottles and bowls of mints. The arrival ritualAs on any other public occasion, people have certain expectations when they arrive at an event. It is a kind of ritual that must be undertaken to gain entry to the magic kingdom of information.If a delegate has been invited or has been pre-registered, they should be able to arrive twenty minutes or more before the start time and find a table outside the event rooms covered in name badges neatly arranged in alphabetical order. This table will be managed by a smiling administrator ready to acknowledge them quickly, to welcome them and to provide them with their name badge and any supplementary information they will need. The additional information is usually contained in a professionally prepared folder.The administrator will direct them from the reception table to a coffee area and will also provide them with information about the location of toilets, telephones and smoking areas.Many will have come alone and may not be acquainted with other delegates. To ease any awkwardness, some quiet background music will disguise uncomfortable silences. The event team, especially the presenters are expecte

spouse, partnering alliance members don't change with time. They do not become, who and what, you want them to be. But rather, evolve to whom and what they desire. If you suspect core problems, you probably are accurate in your assessment and the chances for a successful alliance is greatly diminished. Partnering, like marriage, will not change people. What it does do, is to remove the facades, and exposes the good and bad.

At Timex:

At Donnelly Corporation:

Values Based Pitfalls

Goals Based Pitfalls

In situations where a customer is the driving force behind a Partnering arrangement,

Networking Groups - Try To Attend Even When You're Moonlighting
Networking groups often meet during the day. This poses a logistical problem for those computer and IT consultants who have regular jobs and are moonlighting as they try to start their business. Attending networking groups is critical for business success so you need to be able to balance the conflicting time schedules as effectively as possible.Here are some tips on how to attend networking groups when you're moonlighting:First, look for networking groups that hold their functions in the early evenings. There should be quite a few networking groups that have this type of schedule. This allows you to minimize your time off work.If you have to leave work early to attend a networking group function, try to minimize the disruption to your employer. Give lots of notice and try to get your work caught up ahead of time.Consider using up personal days in order to attend the "can't miss" networking events that crop up.If you find there are networking groups that like to meet for breakfast, arrange to arrive at work late.Long lunches are another strategy to use when trying to attend networking events. These mid day meetings tend to be the least disruptive to your work and your consulting gigs.Be choosy about what networking groups you join and which functions you attend. Identify the "must go to" events and consider foregoing those that are not as appealing. In a perfect world you would attend any and every networking group but when you are moonlighting you will have to compromise.The Bottom Line on Networking GroupsThe key thing to remember when considering how to attend networking groups while moonlighting is this: you need to get out and attend these events. Your business needs the contacts you will make through these networking groups. It is up to you to arrange your schedule so you can attend the events your networking groups put on. You might have to get creative by going in late, taking long lunches, using up personal days, asking for the day off because your hamster is sick, or having another doctor's appointment to deal with that stubborn itch. Whatever you do, don't jeopardize your job but make an honest effort to attend as many networking group functions as feasible.Copyright MMI-MMVI, Computer Consultants Secrets. All Worldwide Rights Reserved. {Attention Publishers: Live hyperlink in au

nately Timex should have spent more time on due diligence and asked around a bit more about the partner to be. Timex assumed it could dominate the relationship and have the Indian manufacturer carry out its manufacturing needs on cue.

At Donnelly Corporation:

Values Based Pitfalls

Goals Based Pitfalls

In situations where a customer is the driving force behind a Partnering arrangement,

Increasing Employee Retention Through Employee Engagement
You’ve seen it happen many times. An organization that provides top wages and benefits loses a great employee to a competitor for no apparent reason. Of course, some employee turnover is to be expected, but if your company is truly engaging your employees, there is no good reason for the unexpected loss of quality staff members. Many companies already know that wages and benefits are important to employees, but compensation alone is not enough to keep the highly skilled, motivated and experienced workforce your business needs to excel. Defining Employee Engagement What is employee engagement exactly? AlphaMeasure defines employee engagement as the level of commitment and involvement an employee has towards their organization and its values. The primary behaviors of engaged employees are speaking positively about the organization to coworkers, potential employees and customers, having a strong desire to be a member of the organization, and exerting extra effort to contribute to the organization’s success. Many smart organizations work to develop and nurture engagement. It is important to note, the employee engagement process does require a two-way relationship between employer and employee. Why is Employment Engagement so important? An organization’s capacity to manage employee engagement is closely related to its ability to achieve high performance levels and superior business results. Engaged employees will stay with the company, be an advocate of the company and its products and services, and contribute to bottom line business success. Engaged employees also normally perform better and are more motivated. There is a significant link between employee engagement and profitability. Employee engagement is critical to any organization that seeks not only to retain valued employees, but also increase its level of performance. Factors of Engagement Many organizational factors influence employee engagement and retention such as: A culture of respect where outstanding work is valued Availability of constructive feedback and mentoring Opportunity for advancement and professional development Fair and appropriate reward, recognition and incentive systems Availability of effective leadership Clear job expectations Adequate to

ative fashion. The same must be true with another company; you have to believe when you form a strategic alliance that they will operate with the same motive that you operate. If you don't have those beliefs, I think you're going to run into problems."

Values Based Pitfalls

Goals Based Pitfalls

In situations where a customer is the driving force behind a Partnering arrangement,

The Single Worst Mistake You Can Make When Buying A Business
Okay, so you've spent several months shopping around for a business to buy.You have your financing lined up.The numbers look excellent.Everything seems profitable, and everything is perfect.Except for one thing.And that is...unless you've bought a business with a system in place that literally "runs itself" -- whether or not you show up every day -- all you've done is buy yourself a glorified job.A job where you will probably make (if you measure your income per hour) less than most of your employees.A job that will likely cause you an enormous amount of stress, anxiety and pressure every single day of the week -- including weekends.Why do I say this?Because that is what happens many times when someone buys a business without the proper systems already installed.You see, the key to buying a business is making sure you buy one that works on its own, whether you are there or not.I like the way best selling author Robert Kiyosaki explains it in his book, "Rich Dad, Poor Dad."He defines the ideal business as the kind where you can go away for a year (or longer) and come back to find your business stronger than when you left.In other words, the "machine" that runs your business should be so fine-tuned your presence is almost an interference. Where you actually make more money when you're out playing golf or goofing off with your kids at Disney Land.Of course, this begs the question of how exactly do you find businesses like that, especially for sale?That's a good question.Luckily, the answer is pretty simple:And that is don't even bother looking at a business that is not worth at least a million dollars.In fact, the bigger the business the better.Why?Two reasons:1.) First of all, if you use private investors, it's easier to get financing for these kinds of businesses.Frankly, you will find it MUCH easier to get financing from investors (as opposed to a bank, for example) because they are always looking for good deals.And if you can show them the business makes sense, many investors will jump on board with you in a heartbeat.2.) And secondly, if you have a large, multi-million dollar business, you will have more than enough money to pay an experienced manager to "run" everything for you.In fact, if you fi

Goals Based Pitfalls

In situations where a customer is the driving force behind a Partnering arrangement, you can be left holding the bag. Be sure to examine each Partnering proposal in the context of your company's overall business strategy. This challenge was recently apparent to IBM and it discontinued its alliance with Somerset PowerPC and Motorola, in producing microprocessors for Apple.

When sitting down at the Partnering table a partner might find the relationship seat uncomfortable. It could be that your partner has a different level of emotional and physical comfort, or sometimes it is simply a change in corporate strategy or a restructuring which leads away from a partner's product and/or technology causing the partners distress. It is important that you know the short and long-term goals of your alliance partner.

When you try to partner with a potential or current customer and have them renege on the promise of purchasing from you, the disloyalty challenges that can occur can be wasteful. Be cautious, as there is also the possibility of your partner being unethical and attempting to capture your technology or trade secrets. This is a difficult area from which to protect yourself, but if you do your due diligence, your chances for success increase.

Facts Based Pitfalls

Relinquishing some control with the expectation of greater shared returns can be a difficult waiting game. Additionally, your resources can get pulled in too many directions based on collective alliance decisions. Be certain you can spare the resources you devote to your alliance. Otherwise you may put the success of your entire operation in harm’s way.

The lack of third-party cooperation can be a true relationship problem. All the primary members of a Partnering agreement will have to give a little for your agreement to work. Worse yet is your partner receiving unfavorable or harmful media coverage. This is because you are usually pulled into the picture and believed guilty by association. Real or perceived, image and reputation are critical to any company's success.

Be careful in global alliances. Contracts with an overseas market, for instance, often take a long time to finalize. By the time you get going, in the technology industries, your competition may have already gotten started. If you are already behind and you have developed an alliance with a partner organization that is weak and bleeding, they will only bring you down faster and harder.

Procedures Based Pitfalls

It is easy to underestimate how much time, energy and resources will be necessary to commit to your new alliance. Then not having access to your alliance partner’s employees is an important issue. The closer the planned relationship between the two companies, the greater the importance of the linkages between them. You might find yourself in a situation of a small company Partnering with a large company. A challenge in working together will be that of the representatives, usually top executives of the small can make decisions on the spot. Unfortunately, the employees of the giant must take a proposal up the chain of command. This sometimes slows progress to a snail’s pace.

Culture clash is a frequent Partnering challenge. The failed alliance of IBM and Apple is a typical example. The heralded announcement promising cooperation eventually spawned Taligent Technology and Kaleida Labs. Unfortunately the two could not coexist so the alliances eventually gave way to a quiet breakup within five years.

Putting all your alliance relationship eggs in the basket of only one executive or manager is not a smart idea. The management tenure of your alliance contact can signal success or failure. If you have a one-person relationship, what happens if they get promoted out of the area, fired or even die? You are out of luck. Build relationships with several key contacts in the organization of your alliance partner.

What if your partner’s internal or external rewards structure interferes with the success of the alliance? This could apply to employees, customers or suppliers. If you are a supply partner and your partner has traditional rewards for their buyers, the buyers will only be interested in concessions and cost reductions. On the flip side, sellers usually offer rewards for sales performance and this also can be challenging in making a relationship work.

There certainly is a difficulty in communicating across various time zones. Solving problems quickly when your Partnering factory is located halfway around the world is hard enough, but when also speak a different language, that just makes it more of a formidable task.

Inertia, not having the emotional ownership in getting started is a true pitfall. Add this to chaos, seeing too many alliance choices and ways to create an alliance, some never do get started. The two sides of the sword are, if you wait for everything to be perfect, they never will. And if you do not put enough energy into an intelligent choice, your alliance could be doomed from its inception.

Misinformation Based Pitfalls

You could easily be guilty of underestimating the complexity of coordinating and integrating corporate resources, and overestimating your partner's abilities to achieve the end result. Self-doubt and not believing you have the skills and tools to create an alliance can crop up here.

Eventually, Partnering success depends on management’s abilities, skills, commitment, aspirations and passions in assembling the pieces of the puzzle. When unequal dependence in a relationship occurs, the partner with the least dependence could be less likely to compromise and put energy into the relationship.

Meanings assigned to words by different cultures can cause serious problems. In one culture quick delivery could mean one day and in another it could mean one month. This opens the can of worms often referred to as unrealistic expectations of a partner's capabilities. The areas commonly include technology, research, production skills, marketing might, and financial backing.

We also have the unexpected inefficiencies or poor management practices of a partner that can be the demise of a well-intended alliance plan. Also at risk is the area of developing an alliance with multiple partners, who later become rivals to one another. This puts a serious strain on the integrity of the remaining alliance.

Now that you've had a view of Partnering from the downside, don't let these hurdles stop you. Be clear on what alliance partnering is not. It is not instant gratification, nor a quick fix. It is not a flavor of the month management strategy. Strategic alliances are separate entities that have come together to solve their individual problems in a way that serves the whole mutually. It is sharing core competencies that overlap and create synergies. The struggle is a necessary part of any relationship that is valuable and lasting.

To reduce the effects of Partnering pitfalls, David Elliott, senior vice president and chief administrative officer at Technicolor in Hollywood, CA shared his thoughts with me. "If a partner fails to meet their responsibilities, a clear agenda is necessary that both sides are operating from. When the agendas are different or conflicted—that’s a problem.” He went on to say, “We don't have partnering horror stories because we include an exit strategy, before going into the relationship.”

Elliott's advice for others entering into partnering re

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If you're still managing your marketing promotion campaigns in-house, you should consider outsourcing to a promotional advertising and marketing firm that offers a complete variety of support service.

The concept of Local Marketing is not well understood by many business owners and the business opportunities that are lost could very well spell the difference between success and failure. The whole concept of any marketing is to increase sales but with Local Marketing you concentrate your efforts on a specific target market located in your franchise area. The author leads you through some of the finer points in this very important subject.

If you own a boat cleaning and detailing service then you know that most of your business will come from referrals. In fact, some industry specialists in the boat cleaning and detailing business state that up to 80 percent of the business comes from referrals or word-of-mouth advertising.

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