Few would question the importance of having executives within a firm share a common vision, agree on the firm’s top objectives, and then the major strategies and plans to make those objectives real. Most realize that the leverage executives yield through the resources they control is severely diminished if they are driving in different directions than their peers on the executive team.

The alarming reality is that if you ask each member of the executive team, individually, a series of questions which are core to the business strategy, and then compare the answers, in far too many cases you’d find major deviations, disagreements, and at times positions in direct conflict with one another.

Is Your Technology ‘Marketing Ready’ for 2006?

Now is the time to have your vision clear, your analysis done, your objectives set, your plans ready, and your executive team rearing to go for a fast start in 2006.

To get you on your way, we encourage you to consider participating in "Practical Tools for Strategic Marketing: THE Essential Workshop for Technology Marketers."

The program will be offered December 15-16, 2005 at the Newton Marriott, Newton, MA.

Learn and begin applying practical processes, tools, models and techniques to develop clear, distinctive and integrated strategic marketing plans that have buy-in throughout your organization. Leverage our proprietary Technology Marketer’s Strategy Toolkit to formulate effective marketing strategies to address the challenges of today’s turbulent marketplace.

Here are just two quotes from past participants:

"Excellent! Great prep for our upcoming planning cycle; lifted my eyes up to the horizon... I recommend this to all who are trying to bring order to their marketing and planning processes."

--Tom Cox, President, ExecuTrain, Boston Area

“The process and techniques (I learned) are the best way that I have seen of building rapid consensus around a technology marketing strategy. You will go back to the office with tools that you can immediately apply”.

-- Matthew Goldsbrough, Managing Director, Goldsbrough Consulting Ltd., formerly in senior marketing and business development roles with Hyperion and Informatica

Tailored, on-site workshops are also available

This book by John Guaspari is an oldie - first published in 1985 - but a classic goodie. Its title 'I know it when I see it', with the sub-title 'A modern fable about quality' was chosen when the industry focus was on quality. You can substitute the word ‘marketing’ for ‘quality’ throughout this book and it would apply equally.

Meet Mr. Punctum, a medieval Englishman, who while sleeping one night has an epiphany that the English language would be far livelier if it had punctuation, such as periods and question marks. Being the entrepreneur that he is, he sets up Punctum Inc. and starts manufacturing punctuation marks and selling them to all comers. He owns the market. He expands his product line with commas (bought by the carload by lawyers for placement after “whereas” clauses), special punctuation marks for doctors which were legible only to pharmacists, and semicolons which were preferred over colons by business executives (after consensus choices made by purchasing committees).

See competitors come and go, but Punctum Inc. remains king. Until one competitor shows ‘stayability’ and keeps gaining share, slowly but surely. See Mr. Punctum struggle to find out what is happening and why. Follow him as he conducts market research. Meet his right hand man and his left hand man and listen to their advice. Watch Mr. Punctum exhort his employees to ‘work harder’ and try other management gimmicks with consequent results. See what he finally does to right the ship and set Punctum back on the track of growth, profitability, and high employee morale. His simple discovery, which is applicable to businesses everywhere, is disclosed in the book. You will know it when you see it.

This is ‘quick-read’ book in the class of ‘Who moved my cheese?’

On this 20th anniversary of its first publication, we recommend the book highly. Please don’t let the low price set you off - this is a gem. Its keen messages - delivered in a distinctly clear, light and humorous style - make it a ‘must read’ for ‘bosses’ and those working to become ‘bosses’.

Looking for something to spice up your meeting lunch or coffee breaks? Try a slide show of these 25 charts. Some contain nuggets of wisdom, a number are inspiring, others are humorous, one or two are mind-teasers. Hope you enjoy them. Recommended additions from you are most welcome.

There are eight fundamental marketing steps that transcend product and industry categories that leading marketers embrace, whether they are marketing products, services or championing a cause. You are invited to hear Zuhair Suidan present these 'Eight Steps to Marketing Nirvana' at an exclusive CoolTea meeting on Thursday, October 27, with registration / networking at 6:30 pm and presentation at 7:15 pm, at the Westport VFW-399 Hall, 465 Riverside Avenue, Westport, Connecticut.