What shape is your BUSINESS & MARKETING in? Are you prepared for the NEW EVOLUTIONARY AGE of worldwide integrated digital networking? The future's here... and ripe with opportunity!

Short-sighted thinking has put many businesses into an ‘endangered species category.’ When you think about it, you realize it’s contributed to our overall global economic crisis.

The toll of short-sighted thinking on business and our economy is vast  — from large corporations, car companies, banking, real estate, news/print media, entrepreneurs …to home buyers and more!

However, as with all changes, struggles and growth, there are tremendous opportunities… That is, IF you alter your approach and take action.

We are currently in a global new communication/information EVOLUTION, made possible by the integration of digital/computer networking.  The impact of this evolution is changing the way we do business, the way we can connect and interact.  As a result, there are new rules of marketing and PR to be applied.  (If you haven’t yet read David Meerman’s Scott’s book on the subject, you’re missing out!)

So, if you’re going to exert yourself as a business owner or marketer, do as Lorrie Thomas at Web Marketing Therapy (WMT) says, “Go BIG”!  …I also say, “Be thoughtful, think longer-term ….‘break-through’ to the next level! …And do it all ‘ON PURPOSE’!

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The Following are Some Tips for Business Survival & ‘Breakthrough’ Success:

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1. Drive Your Business with Future Vision & Teamwork.

• Build the ‘future’ (long-term vision) into the ‘present.’ When you consciously do this with actions (words, messages, deeds, and company culture) a powerful company can be created!
• It takes teamwork to make the dream work.
• Conduct team meetings to plan, problem-solve & innovate. Pull together your key players or company stake holders for strategic  business planning meetings. You can also bring in supportive consultants, advisory board members, advocates, allies, etc.
• Utilize team assets. Tap into the talents and unique perspectives of your team to create greater business solutions.

2. Create Your Business with Strategies & Tactics Guided by ‘PURPOSE’.

• Use a ‘purpose-guided’ means of problem-solving and innovation. Always have ‘The Purpose’ of each strategic task agreed upon and defined with and by your team.  –This helps keep your team on track while inspiring greater collaboration and actionable decision making everyone can ’stand behind’.   This, along with creative direction techniques, provides an environment that breeds greater business innovation and ‘breakthroughs’.  (See the Breakthrough Thinking Center for great problem-solving techniques.)
• Like Nathanial Hansen at WMT says, “Be a Problem Solver vs. Just a Listener.”

3. Design Your Business for a New Digitally Integrated & Networked World.

• Everything from Television, Newspapers, Magazines, Advertising, Radio, Hand-Held Devises…. to Public Relations has been integrated and changed by the Web 2.0 world.  (Read this blog:  The Internet Has Forever Changed Marketing & PR)
• Re-purpose your current company collateral and communication pieces to be read, heard, and seen on the Internet, hand-held devises, etc.  Be strategic and maximize your impact!

4. Be Highly CUSTOMER-CENTRIC  — Think Globally & Locally.

• Engage in customer relationship building (with existing and new prospective customers). With social media networking and new layers of information available, target marketing is more effective than ever.  The Internet allows for both globally and locally targeted outreach and promotions (You can engage in both, depending on your products and services and how they are fulfilled).
• Even though we’re in a new digital age, remember that the basics rules of relationship building still apply on the web. With an overload of information and contacts available online, I think it’s  more critical than ever.  As we say at WMT, “Web users still need to know, understand, like and trust you.”
• Customers are the reason for existence. Businesses that build strong relationships and respond to customers’ real needs are better equipped to weather changes around them.

• For your business, think of the numerous and unique ways to communicate and build relationships with your customers.  (E.g.: social media networking, events, partners, alliances, teaching engagements –”get involved”)
• Build alliances and affinity relationships.  (*You may find larger businesses more open to building alliances which can help them better reach their target markets.)

5. Become a Teaching & Learning Organization.

• Research & learn. LISTEN to what’s happening in your field… listen to your customers.  Be aware of what’s being said about your organization on the Internet and beyond.  You have more tools than ever for gathering customer research and valuable information on the web.  Be willing to test and try new ideas (it’s a great form of learning).
• Education sells! Providing valued education that your market finds helpful, contributes greatly to business sales (especially now, as customers are more savvy and research oriented).  When customers understand, know, like, and respect you, you can more easily enter their valuable ‘Circle of Trust’.  –Find ways to teach and share some of your expertise.  At the same time, develop a “position of authority” in your field.
• Commit to ongoing education. Commit yourself and your business to on-going education and learning. Learn about your customer market(s).  Understand their growing needs, desires and common interests Strive for ‘continual improvement’ which will inevitably support your growth.

6. Create New PRODUCTS & SERVICES (and/or IMPROVE upon existing).

• Build product and services around your customers’ growing and changing needs. Bring as much unique VALUE and DISTINCTION as possible! Create, improve & innovate!

Web Marketing Related Posts:

1. Small Business: Put Your Eggs in Multiple Baskets for EGGceptional Results!
2. Business & Marketing Success: What’s LOVE got to do with it?
3. Business/On-line Success: MASTER MARKETING STRATEGIES DESIGNED TO INCREASE YOUR SALES!

What secrets lie in humanity’s romance with music?  What is it that attracts us to certain music and/or musicians?  What are these timeless, magical forces, connecting us and deeply impacting our minds and emotions?  Can we learn more about the nature of people in order to build better products, services and customer connections?

With my interest in brain-based creative learning and experience in the educational market, its no wonder my curiosity was peaked when a documentary entitled “The Musical Brain” appeared on my recent United Airlines’ in-flight programing. –Needless to say, I enthusiastically watched.

Sting engages in research regarding the brain and music. --This can teach us all valuable lessons about PEOPLE communications and bonding.

The documentary’s producer, Daniel Levitin, is a neuroscientist, musician, author and the directing founder of Levitin Laboratory for Musical Perception, Cognition, and Expertise at McGill University in Montreal.  For this documentary, Levitin combines the latest science with entertainment, including a variety of experts and musical artists.  A major contributing force in his research and production is Sting, the iconic international musician and songwriter.  Sting agreed to be a guinea pig (test-subject) for scientific exploration, studying how his brain is affected by music.  (*Sting is committed to learning about the science and complexity of the musical arts.)

Below is a breakdown of some of the concepts and discoveries presented in the documentary. I simplified 4 KEY RESEARCH POINTS, while adding my own correlating BUSINESS TIPS to help inspire you to build stronger relationships with your customer base –your own audience!

Research Point #1:

Understanding Relationships/People, Pleasing Expectations, and the Valuable Element of Surprise.

Humans seem to have an innate, deep desire to be understood, reached, engaged, entertained and stimulated. In music and in business, people like a combination of secure, pleasing expectations (or pleasing sounds), while also wanting an element of surprise.  –It peaks another level of attention and interest, while expanding our desire for learning and pushing our envelopes.

BUSINESS TIPS: Think of ways you can assist in building your customer relationships.  View your marketing activities as the art and science needed to reach them. Make sure you understand the people you’re serving.  Do your research. Communicate artfully and simply to your customers/clients with expressive, distinctive words and actions that really reach them. Present some secure predictability, while also presenting something different and unique.  Exceed expectations and/or reach out creatively to your customers.

It’s important to think ‘P2P‘ these days –’PEOPLE TO PEOPLE’!  …It’s not just B2B (Business to Business) or B2C (Business to Consumer) anymore!

Research Point #2:

Engage Your Audience/Customers.  Use Multiple Senses and Modalities for Deeper, More Lasting Impressions.

Good music (or music we like) is effective because of the way it stimulates our brains and emotions; it fully ENGAGES us. It’s auditory, but it’s also rather kinetic. –Music inspires a desire for movement, such as foot-tapping, clapping, and of course, dance movement.  The engaging quality of music helps ingrain it deeper into our brains and memories. Many Alzheimers’ patients will even detect a single note that’s ‘off’ in an old song. (That’s just one of the research studies done in the Levitin Laboratory)

BUSINESS TIPS: Create as many positive interactions and multi-sensory experiences between your company and your customers as you feasibly can.  From face-to-face events to on-line with text, voice, art, sound, etc. Optimize your website’s Feng Shui.  Use the web to integrate your presence. Re-purpose your valuable assets for the web –any video, radio, sales presentations, educational materials, or any other tools you have to maximize your success opportunities.

Research Point #3:

Social Connection and Bonding –A Powerful Element of Music and Business.

Music is highly social and bonding. A variety of sub-cultures are often formed by the types of music people listen to.  In varying degrees, identities can even be built around them, which is often a ‘right of passage’ for teens and young adults.  Not only do we share the experience of listening to music, but we often sing along. We can easily find ourselves, no matter what our skill level, singing aloud…alone in cars, showers, etc.  But, we also find pleasure in singing along together! –This is uniquely human and believed to be part of our deeper desire for a larger connection.

BUSINESS TIPS: Create interactive forums to share your business message, thoughts, philosophies, etc.  Engage in Social Media Networking on the Internet, and relationship building through events, direct interaction and community participation.  Social connection and bonding can be affected significantly by what you do.  If you’re successful, you can also create (or ‘earn the right’ to tap into) a ‘cultural community.’ –This can provide your business with potential for long-term fans or CUSTOMER LOYALTY!

Research Point #4:

Creative Charm, Leadership, and Expressions of Truth/Sincerity.

What is it about musicians that people swoon over… and often, no matter how attractive they look or NOT?  Psychologists feel that it taps into what we’re attracted to… We’re genetically drawn to leader-personas. It’s survival-based.  Leaders also reach their positions through demonstrations of creative skills and talents. In addition, we want to identify with them, and become like them.  An equally important draw, is the level of sincerity or truth delivered by the artist.  We want to connect with them and believe in their sincerity.  We often feel a unique bond as the artist shares something deeply connective with us.  –It’s experienced as something sincere, personal and special.

BUSINESS TIPS: Here it is… it’s simple (yet complex) and critically important:  Be a LEADER, be CREATIVE, be HONEST and SINCERE in your communication and activities.

Is your business the communication equivalent of ‘MUZAK’ (generic elevator music) or are you producing ‘GOOD QUALITY MUSIC’?

(*When Sting’s brain activity was measured while listening to all kinds of music, it completely stopped with Muzak!)

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Like we always say at Web Marketing Therapy (WMT), for greater marketing results (on and off the web) you need to engage in a critical mix of the ART and SCIENCE of business creation and execution.