Uncategorized - Create Advantage

By Rebel Brown

2 + 2 = 7

<div class="at-above-post-cat-page addthis_tool" data-url="https://rebelbrown.com/2009/05/02/2-2-7/"></div>I was reading an article this morning that IMHO was way off base - presenting some pretty inaccurate conclusions based on standard financial reporting numbers. I was just plain flabbergasted to see the conclusions that were drawn. And published right there on the web - with some credibility!To be fair, I don't think the person writing the article was trying to misrepresent anything. I just think he used the numbers to make his points without fully understanding the numbers. And his conclusions were pretty shaky, at best. I commented back to BNET, so I won't go into the gory details here.***What I want to emphasize is the importance of understanding your numbers - and of spinning them to support your points in a reasonable and logical fashion.Quantitative evidence can be a great boon to companies. They prove the points we want to make. But they can also shoot our credibility in the foot - or even worse. My keys to evidencing with numbers are simple - be accurate, be logical and tell a story that makes sense.<ul style="font-family: inherit;"><li style="font-family: inherit;">Accuracy Matters. Especially in this business. There is always someone in your audience ready to play 'stump the chump' with you and your stories. We all know the kind - someone who knows more than everyone and is just waiting to prove it. The fastest way to shoot down your Phoenix is to use numbers that are inaccurate, or to inaccurately use the correct numbers (as in the case with the article above). Be accurate, be knowledgeable or don't use the numbers. You'll just give that guy in your audience the bullet he needs to shoot you down. </li> </ul> <ul style="font-family: inherit;"> <li style="font-family: inherit;">Be Logical. If you're going to use numbers, whether they are yours, the analysts, some market study's - show the audience the logic you used to draw your conclusions. Logic is the thread that weaves your quantitative evidence together. When your logic is solid and your audience accepts it as trusted expertise - you gain credibility. When you throw out SWAG assumptions or just plain inaccurate logic - well, you better duck that next bullet.</li> <li>Tell Stories. Numbers are the foundation for great stories. For example, I use company growth numbers to tell stories of leadership - even when the growth may not be at the top line and/or company-wide. For example, let's say your overall revenue has declined. But look at that new sector - the one that you just dipped your corporate toe into. You've grown sales by 10x and have some nice customer names to show for it. <NOTE: Sounds like a Phoenix to me!> That evidence shows the success of your transition in a tangible way. Use it to weave your leadership story - the value you bring, the success you're finding - and the customers who make it so. BTW - that market is your most likely next destination!</li> </ul> Numbers are one of the best marketing tools we have. Using them in an accurate and informed way can go a long way in gaining customer credibility as a thoughtful and trusted expert. *** If you care to see what started me thinking, you can check things out for yourself. Here's the article I'm talking about at BNET: <a href="http://industry.bnet.com/technology/10001556/examining-microsofts-and-apples-marketing-spend/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Examining Microsoft and Apple's Marketing Spend</a> <div class="at-below-post-cat-page addthis_tool" data-url="https://rebelbrown.com/2009/05/02/2-2-7/"></div>

By Rebel Brown

The Power of a Blank Whiteboard

<div class="at-above-post-cat-page addthis_tool" data-url="https://rebelbrown.com/2009/04/29/the-power-of-a-blank-whiteboard/"></div>One of the first things I recommend to a new client entering the Phoenix Process is an old fashioned brainstorming meeting. With true out-of-the-box thinking. No ideas are wrong, everything is accepted as a potential and the more ideas the better. <ul style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;"> <li>Start with a blank whiteboard - and I do mean blank. Nothing is a given, nothing is held as fact - everything is in play as part of the process of reinvention.</li> <li>Include everything in your evaluation: Markets, target profiles, value propositions, SWOTs, products, materials, messages, everything that matters to your customer effort. </li> </ul> <ul style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;"> <li>Challenge everything, ask questions, debate everything - there are no Sacred Cows in business.</li> </ul> <ul style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;"> <li>Make sure customers AND prospects are included as part of your process. Customer beliefs are the ultimate test. In the end - when revenues and profits are the bottom line definition of success or failure, nothing else matters but what your customers think - and how they spend their dollars.</li> </ul> By the way, some of your 'facts' and beliefs will indeed be true . But when you hold all of your beliefs in the fires of scrutiny - you'll find that some aren't. Beginning the process, seeing your company and its 'truths' thrown into the fire, is a painful, difficult but very necessary step toward reinvention and rebirth. Objective truth is one of the keys to redefinition.It is one of the biggest challenges my clients face as part of the redefinition process. I like to call the brainstorm meetings 'love in's. Not because they are easy and light, but because of the emotions and passions that arise as part of the process.<a href="http://peoplewhoknow.typepad.com/phoenixrising/2009/03/be-passionate.html"> </a><a href="http://peoplewhoknow.typepad.com/phoenixrising/2009/03/be-passionate.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Passion is great -</a> but direct it to the future, and not to clinging to '<a href="http://peoplewhoknow.typepad.com/phoenixrising/2009/04/but-thats-the-way-weve-always-done-it-.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">'the way we've always done it'.</a> Taking a hard look at your business - and perhaps the very foundation of your own passion - is tough. But you must commit to finding the truth, focusing on your customers' insights and not on your own beliefs. And you must release all 'knowns' to the fire. The assets that stand on the other side, the things you learn along the way and the new ideas that are born as part of the process will form the foundation of reinvention. Before you know it, you'll be flying. <div class="at-below-post-cat-page addthis_tool" data-url="https://rebelbrown.com/2009/04/29/the-power-of-a-blank-whiteboard/"></div>

By Rebel Brown

Be Passionate!

<div class="at-above-post-cat-page addthis_tool" data-url="https://rebelbrown.com/2009/04/17/be-passionate/"></div>A client once introduced me to a sales meeting as the "Energizer Bunny". Another VP of Sales dubbed me the "Texas Tornado". Yep - I'm known for my energy and my passion.I wouldn't have it any other way. I'm passionate about what I do; about my clients and their businesses, about the strategies I help create, about the Phoenix I help to reinvent and send soaring into a bright future. I think marketing and sales people should be passionate - as should executives. Just to be clear, I do not mean passion in the form of fist pounding or gnashing of teeth or rending of garments. I am talking about the passion you see in people's eyes, hear in their voice, feel in the air when a presenter is talking about something that excites them, something that they REALLY believe in. Passion is a powerful emotion. People react more positively to those who tell their story with belief and conviction. <people also="" and="" credibility="" energetically="" eye="" give="" in="" look="" speak="" straight="" tend="" the="" them="" those="" to="" who=""></people>People are drawn to positively passionate people.Take a look around you - at the leaders you admire, the executives you mimic, the speakers you follow in the industry. I bet they are passionate about what they believe or do. So - are you ready to be a passionate advocate for your company, for your Phoenix? Ask yourself the following questions:<ul style="font-family: inherit;"> <li style="font-family: inherit;">Do you believe in your business?</li> <li style="font-family: inherit;">Do you believe in your customers? </li> <li style="font-family: inherit;">Do you believe in your solutions?</li> <li style="font-family: inherit;">Do you believe in your team?</li> <li style="font-family: inherit;">Do you believe that what you are offering is valuable to the market?</li> </ul> If you answered "No" to any of these questions then go back and fix whatever you don't believe in. If you can't stand up in front of a crowd and believe the story you're telling is true, the value you're offering is compelling - then you need to go back to the <a href="http://peoplewhoknow.typepad.com/phoenixrising/2009/03/the-power-of-a-blank-whiteboard.html">whiteboard </a>and start over.If you answered yes to these questions, then it's time to get passionate and go share your story with the world. Let your corporate passion be contagious! <div class="at-below-post-cat-page addthis_tool" data-url="https://rebelbrown.com/2009/04/17/be-passionate/"></div>

By Rebel Brown

What Exactly IS Game Changing?

<div class="at-above-post-cat-page addthis_tool" data-url="https://rebelbrown.com/2009/04/15/what-exactly-is-game-changing/"></div>I hear the 'game changing' or 'paradigm changing' claim a lot, so much so that it's lost some of its power for me. How about you?<ul style="font-family: inherit;"> <li style="font-family: inherit;">Is it new architecture that revolutionizes the market? </li> </ul> <ul style="font-family: inherit;"> <li style="font-family: inherit;">Is it that hot new technology that everyone is buzzing about? </li> </ul> <ul style="font-family: inherit;"> <li style="font-family: inherit;">That latest whizbang gadget that some vendor is claiming will change the world?</li> </ul> Sometimes.But sometimes the things we view as 'game changing' aren't referring to the latest innovation- but rather to the viewer's perspective. Sometimes we're so enamored with the latest and greatest technological wonder that we overlook the game changer that's right under our nose. I'll give you an example - and try to keep the names hidden to protect the guilty. Let's just say:<ul style="font-family: inherit;"> <li style="font-family: inherit;">Company A is a software vendor that believes its differentiation revolves around it's core software application. To support internal development efforts, they've written a language that's pretty darned revolutionary. But with all the other great technology they have, the language has taken a back seat as far as corporate priorities go. </li> </ul> <ul style="font-family: inherit;"> <li style="font-family: inherit;">A few of Company A's employees leave and join the ranks of Company B. Company B is totally focused on a new software environment that is crying for a development language - and so Company A's employees recreate a new and slightly different version of the original language from Company A. To be clear, this was not the same code, but it was pretty much designed to do the same things, more or less. It was simply being applied to a totally different market. </li> </ul> <ul style="font-family: inherit;"> <li style="font-family: inherit;">Company B goes on to market the language as part of its fundamental value - and succeeds big time. The language are accepted as industry standard - and a star is born.</li> </ul> <ul style="font-family: inherit;"> <li style="font-family: inherit;">Company A continues to sell its software solutions, and does okay. It's eventually acquired by another market leader.</li> </ul> Both companies had access to similar technology innovation.Yet only one saw the game changing potential. Company A's junk became Company B's treasure. All because of a fresh perspective.For their Phoenix, the sky was the limit. <div class="at-below-post-cat-page addthis_tool" data-url="https://rebelbrown.com/2009/04/15/what-exactly-is-game-changing/"></div>

By Rebel Brown

Phoenix Rising

<div class="at-above-post-cat-page addthis_tool" data-url="https://rebelbrown.com/2009/04/06/phoenix-rising-2/"></div>The myth of the <a href="http://">Phoenix </a>has always been one of my favorites. Don't you think there's just something too cool about a bird that has the wisdom to torch itself when it's hit the proverbial wall - only to rise from the ashes as a new improved model?I get to use this fabulous mythic creature as the mascot for my work. How fun is that? Phoenix Rising is all about corporate re-definition and re-invention. The concepts and process are based on the knowledge I've accumulated during my thirty something years in the technology business. Phoenix Rising is NOT a one-size-fits-all process. Actually, its as much <a href="http://peoplewhoknow.typepad.com/phoenixrising/2009/03/art-and-science.html">art as it is science. </a>My goal is to offer a guide to recreating/reinventing your company, its products, its market position and most importantly - how your customers and prospects think about and see you. Phoenix Rising isn't just for companies who are in dire straights, although many of the concepts were developed as part of my turnaround work.The fact is that successful companies <a href="http://peoplewhoknow.typepad.com/phoenixrising/2009/03/the-inflection-points.html">reinvent themselves</a> all the time in the face of changing markets and buyers. The really great ones live multiple lives - rising to lead new and evolving markets. Want some examples? Just look at Apple, IBM, Microsoft and even database-centric Oracle. Now there's a flock of Phoenix that have risen again, and again, and again. You can do the same. You just have to think like a <a href="http://">Phoenix</a>. <div class="at-below-post-cat-page addthis_tool" data-url="https://rebelbrown.com/2009/04/06/phoenix-rising-2/"></div>

By Rebel Brown

In Search of the Story

<div class="at-above-post-cat-page addthis_tool" data-url="https://rebelbrown.com/2009/03/28/in-search-of-the-story/"></div>I was replaying a webinar this morning, trying to catch up on a client's competitor. I gave up and shut down after about 15 minutes of random technobabble. I swear, the vendor was throwing everything they could think of at the customer wall - just to see what might stick. I couldn't decipher a story no matter how hard I tried. The most important thing about sharing your marketing messages is to tell a story; a logical, memorable story. Messages in and of themselves are abstract statements. So how do you get them to really hit home? Apply them. Tell stories that focus on real-world situations that resonate with your audience. Don't just babble on about random claims and evidence that you want to talk about. Encapsulate your messages in stories that reflect your audience's experience - and bring them to life. Stories and messaging should do three things:<ul> </ul> <ul> <li>Position your expertise. Stories show your audience that you are, indeed, an expert in your field. Include your logic behind your company's focus and approach, examples of real-world problems you've solved. Then tie it into vision for the future and understanding of the past. </li> </ul> <ul> <li>Educate and add value. Audiences are more attracted to stories that help them in their lives - and a key way to help is to educate your audience in your story. Share information that they may not know, share examples that will help them solve their own related issues. By 'priming the pump' and giving away a bit of value - you'll reap the rewards of a trusted customer relationship in the longer term.</li> </ul> <ul> <li>Answer the most important question to your audience. Which is "So what? What value will I derive from this claim you are making? What’s in it for me?" It doesn't matter what you think is important to them - what matters is what they think. So get into your customers shoes and create stories from their perspective and talk about things that matter to them.</li> </ul> Ok - so you're going to tell a story that's informative, based on real world experiences and that resonates with your customer. There are a few other things I suggest to my clients when creating positioning stories. <ul> </ul> <ul> <li>Be concise. For each area of focus, develop ONE key message. I recommend my clients focus specifically on the three primary areas I defined in my blog Positioning 101. Craft one key message in each of your positioning areas. Not five, not ten. ONE message. Having multiple messages only confuses your audience. Find one key statement in each area that you can support and stick to it.</li> </ul> <ul> <li>Let your evidence speak for you. Support each of your core message statements with evidence in the form of stories. The more evidence the better. <a href="http://peoplewhoknow.typepad.com/phoenixrising/2009/03/its-not-about-you-anymore-it-never-really-was.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Customer-centric evidence</a> is the best approach, followed by evidence from other external sources. Forget making claims about yourself – where’s the credibility in that? </li> </ul> <ul> <li>Test with the right folks. Once you have a messaging matrix- go out and test it with the people that matter - your customers and prospects. Don't test with 100s. A few customers that match your overall target profiles will do nicely. Quality above quantity!</li> </ul> Once you have a final set of messages and stories, prepare to start evolving them as soon as you get customer and sales feedback. Nothing is forever and in the case of messaging - change is a given. Just like the Phoenix – messaging must recreate itself to become more and more powerful. To learn more about my approach to using a positioning matrix to create stories, read my eBook. <div class="at-below-post-cat-page addthis_tool" data-url="https://rebelbrown.com/2009/03/28/in-search-of-the-story/"></div>

By Rebel Brown

Everything Old is New Again

<div class="at-above-post-cat-page addthis_tool" data-url="https://rebelbrown.com/2009/03/27/everything-old-is-new-again/"></div>That's certainly true in the tech business, now isn't it? It surely is for me and my 'gang'. We've experienced 3 major eras in the technology business. Just to show our age - many of us ( me included) were in this business long before the PC saw the light of day. I wonder if we're growing cynical in our old age. We used to be so excited about every new innovation. These days, we just compare what's 'hot' to what we've seen before. Same song, different key. Although there IS still really cool stuff. Cool. Think about it: <ul> <li>We started with large proprietary centralized systems: These systems processed the data and delivered the results to local terminals, then later remote displays. We evolved from tubes to transistors, then circuits then chips and until we powered the ultimate mainframe. </li> </ul> <ul> <li>We moved to 'open' distributed systems: First there were PCs and DOS/Windows (remember those hot dual 5 1/4' floppies?), then UNIX workstations, then UNIX and client/server, then the GRID and now, well... </li> </ul> <ul> <li>Now we are returning to large 'open' scalable systems: These systems live at the core (of your cloud or data center or at an aggregator), process data (from transactions to digital media to streaming files) and deliver the results to remote users (browsers, PCs, cell phones and PDAs - and soon to your refrigerator. No, wait, we can do that now, too.) </li> </ul> Let's face it. There are only so many combinations and designs that can be applied to a computing architecture. Only so many different ways that we can collect, store and manage data, develop applications, process them, and then deliver the results to the ultimate user. I'm not saying that innovation isn't important. It is.I am saying that innovation can come in the way you view and apply your current IP, rather from engineering something new.Case in Point: Just take a look at High Performance Computing. <ul> <li> The Past: Traditional HPC companies built amazing (and very expensive/proprietary) systems and software to process large scale, complex, high diverse data. They also built sophisticated graphical interfaces for visualizing results (CAVEs)</li> </ul> <ul> <li>The Present:Newer HPC vendors have applied supercomputing expertise and Intellectual Property to commodity systems - making them affordable for a broader audience. Today HPC applications permeate commercial industries including product design, entertainment, healthcare, energy and more. </li> </ul> <ul> <li>The Future: Guess what? Many of those same HPC technologies are leading the way for tomorrow's world of interactive computing. From immersive gaming, sports and entertainment to virtual worlds to Web 3.0 - high performance computing fundamentals are powering next generation experiences. And changing the way we view and interact with our world.</li> </ul> Some former HPC leaders are falling by the wayside. Yet those who can take a different perspective are applying that same IP and expertise to power new and exciting markets. So, what's the takeaway here? When you're in a Phoenix cycle, searching for your fuel, your assets that will power your next rise to success ... don't assume your value is necessarily in that new whizbang IP you're developing. Maybe you don't have to look as far as you think. <div class="at-below-post-cat-page addthis_tool" data-url="https://rebelbrown.com/2009/03/27/everything-old-is-new-again/"></div>

By Rebel Brown

Three Adjectives and a Noun is NOT a Positioning Statement

<div class="at-above-post-cat-page addthis_tool" data-url="https://rebelbrown.com/2009/03/27/three-adjectives-and-a-noun-is-not-a-positioning-statement/"></div>When I first started my consulting business 20 years ago, I created a Random Positioning Generator as a joke. But you know what? That Generator was one of the best examples ever of what NOT to do in marketing. Too bad we didn’t take those gadgets seriously. The generator contained four columns of words. The first three columns included ’chest thumping’ adjectives that represented the most popular buzzwords used by IT vendors. And the fourth column included a variety of nouns, where the adjectives could be applied. My gig was to randomly select a word from each of the columns, combine them all together and create a claim that some industry vendor was already using to promote their "stuff”. My client’s laughed as we played the game and selected words to create positioning statements. That is, until sooner or later, we selected a combination of words that were exactly mapped to one of their claims. Then they would laugh as well, but they got the point. Why is it that marketing folks tend to think that simply streaming popular buzzwords and ‘chest thumping’ adjectives together results in a powerful positioning statement? And by the way, we all know we do it, we kid about it, poke fun at the other guys doing it -- and then turn right around and do the same thing. Yes, we want to create ‘buzz’. But that doesn’t mean we have to use buzzwords to get there. As a matter of fact, buzzwords can make it harder to create buzz for you and your products. When you sound just like everyone else – you’re creating noise – not buzz. So how do you come to a strong positioning statement? Here are some simple rules to stop the positioning noise:<o:p></o:p> <ul style="font-family: inherit;"> <li style="font-family: inherit;">Use words that matter to your customers. Go out and talk to your customers. Listen closely to the words and phrases they use to describe the benefits that your product brings to them. Capture those words -- the simpler the better. Forget about the complicated buzzwords and terminology that IT vendors make up. Those words will come and go along with the next cycle of computing architecture. </li> </ul> <ul style="font-family: inherit;"> <li style="font-family: inherit;">Keep It Simple: Yes, the KISS principle applies in marketing and sales just as it does in other aspects of your business. Simple statements don’t have to be fluff – they can be quite powerful. Simplicity brings clarity – and clear messages are the Holy Grail of positioning.</li> </ul> <ul style="font-family: inherit;"> <li style="font-family: inherit;">Apply Your Value: Great big claims can be made about darned near anything. Many companies make big nebulous claims assuming that their audience will recognize the inherent value and apply it to their own situation. Not so. That’s YOUR job. Real positioning power comes when you apply a clear and concise value claim to a real-world scenario that your audience ‘gets’. Asking your audience to extract the value from generic, buzzword-ridden claims is risky at best. Remember, everyone comes to the party with their own perception. Unless you manage that perception with your own clarity and specifically applied value, you’re asking for trouble.</li> </ul> <ul style="font-family: inherit;"> <li style="font-family: inherit;">Let the Evidence Speak for You: I continue to be amazed at how many companies make gargantuan ‘chest thumping’ claims without the evidence to support them. “But we don’t have any numbers” goes the response. Who said evidence had to be quantitative? It’s super when it can be – but evidence is all around us in the form of our customers’ successes. So go out there and let that evidence speak for you – clearly and concisely. </li> </ul> The bottom line is that to be powerful, positioning statements have to be clear and concise, applicable to your audience and their specific perceptions and have to demonstrate your value in a compelling customer situation. Let the competitors keep generating buzzwords – while you go generate revenue. <div class="at-below-post-cat-page addthis_tool" data-url="https://rebelbrown.com/2009/03/27/three-adjectives-and-a-noun-is-not-a-positioning-statement/"></div>