Business is ChangingWritten by Scott F. Geld
It's common knowledge that Internet has enjoyed explosive growth and has affected nearly every industry in every country in world. It is changing how we socialize, how we educate ourselves and how we do business. Just what are some of these changes?Continually Shorter Product Cycles Especially in software industry, product cycles are becoming shorter and shorter. Typically, a software product goes through several stages before being released; code is developed, product is tested internally, then possibly tested by intended user audience, it's revised and released for sale. Yes, released for sale even though known bugs or deficiencies are present. But these bugs don't affect overall efficiency of product, and 'patches' to fix bug can be issued after product's release and downloaded off internet. The product is out door and in market place competing for sales even though it isn't perfect. Instant Communication Forces Increased Productivity Studies reveal that today's businesses have far less free time to ponder decisions. Email makes it possible to instantly communicate with one another. In business, this accelerated communication means that decisions are expected more quickly. Eliminated are necessary time gaps made possible with snail mail and slower forms of communication. These time gaps must now be filled with increased productivity in order to keep pace and compete.
| | Problems & Solutions. Myths & Facts.Written by Howard Theriot
Problem. Many organizations approach marketing by writing a marketing plan and then putting a lot of energy into producing projects to fulfill that plan. The results are usually 100% effort being put into a strategy which is only 50% developed.Solution. Complete circle. A marketing plan is only as good as a well developed strategy. While your individual campaigns and projects may make up bulk of your budget, establishing and maintaining an appropriate corporate and brand identity will ensure consistency and effectiveness. And targeting your audience by demographics is only half process in lead generation. You must also qualify these prospects in order to produce best ROI. Finally, often overlooked areas of public relations and customer service, which rely more on effort than on dollars, can quite possibly create make-it-or-break-it situation.
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