tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38227584678649830672024-02-19T16:58:13.933-08:00The View AheadAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08425990677436572238noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3822758467864983067.post-15396111213884460172017-02-15T06:41:00.003-08:002017-02-24T10:01:23.606-08:00Reaching Them by Teaching Them
Connecting to audiences who aren’t falling for your sales pitch
In a world filled to the rafters with tech startups, Tuft & Needle has been doing something interesting for a startup company: making and selling mattresses.
They’ve also been doing something interesting for a mattress company: educating people about the mattress industry.
While ride-sharing companies like Uber andAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3822758467864983067.post-75370410820760295982017-02-14T18:38:00.000-08:002017-02-15T06:38:48.217-08:00Are You Actively Listening to Your Customers for BIG IDEAS?
Not long ago I was in Southern California where I visited with 42 undergraduate instructors at six different colleges.
If you read my article on The Strategy that Almost Got Me Fired, you know I'm fond of some something I call toll booth questions. These are questions that help capture backstories and details of the customer experience.
One of my toll booth questions on Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3822758467864983067.post-83044221249042416092017-02-14T06:35:00.000-08:002017-02-15T06:35:57.300-08:00The Strategy That Almost Got Me Fired
When I began my career as a sales rep in the “textbook publishing” business, Beth Lewis, the talented woman who trained me, insisted that I meet with 20 professors every day.
“The more professors you talk to, the more books you’ll sell,” she told me. Seemed reasonable.
Unfortunately, my misguided attempt to comply with her advice almost got me fired.
Her edict was clear enough, and I vowed Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3822758467864983067.post-13890988676272901262016-04-07T15:21:00.001-07:002016-04-07T15:21:57.107-07:00Anatomy of a School Superintendent
By David Brake
Let me be clear at the outset: I have not physically dissected any school superintendents in the process of writing this blog post. (Sorry if this disappoints anyone.)
But it is a dissection, metaphorically. There’s also a “modest proposal” woven in, one that considers the evident anatomy of school superintendents.
Accepted Beliefs are the Bones of the Beast
Part of my Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3822758467864983067.post-4071774758410697702016-04-05T09:52:00.000-07:002016-04-05T17:00:02.314-07:00The Power of Video in Content Marketing
By Trevor Denton
Video has become a proven method for effectively delivering content online. And as more companies move into content marketing–using education, comedy, drama, and lifestyle as means of brand promotion–the prospect of cutting through the noise to engage target audiences can seem even more overwhelming.
But consider this: an Online Publishers Association study shows that over oneAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3822758467864983067.post-12590466065272930722016-04-01T10:17:00.003-07:002016-04-01T10:18:43.127-07:00PODCAST: Are you Disruptive or Dysfunctional?
Bestselling author Clayton Christensen, author of The Innovator’s Dilemma, has trained his sights on our education system in his book Disrupting Class.
Listen as his coauthor, Michael Horn, talks with David Brake and paints a vivid picture of the problem and talks about the disruptive solutions that are needed to revitalize the system.
This book comes with a warning that it “will challenge Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3822758467864983067.post-90023082493882434052016-03-21T15:44:00.002-07:002016-03-29T11:49:31.793-07:00The Anatomy of a Virtual Focus GroupBy David Brake
Focus groups have been a mainstay of product development for a few decades now. In practice, they are qualitative rather than quantitative events. There is something compelling about having a dialogue with real consumers, and focus groups facilitate a kind of feedback that is simply not possible with standard surveys. Focus groups allow you to show a gathering of eight to ten Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3822758467864983067.post-90467508951046151362016-03-15T13:56:00.000-07:002016-03-18T08:21:34.574-07:00“The Future is Not What it Used to Be” By David Brake
Every product or service begins with an idea and then follows a path through several distinct stages. The Product Development Life Cycle is a way to visualize these stages. Some ideas go from IDEATION to LAUNCH very quickly. Others take years. Every product or service will vary in how it moves through the cycle.
Ideation
As we approach the sixth anniversary of Apple’s iPad, Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3822758467864983067.post-56720208877109125172016-03-11T13:33:00.000-08:002016-03-18T08:21:48.265-07:00Marketing Through Education: How Thought Leadership Will Build You a Better Brand Onlineby Trevor W. Denton, Director of Media and Chief Animator, The Grandview Group
As a director of media production working heavily in educational publishing, I noticed, predictably, our publishing clients’ requests for digital media growing in frequency and scope. As publishers started moving more and more into the online space, as have marketers, musicians, engineers, and—okay, every industry—theAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3822758467864983067.post-23283147192078223422016-03-04T13:15:00.001-08:002016-03-04T21:06:13.463-08:00How Physical Plant Impact's School Safety.An Interview with Bill Burkhart
Bill Burkhart is the Director of Buildings and Grounds at the 10,000 student Dubuque Community School District in Dubuque, Iowa. Bill and his team manage all aspect of physical logistics, construction, and maintenance at over 19 building across the Dubuque community.With school safety constantly in the news, Bill is very aware of the challenges relating to keepingAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3822758467864983067.post-49048096188767448172016-03-02T15:12:00.002-08:002016-03-04T13:23:25.079-08:00Effective School Safety Planning Requires Many Perspectives
By Craig Beytien
Being entrusted with the welfare and education of children is perhaps one of the most important responsibilities in society. We have to get it right, starting with providing a safe place to learn. As Dr. Ronald Stephens, Executive Director of the National School Safety Center says, "A safe learning environment is critical for teachers to teach and students to learn to the best Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3822758467864983067.post-34144780638706828742016-02-29T14:54:00.003-08:002016-03-18T08:22:30.653-07:00K12 School Safety - 3 Reasons to Use Crowdsourcing TechnologyBy: David Brake
Can crowdsourcing technology make schools safer? Absolutely, and there are three reasons you should put it to use at your school. But before I explain, you need to know about The Wisdom of Crowds by James Surowiecki. This bestselling business book was the inspiration for a new technology that “aggregates opinions” and makes it possible to harness the collective wisdom of Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0