Today, I went with my wife to the Big Ten Conference’s headquarters in Rosemont (near Chicago), Illinois for the 2015 STRENGTH Conference hosted by The Thought Board. A dozen speakers and panelists shared their insight and expertise on how to exhibit strong leadership, financial management, corporate culture, marketing, processes, and public relations. Here are six things I learned during the event.
- Make Your Customer the Superhero
- The Importance of Being a Bilingual Salesperson
Tom provided the common scenario of a man needing to talk to his wife before making a purchase. While the salesperson was able to guide the man through the different stages of the process, it starts over completely when the man tries to explain it to his wife. It's like someone translating a language without really understanding how to do it. Offering to translate (speak to the wife) and learning how to sell in any language (to executives, secretaries, etc.) can help keep the sales process moving in the right direction.
- The Two Goals of Brands
- “When you have a strong brand it makes your job easier as a company.”
- “Processes allow you to deliver creativity to the customer.” - Larry Walter
- PR Can't Compensate for Weak Marketing Practices
What's the most valuable lesson you've ever learned from an in-person event? Please share in the comments below.
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Michael Luchies is the Founder of TrepRep, Entrepreneurship Lecturer at Illinois State University, TEW 2 contributor, Co-Host of the Entrepreneurs on Campus Radio Show, Co-Host of theTrepidemic Podcast, and writer of all things entrepreneurship. Connect with Michael on Twitter. Michael is publishing 365 times in 2015. To find out why, read the first post of the year here!