Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 27, 2021

Most of the entrepreneurs I meet as an investor and advisor have no shortage of right-brain thinking, showing vision and creativity, but often don’t realize that their potential is being limited by a balancing focus on results, metrics, and customer specifics. Every balanced leader does marketing early.

Technical Review 133

Technical Review Satisfaction Metrics Startup 133

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 29, 2021

Here are the key reasons that I recommend that aspiring leaders focus on people before process: Customers judge the business by the people quality. Whether it be in person, on the phone, or implied in your marketing, your people and their engagement level is the key driver of customer loyalty, advocacy, and sales growth.

Satisfaction 154

Satisfaction Demand Resource Competition 154

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 8, 2021

As a long-time business advisor, and an investor in startups along the way, I’m always on the lookout for an entrepreneur who is responding first to a problem in the marketplace , rather than bringing a new technology to the market, assuming it will find a problem to solve. Marty Zwilling First published on Inc.com on 08/24/2021.

Activity 132

Activity Entrepreneur Social Media Satisfaction 132

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 2, 2021

Investors expect a great return for their risk, so they look for people who can look beyond the technology and their own passion to see a customer need that perhaps even the rest of us haven’t yet envisioned. Creating and growing a business requires creativity beyond the product, in the areas of finance, marketing, and operations.

Funding 152

Funding Startup Ideas Resource 152

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 1, 2021

Rather than get angry and upset, fall back to your initial process for evaluating markets, customer needs, and financial implications. Often what looks like an emotional issue, like unwarranted customer complaints online, have specific facts behind them, which may surprise you. Seek input from the team, as well as mentors.

Mentor 127

Mentor Satisfaction Customer Custom 127

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 24, 2021

We all need to be humble and recognize that what we need to know about technology and the market changes daily. You need them to make a personal commitment to customer service, improved quality, and change to improve the future. Be the model of customer focus for the team. Encourage your team to make decisions and take action.

Startup 147

Startup Customer Custom Ideas 147

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 16, 2021

On the other hand, most business professionals and the customers we all need in business recognize that professionals with a healthy self-esteem will always be more resilient, creative, listen better, and treat others with respect. Some of us are proud to be technologists, while others love marketing or team building.

Mentor 174

Mentor Satisfaction Competition Marketing 174

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 28, 2021

If you are the hot-shot technical innovator that invented your solution, make sure you have an equally adept business and marketing expert to complement your skills. “If Pivot early, as required, to tune your features and marketing to meet the market and technical realities. Look for validation from your mainstream customers.

Technical Review 131

Technical Review Case Study Mentor Software Review 131

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 3, 2021

Today, with the Internet and social media, if you aren’t visible in a positive way to everyone, including customers, your leadership efforts will be lost. You need to be visible in marketing efforts, viral videos, and interactions with key customer segments. Marty Zwilling First published on Inc.com on 08/19/2021.

Mentor 145

Mentor IBM IBM Social Media 145

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 11, 2021

In reality, every startup brings new unknowns, new people, new competitors, and new customers. Starting a new business does put you in control, but you will face a harrowing new set of demands from partners, investors, suppliers, and customers. Marty Zwilling First published on Inc.com on 07/28/2021. Keep going and have fun!

Entrepreneur 171

Entrepreneur Ideas Examples Satisfaction 171

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 1, 2021

Customers are looking for a differentiator today. If you haven’t changed for several years the way you do common processes, like customer satisfaction surveys, lead generation, and marketing, it’s time to look at the new remote apps and social media platforms for more effective and relevant alternatives.

Examples 128

Examples Social Media Summary Satisfaction 128

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 10, 2021

Unfortunately, I often see goal misalignments with teams, such as marketing measured on sales volume, or sales measured on customer retention. Doing so will increase both your personal life accountability, as well as your business satisfaction. Marty Zwilling First published on Inc.com on 10/27/2021.

Startup 132

Startup Training Metrics Examples 132

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 21, 2021

Start with your own story, the mission of your business, and how to make everyone in your domain, including customers, into advocates and teachers. The result is a new level of productivity, loyalty, and personal satisfaction for you as well as everyone on your team. Marty Zwilling First published on Inc.com on 05/06/2021.

Technical Review 123

Technical Review Coach Satisfaction Mentor 123

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 25, 2021

Successful entrepreneurs have to be people oriented, to solicit experts with various skills, including marketing, production, operations, and finance. Most importantly, you have to deal with customers, and understand their wants and needs. Believe in the need for marketing and selling. Others look to you for the path to success.

Entrepreneur 158

Entrepreneur Satisfaction Ideas Social Media 158