Alexandra Levits Water Cooler Wisdom How to Successfully Launch a New Product

Alexandra Levit's Water Cooler Wisdom How to Successfully Launch a New Product Once upon a time, businesses announced a new product or service with great fanfare, including activities like press releases and events scheduled over a day or two. Now, though, the launch process can be longer and significantly more complexâ€"requiring businessesto plan a host of activities that will gain momentum for the offering. Many modern product launches may fail simply because it can be so difficult to get something new on the radar.If you’ve struggled with this aspect of your business, there may be a better way. We tapped three small-business owners for insights on their launch processes and learnings: Jessica Mah, founder of InDinero in San Francisco, Abbi Whitaker, founder of The Abbi Agency in Reno, Nevada, and Devon Wright, founder of Turnstyle Solutions in Toronto, Canada. Briefly, what’s your process for launching a new product or service? Jessica Mah: The process is straightforward. I have a problem I want to solve, and I build the solution myself. Ill call my friends and a few existing customers to give it a try. Ill fix the bugs and then launch it to the world. Abbi Whitaker: We launch products in phases. The discovery phase is where we understand the audience, the trend and the opportunities for growth. Because some products are targeted to small audiences, we have to make sure we have a strategy that moves the sales needle, not just makes a big splash. After the discovery phase, we go into a three-step process that ends in owning the audience. We move from participating in the conversation to contributing to the conversation with thoughtful expert commentary on the industry to finally owning the conversation, because we have positioned ourselves as the go-to expert in the area. Devon Wright: We try to strike a balance between investing resources that meet todays customer requestsâ€"incremental features, UX updates, etc.â€"and major functionality or platform updates. To maintain Turnstyle’s technological lead, we need to be thinking 24 months in the future and investing heavily on building the platform that enables brands and retailers to engage in ways they aren’t even thinking about yet. Once a new product is developed, it goes through our internal QA process for rigorous testing, and after that, our marketing team creates engaging material to educate customers and leads. If you were suddenly faced with minimal budget and time, what launch activities are most essential? Whitaker: We launch a lot of new products from a PR perspective, so I’ll comment on that. The most critical activity is often a tried-and true media relations program to get desk-side visits with the top journalists in the top 20 publications in the client’s industry. This not only creates significant press coverage during the launch, but also sets the company up for a long-term relationship with key journalists and industry influencers. Also, make sure your tool chest is full of video, high-quality photography and other assets that harness visual storytelling. Finally, remember that people like people, not products. A product might be what you are launching, but top-tier journalists will latch onto the people and the story behind the product. Wright: Focus is critical in a constrained environment. Making sure we only work on the features that will have the most significant impactâ€"and cutting the fatâ€"is crucial for success. We’d rather release one feature that is really polished and meaningful to customers than five half-baked ideas. Likewise in marketing, we measure the results of our campaigns carefully and only invest in the channels with the best response. Mah: This sounds like every project to me! Less budget and time is actually better because it forces me to focus on what really matters. Ill shoot to get a prototype out ASAP and test it with our customers firstâ€"no matter what. For more of what my interviewees had to say, visit the AMEX Open Forum.

Darren Rowse Interview Brand Yourself Like a ProBlogger - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Darren Rowse Interview Brand Yourself Like a ProBlogger - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career Darren Rowse is the guy behind ProBlogger.net, which has become one of the leading places on the web for information about making money from blogs. He is a full-time blogger himself, making a six-figure income from blogging now since 2005. In addition to his blogging at ProBlogger, Darren also edits the popular Digital Photography School blog, as well as numerous other blogs. Darren is one of the founders of b5media, a blog network with hundreds of blogs across numerous different verticals, including business, sport, entertainment, style and beauty, and technology. Darren, how is this book different than the content on your Problogger blog? Would you consider it a compilation? Yes in many ways you could see this as a compilation. The idea for a book came about out of the many requests from new readers to my blog who struggled to find a way to access the information in it in a logical way. With over 4000 posts on ProBlogger there is a lot of great information hidden away in archives that is difficult to find unless you know what youre looking for. Reading it from beginning to end isnt always helpful as the topics covered are quite scattered when you take them chronologically and over time the older archives date. So the book was an attempt at compiling the best and most up to date information possible on blogging. The other bonus of it is that in having Chris co-author it with me he brought a fresh perspective to my own teaching on the topic something that actually makes it new as well as being a compilation of older ideas. In terms of personal branding, how might blogging become the foundation for creating a compelling eBrand? I see my blogging as one important component in my overall personal brand. For me blogging is definitely a foundational part of my brand but also important are other elements such as social media presence (using tools like Twitter, FriendFeed, Facebook etc), the book (which opens up new opportunities offline), speaking at conferences etc. Blogging is a fantastic tool in this mix because it enables you to build trust and develop an ongoing relationship with those who read it. I liken it to real life relationships when you meet up with someone every day for a few years and they catch glimpses of different sides of you over that time a deep relationship can open up this is the opportunity that blogging affords people So in terms of how to do this I guess for me its about blogging in a personal voice (I try to write like I speak), about using images, video, audio to add a personal touch and only blogging things that enhance or build the brand that youre attempting to build. Do you think everyone should inspire for that 6 figure income? What are the soft or indirect benefits from blogging? I encourage new bloggers to see direct income from their blogs as one possible benefit from blogging. Sure its nice to earn money from blogging through advertising or affiliate revenue but there are actually bigger benefits for many bloggers than that kind of direct income. For example blogs have the ability to build your profile or perceived expertise in a niche. This can open up opportunities to speak, write books, consult, sell products etc. Would you say this book is geared to companies, individuals or both? Chris and I wrote this book for individuals wanting to get their head around how bloggers make money and wanting some starting points on how to do it for themselves. Its aimed at the beginner to intermediate blogger. Having said that quite a few more experienced bloggers and even business bloggers from companies have told us that theyve picked up worthwhile ideas from the book. In writing the book we cover everything from SEO, to writing engaging content, to building an audience, to blog design these are topics that anyone producing a blog of any kind can benefit from. What differences are there between publishing a book and a blog? Do they support or compliment each other? It has been an interesting process writing a book. At times it was overwhelming to put together because you commit to writing something that is many thousands of words however the reality is that Ive written many more thousands of words on my blog. I guess the challenge with a book is that you need to be a little more disciplined to stay on topic and take things through a logical process and to a logical conclusion. A blog has more scope for getting sidetracked, following streams of ideas, being a little more creative. I see having a blog and book on the same topic as being complimentary. They both engage people quite differently yet reinforce one another quite well.

Rejecting Offers When to Call a Candidates Bluff

Rejecting Offers When to Call a Candidates Bluff I want to  let you in on a particular bugbear of mine, and one which afflicts recruiters  across numerous platforms. Its that of the great candidate who continually turns  down job offers. You know the type: perfect CV, looking for a new challenge (allegedly) and would fit well into a number of the roles  you’re trying to fill. Interviews are granted,  as he is the kind of guy the whole Sprocket Noodle World is crying out for. He has it all, the sexy beast; Sprocket Noodle 101, Widget Firtling and even a CSE in Fettling. So much promise So you speak to the candidate about your clients, the kind of jobs on offer and find out the exact package he is looking for, then proceed to arrange three interviews. Interview number one? SUCCESS!! The client loves him and offers him the exact package hes been harping on about  wanting. Flushed with false pride, and with commission figures running through your recruiter brain, you call him to tell him the good news. Oh, but wait!] So much disappointment Apparently he has changed his mind. He wants a company scooter and matching leathers now, instead of the company smart car. Ah well, back to the drawing board. Let’s call the other two clients you have interviews booked with and let them know his transport preference. Now by this time alarm bells should be ringing, but in reality, the only thing ringing in the recruiters mind is cash tills (all that lovely commission). The second interview is again a resounding success: “I am a recruiting GOD”. Without delay, you call Mr Fussy Pants to let him know that, not only are they offering the wage increase he wanted, but also the Scooter and Leathers. So when can he start? “Ah! You see, I have a review coming up at work and I think I will be offered a pay rise so I want to wait to see what they offer before committing.” So much warning Can we see a pattern yet? I’ve no need to tell you what happens at the third and final interviews as you will have already guessed. Yes, he turns it down because he would ideally like to cover an area about the size of Rawtenstall even though he is only 2 miles from the centre of London. You see, even though he is perfect for your many roles, he will not move. It seems he just likes the attention and people telling him how good he is. I used to make it my life’s work to place these awkward sods, but no matter how many times they get offered the perfect role (perfect in their words, not mine) they will still find an excuse not to take it, whether its from being scared of change or genuinely from enjoying serial time-wasting.   How many is too many times? I now have a three and out rule. If they are offered three excellent roles which included all they asked for and they turn them down due to salary, vehicle, alien invasion etc.. then they go in the bin. Even when his CV pops up when you search for candidates to fill your new role: I  don’t do it, I don’t give in and call even though I  know he will get the interview. Even though he will get offered, and even though he said he was definitely looking this time, I just don’t do it because it will all end in bitter disappointment. *Rawtenstall is a real place in Lancashire. *Sprocket Noodles are still made up. *As is Widget Firtling. *I’m pretty sure CSE’s in Fettling were available in both Lancashire and Yorkshire in the late 1970’s.

Gratrick on Gratrick An interview with my 20-year-old self University of Manchester Careers Blog

Gratrick on Gratrick An interview with my 20-year-old self University of Manchester Careers Blog Guest post by Paul Gratrick, Careers Manager for the Faculty of Humanities This June sees 10 years since I graduated with a degree in Philosophy from Durham University. Given my current role as Careers Manager at the University of Manchester (thereby speaking to students on a daily basis about life after University) and in anticipation of the upcoming Grad Fair, I have used a real life time machine to chat to my 20-year-old self who is currently in April 2007. Despite a decade passing, a lot of the issues are still the same for current students and so this chat aims to explore some of those. Paul at 30 unfortunately we dont have a photo of the younger Paul as selfies werent a thing in 2007 30 year old me: Paul! Great to see you again, and at 67% of the age I am at now. How are you? 20 year old me: Good thanks, just up from a nap. You still have the same haircut I see. Nice. 30: I’ll die with this haircut. I thought it would be good to interview you, just to see what you think is going to happen in the next ten years, and how you’re finding life right now. What job do you think I do for a living at the moment? 20: Honestly? I’ve no idea, although I would definitely say NOT a full-time Philosopher. 30: Haha, yes your philosophy days are somewhat over, but you’ve kept all your textbooks to keep up the illusion! I work at the University of Manchester in the Careers Service which basically means helping students find and achieve their career goals. That wasn’t my first job though, what do you think that was? 20: First job after Uni? Well I’m currently applying for a lot of marketing and recruitment types roles in London, so one of those… I hope! Otherwise these applications are for nothing. 30: Your first job was ‘International Management Trainee’ at a company called Meltwater. You landed this after countless applications and three failed interviews in London. It was a heavily targeted sales role, which you turned out to be quite good at! Lots of sourcing of leads, cold calling, meetings, selling, negotiation, client relationship management. On reflection it was your competitive nature that helped you succeed at it. It’s the kind of job that a lot of graduates did straight out of University and it can be a sink or swim role â€" you swam for a bit! 20: For a bit? 30: The sales role was fun and good for straight out of uni, but the relentless target culture was something that became too repetitive and you wanted something more stable, and more to do with people development as you enjoyed this a lot once you’d progressed to be a manager at Meltwater. The sales and client management skills you developed are still in use now though, so it was by no means wasted years. 20: So what comes next? 30: You started working for the University of Manchester at their Business School, working with MBA students. It was rather fortuitous as they wanted someone to advise students around the tech sector, and you had worked in tech/software in your sales roles. It just seemed to all fall into place at that time with no real planningwhich was good as you were recently married. 20: Married?! 30: Yes â€" to your current girlfriend. And you also have two kids now â€" a boy and a girl. 20: What… the… 30: And it’s great. You owe a lot to her. 20: Okay cool. I feel like we’re all ready to leave university but not ready to start a career! 30: To be honest you adapt pretty quickly â€" you’ve no other choice! Your first job doesn’t start until August and so that leaves a few weeks after graduation to travel and generally chill out. Working 9-5 is tough at first but your weekends just become golden time!  What are you worried about at the moment? 20: My dissertation to be honest. Most of it’s there; I just need to write it all up. A couple of people I live with have jobs already sorted and that’s stressing me out a bit. 30: It’s still like that these days. Juggling final year deadlines and finding a job is tough. Like I say, you end up starting a job in August and that’s common for a lot of graduates. The number of vacancies advertised shoots up after Easter and ahead of graduation. There’s a lot of choice, especially with such a non-vocational degree like Philosophy, and there are a lot of graduate jobs out there still. 20: What should I do between now and August, if you’re saying I start a job then? 30: Keep doing what you’re doing. Get a decent grade for the dissertation; you aren’t getting near a First mate, keep applying for jobs that interest you because you will see plenty out there. And lastly just enjoy it, no one tells you these are the good old days whilst you’re in them, and on reflection the three years at university were some of the best in my life â€" defining in fact â€" as you meet your future wife and best friends and it opens up doors that you wouldn’t otherwise have been at. A lot of things will happen by chance though, so there is little point in worrying too much about it. Be kind, be honest and be ambitious and you’ll do fine. 20: Is it all worth it? Going to university? 30: Gut reaction â€" yes. But I’m still only ten years into what will probably be at least a forty year career, so what do I know? The people you see coasting at university tend to coast afterwards for a bit as well, so you definitely get out what you put in. It’s a time I look back on with many happy memories, and you will never again have so much free time so enjoy that whilst it’s here. 20: Okay, well this has been super weird but useful too. Thanks, future me! 30: No worries. Laters. University of Manchester students, any subject and year group, can contact the Careers Service with any queries either on 0161 275 2828, in person at the Atrium 1st Floor University Place or at www.careers.manchester.ac.uk/services/. Whether you have something in mind or no idea what to do we can help. All Careers advice Graduate Graduate jobs Postgraduate Undergraduate

Upgrade Your Working From Home Experience

Upgrade Your Working From Home Experience A lot of people have dreams of working from home. The idea of having loads of spare time and freedom to work when you want is something that can appeal to anyone. Of course, once you’re in this position, though; it can be hard to find new ways to keep your life interesting.Photo Credit â€" Pexels.comAs your work and personal lives combine, you’ll notice that you get more joy out of the good things that happen in your work. So, upgrading the way that you work can be a great option when it comes to getting some satisfaction. To help you out, this post will be going through some areas that can easily be upgraded in this way.A lot of people find that they start to get uncomfortable when they’re working at home for long stretches. Most home office furniture isn’t designed to be used for long periods of time. Instead, it’s supposed to be used during short amounts of free time that you might have.evalThe furniture that you use for working should be much higher-quality. A company l ike Arnold’s Office Furniture can be a great place to go to find some good value furniture, which will support your body in the best possible way.Sometimes, it can be good to replace the furniture in your home office because you don’t like it or it’s old. But, having the excuse that it’s better for your body is a great way to justify this little treat to yourself.Most people will rely on the Internet very heavily when they work from home. In this position, you will be sending loads of messages and emails to your clients or employers. So, it’s a good idea to make sure that you have a nice and speedy internet connection. Most providers will allow you to upgrade to a faster plan; if you don’t already have their fastest.Along with your Internet, you should also think about the computer that you use. It only takes a few years before a computer starts to get worse for wear. At this point, it’s a good idea to think about replacing the item to make sure that it’s fresh.Havin g the right software to complete your work essential; if you want to work in great comfort. Most people don’t think much past the software that they already have. For example, if word processing software like Microsoft Word came with your laptop; you might not want to remove it.But, a tool like Google Docs could be more useful to your work. And, it would still be free to use. Scouting out new resources like this is a great way to ensure that you always have the very best tools at your disposal. There are loads of free and easy to use tools online; you just have to find them.Hopefully, this will give you an idea of what can be done to improve your life as you work from home. Working from home can be extremely rewarding. But, you have to make sure that you give yourself the best chance to do well.

3 Tips to Nailing Your Interview - CareerAlley

3 Tips to Nailing Your Interview - CareerAlley We may receive compensation when you click on links to products from our partners. Job hunting is a stressful path to begin, especially if you are just entering the working field after college or have experienced a lapse of time between jobs. The environment has changed when it comes to the application process, the amount of interviews and final acceptance. Many years ago you could walk into a potential employers office, shake hands and start work immediately. The level of skilled expertise needed today, plus the sheer volume of candidates, has radically changed that process. Knowing what to expect in the current setting can prevent a lot of questions and the feeling of continually hitting a brick wall. You may feel like more doors close than open and even those that are open arent very welcoming. There are qualities you can focus on today and sharpen to score an interview and make a lasting impression. The Application Process Very few times do employers require your presence to complete an application. Even after visiting the location, the receptionist may have considered your request for an application as strange. Over 65 percent of employers are now turning to the[easyazon_link asin=0940712598 locale=US new_window=default nofollow=default tag=caree07-20 add_to_cart=default cloaking=default localization=default popups=default]online application[/easyazon_link] process. The process can be as simple as uploading your resume, entering a few quality skills and submitting. Then there are the employers who may have several pages and a personality test. While it seems looking for a job is a full time job in itself, it is worth the time to do so. When the application asks for direct info regarding your skill level, take a moment to define and state your skill sets. If you type 80 words per minute, share it. The Interview Process You have scored an interview after a lengthy application process. This is your time to redefine your skills and make a lasting impression. Stay away from bright colors, unkempt hair and honestly keep anything denim (including a purse) at home. Stay with muted and attractive colors such as gray, brown and black. Dashes of color under a suit jacket is always a nice touch, but get the opinion of a friend or loved one and see if they approve. An interview is not the time to show off dye job, spiky do or eclectic style. Bring your hair into a neat nape ponytail, bun or clips to reveal your smiling face. Upon introduction, shake hands with your interviewer and meet their eyes when saying hello. Wait until your interviewer initiates for you to take a seat. Be confident. Nerves are expected, but the adage of fake it till you make it is essential during the interview. Nervously laughing, pen clicking or ums can easily send your resume into the recycling bin. Correspond with brief yet specific answers to capture the attention of your interview. Upon the conclusion of the interview, inquire as to what comes next. The Hiring Process Loan officers who work on commission have a phrase that is infamous in the industry the loan isnt closed until its funded. You may have received an[easyazon_link asin=B007C95R7I locale=US new_window=default nofollow=default tag=caree07-20 add_to_cart=default cloaking=default localization=default popups=default]offer letter[/easyazon_link] from your new employer and this is a great time to celebrate! Keep in mind your employer has parameters that still need to be completed. Drug testing, a thorough criminal background check and reference checks can be conditional during your probationary stage. If there was anything you were hiding from your employer, now is the time to come clean to avoid it coming out during the check. If they believe you were hiding something, it will look a lot worse than if you just come right out and explain the situation. The employment landscape may have changed, but you can still get the job you want with hard work and persistence. This is a Guest post. We are always eager to hear from our readers. Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions or suggestions regarding CareerAlley content. Good luck in your search,Joey

Why Not to Pay the Rest of the Fees With Your Money

Why Not to Pay the Rest of the Fees With Your MoneyThere are a lot of businesses that offer resume writing services. But many of them also offer false promises and just end up losing money on their behalf. You want to make sure that you are hiring the right company for your needs and not just getting what they are offering in exchange for your money.A lot of these companies who offer this service are actually scams and are actually a part of a federal agency that is trying to con you out of your hard earned money. They would create an awesome looking resume for you and claim that it was created by them and sent to a number of big name companies, but the resume was actually not even written by them and the companies were never contacted. The goal of these businesses is to take your money and run.This type of business has been around for a very long time and has been based out of the United States federal agency. There are laws that protect you from being scammed like this, but unfortu nately there are a lot of businesses that are easily becoming federally regulated. It is really sad to think that there are people who will pretend to be government employees for the sole purpose of taking money from you. I am not trying to make this business look bad, but the truth is that not all of them are all legitimate and that most of them are not worth your time.For starters, you do not want to pay any money to the resume writing service. The best resume writing service is going to cost you a small fortune to hire on an ongoing basis, as well as investing in software, professional paper, and the overall infrastructure to be able to provide quality services. In fact, this type of business should never be for free. They are going to waste your time and take away your hard earned money.Secondly, most of these businesses create low quality resumes that are simply created by a single person, which usually means that the resume will not be able to be 'made over' and rewritten. Thi s is important because many people who have been scammed would end up spending more money than what was initially spent. A good resume writing service will spend their money carefully so that it will give you a quality resume and leave you feeling great about yourself.The companies that are legitimate are going to make sure that they hire the right people to handle the process and will ensure that the process is able to be handled at a professional level. For example, the Federal Government does not publish a newspaper or print resumes for you to pick and choose. The only way that you can find out if a company is legitimate or not is by going to the Federal Job Bank.You will have the opportunity to see a sample resume that will be sent to you by a legitimate resume writing service that is willing to take your resume off your hands. You will also have the opportunity to see their credentials and see what the job and education that they offer have to do with working with the Federal G overnment. If you do not feel comfortable with the resumes they have, then you can always look at their website and read the work they have done with other businesses.By going to the Federal Job Bank you will be able to see the professionals who are capable of crafting a resume and presenting it professionally. You can also find out if they have any references and if they are going to follow up with you after they send you the resume.