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Corporate Narrative


How Do You Get Your Team Excited About an Uncertain Future?

How Do You Get Your Team Excited About an Uncertain Future?

How Do You Get Your Team Excited About an Uncertain Future? The old axiom about uncertainty being the only certainty in business seems quaint given today’s headlines: Historically low unemployment. Hiring shortages one day and hiring freezes the next. Creeping inflation. Unexpected layoffs. It’s whiplash inducing. And it’s the world we live in. As the economy shifts and shudders, leaders are challenged to make strategic decisions with increasingly limited foresight. And employees? They’re left feeling disoriented, confused, and vulnerable. It’s a recipe for getting stuck. People become less...
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Cultivating Empathy: Essential in Uncertain Times

Cultivating Empathy: Essential in Uncertain Times

Empathy in Uncertain Times These days, everything feels unsettled. We’ve watched travel discontinue, lively offices expeditiously shift to remote work, restaurants and small businesses shut their doors, cities still and quiet, as the landscape of our global economy shifts on a daily basis. Recognition that this COVID-19 state of living, working, and doing business will not be ephemeral is settling in. We’re seeing first hand as our clients are forced to quickly adapt—make swift decisions, innovate new solutions, and reimagine the way they’ve always done business. It’s clear that the weight...
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Do You Guys Do Messaging?

Do You Guys Do Messaging?

Do You Guys Do Messaging? When clients ask us to share our ‘typical’ brand strategy process, we are careful to respond that there is no typical process as all client needs truly are different. The right-for-this-client scope of work comes as a result of a deep process of inquiry into our clients’ circumstances, budget tolerance, depth and expertise of team, and an assessment of what we think they will need to really make their brand perform in the market. Invariably, the question comes, “what about messaging, do you guys do that?” Indeed, what about messaging? A classic component of the...
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A Corporate Narrative: Convincing the Skeptics

A Corporate Narrative: Convincing the Skeptics

The Case for a Corporate Narrative CEOs often doubt the necessity of a corporate narrative. As a marketing or salesperson, you see messaging and storytelling as strategic tools. But what if they’re only fluffy buzzwords to whomever signs the consultant’s check? How do you convince someone who sees the world in revenue and profit to invest in a positioning process? You speak their language and you support your arguments with numbers. We’ve listed some quantified benefits of a corporate narrative to convince even your toughest negotiators: 1. Drive Corporate Value McKinsey & Company found...
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Storytelling Is the Best Bridge Between Customers and Solutions

Storytelling Is the Best Bridge Between Customers and Solutions

Once Upon a Sales Deck Salespeople want to sell. This much we know. Often, in our conversations with clients or in our perusing of sales decks, we hear a similar refrain. How do we cut to the chase and get to the meat? We don’t blame them. In today’s millennial-influenced age of purpose, you could sit through a narrative, a manifesto, a history lesson, a personal testimony, and a video on corporate social responsibility all before learning what someone is actually selling you. That’s the balancing act. You’re only as strong as your story — but if your story goes on too long, meanders, or...
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Leadership in a COVID-19 World: Navigating “Fields of Paradox”

Leadership in a COVID-19 World: Navigating “Fields of Paradox”

Turbulence Takes a Toll The acceleration of COVID-19, the speed and intensity of change, the current economic terrain, and the pressure to innovate, adapt, stabilize, and address each new challenge (of which there are many) with focus, grace, empathy, and precision is no doubt taking a toll on all of today’s business leaders.  The current state of affairs reminded us of an interview with Gianpiero Petriglieri, Professor of Leadership and Organizational Behavior at INSEAD, who provides insights into the implications of turbulent times on leadership.  “Whatever sector or industry you...
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