Author Archives: Sherril Small

Evrnu Recognized in Fast Company’s World Changing Idea Awards

It’s a real pleasure to be part of that moment when a company with a world changing technology receives industry recognition. Congratulations to the team at Evrnu for the work they are doing to help move the global textile industry into better alignment with the natural world. I also want to share the video, available in their blog post.

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Seattle Angel Fund Speaker Series

Creating a Killer Marketing Plan

I had the pleasure of being a speaker at the third session of the popular Seattle Angel Fund Speaker Series. I want to thank the sponsors Karr Tuttle Campbell, Seattle Angel Fund, and Clark Nuber PS for hosting this event. I also want to share the following insights that they used to frame the discussion.

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Super Bowl 51 Commercials:
My Pick

Super Bowl Commercials

As a marketer, I watch the Super Bowl for the commercials. The game is terrific, but the commercials deliver the same kind of thrill ride to anyone involved with selling a product or service – which is most of us. So what is my pick?

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Congratulations 9Mile Labs

Three Milestones:

9Mile Labs

As a mentor with 9Mile Labs high-tech accelerator, I have the pleasure of working with motivated start-up teams on their positioning and go-to-market strategies, playing a role in keeping the focus on how to secure customer traction. I want to highlight three important 9Mile Labs achievements that support this goal.

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Standout Positioning

It’s a Make-or-Break Proposition

Event Announcement

Make-or-Break

When:  Wednesday May 13, 2015, from 4:00 to 6:00 pm PDT

Where: University of Washington. CoMotion Incubator. Fluke Hall. Seattle, WA

What:   Every entrepreneur knows how difficult it is to concisely communicate the value that a start-up opportunity provides. When the entrepreneur fails to communicate effectively, potential investors and customers find it not only painful, but a show stopper.

Join us in discussing how to:

  • Communicate value clearly, concisely and competitively
  • Craft a precise message based on standout positioning
  • Change your communications style from convincing to compelling

In this session, a number of positioning examples will be shared from successful Seattle-based industry leaders and emerging companies.

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Early Stage Marketing

How To Secure Customer Traction

Gaining Traction

Communicating value clearly, concisely and competitively is essential for establishing a customer connection. However, securing traction requires more. There are three approaches that startups often overlook.

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Why Startups Fail

A Marketer’s Perspective

Entrepreneurial Failure

Source: VentureBeat  How Startups Are Dying Faster Than They’re Being Created

Lack of Market Visibility Threatens Viability

This headline, “How Startups Are Dying Faster Than They’re Being Created,” as reported in VentureBeat, caught my attention. You can’t help but ask yourself why? While the implications for the economy are obvious and the potential reasons many, I would like to counsel startups to consider how their approach to marketing is tied to their outcome.

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Driving Business Growth

It’s Never Too Early To Make It Clear

A Muddy View

Seeing Ahead

You wouldn’t voluntarily steer a car that had a muddy windshield. Yet many businesses do exactly that when they treat positioning as a “launch” activity. Good positioning is what clears the view so a business is able to drive its growth successfully.

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Stop: Ask the Customer

Your Success Depends On It

Stop

How many times do ideas get communicated to the marketplace without seriously engaging the potential customer in the process? It is more times than most would care to admit. Recent events reminded me of the immense value provided by stopping long enough to ask the customer.

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Why Positioning is a Specialty

It’s a Make-or-Break Proposition

Make-or-Break

The window of opportunity to market a new product is short. It requires all hands on deck to develop standout positioning and communicate it effectively. In this make-or-break situation, it makes sense to involve an experienced positioning professional. Here’s why.

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