This post originally appeared on HubSpot’s Agency Post. To read more content like this, subscribe to Agency Post.
I made a big mistake.
I broke up with Google. And it was much harsher than a “let’s just be friends” moment.
This post originally appeared on HubSpot’s Sales Blog. To read more content like this, subscribe to Sales.
Salespeople can make or break an organization. Do you have the next big idea? Great. But if you don’t have someone on your team who can sell it, your idea might be dead in the water.
I’ve been interested in data and analytics for a long, long time. As a ten-year-old, I remember creating Excel spreadsheets with my dad for his annual Fantasy Football pool. By the time I was 16, I was building Pivot Tables with my cell phone bill to figure out who I texted the most. (I promise I had other hobbies.)
Since then, I’ve learned how much more there is to data analysis besides Pivot Tables and Excel. There’s a whole world of analytics out there — and I’ve barely scratched the surface.
If the thought of speaking in front of a crowd makes you uneasy, you’re not alone. According to a study by Chapman University, public speaking is the number one fear in America — followed closely by heights and then by bugs, snakes, and other animals. (Strangely enough, Americans are more afraid of zombies than we are of clowns or ghosts … but that’s a blog post for another day.)
Being humble keeps you hungry.
– Christine Tsai, Founding Partner, 500 Startups (Click to Tweet)
Venture capitalists aren’t often known for their humility, but Christine Tsai represents a notable exception to the rule. A founding partner at 500 Startups and former Googler and YouTube leader, Christine is the embodiment of someone who brought growth to life as both an investor and an operator.
Ever heard of the computer language called SQL? You may have heard about it in the context of data analysis, but never really thought it would apply to you as a marketer. Or, you may have thought to yourself, “That’s for the really advanced data users. I could never do that.”
Well, you couldn’t be more wrong! The most successful marketers are data-driven, and one of the most important parts of being data-driven is being able to collect data from databases quickly.
This post originally appeared on Agency Post. To read more content like this, subscribe to Agency Post.
You didn’t get into this business to spend your days arguing. Conflict resolution was certainly not in your job description when you started out as a designer, account manager, or copywriter. Instead, you daydream about quiet days agonizing over creative — not being on stage in a courtroom.
But the reality is that you have to lead the charge for your agency, and that sometimes requires you to deal with hard-bargaining clients who want more work at less money.
We all know how frustrating it is to lose an argument — especially when you believe strongly in the value of your idea. If you’re going to get better at convincing others, you need to figure out why you lose arguments in the first place (and then avoid those mistakes in the future).
Most of the time, you can find a specific diagnosis for your lost arguments. Did you lose the argument because you relied on anecdotes to support your claim?Continue Reading
Don’t get your best ideas in the shower? That’s okay. As it turns out, most great ideas aren’t conjured during a morning shampoo. Instead, they’re a result of a process — one influenced by both our intuition and a variety of external factors.
In other words, you can create an environment that fosters creative thinking. How?
Edith Wharton once said, “Ah, good conversation — there’s nothing like it, is there? The air of ideas is the only air worth breathing.”
Ms. Wharton had a way with words (written and otherwise), but she would likely be horrified to know that most of our daily conversations nowadays start with shorthand texts or three-line emails.
This post originally appeared on the Sales section of Inbound Hub. To read more content like this, subscribe to Sales.
Whether you’re looking for a job, attempting to establish your thought leadership, or widening your circle of connections to include influencers or potential clients, your LinkedIn profile is a key component of your personal brand.
Video chatting, video conferencing, and even video interviewing have become increasingly popular ways to communicate “face-to-face” from a distance. But looking good on camera isn’t as simple as combing your hair and putting on a decent shirt. Things like lighting, background, and background noise can make or break the impression you make on video. Plus, things like having other programs running simultaneously can really slow down your connection.
Success in business comes down to building strong relationships with our associates. As our jobs become more and more globalized, many of us find ourselves traveling and building relationships with people across international borders, where manners and expectations might be different than we’re used to.
The ins and outs of international business etiquette can get confusing.
The number one mistake marketers make is assuming the customer is ready to buy the first time they come into contact with your business.
– David Skok
On this episode of The Growth Show, HubSpot CMO Mike Volpe sits down with David Skok from Matrix Partners. Skok started his first company in 1977 at age 22, and since then has started four separate companies, three of which went public.
