The Power and Value of Branding

By Clare Hefferren | September 18, 2010 |

Have branding questions? Our educational posts will ease the brain strain. [excerpt]  | Branding is an investment, and like any other investment there are risks and rewards. To minimize the risks, a company must have a solid branding strategy. To reap the rewards, a brand once developed must be properly managed. A strong identity…requires continuous…

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Credibility and Conditional Language

By Clare Hefferren | September 10, 2010 |

Speaking Skills Tip | Last week Todd Smart spoke about building credibility at Illinois Technology Association Marketing Roundtable. My favorite take-away: When you use conditional language in presenting yourself you lose credibility. Listener can sense your lack of confidence. Eg. “IF we get that result for you…” vs. “WHEN we get that result for you….” Conditional language…

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Mentor vs. Sponsor

By Clare Hefferren | September 3, 2010 |

Harvard Business Review, Why Men Still Get More Promotions Than Women, asserts women are over mentored (leadership development, executive presence, professional development, relationship building) and under sponsored (strategic, exposure, networking, promotion positioning). Setting aside sweeping gender accusations, what can we do to help both genders? I agree it is challenging to effectively place mentoring and…

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