James A. Hering’s Post

“We are sorry that we didn’t communicate better.” That line from Sam Altman jumped out at me. In case you missed it, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman tried to hire Scarlett Johansson to voice his Sky AI model. She said no. He then released a Sky model that sounds eerily similar to her - and even tweeted the word “her” (a nod to Altman’s “favorite movie” - where Johansson voiced an AI assistant). Coincidence? This isn’t just a communication failure - it’s an ethical failure. And, as I suspect they’ll find out, a legal failure, too. #communication #AI #leadership #technology #PopCultureInspiration

Trust your gut. Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon, talked about the importance of intuition in decision-making. Bezos encouraged trusting one’s instincts, suggesting crucial decisions are often guided by instinct, taste, and intuition rather than analytical reasoning alone. While acknowledging the value of analysis in decision-making, Bezos highlighted the significance of following one’s heart and intuition, particularly in life’s most pivotal moments. This aligns with the idea that successful leaders and entrepreneurs often make bold decisions based on intuitive understanding, avoiding excessive analysis paralysis.

GeorgeCo., LLC, a Delaware Company saw two peanuts walking down the street. One was a salted.

Today's lunch plan - SORTED!

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away... I was working on my first client: the B2B side of Orkin Pest Control. "Man, that's so rad! You help sell pest control to restaurants and hospitals?!" said none of my friends ever. But here's the thing—it was pretty rad. And after a few quick months and a couple sales rep ride-alongs meeting customers and prospects, I came to a clear conclusion: ** 🤖🤖🤖 B2B Buyers are People 🙋🏾♂️🙆🏼♀️💁🏽♀️, Too. ** And as I took my first steps into this larger world back in 2013 (oy), I started trying to find proof of this "People, Too" hunch. Low and behold, I stumbled upon this little golden nugget about "business value vs. personal value" and the impact on commercial outcomes (charts below). Here's a takeaway: B2B purchasers are 5️⃣0️⃣% more likely to buy a product or service when they see personal value. And another one: B2B buyers are 8x more likely to pay a higher price 📈💰 for comparable products/services when they see personal value. Personal value = professional, social, emotional, and self-image benefits. Now today, this may not seem so groundbreaking (more on that below)...but this was 2013. This was during the Dark Times. Before the LinkedIn B2B Institute (I think?). Before "The Flippening," as coined by Jon Lombardo and Peter Weinberg. Before folks like Tyrona (Ty) Heath were spreading the good word of B2B Marketing Effectiveness with friends like Mark Pollard, Strategy Friend. Before Jenni Romaniuk graced us with a chapter dedicated to B2B in How Brands Grow pt. 2. Spoiler alert: many of the laws, principles, and rules we know and love still apply in B2B—be easy to mind 🤔, easy to find 👀, and growth should happen just fine 📈 ✅. But even with all this great evidence at our disposal, the numbers still tend to show otherwise: *** Re: the 95/5 Rule, lead gen efforts focused on capturing the ~5% of people who are in market at any point in time still get ~80% of B2B marketing budgets 🤯. *** Re: Emotion's Place in B2B, despite emotion's role in driving very large business effects in B2B, 78% percent of B2B ads are dull, according to System1. And as we know, dull 😐 = waste 🗑️. So, if you're in B2B marketing and/or you help B2B brands (and if you're not/don't), I've dropped a few good things in the comments that you should check out. Gotta work the ol' algorithm. The world of B2B marketing is bright with a lot of head room. And if you're hoping to take your first steps into this larger B2B Marketing world and make the case to go to the light side, May the (sales)Force be with you (see the first article and YT link in the comments ). #B2BMarketing #HowBrandsGrow #TLATSOI #LinkedInB2BInstitute #marketingeffectiveness

Are you building a team that’s better than you? The number of competencies the modern marketer needs to be effective has skyrocketed in recent years, ranging from data analysis to creativity to business acumen. How do we ensure we are continuing to upskill our best people without creating jacks-of-all-trades and masters of none? Last night, Volta Charging joined The Room to discuss best practices for building high-talent, high-impact teams.

All hail the "True Tower of Power".... Add four three-foot-tall speakers to the mix and you're able to share your musical preferences with an entire block of people in your area!

It's happening, everybody stay calm — the 2024 #RIA Talent Advantage Scholarship is open! Spread awareness to all of the financial students on your radar: https://bit.ly/3T4TYyM