Business Strategy Archives - Katherine McGraw Patterson

Using Buyer Behaviors to Drive Your Marketing

I saw a t-shirt recently that said “I’m going to Target. See you in $150!” and I could totally relate. What is it that makes us walk into stores like Target and Costco and drop the Benjamins with abandon? People buy…stuff…for lots of reasons, rational and emotional. In fact, psychologists have defined a whole host of drivers that cause us to pull out our wallets. Marketers and advertisers have honed their visual and written messaging … Read more

The Value of Business Values

When’s the last time you boycotted a business? In today’s political and cultural climate, it seems like there’s a new reason to disengage with some of our favorite brands every day. This cookie maker is responsible for the destruction of palm forests in Indonesia. This fast food chain contributes to a controversial cause. This retailer supports the opposing political party. Whatever the reason, odds are, you’ve raised an eyebrow or put your wallet away when … Read more

Discounts are for Dummies

I have clients ask me all the time “should I offer a discount?,” and my answer is generally “no.” Yes, discounts can drive sales, but they can also attract…wait for it…discount shoppers. And, while I myself enjoy a good sale, I don’t necessarily want my clients to be people who are looking for a bargain. If you spend time with small business owners like I do, you’ll start to hear grumblings about Groupon shoppers. You … Read more

The Parable of the Popsicle: Promise and Expectations in Branding

We are in the dog days of summer here, folks. It’s HOT. Which is why, when I was strolling down the frosty frozen aisles of my local Tar-Jhay, I thought to myself “You know what, self? We need some popsicles!” I grabbed one of my favorite flavors – Pineapple. Yum! After putting the groceries away at home, I wanted one of those cool treats, so I reached into the freezer for a yummy, sweet Pineapple … Read more

Attract More Customers: Using Buyer Behavior to Drive Your Marketing

I saw a t-shirt recently that said “I’m going to Target. See you in $150!” and I could totally relate. What is it that makes us walk into stores like Target and Costco and drop the Benjamins with abandon? People buy…stuff…for a variety of reasons. There are rational reasons and emotional reasons. In fact, psychologists have defined a whole host of drivers that cause us to pull out our wallets. Marketers and advertisers have honed … Read more

What’s Your Networking Personality?

This week, I presented my talk “Lunching with Lions: How to Survive and Thrive at Networking” (based on my new book) to one of my favorite women’s groups. Before I took the stage, everyone was asked what their greatest networking challenge happened to be. Out of nearly 100 responses, two things stuck out as common conundrums: Dislike/discomfort of small talk and the desire to connect more deeply from the get-go; and The question of what … Read more

7 Steps to Turn Your Vision into Action

Katherine-McGraw-Patterson_7 Steps to Turn Your Vision to Action

I’ve spent the last month steeped in visioning. Visioning for me. Visioning for my clients. Dreaming and scheming and creating bold, exciting visions for what we want to be, have, and achieve in our businesses. Now what? While vision boards and vision exercises help us unconsciously align our activities to achieve our goals, success also takes purposeful and seven (plus) things you can do to move vision from the realm of imagination to reality: Identify … Read more