Samsung had a problem.  Its culture was static and inward-looking.  Then, in the early 1990s, Lee Kun-Hee, chairman of the South Korean electronics giant, made a decision that would reshape his organization and create a blueprint for globalization.  He sent a handful of the brightest young employees to far-away corners of the globe to immerse themselves in the culture, learn the language, and build networks so that someday Samsung would know how to supply those markets.  What an amazing investment in the future.

- Verne Harnish, The Greatest Business Decisions of All Time

Here's a little game to get you thinking.  I like to tell owners to think of their brand as a person or a personality.  It's a creative way to brainstorm and help you "put a face" on what you are trying to convey.  Close your eyes and consider…

What does this person act like, dress like, sound like?  What makes them stand out?  Are they fun, serious, silly, funny, educated?  Are they sophisticated, youthful, mature?  Who will like them?  Why are they likeable?  What do they stand for and believe in?  How do they conduct themselves?  What are they skilled at?  What do they represent?  What color would better suit this person?  What symbols or letters would best represent them?  What name would a person like this have?  What words would you use to describe this person?  What catchphrase or sentence would tell another person how to describe them?  What would tell people all they need to know about this person?

- Tabatha Coffey, Own It!

Customer service is measured by how you "show up," and how you present yourself in graphics impacts your service impression.  So what if you aren’t a Graphic Designer and have zero experience with editing image files and creating something that is visually attractive.  I have a simple solution for you that requires very little learning, and it does not depend upon the use of expensive software. Microsoft PowerPoint (yes, PowerPoint!) gives you just what you need to do some very basic design. What’s better? In less than 6 minutes, I can show you how to do some of the basics in 3 very quick videos.

Make it easy.  As a part of any employee orientation there should be time spent on noticing and reacting to the opportunities on when and how to make purchasing easier for the consumer.  Executive retreats would benefit from spending a day (or more) on evaluating the ease for the consumer to do business with their company.  The world of consumer purchasing has changed, and some companies are more in tune to these changes than others.  Consumers today are web-educated, mobile app data explorers who react to the best deal that they can understand.  Marketing messaging has, in many cases, overwhelmed the consumer.  So what's the answer?  Keep it simple/easy.

Did you know that 1 out of every 4 working adults in the U.S. is a salesperson (The Simple Truths of Selling, by Todd Duncan)?  That certainly means there's a lot of competition in this profession, and success can't come easy. How do you separate yourself from the crowd and get noticed? What makes a successful salesperson today and in this economy?  This would be a great time for me to introduce a new ground breaking sales technique that is a sure thing. To tell you the truth, there isn't one.  The business section of any book store is filled with resources on learning how to sell, how to be a better sales person, improving sales techniques…etc.  However, the truth of the matter is that successful selling comes from the basics, not from new methodologies that seem to distract from the authentic sales exchange.