Executive Briefing Program Articles
Virtual Briefings Series
Executing Effective Virtual Briefings
Many customer-centric companies are being forced to cancel or postpone tradeshows, conferences, seminars and other customer events. Programs have been impacted differently. Some programs are holding all briefings virtually. In this article, the first of a series on “Executing Effective Virtual Briefings," I am providing a few tips to keep in mind when thinking about virtual briefings… Read more.
Virtual Meeting Etiquette
Virtual meetings have become an essential part of how organizations maintain business continuity and productivity. Meeting virtually has advantages but there are also many challenges and it is easy to fall victim to some major meeting faux pas. These etiquette tips will increase your confidence, and make your virtual meeting more effective and efficient… Read more.
Going Virtual: Extending the Reach of the Briefing Program
When compared to other formats (such as tradeshows, seminars, forums, meetings in sales offices, social media, sales, and visiting the customer’s office), twenty-eight years of ABPM research (Benchmarking Research on the Effectiveness of Briefings) shows “Executive Briefings are the preferred method for customers to obtain information on solutions.” It is not a surprise because we make the briefing all about the customer. We personalize the day, customize the content, and make the experience impactful… Read more.
Executing Effective Virtual Briefings - Importance of Facilitation
Experience has shown that customers who felt encouraged and important during challenging times are retained, and express their loyalty with purchases after the crisis period. We believe virtual briefings can be delivered effectively because they are highly customized, personalized and relatively small events. While many other customer events are cancelled or postponed, the briefing program has a key role in supporting customers and account teams during the pandemic.… Read more.
Emotional Intelligence and Facilitation in Virtual Briefings
When customers schedule a briefing - virtual or in-person - with your company, they know your organization has a product or solution that will solve their problems. During the briefing, they are going to decide if they want to do business with you or not. The briefing is an opportunity to differentiate your company from your competitors.… Read more.
Managing Client Center Content Series
By Ellen Barnes Pfiffner, EBP Business Consulting and Darby Mason-Werner, Director of Client Solutions, Signet
Strategies for Managing Client Center Content
Content is at the heart of all corporate communications and experiences and is fueling a demand for content across all physical locations and virtually. In the physical spaces, corporations capture digital content for displays in client engagement areas, corporate work spaces, cafeterias, lobbies and other gathering places. Corporate communications reports this messaging is equally important to both visitors and employees... Read more.
The Role and Importance of a Center Content Curator
A Client Center without content is like a museum without art. Highly customized content welcomes guests to and through the Center and drives discussions in the collaborative areas and briefing rooms. Content is one of the key differentiators between a briefing Center and a nice meeting space... Read more.
Essentials of Managing Content
It is essential to have someone assigned and accountable for curating content. You may have a dedicated content management position on your program staff or a shared resource. In a recent study by Salesforce Pardot, “76% of B2B buyers prefer different content at each stage of their research and decision to purchase process” so it is imperative that you create and distribute impactful content.... Read more.
Consistency Across Global Centers
Depending on the company culture, infrastructure and operations, multi-site Client Center programs are structured differently. Award winning companies like HPE, Dell Technologies and Salesforce have a large facility and staff at their headquarters location. The other Centers are located strategically to provide customers and prospects the opportunity to visit in those regions... Read more.
Engagement Strategies Series
By Ellen Barnes Pfiffner, EBP Business Consulting and Darby Mason-Werner, Director of Client Solutions, Signet
Before, During, and After Your Briefings - A Series with Glossary of Terms
One of the most strategically important topics in briefing programs today is how to best engage with your customers before, during, and after a briefing to enhance their overall experience. In this series of blog articles, we’ll explore a number of engagement strategies including ways that technology has evolved to offer more automated and effective results for both your guests and briefing teams... Read more.
To App or Not to App?
The proliferation of hand-held devices makes engaging customers before and after the briefing table-stakes. There are three key advantages of engaging customers through their own devices. The first is familiarity. You’ll not have to deal with ‘how does this work?’ questions. Second, are lower expenses because you do not have to purchase or maintain additional hardware for the customers to use while in the center. And finally, customers are comfortable using their own device before, during, and after the briefing... Read more.
Connecting Before, During, and After Briefings
In our last article, we discussed customers’ reluctance to download Apps and your Briefing App is no exception. Today we are going to discuss an alternative for engaging customers on their hand-held devices. A customer portal is a private, secure website that enables the briefing program to share personalized information with customers before, during, and after a briefing... Read more.
Alternatives Before, During, and After Briefing Engagement
In our previous three articles we discussed the value of engaging customers before, during, and after a briefing; either through the guest’s personal device or through a customer portal. What can you do if your guests have restrictions on using their own devices? Or your company prohibits guest access on premises?... Read more.
Do You Speak Finance?
As a briefing professional, you are expected to use financial data to make decisions, justify budget requests, and allocate resources. But if you're like many non-financial professionals, you may feel uncertain about how to incorporate financial numbers into your day-to-day work. “Do You Speak Finance” is a series of articles that define a financial term and how it applies to a briefing program. EBP tips are provided to increase your understanding of how the financial term might apply to your briefing program. The objective of this series is to help you to “talk numbers” confidently with the stakeholders of the briefing program and the with the finance department. This article series includes:
Do You Speak Finance? How to Read a Financial Report
Do You Speak Finance? Bottom-Line Revenue Growth
Do You Speak Finance? Top-Line Revenue Growth
Do You Speak Finance? Lifetime Value of a Customer
Do You Speak Finance? Cost of Goods Sold
Do You Speak Finance? Budgets
Measurements and Metrics: Beyond Smile Sheets and Volume Tracking
With internal competition for resources increasing as budgets are decreasing it is imperative that we measure and communicate the real impact of EBPs. Many companies are reorganizing, downsizing, and changing players because of mergers and acquisitions. To further complicate the situation, more briefing professionals are saying that their new executives are questioning their data, methodologies, and are asking for additional information to understand the real impact of briefings. In this article we share a case study on how a company utilizes a multi-faceted approach to measure the effectiveness of their Executive Briefing Program (EBP). Request article.
How Do Your EBC Jobs Rank?
Many Executive Briefing Programs are positioned strategically in their organizations and EBC staffs are well-trained. In spite of all of this success, many EBC staffs tell me that they feel like their job levels are too low. It is a sensitive issue because job levels, career paths and compensation models are so personal. In this article I discuss HR terminology, HR processes, and how to make your case for getting the ranking that is commensurate with the skills and knowledge required of a briefing professional. Request article.
Establishing an Executive Briefing Program Advisory Board
Briefing program advocacy and alignment are essential components of thriving briefing programs. A well-run Advisory Board increases the effectiveness and success of the EBP. However, launching an Advisory Board can be a challenge because it requires a special set of knowledge, skills, and time. To leverage the full value of an Advisory Board, it is essential to enlist the right people, engage them, and create champions of the EBP. In this article I will provide an outline of how to get started and include lessons learned by some of the Deans of the ABPM. Request article.
Creating a High-Performance Executive Briefing Program with Corporate Athletes
When you read or try to write the job descriptions for positions in an Executive Briefing Center Program, the required competencies, skills and knowledge read like the description of a super human. So where do we find the talent we need to fill Executive Briefing Program positions? Do we hire internally or externally? What competencies, skills, and knowledge do we interview for? And where do individuals go after working in an Executive Briefing Center Program? This article discusses how to staff a high performing team. Request article.
Six Tactics for Managing Executive Briefing Programs During the Current Economy
What does 2017 look like in your Executive Briefing Center? The global economy is in the midst of a decade-long, slow growth environment. Reacting to pressure on small margins, companies are downsizing and others are involved in mergers and acquisitions. Brexit was passed June signaling the United Kingdom’s intentions to withdraw from the European Union (EU). What should Briefing Programs do doing during this economy? This article discusses six tactics that Briefing Professionals are employing now to ensure a strong 2017 performance. Request article.
BYOD Is No Passing Fad
In a short period of time, mobile devices have become commonplace in all areas of our lives. Having the ability to perform a wide range of tasks with one simple device, from playing games to banking, has become the norm. Some briefing programs provide an e-tablet for guests to use during a briefing. Other briefing programs are developing applications for their customers and guests to use on their own devices. This article is an overview of how briefing programs are employing apps, mobile websites, social media, and other digital presence to engage customers. Read more.
Value of Establishing the EBP as the Company's Listening Post
Daily, customers and prospects come into our briefing centers to discuss the challenges they are having in their business. They talk about how they need to improve their company and enhance the services they give their customers, clients, students, patients, constituents, etc. They share their perception of your product, of substitute technologies they are considering, your competition, pending regulations, and what value they place on your solutions. What is your briefing program doing with this timely and valuable information? Request Article.
An Overview of the Voice of the Customer and the Role of the EBC
"Voice of the Customer" is the term used to describe the stated and unstated customer needs and requirements. Companies are turning to their Executive Briefing Program for customer intelligence over other traditionally purchased market data because briefings encourage the exchange of information and are essentially a one-on-one focus group with the customer... Request article.
Capturing the Voice of the Customer
Customers' requirements and expectations rise and change over time. What was good enough last year may not be meaningful now. Companies use many vehicles and resources to capture customer information. This article defines some capture sources and discusses the EBC role in capturing the Voice of the Customer... Request article.
A Natural Synergy - Voice of the Customer and Market Research
In this article, we identify how our current EBC VOC processes can enhance market research findings, how to position your EBC program more strategically by creating a dialogue between the EBC team and the market research department, and how the synergy of the two departments can give your company a competitive edge in the marketplace. We are finding that the newest role of the EBC program is that it is a listening post for... Request article.
Increasing Your EBC's Bottom-Line Impact
"Voice of the Customer" (VOC) is a disciplined approach to collecting crucial customer information. When astutely implemented, the VOC approach can provide companies with a powerful and effective competitive edge that translates into bottom line results. Increasingly, companies are utilizing their Executive Briefing Center (EBC) as a listening post for gleaning current and timely Customer information... Request article.
Establishing an Executive Briefing Program Advisory Board
An Executive Briefing Program Advisory Board is a powerful strategic tool that can provide linkage between the Program and the corporation's goals and initiatives. It is a way to harness the word of mouth so that professionals beyond the EBP staff are advocating the benefits and services of the EBP. Launching an Advisory Board can be a challenge because it requires a special... Request article.