The Step Change Blog

The latest thinking on business, strategy, marketing and sales

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November 1, 2024

Brand Strategy: 5 Steps To Unlock Powerful Business Opportunities

Predatory Marketing, Customer Journey, Ashton Bishop, Step Change, Branding, Customer Centricity, Differentiation, Distinctive Brand, Brand Positioning

Let’s face it— we’re in a marketing battleground. Your business is only one of the hundreds or even thousands competing for your customer’s attention. If your goal is to win the war for attention, you need to differentiate yourself in a way that actually matters to your customers.

While this sounds obvious, it’s not. All too often, businesses assume they understand what is important for their customers.

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October 30, 2024

Pre-Suasion: 5 Tactics To Grab Attention in an Overloaded World

Customer Journey, Business Strategy, Standing Out, Artificial Intelligence, Innovation, Invisible Marketing, Content Marketing, Challenger Brands, Thinking Models, Digital Revolution, Digital Marketing, Robert Cialdini, Influence, Persuasion, Presuasion

How many emails do you get in a day? Did you get a notification just now? And is that a pop-up on the corner of your screen?

With so much competing for our attention, it’s no wonder our brains lean on quick mental shortcuts just to make it through the day. Otherwise, it’s impossible to sift through the flood, simplify decisions, and manage cognitive overload.

For businesses, this chaotic landscape is both a puzzle and a goldmine. How do you cut through the noise and truly connect with people?

In this exclusive interview with influence pioneer, author, and psychologist Dr Robert Cialdini, we unpack “Pre-Suasion” and how it reshapes the way businesses captivate, engage, and earn trust.

Watch the full interview and get candid with “Pre-Suasion” and “Influence” author Dr Robert Cialdini here.

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September 26, 2024

5 Gamification Insights to Unlock Team Motivation with Octalysis

Gaming, Personal Growth, Decision Making, Productivity, Culture & Leadership, Transformation, Team Efficiency, Alignment, High Performing Teams, Digital Revolution, Exclusive Interview, Gamification

No one likes feeling stuck at work.

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July 24, 2024

Knowledge Nuggets: 11 Team Productivity Issues You Can Solve With Scrum

Business Strategy, Artificial Intelligence, Marketing Strategy, Decision Making, Business Growth, Knowledge Nuggets, Scrum, Team Efficiency, Alignment, Lean Principles, Strategy Frameworks, High Performing Teams, Agile, Strategic Planning, Smart Decision System, Exclusive Interview

In this blog article, learn how you can lead more collaborative, consensus-based decision making with your team.

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June 27, 2024

How to Develop Consensus-Oriented Solutions

Power of Model Thinking

In this blog article, learn how you can lead more collaborative, consensus-based decision making with your team.

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June 27, 2024

How to Boost Individual Participation in Team Decision Making

Power of Model Thinking, Decision Making

Looking for ways to get your shy team member to openly contribute ideas? The Stepladder Technique could do the trick.

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June 27, 2024

Team Decision Making: 4 Consensus Techniques Every Leader Must Learn

Power of Model Thinking, Popular Posts

Involving your team in decision making is complex, but it doesn't have to be stressful. This blog post explores four techniques that will ensure team consensus.

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May 30, 2024

Marketing Budget: How Much Should You Spend on Marketing?

Predatory Marketing, Business Strategy, Branding, Marketing Strategy, Decision Making, Business Growth, Challenger Brands, Alignment, Brand Building, Strategy Frameworks, Brand Positioning, Measures That Matter, Strategic Planning, Brand Saliency

Let’s be honest, budgeting isn’t always fun.

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May 2, 2024

Knowledge Nuggets: Exponential Organizations

Business Strategy, Ashton Bishop, Knowledge Nuggets

Exponential Organisations

In this Special Interview, Step Change CEO Ashton Bishop picks the brain of Futurist and best-selling author of Exponential Organizations and Exponential Transformation – required reading at the world's top organizations – Salim Ismail.

Hear them discuss:

  • The characteristics of successful new business models
  • How organisations are changing in order to adapt
  • The economic shift from selling scarcity to businesses based on abundance
  • How can organisations make money in a demonetised, digitalised world
  • Innovation at the edge - the way to disrupt the industry

Watch the entire interview below:

 

EXCLUSIVE BONUS: Unlock everything you need to know about the new "Exponential Organizations 2.0" — with insights from author Salim Ismail himself and what they could mean for your business.


Neither size nor depth, nor scale can guarantee the continuity of businesses for tomorrow. We therefore ask the question, what can organisations do to be more future-ready? In this week’s Knowledge Nuggets, a special guest will help you better understand the premise in the book Exponential Organizations by Salim Ismail.

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March 19, 2024

KNOWLEDGE NUGGETS: EXPONENTIAL ORGANIZATIONS 2.0

Success Principles, Business Strategy, Artificial Intelligence, Business Growth, Knowledge Nuggets, Agile, Business Model, Exponential Organizations, Salim Ismail, Exclusive Interview

In Salim Ismail's captivating exploration, "Exponential Organizations," the celebrated futurist and strategist opened the doors to bold foresight.

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January 25, 2024

The Business Models behind the Best Billion-Dollar Unicorns

Business Strategy, Artificial Intelligence, Innovation, Marketing Technology, Brand Building, Differentiation, Conversion, Business Opportunities, Business Model, Unicorns

Yup, you read that right! Unicorns are no longer a myth — at least not in business.

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January 18, 2024

3 Ways To Prepare Your Business For Disruption

Business Strategy, Artificial Intelligence, Innovation, Disruption, Augmented Reality, Business Growth, Marketing Automation, Customer Centricity, Business Opportunities, Digital Revolution, Digital Economy

How do you prepare for the unpredictable?

While some businesses leverage disruption to their advantage like second nature — many companies are falling behind.

Where others enjoy better workforces, efficient operations, and improved customer experiences, some continue to struggle at the back foot of change as another wave of disruption looms on the horizon.

So what’s the game changer? Strategy. Most organisations don’t have a game plan to navigate the evolving business landscape. Nor do they bother to predict trends and track challenges or opportunities that lie on their radar and that makes all the difference. 

So how do you get better at keeping your finger on the pulse and preparing your business for disruption?

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December 14, 2023

TOP DIGITAL POWERPLAYS: 14 DIGITAL SECTORS TO EXPLORE AND DOMINATE

Business Strategy, Artificial Intelligence, Augmented Reality, Digital, Business Growth, Content Marketing, Brand Positioning, Business Opportunities, YouTube, Digital Revolution, Digital Economy, Digital Marketing

Convert sales-qualified leads to real customers effectively using these four tips.

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November 22, 2023

4 Smart Ways to Speed Up Your Sales Cycle Effectively

B2B Sales, Sales, Decision Making, Marketing Automation, Alignment, Brand Positioning, Sales Strategy, Marketing Funnel

Convert sales-qualified leads to real customers effectively using these four tips.

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July 20, 2023

How Do You Overcome a Bad Decision?

Business Strategy, Decision Making, Productivity, Culture & Leadership, Scenario Planning, Institute of Change, High Performing Teams, Business Opportunities, Smart Decision System, Smart Risk

When you've made a bad decision, how do you overcome? Here are four simple ways to recover from a bad decision.

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June 29, 2023

Do Your Best Work Yet by Mastering This 2-Letter Word

Productivity, Culture & Leadership

Not all opportunities are created equal. You will find that some are worth saying yes to — they advance your business and your career growth. But saying yes all the time can be unhealthy.

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May 18, 2023

Invest with Confidence: 6 Questions to Unlock Business Opportunities

Business Strategy, Innovation, Business Growth, Challenger Brands, Customer Centricity, Brand Positioning, Business Opportunities

Ever been let down by a business idea you thought had so much potential? 

The only thing worse than a poorly developed business idea is investing in a poorly developed business idea. Nobody wants to spend time, energy and resources on a product or service that doesn’t fly. So how do you ensure your new business idea is poised to win when it enters the market?

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April 20, 2023

10 Key Business Areas Powered with AI: A Guide for Board Members

Technology, Business Strategy, Artificial Intelligence, Innovation, Decision Making, Digital, Business Growth, Marketing Technology, Marketing Automation, Software, Challenger Brands

What’s all this noise surrounding artificial intelligence? Is AI worth the hype? And how do you even get started? Do these questions sound familiar?

With marketing technology (martech) and AI becoming a critical part of mainstream business strategy, getting the buy-in from the top brass is essential. But lack of understanding, fear of the unknown, ethics, biases, and costs can get in the way. 

So how do you demystify martech and AI and get the ball rolling?

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March 10, 2023

6 Ways to Identify Unmet Customer Needs

Customer Journey, Business Strategy, Standing Out, Innovation, Disruption, Customer Centricity, Lean Principles

UPDATED: As of 21 July 2022

Finding a product, a service, or a niche that delivers results largely depends on understanding exactly what your customer needs. And in a time when the competition is manic and ruthless, it is all the more essential to deliver a high-quality product and service that gets the right traction.

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February 23, 2023

What ChatGPT Doesn’t Know About Brand Salience

Business Strategy, Sales, Ashton Bishop, Artificial Intelligence, Branding, Marketing Strategy, Creativity, Challenger Brands, Brand Building, Differentiation, Distinctive Brand, Brand Positioning, Brand Saliency

UPDATED: As of 23 February 2023

Are you even really running a business if you don’t know what it’s like to fight for recognition in today’s market? Getting attention is one thing. Being unforgettable is another. 

Pay attention to the first brand in your head in a particular situation. Chances are, it’s one with higher brand salience than the rest of its competitors. The good news is you can have that for your brand, too. 

A quick ChatGPT conversation will say brand salience is about awareness, consistency, repetition, relevance, differentiation, emotional connection, and user experience. If you’re a challenger business, AI will mainly tell you that you just have to strive for awareness and consistency. But what does that even mean? And how can you begin to incorporate those elements into your long-term and short-term goals? 

It’s no lie — AI does have a pretty good grasp on ‘what’ you need to be more brand salient. But if you’re looking to get your hands dirty with the ‘hows’ and more importantly, get results, you’ve come to the right place.

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January 31, 2023

3 Ways to Transform Board Meetings with Measures That Matter

Business Strategy, Ashton Bishop, Marketing Strategy, Decision Making, Business Growth, Board, Strategy Frameworks, Measures That Matter, Tracking, Strategic Planning, Reporting

UPDATED: As of 25th January 2023

 

Ever been to a board meeting that left you feeling unproductive and confused? 

In an increasingly data-led world and with the rise of artificial intelligence, businesses are able to track more than ever before. But it’s easy to get caught up in tracking and forget to drive results altogether.

As a board member, it’s critical that you’re able to look beyond the documentation and into the priceless insight that lies between the lines. Question is, how?

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January 16, 2023

Funnel Metrics: 5 Steps to Link Your Marketing and Sales

Customer Journey, Business Strategy, Marketing Strategy, Business Growth, Alignment, Conversion, Sales Strategy, Marketing Funnel

It’s easy to think that marketing and sales are completely different functions of a business. But both share a common denominator of engaging customers and integrating the value you offer into their lives. 

That said, every business needs customers. Not just any customer, though — but ones you can serve and who can get behind your product or service offering. When done right, sales-informed marketing can be a catalyst in delivering more qualified customers and optimising a customer journey that makes them stay and buy more. But with the nuances of sales and marketing, how do you know which aspects are relevant to the other? This is where the Funnel Metrics tool comes in.


Insight: When marketing and sales come together, they deliver the right customers suitable for businesses to thrive.

Data: Organisations with a service level agreement (SLA) between marketing and sales are three times as likely to be effective. (Hubspot)

Key Action Point: Utilise the Funnel Metrics to master the key pieces of information needed to align marketing with sales efforts and deliver more qualified customers.

 


WATCH: Let Step Change CEO Ashton Bishop walk you through the Funnel Metrics tool.

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November 3, 2022

Shitting Diamonds: Expensive Lessons Forged Under Extreme Pressure Preview

Success Principles, Personal Growth, Ashton Bishop, Transformation, Leadership

I fear failure. Don’t you? It hits at our self-worth and self-esteem. 

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October 19, 2022

Insight Hunters: 6 Critical Questions Every CEO Must Answer

Business Strategy, Ashton Bishop, Marketing Strategy, Disruption, Culture & Leadership, Better Questions, Norman Chorn, Better Insights, Thinking Routines, High Performing Teams, Agile

Massive change and disruption have transformed the way we work and live. The old ways are no longer working and innovative and more creative solutions are called for by the day.

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October 19, 2022

Insight Hunters EP5: What’s the One Mistake Leaders Make the Most?

Ashton Bishop, Culture & Leadership, Leadership, Better Questions, Norman Chorn, Better Insights

Welcome to a new episode of the Insight Hunters with Dr Norman and Detective Flash! Ready to ask better questions to get better insights?

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October 19, 2022

Insight Hunters EP4: Improving and Integrating Thinking Routines

Ashton Bishop, Better Questions, Norman Chorn, Better Insights, Thinking Models, Thinking Routines, High Performing Teams

Welcome to a new episode of the Insight Hunters with Dr Norman and Detective Flash! Ready to ask better questions to get better insights?

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October 19, 2022

Insight Hunters Special: How Has COVID-19 Changed the Way We Respond?

Ashton Bishop, Disruption, Better Questions, Norman Chorn, Better Insights, COVID-19

Welcome to this special episode of the Insight Hunters with Dr Norman and Detective Flash! So let’s start asking better questions to get better insights.

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October 19, 2022

Insight Hunters EP3: What Are the Best Strategy Frameworks?

Business Strategy, Ashton Bishop, Marketing Strategy, Better Questions, Norman Chorn, Better Insights, Strategy Frameworks

Welcome to another episode of the Insight Hunters with Dr Norman and Detective Flash! Ready to ask better questions to get better insights?

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October 19, 2022

Insight Hunters EP2: Evaluating Roles and Rewards For Agile Companies

Ashton Bishop, Better Questions, Norman Chorn, Better Insights, High Performing Teams, Agile

Welcome back to Insight Hunters with Dr Norman and Detective Flash! It’s time to ask better questions to get better insights.

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October 19, 2022

Insight Hunters EP1: Distinguishing Between Good and Right Ideas

Ashton Bishop, Better Questions, Norman Chorn, Better Insights, Ideation Process

Welcome to the first episode of Insight Hunters with Dr Norman and Detective Flash! Ready to ask better questions to unlock better insights?

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