SOLVE Q3 2015

Social Media Myths, Busted pg 4

What Every CIO Must Know pg 6

Let WiFi Boost Your Business pg 12

SUMMER 2015

$ HOW TECHNOLOGY SPEEDS

THE SALES FUNNEL

Turn to page 12 and see how better Internet and WiFi can help boost productivity and enhance your customer experience!

It’s not just WiFi, it’s MANAGED WiFi.

With Managed WiFi from Time Warner Cable Business Class, you get a scalable, end-to-end wireless networking solution that enables you to provide seamless WiFi Internet access virtually anywhere throughout your property. It’s the secure, wireless connectivity your guests, customers and employees demand, and a smart way to conserve IT resources, optimize productivity and help reduce costs.

FLEXIBILITY AND SCALABILITY: Prioritize, modify and manage bandwidth allocations among user tiers, and gain the ability to provide both paid or FREE WiFi access.

VISIBILITY AND CONTROL:

RELIABILITY AND DEPENDABILITY:

Enjoy superior network visibility and control over your WiFi network, while helping to reinforce your brand through customizable user-authentication and landing pages.

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Unlock the benefits of Managed WiFi today.

Contact a local, dedicated Account Executive to learn more.

877.857.0727 | BUSINESS.TWC.COM Products and services not available in all areas. Some restrictions apply. Subject to change without notice. Time Warner Cable Business Class is a trademark of Time Warner Inc. Used under license. ©2015 Time Warner Enterprises LLC. All rights reserved.

SUMMER 2015 | VOLUME 2 | NO.3

Features

L ETTER TO THE READER

QUESTIONS

02 Connections for Success

THE CIO MUST ASK THE CEO

FAST FACTS

Find the path to the big picture.

p. 06

08

p.

03 How Technology Is Transforming the Sales Funnel SAL ES AN D MARKETIN G

04 5 Big Myths about Social Media

HOW TO WORK WHILE ON VACATION

F IEL D REPORTS

05 Innovative Test Solutions: R&D in Real Time Video conferencing and data streaming are key to collaboration.

(And Still Get to Relax)

p. 12

Departments

THE HOTTEST NEWS IN HOSPITALITY Plus: Does Your Business Need to Up Its WiFi Game?

10 Crystal Run Healthcare: Connected for Quality A growing multi-specialty practice invests in its goals.

22 The USS Lexington: Fiber Flies Its Flag Dedicated Internet Access serves a storied ship.

SUCCESS IN ACTION

Chief Talk: CEOs Tell How Technology Is Transforming Their Businesses

SPEED UP

20 Three Twins Ice Cream: Growing Organically

YOUR SALES FUNNEL

• How Marketing Automation Leads to Acceleration • Social Selling: To Know Them Is to Serve Them • Getting Closer to Closing

$

p. 16

GUIDE TO GO

24 Decoding Tech Jargon New must-know marketing terms Summer 2015

1

LETTER TO THE READER

SUMMER 2015 | VOLUME 2 | NO.3 RSL MEDIA EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Connections for Success Here at Time Warner Cable Business Class, we spend a lot of time thinking about connections.

Of course, that’s our business: providing companies like yours with best-in-class, reliable and scalable products and services for all your voice and data needs.

But our interest in connecting goes far beyond the wires, fibers and other tangible aspects of technology infrastructure. We understand that our work powers your business by connecting you with colleagues, clients and the wider public clearly and seamlessly.

This theme of connection underlies many of the articles in this issue of SOLVE. Take, for example, our special section, “Speed Up Your Sales Funnel,” beginning on page 16. It addresses a near-universal goal: getting the prospect through the sales funnel as swiftly as possible.

To do that, you need to not just “sell,” but to connect—to develop a real partnership with your customers, and to find the information that will help you engage them in the right way. In this issue we report on smart new uses of technology—such as marketing automation and social selling—that can help you build and nurture real-life relationships.

Technology continues to revolutionize, not only the way we market and sell, but just about every aspect of doing business. So we talk a lot about technology in SOLVE. But we never lose sight of what it is there to serve: our customers, and their need to connect with all the important people in their business world.

We are delighted to present this issue of SOLVE as one more key connection that further strengthens our partnership with you.

Robert Levin SPECIAL PROJECTS EDITOR

Lee Lusardi Connor ART DIRECTION

Jim Nissen DESIGNER

Jaclyn Threadgill

TIME WARNER CABLE BUSINESS CLASS CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER

Stephanie Anderson GROUP VICE PRESIDENT – MID-MARKET, CHANNELS AND ALLIANCES

Jeff Greenberg SENIOR DIRECTOR – CUSTOMER LIFECYCLE MARKETING

Orlando Betancourt MARKETING MANAGER

Nafeisa Shukair © 2015 Time Warner Cable Enterprises, LLC. All rights reserved. Time Warner Cable and the Time Warner Cable logo are trademarks of Time Warner Inc. Used under license.

Jeff Greenberg Group Vice President – Mid-Market, Channels and Alliances

d pg 4 a Myths, Buste Social Medi

What Every

CIO Must

Know pg

6

ess pg 12 t Your Busin Let WiFi Boos

SUM MER

2015

$ GY SPEEDS

LO EL ES FUNN THE SAL NO HOW TECH

2

Summer 2015

TELL US WHAT YOU THINK Talk to us! How did you like this issue, and what should we cover next? Write to SolveMagazine@twcable.com. See previous issues at www.solvemagazine.com. And if you've worked with TWCBC to SOLVE your technology challenges, we'd like to hear about it for future issues. Visit business.twc.com/nomination to share your story.

All trademarks remain the property of their respective owners. Material in this publication must not be stored or reproduced in any form without permission.

This magazine includes content created by third parties not affiliated with Time Warner Cable Inc. Time Warner Cable does not control or guarantee the accuracy or completeness of third party information nor does it endorse the views expressed or products/services offered by third parties.

All users accessing third party websites are subject to the policies of those websites.

FAST FACTS

HOW TECHNOLOGY INNOVATIONS ARE TRANSFORMING THE SALES FUNNEL

52 THREE

percent of worldwide Facebook users say Facebook influences their purchasing 2

QUARTERS

of Chief Sales Officers perceive that mobile CRM improves the performance of the sales team 1

78 percent

$

of local mobile searches result in offline purchases 3

CUSTOMERS ARE ARMED

WITH

DATA

nearly 60 percent of a typical B2B purchase decision is made before a customer talks to a supplier. 4

ONLY ONE IN FIVE

sales deals is signed electronically, but companies that deploy e-signature technologies close 17% more sales. 5 Sources: (1) Accenture Sales Performance Optimization Study (2) DigitasLBi 2015 Connected Commerce study

(3) Local Search Study, Neustar Localeze (4) Corporate Executive Board (5) Aberdeen Group

Summer 2015

3

SALES & MARKETING

5

Big Myths about Social Media The misconceptions that make you miss your target

Digital marketer and “analytics junkie” Neil Patel is cofounder of Crazy Egg, an analytics software company, and also offers website traffic and revenue consulting through his company Quick Sprout. In this interview with SOLVE, Patel sticks a pin in some widespread social media misconceptions.

1

“SOCIAL MEDIA LEADS TO SALES.”

That’s true, but not in the way you think it is.

Frequently, people will find out about your company through Facebook or Twitter, but they may not use your product or visit your place of business right away. However, after seeing your company name on social media, they will go to your website, read your blog and, if they find value in it, come back.

My research says that visitors convert to customers after they have visited a site an average of 2.6 times. So be patient. As a rule, allow three months to make your money back.

2

“WE SHOULD ONLY GIVE A SAMPLE OF OUR EXPERTISE ONLINE.” No. Give away the “good stuff.”

You know that customers will keep coming back only if your content provides value and education. Give them everything you know, because if you don’t, someone else will.

You want to show people how good you are at doing what you do. Eventually they will come back to you and pay you to 4

Summer 2015

do it for them, because they don’t have the time to do it themselves.

One company I worked with, a pastry shop, started posting videos that showed how they created their unique pastries.

Did some viewers copy their techniques?

Maybe. But the business also began to have lines out the door in the morning, waiting for their pastries.

3

“ONE SOCIAL MEDIA CHANNEL IS ENOUGH.”

So you have a solid Facebook page— great. Why stop there? To drive volume to your site, you should target all the major social networks that make sense for your business. If you’re a B2B business, you need LinkedIn; if you’re in retail, you need Pinterest. There are smaller, specialized social networks for virtually every industry or field. Do a Google search for them.

4

“WE CAN POST WHENEVER WE WANT TO. “

Don’t assume that when you post something, your intended viewer sees it. Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest, and all other social networks have optimal times when viewers are looking at and clicking

on content. Sometimes companies, like Facebook, provide tools that allow you to determine these best times. Social media scheduling companies like Buffer and Sprout Social can help you optimize your timing across a variety of platforms.

5

“WE CAN DO SOCIAL MEDIA IN OUR SPARE TIME.”

Actually, doing social media right takes a lot of time. You should have someone focusing on this for your business. It’s helpful if the person is actually employed by you, as opposed to working on a parttime or contract basis, because he or she will have a deeper understanding of your company’s product and culture. Strive for consistency and frequency in your postings.

That means, at a minimum, one post per day on each of your social networks.

How do you know when you have an effective social media channel? People are commenting, responding, creating posts, and sharing them—not just on the topic of your business, but on related matters as well.

That happens when you create content that keeps people coming back, and that requires a continually updated social media presence.

FIELD REPORT

ITS VICE PRESIDENT SCOTT BRIODY

Innovative Test Solutions: R&D in Real Time Video conferencing and data streaming are key to collaboration.

THE CHALLENGE:

THE SOLUTION:

THE RESULT:

Innovative Test Solutions of Schenectady, New York, is a mechanical engineering test laboratory.

Manufacturers of everything from dog chains to the fins of jet engine turbines rely on ITS to complete R&D within tight go-to-market deadlines.

Back in 2004, when ITS was founded, generous travel budgets made it easy for a client’s product engineers to fly in and work side-by-side with ITS testing engineers. Over time, however, those budgets dwindled, and ITS had to rely on the Internet for conferencing and communication of test data. By 2012, the company’s DSL solution was no longer able to keep up with these demands. ITS needed realtime connectivity and high-capacity bandwidth.

In 2012, ITS chose Time Warner Cable Business Class (TWCBC) to implement 35 x 5 Mbps Business Internet and Business Class Phone service. The improvement in business functionality was so valuable that within a year ITS upgraded to fiber-based Dedicated Internet Access (DIA). Today, the ITS DIA is running at a symmetrical 40 Mbps, streaming test data around the clock to customers around the world.

“Now we can give customers access to their test data on our system 24/7/365, and we don’t have to be in the loop,” says Scott Briody, ITS vice president.

That “self-service” is vital; staff used to spend about 30 percent of their time handling customer requests to resend or retrieve data from earlier tests.

“We needed to step up to meet the expectations of our clients, and with Time Warner Cable Business Class we’ve been able to make that change,” Briody says. Fiber connectivity, in the form of real-time video and data, lets ITS engineers give clients the support they need. Moreover, powerful bandwidth, combined with ITS’s own advanced technology, gives the company a competitive edge. “We can run a complex multi-access test and allow the customer’s product engineer to monitor it over the phone and make changes in real time,” Briody says. “Not many of my competitors can do that.”

SHARE YOUR STORY!

How did you partner with TWCBC to SOLVE your technology issues? Tell us about it for a chance to be featured in an upcoming issue of SOLVE. Visit business.twc.com/nomination to share your story.

Summer 2015

5

QUESTIONS THE

MUST CIO

ASK THE Step away from the day-to-day and into the big picture.

A

s technology disrupts every industry, company initiatives— from product launches to office expansion to sales—depend in large part on IT. Too often, though, heads of technology stay stuck in their silos, disengaged from the long-term strategy that desperately needs their thinking.

In fact, just 49 percent of CIOs would describe the IT department as “a strong partner to the business,” according to the 2014 Deloitte Global CIO Survey.

So how does the CIO claim his or her rightful—and necessary—place at the top management table? Pull up a seat—and ask the right questions.

CEO

“How can the technology team become more integrated into other business units?”

Clearly, technology can be a business differentiator and provide a competitive advantage. However, this cannot happen if the technology folks are isolated from the rest of the business. If IT personnel can be aligned with the other business units in some way, they will be positioned to have more impact.”

—David Scarola, Chief Marketing Technologist, The Alternative Board, Westminster, CO

“What is the most important value-added element that our IT function can provide in supporting the company’s strategic goals?”

This may seem to be a simple “no-brainer.” Nonetheless, it often remains unasked, resulting in ambiguity in the CIO’s role.

—John Di Frances, Managing Partner, Di Frances & Associates, Milwaukee

6

Summer 2015

“Regarding IT resources, what is the appropriate allocation ratio that should be applied between strategic and operational initiatives?”

Too many companies spend the majority of their resources on daily operational initiatives. As a result, they’re unable to fully realize opportunities that can drive global competitiveness.

—Brett Tibbs, Operations Director, Information Technology, Blossom Growth Partners, Chicago

“Could IT have played a role in winning our last three customers or saving our last three losses, maybe through faster data, mobile CRM, social integrations and more?”

Most CIOs think too tactically to really claim their seat in the boardroom. They are up to their elbows in projects and issues; however, they need to be able to elevate their viewpoint to a strategic level.

—Matthew Turner, President, Boston Turner Group, Monument, CO

“What do you see coming for our clients in the next two years that I can develop solutions for?”

The CIO must not wait to be asked to fix things. The CIO must innovate and create solutions based on not only buying equipment and managing people, but on where the customer may be next year. The CIO will become a more integral part of the corporation when she/he acts a little more like Wayne Gretzky—that is, going where the puck will be, not just chasing it.

—Patty DeDominic, CEO, DeDominic & Associates, Santa Barbara, CA

“What new product or service could we create at twice our current profit margin, if we could resolve an IT issue?”

—Gary W. Patterson, business growth consultant and author, “Find the Blind Spot,” Atlanta

Every 6 months

ASK...

What tools are you 1 or, or do you want “ using to use, to measure the company’s success?

do you see the 2 What company’s customer base looking like one, three and five years from now?

3

Do you see a change in service offerings over the same time period?

4

What do you think our staffing levels will be one, three and five years from now?

plan on opening 5 Donewyouoffices?

Do you see any 6 acquisitions or divestitures in the next five years?

legislative 7 What changes are coming in our industry that we need to prepare for?

are the most 8 What important trends in our industry? are trends in other 9 What industries that you think we can emulate?”

These questions should be asked every six months (in no particular order). Ultimately it is up the CIO to stay in constant communication with the rest of the C-suite so that, as the answers to these questions change, he/she can be ahead of the curve with the solutions and stay in alignment with the strategic plan.

—Peter Rothman, CIO, Alcott HR, Farmingdale, NY

Summer 2015

7

HOW TO

WORK WHILE ON

VACATION (And Still Get to Relax)

D

ear C-suite executive: You know you’re going to do some work while on vacation.

You know you need to. And you know that, actually, you want to, because you like what you do.

But how do you keep hold of the reins (loosely), and still get some much-needed refreshment? Equally important, how do you do this without causing your companions to look at you with big, puppy-dog eyes? Here, top bosses from around the country share their hard-learned strategies for hard-earned vacations.

8

Summer 2015

I

often arrive at the vacation destination two to three days later than my family. I use that time to work virtually around the clock so I can minimize the time required for business during vacation. I have also established certain pre-dawn and post-dusk hours as “work without guilt” zones.

—Robert Miller, CEO, 54 Sports, Charlotte, NC

W

orking while on vacation should consist of two things for any executive who has built a proper team: • a daily one-hour or less check-in—a keep-things-moving type of session in which you forward e-mails and so on.

• a 15- to 30-minute note-taking session at a different time in the day to clear out some of the big-picture thoughts, ideas and solutions that come with being mentally and physically away from the daily minutia.

—Adam Kruse, owner, Hermann London Group, St. Louis, MO

I

plan my vacation just as I would plan a workweek.

The only difference is that instead of “10 a.m.— meeting with marketing department” it’s “10 a.m.— massage.” I schedule my “work time” around times my husband will be golfing. Bottom line: As in business, create a schedule and adhere to that schedule.

—Tiffany James, CEO, UndercoverWear, Inc, Tewksbury, MA

M

y wife and I are workaholics—we’d be more stressed out if we didn’t check in while on vacation. Now that we travel with our two-year-old, we coordinate conference calls ahead of time so that if one of us is on a call or working, the other is on kid patrol. We only check e-mails at set times, but co-workers know they can call or text in case of emergencies.

Some things can’t wait for my son’s naptime.

—Drew Patterson, CEO, CheckMate, San Francisco, CA

T

he solution for my wife and I is to go to resorts where she can swim, work out, or enjoy the beach while I am poolside with a hat on, pounding away on my keyboard in reply to business e-mails. We eat meals together undisturbed and we do enjoy quality time together, but it is not uncommon for me to pull off to the side of the road to answer an important call or message. After much discussion, my family understands that duty calls.

—Jim Angleton, CEO, AEGIS FinServ Corp, Miami, FL

I

’m the only one at my company who can approve certain contract-related items for clients, but I don’t want the sales team waiting on me while I’m away. I created an online form that they can use if they have such a request. It gets e-mailed to me, but I also get a text (SMS) message at the same time. Now I don’t feel the need to constantly refresh my e-mail on my phone while out and about.

—Stephanie Kaplan Lewis, CEO, Her Campus Media, Boston, MA

I

work closely on a daily basis with many of our clients and teams across five offices, so it is difficult to truly unplug. I keep only one phone and one e-mail account so I can see everything at a glance. Sometimes, though, I leave my phone at the hotel or put it in a bag and turn it off for a few hours to ensure that I take a break.

—Rafi Musher, CEO, STAX, Boston, MA

BUSINESS BECKONS A 2014 survey by Korn/ Ferry International found that only 3 percent of CEOs are willing to completely cut themselves off from work during vacation.

I

dentify a go-to person for day-to-day operational questions.

Prior to going on vacation, prepare one of your executives— one of your strongest team members, who is closely tied to the day-to-day workings of your role—to answer basic day-today questions that are essential to running the business but are not going to change the strategic direction of the company.

—Abigail Tremble, Executive Vice President, National Operations, Randstad, Atlanta, GA

D

on’t schedule vacations for times when you have important deadlines right before or right afterward.

Also, the week before you go away, reduce your schedule of meetings and appointments. For example, I went from 30-plus meetings a couple of weeks ago to less than 10 this past week before taking a vacation to Colorado with our kids. The result was that I didn’t have to scramble and leave loose ends that I had to take care of while on vacation.

—Rick Coplin, Vice President, Rev1 Ventures, Columbus, OH

B

efore I leave for vacation, I meet with each member of my team to review potential snags or issues that could arise. This way, they have a recommended action plan if things start to head south with a project. To alleviate any residual panic, I also explain that I will be available, for emergencies only, via text message. More often than not I never receive a text, but knowing I am never too far away is a comfort for my employees and clients.

—Kim Kaupe, Co-Founder, ZinePak, New York, NY

I

3%

have made it a rule to distance myself from technology during all special moments, whether I’m on vacation or not.

For example, if I’m out to dinner with my girls or we are doing something special as a family while traveling, I put down the phone and fully immerse myself in the moment. This allows me to set a good example. I am a dad with daughters, after all—it’s hard for me to convince them to put their phones down if I’m not willing to do it!

—Michael Plummer, President, Our Town America, Pinellas Park, FL

Summer 2015

9

FIELD REPORT

CHIEF MEDICAL INFORMATION OFFICER GREG SPENCER (L) AND IT DIRECTOR MIGUEL HERNANDEZ

Crystal Run Healthcare: Connected for Quality

A growing multi-specialty practice invests in its goals.

The secret sauce is to get everyone talking and communicating with one another.

–Greg Spencer

10

Summer 2015

THE CHALLENGE:

THE SOLUTION:

With 30 locations in New York, Crystal Run Healthcare is one of the fastest-growing multi-specialty practices in the country.

Like its peers, Crystal Run must navigate huge changes in health care. These include widespread consolidation that makes it critical to add locations and to quickly get them up to speed, as well as an increase in the use of large electronic health records (EHRs). Crystal Run has also been chosen to be an Accountable Care Organization by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, meaning that it is dedicated to socalled “Triple Aim” goals of improved care, better health outcomes, and lower cost. The organization’s standards—and the demands on its technology—are high.

Crystal Run relies on Time Warner Cable Business Class (TWCBC) to provide the services and infrastructure needed for Crystal Run to excel. An Ethernet Local Area Network (ELAN) runs among all Crystal Run locations, supporting bandwidths ranging from 15 Mbps to 1 Gbps. This flexible fiber backbone also supports Dedicated Internet Access (DIA), which offers continuous, protected connectivity to the Internet, and provides 15 Mbps symmetrical high-bandwidth uploads and downloads. Several locations rely on the high-speed, modem-based 50 x 5 Mbps Business Internet Access (BIA) service. The practice also uses Business Class Phone service and video services.

THE RESULTS: The flexible solution means that Crystal Run can continue to grow and improve.

Each new office Crystal Run adds gets the benefit of high-performing technology.

The ELAN’s capacity and reliability let providers leverage bandwidth-intensive medical applications such as EHRs, and helps the practice meet HIPAA and HITECH requirements regarding privacy and security.

The ELAN also has any-to-any connectivity, meaning that it can accommodate multiple platforms and devices.

Any technology Crystal Run installs in its data centers is available to even the smallest affiliated offices. No matter which Crystal Run provider a patient visits, his or her information is readily at hand.

The TWCBC solution also helps Crystal Run reduce demands on office space. Crystal Run has adopted a home agent program, in which calls made to the practice’s main number are answered by home-based employees.

These agents can handle appointments, route calls, and so on just as if they were on-site.

Crystal Run continues to seek ways to use its technology to take patient care to the next level. The practice is currently finding new ways to turn patient analytics, business intelligence, and population health data into actionable medical information.

All of this can be achieved through seamless communication. “That’s the secret sauce—to get everyone talking and communicating with one another,” explains Greg Spencer, chief medical information officer.. “The Time Warner Cable Business Class ‘pipes’ between our offices allow us to do that.”

SHARE YOUR STORY!

How did you partner with TWCBC to SOLVE your technology issues? Tell us about it for a chance to be featured in an upcoming issue of SOLVE. Visit business.twc.com/nomination to share your story.

GRowth iS inEvitaBlE. iS youR nEtwoRk REady?

two out of three it leaders* say demand for bandwidth will increase at their company over the next year. Knowing how much bandwidth your business needs to succeed is key.

When you have enough bandwidth, you have the capacity to run all the applications that drive your business: Mission-Critical Cloud Applications

45.5

Mbps

Big Data File Downloads

Video Collaboration and Conferencing Sample Calculation

Stay ahead of the bandwidth curve by trying our FREE Bandwidth Calculator.

Try the bandwidth calculator today at bandwidth.network-needs.com

Choose from a wide range of applications to calculate your specific bandwidth needs. Five minutes is all it takes to find out if your network is ready for tomorrow.

Time Warner Cable Business Class is here to help make sure your network is ready.

*InformationWeek 2014 Next-Generation WAN Survey

The bandwidth calculator estimates are based upon performance metrics derived from ACG Research, and individual results will vary.

Contact your Time Warner Cable Business Class Account Executive for assistance in refining your bandwidth estimates. Time Warner Cable Business Class is a trademark of Time Warner Inc. Used under license. ©2015 Time Warner Enterprises LLC. All rights reserved.

THE

HOTTEST

NEWS IN HOSPITALITY How better Internet and WiFi can wow your guests 12

Summer 2015

WHAT A

GUEST WANTS

RANK

W

hat do travelers to the desert want?

In Palm Springs, they want a gorgeous setting, amenities galore—and connectivity.

Lots and lots of connectivity. Travelers no longer want to “get away from it all;” they want to be able to gain access to it all, at their convenience.

That’s true whether guests are at a hotel for business or for pleasure. “On the weekends, 60 to 70 percent of our business comes from the surrounding regions of Los Angeles, Orange, San Diego, and Riverside counties,” says Aftab Dada, general manager of the Hilton Palm Springs.

“Midweek, that mix changes, with conventions coming in.”

But both kinds of travelers have connectivity needs that are, increasingly, nonnegotiable. Convention attendees require bandwidth and reliability that will enable them to transfer large files and keep in close touch with home as well as headquarters. Moreover, the business traveler is now bringing multiple devices for business and personal use into the hotel room and operating them simultaneously.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

HOTEL ROOM AMENITY

Internet/Free WiFi Bathroom Shower Room Size TV Facilities Air Conditioning Coffee/Tea Non-Smoking Rooms Premium Bedding Daily Housekeeping Mattress Type

In a 2014 “Top 10 Most Important In-Room Amenities” survey, travelers ranked WiFi way ahead of sheets, mattresses and even daily housekeeping.

SOURCE: HOTELS.COM

Summer 2015

13

Speed for Social Networking

Multiple Family Devices

establishing brand standards to ensure that there are consistent customer experiences throughout their Streaming properties.

Entertainment While the technology is new, the motivation is as old as the marketplace itself. Even as the hospitality industry is experiencing a solid rebound from the 2008 economic downturn, the environment has High-Speed become more competitive.

Bandwidth As guests become accustomed to having high speed WiFi Internet access in their homes and at work, they now demand the same in their hotel rooms. In fact, according to some research, the modern traveler prioritizes Internet/free WiFi over daily housekeeping or premium bedding.

Easing the Upgrade

Meanwhile, leisure travelers want high-definition TV (HDTV) that they can watch between trips to the golf course or tennis courts, with access to premium channels, parental controls, and video-on-demand. They also need bandwidth for the multiple devices their families are toting, which keep kids connected to games, teens to social networks and streamed entertainment, and adults to, well, everything.

That’s why smart hotels are making significant technology investments so they can offer a banquet of connectivity to their guests. Major brands and their franchise owners are focused on improving the “Internet environment” for their guests and

This surge in demand for WiFi service can cause headaches for the unprepared establishment. A first-generation, basic WiFi system can be brought to its knees by several devices in a single room, multiplied by many rooms, all simultaneously attempting to access the Internet to upload or download data and images. Slow access speeds translate into guest frustration, which in turn translates into lower retention rates, poor reviews on travel sites and openings for competitive brands and properties.

Many major hotel operators are coming to realize, however, that implementing a more complex WiFi infrastructure to support their guests’ insatiable data demands means more

DOESYOUR COMPANY NEED TO UP ITS WIFI GAME?

Today, all kinds of businesses are feeling the need to ramp up their WiFi power, either because of customer expectations or work requirements. Some examples:

Companies and offices with foot traffic and visitors:

That means just about any kind of retail establishment, as well as service providers with waiting rooms.

These businesses want robust connectivity for customers as well as a separate, secure business WiFi network.

14

Summer 2015

Companies that deal in sensitive information:

For example, legal or accounting firms may need to upgrade their WiFi security firewalls and content filtering.

Companies with very large facilities, such as manufacturers:

Now employees are working throughout facilities on tablets that require an Internet connection.

Companies with an interest in geolocation, such as grocery stores: With geolocation capabilities and wireless APs, companies can send coupons to consumer cell phones at targeted times—for example, produce coupons when the customer is in the fruits and vegetables section.

than just installing new access points (APs) and ordering more bandwidth from their Internet providers. Other requirements and challenges a provider must meet include: Bandwidth and high download speeds capable of handling multiple devices per room or convention meeting space requirements The option to add temporary guest networks or increase bandwidth as needed for special events and conferences Security measures that enable guests to access the Internet, but prevent them from accessing other guests’ devices or administrative devices on the network Control over network usage, such as a customized authentication screen that allows hotel management to grant free access or paid access for predetermined timeframes 24/7 toll-free tech support to take the burden of managing Internet, WiFi, TV, and voice issues away from hotel employees Seeing these needs, the Hilton Palm Springs management took proactive steps—switching to HDTV and primary rate interface (PRI) phone services, and increasing bandwidth on the Time Warner Cable Business Class (TWCBC) wholly owned, fiber-rich network. The hotel upgraded to a 10 Mbps Dedicated Internet Access (DIA) fiber service. Now, when Aftab Dada needs extra bandwidth for major conventions, all he has to do is call his TWCBC representative to increase bandwidth to 60 Mbps. In addition to HDTV service in each room (“a major, major part of our service,” Dada says), Hilton Palm Springs provides video services in the hotel’s fitness center, restaurants, bars, and common areas.

These and other connectivity services have enabled Hilton Palm Springs to do what it most wants: to exceed guests’ expectations in every way.

WIRED & WELCOMING

Top two areas of investment planned by hotel operators for in-room technologies

INCREASED % BANDWIDTH 63 WIRELESS 49% INTERNET ACCESS

KEEPING GUESTS PLUGGED IN WITH TWCBC In the world of hospitality, the customer-driven requirement for superior connectivity has created a strong demand for Time Warner Cable Business Class (TWCBC) services such as Managed WiFi. Managed WiFI is a scalable wireless networking solution that enables a hotel to provide seamless WiFi Internet access to guests and employees virtually anywhere throughout a property.

While hotel guests can, with proper authentication, connect to the Internet from anywhere in the hotel, they will not have access to other guests’ devices or administrative devices.

In addition, guest networks can be separated into multiple networks, alleviating bandwidth concerns. And with scalable Internet, the customer can seamlessly boost bandwidth with a simple call to a TWCBC liaison. This results in a fully managed network that allows TWCBC to assist hotel management by:

•

Proactively monitoring and remotely supporting the hotel’s wireless network

•

Taking guest trouble calls without interrupting the hotel staff’s daily operational duties

•

Limiting trouble calls, due to the highly professional design of wireless AP placement

•

Providing a landing page customized to the hotel or brand that guests will see prior to accessing the Internet

•

Providing a dashboard to help the customer monitor data consumption and get a live snapshot of the hotel network’s pulse. This monitoring allows for preparation in the unlikely event of an outage.

•

Providing end-to-end management so administrators can utilize the admin portal and conference room scheduler for added visibility and control over the network

With high levels of performance and support, as well as capabilities tailored to a particular hotel’s needs, Managed WiFi allows hotel management, as well as guests, to get a good night’s sleep.

To learn more, visit business.twc.com/managedwifi

SOURCE: 2014 LODGING TECHNOLOGY STUDY, HT MAGAZINE

Summer 2015

15

SPEED UP YOUR SALES FUNNEL

$ Even the top sales people are seeing the phenomenon: the newly empowered customer, with more information and options than ever before, is in no rush to make a decision. Want to gain a competitive edge, speed up the customer’s journey, and seal the deal more swiftly? Try these tools and techniques.

16

Summer 2015

MARKETING AUTOMATION

= ACCELERATION

Find your truly qualified prospects, much faster.

B Y J U S T I N G R AY

W

e live in a world where marketing moves at lightning speed. To stay competitive, brands must guide their leads through the funnel at a steady pace, from first contact to close.

That might sound easier said than done for businesses managing a funnel bloated with ambivalent leads—but marketing automation (MA) is here to help.

Most marketers have heard of marketing automation, but many aren’t up to speed on its benefits. So let’s review. By working with your customer relationship management (CRM) system, an MA platform will track your lead’s behaviors and interactions with your company, and tailor your messaging in response to those actions. Because marketing automation coaxes leads along by speaking to specific pain points and goals, the MA system accelerates the lead journey.

Turning Relevance into Revenue I worked with one mid-market company that had decent lead generation results but a poor rate of conversions. Then the team implemented marketing automation to work in conjunction with its CRM. The system would “see,” for example, that a prospect downloaded a certain white paper, and respond with an e-mail offering a discounted registration fee on a related conference. Or it might see that a prospect had attended a demo at a trade show, and

offer a special price on that product. These targeted messages woke up leads that had been stagnating for months.

Based on rules set up by the company, the MA system might then send out an invitation for an appointment with a member of the sales team. Without human intervention, the sales teams were then presented with truly qualified leads.

Clearly, marketing automation offers a serious competitive advantage. Luckily, it’s become more affordable than ever for businesses of every size.

Strategy First Before you choose a marketing automation platform, it’s critical to outline your goals. Do you want demand generation, influenced opportunities, or up-sell and cross-sell lift? Your objectives should guide the next step: developing strategies and processes. Talk to your sales and marketing teams. What new funnel strategies could help sales get more qualified leads faster?

Next, revisit and refine your messaging. The best marketing technology can’t compensate for weak content. If you have a complex range of brand stories, buyer personas, and messaging points to manage, keep it simple for now and prioritize the top ones. Decide on budget allocation to help you resist the temptation to spend big on an ambitious content program right away.

With visions of fast sales cycles in your head, you might be tempted to

jump in and start deploying campaigns immediately. It’s smarter to get some training and focus on process first. Have your team take advantage of webinars, coaching, videos, or any other resources offered by the marketing platform. Don’t let one person volunteer to attend the training, then teach it to others; this should be a team effort, including sales, content development, business development and, of course, your technology team.

Then, practice your new skills by first implementing smaller, easier baseline campaigns. Once you roll out more complex campaigns and sequences, you’ll be glad you had time to tweak the setup and implement best practices.

Finally, be ready to adapt as the technology does. MA evolves to reflect marketers’ changing needs, which means you’ll need to stay current on the latest strategies and technological developments. One great source of information: your MA vendor’s user communities. Your fellow users will share ideas and tips on shortening the funnel and increasing your close rate. Check your data, too, to measure campaign effectiveness and spot sluggish areas.

In our customer-centric era, marketers need to inject relevance into their messaging if they want leads to complete their funnel journey. By using marketing automation to speed up the buying cycle, teams can open the door to higher performance and ultimately, higher revenue.

Summer 2015

17

TO KNOW THEM IS TO

SERVE THEM

How social selling can speed things up ocial selling is a hot new buzz-phrase, and there’s a lot of misunderstanding about it. Here’s how I define it: Social selling is using social networks as another channel to do research, to be relevant, and to build relationships that drive revenue.

While social media is often about using a virtual megaphone to get your message out there, social selling is usually most relevant to B2B sales. That’s because B2B selling involves educating, nurturing, sharing, and building relationships. It involves a complex sales cycle in which people are buying from people, and not, for example, clicking a coupon to get 20 percent off.

Social selling helps speed up the sales cycle because it gives the sales rep more information to understand who is making the decision and what they care about. It accelerates the relationship, which earns you the opportunity to have a conversation.

People say that business is all about who you know. I say it’s about what you know about who you know.

who they are following, what connections we have in common.

Through social media, I not only learn about my future meeting partners—I also do “discovery” about the company.

I get an idea of who their buyer is, what their other strategic sales and marketing priorities are, and more. Trade publications, SlideShare presentations, podcasts, and the like are often shared on social media, revealing what the sharer thinks is important to his or her business.

I won’t be able to discover everything in advance, but what I do find will help me have a more productive conversation.

For example, I find out that this particular company has recently adopted a new sales methodology. Now I can explain how social selling can be a valuable addon to their new program.

After the call, I send an e-mail that shares valuable information— introductions I’ve promised to make and links to content that can help them build the case they need to build. This sharing of content is the second essential aspect of social selling. With this e-mail, I reinforce the value I can provide.

How It Works

How to Get Started

Let’s say I am contacted by a major company that is in the beginning phases of social selling. On the invitation for a conference call, there are three other people.

I go to LinkedIn, Twitter, and other social networks and look up these three people. I see who’s following them, and

It’s likely that someone on your sales team—probably your best salesperson— is already using a form of social selling.

Find that person and put a spotlight on him or her so that the other sales reps can see what he or she is doing. In addition, learn all you can online about social selling from early adopters.

BY JILL ROWLEY

S

18

Summer 2015

Put together an internal crossfunctional team for social selling. Please, don’t delegate social media to the new hire fresh out of college. That leads to what I call “random acts of social.” You need a planning team with business acumen and experience in your industry to put together a strategy around how you’re going to leverage social as a channel.

YOUR SALES TEAM WILL NEED THREE THINGS: MINDSET This is the fundamental shift that must be made: the buyer is in control. Nobody wants to be sold to; they want to be helped.

SKILLSET This is the how-to of becoming an expert content curator, sharing relevant information—terrific TED talks, inspirational quotes, content from smart people in your buyer’s world. This sharing makes you useful and makes you look like an expert.

TOOLSET This means proficiency in whatever online networks your buyers are using, such as Facebook, Pinterest or an online community of professionals.

Social selling is not the only way, and it’s not a magic bullet. It’s just another channel to do research, become relevant, and drive revenue.

And that’s the bottom line.

GETTING CLOSER

TO CLOSING 5 ways to create urgency

BY STEVE SCHIFFMAN

T

he longer it takes for a sale to close, the less likely it is to happen, because so many things can come up to derail it as time goes by.

The reality is that prospective buyers are in control of the time frame. Unless you can create a sense of excitement, they have no motivation to speed it up.

People make changes when someone shows them a way to do what they already do—but better. Try this approach to move things along:

1

Make the sale collaborative. The more your prospect sees that you’re sharing his or her vision and trying to help him or her get to a goal, the more likely you’ll be allowed to do it.

Create an atmosphere in which you are asking real questions, understanding what was done in the past and how it evolved, and getting a sense of the goal. Then you can position yourself as somebody who can help him or her. The steps go like this: listen, learn, lead.

Justin Gray is the CEO and chief marketing evangelist of LeadMD, a company that transforms traditional grassroots marketing efforts through the use of cloud-based marketing solutions.

2

Use paper and pen. Take notes while the other person is talking; it shows that you consider what he or she has to say to be important.

When you set up a meeting, pull out an appointment book instead of your phone.

It is a powerful non-verbal signal that the next meeting is really going to happen, and helps get it scheduled sooner.

3

Set up the next meeting while you’re at the first meeting. Try to avoid, “I’ll call you next week to set up another appointment.” Say that you will be digesting all the information and discussing it with your team, and schedule a meeting in which you can propose what you think might make sense for the prospect. At the second meeting, you are not providing the ultimate answer—you are verifying what you have learned, making informed suggestions and tailoring the ultimate proposal along with your prospect.

If you do the usual thing and say, “I’ll submit a proposal next week,” the first—and maybe last—thing the person will do is flip to the last page and look at the price. That may well delay or kill the sale, because price without context and value means nothing.

Jill Rowley is a keynote speaker and workshop leader.

She is the founder of Jill Rowley #SocialSelling and an advisor to numerous companies, including HubSpot, TrackMaven and Vidyard.

$ 4

Influence all the people involved in the decision. If the prospect says he or she will have to consult with other people in the company, suggest that those other people attend the second meeting.

Or, ask whether you can speak to the purchasing manager or talk to some users on your own to better understand the issue. The more people you know, the more you understand how the company works and the more you can create excitement about an idea.

5

Work toward the customer’s next purchase date. This gives you a timeline and a deadline. Your prospect is likely using a similar product on a regular basis, and you should understand when the next purchase date is going to be. “In order to get the product here on X date, we should get together by X date.”

Steve Schiffman is a certified management consultant who has worked with a wide range of corporations. He is the founder of D.E.I. Management Group and the author of more than 50 books about sales.

Summer 2015

19

SUCCESS IN ACTION

CHIEF TALK

CEOS TELL HOW TECHNOLOGY is TRANSFORMING THEIR BUSINESSES INTERVIEW BY LEE LUSARDI CONNOR

D

oes the world really need another highend specialty ice cream? Maybe not.

But it definitely wants one, as Neal Gottlieb has proven over the past 10 years while building Three Twins Ice Cream.

Made of certified organic ingredients, sourced from local family farms, the Petaluma, California-based company has two factories, 100 employees and five scoop shops, and is sold in 3,000 locations across the United States Gottlieb’s goal is to be as ubiquitous as brands like Ben & Jerry’s or Häagen Dazs. Here, he shares what he’s learned so far:

Make a plan to set your brand apart.

THREE TWINS ICE CREAM: GROWING ORGANICALLY FIERCE IDEALISM CRACKS A CROWDED MARKET

20

Summer 2015

In the ice cream category—as with any food category—one thing you’ll never see is an empty grocery store shelf just waiting for your product. Our initial differentiator was that we were a certified organic product with no stabilizers.

However, not that many people care solely about being consumers of organic ice cream—they’re not going to buy it en masse, at scale, if it doesn’t taste good. So our real differentiator is to be “inconceivably delicious.”

Each flavor has our own stamp, our own little twist. For example, for our confetti mint with dark chocolate flavor, instead of using hard, waxy chocolate chips, we take Italian dark chocolate that we melt in a proprietary system and inject as flecks into the ice cream.

Because our flavors are unique, people ask for Three Twins ice cream by name.

SUCCESS IN ACTION

Find creative ways to send your message.

When we started 10 years ago, there wasn’t any social media. In the beginning, we did things to get attention, like building the world’s biggest ice cream sundae in a bathtub.

Right after we opened, Hurricane Katrina happened. We did a “name your own price” promotion where every penny we made went to an environmental nonprofit. It was an opportunity to say we’re not only here, we exist, but we also really care.

If you’re supporting a cause—such as giving away 1 percent of sales to land trust and environmental non-profits, as we do—tell people about it. If you don’t tell them, they won’t know, but if you do, they will buy more and tell friends to buy it. Ultimately, this will benefit the company much more than blowing a lot of money on television or radio ads.

Be bold when going up against the big guys.

Years ago Ben & Jerry’s was leading the way with hormonefree ice cream and supporting social and environmental causes, but now they’re owned by a big corporation and they’ve left a void for ice cream companies like Three Twins. We recently put out two very popular flavors, Banana Nut Confetti and Cherry Chocolate Chunk [ed. note: similar to Ben & Jerry’s popular Chunky Monkey and Cherry Garcia flavors].

We thought it would be fun and show people that we are out Ben-and-Jerrying Ben & Jerry’s; our ice creams are certified organic. People got very excited about it and it got a lot of coverage. It sent a message through the media that there’s a new kid on the block.

Pay well.

A lot of companies cry poverty as they’re growing, but they’re only hurting themselves. I learned early on to pay competitively for talent. If people can go elsewhere and make significantly more money, the fact that you’re a fun and fostering company to work for only goes so far.

Use technology to help your company grow.

When we went to move into selling in grocery stores, we made a minimal investment, maybe a few hundred pints a week, and about $2,000 to get labels done.

Then we couldn’t keep up with the orders. We were oversold, and scrambling, and we weren’t keeping good track of our inventory. We were tying up huge amounts of cash, not ordering the right packaging. Now we use All Orders inventory software, a

We sent a message through the media that there’s a new kid on the block.

—NEAL GOTTLIEB

QuickBooks add-on that streamlines ordering, inventory, work orders and so on. It has totally changed the business.

Even though ice cream is by nature a lowtech business, we knew that we couldn’t grow without upping our tech game.

You can never let your guard down.

This year, we saw both Blue Bell and Jeni’s ice creams recalling products because of listeria. I don’t think that news helped anybody in the ice cream industry. We have definitely taken the opportunity to review every aspect of our quality assurance process.

The message is not to get complacent in any aspect of your organization, and to continually improve your process. When you go from making ice cream in one small freezer to having two manufacturing plants, you gain a huge amount of knowledge along the way—but you have to make sure your employees have that knowledge too, and are acting on it.

Overall, the market continues to move toward organic food. The trend is to go toward more local, more artisanal products that have accountability in sourcing, and that’s helping us.

Summer 2015

21

FIELD REPORT

LEILA GALLEGOS, HUMAN RESOURCES OFFICER

The USS Lexington: Fiber Flies Its Flag Dedicated Internet Access serves a storied ship.

This was a mission that most vendors would not attempt.

–Leila Gallegos

22

Summer 2015

THE CHALLENGE:

THE SOLUTION:

After a half century of service, the USS Lexington aircraft carrier was decommissioned, acquired by the city of Corpus Christi, Texas, and opened as a museum. While visitors loved the museum, the limitations of its 1.5 x 1.5 Mbps T1 service proved a challenge for staff. “It felt like we were trying to run the museum, and our business, with prehistoric technology,” says Leila Gallegos, human resources officer. An upgrade was a must. However, when potential telecom vendors arrived, they looked at the long pier, the choppy waters of Corpus Christi Bay, and the steel walls dividing the ship’s compartments—and “turned around and ran,” Gallegos says.

In 2014, the Lexington and Time Warner Cable Business Class (TWCBC) began to work together to solve the technology infrastructure problem. Today, the Lexington has fiber-based Dedicated Internet Access (DIA) operating at 40 Mbps. TWCBC has also ported the museum’s voice lines and its toll-free number to fiber-based Primary Rate Interface (PRI) phone service. For Gallegos, unlimited long distance is a major feature, as the staff no longer needs to spend time tracking long-distance and department codes. And, crucially, the system has resiliency and redundancy that allows the Lexington to stay connected even during the heavy storms that can sweep over Corpus Christi Bay.

Need a Reason to Switch to SIP? THE RESULT: Reliable, robust connectivity that saves money and allows the museum to find new ways to serve its customers. “It’s just amazing—the direction we’ve gone since we acquired [fiber],” says Gallegos.

Now, even with phones, browsers, and business applications at work, there’s still plenty of bandwidth for innovation.

For example, the high-speed, high-capacity DIA connection to the museum servers allows WiFi to be made available for visitors. Now they can use their smartphones to access information directly from those servers for a personal tour of the history behind the exhibits. The same DIA circuit also supports content and equipment used in the museum’s magnificent IMAX theater.

In the old days, Gallegos remembers, a storm once caused the Lexington to lose connectivity while 600 Boy Scouts were on an overnight visit, expecting to participate in an interactive experience of what it was like to live aboard in war time. These days, Boy Scouts and other visitors can rest easy. Fiber’s reliability not only keeps communications flowing smoothly—it allows below-deck areas to be equipped with Internet access points.

“This was a mission that most vendors would not attempt,” Gallegos says. “With Time Warner Cable Business Class, we signed the contract and from start to finish knew what to expect. They met the mark every step of the way.

Because of that connection, we are now in a phenomenal place.“

SHARE YOUR STORY!

How did you partner with TWCBC to SOLVE your technology issues? Tell us about it for a chance to be featured in an upcoming issue of SOLVE. Visit business.twc.com/nomination to share your story.

A reliable and secure voice solution delivered over our own growing fiber-rich IP network, Business Class SIP Trunks offer a range of benefits for your business.

Let’s take a look at our top five.

COST SAVINGS

Lower costs by delivering voice and data over a single network, reducing overhead and enabling you to purchase only the calling capacity you need.

SCALABILITY

Add additional call capacity one path at a time so you can respond quickly to system and application growth needs.

ALTERNATE ROUTING AND BUSINESS CONTINUITY

Configure to automatically route inbound calls to another telephone number or trunk group during a connection failure.

UNIFIED COMMUNICATIONS (UC) Enhance collaboration and responsiveness and enable UC capabilities to be extended across the IP network to support an array of IP-enabled devices and applications.

ALL-IP NETWORKING

SIP Trunks serve as an essential building block for migrating to a flexible all-IP network.

Want to make the switch to SIP? Contact a local, dedicated Time Warner Cable Business Class Account Executive.

877.857.0727 | BUSINESS.TWC.COM/SWITCHTOSIP

Products and services not available in all areas. Some restrictions apply. Subject to change without notice. Time Warner Cable Business Class is a trademark of Time Warner Inc. Used under license. ©2015 Time Warner Enterprises LLC. All rights reserved.

GUIDE TO GO

TECH JARGON

DECODING Must-know marketing terms for the modern company

BY ROBERT GLAZER

Technology is transforming marketing at warp speed. It is now possible to precisely target customers, craft personalized messages, track purchase journeys, and calculate marketing’s ROI—all while interacting with your market on social media. Master the new marketing movement, and your business will be ahead of the curve when it comes to connecting with customers.

AFFILIATE MARKETING: In this channel, you get your brand in front of new customers by signing up individuals or companies to market your products for commissions that are paid only after a desired action is achieved.

While affiliate marketing has been around for more than 10 years ,it is evolving from its roots in discount to more brandrelevant partners and promotions. We have seen that affiliate marketing, done well, can provide 8 to 10 percent of online sales on a performance basis.

ATTRIBUTION MODELING: Traditionally, the last ad viewed or clicked received credit for any sale made. In the data era, however, attribution modeling can measure the entire team of ads and channels that contribute to a conversion over time. Now companies can see the full picture of what’s happening in each channel and determine each one’s contribution.

BRAND MONITORING: A way of keeping track of your brand’s image, this process pays attention to all possible channels on the web and in the media to understand how your brand

24

Summer 2015

is being perceived (for example, on forums or complaint sites), as well as to guarantee that there are no trademark infringements (for example, another company adopting a logo that is very similar to yours). BrandVerity is one example of a company that can help you implement brand monitoring.

DIGITAL ASSET MANAGEMENT: Given the proliferation of marketing channels, it’s a challenge to coordinate all of your brand’s digital assets, such as images, stock photos, videos, PDFs, and more. Digital asset management (DAM) assigns metadata and indexes important records to help you organize and repurpose those assets. Companies such as WebDAM specialize in providing this service.

MOBILEGEDDON: This term was given to Google’s recent search engine algorithm update, which now factors in mobile-friendliness when ranking websites. If you want to attract organic traffic, ranking high in Google searches is imperative. Check out Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test to see if your site measures up.

OMNICHANNEL: This approach to marketing provides a seamless experience across channels and devices. If a customer puts an item in his shopping cart on your desktop site, that item should also be there when the customer accesses your mobile site. If the customer doesn’t buy, e-mail and display remarketing should remind him of the product. B2B as well as B2C customer expectations for a consistent brand message are high. If your brand has disjointed messaging or creative on different channels, its integrity will be compromised.

PERSONALIZATION: Blast e-mails are no longer relevant.

Instead, target each customer with products tailored to him or her based on characterizations or preferences gleaned from what he or she has purchased or searched for in the past.

New personalization software makes this easier and cheaper than ever before.

Robert Glazer, founder and managing director of Acceleration Partners, is a customer acquisition specialist who grows revenue and profits for fast-growing consumer products and services companies. His clients include adidas, eBay, Gymboree, The Honest Company, Shutterfly, Target, Tiny Prints, and Warby Parker.

Press play on the power of the new network.

Tune into our podcasts to learn about the latest technologies and applications that are transforming business communications.

Big Data is a Big Deal: Everyone is talking about big

data, but not many people really understand it. Hear stories from real companies on how big data is playing a big role in their businesses.

Networked Healthcare: Extending the Boundaries for Patient Care: This podcast explores the inextricable relationship between medical care, telecommunications and telemedicine.

Managed Network Service: The Benefits of Outsourcing: Take a look at Managed Network Services and the IT benefits of outsourcing infrastructure management.

For these podcast episodes and more, visit business.twc.com/podcast

Products and services not available in all areas. Some restrictions apply. Subject to change without notice. Time Warner Cable Business Class is a trademark of Time Warner Inc. Used under license. ©2015 Time Warner Enterprises LLC. All rights reserved.

ONE NETWORK. ONE CLOUD. ONE PROVIDER. MAKE THE EASY CONNECTION TO MANAGED CLOUD SERVICES. Whether you’re considering a move to the cloud or examining your existing cloud strategy, NaviSite and Time Warner Cable Business Class can help. Our local cloud team will listen to your needs and offer customized solutions that can help your business flourish. And it’s as easy as counting to one.

• Simplify operations by partnering with one provider for your connectivity and cloud services.

• Free up time, money and resources by allowing us to manage your data and applications.

• Gain peace of mind knowing your business-critical assets are securely and redundantly housed in our state-of-the-art data centers.

• Get expert insight from the professionals at NaviSite, the 2015 VMware Global Service Provider Partner of the Year.

Discover how we can help you accomplish your IT goals and unlock your business’s full potential.

It’s as easy as one call. | 877.584.7269 NaviSite.com

NETWORK SERVICES | APPLICATION SERVICES | CLOUD SERVICES | HOSTING SERVICES Products and services not available in all areas. Some restrictions apply. Subject to change without notice. Time Warner Cable Business Class is a trademark of Time Warner Inc. used under license. © 2015 Time Warner Cable Enterprises, LLC. All rights reserved. All other trademarks remain the property of their respective owners.

ONE NETWORK. ONE CLOUD. ONE PROVIDER. MAKE THE EASY CONNECTION TO MANAGED CLOUD SERVICES. Whether you’re considering a move to the cloud or examining your existing cloud strategy, NaviSite and Time Warner Cable Business Class can help. Our local cloud team will listen to your needs and offer customized solutions that can help your business flourish. And it’s as easy as counting to one.

• Simplify operations by partnering with one provider for your connectivity and cloud services.

• Free up time, money and resources by allowing us to manage your data and applications.

• Gain peace of mind knowing your business-critical assets are securely and redundantly housed in our state-of-the-art data centers.

• Get expert insight from the professionals at NaviSite, the 2015 VMware Global Service Provider Partner of the Year.

Discover how we can help you accomplish your IT goals and unlock your business’s full potential.

It’s as easy as one call. | 877.584.7269 NaviSite.com NETWORK SERVICES | APPLICATION SERVICES | CLOUD SERVICES | HOSTING SERVICES Products and services not available in all areas. Some restrictions apply. Subject to change without notice. Time Warner Cable Business Class is a trademark of Time Warner Inc. used under license. © 2015 Time Warner Cable Enterprises, LLC. All rights reserved. All other trademarks remain the property of their respective owners.