Speaking Topics
Innovate or Die
Business leaders must understand the next wave of innovation and how technology trends will affect businesses as well as consumers. This presentation explains the importance of embracing innovation and offers practical for advice for managers or entrepreneurs trying to start or grow a company. Attendees will learn the following:
- How entrepreneurs and business managers create value from emerging technology
- Practical advice for raising growth capital*
- What is Web 2.0 and why it is changing the way we conduct business
* Note: This topic can be expanded into its own presentation, drawing on the insights from Keith Herndon's recent book, a compilation of expert interviews entitled "Raising Capital When You Don't Have a Silicon Valley Address."
Using Technology to Get Things Done
Do you think of your technology spending as overhead; money you secretly wished you could divert to sales and marketing? Managers who think this way may be missing the point. This presentation offers the perspective of technology as a productivity tool and provides advice on how to think strategically about the money your business spends on its technology. Making the right decisions about technology and the money allocated to it can separate you from your competition. Attending this presentation will help you answer several questions including:
- Can I save money with Open Source?
- What is a Wiki and why do I need one?
- Is VOIP (internet telephony) a viable phone alternative for my business?
The Internet is the Media
Since the Internet exploded onto the consumer scene more than a decade ago the public has embraced it for many things, but its rapid evolvement into the most powerful media distribution platform the world has ever known is perhaps the most significant development. Google's acquisition of YouTube and Fox's purchase of MySpace underscore the fundamental shift in media power. This presentation offers fascinating insight into how the media landscape has changed - and continues to change. You will learn about:
- Surprising Internet usage trends
- The waning influence of newspapers
- The emergence of user-created content and why it matters
- Why Google is the most important media empire
Using Research to Transform Your Business
Business Intelligence can mean a lot of things. For many it is about crunching internal data to find trends. However, if applied more broadly the term incorporates all sorts of activities designed to help businesses plan better and make decisions more effectively. Keith's presentation will help you understand how to harness the power of business research to learn about your markets, your customers and your competitors. The right information can empower a sales force as well as ensure that marketing dollars are spent wisely. A a member of the Society of Competitive Intelligence Professionals, Keith will explain how any organization - large and small - can engage in ethical intelligence gathering and transform the business.
Participants will gain an understanding of the following:
- What ethical competitive intelligence entails and what it does not
- Using research to empower a sales organization
- The power of interviews; you'll be surprised what companies tell you if you only ask
- How to find sources of credible information and avoid the vast Internet wasteland
- Simple research tips anyone can use
