Tuesday, March 17, 2020

Being There by Jerzy Kosinski essays

Being There by Jerzy Kosinski essays In social encounters, people in general project a public or on-stage self, and we think of it as covering our authentic face- the face behind the social mask. People often act in the opposite way of what they are really thinking in order to impress others. However, Chance, in Jerzy Kosinskis Being There, couldnt think or act on his own. His behavior reflects what he has observed on television and in his garden. Chance presents himself to others in such an honest manner. What he shows the public is exactly who he is. He doesnt have a private or public self; he has only one face- the face of true human nature, which is the product of TV images and his garden. Television created Chance as did the garden. The garden seems to give him physical existence while the television gives him a mental existence. However, this mental existence is a false one. Contrary to his life in the garden, in the outside world Chance is a blank page, acceptable to all people because he is like all those characters on television. Because Chances behavior depends on what he has seen on television, he is uninformed and incompetent in many areas. Although this book is a bit far-fetched and ridiculous at times, Kosinski makes a very valid point. He seems to point out that in the culture we live in, superficial perception is everything while real thought is often neglected. The media plays a large part in shaping our notions of leadership. The media creates an image for Chance- they give him an occupation, a relationship of intimacy with the President, and status. They hype him up to make him seem newsworthy and interesting because they have to have people to write about. Even though Chance may not be the brightest person, people are drawn to his personality and his unintentional words of wisdom. People seem to trust him, instinctively. His meaningless utterance ...

Sunday, March 1, 2020

How To Ramp Up Results Even When Your Industry Lags With Ted Horan

How To Ramp Up Results Even When Your Industry Lags With Ted Horan Different industries directly impact the marketing processes, tactics, and tools that prevent marketers from being productive, organized, and focused. Is your industry leading or lagging in marketing and technology consumption? Today’s guest is Ted Horan, vice president of marketing in eCommerce at RDO Equipment Company. Ted describes how the company overcomes makeshift marketing to be a leader in the construction and agriculture industry.   Candid Customer: What works and what doesn’t with tool Farmer to Founder: Ron Offutt’s entrepreneurial spirit for equipment business Evolution of Equipment Industry: Sales-heavy, outdated, one-man operation Catch up vs. Keep up: Create a digital presence to sell more and be relevant   Ultimate Goal: Become a strategic partner with those driving revenue every day Ever-changing Tech Environment: Rely on tools to react, pivot, and adapt Pop-up Projects: Prioritizing flow of ideas and fire drills depends on budget, resources, and capacity Qualifiers: Find tools to manage/optimize workflow in a way that makes sense Are you winning? Surround yourself with a strong team and necessary skill sets   Links:   RDO Equipment Company John Deere Vermeer Microsoft Teams Gartner for Marketers (formerly CEB) The Challenger Sale by Matthew Dixon and Brent Adamson The Challenger Customer by Matthew Dixon and Brent Adamson New Marketing Suite If you liked today’s show, please subscribe on iTunes to The Actionable Content Marketing Podcast! The podcast is also available on SoundCloud, Stitcher, and Google Play. Quotes by Ted Horan: â€Å"Marketing has evolved out of necessity. When those commodity prices dipped, it created a perfect storm. In many industries, it exposed opportunities.†Ã‚   â€Å"These tools are only as important as the capacity we have to use them.† â€Å"There’s really no cookie-cutter tool that speaks to my team to the extent that it answers all our challenges and issues.† â€Å"You have to understand so much about today’s buyer and the journey they’re on to be successful. That is challenging.†