I still encounter those who see marketing as at best a necessary evil and at worst a practice of smoke and mirrors with no substance. This unwarranted prejudice is borne out of a lack of understanding of the core principles
Is It All Good With You? – Leadership & Self Confidence
Have you ever faced the dilemma of thinking how best to phrase the opening line of an e-mail? The trend appears to be for the “hope all’s good with you” or “hope this finds you well”. Nothing wrong with this,
Marriage of Convenience or True Love – Law Firm Mergers
What lies behind the sudden increase in solicitors firms merging? Is it a need for personal partner security, succession or future proofing, fear of failing or a strategic move to build a successful business? 2013 has revealed a weekly supply
Trick or Treat? The Importance of Effective Conflict Management
Won’t be long and the House of Laud’s doorbell will be getting its annual Halloween workout from the local sweet-toothed, short-person, and some not so short invasion squad. When did we start parading the pumpkin and craving candy? It’s yet
The Italian Job – Stealing Time for Rest and Relaxation
It’s been quite a year, busy with plenty of work, close encounter with reality TV, first appearance on Radio 4, 20 year wedding anniversary, surgery and first child in University. Blink and 2013 seems to be almost over so time
Have You Lost Your MOJO? 10 Tips to Re-Discover Your Confidence
A few years ago a client turned to me after a meeting and said he would hate to have my job. At the time and as you might expect this took me by surprise not least because the individual making
Think You’re a Thought Leader? Test that belief with 12 tips to thought leadership
“Thought Leadership” now there’s a two word phrase that has emerged through the social channels in the past couple of years. As with any trendy term the bandwagon soon becomes full and chased by those who think they know the
Small Screen Invasion of the Social Media Minors
How many of us sit down on an evening to watch TV and look around to see children or partners face down in their smartphone, tablet or laptop? Not an uncommon experience these days but what is it doing to
Making all the right noises – using social media to support your customer service
Have you ever found the need to offer up a tweet of desperation, or Facebook post of frustration when a company fails to deliver on its promise or has caused you a problem? I know I have. At the time
Life’s Journey – Don’t Find Yourself Asleep at the Wheel
Are you happy with your role? Content with the position you find yourself in at this point in time? Do you encounter many frustrations in your day to day work and find it difficult to manage them? If the answer
Teenagers, Smartphones, Relationships & Privacy – David Laud on Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour
i2i’s Managing Partner, David Laud, recently contributed to a discussion on Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour concerning the increased use of technology in the home and its impact on family privacy. Click the link below to hear the clip http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p01b9r54 This
The Trouble with Twitter
Working as I do with professional firms I’m often asked or challenged on the true effectiveness of twitter and other social media platforms. For the purpose of this blog I’ll focus on twitter as it is the most frequently quoted
Keep it Simple Stoopid
For the past few years I’ve noticed a growing tendency for me to become agitated more quickly than in my younger days. Not that I’m a fossil but I’m beginning to wonder if I’m turning into one of those “grumpy
Briefs, Pitches, Speculation & Procrastination
Over the years I’ve prepared, submitted and responded to a fair few briefs. Re-branding, websites, telemarketing, consultancy, mentoring etc.. Typically the agency response requires a demonstration of capability or understanding of the brief. That would enable the responding company to
Black Belts vs Ninjas – The Fight for Innovation
In recent weeks I’ve talked to many business owners, partners, directors and mangers to try and gauge their confidence within their company and chosen sectors. This has been a fascinating exercise which highlighted a number of interesting issues and quite
