“Knowledge is worthless without the practice. Wisdom is practiced knowledge. Experience results from wisdom.” On January 1st, 2012, I left a successful executive position to fulfill my dream of becoming an entrepreneur. I was ready with three decades of hands-on experience growing small businesses; a career characterized by wearing many hats (as you often do in small business), hands-on experience in all facets of marketing, sales, customer service and leadership, international expansion, and getting the most out of limited budgets. Entrepreneurship happens inside a lonely world. My mission is to make a difference in the lives of entrepreneurs; to become a trusted advisor, a Sherpa - an experienced guide that helps owners navigate and survive the rollercoaster ride of running a business of any size. As a mentor/advisor and business coach, I focus on The Engines of Growth - the lifeblood of any business and the ability to have continuous and sustainable growth using smart marketing, efficient sales and delivering customer service. But first, we develop a strategy and a business growth roadmap (Marketing Plan). I learned very early on and passionately believe that there is no one-size-fits-all solution to growing a business. My collaboration with entrepreneurs and small business owners is tailor made; whether it's a startup or an existing business, I first assess the business and follow an intimate process of getting to know you, your team, competitors, and your target customers. Then, we look at your internal processes and the corporate culture as both play a crucial role in your ability to be profitable. I am industry agnostic, not focused on a specific niche. This allows me to deliver fresh, unbiased, and creative solutions. My clients in the past ten years have come from environmental, Manged IT, iPad application for game management (NFL, soccer, basketball), high-speed networks, life and health coaching, education (STEM for kids), marketing research, specialty B2C food delivery, etc.
Zev Asch
Empathetic Listener. Strategic & Intuitive Creative Problem-Solver. Business Coach|Mentor
Bio
Hi there, As a marketer tasked with growing start-ups and small businesses, I've been in your shoes. My neck has been on the line each time. I thrived on walking on the edge. If you're good, you stay. If you're not, you're fired. I've also held numerous leadership and management positions, created internal systems and processes, and have been involved with (and believe in) implementing quality control into every aspect of a business (from manufacturing to sales, customer service, and even marketing) as an ISO auditor. While I worked for IBM in graduate school, I strategically directed my entire career in small business; there was no corporate ladder or waiting to move to the 25th floor with a corner office. I always focused on results, not titles or promotions. Because you're here, you know that start-ups and small businesses have limited resources; you must squeeze results out of every dollar you have. I believe that working smart, not hard, is the only way to succeed in this space. I'm obsessed with this strategy. Whether you're a start-up Founder or an existing entrepreneur, as a seasoned business mentor with extensive entrepreneurship, leadership, and marketing experience, I'm here to help you navigate the challenges of growing your business. My experience (as I often refer to it) fighting in the trenches of small business, combined with my academic background (Honors B.A. in Psychology and an MBA in Marketing) and teaching experience as a graduate Marketing Professor and Director of Innovation and entrepreneurship at Touro University in New York, offers you a unique perspective and most importantly, tailored guidance. My style, based on brutal honesty and experience, is direct and to the point! I won't tell you what you want to hear, I'll guide you to clarity and focus with practical action points. And yes, I'm probably the oldest mentor on GrowthMentor, but with a unique, unmatched perspective, having experience in both the pre and post-digital world. There's a lot to be learned from how we used to grow businesses without pressing the ENTER key and hoping for results. I'm adopted and up-to-date on all 21st-century tech, but I always tell my mentees that nothing replaces hard work and smart strategic thinking. I look forward to meeting you.
Expertise
Building a team
There are many ways to support your brand and every interaction, internally or externally, contributes to your success, no matter how small you are. Every interaction, internally and externally, makes a difference. I build teams by going beyond a resume; I look for employees with natural entrepreneurial spirit and drive; people who are unafraid to take risks and committed to making a difference internally, and especially for customers.
Customer success
If you'd ask me what has been the secret to my success growing multiple companies in my career, it was creating an exceptional customer service and support teams. Ensuring that at any touchpoint, from leads to complaint handling, every customer felt appreciated and that we were attentive to their needs. This also requires a culture that embraces complaints as a way to excel and raise-the-bar on how customers 'feel' (not just perceive) about doing business with us
Go to market strategy
The foundation for a successful Go To Strategy begins with a detailed Marketing Plan. Creating this essential roadmap has always been my requirement; it forces us to think about every aspect of product/service as it relates to customers, competition and our ability to differentiate why we are better and different. Creating the plan must also be a collaborative process between marketing, sales, and customer service. When they are in-sync, odds for success significantly increase as well
Mindset coaching
A positive mindset and a nurturing, entrepreneurial culture are the keys to creating a thriving workplace culture. I help businesses grow by strengthening these two essential parts of business; it's what sets my work apart by ensuring a close collaboration between leadership and employees. An open-dialogue that allows us to identify continuous training and development as part of a nurturing culture.
Product market fit
We all make this mistake at some point; falling in love with our technology or product, then going out to find customers. While all great product/service ideas were born out of individual frustration, detecting an unmet need or disrupting current practices - it doesn't guarantee success. There's an art and science to determining product market fit and it starts with my mantra of BE THE CUSTOMER - your ability to switch roles with your target user.
Sales
Automation continuously tempts us but, it is essential to have an efficient and highly personalized sales process with a talented and driven team. Even if you're bootstrapping or have a limited budget, "humanizing" sales is a must in order to differentiate your business; it enables us to create a genuine connection with prospective customers, which leads to increased conversions. I have hired and trained many sales representatives using a tested & proven sales hiring and execution process.
Venting frustration
Whether it's frustration by a business owner/entrepreneur or team members. Either way, as a business and executive/leadership coach, this is one recurring aspect of my coaching and training. We must welcome and accept venting at face-value. The key to managing and resolving frustrations is uncovering the 'root-cause' - through an open dialogue and a careful questioning process. Just like complaints, frustration is an opportunity to create meaningful change.
Toolkit
Google Ads
We've used and grown with Google Ads as our main platform. What distinguishes it from Facebook is the fact that we are engaging with someone who is actively searching for a product or service. It's 'pull marketing" as opposed to push marketing (FB). While this is a powerful platform, as with any other PPC option, it requires daily management and fine-tunning in order to get a good ROI.
Meta Ads
Compared to Google Ads, FB is more competitive and is a good option if you have a limited budget. However, it is also a channel where you must intimately know your target audience; FB users' attention span is brief and capturing and engaging with anyone is challenging. Remember that 'clicks don't pay the bills' - this is an emotionally charged platform, so content and design of ads are critical.
GetResponse
I converted from MailChimp and Constant Contact to this simple and more intuitive platform. The delivery rate of GR is also quite good. What I like to do (and coach my clients to do as well) is to focus on content development instead of wasting energy on features of a tool. When it comes to email marketing, what matters most to our target audience is not how the email looks (although design is important) but whether we provide information that benefits customers.
HubSpot
I am a big fan of HubSpot, the ability to use their tools and integrate content, email marketing, data and of course CRM. This is a powerful tool with excellent support and most importantly, easier to learn and master than other CRMs especially SalesForce. If you're a small business, this is a great platform.
Industries
Marketing
I have a diverse business background that includes over four decades; three as an executive, and ten years as an entrepreneur coaching and mentoring small businesses. My experience has been largely focused on B2B industries like IT, software development and medical device manufacturing. However, while my industry-specific experience is invaluable, I consider myself a generalist with a unique ability to bring fresh insights and creative problem-solving to any business I work with.
Medical Device
My experience includes twenty years in the medical device manufacturing industry working with leading multinational companies (Boston Scientific, J&J, Stryker, Medtronic, etc.) as well as many start-ups.
Experience
- B2B
Touro College Graduate School of Business
Marketing Professor | Director of Innovation & EntrepreneurshipMarketing and entrepreneurship professor, teaching and mentoring MBA students. Managed celebrating women in entrepreneurship conference and a yearly Moonshots Scholars course for students' innovations.
Amity University
Visiting ProfessorVisiting professor at Amity Education Group campus in Oakdale New York. Taught undergraduate and graduate students from India. Areas of teaching included marketing, entrepreneurship and leadership.
Touro College Graduate School of Business
Director of Innovation & EntrepreneurshipReporting to the Dean of the Graduate School of Business, responsibilities include developing, overseeing and coordinating our Moonshots Scholars Program (innovation & entrepreneurship), WE2020 Women Entrepreneurs Week and the annual Business Plan Competition.
MYCO MEDICAL
VP Marketing & Business DevelopmentDisposable surgical and safety devices for acute, non-acute and other specialties such as pain management, dental, dermatology and veterinary. Off-shored ISO 13485 manufacturing partners offering high quality products and unbeatable constitute value. Sold exclusively through distribution channels in the US, Canada and Puerto Rico.
Cadence/IncisionTech (acquired Popper & Sons in January 2008)
Market Manager Needle TechnologiesCadence, Inc., 2008 - 2010 * Retained following acquisition to develop new business opportunities and implement selling strategies towards growing the surgical blade and needle technologies segments. * Structure business agreements and contracts; cultivate and maintain strong professional relationships with new and existing Top Tier customers. * Manage multiple, simultaneous product development projects; liaison between client, engineering, production, and operations to meet customer requirements and corporate objectives. * Conduct competitive analysis and market research to strengthen understanding of market requirements, competitive landscape, emerging technologies, and regulatory issues. * Attended all ISO 13485 quality audits which increased significantly as a result of new FDA supply-chain risk guidelines.
Popper & Sons
VP Marketing & Sales* Hired to help expand global footprint, increase revenue, and solidify market leadership position for 85+ year-old, privately held medical device manufacturer. *Grew annual revenue from $3.5 million to $14.4 million in highly competitive markets. * Restructured national sales organization; hired, trained, and managed 17-person outside sales force and 10-member internal customer care and sales team. * Shortened RFQ response time from 3 weeks to 48 hours; instituted new response standards for issue resolution (4 hours) incoming inquiries (2 hours), and lead follow-up (2 days). * Collaborated with VP of Manufacturing to increase responsiveness to customer product design challenges; leveraged custom design/production capabilities to meet customer needs. * Established international sales office in Germany, as well as national and international distributors covering 8 countries. * Implemented policy designed to strengthen dealer focus on the Popper line and terminate relationships with non-performing dealers. Defined marketing/PR strategy; planned and executed all media, direct mail, and PR campaigns to build brand awareness and market presence. * Continuously tested sales efficacy and customer care response time by conducting customer/prospect surveys; ranked at the top of the industry in responsiveness, issue resolution, innovation, and ability to meet customer needs. * Initiated and actively participated in the development and successful achievement of ISO Certification.
Coinmach Industries
Director of Marketing Designed, developed, and executed PR and marketing campaigns for 3 divisions of privately held company with customers that include real estate developers, co-op boards, hotels, apartment building managers, and other commercial/residential companies in the NY-NJ-CT areas. Developed and managed a $750,000 annual marketing and PR budget. Company awarded Inc. Magazine's "Entrepreneur of the Year" Award. Increased brand awareness/recognition and market presence through focused PR campaigns.