Mark James

Free Business Guest Speaker in Chicago

$0 Fee, honorarium, mileage
ChicagoAvailable In-Person
NationwideAvailable Virtual / Remote

About Mark James

Mark James is an accomplished business improvement advisor with over 40 years of experience in workplace and channel performance, change management, customer loyalty, and measurement. He is the founder and President of Performance Advisors Group, Inc., which helps growing and mature B2B companies achieve sustainable growth and competitive advantage by eliminating barriers that get in the way and uncovering hidden opportunities. Mark also helps clients to make better informed decisions through the application of advanced analytics.

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Mark has successfully helped manufacturers and service companies in diverse industries, including construction machinery, automotive aftermarket, energy, healthcare, and financial services. He utilizes a consulting/service business model that saves clients 15-75%.

With thousands of hours invested in developing and delivering business improvement strategies, Mark knows what it takes to:

• Fix low performance

• Eliminate confusion and gridlock

• Better connect with employees, channel partners and customers

• Manage change

• Improve marketing effectiveness and reliably validate results

His work has helped clients achieve results such as:

• $250 million top-line revenue growth

• Over 72% revenue increase from markets with down economic conditions

• 12-month 20% revenue increase through highly targeted marketing

• $18 million profit increase from service improvements

Mark's education includes B.S. Finance, University of Illinois, and Master of Business Administration, University of Daytona. He is also certified by the Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) Council in Marketing Performance Measurement.

He serves on the Board of Directors of Family Counseling Service in Aurora, Illinois which provides behavioral healthcare for individuals and families, life skills mentoring for children and young adults and continuing education for behavioral health professionals. Mark is also a board member of the University of Illinois West Suburban (Chicago) Alumni Group.

Free Presentations by Mark James

4 topics · no fee, no honorarium, no mileage

Review available topics below. Use the “Request This Free Speech” button and fill out the contact form. Mark contacts you to discuss the details of the request.

  • Is the Culture of Your Business by Choice or Chance? – Culture matters and leaving it to chance invites trouble.

    A culture by chance is the welcome mat which invites variation into a business, hurting performance and results. On the other hand, a culture guided by choice helps prevent variation that hurt results. Get insights on how to make sure your organization’s culture enhances your value proposition and the customer experience instead of eroding them. Including a close look at the specific actions and behavior leaders must contribute to create the right culture.

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    Attendee Takeaways
    -What defines company culture
    -Why culture matters
    -Which culture archetype describes your organization’s culture?
    -Key culture influencers
    -Actions to achieve culture by choice
    -Signs of an ideal culture

  • Business Improvement Einstein’s Way – How Einstein’s Three Rules of Work Can Help a Business Succeed

    Albert Einstein once said, "We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them." Einstein believed you have to think about things differently and three rules, inspired by his work, provide us with the means do so. No one knows what will happen in the future. But, following these rules can get your business ready for whatever does.

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    Attendees will come away with practical ways to use Einstein’s three rules of work to:

    - Fix performance barriers
    - Discover opportunities amidst difficulty
    - Make two truths of human behavior your ally

  • The Carrot and Stick are Obsolete – How to Deploy the Right Employee Incentives in Today’s Business Environment

    Are your incentive programs delivering desired results? Incentives work, but you must get them right to positively impact performance and avoid wasting time and money. The traditional approach to improving workplace behavior was often characterized by a “lady-or-the-tiger” experience which ignored that employees are motivated in different ways and underestimated the importance of connecting personal meaning to what they do.

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    This VIRTUAL OR IN PERSON presentation will reveal best practices any business can and should do to ensure employee incentive programs are working properly. Attendees will come away with knowledge and tips concerning:
    • Why incentives are a tactic, not the strategy
    • Commitment and support of leaders
    • Choosing right incentive structure
    • Audience selection
    • Goal setting
    • Communicating what, who, how, and why
    • Avoiding element of chance
    • Choosing the right recognition and rewards
    • Keeping it fresh and appealing

  • Five Marketing Principles Every Business Must Get Right to Maximize Results

    Have you ever heard someone say this about their marketing: “We tried that and it didn’t work?” or, "We are not seeing the marketing results we expected." They are probably missing one or more of these principals. And it is costing time and money. Attend this presentation to see how these five key principals will help you:

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    - Avoid the marketing “shiny key” syndrome
    - Prevent the "winging it" trap
    - Visualize marketing as a journey
    - Make better informed marketing decisions
    - Validate results
    - Understand what customers really care about

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