#77: 10 freelance rules, B2B expectations, tech burnout and dissent, talent, and AMERICA!
Shoutout to Melissa for sharing some love for The World's Best Newsletter on Twitter this week. In honor of you, this week's gif is full of fist-pumping Jersey goodness (GTL):
In this week's edition (#77!) of the World's Best Newsletter:
1. 57% of tech industry workers are burning out
via Forbes. According to a new survey from Blind—a workplace app for tech employees. In healthcare spending alone, workplace stress costs $125 to $190 billion annually and contributes to around 120,000 deaths per year.
It's work, people.
2. 72% of B2B buyers admit their standards are rising
via Ardath Albee and Salesforce Research. 72% claim"it takes more for a company to impress them with new products/services than ever before."
What that looks like now: a consumer-like experience when making purchases for their business.
Almost three-quarters of business buyers expect vendors to personalize engagement to their needs;
More than two-thirds expect Amazon-like buying experiences; and
Two-thirds have switched vendors for a more consumer-like experience.
3. Marketing talent matters - most
Having the right marketing talent was named the most important factor in driving future organic growth by CMOs in this Deloitte Study.
4. Ten rules for working with Freelancers
Twitter - Last week celebrated National Freelancers Day in the UK but the holiday crossed geographical borders on Twitter. I contributed 6 rules I've experienced working as a freelancer:
1. Don’t ask us to sign noncompetes.
2. Don’t ask for free work/advice.
3. Pay us. On time.
4. Do make referrals when you love our work.
5. Don't waste our time on Slack.
6. Do be clear about scope.
And my amazing network added four more:
7. Consider our value before you haggle our price. - Laura Gassner Otting
8. Support reasonable review cycles. - Samantha Stone
9. Don't go down the path if you have no decision-making authority. - Carla Johnson
10. Be ready to move forward according to the agreed upon timeline. - Erika Goldwater
5. Why tech worker dissent is going viral
"Silicon Valley has a long and secretive history of building hardware and software for the military and law enforcement. In contrast, a recent wave of employee protests against some of those government contracts has been short, fast, and surprisingly public—tearing through corporate campuses, mailing lists, and message boards inside some of the world’s most powerful companies.
The revolt is part of a growing political awakening among some tech employees about the uses of the products they build."
This is about values, this is about transparency, and this is about accountability - giving employees a say in where the fruits of their labor, in this case, technology, is used.
"Within a few days in late June, employees from Microsoft, Amazon, and Salesforce publicized petitions urging their CEOs to cancel or rethink lucrative contracts with US Customs and Border Protection, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and local police departments.
Airing a company’s dirty laundry is new. Historically, tech workers have rarely peeked out from under the industry’s cone of silence—a cultural norm often invoked as a sign of trust in leadership but enforced by a layer of nondisclosure agreements and investigations into leaks."
6. Top 10 reasons I'm excited for the 2018 Women in Digital National Conference
Another video for you this week featuring Alaina Shearer and me listing ten reasons to join us in Columbus this September. Ticket prices go up on 8/1/18. Buy yours now, here!
7. The U.S. is one of the top 10 most dangerous countries in the world for women.
Yes, really.
"The Thomson Reuters Foundation found India to be the most dangerous country in the world for women. The U.S. ranked “joint third” with Syria when participants were asked where women are most at risk for sexual harassment, violence and coercion, which Reuters attributes to the #MeToo movement—more American women are coming forward with their stories of abuse.
(According to a 2012 report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 18.5% of American women over the age of 18, that’s almost 1 in 5, have reported “experiencing rape at some time in their lives.”)"
One in five women.
That's America, baby. Happy Fourth of July!
Best,
Katie
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Upcoming events:
Who's going down at the #B2B Marketing and Sales Feud at #FlipMyFunnel 2018? (Can't we all just get along?) Come cheer me on! Details and promo code in this blog.
I'm excited to be your emcee for the 2018 Women in Digital National Conference. I'll also be sharing a talk on (R)evolution: Suffragettes to Social Media. Join us in Columbus, OH this fall.
Can I have your attention please? Hear me share my strategies for breaking through the noise at the MarketingProfs B2B Forum in San Francisco this November.