General rants

Don’t use yesterday’s words to communicate with today’s consumers

today's consumers

Rapidly tap your wrist in front of an AARP member, and she’ll assume that you’re worried about running late. Do the same thing in front of a 23-year-old co-worker, and you’ll get a blank stare. As times and technologies change, expressions based on those technologies change right along with them — and an experience that’s … Read more

Nobody Cares About Your Mission Statement

writing rules provoke response

I’ve stated many opinions in this space, but few are as likely to trigger as intense a reaction as the headline of this article. Among many executives, mission statements are a sacrosanct cornerstone of corporate governance. But I’ll stand by my statement. Now, I’m not saying that your mission statement is unimportant. After all, a … Read more

My most frustrating meeting

unintended messages frustrate woman

We’ve all sat in our share of frustrating meetings, but I can still remember the meeting that very nearly did me in. It took place in 1987 in a Chicago boardroom. A group of automotive industry CEOs (you’d recognize most of the company names) was meeting with a pair of representatives from a social services … Read more

Messages that unwittingly unravel your marketing efforts

website

Businesses invest quite a bit of time and money into sending messages to their customers. Unfortunately, most don’t realize that many of their actions result in other messages that may be inadvertent, but are also pretty dangerous. Financial institutions are particularly adept at delivering the wrong messages. After going through the semiannual ritual of gathering … Read more

Better ways to choose freelance writers and other creative suppliers

talk to a writer first

Freelance writers and other creative suppliers are accustomed to taking calls about the services we deliver. While the calls I receive focus on learning more about what I do, they also give me great insight into the sophistication of the callers and whether I really want to do business with them. Prospects often lack experience … Read more