Three cheers for the companies that are dedicated to developing the new and the exciting! The companies that aren’t satisfied with what’s already available, or who have recognized an entirely new way to accomplish something. The companies that are constantly focused staying at the forefront of their industries. If you run (or work for) one … Read more
Ready for some pig heart and stomach on a bun? Not salivating yet? I’ll add BBQ sauce and pickles. Still not hungry? You might be surprised that it’s been a success for McDonald’s. Of course, they don’t call it barbecued heart, stomach, and tripe. They call it McRib. And it’s a perennial top-seller for the … Read more
Here’s a handy trick for proofreading more effectively that I learned years ago from a boss: read what you’re proofing backwards. Start at the end, and read it word-for-word in the wrong direction. I’m completely serious, and it’s one of the most effective ways I’ve found — especially when I’m proofing something I wrote. That’s … Read more
He was a successful engineer with a nagging problem. It didn’t bother anyone else, but it haunted him during his commute, in the shower, and when his golden retriever woke him up at 3 a.m. for a quick trip outside. He knew that a common process could be dramatically improved, and he had a hunch … Read more
If your business requires that you communicate with counterparts elsewhere around the globe, be careful — even when you think they speak the same language. I was reminded of this while reading Robert Serling’s excellent history of the Boeing Company, “Legend & Legacy.” (Trivia note: his brother Rod used to appear on an early-60s TV … Read more
Worried that what you’ve written sounds a little too light and fluffy? Concerned that your words seem to be traveling all over the place instead of delivering a clear message? Thanks to a handy tool within Microsoft Word and most other word processors, and with a little bit of self-discipline, you can easily make your … Read more
I miss the days when newspapers and other media wouldn’t publish a story until it had been edited and edited again. Sadly, expediency has supplanted accuracy, and shrinking budgets have eliminated the copy editors who dispatched typos and other errors from their writers’ dispatches. These days, the only thing protecting writers from themselves is their … Read more
I often point to flawed marketing efforts by well-known companies. It isn’t that I have something against big business; it’s that those big players tend to make some of the biggest, most amateurish mistakes in their marketing efforts. Usually, the underlying concept is sound. The execution is where it falls flat. Take the email I … Read more
Sometimes, businesses have to deliver bad news to customers. That’s a fact of life, but it’s rarely easy to do. In most cases, the best way to do it is just that — do it, get it done, and move on. If the business relationship is solid, it will withstand one instance of bad news. … Read more
At a time when new technologies seem to appear every day, most folks are becoming overwhelmed. While they’re impressed by all the new features and opportunities, and while many can see at least some of how these new advances will benefit them, the sheer volume of information is pushing a growing number of people into … Read more