By the Oxford English Dictionary’s best guess, the English language contains more than a quarter of a million words. And, while scholars and researchers disagree wildly, most concede that the average intelligent person knows somewhere between 10,000 and 50,000 of them. Of course, there’s a difference between knowing 10,000 words and knowing the precise shades … Read more
Entrepreneurs are amazingly brave people. No matter how they may publicly shy away from comments like that, they’re well aware of how much courage it takes to walk away from someone’s payroll and create or grow a business. But despite their courage, many entrepreneurs become downright timid when it comes to marketing. Specifically, these bold … Read more
He was a successful engineer with a nagging problem. It haunted him during his commute, in the shower, and when his golden retriever woke him up at 3:00 a.m. for a quick trip outside. Never was it far from his thoughts. It involved a process that he knew could be improved. He had a hunch … Read more
Social media’s ever-increasing presence in our lives is a clear reminder of just how badly we humans want to connect with each other. Unfortunately, too many companies completely ignore that reality when they try to communicate with customers and prospects. Doesn’t matter whether they’re using an Insta video, an email newsletter, a website, or an … Read more
Many people have a strong aversion to repetition. It isn’t that they can’t tolerate others repeating a message; it’s that they don’t want to risk echoing their previous efforts when developing their marketing communications materials. The concern about repetition crops up most often in planning for ongoing marketing programs, such as social media or customer … Read more
It seems many marketing decision-makers received part of their education from the old “Dragnet” TV show. If you’re too young to remember the program (or the comedic movie remake), “Dragnet” featured Sgt. Joe Friday, a Los Angeles detective who said very little and spoke in a near-monotone. Unlike today’s “Law & Order” or “NCIS” detectives, … Read more
I’m not sure that a welcome mat in front of a business ever made anyone feel truly welcome, or a notation on a receipt saying that it has been someone’s pleasure to serve you made up for the indifferent treatment delivered by the server who dropped it on the table. Businesses put a lot of … Read more
If I mention the word “psycho,” there’s a good chance a certain image will spring to mind. An image in black and white: water trickling into a shower drain, slowly being supplanted by a darker fluid, all punctuated by ear-piercing shrieks. There’s also a good chance that you just shuddered a little. Assuming that image … Read more
I have a confession to make, and I freely admit that it’s a symptom of being male: whenever I’m at the home improvement store, I find an excuse to wander through the power tool section and dream of adding the latest gizmo to my crowded workbench. Of course, when I bring that shiny new toy … Read more
There might be oil under your office. For all we know, a massive deposit of oil may be waiting a couple thousand feet below your chair mat. Just think of what that could mean to your company’s bottom line. Can you arrange for a drilling rig to drop by Thursday so you can punch a … Read more