Eyeballs, hope and steaming piles of crap
I get asked a lot about the effectiveness of advertising and which ones are the most effective. The buzz for entrepreneurs these days is social media.
Vulnerability is the power tool for storytelling
If you can’t make the audience feel, it’s documenting. No 5-year-old ever asked their mom to read them a documentary before bedtime. Storytelling pulls out an emotion in the audience or customer.
Occam, Wizards, and something to believe in…
36 people were in the room with 21 laptops. The laptops were all Macs. Apple holds 12% of the world market in laptop computers. Yet 100% of the laptops in that room were Macs. Why?
Business lessons from a pro athlete
Most owners aren't "superstars." But they have a hidden superpower. Discover your superpower amidst the lessons from my friend Jean Hebert, a pro athlete and NHL referee.
Fish when the fish are runnin’
Morris was Vice President of Marketing of a $50 million business and his favourite saying was, "We go fishin' when the fish are runnin'." But Morris was wrong.
Facebook and John Deere 9620RX are both powerful tools I don’t need
In the beginning, connecting with long-lost friends was nostalgic. It was fun to catch up and reminisce about things long gone. Then the world changed.
By definition, an entrepreneur solves problems
Business ownership is not a career path. It’s a lifestyle choice. It’s not for everyone. There are sacrifices to be made.
Shortest distance between two points
Anyone worth their salt can tell you the steps you need to take to get “Where you want to be.” The problem isn’t identifying the steps. The issue is what to do when a mountain gets in your way.
Mom was right, your so-called friends are using you.
Just like the friends that go to your neighbor’s party when the freebies are gone, Transactional Customers mooch from you until there’s nothing left to give.
Beachheads
A beachhead is a defended position on a beach taken from an enemy by landing forces from which an attack can be launched. In business, beachheads are found where competitors aren't willing to go.
Growth, Blindspots and FOAG
When a customer answered with FOAG (Fine, Ok, Alright, Good), our staff challenged them. “Really, it was just ok?”
Seabiscuits and Monstars
I coach baseball for the same reasons I work as an ad guy. I dream for my kids to understand the underdog doesn’t need to have the most points to be the winner.
Relational Employees
My phone buzzed with a text message that changed my life for the next two years. The assistant manager texted that he quit his job. He followed with a second bomb that everyone quits. No notice, no negotiations. Just quit.
Using Drama To Pull In An Audience
Information only gets attention when you’re relevant to a prospective buyer. Drama gets attention to a larger audience. J. Peterman did it for years in his catalogues and you can too.
Lifetime value, road less traveled and Linda’s influence
When things go bad, which they will inevitably do, it will be your response that will either destroy or save the relationship.