Many people start their businesses with a romantic view that everything will run like clockwork. They have perhaps read a few business books, been on some courses, filled in a business plan template and maybe earned a degree or obtained an MBA. Once in the driving seat, however, the real world sets in, and they […]
A few years ago, I was at an event where special guests from Google talked about marketing on the internet (yes, actual Google people – not just experts). One of the Google gurus commented how content on the internet would be 80% video within the next 2-3 years. As a writer, I found this a […]
When I was a copywriter, almost every company that approached me to write for them would tell me they are different? Yet when I ask how they differ, most would pour out the same boring drivel as everyone else. The irony was that they genuinely believed they were unique, but their expression of it said […]
You must have heard stories about carpenters whose shelves are falling down, the chef who orders takeaway meals four nights a week, or the dentist with black holes and bad breath? Often professional people are so busy doing their thing for other people they have little time to apply their expertise to themselves. Or maybe, […]
The uninformed would have you believe poker is a game of luck and gambling a game for mugs. While I would agree with the second part of that statement, I am equally of the opinion that there is no more luck associated with playing poker than with any other game. Think about it for a […]
Please don’t be offended at the suggestion implied in the headline. I know loads of lazy optimists, and they are generally very conscientious, hard-working and busy people. But they do have a problem. And their unwittingly diligent single-mindedness and commitment to their work lie at the root of their commonly-held rarely diagnosed condition. I say […]
We all know that focusing on your niche is a smart idea, but most of us still can’t quite resist the temptation to shout about everything we do. It seems restrictive, not to mention downright scary, to only promote or talk about the ‘one thing’ you do better than anyone else, even if it is […]
We all know what P.S. stands for but do you know what it means? Derived from the Latin’ post scriptum’, it translates as ‘written after’ and pre-empts a transcribed afterthought. Used well, however, the P.S becomes a potent marketing weapon. Think how Colombo, after questioning a suspect and opening the door to leave, turns […]
The French movie director, Jean-Luc Godard, once said, “Sometimes reality is too complex. Stories give it form.” If this is true of complexity, you could apply the same ‘problem and solution’ idea to commerciality, necessity or just plain boringness in the business world. Let’s face it, most people have very little interest in the daily […]
Your website content, sales letters, emails, blog posts, videos and every customer communication you publish speaks volumes about you. If the message is disjointed, contradictory or just plain confusing, that will form the opinion (or brand) people have of you and your business. “People will assume that the way you do one thing is the […]
