More articles about Marketing, Sales, and Business

Featured image for “Middlemen Are An Endangered Species”

Middlemen Are An Endangered Species

The irrelevance of intermediaries.
Featured image for “Stop Trying To Please Everyone – Or Die Trying”

Stop Trying To Please Everyone – Or Die Trying

Narrowing your target audience with your marketing can help you stand-out from your competition.
Featured image for “QR Codes Aren’t Just For Print”

QR Codes Aren’t Just For Print

QR codes aren’t just for print applications. You can use them for video too.
Featured image for “The Death of “Three Screens”: Content Has No Limits”

The Death of “Three Screens”: Content Has No Limits

New content presentation technologies blur the lines between format and device.
Featured image for “Don’t Be (Seen As) An Average Company”

Don’t Be (Seen As) An Average Company

The most dangerous marketing strategy for your business today is to be seen as being “average”.
Featured image for “Maintaining Credibility In The Eyes Of Your Customer”

Maintaining Credibility In The Eyes Of Your Customer

If you don’t seem credible to your customer, they’ll buy elsewhere.
Featured image for “Social Media Grows Up: Welcome To The Age of Curation”

Social Media Grows Up: Welcome To The Age of Curation

There’s too much content out there for most of us to consume. Curation is the next era for the web, but what are the implications for your business?
Featured image for “Stop Spamming Your Customers”

Stop Spamming Your Customers

Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should.
Featured image for “No-one Reads Your Press Release:  Why PR Became Lazy”

No-one Reads Your Press Release: Why PR Became Lazy

Have PR agencies become lazy and complacent in how they represent their clients?
Featured image for “How Safe Is Cloud Computing? As Safe As Air Travel”

How Safe Is Cloud Computing? As Safe As Air Travel

Still scared about the cloud? You’re increasingly in the minority.
Featured image for “Using Video To Help Launch Your Product / Service”

Using Video To Help Launch Your Product / Service

Adding video to your website not only attracts more visitors, but it can help keep them on your site for longer.
Featured image for “It’s not WHAT you sell, it’s WHY you sell”

It’s not WHAT you sell, it’s WHY you sell

Customers buy into why you’re in business, as much (or even more) than what you’re selling.
Featured image for “The Future Of Magazines – and it’s not (just) the iPad”

The Future Of Magazines – and it’s not (just) the iPad

The future of publishing is in developing content on an open platform that’s compatible with a variety of devices – and that means HTML5, not iOS, Android Windows Phone or any other proprietary system.
Featured image for “Review: “Enchantment” by Guy Kawasaki”

Review: “Enchantment” by Guy Kawasaki

Guy Kawasaki’s new book “Enchantment” talks about the importance to go the extra mile in customer service and satisfaction before, during, and after the sale.
Featured image for “Media Companies: Stop Trying To Save The Past”

Media Companies: Stop Trying To Save The Past

Media companies will fail in their efforts to put obstacles in the way of content distribution.
Featured image for “Why Didn’t I Think Of That? Asking The Right Business Questions”

Why Didn’t I Think Of That? Asking The Right Business Questions

Asking questions is only important if you’re prepared to act on the answers – no matter how painful they may be.
Featured image for “Keeping Your Fans Happy With New Content”

Keeping Your Fans Happy With New Content

Saying the same as everyone else, just to post something out there, is a surefire way to irrelevance.
Featured image for “Translation Management with QARTO – Video Presentation”

Translation Management with QARTO – Video Presentation

Content asset management for language.
Featured image for “Vid.ly: The Biggest Development In Online Video?”

Vid.ly: The Biggest Development In Online Video?

An interesting new player (sic) in the video space.
Featured image for “Mainstream Media Is Broken: The Growth Of Online”

Mainstream Media Is Broken: The Growth Of Online

In the same way as publishers, newspapers & music companies before them, film studios must change to a customer-centric model in order to survive.
Featured image for “What Do You Do For An Encore?”

What Do You Do For An Encore?

Having them come to you one time is great. But how do you get them to come back?
Featured image for “Stop Selling”

Stop Selling

There’s one common trait that the best sales and marketing people all seem to possess: Passion.
Featured image for “Don’t Be An Expert”

Don’t Be An Expert

Don’t have all the answers? That’s fine – none of us do.
Featured image for “Show Your Customers Some Love”

Show Your Customers Some Love

The world needs more lovecats.
Featured image for “Building Real Customer Relations”

Building Real Customer Relations

The importance of building real, authentic, and lasting relationships.
Featured image for “The Attention Span Of A Goldfish”

The Attention Span Of A Goldfish

Keep your communication short, sharp – and simple.
Featured image for “Playing To Win In Business”

Playing To Win In Business

Today’s marketing is about going all-in.
Featured image for “Think Different”

Think Different

Being different is the only tactic that makes any sense. So why do so few businesses waste their time/money with playing it safe?
Featured image for “It’s Not Voodoo. It’s Marketing”

It’s Not Voodoo. It’s Marketing

Social media marketing isn’t a quicker route to the pot of gold.
Featured image for “Saying What You Mean”

Saying What You Mean

It is easy to confuse your target market by using what they might consider to be strange or unusual vocabulary.
Featured image for “Change Your Business, Or Watch It Die”

Change Your Business, Or Watch It Die

Change is a given. React and adapt – or die.
Featured image for “Do you have Followers, Fans or Evangelists?”

Do you have Followers, Fans or Evangelists?

Getting your customers to help out with your marketing. Why? Because they want to.
Featured image for “The Fragility Of A Business Model”

The Fragility Of A Business Model

Disrupt your own business and industry – before your competition does.
Featured image for “Friendship Is The New Partnership”

Friendship Is The New Partnership

We don’t have customers – at least, we don’t see them as such. Instead, we have friends that we do business with.
Featured image for “Where’s the Center of Your World?  You’re Already There”

Where’s the Center of Your World? You’re Already There

Geographic location no longer has the advantage – or disadvantage – it had.
Featured image for “The Price Of Everything, The Value Of Nothing.”

The Price Of Everything, The Value Of Nothing.

Relying on price as being your main selling point positions your value offering as a commodity – and a race to the bottom.
Featured image for “How Long Did It Take You To Learn How To Ride A Bike?”

How Long Did It Take You To Learn How To Ride A Bike?

The time it takes to learn a new skill.
Featured image for “Start With “Employee Service” and “Customer Service” Will Follow”

Start With “Employee Service” and “Customer Service” Will Follow

Your employees are your first-line brand ambassadors. Treat them well.
Featured image for “Bad Marketing Is Worse Than No Marketing”

Bad Marketing Is Worse Than No Marketing

Lazy, incompetent marketers have less places to hide.
Featured image for “How Do You Make A Sculpture Of A Duck?”

How Do You Make A Sculpture Of A Duck?

As a sculptor removes the superfluous, your marketing must remove the unnecessary in order to reach your target audience. Keep your messaging short, sharp and to the point.

Online Video: Much More Than Just YouTube

People like watching moving pictures more than static ones.
Featured image for “Today’s Game Is About Changing The Game”

Today’s Game Is About Changing The Game

The fact remains: your industry and customer expectations will change. You can either lead that change, or follow it.

Why Video Speaks Louder Than Words

Your text-only website was fine five years ago. But today, customers expect more.
Featured image for “Business Designs On Commerce”

Business Designs On Commerce

How you present something is at least as important as what you present.
Featured image for “Less Public and More Relations”

Less Public and More Relations

Public Relations is in a race to grow up, before it faced increasing irrelevance.
Featured image for “Your Company Isn’t Perfect”

Your Company Isn’t Perfect

Every business screws up. The difference between the good ones and the bad ones is how the screw-up is handled.
Featured image for “Simple Is Complicated”

Simple Is Complicated

Complicating your messaging might make you feel good about yourself. But everyone else thinks you suck.
Featured image for “Asking For Permission With Your Marketing”

Asking For Permission With Your Marketing

Seth Godin’s “Permission Marketing” was ahead of its time.
Featured image for “Do As I Say, Not As I Do”

Do As I Say, Not As I Do

There has to be buy-in at every company level in order for any marketing initiative to truly work.
Featured image for “Customers Are Lazy”

Customers Are Lazy

Regardless of the size of your company, customers are expecting it to be as easy to do business with you as with some of the biggest companies in the world.
Featured image for “Taking The Initiative”

Taking The Initiative

Maybe your customers aren’t asking you about something because they’re getting answers from someone else.
Featured image for “The Right Person For The Job”

The Right Person For The Job

Your in-house marketer is great at social media, but their web chops aren’t all that? That’s perfectly normal.
Featured image for “Fail To Plan, Plan To Fail”

Fail To Plan, Plan To Fail

If you don’t have a marketing budget, you don’t have a marketing plan. Which means you’re going to fail.
Featured image for “It’s Not (Just) About Content”

It’s Not (Just) About Content

Content is important. But context eats its lunch.
Featured image for “Spoilt for Choice”

Spoilt for Choice

Customers are spoilt for choice. How do you make them choose you rather than the competition?
Featured image for “If We Build It, They Will Come”

If We Build It, They Will Come

Whether it’s tradeshows, PR, social media or whatever else: today you need to be in the minds of your target market before the show starts.
Featured image for “Your Business Isn’t “The Best”. Stop Lying To Everyone”

Your Business Isn’t “The Best”. Stop Lying To Everyone

You’re NOT the best at what you do. If you were, you wouldn’t have to say it.
Featured image for “Are you Persuading, Informing, or Re-affirming?”

Are you Persuading, Informing, or Re-affirming?

Customers will resist marketing sales and messages that do not resonate with their own way of thinking.
Featured image for “Keeping Your Business Communications Simple”

Keeping Your Business Communications Simple

Study after study shows that people prefer simplicity. Less really is more.
Featured image for “Too Close To The Problem: Effective Communication”

Too Close To The Problem: Effective Communication

Sometimes it’s hard to see the real marketing problem because of one’s own proximity and familiarity to it.
Featured image for “Blending Into The Crowd: The Problem With Price Comparison Sites”

Blending Into The Crowd: The Problem With Price Comparison Sites

If all you have to go on is your pricing being lower, you’re on a one-way ticket to irrelevance.
Featured image for “Saying No to ‘No’”

Saying No to ‘No’

Dear Middle-Managers: Stop being part of the problem.
Featured image for “The Importance Of A Content Marketing Strategy”

The Importance Of A Content Marketing Strategy

Blasting messaging without a clear content marketing strategy is doomed to failure.
Featured image for “What Does Your Company Sell?”

What Does Your Company Sell?

Are you selling price, or customer value?
Featured image for “Lingua Franca”

Lingua Franca

Global commerce means brand language – in any language – should be seen as a strategic and valuable business asset.
Featured image for “Don’t Blame The Tools For Your Lousy Presentation”

Don’t Blame The Tools For Your Lousy Presentation

The reason your PowerPoint sucks is because you’re expecting the software to do your work for you.
Featured image for “Are Your Salespeople Selling? Or Are They Begging?”

Are Your Salespeople Selling? Or Are They Begging?

If all you are doing is asking for the sale, then you are not selling. You’re just begging the customer for the order.
Featured image for “Is Conventional Marketing Dead?”

Is Conventional Marketing Dead?

If conventional marketing is dead, it actually died a long time ago.
Featured image for ““One Size Fits All” Format Coming For Online Video”

“One Size Fits All” Format Coming For Online Video

Some interesting news on the video content front.
Featured image for “Personalization Is Dead”

Personalization Is Dead

Individualization beats personalization any day of the week.
Featured image for “2010: The Year Of The Video”

2010: The Year Of The Video

Your company can no longer afford to ignore the potential that online video offers for your business value messaging.
Featured image for “New Thinking For A New Decade”

New Thinking For A New Decade

If you’re marketing this decade like you marketed the last decade, you will most likely be disappointed with your results.
Featured image for “Companies Don’t Control Their Brands: Customers Do. It’s Time To Rebrand Branding”

Companies Don’t Control Their Brands: Customers Do. It’s Time To Rebrand Branding

Think you control your brand? Think again.
Featured image for “It’s Not What You Know…It’s Who You Know”

It’s Not What You Know…It’s Who You Know

How the internet, and social networks, have helped break down barriers to commerce.
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