Story Power Blog
Al Franken Messed With My Mind and Then I Got Over It
When I was a younger business person, I never thought much about mindset. Meditation? Not for me. Visualization? No, thanks. Self-affirmation? Not a chance. I think it was Stuart Smalleyâs fault. Remember him? He was a recurring character on Saturday Night Live in the 1990s. Al Franken played the part before he left SNL to…
How to Know Exactly What Prospects Want — Without Hocus Pocus
Remember that movie with Mel Gibson playing a male chauvinist pig who magically acquires the superpower to âhearâ womenâs thoughts? I just heard a real-life version of that story. Both the real-life and Hollywood versions reveal a ton about marketing. The real-life story features a marketing guy named Ben Settle who, like Gibsonâs character, has…
John Lennon’s Song for Social Media
Imagine thereâs no Facebook. Itâs easy if you try. No tweets⌅or REtweets. Pinterest? Say goodbye. You may say Iâm a dreamer. But⌠…Really⌠âŚImagine a world without social media. Then what? What would you do next? How would you connect with prospects? What would you say? Without memes⌠…without some pithy <280-character comment⌠…without likes and shares? What if…
Why Nicole Kidman Did This for Tom Cruise…
Back in the 1990s, Nicole Kidman and Tom Cruise were Hollywood’s IT couple. A fairy-tale marriage. Three movies together — including a really creepy one called âEyes Wide Shutâ and this: When their love was shining brightly, Nicole dished out a few dozen bucks to the International Star Registry. She chose a twinkly little star…
A Less Complicated Way to Power up Business Growth
Happy National Screenwriters Day. (Yeah, thatâs a thing). Last night, to get into the holiday spirit, I picked up my copy of âStory – Substance, Structure, Style, and the Principles of Screenwritingâ by Robert McKee. Great book — especially if you want to be a screenwriter. Marketers swear by it, too⌠…especially ones who understand…
Hard Times Come Again No More
Back in April, I made a Spotify playlist for my 23-year-old daughter, Maddie. She lived on High Street in Denver. I named the playlist âShelter in Place on High Street – Volume 1.â In the letter I sent with the playlist, I wrote, â…sharing music is sharing love. Itâs about connecting.â I imagined she and…
Recommended Reading…
During my down time last week, I read this essay by Ann Patchett, published in the January 2021 issue of Harperâs Magazine. Ann Patchett is a writer whose books I like. And sheâs a business owner whose bookstore I love. She opened Parnassus Books on the south side of Nashville in 2011⌠…because the cityâs…
How TV’s Greatest Host Can Help You Be a Great Marketer
I was browsing through some of my favorite old marketing training discs the other day and came across one by Dave Dee⌠…whom I still listen to today. Back in 2007 Dave offered some unconventional advice about how to write better emails: Watch Regis Philbin on television, Dave advised. I donât recall what I thought about…
Why This Superpower Skirmish Could Kill Your Biz…
The war between the Superpowers has begun. Not a traditional war with guns and tanks and airplanes, mind you. This is a war between two digital Superpowers — Facebook and Apple. Apple fired the first shot when it announced recently that iPhone owners will soon have to give explicit permission before apps can track their…
Hereâs Why Google Outage Didnât Crush My SpiritâŚ
I woke yesterday at 5 a.m. because I had to finish a proposal that Iâd promised to send to a prospect by start-of-business Monday. I was knocking it out steadily when⌠…Google broke. You probably heard the news: Around 5:30 a.m. CST, Google suffered a worldwide outage. Google Drive stalled. Gmail gave out. YouTube tanked. …
The #1 Quality That All Great Marketers Have
My business is growing so Iâm hiring. Last night I posted a job opening for a software developer to assist with several projects. I described the projects, but only in vague terms. Applications flooded my inbox. Most applicants told me they had EVERYTHING it takes to tackle the projects. One applicant, Noah, said this: âLetâs discuss more…
Beware of These Make-Me-Gag Marketing Pitches…
I was eating breakfast the other morning and nearly choked. It wasnât the spinach and salsa omelette that did it (although that jalapeno salsa made me sweat a little). No, it was the email that landed in my inbox… …with yet another breathless, over-hyped, meaningless statistic⌠…about yet another canât-miss digital marketing channel. Hereâs the…
This Milkshake Mishap Reveals Mucho About Marketing…
When my daughter suggested last night that we order delivery from Shake Shack⌠…rather than have yet another night of leftover turkey for dinner⌠…I thought, âThatâs the greatest idea EVER!â Red meat, topped with bacon and orange cheese. Yum. But what really had my mouth watering was the thought of that shake⌠…that sweet,…
This Email Made Me Laugh — For The Wrong Reasons…
Every so often, I browse my junk email folder to see what the spammers are up to. I always come across something that makes me roll my eyes and chuckle⌠…like this one from a lender: Subject line: Equipment Financing Thatâs it. No website address. No call to action. No benefits. No story. No nothing…
Deliberate Gratitude
A few years ago, I regularly posted âGratitude Snippetsâ on Facebook. They were short posts. Expressions of appreciation for people and things⌠…a beautiful day⌠…a restaurant server who went the extra mile⌠…a mail carrier who braved snow and rain to make the delivery⌠…a song that brightened my mood… …a colleague who offered…
I Love This Billboard…
For three years, I never opened my mouth when I smiled. That was from 1978 through 1980. Those were the Braces Years, the period when my mouth was full of metal hardware and my parentsâ checking account was shrinking. Itâs tough being a 13- to 16-year-old — especially when your pearly whites are covered with stainless…
Recommended Reading and Big Lessons re: What You Control
Roughly once a year, I read Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl. Frankl was a Holocaust survivor who later wrote about his experiences as a prisoner at the Auschwitz concentration camp. The book is heavy stuff, yes. But itâs also full of huge lessons for business and life. These are strange days. Many call them âdark…
How to Attract Attention – The Jesus Way
Hereâs a parable about parables⌠âŚwith a lesson that can help you attract attention for your marketing messages and inspire people to act. In the Bibleâs Gospel of Luke, someone asks Jesus, â…who is my neighbor?â Jesus answers with the story of a âcertain manâ who was traveling from Jerusalem to Jericho and âfell among…
Henry Ford Was Full of It & Why That Matters For Your Business
A couple of days ago, I asked what you think of this Henry Ford quote: âIf Iâd asked customers what they wanted, they would have told me, âA faster horse!ââ A bunch of subscribers told me Ford was a visionary who saw something his prospects did not. One told me: â…Ford wasnât concerned or focused with finding out what people wanted. He…
For People Who Want to Write Better Headlines But Aren’t Sure How…
Once upon a time, I tried to cook a batch of paella. It didnât go well. The mussels were chewy. The chicken was dry. The rice was a sticky mess. So frustrating! I fancy myself a decent cook. But decent doesnât cut it when you strive to master a complicated dish. Today, aspiring home chefs can…
Read This If You Want to Write Copy That Readers Love
Short and sweet today. If you want to write emails that recipients are happy to open⌠…that they read from top-to-bottom⌠…that inspires them to act⌠Read this great article by copywriter Neville Medhora.
My Kids Made It Rain… and So Can You
Itâs raining here in St. Louis, MO, USA⌠…which reminds me of the time my twin kiddos summoned a drought-ending thunderstorm with a rain dance. We were at my inlawâs farm in central Missouri. It was bone dry for weeks. But (finally!), we adults could smell and feel the rain coming. As the wind picked…
How 1 Pic and 3 Words Transform A Boring Log Into a Romantic Tale
My friend Cabanne Howard (a great marketing strategist) sent this picture to me the other day⌠It’s a closeup of this Duraflame log… Cabanne thinks itâs a great example of story-powered marketing. And sheâs right. Feeble marketing focuses on features. Better marketing focuses on benefits. The best marketing — story-powered marketing — promises transformations. A Duraflame log features sawdust…
A Tale of Two Posts: One Inspiring, The Other a Yawner
Hereâs a tale of two blog posts — both covering the same topic: Why your business needs a customer support playbook and how to implement one. In one corner we have a treatise. Hereâs how it starts: Building and managing a help desk in your organization can either become a triumphant, effective tool or end…
When Having a Bad Day, Consider Adolphe Sax’s Story…
Last week, I had one of those days when nothing went right. It made me grumpy. And as I grumped around, I focused more on feeling sorry for myself and less on staying focused and productive. That made it worse. I got past it, but it made me think about how easy it is to…
How to Make Your Business Story More Interesting
I heard from a business owner who wants to power up his story to grow sales⌠…but he fears he doesnât have a compelling story to tell. âMy story isnât interesting,â he said. I hear that a lot. Business people assume storytelling should be about themselves. They rack their brains for an inspiring origin story.…
Here’s a Surefire Way to Blow 35 Grand
I came across this gem of a headline in an online marketing forum this week: âIâm buying a domain name for $35,000.â The guy who posted it explained: âWe presently use the domain with âtheâ prefix for our product, so it looks like https://the___.com But going to go bolder way and buy the name without…
40 Years Later, I Still Remember This…
I was cleaning out a closet the other day and found an old biology textbook. As I paged through it, I was struck (stunned, saddened) by how little I remembered. Then I got to the chapter about animal biology⌠…and my memory clicked: âKids prefer cheese over fried green spinach.â Thatâs the little story I…
How Jerry Seinfeld Helped to Reset my Mindset
60 Minutes presented an interview with Jerry Seinfeld on Sunday, and it was great. Hereâs the link to the video. Seinfeld said so many funny, profound, and wise things. Iâve rewatched it three times. And now Iâm sharing some of the highlights. Asked if Covid has killed New York, he scoffed and said: âWhen you were…
He Picked the Worst Time to Pitch to Me
A cautionary tale: Earlier this week, I was helping a client move a website. He registered his domain with GoDaddy, and I spoke to their customer support before moving the site. Everything GoDaddy told me was wrong, and when we moved the site it came crashing down. I launched a chat with GoDaddy support and…
Why Stick-to-the-Script Syndrome Could Kill Your Business
Back in March, when the pandemic was a fresh, new misadventure for all of us, I wrote this email asking why the local traffic reporter needed to do her thing every morning — even though no one was driving to work. I concluded that she and her station kept doing their thing because thatâs what they do.…
Marketing Lessons from My Neighbor’s Perfect Lawn
I was walking my dog, Moose, around the block the other day and came upon a neighbor who was manicuring his lawn. This wasnât your standard roll-the-mower-over-the-grass job. This was high-intensity fuss-over-the-fescue. He was on his knees with a hand clipper, working the edges, getting everything right. Not just good enough. But perfect. After he…
Turn Frustration to Fascination and Good Things Happen
Iâm enjoying a book called âBlessed Beyond Measure,â by Dr. Tom Hill. On page 69, Dr. Hill offers an idea that got my attention: Some time ago, I intentionally began using the word âfascinatedâ when I felt like saying something frustrated me…I realized the frustrating quality of situations causing me to feel frustrated naturally include a legitimate…
Cool Tools to Remove Background and Apply Effects to Photos
Last week, I shared â5 things you might not know about meâŚâ on LinkedIn. The post included this picture of me⌠A few people told me they liked that picture, and they suggested I use it as my profile picture — instead of the one I was using. âSure, why not?â I thought. But before…
Don’t Choose Your Marketing Channel Until You Do This…
Hereâs a tale of two marketing tips — one right on, the other off the mark. It starts with a question posted to an online forum: How can I generate leads for my graphic design business? Two people responded. The first person wrote 272 words⌠…loaded with one recommendation after another. Use LinkedIn. Try XING…
How to Write Better Copy That Drives Grammar Police Crazy
Hereâs a tale about Dizzy Dean — a Hall of Fame pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals… …who was a country boy and… …not as educated or polished as the city-slicker reporters who covered the team. When a reporter accused him of corrupting language students with his lousy grammar and diction, Dizzy replied, âA lot…
Priceless Advice from a Wise Bass
I heard about a restaurant in New York⌠…with a stuffed fish on the wall⌠…above a plaque that said… âTake a tip from me — I wouldnât be here if I had kept my mouth shut!â Thereâs truth in that fish story. A good business fable. Donât talk at your prospects. Shut your mouth…
You Ask. I’ll Answer.
Short and sweet today. Just a quick question for you⌠What nagging marketing and sales challenge is holding you back? Please share with me whatâs on your mind. Whatâs causing frustration, confusion, or anxiety as you try to grow your business? If you submit a question/concern, Iâll answer you directly⌠…and my answer wonât be…
This Marketing Secret is as Smart as a Block of Wood
Long before Apple and Android turned phones into pocket-sized computers, Palm dominated the mobile device market. The simple, compact PalmPilot handled four functions: calendars, contacts, memos, and tasks. Jeff Hawkins, the product team leader, carried in his pocket a PalmPilot-sized block of wood. When other team members suggested new functions beyond the core four, Hawkins…
Conventional Lunacy You Must Ignore
I read some marketing advice last week that was SO bad I had to share it with you⌠…so you can add it to the top of your âDo Not Do This!â list. It came from a so-called marketing âexpertâ in one of those fancy-shmancy magazines for entrepreneurs. The article contained dos and donâts for…
Why You Shouldn’t Be Afraid of Fear in Your Marketing…
A few months ago, my wife and I woke to a loud âthud.â She thought the sound came from inside the house⌠…and, for her, that meant trouble. âWhat was that!?â she asked, sounding a little frantic. We live in the city and crime is a thing so I donât blame her for worrying. I…
Priceless Marketing Lessons Courtesy of President Trump
I gotta hand it to President Donald J. Trump. Love him or hate him, El Presidente just did many of us a favor. He shut up the âTikTok-is-the-Next-Big-Marketing-Thingâ crowd. (Search for âtiktok marketing next big thing,â and youâll find them). On Friday, he issued an executive order banning TikTok in the USA, effective next month. …
How a Tiny Story Can Pack a Giant Punch
Legend has it that Ernest Hemingway won a bar bet by writing a story that contained just six words. Hereâs the story: âFor sale: baby shoes, never worn.â That tiny story reveals a giant truth for marketers: Great stories donât have to be long stories. In fact, one of the greatest marketing stories I know…
What Can You Learn from an Old Maid?
When I was a kid, I remember my relatives talking about some Great Aunt Iâd never met. They called her an âOld Maid.â I had no idea what they were talking about, but I could tell they considered it an insult. Years later, I learned the meaning: A woman who has — gasp! — never…
How to Land More Business With Less Selling
I read a definition of âmarketerâ yesterday that may be the best Iâve ever seen.It came from Troy Broussard, one of my favorite marketers and a top-notch product developer. He co-created Learnistic, the mobile platform on which I run the Story Power Marketing app. He said a marketer is âa person that creates such a strong…
How to Be a Better Listener So You Can Craft More Powerful Stories
The other day I was in a Zoom meeting with a group of prospects when… …I realized I had zoned out — completely. I donât know for how long I had not been listening. I just knew I was staring at the squirrel in the tree outside my office window. Yep, my gray matter had…
How to Create Great Content with Less Effort and Cost
For those of you who would like to produce good, business-building content⌠…with less time-consuming, costly effort… …hereâs a story for you. On Wednesday, I was one of the speakers at an online networking event. The guy who organized the event, called me a few weeks in advance, and asked for a presentation topic. Earlier…
The Critical Thing to Do BEFORE You Storm The Castle
When he was a young college student, my wifeâs great-great-grandfather joined the revolution. He and his pals tried to overthrow the German government. The year was 1833, and young Adolph Wislizenus âstormed the castleâ with a band of student revolutionaries in Frankfurt. Their plan: Sneak-attack a few arsenals. Capture the soldiers. Take the guns. Arm…
The Salty Popcorn Marketing Method
I miss movie theater popcorn. A large bucket. Plenty of salt. None of that fake butter. On a good day — especially if my wife grabs a few handfuls from the first bucket — I go for the free refill. AhhhâŚsuch fond pre-pandemic memories. When the movie theaters reopen, Iâll rush back⌠…not because I…
How a Master Copywriter Got the Scoop on His Target Market
I recently heard this interesting tidbit about Eugene Schwartz, a genius copywriter who penned ads that generated massive sales: He had a secret way to get the scoop on his target market… He would go to the theater to see all the hit movies⌠…and he would see the blockbusters TWICE. Why? Because if youâre…
Native American Warriors Reveal Ancient Marketing Secret
I recently heard this wild story about Native American warriors. Two tribes face off on the battlefield — maybe the Sioux on one side, the Crow on the other. They shout taunts at each other. Then a brave young warrior from one side gallops forward on his pinto, charging at the enemy… …not to kill…
This Tactic Will Land You in the “Thanks, But No Thanks” File
My pal Harry forwarded to me a how-not-to-do-it sales email he received the other day. He called it âfertile materialâ for the emails I send. He got that right. The email Harry forwarded was from a design firm in Arizona that was fishing for business. The email came from Dave, the firmâs principal. âHi Harry,â Dave wrote.…
The Story Behind One of the Greatest Ads Ever
In 1925, John Caples was a rookie copywriter working on an ad for home-study piano courses. He drafted several headlines that he shared with his boss. Here are a few: âCan you play the piano? Neither could I three months ago?â âThey laughed when I sat down at the piano. But when I started to…
The Insanity of the Tactics-First Crowd
A desperate marketer posted a sad-sack story last week on a public forum. He was trying to reach prospects in a niche market⌠…and he was getting ZERO response. Facebook Ads? No-go. LinkedIn messages? Zip? Search advertising? Nada. So he asked the internet for help⌠…and the internet responded with a bunch of INSANITY. First, Iâll…
Understand This and Your Marketing Will Be Better
I read something cool this morning. It comes from a book called Breakthrough Advertising, by Eugene Schwartz. He was one of the great direct response copywriters of the twentieth century. Breakthrough Advertising is a Bible for those who want to write copy that works. At the beginning of Chapter Seven, Schwartz writes⌠â…Advertising is the literature of…
How a Nine-Word Story Sold Millions
One of the great business stories of all time is also one of the shortest. Just nine words. Here it is: You can pay me now⌠…or pay me later. If you watched television in the 70s, you couldnât miss those ads for Fram oil filters. The broken car. The expensive repair. The mechanic saying…
This Magic Phrase Will Help You Attract More Leads
I was planning to send a different message this morning⌠…until I read an email from one of my favorite marketing experts Dave Dee (check out his stuff here). He offered a tip that is so good I had to postpone the other email so I could share the idea with you now. Hereâs the tip: …
I Reveal This Mistake So You Don’t Repeat It
I got some great advice from a marketing expert last week after he read one of my emails. If youâve read my emails lately, youâve noticed that I offer a free Story Assessment. Iâll review your website, social media or any other channel where you tell your story. Then Iâll reveal ways to power up your…
How the U.S. Grant Playbook Can Help Your Business
Hereâs a TV recommendation: Watch âGrant,â the new three-part documentary on the History Channel (here’s the trailer). Ulysses S. Grant was a complicated man. Some historians have painted him as a drunk, a villain, a reckless general who got lucky, a corrupt politician. This documentary rewrites that history. It exposes some of the warts. But generally,…
Top Marketers Say This is More Important Than Anything
I recently heard this story about the great copywriter Gary Halbert⌠Near the end of his career he was quizzing a protege and said, âThe best way to get a prospectâs attention is to appeal to their sense of ___________.â The protege replied, âTheir sense of self-interest?â Halbert said, âNo…their sense of curiosity.â Thatâs great…
Why Sales “Hunters” Bag Fewer Long-Lasting Clients
A few years back, I met with a prospect about a massive project. The meeting went well. I remember thinking as the meeting moved along, âIâm CRUSHING it.â Before I left, they committed to hire me. I returned to the office, shared the news with my team, and slapped high fives all around. âWay to…
A Big Mistake that Costs Businesses Time and Money
A business owner recently asked me to launch an email campaign for her new company. She told me she wanted to âspread the wordâ about the business. Spread the word. Thatâs a popular idea. Letâs send some emails to spread the word. Letâs post on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and Twitter to spread the word.Letâs buy…
Spiderman Reveals the Difference Between Manipulation and Persuasion
I love the scene in the Spiderman movie (the first one with Tobey Maguire) when Uncle Ben tells Peter, “With great power comes great responsibility.” That’s true for super heroes. That’s also true for marketers. I’m working on a revised and expanded version of a free resource I created a few years back called “7 Ways…
Email Story: Betrayed by a Travel Brochure
Back in the day, when people used to go on vacation, my mom, dad, brother and I packed up the station wagon and drove west in search of a ghost town. Actually, we were headed to some national parks in Wyoming and Montana. But I insisted we detour. The brochure I grabbed at the Stuckeyâs…
Why Does She Still Do THIS?
Hereâs something I wonder during this pandemic: Why is the local news station still broadcasting traffic reports every 30 minutes in the morning? I turn on the news, and there she is, the Traffic Reporter, standing in front of the map with all the highways and byways color coded — green for âall clear,â yellow for âmoderate back-upsâ and…
How Taco Bell Hotel Rooms Sold Out in 120 Seconds
I read about a hotel that promises a âfun, colorful and flavorfulâ and magical experience. Set to open in August, the hotel began taking reservations online in June. It sold out in two minutes. Introducing The Bell: A Taco Bell Hotel and Resort in Palm Springs, California. The Bell is just a temporary rebranding of…
Guessing VS Explaining With Data
I saw something on the TV news this morning that annoyed me. (What else is new?) Iâm sharing this with you not to spread the annoyance, but rather to deliver a business lesson. The news headline: The number of asylum-seekers reaching the Mexico-US border has decreased over the last few months. The analysis: Supporters of…
Itâs About Building a Community
Yesterday was the 10th anniversary of Michael Jacksonâs death. So the TV talking heads spent a bunch of airtime debating whether itâs OK to enjoy the King of Popâs music. The debate goes like this⌠On one side are those who cite allegations that Jackson molested children. You canât separate the art from the artist,…
Testing Works In Business
Before publishing his first best-seller, Tim Ferriss tested options. He came up with six potential titles. Then he purchased Google Adwords ads — one version for each title — targeting search terms related to the bookâs topics. Each ad used the potential book title as the headline and used the bookâs tagline for the adâs…
How Do You know If Your Marketing is Working
A marketing novice wondered whether a direct mail ad he received from a restaurant was any good. He described the ad in an online discussion board and waited for responses. Dozens of people replied with all sorts of marketing advice. Lots of them said they liked the ad. Some asked to see the advertisement so…
Lousy Customer Service
A few months ago, I went to a St. Louis Blues hockey game with my son. He ordered a chicken sandwich from a concession stand run by a local restaurant. The chicken was raw. When we returned the food to the stand and asked for a refund, the woman at the cash register apologized and…
Reach Out to Former Customers
Last month, a networking group that I help manage contacted 18 former members to learn why they quit. Three of the 18 said they quit for no particular reason. They just let their commitment lag. Prompted by the phone call, they committed to resubscribe. Three out of 18. Thatâs 17 percent. Thatâs pretty good. Many…
Berube Removes the Standings
In early January, when the St. Louis Blues were in the National Hockey League cellar with the fewest points of any team, Interim Head Coach Craig Berube tore the standings from the locker room wall. Yesterday, hours before the Blues clinched the Western Conference championship and punched their ticket to the Stanley Cup Final, a…
The Solution of False Opt-Outs
My friend who handles PR for a nonprofit had an annoying mystery to solve. One of her email subscribers complained that she had opted-in but was not receiving emails. Then another complained. Then another. As my friend dug into the problem, she discovered that several people on her list were marked as unsubscribed. But those…
Human Beings Shop For Status
In 1774, King Frederick II of Prussia was ruling over a land ravaged by famine. He urged farmers to plant potatoes to end the famine. But back then, potatoes were considered livestock feed in Eastern Europe, not suitable for human consumption. So farmers defied the king and didnât plant them… …until King Frederick changed marketing…
Re Target Market
I was at a concert last night and heard some lyrics that made me think: âThatâs a great marketing lesson.â (I couldnât help it. Thatâs where my mind goes). Here are those lyrics from an old Kris Kristofferson song called âTo Beat the Devil:â If you waste your time a talkingTo the people who don’t…
Learn From Our MASA Ad Mistake
Our company made a marketing mistake. Iâm going to tell you about so you don’t repeat it. We sell email marketing software to many schools and school districts. So we recently ran a print advertisement in the membership directory for the Missouri Association of School Administrators (MASA). The ad included the address for our website…
Fearing Gmail Promotions
My favorite marketing forum lit up yesterday when someone complained about Gmail putting the emails he sends into the âPromotionsâ folder. Several years ago, Gmail introduced folders (âtabsâ) to organize incoming email into four categories: Primary, Social, Promotions and Updates. Most marketing emails sent through third-party software land in the Promotions folder. Yesterday, an unhappy…
Garbage Data
In a recent Monday Mash-Up, I shared a blog post Iâd written about misleading statistics. It struck a nerve with several readers. Margaret is one of those readers who told me the story of her run-in with garbage data. Margaret works as a fundraiser at a nonprofit. Margaret often wonders how best to reach older donors and prospects. Some…
Sidewalk Cigarette Butts
As I entered a quick shop yesterday, I noticed a guy walking out who looked down on his luck. He stopped by the door and pulled from his shirt pocket a half-smoked, crooked cigarette butt. He bent it back into shape, lit up and took a long drag. When I walked out of the store,…
Car Wash Story
A few months ago, I asked my 21-year-old daughter to help me lug trash from the three barrels next to our house to the dumpster in the alley. She was home from college for a couple of weeks, and I thought she could pitch in. She shot me one of those looks that said, âDad,…
Podcasting Roundabout (Citing Adam K)
My pal Adam Kreitman sent me (and everyone else on his list) a great email today that compared the current frenzy over podcasting to the California Gold Rush. Hereâs some of what Adam wrote: âThere were a few lucky folks who struck it rich mining for gold. However, the people who really made money during the Gold…
Which Material For Tote Bags
I had a good laugh today while reading an online discussion board for marketers. A puzzled marketer asked the community to weigh in on the best material for tote bags she and her husband would distribute at a trade show. She was leaning toward polypropylene (âfeels like soft clothâ and âthe cheapest way to go.â)…
Unsolicited Political Text
Yesterday I received an unsolicited text message from someone pitching a local political candidate. Iâm not sharing this story to publicly shame anyone. Iâm sharing it because thereâs a business and life lesson here. So Iâll change the names to protect the guilty. The text said, âHi Thomas,â (that was the first clue this was…
Is Marketing A Bad Word
Last week, my twin children turned 22. Iâm still Dad, but my hardest parenting work is behind me (I think/hope). That got me thinking about parenting lessons learned. Hereâs a big one: When the kid does something bad, that doesnât mean the kid is a bad person. As parents, we need to help our kids…
CBS Sword Swallower
During a new show broadcast after the Super Bowl on Sunday, CBS television wanted us to believe that a talent-show performer died in a tragic sword swallowing accident. The idea was to create high drama. Keep us viewers glued to the tube. I said, âTo hell with this,â and Iâll never watch this rotten show…
Global Warming Faulty Logic
Here in St. Louis, MO itâs cold today. Really cold. Itâs also cold in Washington, D.C. where President Trump tweeted this yesterday: âIn the beautiful Midwest, windchill temperatures are reaching minus 60 degrees, the coldest ever recorded. In coming days, expected to get even colder. People canât last outside even for minutes. What the hell…
Capture a Prospect’s Imagination
My friend Richard Terry asked me to help him with some marketing copy. Heâd heard one of my presentations recently, and he thought he might benefit from my expertise. We met earlier today, and hereâs what I told him⌠…Richard, you donât need my help. I was honored he asked. I welcome new business. I…
Lessons from a cringe-worthy toilet mishap
My pal Adam Kreitman and I both write story-driven emails with marketing lessons. Occasionally, we challenge one another by sharing a story that might be a bit strange or saucy or…whatever… and then daring the other to turn it into a meaningful email. Adam dropped one of those challenges on me yesterday. His text message…
Car Dealership Marketing Guy
Itâs only January 2, and I just read some marketing wisdom that will make my âBest of 2019â list in 12 months. A marketing guy at an auto dealership posted to an online marketing forum this question: âWhat would you suggest I do to get everyone to understand why we use social media?â The salespeople…
Kotex Classic
One of Saturday Night Liveâs most popular advertising parodies almost didnât make it on the air. The fake ad was for âKotex Classicâ — feminine pads described as âthe originalâ and âyour motherâs pad.â Some historical context…for the men in the audience or those women too young to remember: Sanitary pads were much bulkier back…
Visa Tap-to-Pay Ad
I keep seeing this television ad promoting âTap to Pay With Visa.â It touts a feature known as âcontactless cards.â You complete a transaction without sliding or inserting your card. Just tap the card on (or wave it over) a reader. No confirmation necessary. No signature required. Tap and you’re done. Card charged. Purchase completed. In the…
Payless Shoes
Earlier this year, a new luxury shoe store opened in a Santa Monica mall. The store, called Palessi, invited fashion writers and other influencers to its grand opening. The fashionistas got first crack at the merchandise. They paid up to $600 for the shoes… …and then they celebrated. One held up a pair and chirped,…
Thomas Edison Salt
Do you sprinkle salt on your food before tasting it? If so, Thomas Edison would not have hired you⌠…and your marketing might suck. When interviewing job candidates, Edison would offer them a bowl of soup. If they salted the soup without first tasting it, Edison would disqualify the candidate. Edison didnât want assistants who assumed the…
Beatles White Album
In July 1968, a young sound engineer named Geoff Emerick grew annoyed with his employers and quit his job. Geoffâs employers muddled through without him. And fifty years ago this month, they released a double-album⌠…with a plain white cover⌠…entitled, simply, âThe Beatles.â So, yeah this really happened⌠A 22-year-old sound engineer is hanging…
Moon Landing Follow-up re: Event Success or Failure?
Last month, I told you about conspiracy theorists who tried to âproveâ that the moon landings were a hoax. (Hereâs that email.) In that email, I noted that many marketers remind me of the conspiracy theorists. They take a couple of facts and paste them together to create a wacky, inaccurate picture. A few weeks ago, my…
Great First Date, Didn’t Call
When I was younger (and lonelier), I wrote a song called âUnrequited Love.â I wrote it a few weeks after a blind date. I thought the date went well. I called her — several times. Left messages suggesting a second date. No reply. No more dates. Sad story. Iâm thinking of writing a similar song…
Great Cold-Call Email
I was planning to send a different email to you today. …until I checked my inbox this morning and opened one of the best cold-call emails Iâve ever received. I wanted to share it with you because itâs sooooo good and you can learn so much from it. It begins: âHey Tom, Curious if you’re…
Email Marketing Works, Man Walked on the Moon and Other Conspiracy Theories
When I was a kid, I treasured my poster of Neil Armstrong standing on the moon. I wanted to be an astronaut. Armstrong was my hero. Last week, I saw a picture of Armstrongâs spacesuit. Some guy posted it on Facebook next to a picture of a lunar footprint. The spacesuit boot had no treads.…
How We Were “Liberated” from Formal Work Clothes
I was cleaning out some old files and found the âDress Code Policyâ for one of my early jobs. Coat and tie required. No jeans. Closed-top shoes. No sneakers. Etc. Etc. Etc. Blah blah blah. That was 1998. Times have changed. I remember the first time I worked at a place with âCasual Fridays.â It…