Know Your Market
This is a story about how hardcore, ultra-conservatives found common ground with a bunch of hippies. I know that seems unlikely these days, but it happened not that long ago. And this happening is loaded with business lessons. Our story begins soon after the turn of the millennium, in 2002, when the Internet was just…
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I heard a great story the other day about a hotel owner who raked in more revenue by thinking differently about what he sells. This story is not just for bigwigs with hotels on Boardwalk and Park Place. This applies to YOU and me and anyone else who wants to… …delight customers… ….forge stronger relationships…
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Happy (Belated) Groundhog Day. Silly holiday. GREAT movie. I love the scenes with Ned Ryerson. He’s the insurance salesman who went to high school with Phil (Bill Murray’s character). Groundhog Day after Groundhog Day (see the movie if you don’t know what I mean), Ned accosts Phil on the street and pitches insurance. “Have you…
Read MoreA couple of days ago, I asked what you think of this Henry Ford quote: “If I’d asked customers what they wanted, they would have told me, ‘A faster horse!’” A bunch of subscribers told me Ford was a visionary who saw something his prospects did not. One told me: “…Ford wasn’t concerned or focused with finding out what people wanted. He…
Read MoreI came across this gem of a headline in an online marketing forum this week: “I’m buying a domain name for $35,000.” The guy who posted it explained: “We presently use the domain with ‘the’ prefix for our product, so it looks like https://the___.com But going to go bolder way and buy the name without…
Read MoreHere’s 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…
Read MoreA few months ago, my wife and I woke to a loud “thud.” She thought the sound came from inside the house… …and, for her, that meant trouble. “What was that!?” she asked, sounding a little frantic. We live in the city and crime is a thing so I don’t blame her for worrying. I…
Read MoreWhen I was a kid, I remember my relatives talking about some Great Aunt I’d never met. They called her an “Old Maid.” 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…
Read MoreThe other day I was in a Zoom meeting with a group of prospects when… …I realized I had zoned out — completely. I don’t 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…
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