Reading Time: 2 minAutomation can be a great thing. In a way, it’s the reason you’re reading this right now instead of me having to come over to your house to tell you in person. There are databases, algorithms, feeds, and various other things that help get this post out there. That said, I’ve been clear over the […]
Trust
Deceit is a poor marketing tactic
Reading Time: < 1 minA while back I shared how you shouldn’t try to hustle those that you wish to serve. Taking shortcuts to try to reach people is rarely a good idea. For example, the below came in the mail from a local HVAC company, with the indications of a check (such as “pay to the order of”) […]
Assume good intentions
Reading Time: 2 minAs digital communication continues to expand into different formats, it can be increasingly difficult to determine the intentions of the person you’re talking to. Of the various common ways that we might communicate, I think intention becomes more difficult to discern as you work down this list: On the other hand, you can essentially flip […]
The cycle of simple
Reading Time: < 1 minI’ve noticed a pattern in a few areas of business that goes roughly like this: Simple –> Complex –> Simple Websites The first place I’ve noticed this is with website design. When someone is just starting out, they build very simple sites. As their skills improve, they load websites up with more bells & whistles […]
Lead with empathy
Reading Time: < 1 minShari Levitin has a theory that the two main things a leader needs are competency and empathy, and empathy needs to come first. If you lead with empathy to build a relationship, then your competency can come into play to help close the deal. If you’re lacking either one, you’re out. Ultimately, she says that […]
Screenshots versus links
Reading Time: 2 minI’m seeing it more and more on social media, particularly on Facebook — someone will share an article, but rather than sharing a link to it they’ll just share a screenshot of the title and the first few sentences of the article. The problems This causes a few problems, with the main one being a […]
Leave it better than you found it
Reading Time: 2 minThere are two main ways you can approach the internet: You can be patient and giving, contribute to the discourse, and leave it better than you found it. Work to squeeze every bit of value out of it and not worry about what’s left when you’re done. Individuals likely have some granular levels between those, […]
Precision versus intent
Reading Time: 2 minIf your role in your company involves managing other people, you can ask for work to be done by providing precise instructions or providing the intent behind them. Assuming you trust people to do the job, proper intent will save you both a lot of time. In “The Personal MBA“, author Josh Kaufman shares the […]
What we want to see versus what we expect to see
Reading Time: < 1 minUncovering the truth can be a tricky thing to do. Not only do you have to figure out who to trust and which sources to believe, but our own brains can often conspire against us. According to Adam Grant in his book “Think Again“, we have two biases that tend to drive poor judgement: Confirmation […]
Have you faced marketing trauma in your past?
Reading Time: 2 minThere are times when we’re meeting with a potential client that we can tell they’ve been burned badly by a marketing agency in the past. They’re defensive, questioning, and unwilling to share much about their situation — and for good reason! If they’ve had a bad experience before, it can be tough to trust another […]