Never ignore your competitors. Certainly your primary focus should be on your own business, but you must always keep track of your competitors. Pay attention to where they are, what they're offering, and how they're marketing. Study their ads. Periodically visit their websites. Read what's written about them in trade publications and other media. "Secret [...]
Is the old saying “A picture is worth a thousand words” still true? Yes, more than ever. In fact, it should probably be revised to “A picture is worth ten thousand words”—or more. We live in an increasingly visual culture. From a business perspective, there is no place that images are more important than in [...]
Fifty Shades of Grammar Full disclosure: I have not read Fifty Shades of Grey and I won't be seeing the movie. But I have heard plenty of criticism of the quality of the writing. Turns out that the criticism may not be warranted, especially when this novel is compared to other bestselling works of fiction. [...]
Do you know how to excite your market? Start with a baseline market pulse -- that is, get to know your audience so well that you understand what's going to thrill them -- then turn on the heat and watch what happens!
Should you let your customers know about your personal and political opinions? For many years, I advised my clients to keep their personal and political views private and to choose non-controversial charities for their companies to support. My recommendation was based on the idea that some people who disagree with you may decide not [...]
Want to write a book or create another type of information product and publish it yourself? Good for you — the timing has never been better to join the ranks of independent publishers. Of course, having great content is not enough. Successful independent publishing requires all those additional things traditional publishers do, including editing, designing, [...]
If you use a ghostwriter, should you make it known or keep it confidential? It really doesn’t matter. There was a time when named authors went to great lengths to keep the public from knowing they used a ghostwriter, but that’s no longer the case. These days, it’s common knowledge that most celebrities don’t write [...]
Email templates are a tremendous productivity tool, but your readers shouldn't be able to tell that you're using a template. Ask any woman who has ever shown up at a party and seen another woman wearing the same outfit how she feels. That's how you ought to feel if someone recognizes your templates because they've seen [...]
One of the hardest things most of us have to learn is this: No is a complete sentence. When we understand and apply this to our lives, we increase our productivity and reduce our negative stress. You don’t need to apologize or offer excuses when you say no. Nancy Reagan nailed it in her “just say [...]
You are living the life of your dreams today — what are you dreaming?
