If you want your book to be a commercial success, it needs a great title – but a great title isn’t enough. It’s barely a start. If all you’ve got is a title, you’ve got a lot of work to do. A couple of years ago, I received a call from a prospective client [...]
Recently I spoke to the National Association of Entrepreneurs about blogging. While there are a lot of ingredients that must be combined to create an effective, successful blog, the most important is quality content. What makes quality content? It is: Well-written. Use correct grammar, spelling, punctuation, syntax and sentence structure. Avoid jargon and abbreviations your [...]
Some blogs with good information worth sharing: Got any other bad ideas? This is a funny post from PR Daily with some valuable advice on how to shop for and deal with a PR agency -- and how PR agencies can identify prospective clients they should avoid. The thoughts can be applied to any professional [...]
I put a post on my personal Facebook page comparing Tweets by two opposing political candidates on September 11. Here’s the story (minus the names): Candidate A posted a compassionate, caring message about the significance of the day. Candidate B posted a volunteer recruitment message. In full disclosure, I happen to support Candidate A. A [...]
Last November, I went to small claims court and sued a lawyer for non-payment. After some wrangling, we settled with both of us feeling ripped off. In retrospect, we could have avoided all the ugliness – and perhaps even still be working together – if we had written and both signed a contract that [...]
Sales professionals know that a gatekeeper is anyone they must go through to get to the decision-maker -- and it can be a challenge to get past the gatekeeper. Gatekeepers are typically receptionists, secretaries and assistants, but they could also be first-line managers, other decision-influencers, outside consultants or even your competitors. Many sales reps view [...]
Full disclosure: I'm a ghostwriter. I write books, articles, blogs and more that are published under my clients' names. Using a ghostwriter is a smart move for busy executives, professionals and subject matter experts who need to publish material but don't have the time and/or writing skills to do it themselves. One caveat: If you [...]
Press releases can be a powerful weapon in your marketing and public relations arsenal. Just be sure you don't shoot yourself in the foot with them. I can’t count the number of press releases I’ve written over the years in my career as a business writer--and it’s almost as hard to count the number [...]
If you extend credit to your customers, how long has it been since you’ve done a credit check on your accounts? If it’s been more than a year, it’s been too long. You may know that JK Harris & Co. was my client (I was the ghostwriter for JK Harris’ books Flashpoint, Sales Flashpoint, and [...]
Have you decided to hit the speaking circuit to promote your product or service? Congratulations! Giving talks is a powerful, effective way to enhance your reputation and grow your business. Once you’re booked, these tips will help you be a speaker who is applauded, referred and invited back: 1. Provide appropriate promotional materials in [...]
