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 [...]
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 [...]
Businesses lose millions of dollars each year due to unscheduled absenteeism. The most-cited reason for last-minute absences is family issues, followed by personal illness, personal needs, stress, and an entitlement mentality. When an employee is unexpectedly absent, you have to pay direct costs (the salary or wages paid to absent employees) and indirect costs [...]
How you can use the same techniques trial lawyers do when dealing with your employees When an attorney is in front of a jury, there’s a lot at stake, which is why successful trial lawyers know how to purposely and effectively sway jurors. You can put the techniques they use to work in your [...]
Do you use coupons to promote your business? In the first half of 2011, coupon redemption volume reached $1.75 billion despite a decline in coupon distribution, according to NCH Marketing Services, Inc. Today’s consumers, whether businesses or individuals, are value-oriented and looking for deals. There are pros and cons to coupon marketing, but if you [...]
A few days ago, the writer of an op-ed piece in the local paper said that we needed to get "corporate money" out of politics and suggested that the way to do that was through legislation. I disagree. We've got plenty of laws. We don't need any more of them. (Although I wouldn't oppose a [...]
No, this isn't a rant about English-only or bilingual workplaces -- it's a rant about corporate jargon sparked when I read an article by Laura Vanderkam, "Why you should cool it with the corporate jargon." I understand how internal jargon develops and why using acronyms can save time if everybody understands the code -- but [...]
Satisfying your customers is not enough to keep them—you need to make them loyal so they’ll keep coming back to you instead of another supplier who does enough to satisfy them. Here’s how to turn your satisfied customers into loyal advocates: 1. Find out what your customers want and provide it. Don’t guess; ask them [...]
