When clients come to us with marketing challenges, they’re usually struggling with some version of this key question: What do we say, what do we write? Arresting photos and graphics will get you noticed, but words encourage action. Words sell problems, explain implications, and call people to action. Words illustrate ideas – ideas of smarter, …
Category: The Sunday Snippet – good ideas to help you prosper
Reconsider
Want to be right more often? Then be prepared to change your mind more often, or at least be more open to it. Jeff Bezos of Amazon says one-track thinking – trying to make a case for just one point of view – should be avoided. Bezos has noticed that people who are right a …
Curiosity
Curiosity is a critical element for surviving – and thriving – in any environment. Albert Einstein famously advised a young student “the important thing is to not stop questioning…never lose a holy curiosity.” The innate desire to seek new information and experiences, and explore new possibilities, is what propels daily innovation and invention. It’s the …
A-Players
Great companies are made with great people – A-players. But how do you find great people? What do they look like? Jack Zenger and Joseph Folkman study and work with leaders at companies around the world. They’ve researched more than 4,100 executives and analyzed over 50,000 performance reviews, studying the difference between good vs. great. They …
Fit
There is nothing worse than a poor fit. Whether it’s shoes, services – or even people – when a fit isn’t good, it’s painful, unproductive and unsustainable. Ian Altman, author of “Same Side Selling” summarizes the essence of his book with the acronym FIT, which stands for Finding Impact Together. Altman says FIT is a mantra that …
Purpose
The modern marketplace is crowded, noisy and unpredictable. Promotional ads, emails and robocalls attack our senses and psyches like a swarm of locusts. We’re bombarded with benefits. We’re overwhelmed by choices. We’re demoralized by soulless greed. For decades, the Four P’s of Product, Price, Promotion and Place were the essential elements of good sales and …
Motivation
What motivates you to do your best work? And how do you get the best out of the people who work for you? Hint: It’s not money. Dan Pink, author of “Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us” says there are three main elements to motivation at work: autonomy, mastery and purpose. So, what about money? …
Open-mindedness
Closed-mindedness will slow down learning, stifle growth and kill a career. Philosopher billionaire Ray Dalio says that closed-mindedness is one of the most serious threats to success. Here are the traits of open-minded individuals: Open-minded people get curious, not angry, when there is disagreement. They understand that they might be wrong and that it’s worth the time …
Presentations
The brain doesn’t do boring. We just can’t take it as humans, especially today, in a time when Twitter and Instagram posts dominate as news and entertainment sources. Long, dense, humorless presentations are a surefire way to lose your audience immediately. And once that happens it’s hard to get them back. Good presentations cater to audience interests, they engage …
Priorities
There’s always way more to do than can there are hours in the day. That will always be true. Personal, family, work and leisure obligations add up quickly. The key to getting as much done as possible is prioritization. Stephen Covey’s “First Things First” is a book with a simple premise: Your life has big rocks and …