Big Words Don’t Equal Big Ideas

Big Words Don’t Equal Big Ideas

I had a meeting with a prospect last week. He was eager to brand and launch his start-up. And he was excited for the opportunity to discuss its positioning and promotion. He was so enthusiastic when we spoke on the phone that I was as fired up as he was on my way to...
Sometimes a Page is Just a Page

Sometimes a Page is Just a Page

Here’s a partial list of the things most companies say they want on the pages of their websites: Sizzle. Fashion Shows. Popularity contests. Pizzazz. Things that make the boss happy. The kitchen sink and all the attendant plumbing. Cool stuff. And here’s...
Stacking the (PowerPoint) Deck

Stacking the (PowerPoint) Deck

Let’s presume you give your sales people some rudimentary orientation. Let’s presume that, in lieu of formal sales training, you give them some fundamental introduction to your company, what it does, and (most important) why it does what it does. And...
The One and Only

The One and Only

In the summer of 1971, I was 17 years old. My friend, Bruce, and I went to see B.B. King at the Oakdale Theater in Wallingford, Connecticut. We may have been the only two white dudes in the place. We most certainly were the youngest. And we were in no way prepared to...
All Things to All People

All Things to All People

One of our former clients was a software-development shop. It created core-processing systems for insurance companies. Its stock answer to the question, “Can you do that?” was: “Yes,” followed quickly by the first of a series of invoices for...