by Mark O'Brien | Jun 11, 2015
The other day I saw a photograph of a Chief Sales & Marketing Officer manning a booth at a trade show. At first, it didn’t make much of an impression, one way or the other. But the more I thought about it, the more curious it made me. Presuming the dude in...
by Mark O'Brien | May 22, 2015
One of my favorite recreational activities is to surf the web for mission statements. (I lead a very sheltered existence.) I find mission statements to be some of the most stunning examples of inexplicable gibberish imaginable. And I love to try to put myself in the...
by Mark O'Brien | May 20, 2015
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...
by Mark O'Brien | May 15, 2015
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...
by Mark O'Brien | May 13, 2015
A long time ago in a land far away, a man — we’ll call him Nimrod — founded a company. He knew everything about founding a company. But he knew nothing about promoting one. He knew nothing about assimilating people and letting them embody a brand in their own...
by Mark O'Brien | May 7, 2015
I received an email from an earnest gentleman, eager to help his company write more business and make its brand more prominent. He presented a list of tactics he believed would be effective means to his ends. Here’s the email (with minor modifications to protect...
