by Mark O'Brien | May 21, 2015
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...
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 19, 2015
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...
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...
