Quote Me on That

Quote Me on That

by | Oct 2, 2014

Prevailing wisdom contends that the most important aspect of direct-email marketing is the subject line. I hadn’t given the notion all that much thought until I started receiving a blizzard of such emails, all with this attention-grabbing subject line: Burial...
Up in Smoke (Signals)

Up in Smoke (Signals)

by | Sep 29, 2014

Some people go to great lengths to make sure they’re not taken seriously. That’s sad because it’s really quite simple. If you want to ensure whatever you have to say is dismissed immediately and out of hand, all you have to say this: “We...
Go After the Ball

Go After the Ball

by | Aug 23, 2014

A few weeks ago, I attended a local basketball camp to watch the son of a friend play. During the game, it occurred to me that young basketball players are like elderly drivers: They have no idea anyone else is around. They’re always surprised to discover...

Are You Talkin’ to Me?

by | Aug 16, 2014

Contributing editor, John Brandon, recently published a piece in Inc. called, “8 Expressions Really Good Communicators Always Use”. If nothing else, it proves the old adage that one man’s compliment is another man’s insult. You can read the...

Tell the Truth

by | Aug 15, 2014

“All you have to do is write one true sentence. Write the truest sentence that you know.” (Ernest Hemingway, A Moveable Feast) When I first began presenting my book, Martin the Marlin, to large groups of children, I’d find myself getting anxious. Oddly enough, I...