I see a lot of guessing when it comes to building sales and marketing messages. I even see a lot of guessing when it comes to designing and building whole companies. A clever phrase or piece of art gets created and the next thing you know it becomes a marketing campaign that garners laughs and …
Author: John Stevenson
Speak up – The Sunday Snippet – [7.22.12]
There is perhaps no better way to gain recognition as a trusted authority and resource in your industry than to speak in front of groups of prospects and referral sources regularly. You may cringe at the thought, but the ability to educate, inform, and entertain in a 30-minute presentation can do wonders for your brand …
Nobody cares – The Sunday Snippet – [7.15.12]
Have you ever had to sift through pages and pages of marketing copy in order to figure out how a company and their services or products could help you? Have you ever asked yourself after reading a website or brochure “okay, what’s in it for me?” We’ve all had to endure plenty of self-centered marketing …
Healthy love of learning – The Sunday Snippet – [7.8.12]
Lifelong learning is like push-ups and sit-ups for our brains. It prevents dullness, it stimulates new thinking, and generally improves our minds and bodies. Learning can also be a lot of fun. Inserting learning opportunities into our lives can be difficult. There’s only so much time, but it doesn’t have to take a lot of time if …
While you were out – The Sunday Snippet – [7.1.12]
Entrepreneurs are reluctant to get away for vacation for a variety of reasons – lack of time, lack of money, and a general lack of interest in a vacation are but a few of the most common excuses. Maybe so, but not getting away once in a while is bad for your health and your …
Before I forget – The Sunday Snippet – [6.24.12]
It’s hard to remember everything we need to. We forget names, dates, numbers, where we left our glasses, even what we were thinking a few minutes before. It’s embarrassing, a nuisance and sometimes frightening – but not unnatural. Our brains just aren’t built to remember disparate words and numbers, and there’s really no such thing …
Study hard, laugh often, keep your honor – The Sunday Snippet – [6.17.12]
Tim Russert’s likeability, credibility and razor-sharp wit and intelligence made him one of the most respected and recognizable figures in television news. He was the long-time NBC News correspondent and Meet the Press moderator who died of an unexpected heart attack, and much too young, in 2008. Russert could go toe-to-toe with U.S. Presidents, Senators, …
The happiness dividend – The Sunday Snippet – [6.10.12]
“People buy from people” is one of the oldest business sayings in the book. We connect, we relate, we transact with individuals – people – not whole companies. “People buy more from happy people” is the updated version of this classic corollary at Zappos, the wildly successful online seller of shoes and apparel. Creating and …
1 bus, 1 year, 100+stories – The Sunday Snippet – [5.27.12]
Good news seems to be in short supply some days. Failed leaders, failed companies, and failed relationships make the big headlines for obvious reasons – they sell newspapers and attract viewers. Bus 52 focuses on the other end of the story spectrum – success. It’s a year-long project devoted to finding and promoting America’s best …
15 minutes of fame – The Sunday Snippet – [5.20.12]
Andy Warhol said in 1968 that “In the future, everyone will be world-famous for 15 minutes.” His stream of consciousness non sequitur has now become a popular way to describe fleeting fame and the mad pursuit of it. Whether it’s sheer luck or through active campaigning, we all do, deep down, really desire our proverbial 15 …