What newsletters are really all about

I was talking with one of our new clients today. Among the free bonuses we offer when you join our newsletter service is a consultation about coming up with a USP. A USP – Unique Selling Proposition – is, in my opinion, the most important thing you can do to market your business. Basically, a…

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Jingle bells and shock jocks

In case you haven’t heard, the holiday season is upon us. Trees, lights, gifts – and the airwaves are all jingle bells. A few times a month I’m a volunteer on-air host at our local community radio station. Now…I’m no Howard Stern or Rush Limbaugh. The stuff I talk about is the local bake sale, not politics.…

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The incredible melting client list

I woke up to six inches of snow the other morning. Winter has truly arrived in these frigid parts. It’s interesting to watch the “snow cycle” around here. After each snowfall, the pile on the deck outside my home gets higher, and the snow towards the bottom of the pile compresses and becomes a solid,…

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How Tommy Hilfiger was almost too embarrassed to succeed

I was watching this documentary about advertising agencies on Netflix the other day. Called Art & Copy, it was like Mad Men. But real. These ad guys sure are creative. One example is the original ad that launched the career of fashion designer Tommy Hilfiger. The ad was very simple. It said… The 4 Great American…

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Your business and eating a KitKat

Guilt is a terrible thing. Especially when it’s not warranted. The guilt I feel when I wolf down a KitKat is one thing. I probably deserve that guilt. But sometimes I run into people who feel guilty about marketing their businesses. Some, for example, say they want to contact people only quarterly, because more than…

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He said he would never read it

It’s not often I get out and about and meet prospects and clients. Most of our business is online and over the phone with clients across North America. But it just happened that these insurance guys in the village needed a newsletter. So we meet – in the local diner. There’s the marketing guy and…

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Your clients are like cats

Here’s news of research that confirms what every cat owner already knows. …and what every dog lover gleefully expects. While cats can recognize their owners’ voices, they CHOOSE whether to respond to them. Cats are so cool – so confident that they will get fed and loved no matter what – that they’re just “whatever”…

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The secret of Crater Lake

If you’re out and about in Oregon, you might eventually come across Crater Lake. It’s the bluest, blue-blue lake you’ll ever see. And it’s very deep. Thousands of years ago, a volcano there exploded, throwing tons of rocky debris into the sky and leaving a massive hole where the cone once was. Then over time,…

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Grabbing every cookie

When I was a kid, it was critical that I got my “fair” share of cookies. Imagine, if you will, me and my little brother at the kitchen table. And six cookies on a plate. Now, the most important thing was that I got three cookies… because that was my fair share. Whether I was…

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