“If you really don’t care what an audience thinks, make a home movie and show it on your wall.” – Ned Tanen, Born Sep. 20, 1931. Maybe some kind of artist types can get away with not caring what an audience thinks of their work. But most artists care. And business people definitely should care. …
Caring About Customers, And Showing It In Writing, Are Two Different Things Read More »
“Perseverance is not a long race; it is many short races one after the other.” – Walter Elliot, Born Sep. 19, 1888. How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time. If you have a massive project, which will take days (if not weeks) to accomplish, many people lack the organization and willpower …
Success Might Seem 1000 Miles Away, But How Many Miles Did You Walk Today? Read More »
“We’re living in primate heaven. We’re warm, dry, we’re not hungry, we don’t have fleas and ticks and infections. So why are we so miserable?” – Steven Pinker, Born Sep. 18, 1954. Why not, Steve? Because we are all damned with the inescapable knowledge of our own eventual demise. It’s a pants-shitting fear that constantly …
“I was a pretty good imitator of Roy Acuff, but then I found out they already had a Roy Acuff, so I started singin’ like myself.” – Hank Williams, Born Sep. 17, 1923. When you get started in a field you want to pursue, it’s completely valid to begin as an imitator of the most …
Become Yourself By Imitating All Your Heroes At Once Read More »
“A merchant who approaches business with the idea of serving the public well has nothing to fear from the competition.” – James Cash Penney, Born Sep. 16, 1875. Well, J. Cash, I think times have changed. Service is still key. But you no longer need to be concerned with serving “the public” at large. We …
Figure Out Who You Will Serve, And Then Satisfy Them (Fully and Repeatedly) Read More »
“I finally got to the point where I decided I don’t care if it’s good art or bad art – it’s what I do. I enjoy doing it, and people like it.” – Margaret Keane, Born Sept. 15, 1927. There is a fear when people start a freelance career, especially in a field like copywriting. …
The Only Opinions About Your Copy That Matter Are… Read More »
“The two words ‘information’ and ‘communication’ are often used interchangeably, but they signify quite different things. Information is giving out; communication is getting through.” – Sydney J. Harris, Born Sep. 14, 1917. A lot of people who market things on the internet care about having a “content strategy” as a way to draw prospective customers …
The Difference Between Worthless Information and Valuable Knowledge Is… Read More »
“If you have one good idea, people will lend you twenty.” – Marie von Ebner-Eschenbach, Born Sep. 13, 1830. One of the best things about operating via conversations with your audience is that you almost never need to be creative. Plant a seed, and people will grow it into a crop of their their troubles. …
How to Never Have to Come Up With Your Own Ideas of Stuff to Sell Read More »
“An artist carries on throughout his life a mysterious, uninterrupted conversation with his public.” – Maurice Chevalier, Born Sep. 12, 1888. A business has a conversation with the market, and with its prospects, and with its customers. That’s what marketing and advertising and selling IS: a conversation. Social media and Internet-based marketing in general has …
No Message Stands Alone – All Communication is CONVERSATION Read More »
“The river flows at its own sweet will, but the flood is bound in the two banks. If it were not thus bound, its freedom would be wasted.” – Vinoba Bhave, Born Sep. 11, 1895. You’re creative. You’re smart. You’re talented. You’re skilled. So what? Who cares? What does that DO for anyone? You or …
How to Limit Yourself to Turn “Too Many Good Ideas” Into Actual Output Read More »
