“If we all tried to make other people’s paths easy, our own feet would have a smooth even place to walk on.” – Myrtle Reed, Born Sep. 27, 1874. This really is the fastest and easiest way I know to get into business – especially online. Find or create an audience, and serve them what …
“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 »
“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 »
“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 »
“You can’t tell any kind of a story without having some kind of a theme, something to say between the lines.” – Robert Wise, Born Sep. 10, 1914. “Storytelling” has been a buzzword in marketing for a few years now. I’ve taught two courses myself, focused on using story to sell. But this is something …
How to Tell Stories That Sell (Without Going All Blah Blah Blah) Read More »
“But the power of science lies in open publication, which, with the rise of the Internet, is no longer constrained by the price of paper.” – Michael Shermer, Born Sep. 8, 1954. This technological fact of publication has changed the face of advertising, too. No more paying for printing prep. No more collating. No more …
Modern Tech Makes Many of Your Perceived Limits Into Bullshittery Read More »
“Recalling a memory is not like playing a tape recorder. It’s a creative process.” – Susumu Tonegawa, Born Sep. 6, 1939. This little secret Susumu shared above is one reason why persuading and influencing people like we do can be so dangerous. See, when you recall a memory, you’re not accessing a permanent record. You …
Your Memories Are Imaginary (And Easily Altered With This One Trick…) Read More »
“As people are walking all the time, in the same spot, a path appears.” – John Locke, Born Aug. 29, 1632. People are not that different. We all think we are unique snowflakes, but humanity is a blizzard. While there are always exceptions, we are built the same way, and we have similar lives. Routine. …
When People Are Driving in Circles, They’ll Pay a Toll to Take Your Exit Read More »
“Human beings love stories because they safely show us beginnings, middles and ends.” – A. S. Byatt, Born Aug. 24, 1936. The key part of this quote is the word “safely”. What we allow people to do with persuasive communication is a bit of virtual reality. A bit of lucid dreaming. We allow people to …
Stories Allow Us Safe Exploration Of Dangerous Futures Read More »
