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Ideas are a Dime a Dozen. It’s Execution that Counts.

I have an idea that will change the world. But I’m not telling anyone about it. But you should still buy it.
Read More »It’s Not the Plan. It’s the Journey.

Forget about those binders full of data. Focus on the journey to get the real value of planning. This week’s Moment of Clarity is a humdinger if I do say so myself.
Read More »5 Red Flags That Show Your Sales Process Sucks

After 30 years of working with clients to solve problems that are killing their revenues and profits, I’ve identified a number of red flags that tell me loud and clear something is wrong with how that client is selling. The good news it isn’t hard to fix.
Read More »What kind of car are you? And Other Stupid Questions You Should Never Ask Clients.

I’m a huge believer in polling your customers to uncover key insights into how they buy, what they think, how they evaluate similar suppliers, etc. In fact, most of my assignments start with customer phone interviews, because the information uncovered during these conversations is priceless when it comes to developing a strategy that is truly relevant to the people who actually buy your products or services. Fundamental marketing. I get it.
Read More »The Secret Marketing Voodoo Behind the Austin Blues Revue

How do you create a serious buzz in a town full of buzz? The answer might surprise you. In this installment of A Moment of Clarity I show you how you can do the same for your business.
Read More »How to waste money on advertising

What can I say? I saw a good sized print ad in the local paper. It was totally wrong headed. It was fluffy. Its voluminous size dwarfed by its sheer misunderstanding of how to make advertising work.
How could I not make fun of it?
Read More »Eat Your Vegetables.

My friend Matt Shultz sums up marketing strategy thusly. Companies want to eat their dessert first. We all love the sexy stuff of marketing dessert – web sites, brochures, videos, etc. But nobody wants to eat their vegetables first. Marketing strategy is the vegetables.
And if you want a healthy sales program, you have to eat your vegetables.
Read More »Suspect or Prospect? Knowing the Difference Will Improve your Close Rate.

I’ve run across many companies that use the term prospect loosely. Usually it means “anybody with a pulse”.
Too often, companies spend far too much time and resources pursuing so called prospects that will never buy and likely don’t have any interest in buying.
Read More »Do You Know Your Competitor’s Secrets?

Right now, as you read this, there are companies vying for your customers money. These competitors are knocking on doors, they are adapting to the market and they are taking revenue out of your pockets.
In this Moment of Clarity, I show you how you can gain the upper hand.
Read More »Shaping Prospect Behavior and The Art of the Reward

In this Moment of Clarity I compare the parallels of training service dogs and marketing. In both disciplines, consistency and the use of incentives or “rewards” drives results.
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