• No AI Was Harmed Writing This

    In 1974 I witnessed a 3-year-old girl receiving a calculator as a gift. I suggested it was a disservice, as the girl couldn’t already do math by herself. I was ignored, and the calculator became a crutch. The girl’s math skills were ignored, and her career hobbled. Why? Like any muscle not regularly exercised, our [...]

  • Killing sales with tasteless promotions

    Labor Day’s behind us, and retailers are promoting themselves with tie-ins to the fall holidays. Christmas, Thanksgiving, and Halloween are all coming up soon. Seemingly everyone, from Costco to Trader Joe’s, is hustling to capture your attention (and your dollars) ASAP. Strolling into Home Depot recently, I came across a display of plastic dead bodies [...]

  • Rats in my belfry!

    My condo complex has rounded roof tiles, each of which provides an entry point for rats. So for five years we’ve had critters doing the conga line in our attic and drew the line when they started popping up in our kitchen. Now, with winter soon upon us, we finally rat-proofed the attic. To make [...]

  • I think I smell Jessica!

    Let’s start today’s conversation by agreeing that if you aren’t seen and heard, you won’t be listened to. And with 5-10,000 marketing messages hitting consumers every 24 hours, the chances you’ll be heard are minimal. That’s why regular readers know I’m all about finding ways to stand out of any crowd. Because if you don’t [...]

  • The History of Everything

    This History of Everything in a single volume? Really? First off, the moment you finish writing a book like this, it's obsolete. Then consider the following: Everything that's happened since the Big Bang couldn't possible fit into a single volume. There would be tens of thousand of entries and millions of words. Even an abridged [...]

  • Tips for writing a column

    When asked how to get a column like this, I report that editors require category experts who write well, present their knowledge in an interesting manner and meet regular, ongoing deadlines. Reading builds your vocabulary, but Americans’ reading is down 40% since 2003. This typically translates into lackluster writing and an inability to impart ideas [...]

  • Frank and the three shoeshines

    My marketing career started in a New York-based sales promotion agency. There, a man named Frank — beaten down by life and lacking formal education — visited daily at 5 p.m. to shine our shoes. He’d charge $2 for one pair and $5 for three, and always got that extra sale … typically with a [...]

  • Putting a target on its back

    Donald Trump’s return to office brought with it a war against diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. These efforts sought to promote fair treatment and full participation of groups historically underrepresented, marginalized or discriminated against based on race, religion, identity or disability. Countless businesses were caught trying to satisfy both customers and the president. Some [...]

  • Piecing together memorable customer experiences

    Consider your customer profile and create a gift that’s so different you’re sure to be remembered and recommended to others. That is the basis for successful business growth!

  • Using music to sell your business

    Years ago I ran in-house marketing operations for a balloon delivery service. Computers were fairly rudimentary in those days. Email and websites didn’t exist, and faxes had just been invented. Orders were written longhand, then typed when time permitted. As operations grew from one city to 10, we noticed that phone customers were regularly kept [...]