Brian Solis, author of one of my favorite books, X: The Experience When Business Meets Design tells this story about perspective. “What if we stood on opposite ends of the number “6” painted on the floor, it’s likely that one of us would see a “6” and the other would see a “9.” It’s all a matter of perspective really. Sometimes though we can’t see it even if it’s right … Read More

The average person today receives more information on a daily basis than the average person received in a lifetime in 1900.” “The average person gets 1 interruption every 8 minutes, or approximately 7 an hour.” (Time Management Facts and Figures, Dr. Donald Wetmore) You might describe it this way: Information overload. The consequence of cheaper technology that is easier to use and more widely adopted. I feel the pain, and … Read More

It’s the same reason that Ferrari and Lamborghini are expensive. It’s the same reason why Rolex watches are expensive. It’s marketing and advertising. The marketing and advertising have set themselves apart as one of the most prestigious things in that space. They are precision pieces that are crafted to very exacting specifications. Quality craftsmanship and excellent marketing over several decades have created high demand and ever-increasing prices.

Greg McKeown wrote a classic book called Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less. In it, he says: “You cannot overestimate the unimportance of practically everything.” I wish today’s marketers grasped that concept. Everybody’s wasting time posting, tweeting, Instagramming, getting more followers, “going live”… And for what? Where are the sales? Where is the quality content? Where is the strategy that ties everything together? Do they even know why are they … Read More

There’s no bigger dental chain for dental implants than Clear Choice. No bookstore can sell more books than Amazon. No pizza store sells more pizza than Costco. No store sells more pet food than WalMart. There’s no bigger seller of steaks than Longhorn Steakhouse. No music store can sell more music than Apple’s iTunes. There’s nothing these bigger, faster, cheaper competitors can’t do. So how will your business survive? Your … Read More

The reality is most leads you receive are not ready to buy. It gets less encouraging when you consider these stats: Only 24 percent of sales emails get opened. It takes an average of 18 calls to connect with a buyer. The average person deletes 48 percent of the emails they receive each day. The average person checks for messages on their smartphone on average 150 times a day. The … Read More

Michael Batnick, Director of Research at Ritholtz Wealth Management LLC said this about failure. “I suspect that people persist in failure because they don’t even know that they are failing in the first place. And they don’t know they’re failing because they don’t record and track their results.” My conclusions: Write things down. My iPad Pro and pen is my constant companion. Writing things down and using technology to record … Read More

If you have a business, you want to be found. If you are serious about being found online, you likely are going to hire a marketer like me, or you will invest 1,000s of hours mastering marketing and the art of getting found. There Are No Guarantees In Ranking Many of my customers believe I have some magic potion that I use that abracadabra and boom they appear on page … Read More

MasterCard recently revised their two-circle logo. I like it. The redesign goal for Michael Bierut and Luke Hayman of Pentagram — simplify simple. Strip the logo down to the bare essentials — basic, flat shapes, straight-forward, lower case, san serif fonts, and the iconic MasterCard colors. Bierut said, “Everything has changed in the past 20 years. There was a lot of screw tightening and design tinkering happening [with the logo] … Read More

I spend time every day looking at data. Data informs me what is working. And that’s great. But data alone is useless without ideas. Without ideas, nothing’s there. The idea is what creates the attention which returns data, data that indicates whether the idea is working or not. There are three blogs that I read every day. One of those blogs is by author Bob Lefsetz. Bob is a longtime … Read More

Winning is hard. A former Houston Cougar player was describing what it will be like to play for Tom Herman, the new head football coach at the University of Texas. The player said, “Rip your heart out. Give it to your coaches.” He said players will constantly be reminded that their program is based on meritocracy. Everything is earned. He said in Coach Herman’s world, you’re either a champion or … Read More

[dropcap]A[/dropcap]s business owners, we invest in marketing to sell more. We push sales and staff to remember the products and services that can result in sales today. We impress upon marketing to get us more leads. We are always evaluating our marketing options which are almost endless from Google AdWords, Bing, Facebook, Twitter, Yelp, Adsense, retargeting, mass email, webinars, events, and much more. And then there is another option. It’s … Read More

[dropcap]I[/dropcap] used to get my haircut from Bob Ridge, a distinguished and much older man. Bob cut my hair for 20+ years in Dallas. Over the years he became a friend and a mentor and I always looked forward to my appointment with Bob. He was a sought-after stylist, and many of his customers like me had been doing business with him for years. There were also local celebrities who … Read More

[dropcap]R[/dropcap]arely a week goes by that someone doesn’t compliment me on my smile. I graciously respond by smiling and thanking them. And then I think about my story. I think about Dr. Ritchie Beougher (pronounced boo-er) of Willow Bend Dental in Plano, Texas. Several years ago I was in a Barnes and Noble in North Dallas, and I saw a rack of magazines positioned right at the entry. In the rack … Read More

  I recently walked into one of my favorite department stores that I don’t frequent very often. I wanted to purchase a pair of shoes as a gift for my son. The salesman in the corner approached me and asked if he could help. I said I’m just looking for now but thanked him and continued viewing the display of shoes. A few moments later he has four boxes of … Read More

It’s the same reason that Ferrari and Lamborghini are expensive. It’s the same reason why Rolex watches are expensive. It’s marketing and advertising. The marketing and advertising have set themselves apart as one of the most prestigious things in that space. They are precision pieces that are crafted to very exacting specifications. Quality craftsmanship and excellent marketing over several decades have created high demand and ever-increasing prices.

Greg McKeown wrote a classic book called Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less. In it, he says: “You cannot overestimate the unimportance of practically everything.” I wish today’s marketers grasped that concept. Everybody’s wasting time posting, tweeting, Instagramming, getting more followers, “going live”… And for what? Where are the sales? Where is the quality content? Where is the strategy that ties everything together? Do they even know why are they … Read More

There’s no bigger dental chain for dental implants than Clear Choice. No bookstore can sell more books than Amazon. No pizza store sells more pizza than Costco. No store sells more pet food than WalMart. There’s no bigger seller of steaks than Longhorn Steakhouse. No music store can sell more music than Apple’s iTunes. There’s nothing these bigger, faster, cheaper competitors can’t do. So how will your business survive? Your … Read More

The reality is most leads you receive are not ready to buy. It gets less encouraging when you consider these stats: Only 24 percent of sales emails get opened. It takes an average of 18 calls to connect with a buyer. The average person deletes 48 percent of the emails they receive each day. The average person checks for messages on their smartphone on average 150 times a day. The … Read More

MasterCard recently revised their two-circle logo. I like it. The redesign goal for Michael Bierut and Luke Hayman of Pentagram — simplify simple. Strip the logo down to the bare essentials — basic, flat shapes, straight-forward, lower case, san serif fonts, and the iconic MasterCard colors. Bierut said, “Everything has changed in the past 20 years. There was a lot of screw tightening and design tinkering happening [with the logo] … Read More

I spend time every day looking at data. Data informs me what is working. And that’s great. But data alone is useless without ideas. Without ideas, nothing’s there. The idea is what creates the attention which returns data, data that indicates whether the idea is working or not. There are three blogs that I read every day. One of those blogs is by author Bob Lefsetz. Bob is a longtime … Read More

Winning is hard. A former Houston Cougar player was describing what it will be like to play for Tom Herman, the new head football coach at the University of Texas. The player said, “Rip your heart out. Give it to your coaches.” He said players will constantly be reminded that their program is based on meritocracy. Everything is earned. He said in Coach Herman’s world, you’re either a champion or … Read More

[dropcap]A[/dropcap]s business owners, we invest in marketing to sell more. We push sales and staff to remember the products and services that can result in sales today. We impress upon marketing to get us more leads. We are always evaluating our marketing options which are almost endless from Google AdWords, Bing, Facebook, Twitter, Yelp, Adsense, retargeting, mass email, webinars, events, and much more. And then there is another option. It’s … Read More

[dropcap]I[/dropcap] used to get my haircut from Bob Ridge, a distinguished and much older man. Bob cut my hair for 20+ years in Dallas. Over the years he became a friend and a mentor and I always looked forward to my appointment with Bob. He was a sought-after stylist, and many of his customers like me had been doing business with him for years. There were also local celebrities who … Read More

[dropcap]R[/dropcap]arely a week goes by that someone doesn’t compliment me on my smile. I graciously respond by smiling and thanking them. And then I think about my story. I think about Dr. Ritchie Beougher (pronounced boo-er) of Willow Bend Dental in Plano, Texas. Several years ago I was in a Barnes and Noble in North Dallas, and I saw a rack of magazines positioned right at the entry. In the rack … Read More

  I recently walked into one of my favorite department stores that I don’t frequent very often. I wanted to purchase a pair of shoes as a gift for my son. The salesman in the corner approached me and asked if he could help. I said I’m just looking for now but thanked him and continued viewing the display of shoes. A few moments later he has four boxes of … Read More

For the time I’ve known Elaine she has lived out of her small two-door black Ford pickup in the parking lot of Wal-Mart. She usually arrives late in the day in hopes that she is first to get the parking space under the big oak tree where there is some shade and provides a little more security. She will sleep in her old truck until the sun and the temperature … Read More

The reply from a “fan” to a recent email newsletter read: Jeff, Your newsletter is the best I have ever seen. You captured the attention of every behavior style. I really would like to have a confidential conversation with you as soon as you have some time. If you could schedule it this week I would really make every effort to accommodate your availability. Warmly, These are the types of … Read More

The best marketing helps us see better versions of ourselves. Under Armour uses a story that motivates us to be our best.   Extra Gum uses a guy, a girl, and a stick of gum and unwraps a love story that keeps your attention from beginning to end.   It doesn’t matter whether it’s services or products such as expensive suits, cars, food, or shampoo. We make our buying decisions … Read More

“OH MY GOSH!!!!……… Out of the blue this guy is placing and sending a very expensive order to QFD today ….. he hasn’t seen our work, and hasn’t spoken to anyone here…..” That was the text message I received from Fred Sweisthal, one of my customers. So what made Fred’s new customer so ready to buy “out of the blue?” Well, it wasn’t so “out of the blue.” Fred’s customer … Read More

MasterCard recently revised their two-circle logo. I like it. The redesign goal for Michael Bierut and Luke Hayman of Pentagram — simplify simple. Strip the logo down to the bare essentials — basic, flat shapes, straight-forward, lower case, san serif fonts, and the iconic MasterCard colors. Bierut said, “Everything has changed in the past 20 years. There was a lot of screw tightening and design tinkering happening [with the logo] … Read More

I spend time every day looking at data. Data informs me what is working. And that’s great. But data alone is useless without ideas. Without ideas, nothing’s there. The idea is what creates the attention which returns data, data that indicates whether the idea is working or not. There are three blogs that I read every day. One of those blogs is by author Bob Lefsetz. Bob is a longtime … Read More

“OH MY GOSH!!!!……… Out of the blue this guy is placing and sending a very expensive order to QFD today ….. he hasn’t seen our work, and hasn’t spoken to anyone here…..” That was the text message I received from Fred Sweisthal, one of my customers. So what made Fred’s new customer so ready to buy “out of the blue?” Well, it wasn’t so “out of the blue.” Fred’s customer … Read More

When asked to describe our product or service and why we are different from our competitors it’s easy to shift to sales mode and start by listing features and benefits. “We are innovative thinkers.” “We do marketing differently.” “Our team is superior.” “We care.” The best brands don’t lead with features and benefits; they engage by sharing the love they’ve put into their service or product. They create a show … Read More

Tom whom I’ve never met, said, “Jeff, I like your website. I also enjoyed learning about you from your About page.” This type of interaction happens to me at least once a week. It’s the kind of interaction that begins a good conversation and starts building trust. The purpose of your story and every piece of marketing material is to move a person from awareness to discovery to trust. When … Read More

A local dry cleaner spends thousands of dollars each month just to get attention and be found. I see his advertisements online and in my junk mail often. Once I get to his website, there’s nothing there. There’s no story. Nothing that makes me feel he stands out. There is nothing that engages me. It’s just noise. So I tune out. Sure he spends the big bucks for the SEO, … Read More

You are more likely to add bacon to your pizza if you order online. According to Shlomo Benartzi, a behavioral economist and author of The Smarter Screen: Surprising Ways to Influence and Improve Online Behavior” says, “When orders were placed online, bacon sales increased by 20 percent.” Why? Benartzi’s conclusion based on his study was we are less worried about what other people will think of our unhealthy order. In … Read More

More than likely you are being ignored. Many have a fantasy that others care, but they don’t. Most are thinking of themselves and their problems, not you. Therefore, we try a lot of things to get their attention. Remember when everybody was going to blog? And then there were these marketing channels: MySpace, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, Google+, YouTube, Pinterest, and the list goes on. Now according to GlobalWebIndex, social sharing … Read More

Today I received an email from a person I don’t know pretending to know me. They began with a small intro and then a hard pitch about their product and how it would help me. The email closed with an invitation to learn more. I just needed to reply or call now. The product might be good, but I didn’t look further. I deleted the email. My advice to the … Read More

I shopped at Nordstrom this week. I went there to purchase a birthday gift for a friend. In my mind, my experience of shopping at Nordstrom over many years is pretty predictable. Pleasant. Refreshing. Easy. Quality product. Great service. My visit on this occasion, however, was less than memorable. There was the salesperson who was more concerned that she got the credit for my purchase over another salesperson. There was … Read More

    I’m sure you provide great service. You probably have a product we all should buy. That new discount corporate is allowing you to push should entice new buyers or fence sitters to get on board now. I’m sure these are all true. But it’s not enough. It’s not enough to get the attention, the action, or the appointment you seek. Seth Godin says, “Attention is not yours to … Read More

When I first started experimenting with online marketing over a decade ago, there was a lot less competition. It was pretty easy, just take your service or product, spend a dollar on advertising and make two dollars back in return. But as the competition grew so did my costs. My return became less and less, and it became harder to sell my services. I didn’t realize it then like I … Read More

Are you in the market to purchase a bottle of water? Which brand will you choose? How will you decide? There are a lot of choices. Consider the marketing and advertising of water. Just a stroll through the water aisle at Whole Foods and see all the choices you have. Just water, right? Many of these brands have made massive investments in product names, packaging, obsessing over copywriting, thinking through … Read More

If you haven’t noticed, transactional-level business is evaporating. We don’t need to settle for average when we have access to just about anything we need or want right at our fingertips. The time for average is over. The difference between average and great is not what you might think it is. It’s not the product you sell. It’s not the type of business you run. It’s not the traffic to your … Read More

The sign on top of the counter read, “Buy by the slice.” I glanced over to the lady with a big smile on her face as she pointed her finger to the chocolate cake located on the bottom shelf of the display. With a look of anticipation and excitement she said to the man behind the counter, “I’d like to have a big slice of that chocolate cake!” Eager for … Read More

[dropcap]A[/dropcap]s business owners, we invest in marketing to sell more. We push sales and staff to remember the products and services that can result in sales today. We impress upon marketing to get us more leads. We are always evaluating our marketing options which are almost endless from Google AdWords, Bing, Facebook, Twitter, Yelp, Adsense, retargeting, mass email, webinars, events, and much more. And then there is another option. It’s … Read More

[dropcap]R[/dropcap]arely a week goes by that someone doesn’t compliment me on my smile. I graciously respond by smiling and thanking them. And then I think about my story. I think about Dr. Ritchie Beougher (pronounced boo-er) of Willow Bend Dental in Plano, Texas. Several years ago I was in a Barnes and Noble in North Dallas, and I saw a rack of magazines positioned right at the entry. In the rack … Read More

  I recently walked into one of my favorite department stores that I don’t frequent very often. I wanted to purchase a pair of shoes as a gift for my son. The salesman in the corner approached me and asked if he could help. I said I’m just looking for now but thanked him and continued viewing the display of shoes. A few moments later he has four boxes of … Read More

I remember several years ago being invited to meet with Fred Smith in his home. Fred was a celebrity, and I was elated to get such an opportunity. He wasn’t just a best-selling author and internationally known business person, but a mentor to business executives like Zig Ziglar, John Maxwell, and Chuck Colson. Zig Ziglar said, “Fred is the best and wisest teacher I have ever met.” And here I … Read More

When asked to describe our product or service and why we are different from our competitors it’s easy to shift to sales mode and start by listing features and benefits. “We are innovative thinkers.” “We do marketing differently.” “Our team is superior.” “We care.” The best brands don’t lead with features and benefits; they engage by sharing the love they’ve put into their service or product. They create a show … Read More

If your business is going to exist, you have to win customers. One thing the Internet has revealed is people are constantly in search of new. Your customer is always thinking, “What’s in it for me?” They are selfish and irrational; we all are. They won’t say this but here’s what they want. They want new. They want you to rise above the noise of business as usual. They want … Read More

Everywhere you look you see different businesses telling the same story. It’s much easier to conform than to stand out. But the things that set you apart — the uncommon and unmistakable — are what customers seek out today. And yet, we apply the same old tactics that only amplify our similarities and commoditize our offering, rather than risk inventing new value and creating a memorable experience that sets us … Read More

The new lead arrived via the website on Saturday, January 16 at 10:15 AM. It was uncommon to receive a lead on a weekend, but like the other 8 leads that arrived so far in January, it was very welcomed. Eric, the business owner, received the lead in his Gmail on his iPhone. I’m sure he quickly scanned over the new service quote request. He viewed the name of the person, company, … Read More

Seth Godin says, “When everyone has access, no one does. The people you want most to reach are likely to be the same people that are the most difficult to reach.” Attention is not ours to merely claim whenever we want it. And likewise, trust is not something you snap your fingers and voilà it appears. Trust, just like attention, is earned and seriously underrated. Most of our relationship pursuits begin … Read More

George makes cakes. His day begins at 4:00 AM and ends at 6:00 PM, Monday through Saturday. Something he’s been doing since he retired from the Marine Corps over 34 years ago. George loves his job and doesn’t think of it as work. His cakes are well known and loved by his small army of raving fans. I know, I’m one of them. However, his family-owned business, Bakery By George, … Read More

I know a lot of people obsessed with protecting their idea. One person, in particular, took an idea I had shared with him and off he went building a company around my idea. The company had some success with the idea, but they never achieved what they could have become. The bottom line is it may be easy to take someone’s idea, but it is far more difficult to take their … Read More

I’m on the verge of a sinus infection. Crusty, bloodshot, and watery eyes, slight cough, headache, congestion — you know the symptoms. A predicament I find myself in at least twice a year. It’s almost routine. I have popped a few Airborne tablets hoping to stave it off. I know the outcome, though. Three days of misery, cough syrup, antibiotics, and oh yes, rest. So my options right now are … Read More

I say it’s secret. It isn’t secret. It’s simple. It’s strategic. It’s hard work. I hear it often. How do I grow my email list? How do I get more sales qualified leads? It comes down to this. You must build a direct connection with your readers. Readers? Yep. Everyone reads. Go to your favorite coffeehouse or restaurant and observe what’s going on around you? Everyone is looking at their … Read More

When I first started working with online marketing over a decade ago, I realized pretty quick the value of a subscriber list. In fact, I’ve become obsessed with growing my list. I have observed one simple fact: as your list grows, so do your leads and your income. The bigger your list, the more money you will make. The value of your list is not the list itself; it’s the … Read More

When I first started experimenting with online marketing over a decade ago, there was a lot less competition. It was pretty easy, just take your service or product, spend a dollar on advertising and make two dollars back in return. But as the competition grew so did my costs. My return became less and less, and it became harder to sell my services. I didn’t realize it then like I … Read More