Lead with the puppy. Sell the hamster.
When your 8-year-old begs for a puppy, all you can see is the potty training, the cleanup, the chewing. “What if we got a hamster?” Classic anchoring. The puppy was never the ask. The hamster was....
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Hard Sells Easy
If you make the alternative look exhausting… The service you provide is priceless. Like cleaning your trash cans. It sounds easy enough. But then you drag it into the yard, glove up, boil water, grab the hose, and start scrubbing. Then comes the smel...
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Answer to Your Tool Question: It Depends.
Someone once asked me what CRM they should use. Before I could even respond, they added: “We’re thinking Salesforce. That’s the standard, right?” I paused. Then, I gave my usual answer: “It depends. Tell me more.”...
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It can’t always be more effort.
Yes, it’s a cliche. However, that doesn’t mean the phrase “Work smarter, not harder” isn’t founded on truth and proven with practice. When it comes to marketing, the first thought is often “more.” More emails. More blog posts. More campaigns....
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Impulse Decisions ≠ Good Marketing
Impulse decisions are fine when you’re standing in the ice cream aisle of the grocery store. But when it comes to your business? They can be trouble. If you’re an experienced CEO, I don’t have to tell you this, but you want strategy to inform your bu...
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Avoid the CEO distraction trap: Stay focused on your marketing goals
To know if your marketing had a chance to be effective, you should ask one question: "Did we wait to see the results?" Marketing campaigns take time to show their full impact. Too often, family-owned companies are quick to change course or pull the p...
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Find the “Who”
Click rates are stagnant. Conversions are zero. Your marketing is fast-forwarding to failure. You’re trying everything, every tactic you or anyone on your team can think of, and the numbers aren’t moving. Hit pause. Stop the random acts of marketing....
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Top Sales Talent Walks When Marketing Sucks
It’s always a good sign when it feels like the candidate is interviewing you. Right? Pete, the CEO, interviewed a salesperson for his company. This candidate had energy. They asked sharp, thoughtful questions. They knew the sales cycle inside and out...
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Video [SEO] killed the radio star [story]
A few months ago, I tried to simplify dinner.I stocked the freezer with ready-made meals—organic labels, clean branding, all the right buzzwords.Pop one in the microwave, and it’s done in five.After a week, everything started to taste the same.Differ...
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Current Customers vs. Future Customers
As CEO, you have too much unfinished business all at once.Running a business is tough, especially when it’s a family-owned business with a small leadership team. You’ve got a lot on your plate.I’m not talking about the delicious dessert plate you and...
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