Amazing how we can struggle days, weeks, months in a relationship before we’re really willing to have the critical, high-risk discussion about an offense, an area where we feel we were wronged, about a behavoir we feel is unacceptable but we don’t stop and confront it with love. Instead, we treat it like the leftovers [...]
I remember in high school, when girls would break up with guys (not me of course, but from what my friends told me!)…they’d have that uncomfortable conversation…”Really, you’re too good to me, I don’t deserve you, I really like you as a friend, one day you’ll thank me…it’s me, really, it’s not you.”
Funny, how in [...]
Yes…and no. Depends which decision you’re considering. It’s a tiebreaker for retention, but a lazy, unbelievable acquisition strategy. (And I mean “no one really believes you”, not remarkable!).
Businesses want to find new customers and keep & grow current ones. Churches want to reach new people and grow the people they already have responsibility to steward. [...]
At a local coffee shop this morning, I ordered my normal black eye (coffee with 2 shots of espresso), demonstrating the willingness to pay more for added value. The friendly employee punched the order in and said, “Is that it?” Like a compliant child, I said, “yes ma’am.”
Upselling 101: In life, conversations have an unstated “flow” [...]
I have a lot of CEO’s, Pastors and other Leaders all over the country who receive this blog and it frequently gets forwarded, but I couldn’t help retell the story a senior copywriter shared with me the other day, hoping there won’t be a few people out there who get offended by it. But, the [...]
A mentor once shared his insights with me about a candidate for hire, whose references spoke very highly about his potential: “Potential means you ain’t shown me nuthin yet.” Of course, its’ not that simple…or is it? Really, when all the talking’s done, the interviews are complete, the analysis of what went wrong along the [...]
Just watched my congressman on YouTube speak about both the dangers and the opportunities in the marketplace. He made reference to how a 1% change in energy usage would open up a $100 billion market for Greenville’s GE. He presented the opportunity against the backdrop of the danger of foreign oil dependence. Though his speech [...]
A 7-figure check from Denny’s to the network, along with agency fees for a very creative feel-good ad, gave the restaurant chain 60 seconds in America’s most watched football game, and lines out the door for 1 day. During the Super Bowl, they ran a creative ad that, unless you live in a cave, you’ve [...]
Let’s talk a minute about what I call the “Aroma” Principle. In 2007, Starbucks started selling hot sandwiches and other foods to help strengthen their cash flow and solidify them as a hip, dining establishment. Sales were decent at first, but soon sales in coffee started dropping off. The decline was so noticeable that Starbucks [...]
Money is especially tight for the Small Business owner, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t succeed during the current economy. Small businesses that are succeeding view the current economic climate as an opportunity. There’s more time to focus on existing customers and time to explore innovative ways to improve your business. Here are a [...]
