I’ve had a lot of trouble writing this week. With a newborn baby in the house, sleep is at a premium. So while I’ve actually written three posts since Monday, I haven’t published one of them. Why? Because I couldn’t deliver anything that stood a chance of at least meeting your expectations. So I chose [...]
Why Surprise Matters
February 18, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Most of the time, I don’t want you to surprise me. I don’t want to be surprised when my dentist uses his electric drill. I don’t want to be surprised when I pick up my car from the service department. And I sure don’t want to be surprised when I bite into my deli sandwich. [...]
2 vs. 4
February 14, 2011 By 5 Comments
Traditional marketers spend most of their time doing things TO people. They send out press releases and focus on churning product. They cold call. They spam customers and prospects. There’s a better way. And it can lead to growth that is more sustainable, predictable and profitable than ever before. Do things FOR people instead. Don’t [...]
Signs About You…
February 3, 2011 By Leave a Comment
…are pointless. Yet often the first marketing act by new business owners is to put up a sign like this one. Why? If I liked the business before you got there, now I’m worried that it won’t be nearly as good. If I didn’t like it, a sign announcing your arrival won’t encourage me to [...]
The Case for Niche
January 27, 2011 By 1 Comment
The sun and the moon both light up the sky, but they never compete with one another. Now, imagine that one day the moon decides to expand its reach. Rather than focus on dominating a natural niche (the nighttime sky), it moves into the sun’s market. What should the sun do? Actually, nothing. And that’s [...]
Liar, Liar, Companies on Fire
January 12, 2011 By Leave a Comment
What’s your story? Every company has one. The problem: some can’t resist the temptation to tell stories that don’t match reality. In other words, they lie to customers. To prove this point, let’s take a look at the stories told by Apple and Pets.com. One story is true, the other is a lie. Not surprisingly, [...]
Out the Window
December 17, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Sales and marketing professionals, pay attention – this is important. I never believe: what you tell me. I sometimes believe: what you show me. I always believe: what I tell myself. It’s my perspective that counts, not yours. If you want to change my mind, don’t talk to me about features and benefits – it’s [...]
To Spammers, With !@%$#%@
December 1, 2010 By Leave a Comment
To: All SPAMMERS From: Ed McLaughlin (@babygorillas) Re: Direct mail, using robots to cold call cell phone numbers, recording solicitations on voice mail, ads sent via text, and Internet “marketing” (email, LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, et al.) I’ve really had it with your approach. I don’t know you. You don’t know me. Which means that you [...]
Genuine Thanks
November 26, 2010 By Leave a Comment
I have great childhood memories of Thanksgiving. Family, friends, and food – it was always one of my favorite holidays. Still, there was one moment of slight discomfort at dinner (Mom, read the entire post before you pick up the phone) – sharing what we were thankful for in our lives. My list was usually [...]
Clean Up Your Grammar
November 18, 2010 By Leave a Comment
I didn’t intend this, but my website has become a noun. No one cares about a blog if someone isn’t blogging. I haven’t done that in quite a while, which has turned this site into an inanimate object (for now). It’s no different with anything else. Do you care about fish? Paint? Bicycles? I’m fairly [...]
