Winning In The Difference Economy

I’m not sure what department stores look like on a Tuesday afternoon in your neighbourhood, but in mine they are like ghost towns. Whole floors full of stock that changes with the seasons waiting to be bought by someone (they don’t know who), who happens to stop by. We all know the stories of the…

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We Need To Stop Telling Customers What We Do

I’m driving along behind the white Ezy Tiles van, when we stop at a red light and I get close enough to read their sales pitch, which is an image and a single line. The picture is of three guys wearing dust masks that look like something you’d see in a documentary about chemical warfare.…

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The Truth About Starbucks And The $4 Coffee

Before Starbucks you could buy your morning coffee for a dollar or two. So how was it possible for Starbucks to more than double the price of coffee overnight? The truth is that Starbucks didn’t actually invent the $4 coffee—they created the $2 experience. $2 felt like a bargain for the feeling of belonging in…

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There’s More Than One Way To Buy A Lemon

The middle-aged couple at the garden centre stood with furrowed brows as the sales assistant explained the difference between the varieties of lemon tree. They took a step back and almost looked alarmed when he explained how one particular variety would bear a lot of fruit, but could become tall, straggly and unmanageable. Huge smiles…

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Your Customers Don’t Just Want To Eat Cake

Picture the scene. A group of five girlfriends are out celebrating a birthday together. The evening is drawing to a close, dinner plates have been cleared and the last bottle of red has been emptied. The waiter offers dessert menus and watches for cues. The first woman to pipe up is adamant as she waves…

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Great Content Marketing Doesn’t Feel Like Marketing.

“You have more chance of summiting Mount Everest than getting someone to click on a banner ad.” —Jonathan Perelman VP at Buzzfeed Getting the word out about your products and services can feel a bit like an Everest expedition. You and I know that traditional advertising doesn’t work anymore. We’ve known from as far back…

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How To Sell A Guitar…..Or Anything

The number one reason a salesperson fails to close a sale is that she can’t effectively communicate the value of the product. Of course it makes sense that if you can’t help your customers to understand why they should care, then you’re not likely to be able to convince them to buy. The luthier takes…

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What Don’t You Do?

You are challenged at least ten times every day to explain to people what you do and why you do it. This happens on your about page, at networking events and even as you sit next to someone ten thousand feet up on a transatlantic flight. A great place to start is by unapologetically telling…

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The Most Dangerous Thing About Your Competition

….is your obsession with them. Yes, we live in a giant digital goldfish bowl. This makes it possible to get stuck watching and worrying about what our competitors are doing. Almost every move they make, every accolade, acquisition and award is there for the world to see. It’s far more productive and more profitable to…

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