This may sound like a goofy waste of time. Like some self-helpy nonsense. It certainly sounds like that to me. But hear this out. I have stuck with this quirky practice for a surprisingly long time.  And I never stick with anything for long, especially if it’s supposed to make you healthy or more productive. […]

Marina runs a graphics and signage agency that is doing well, but she felt a bit stuck as ‘just another agency.’ They are smart and skillful, and have access to all the latest signage tech. She has an attractive portfolio of installations. But so do most of the other agencies in town. And they all […]

One of my clients is trying to entice more employees to tune into the company’s live-streamed exec forums and conferences.  What seems to work, so far at least, is tucking small pitches into the Outlook invites: “Watching this is actually considered working, so . . .” And, “Not like the one from Q1.” And “Will […]

You can build an entire speech around one line. One line that you would love to say on stage, just once. A line you would love to be known for. Something you have been itching to say. A line that makes you a bit nervous. Or maybe a truth that everyone knows, but doesn’t admit. Find that […]

This has gotten me into a trouble a few times. But not the way you’d think. Recent example. A marketing firm sent me to interview a few product managers as background for web content. The meeting went well. I got exactly what I needed. On my way back to the office, my client called me, […]

It’s easy to think that writing a speech is mainly about the words. As if the idea is to craft silken phrases that roll off the tongue, and make the audience chuckle in appreciation, or nod in agreement, or rise up against injustice. Or at least make them eager to hire you. (All of which […]

  Ordinarily, the simpler your marketing message, the better. Except when there are other sensibilities involved. Which, in this case, I missed. The back story: The client was a financial company. They were about to unveil a brand-new, elegantly designed billing statement. For them, this was a big deal. The company’s video producer asked me […]

1. We marketers must learn to be fascinating and interesting. If no one reads the content, we’re not selling anything. And customers usually have a different idea of what’s interesting. 2. Copy should sound like one human being talking to another. Not like a corporation addressing a demographic or market vertical. 3. The less your […]

They may eject me from the from the underground writers union for revealing this. We like to keep this stuff secret, hoping that more people will hire us for the heavy lifting. But here goes, anyway. 1. Delete your first paragraph Get to the good stuff faster. Forget the preamble, the context-setting, the background, the […]

Some rules of thumb. With a Dixon Ticonderoga 2/HB (Black) pencil I can fill three pages of a standard 8×5 steno pad on a single sharpening — if I wield it gingerly. That’s equivalent to two pages of a standard 8.5 x 11 lined pad. A single pencil is good for four hours of actual writing time, […]