I've been thinking a lot about trust lately.  These days, I look at anything and everything through trust-colored glasses. If I'm considering a purchase, I think twice, three times even, before I put down any money. Before I buy, I want to know that I'm buying the right product for my needs and that the product creators or manufacturers will stand behind the product if there are any problems. In short, I need to trust the product or servic… [more]

It's true. You don't matter to me. *I* matter to me. I know, I know, that sounds plain selfish. But you know what? I don't care. I just don't. Let me clarify. It's not that I don't care about you, it's just that I care about me more. And that, in a marketing context, is how it should be. Here's what I know about you: You want to sell me something. And when I buy that something, you'll want to sell me something else. And somethin… [more]

Here's the thing about marketing. It's never done. So yes, the title of this post is deliberately… [more]

I doubt you'll guess what my favorite marketing word is. In fact, it's not a word that's specific to… [more]

Saying "thank-you" isn't just good manners. It's actually an incredibly powerful marketing tacti… [more]

No, that's not a literal question. You can start your business from just about anywhere and keep… [more]

So it's that time of year again. The season for resolutions, new starts (is there such a thing a… [more]

If you've finally decided to take the plunge and write a marketing plan for your business, where do … [more]

Most small businesses I work with don't actually have a marketing plan. Shock. Horror. Yes, th… [more]

A watermelon is a watermelon is a watermelon. Or is it? If you're in the market to buy a w… [more]

I teach marketing on a course for people who aspire to start their own small business. Invariably I … [more]

Successful marketing is built on a foundation of strong, trusting relationships. I get to know yo… [more]

  How to market a business? Now there's a question! It's one I'm asked a lot, and someho… [more]

So here's what happened.  In my ever growing collection of customer satisfaction examples this one … [more]