Repurpose The Proven
The proven “Mother’s Day macaroni” ads were sappy and flowery, but man, did they work. Right up until they didn’t.
How To Build a Multi $100 Million HVAC and Plumbing Company
80% of executives believe they deliver a “superior experience”. But only 8% of customers agree. How can that be?
Elements of a Perfect Product Page
By carefully integrating all 12, you create a powerful narrative that resonates with visitors, converts, and ranks with Google.
THE WIZARD (bi)WEEKLY
Twice a month we’ll send our best advice, no strings attached.
Let’s grow your business.
No spam. No nonsense.
Never Stop Framing & Adapting. Marketing Lessons from G.I. Joe
Hasbro invented the term action figure and was the first to advertise toys on TV.
Time Is The Great Validator
A “measure everything!” mentality eventually means nothing matters beyond making the cash register ring within 30 seconds of transmission.
Partner Book of the Month
Latest Monday Morning Memo
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How Hot Wheels Beat Matchbox. When Imitation Becomes Innovation.
Why 10 Hot Wheels are sold every second. They saw what was lacking in the competition.
Can You Be Replaced? Why Succession Planning Matters Now
If someone did the administrating, could you find a better use of your time to increase the company’s value?
She took a gamble and bet on girls. How Barbie defied expectations and won.
Focus group mothers literally would say, “Is this a gift for my daughter or for my husband?”
Ad Fraud: How Much of Today’s Internet Is Fake?
According to one study, 20% of ad impressions served programmatically were fraudulent. And that number is growing.
Your Best Defense Against Employee Turnover: Development
A 90-minute conversation changed everything. A mass exodus was averted and a $2.8M home services company grew to $5.2M.
Search Engines Don’t Pay You, Only Customers Do.
You don’t just need a marketing strategy that attracts traffic, you need the right kind of traffic.
The Birth of the Rubik’s Cube: A Tale of Unexpected Opportunity
Erno created it to visualize 3D space, but people just wanted to solve a puzzle. The magic was in the pivot.
How Maker’s Mark Turned “Expensive” Into “Exclusive”
How do you sell a new product for twice the price? Bourbon is lowbrow. Demand is down. Marjorie’s solution got her into the hall of fame.
Empowering Employees: The Surprising Solution to Stagnant Business Growth
After Sam stopped micromanaging, revenues grew 81% and turnover rate fell from 47% to 0.
How Smirnoff saved itself with a Polaroid camera and a Moscow Mule
There were lots of companies before the internet who used influencers to build their brand.
How Flexible Workspace Strategies Can Benefit Your Business
Work from home? Cubicle? Open office? Here’s what to consider when you’re making those plans.
Is Your Sales Team Falling Victim to the False Consensus Bias?
Your people may overestimate the extent to which others share their beliefs and behaviors, which creates blind spots.
Singer Built a Better Sewing Machine But Nobody Bought It Until…
They couldn’t sell it. The industry was very conservative. Singer realized he needed to do something different.
Building Business Resilience: The Entrepreneur’s Guide to Maintaining a Positive Mindset
Resilience isn’t about avoiding failure; it’s about bouncing back from it.
Paradise Won’t Be Found By Your Dashboard’s Light
What are you monitoring and why? Because you can only monitor the outputs, but you CAN control the inputs.
The Magic of Belonging – How Spotify Kickstarted Patreon
When Spotify interrupted his revenue stream, Jack Conte found a way to to help all creators.
Never Train On The Nerve
Leave some in the tank. All that extra “messaging” you want to stuff in the ad ends up trying the patience and goodwill of your audience.
Project Management 101 For Businesses: Don’t Solve Problems. Prevent Them.
Project management is all about making obstacles have less impact on your ability to deliver results.
Thinking Outside the Jar: Peanut Butter’s Surprising Origin Story For Two Top Brands
Lightning strikes twice. Rosefield invents one new product & TWO top brands.
Unleashing the Power of YouTube FAQs: Cultivating Customer Loyalty
Optimized YouTube videos rank higher in search results, attracting new customers seeking answers you have.
Ryan’s 2024 Predictions for Residential Home Services
Last year, I predicted 3 things that all came true. Now let’s talk about obstacles and opportunities in 2024.
What to do When Google LSA Stops Giving You Leads
Sudden drops often have identifiable causes, and with the right approach, you can get those leads flowing again.
Playing the Long Game: How Patience and Openness Led to Tetris’ Triumph
He built a video game, gave it away, waited, and then became wealthy.
How to Attract Local Customers in the Age of Online Shopping
74% of consumers prefer to buy locally but you have to make it worth their while. Here’s how to connect and bond.
How Audiences & Influencers Drive Your Online Success (Without Breaking the Bank)
Micro-influencers (10k-50k followers) can be surprisingly effective and affordable.
CFO or CEO? Who’s Really Responsible for Your Company’s Finances?
The CFO’s job is to answer the WHY questions relating to financial health — not to magically ensure financial health.
From Mild as May to Marlboro Man: How to Reposition Your Brand for Success
They initially focused on women and struggled before pivoting towards men and becoming dominant. How?
Brand Like a Wizard, Market Like a Mouse
What makes Disney World magical? Here are 3 lessons you can apply to turn customers into loyal fans.
Soup Up Your Marketing: Find Your Unique Superpower And Trust Your Team
How to use your secret ingredient if you can’t read the label when you’re inside the bottle.
The Irresistible Power of Belief in Sales: Lessons from Phil Knight
Conviction and confidence in his product drove the former encyclopedia salesman into the stratosphere with Nike.
Tax Loophole to Beer Empire: How Jim Koch Brewed Success with Samuel Adams
He paved the way for craft ale to become a thing, and his lessons go beyond beer.
10 Most Common Digital Marketing Mistakes
Keyword-stuffed AI-generated content won’t cut it. In today’s digital world, trust is hard to earn and easy to lose.
How To Get To YES Faster Than Ever
Daniel Kahneman introduced the concept of System 1 and 2 thinking. Tiny tweaks can shift buyers to the easier system.
No Such Thing As Neutral: How Every Employee Shapes Your Business Legacy
The adage “a chain is only as strong as its weakest link” resonates with undeniable truth.
Weird Branding Wins: Lessons from Wolfman Jack on Standing Out
From gas station attendant to radio icon. How can you build a brand like his?
Your Company Is in a Relationship, And It’s Complicated
The customers won with a single flashy pick-up line often don’t stay long.
Benefits Package Evaluation: What Really Matters To Your Team?
How to structure your perks to attract, engage, and get your desired return.
The Unseen Zamboni: Why Your Best Marketing Assets Might Be Hiding in Plain Sight
Frank had a big problem, but he saw an opportunity.
Why Do Salespeople Ask Too Little and Talk Too Much
Salespeople should speak for just 30% of the time, yet they can’t stop themselves.
9 Dangerous SEO Myths
MYTH 5: META KEYWORDS ARE CRUCIAL. Nope. At worst, they can actually get you marked as spam by search engines.
(Anti)Predictions in Marketing for 2024
We love stories of the next big thing. But the “thing” is rarely next…or big. So what will be true next year?
Griffin Service – Pt. 2 – Turd buckets beware!
He received complaints from his very first ad. You have to stick your neck out a little bit and get them, or you blend in.
People Buy People, Or Do They?
What’s more important? Establishing trust & rapport with customers, or the actual quality of your product?
Love Letter to the Forgotten: Intimacy of Analog
We miss the vinyl era because music back then was relational, not transactional. So what can we learn?
Post-Hire Interviews: The Only Way To Discover Crucial Insights
Employees generally set their priorities based on reactive factors that are hidden from management.
Griffin Service – Pt. 1 – Tom Casey is an S.O.B.
Most companies send 1 piece to 100,000 people. Tom Casey would send 10 pieces to 10,000 people. It made all the difference.
Practicing With A Purpose – Lessons Learned From Top Gun
Sales training often fails to deliver tangible results. The real life Top Gun school shows us what’s missing.
Customer Loyalty Is a Two Way Street
I wish I could just call “my guy” and get it over with. But all too often we are let down after the service.
Beyond Tenure & Attitude: Building a Team To Keep Up With Your Growth
Some employees find a specialization and excel as the company grows. Many don’t.
Understanding the 4 Customer Languages for Remarkable Sales Results
When you match your customer’s social style, you see a surge in sales.
Just Do It – Nike – The everyday athlete anthem
Facts tell, but stories sell. Nike needed to relate to the everyday athlete.
Personal Touch: REQUIRED
AI can create content for you. But it can’t reach out and create meaningful bonds with relational buyers.
Google Ads: the tax you pay for not having a strong brand
When people think of you first and like you the best, the rest of the list becomes irrelevant.
I Hate a Roman Named Status Quo!
Mr. Status Quo preys on people and makes them fearful of failure. He even takes the shape of friends and family.
Avoid This Mistake To Convert Deal Hunters into Loyal Customers
How to attract word-of-mouth referrals and repeat customers.
Jenga – Take a block from the middle…
Her mom sold the house. Car has been towed away. Sold 0 units. Then she learns to demonstrate it being played.
Candy Lady Secrets: How to Make Customers Feel Like They’re Winning
It was always her line that drew a crowd. Why?
You May Have a Sales Problem If…
When you notice a steady decline in sales, it’s too late to respond. The hurricane has already hit your shores.
Why You Need to Rethink Your CSR Department
If the people speaking to customers are mere “Order Takers” with no empathy, you’ll damage your brand.
Kayak – The lifetime value of a customer
They made billions with a referral strategy while losing 80 cents of every dollar spent on a visitor’s first click.
The Overlooked Strategic Value of Processes, Procedures, & Standards
With business, unlike art, variety is the enemy of success.
When you exist to serve, all you need to do next is invite people.
What a book I read at age 7 can teach you about business growth. It starts with connection.