One of my favorite bloggers is talking about the questionnaire he and his partner filled in for the architect of their home-to-be.
Darren Barefoot nails the whole questionnaire dilemma. If the questions ask you to say what you want, you won’t be able to describe the things that you don’t know you want.
The “worryingly abstract” questions […]
It’s easy to focus on the opinions of experts and executives.
But unless the end users of your product or service are primarily experts and executives, you need to break out of the Circle of Authority.
No one can tell you what’s right and what’s wrong like the people who actually use the services.
Surveys and focus […]
As hired pens, speech writers are always faced with the dilemma of how hard to push back when we think a client is being unreasonable.
by Colin Moorhouse
I am talking about the CEOs who have given no thought at all to what they want talk about at the one and only meeting you are going […]
Any parent worth their salt will admit that some of the most objectionable behavior their children display is a direct or indirect result of parenting decisions (or failures to make decisions).
It’s the same for dog owners. What was tolerated as cute behavior in a puppy becomes a lifelong habit that loses its charm in a […]
Even a Jolly Old Elf who can travel through time on a sled pulled by flying reindeer needs to keep his image polished.
I spent a couple of hours in September coaching Santa (pictured at left before donning his hat and coat) via Skype on public relations. I can’t reveal all the word-of-mouth marketing and media […]
This is a bit of advice that people in sales always drive home.
Don’t forget to ask for the business of the person you’re dealing with.
It’s not enough to explain why you could do a good job. You have to openly express the desire to take on the project, and ask to get the work.
But I’m […]
There are times when you should ask laser-focused questions to clarify what someone means. But more importantly, there are times when asking an open-ended question will serve you better.
Instead of asking questions that force a particular answer, let people say what’s on their minds.
A good open-ended question is: "What change in behavior or perception do […]
Worth reading:
Return on influence - Valeria Maltoni looks at the idea of a new kind of metric for blogging put forward by Paul Dunay.
Music industry extends chill effect to public domain music scores - Copyright expert Michael Geist notes that a Canadian student who posts public domain music scores on a now-popular website has shut […]
Not everyone is ready to follow your advice, no matter how brilliant.
It may be the wrong time. It may be the wrong company. You may not have the clout or persuasion to get management over its inertia.
Your job is to gauge the best course of action and provide advice. If you have laid out the […]
Business communications for the real world
Written by Eric Eggertson [email] for b5media.
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