Blogs

Do you LEAP before you LOOK? Chance are you don’t . . . and chances are you wouldn’t buy a new car or home or invest money without first doing your homework. Why then do many agencies start with “how” a thing is going to be done before first fully understanding what it is you…

Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright’s recent comment, “To put it mildly, the world is a mess,” pretty much sums up the news these days. Seems like every potential hotspot, from the Middle East, to the Ukraine, to western US wildfires, are heating up . . . or worse. This got me to thinking about…

Are you operating at your full sales potential? Business Development is all about identifying the right target audience for your product or service and building strong relationships to understand and meet client needs. In Business Development parlance, we know this as the “Sales Funnel.” Into your “Sales Funnel” go all your prospects—and through relationship building,…

The life of an entrepreneur or small business owner is often times a lonely island. You’re usually at work long before anyone else arrives and you stay long after others go home—and that’s if you’re fortunate enough to have a team working with you. Many times, entrepreneurs work alone. They are their Accountant, IT specialist,…

Success comes from being able to tell the story of your brand and engage audiences in ways that are creative, non-intrusive, and fun. Below is how we tell our brand story at Barrel O’Monkeyz. As our name suggests, we are energetic, nimble, and don’t believe business has to be stuffy to be effective. Our formula…

Time and time again I am struck by how new technologies and new ways of communicating tend to make some of us think certain “old ways” of doing things are no longer useful, especially when it comes to marketing. Sure, the rotary phone and telegraph have gone the way of homing pigeons and the pony…

Do you dread cold calling? Do you wonder if it’s just a waste of time? Don’t toss cold calling out of your marketing tool kit just yet. Even in this day of digital and social media, some traditional techniques never get old. When done right—when done with purpose, authenticity, and targeted at the right audience…

What does the story of your brand tell your audience about your products or services . . . about your company? Is your brand nothing more than a logo, a tag line, and a business card, or does your brand connect emotionally with those you serve? (Hint: If it doesn’t, it should.) Your brand represents…

More news watching this week got me to thinking about “soft skills.” You know what I mean—those “people” skills such as an ability to listen, to communicate, and be friendly, among other things. It seems no matter where I look, whether locally, nationally, or even the world stage, these soft skills are in short supply…