From the category archives:

Work

Practical Applications of Social Media in Small Business (in 20 seconds)

Hi. So, what have you been doing?
I’ve been thinking a lot about social media. I think they (whoever they are) gave it the wrong name.
More on that later.
Would you like to see what I’ve been studying? You can see everything I’ve learned about practical applications for social media in small business here in twenty seconds.
It’s [...]

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Managing Change From The Inside Out

Why is change so hard? Why do those who’d benefit the most usually put up the most resistance?
Have you ever been in a situation where you desperately needed a change?
For years, I’ve been doing a small talk about how to more deftly dance with change. After being invited to speak to The Illinois Leadership Conference [...]

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The Seven Year Scratch

What were you doing seven years ago this week? May of 2003. What was going on in your world?
I wrote the following email seven years ago about my first evening in Austin, Texas … or more correctly Buda, Texas. Dee and I weren’t married yet and figured if we could survive a 16-hour drive from [...]

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Advertising Show and Tell

Within one minute of each other, I had two friends – who don’t know each other – share two different ads wanting my thoughts on them.
Weird. But a good weird! I’ll share my thoughts maybe tomorrow. Feel free to start your discussion tonight.
Mr. W

Coca-Cola / NASCAR: Harmony

Thanks, Kathy and Tia – funny thing is … [...]

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None of His Business

Yesterday, I was ticked off when a local media rep asked me for a complete list of my clients.
I got this email last night from a sales manager I really, really respect:
Here is my follow-up question…
If a rep somehow stumbles, bumbles, rumbles into the front door of
one of your clients and they say “…tim miles [...]

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This Question Bugged Me

It’s the second time I’ve gotten it from a media rep in the last couple weeks. Am I just grumpy today, or is this off-putting to you, too:
“Would you mind sharing a list of your clients with me?”
Actually, yeah, I guess I kinda do mind.
Is that wrong?
Listen, I respect the work you have to do. [...]

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Productivity jumpstart? Reboot your office.

I was out of state for two days last week and brought my mobile studio with me to record some new radio ads for a client.
Lots of packing. Lots of unpacking. Lots of clutter. I got home Thursday night and the stuff still littered my office Sunday morning.

If you’ve never lived by the simple philosophy [...]

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Truth In Advertising

A bouncer in Birmingham hit me in the face with a crescent wrench five times and my wife’s boyfriend broke my jaw with a fence post. So if you don’t buy a trailer from me, it ain’t gonna hurt my feelings.

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Why I Don’t Take A Percentage Of The Ad Buy

I don’t take a percentage of your ad buy. I don’t accept kickbacks or pocket discounts from media.
If you’re my client, you pay me a one-time upfront fee and then a small monthly salary that’s adjusted annually by the percentage of your growth. That’s it.
Why?
If I suggest you spend more, I want you [...]

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Buying Radio Ads: The Myth of Residual Value

Listen, most of what I know about buying radio I learned from experience and trusting advice found in two of my partner Roy’s books: The Wizard of Ads and Secret Formulas of the Wizard of Ads.
There are no real secrets here – just solid principles – that I shared with a colleague when his [...]

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