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Deliver ADDITIONAL value. Because it exceeds customers’ expectations. Deliver BUZZ-WORTHY value. Because people who get talked about get business. Deliver CONSISTENT value. Because consistency is far better than rare moments of greatness. Deliver DAILY value. Because nobody wants to read a newspaper (or a website) that’s two years old. Deliver DOWNLOADABLE value. Because customers need to be able to take you with them. Deliver UNEXPECTED value. Because the most…

Creative professionals MUST exist in a creative environment. Here’s why: 1. A creative environment provides stimulation. 2. Stimulation creates, expands and refines ideas. 3. Ideas are your major source of income. Not to mention, the place where you spend the majority of your time needs to be enjoyable! If you’re looking to motivate your melon, here are 10 Critical Components of Creative Environments: 1. Appeal to your eyes. Multi-sensory…

Be UN avoidable. So customers can’t (not) take a picture of your store. So customers can’t (not) walk into your store. Be UN competable. So you’re the only one who does what you do. So you’re not only ON your customer’s list, you ARE your customer’s list. Be UN confusable. So you’re a category of one. So you’re the origin, not the echo. Be UN defeatable. So you keep…

CustomInk is the web’s most advanced virtual store for custom decorated merchandise. Customers are empowered to design and order customized apparel, drink ware and novelties for their businesses, teams, groups and events with greater ease, speed and value than ever before. BUT WAIT, IT GETS BETTER: they understand Approachability 2.0 better than most Fortune 500 companies. For example: On their Ink of the Week Blog, each week they award…

PICTURE THIS: you plop down next to a friendly guy on the plane. After a brief greeting, he asks about your work. “I’m an author,” you say. “Cool! What kind of books?” he asks. So you tell him. And he becomes very excited. Obviously, he’s a perfect reader for you. “Wow, that sounds great,” he replies. “My entire office needs to read your book! You wouldn’t happen to have…

Today is a very special day. THIS IS MY 600th POST! Which means I’ve been at this blogging thing for about five years. (If you’re trying to do the math, I didn’t use to post every day like I do now.) Anyway, I can honestly say, blogging is one of the best things (if not THEE best thing) I’ve ever done for my business. Ever. Why? Well, this would…

PICTURE THIS: you get an email out the blue from a prospect. But not just ANY prospect … the perfect customer. Exactly the type of client you want to work with. The good news is; they want to hire you! The bad news is; you’re booked solid. Looks like you’re going to have to turn down their business. What do you do? Well, first of all, saying no isn’t…

You’re a creative professional. That means you make a living off of your ideas. SO, HERE’S THE BIG QUESTION: how do you deal with people stealing your material? Tough issue. Has been for a long time. Plagiarism comes from the Latin plagiare, meaning, “to kidnap.” It’s defined as “the practice of claiming, or implying, original authorship or incorporating material from someone else’s written or creative work, in whole or…

The most successful artists, innovators, entrepreneurs and inventors of the world aren’t One Hit Wonders. Rather: they have HOT bodies. …of WORK, that is. Let’s explore five examples across several disciplines and decades. (Keep your eyes open for commonalities…) HOT BODY #1 When you think of the word “inventor,” one name comes to mind: Thomas Edison. Talk about a HOT body! He holds about 1,800 patents. It’s also no…

Artists. Authors. Rockstars. Cult leaders. Presidential candidates. American Idol contestants. What do all these people have in common? They’re all building a following. HERE’S THE GOOD NEWS: so can you! That’s the beauty (and ironically, sometimes the horror) of the Web: anyone with an idea can share it with the world and build a following around it. And they can do so quickly, powerfully and through a variety of…