The next time someone brags about page views, followers, or impressions, smile politely. Then ask the one question that matters most: “How many sales did it bring in?”

Good partnerships lead to good marketing, but marketing doesn’t move forward on autopilot. Show up informed, responsive and respectful, and give marketing professionals the space to do their best work. That’s when the magic really happens.

These two disciplines - advertising and marketing - are related but are absolutely not identical. Regardless of what you sell, knowing the differences can help your business thrive.

People do business with people they know, like and trust. And if you’re not showing your face, folks aren’t going to have warm fuzzies about you. Period!

There’s a nuclear missile silo in Lincoln, Kansas, that’s available for purchase. It’s naturally being sold as a unique fixer-upper, and the listing includes this bunch of really interesting ideas for possible uses…

Learn to read people and to decode the messages they (and you) give off. Such knowledge can provide significant insight into what someone is thinking, and is arguably the closest thing to mind reading you can know.

Faced with two on-the-verge-of-cranky customers, Ray instead opted for humor, education and positivity…and made the sale. By the time we headed for dinner, we were both persuaded we’d made a good buying decision.

I guess the old saying is true: a smile is contagious.

I’m delighted to announce that Write Away Books was just named the Best Tutoring and Education Services provider in the region.

How cool is that?

Between creative development, strategic planning, tactical implementation, list acquisition, customer interaction and follow-up, the average sales prospecting campaign easily costs hundreds for a qualified sales lead.

If you are considering doing a promotional program to increase your revenues, be sure to consider every piece of the program from the consumer’s perspective to ensure your message is being heard the way you intend.

Several weeks back we talked about a teen writing contest being sponsored by The Coast News, realtor Melissa Huk, and my company, Write Away Books. Today it’s with immense pleasure that I introduce to you these three impressive authors and their strategies for improving regional life.

Helping someone launch a lifetime of work they’ll enjoy is a priceless experience. And if you do hire your intern, you’ll have someone who understands how your organization operates and hits the ground running on Day One.

People can have long memories. Stepping on people or leaving a bad taste in someone’s mouth about you can easily come back to haunt you many years down the road.