Want to stand out from the pack? Stop sounding like the pack. Samples are helpful. Demos are often effective. But what is the primary tool used to convince potential customers to buy? Words. Whether spoken or written, words make sales happen. Or not. Pretend I'm a potential customer or client. Best in class." My guess is you did. So prove it. MORE >>

Happy New Year and welcome to 2013. According to all of the blogosphere chatter over the past month, seed-funded internet startups are entering this year gearing up for the now-near-infamous Series A Crunch. However, I would take issue with the near-consensus conclusion of what is to follow. MORE >>

Your company will face weak links and unexpected turns. Don't get caught flat-footed. Soon after I bought my company, I learned that I had a major problem with a key vendor. Whatever money we paid him, he’d take it down to Atlantic City and bring back double--or nothing. should have done greater due diligence on that relationship. MORE >>

Marketing podcast with John Jantsch. photo credit: the camera is a toy. via photopin cc. As content becomes increasingly important in the marketing mix, it must take on an elevated place in your strategy and planning. Waking up every morning and deciding what you are going to write on your blog does not scale. Develop your Content Delivery Platform. MORE >>

The best (and bestselling) business books of this year were mostly about exposing corruption. Through most of the past decade, the most popular business books were "How I Did It" autobiographies of successful big-company CEOs, like Jack Welch's Winning. But that's no longer true. MORE >>