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The other day I was asked a very good question – “what makes someone an expert?” Considering web-based media is moving into newer fields and industries, it’s hard to define expertise along the lines of professional certifications and documented qualifications. An expert accountant will have his CPA. An expert manager will have her MBA. A
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When building a new business relationship, about 50% of the legwork is done during the first handshake. Your goal should be to make a good first impression, whether you’re the client or the consultant. Taking five minutes to review your objectives for the meeting will help you keep your focus and make sure that first
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What tone does your writing take? Are you the all-knowing sage of product advice, or the trendy counter-culture revolutionary introducing a new idea? What does the tone of your marketing copy say about your brand? Most of us publish marketing collateral without a second thought as to the tone with which our message is conveyed.
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How well can you follow directions? Not necessarily instructions provided with your new desktop computer, but directions in general. There are always those people who set off on their own, thinking they understand what’s going on and that they can figure things out on their own. In a team environment (read: corporation) this can damage
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How do you know when a new product launch is successful? When you’ve reached a critical mass of customers. Now, what exactly is “critical mass” for your customer base? There are two ways to measure this, and they both have their places depending on the market you’re trying to reach. Percentage of the market If
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Businesses are motivated by profit. You push your employees to work hard in order to maximize your owners’ (either your or your shareholders’) profit-making ability. This leads to incentives for sales teams, team-building promotional activities, quarterly performance reviews, and a highly competitive workspace. The public sector, on the other hand, has other motivations. Most public
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Whether you’re looking for a new job or just refining your portfolio to attract new clients, it’s important that you itemize and monetize your accomplishments. “I helped to increase business” is less impressive than “I was directly responsible for $100k in new contracts.” At any given time, it might seem like your most prized accomplishments
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I know, I’ve already lost half of you. And the other half that’s still hanging on is waiting patiently for me to start throwing formulae at you. But that’s not going to happen. I do want to point out, though, that while statistics are monotonous, boring, and somewhat difficult to understand they are one of
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In the world of small business, networking is everything. Whether you’re at a business conference or a football game, you should always be prepared to meet that next great business partner. This means you should be presentable, on your “best behavior,” and prepared to talk shop whenever you need to (or to respectfully decline in