There is the scene in the ShamWow! commercial where the spokesperson pours cola drink into a piece of carpeting. He then proceeds to suction up massive amounts of liquid with the fantastical Shamwow. On watching the commercial a second time I notice that between the soaking of the carpet and the picking up the liquid there is a moment when the camera cuts to a shot of the spokesperson. When the camera goes back to the carpet all of the soda that was running out from beneath is GONE. The picture had been doctored. Ah ha. The ShamWow! is a
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Archives for Kordell Norton
“But Noah! I thought the Ark left at 8:00!”
Which stranger would you go with? There at the end of the pier stand two men. On the left is the wizened old man, white beard, sun toughened face, calloused hands. To the right stands the expert. He oozes sophistication, education and professionalism. Again, which one would you go with? The old man or the young professional? And what about you personally? Where are you? Where do you mentally slot yourself in your business, your profession? Are you the highly educated, sure footed and professional provider of products and services? Or are you second guessing yourself, wondering if you are
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Donuts join Axle Grease to showcase a true Artist
Ralphs! Found by referral it is an awesome auto mechanic here in my town. I refer friends and they call with accolades and thanks. Add to the list “Georges Donuts.” The local that are in the know all go there. When you stop several times and find out they are closed during the day you wonder why until finally figure out that he sells out everyday and closes up shop till the next round of caloric rich goodies are created. I stopped last Saturday. A glazed Croissant? Are you kidding me? It was awesome. Like eating air and sweetness.
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Screwing with Screwdrivers
I spoke to the ACCA – PHCC conference last week. That is the Air Conditioning Contractors of America and the Plumbing and Heating Cooling Contractors. They had a trade show that I wandered around. One vendor had nifty key chain flashlights and screwdrivers that were their “giveaways”. I suggested that they might want the screwdrivers that had a flat head on one end and a phillips on the other. They indicated that the flashlights we 40 cents each and the screwdrivers were $2.50 and that was for a reason. “The little screwdrivers have a very narrow tip on them for
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Laundry Soap, Travel Agents, and Computers . . . and what they have in common with a Moving company?
Are you tired of competing on price? Introducing the Bankruptcy Gap. Remember when there was only one Tide laundry detergent? I counted last week, there are now over 70 sizes, types and smells of Tide at the supermarket. There are versions for top load washing machines, front loaders, for smelly clothes, for whites and even a version in a tube that you can get the coffee stain off the front of your shirt at the office. What about personal computers? When I first started selling PCs in the 1980’s (ancient history I know) there were 3 or 4 major brands,
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Let the Hot Chocolate Continue to Flow . . . continuation of a previous blog
Variety is the spice of life. Because I am the curious sort I continue in my search for the perfect hot chocolate getaway. I continue to work on the next book each morning and thought my Starbucks and McDonalds forays might be helped with a journey to the other two A.M. eating establishments. Cracker Barrel. Pleasant surprise when I discovered the hot chocolate is 50 cents less than Mickey D’s. The table top space for my weapons of writing was huge but the wait staff was surly, I guess because of the demands on them to distribute the salt
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Pour Hot Chocolate into that Open Wound – and we liked it!
Writing the next book. My friend Janine Moon, an awesome business coach, gave a great insight. “There are too many distractions in my office. When I write I go to the local coffee shop.” Day 1 – Starbucks – The words flow onto my laptop as my hot chocolate sits next to the iPod that is pulling it’s load of a gentle mix of movie soundtracks. Outlets are everywhere as other business people sit addicted to their latest email fixes. A fireplace radiates heat into the warm oak-paneled space. Small and intimate. I sit at an oak table with hot
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Guidelines for Writing Copy and Headlines
Tips, Tricks and Traps for Writing Copy Remember when you learned those concepts in school on how to write persuasively? Here is a little update and refresher. Rules for Headlines and Copy 1. Headlines should be at the top of the page 2. Sans Serif (without “tails”) fonts for Headlines. . . serif for Body 3. Write 15 different headlines and use the best one 4. 80% of the focus and attention for the eyes of your customer will be on the headline 5. Flag the Headline with your message subject – if you are selling Sales
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TransBrands – The future of business – lessons from Pandora and the blue Na'vi
My friend Carol had to go back and see the Imax version of Avatar in 3D a second time last Saturday. Carol, Glenn and I had gone to the morning show and it was awesome. I think it represents the future of entertainment. It is a true TransBrand. A what? Turn the clock back one hundred years. Farmer John used to take his eggs and milk into town. His neighbors brought their produce and they traded with each other or exchanged dollars. Then the world got sophisticated. It certainly got bigger as the cities grew. No longer did the luxury
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Happy New Year? Stop! Don't go there! "Warning Will Robinson! Warning"
One of the great stories in business was when the Kimberly Clark company decided to sell off all of it’s paper mills and focus on their consumer products in the 1971. All of business told them that they were absolutely crazy. The result was a focus that allowed them to chase after, catch, and trounce their largest competitor. Procter and Gamble. Within a short time period they were so profitable they were able to buy back their paper mills at a fraction of what they sold them for. Image that. Sell you manufacturing capabilities. What kind of crazy person does
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