It’s a noisy world. There are two ways to be heard. First way: Say something loud. Say it a lot. Shout and scream. Fill people’s inboxes over and over. Create ads that pop up and intrude. Annoy. Second way: Say something interesting. Say it to a few people who trust you. See if they’ll tell…
AI can write now, but it needs supervision. And failing to supervise it will make you look very stupid. Don’t believe me? My friend Maggie Langrick, the proprietor of the hybrid publisher Wonderwell, recently received this financing pitch, which she has allowed me to share with you. From: Tanner SyftestadDate: January 31, 2023 at 6:21:22…
Tesla has made an amazing claim for its soon-to-be-available, coyote ugly Cybertruck: the ability to pull “near infinite mass.” Here’s the text from the Tesla site: RUGGED STRENGTH With the ability to pull near infinite mass and a towing capability of over 14,000 pounds, Cybertruck can perform in almost any extreme situation with ease. This…
It’s painful to have people tell you you’re wrong. If you’re powerful, you can make sure everyone around you would never do that. That’s a good way to end up looking like a complete fool. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Senate candidate Dr. Mehmet Oz both just showed us what a foolish decision looks like,…
Has a brand disappointed you lately? Was it a brand you used to like, a brand you had high expectations of? It may be that that brand is coasting: succeeding based on its former reputation. Coasting is very profitable . . . until it isn’t. Brands may have become prominent due to advertising and marketing,…
Seth Godin wrote the book on permission marketing — the privilege (not the right) of delivering anticipated, personal and relevant messages to people who actually want to get them. You know, like a mailing list. Marketers have turned this on its head with a new kind of marketing: harassment marketing. Those are marketing messages that…
When I pitch myself for a freelance writing or editing job, I almost always win. Why? Because I am selective about the gigs I pursue, have sterling qualifications, and typically come recommended by someone the potential client trusts. But I just lost out on a job — a big one that I really wanted. I…
I’m on hold right now waiting for a customer service rep — to investigate a serious problem that I neither caused nor asked for. I’d give up, except that resolving this is crucial to my future. And it’s hell. If the experience of calling your call center is a hellscape, your customer experience is terrible….
In January of 2020, nearly two years ago, I got an email from an executive at a large streaming entertainment company. Would I consider conducting a business writing workshop for the company? Sure, I said. He asked for details and references. I sent the prospect — let’s call him Oliver — my one-page writeup for…