From the time we’re children through adolescence and into adulthood, there’s a common phrase spoken by the people in our lives. We’ve likely heard it from our parents when encouraging us to try new food. Or maybe from a friend when navigating a road trip shortcut. Perhaps we’ve heard a boss say it when trying … Read more →
I recently spoke with a group of printing company owners about hiring and retention. In my presentation I quoted a recent study about women in print, highlighting the fact that one of the top five reasons respondents said they stayed with a company was opportunities for career advancement. Furthermore, a 2016 study by ClearCompany revealed … Read more →
Many of us have a love-hate relationship with our smartphones. We often experience overwhelming desires to pick them up, but we can’t understand why we feel so unfulfilled after we put them down. For many, an over-dependence on our phones affects our lives, and author Catherine Price explains why in her book How to Break … Read more →
Cigarette packaging has come a long way since the introduction of the rugged and handsome ‘Marlboro Man’ of the 1950s. Aimed at promoting a smoking lifestyle by establishing an association between ‘manliness’ and lighting up a Marlboro cigarette, he was part of Marlboro’s campaign for almost half a century. Canadian tobacco packaging looks a lot … Read more →
What do you call an incorrectly labeled spaghetti diagram? An impasta! Bad joke aside, spaghetti diagrams may be the answer to your space-planning woes. Simple to make and containing powerful insights, spaghetti diagrams help increase the efficiency of your office and manufacturing spaces with little more than pen and paper. Is your space in hot … Read more →
If you’re the owner of a printing company, you’ve got a lot on your plate. Your days are likely spent focused on the necessary details to ensure jobs get out the back door on time and are up to quality standards. Your days are also probably spent on the big picture, strategic next steps to … Read more →
Be remarkable, tell a story, date your prospects and create a ruckus! Author, speaker, educator and thought leader Seth Godin needs little introduction in the marketing world. He’s blogged nearly every day for a decade, written 19 best-selling books, created the highly-successful ‘altMBA’ program, and been inducted into not one, but three, marketing Halls of … Read more →
How do you take a group of strangers and bring them together quickly and effectively to solve big problems? Amy Edmondson, Harvard Business School Professor of Leadership and Management, insists that the answer lies in the concept of ‘teaming’. But she points out that there are differences between today’s teams and teams of the past. … Read more →
Avatar, muse, ideal customer profile, customer persona – whatever you call it, putting a face to your ideal customer is not only a smart marketing tactic, but a strategic move for your entire organization. The word ‘avatar’ (which is the term I’ll be using) is derived from a Sanskrit word meaning ‘descent’, referring to the … Read more →
Understand which leads will turn into sales and which are a waste of time We could all use more time. Particularly in a sales role—which tends to be more autonomous than other roles in an organization—time can slip away if you’re not attuned to prospects that are more or less likely to lead to a … Read more →
When we try to multitask all we’re doing is becoming less efficient Take a second to put down your phone and take a break from anything you’re currently working on. Really, do it. I dare you. You’re about to experience the joys of unitasking. What is unitasking? Unitasking is the simple art of doing one … Read more →
Follow the Goldilocks Principle: not too big, not too small In last month’s issue, I explored some of the whys and hows of making everyday documents—both printed and digital—more accessible: namely through the use of establishing hierarchy, not relying on colour alone in charts, and captioning images to add context and increase understanding. There’s a … Read more →