When you must deliver criticism about someone’s work, it’s best to be direct rather than diplomatic. Avoid the all-too-common practice of mixing positive messages with negative ones. It’s confusing to the recipient. Steer clear of the classic feedback “sandwich”: good news, followed by bad news, ending with good news. Eating a …
Make Sure Job Applicants Have a Good Experience
Does your company thank job applicants for their time and try to give them a good experience? If not, you should reconsider.
Stealth Celebrity Endorsement: No Money Changing Hands, Just Free Burritos
There’s no mystery as to why companies give away swag during the Oscars to people in the movie business. The possibility that a celebrity will Tweet about the product or perhaps be photographed with it more than offsets the cost …
With Baby Boomers Retiring, Why Do We Need So Many New Jobs?
Ask the Expert: Since large numbers of baby boomers are now retiring, wouldn’t this have a complete offsetting effect for the next 15 years or so?
‘Dark Side of the Moon,’ ‘Saturday Night Fever’ Added to National Recording Registry
How Do You Revive Twinkies? A Q&A With the New Owners: The Metropoulos Brothers
Twinkies’ new owners talk about why they bought the Hostess brands, their plans for new lines of Twinkies (think low cal) and whether they’re going to tinker with the decades-old Twinkie recipe.
Is This Man Single-Handedly Stifling the U.S. Housing Recovery?
Ed DeMarco may not strike you as the kind of man who is capable of fanning the outrage of broad swaths of the American public. But in the past year, this bespectacled economist and lifelong civil servant has endured protesters …
How Google Is Horning In on Car Dealership Sales
Usually, to get a price quote from a car dealership, you must disclose your phone number and an e-mail address—an act that comes with the risk of being hounded by car salesmen. A new car-shopping tool being tested by Google changes how the game is played.
Welcome Edits on Your Writing
A good writer welcomes good edits. A bad writer resents them, seeing them only as personal attacks. Share your material while it’s still rough — the feedback will help you improve it much faster than if you were toiling in isolation. Routinely ask your colleagues, including those you supervise, to read your drafts and suggest …
Using Content to Market Your Business
The hottest thing in marketing these days is “content marketing” – using videos, webinars, white papers and the like to offer consumers useful information while getting them to think about your business.
Can the U.S. Dollar Become Almighty Once Again?
A stronger dollar could be a bellwether of an improving economy and a brighter outlook for U.S. stocks.
Madness for Sale: Businesses Go for a Piece of NCAA ‘March Madness’ Basketball Tournament
There’s just no stopping the madness. From Hooters restaurants to businesses selling books for homeschooled children to the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council, everyone seems to be pursuing a marketing tie-in to March Madness, a.k.a. the NCAA basketball tournament.