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CRM Guidebook for Businesses
Numbers tell a story
Social Media Guidebook for Brands
Media Lessons On The Road
Spring Cleaning
Photography
Listen To The Music
Location, Location, Location!
The Buying Process
Custom Creative
Understanding Google Analytics
Budget4the Desired Outcomes
November 19, 2024

Budget to increase profit.

An Observation2Make
October 14, 2024

How to be a room shifter.

Help Motivate People2Give
September 10, 2024

Compelling stories sell.

The Reason4Giving
August 8, 2024

One-size-fits-all—except when it doesn’t.

Basic Knowledge4The Best Play
July 10, 2024

Choose your words carefully!

How 2Be Smarter
June 7, 2024

Where did the curiosity of our youth go?

Planting Ideas2Help Your Business Grow
May 6, 2024

There are plenty of tools at our disposal at any given time, and we have to know when and how to use them to fix our clients’ problems. You’re running your business and it’s not necessary for you to understand how to apply those five critical tools we use in our business . . . you just have to know who to call.

Change4Change's Sake
April 9, 2024

What is happening in the sports world that applies to those of us in business and industry?

TV Awards Show4Got to Include the Networks
March 12, 2024

Through the years, I’ve shared my professional background in television advertising sales. As a salesperson, I kept a close eye on the annual Emmy Awards. The more awards our shows won, the easier it was to sell commercials to advertisers – plus it was more fun to brag when you represented a network affiliate that won a big haul.

Making the Case4Google
February 19, 2024

It’s one of the most powerful sources of information in the world. One could make the argument that Google is the most influential resource known. Its impact is hard to measure, but the company remains omnipresent.

Keyboard Communication
May 18, 2020

Some of us have thrived for years in the environment of the face-to-face meeting. It’s meant we’ve been able to read a room, notice body language, and maybe build rapport with someone based on the photos in their office or by identifying with...

Teamwork Makes the Dream Work
April 26, 2019

Everyone there was in attendance to see Branford Marsalis. The famed musician was the main attraction for...

Small Labels Can Be a Big Deal
February 28, 2019

Little things can make a big difference though – especially in commerce. One of the first questions I ask a new client is...


Hurt People Hurt People
January 20, 2018

Sometimes you come across a person who just rubs you the wrong way. It happens to all of us in business (or education or healthcare or not-for-profit foundation work). That’s because those people are everywhere.

Bowling Trophies and Parking Spaces
October 20, 2017

Money is a great motivator. Generally we can all agree on that concept and, as the holidays and the end-of-year bonus season approaches, it’s worth noting that most everyone is motivated by mo’ money, mo’ money, mo’ money. (That’s a 90’s comedy sketch reference for those not as old as I am.)

E-Mail Etiquette
December 20, 2015

If you are a human being in a typical office work space, you're probably one who uses email. More likely than not, Yahoo, Gmail, or even AOL email rules your world. I

The Uncomfortable Question
October 20, 2015

As many of you know, not only do I handle marketing and advertising at B2C Enterprises, I also work as a career firefighter/engineer in Chattanooga, Tennessee. One of the things we do is plan for emergency incidents before they happen, or, in firefighter shorthand, pre-plan.

How's Business
September 20, 2015

Immediately I have to decide….Is this a “not sure what to ask you so I’ll just ask the simple how is business question”, or are they genuinely interested in the affairs of the marketing and advertising agency I run?

Holiday Road
May 20, 2015

They were great trips, but as Mom so rightly pointed out, they came at the very end of the summer. Before the trip there was wiffle ball to play, swimming to dive into, friends to ride bikes with, girls to meet, smaller family trips to take, and movies to watch.

Are you sowing seeds?
January 20, 2015

Except it's not - it's really quite simple. Naturally, I like to write - hopefully you can tell that from the energy that goes into delivering some value to you with these monthly pieces.

An Observation2Make
October 14, 2024

How to be a room shifter.

How 2Be Smarter
June 7, 2024

Where did the curiosity of our youth go?

Working2Acquire Talent
January 16, 2024

We’re actively recruiting for…..”

This is a phrase, or even a buzzword, that c-levelers and human resources management types often toss around without a lot of thought. 

Ask Questions2Learn
March 9, 2023

Remember the old saying, “curiosity killed the cat”?  Well, the lack of curiosity has done-in more than a few businesses and leadership teams.  Strong questions make a big impact.

Check Your Work2Improve
February 7, 2023

Mister Starr was my 10th grade geometry teacher. I didn’t do so well in his class. I do, however, remember him clearly reminding our class to “check your work”.  

A Long Line2Wait In
May 6, 2022

We enjoy giving it as a gift to our clients at the holidays.  I also love to meet with clients, and prospects, and potential employees as they drink it.  While I feel like I should enjoy a cuppa joe, the reality is: “I do not drink coffee!”

Ask Then Listen
September 15, 2021

About twenty years ago, in a city far from where my agency is located, I learned a valuable life lesson.

Gathered with me in an old room with dated furniture on a cloudy fall day were 12 people who I’d never met prior to that week. A few days before, we went through a tryout of sorts, and that was also a strange experience. I always wanted to...

Improving on Improving
September 27, 2018

People want to improve.  Well, most people do anyway. They’ll talk the improvement game.  They’ll go to conferences.  They’ll read those books.  Most will target a...

Bench Strength
November 20, 2017

On the first night of November (which did seem weird), the Houston Astros captured their first-ever baseball World Series Championship. Just four years ago they were the laughingstock of the baseball world and had lost over 100 games – a near record for futility.

Pull Over and Take a Big Whiff
September 20, 2017

In the marketing world, we tend to be heavily focused on the next month, quarter, or year.

Kindness Counts
April 20, 2017

I will often judge how much we’ll enjoy an act at The Spot based on one natural interaction: I watch how the artist treats our magical, kind, and helpful sound engineer, Travis. If they care for him and treat him well, their performances are almost always extra enjoyable.

Value Your Value
June 20, 2016

B2C Enterprises invests over a million dollars in media most years, while at the same time, interacting with salespeople from at least seven states. That’s a lot of business transactions and a lot of sales appointments.

Storytime is Worth the Time
April 20, 2016

Use someone else’s informative and entertaining story until you create your own to share. I did this when I was younger and I also did it seven years ago when I started my advertising agency.

You Can’t Fake Sincerity
March 20, 2016

They’ve ruined the process for many. Certainly they’ve made a lot of work for those who genuinely do put their prospects' best interests first. Typically when a salesperson walks through the door, the potential client leans to the position of distrust. It may be unfortunate, but it’s generally the case.

Step it Up
February 20, 2016


You get in and settle into your job and before you know it, the realization hits there are lots of other things that need to get done.

Unpopular Take4You
November 13, 2023

Here’s a reality! Not all marketing and advertising concepts are absolutely critical to your business’ growth and development.

Yacht Rock4the Win
August 7, 2023

Sometimes you hear a song and realize, hey I know that. Sometimes those songs are for advertising. Maybe it’s a musical branding piece done specifically for a company. Often, it’s a remade song that is newly incorporated into a campaign. 

Be4and After
June 12, 2023

Before and After advertising is as old as... well, advertising. I mean, who hasn’t seen an ad for Weight Watchers, and marveled at the Before and After comparisons of this highly effective weight loss program?

Demographics2Look at When Marketing
May 15, 2023

People are unique. We can all agree on that statement. Yet, when looking at marketing decisions, it seems the experts want to lump us into categories with the assumption that everyone occupying that category has the same patterns, desires, interests, and passions. 

5 Ways Content Marketing Helps Convert Leads
October 10, 2022

What’s Content Marketing? Simply put, Content Marketing is the foundation for an entire marketing and communication strategy. Content Marketing can help your website rank on search engines, position you as a subject matter expert, build your stakeholder list and engagement level, and nurture...

Best TikTok Practices4Your Business
June 21, 2022

Social media accounts are proven to help businesses build brand loyalty, direct users to websites, and collect customer feedback.

Google Analytics 4 (GA4): What is it and should you use it?
March 16, 2022

Google Analytics has been giving companies and organizations vital information about their website users since 2005. While the world was listening to music on Apple's colorful iPod nano, Google released an innovative new tool online. It allowed marketers and business owners to see who went to their website and what they did once they got there. This tool provided insight on page views, sessions, and bounce rates. Now known as Universal Google Analytics, this powerful database gave viewers valuable information and reporting capabilities to make strategic marketing decisions. 

Make Your Own Luck With Marketing: 5 Tips To Get You Started
March 15, 2022

St. Patrick's Day observes the death of St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland. Today, the holiday is celebrated with parades, special foods, music, dancing, drinking, and a whole lot of green. While many brands take advantage of holidays to create special promotions or campaigns, here are some ways to make your own luck with marketing!

Effective Advertising: Make The Most Of Your Budget
February 2, 2022

Advertising can seem expensive, but it does not have to be. If you use the right strategies to maximize your budget, you can get the most out of your marketing dollars. Here are some tips to help you reach new customers without draining your budget or cutting into your profit margins.

12 Bad Marketing Tips (by the Marketing Monsters)
December 1, 2021

When it comes to marketing for your business, monsters aren't the best advice-givers. In fact, their insights are quite terrible! When our monster-handling team at 5Points Creative heard about the Marketing Monster's "12 Holiday Marketing Mayhem Tips", we had to...

Solutions for Specific Audiences
November 15, 2021

Kitchens in the ’70s and ’80s had this appliance. It was a hit in suburban households for decades and an omnipresent part of the home back in the olden days.

How do most of us get along without the Trash Compactor now? It’s hard to say, but it’s been decades since the average home has been built with one of these contraptions – at least as far as I know anyway. Back then, the homeowner would...

Feet on the Ground, Head in the Clouds
June 16, 2021

Late last year something happened in my business’ sales cycle and it got me thinking.

To support another organization, I placed a call to a friend of mine whom I had known for about a dozen years.  In the course of the conversation about this other topic, he asked me about marketing and advertising.  He wondered how we help clients...

Walking the Walk
April 13, 2021

It’s fascinating when a client says something to me that I’ve already thought or said myself many times. As if hearing the idea for the first time, their comment hits my head (or my heart) and drives home a concept chock full of value. That’s exactly what happened to me during a recent Zoom call with a client.

We were talking about their media plans and how they suggested we approach their strategy for the coming season. We were working through their goals, their budget, previous success, and some new ideas to...

Room to Grow
March 19, 2021

This fall, out on a walk, I noticed a house in my neighborhood that provided the perfect picture for what we tell our clients. It was so appropriate I decided to snap a picture. Hopefully it isn’t your home. I’m hoping it can illustrate an important point about your business. Think ahead.

Thinking ahead is good advice for...

Mixing Up Your Marketing Playbook
February 15, 2021

Someone makes a move, then the opposing side responds and makes a change. It's the way the sports world has worked for centuries. It's also how business functions.

Football teams played the Single Wing and...

Never Too Busy
September 20, 2012

There was an internal battle I had to work through. Last month I wrote about Nick Saban and his approach to changing a culture.

Who's Representing You? And How's It Going?
June 20, 2012

It’s usually pretty easy to come up with a mission statement, a distinguishing characteristic of your organization, or even a unique selling proposition for your company. Leaders frequently focus on these concepts.

Never Confuse Activity with Accomplishment
March 20, 2012

I listened to a recent radio broadcast of a college basketball game. The teams were moving up and down the court at a fevered pace. There was lots of movement and action – not any scoring.

New Ways to Deal with Old Patterns
December 20, 2011

When you are brought in to tidy up and refocus a half dozen advertising sales departments over a few decades you’re bound to notice some consistencies. This is the best time of year to note and begin to change one such pattern in your own business.

Cain Wasn't Able
November 20, 2011

I knew exactly what I was going to write about until I opened the Wall Street Journal one morning and saw the following headline: Cain Never Prepared for the Storm. Herman Cain. Remember him?

Selling Power & Drawing Power
October 20, 2010

Most every one of my clients is in the budget preparation and planning stage…it is the season after all! Many of you are coming out of some tough times and all the expenses that can realistically be cut have been. To best make these cash flow numbers work for everyone you simply must take another look at the revenue side.

Keep That Customer
May 20, 2010

It’s important to get new customers. It’s even more important to keep those customers. Two current business partners of mine specialize in that.

First Comes the Crisis, Now What?
December 20, 2009

As judges, we had the opportunity to ask questions as we evaluated their plans for the club. Never being one to shy away from stretching young minds -- I focused several questions on the issue of thinking ahead.

$5 Burgers & 5 Star Resorts
November 20, 2012

I spent $5 (or so) to eat an In & Out Burger, fries and a vanilla milkshake. I spent considerably more to stay at a really nice resort as a small part of the visit to LA.

Idea Links
October 20, 2012

Through the years I have kept a series of folders and files labeled “ideas” or “creative concepts”. Whether it was for a talk, a sales concept or a creative idea, when I came across something that really caught my eye or grabbed my attention, I filed it away – never knowing when it might become useful.

Can You Stomach Change?
August 20, 2012

People in leadership overuse sports vernacular when dealing with business questions. Things like “no pain no gain”, “step up your game”, “hit a home run”, and the rest you have heard. What is interesting to me is when sports people use sound business principals in their programs.

Shine the Light, Be More Effective
May 20, 2011

My managers and I would meet to decide where to shine the flashlight.  Everyone, no matter their performance level, has a limited capacity.  

Hit the Pause Button
December 20, 2010

Blackberries, iPods, iPads, Facebook, Texting and Email all make communication and catching people in a hurry much easier (usually). The problem is we are all going non-stop and the pace of life swirls around us – sometimes even overwhelming us.

Show - Don't Necessarily Tell
September 20, 2010

The answer is you show, demonstrate, create emotion, and build a connection. A top notch photograph as the focal point of your advertising campaign typically does the trick.

Afraid of a Good Idea?
June 20, 2010

Super Bowl Champion Coach Bill Belichick teaches the concept that “ideas should be innocent until proven guilty”. It’s true – really. People are too often afraid of ideas.

Listen to the Music
April 20, 2010

It’s especially true in your advertising. Too often businesses or organizations just add music – almost as an afterthought – to their commercial messages.

Just Because We Do
January 20, 2010

Many of you know before I started this company my main responsibility was to recruit, build and develop sales talent at the advertising departments of television stations.

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