Working in business you quickly learn that a partnership with your senior management team is like a marriage. The playbook and attitudes you all took on across a dinner table as the company may have started are often in need of refreshing. Seriously, you spend 8-12 hours a day with them, more than with your spouses and partners, and chances are you have discussions over wins and disagreements that may blush a customer if they walked in. So what are three key ways to ensure a happy and profitable long term working relationship?

First, act your role in the situation. No …

Technique

Columbo, the 1970’s classic TV detective character, was one of the best closers of all time. While he wasn’t employed as a sales professional, he was a master closer. It wasn’t getting people to sign on the bottom line that made him a great closer, it was his ability to get people to answer questions.

How it works

The classic Columbo close was the line he often used after the suspects thought Columbo was done speaking to them. He would turn and start to walk away, and just when the suspect began to breathe a sigh of relief, Columbo would turn and …

Facebook suggests that new company pages start with a minimum of 5 Milestones.  Whether real or fictitious, these milestones should reflect the company brand.

So what goes into a milestone?

• Every good milestone needs a descriptive name
• A date (to determine where it appears on your timeline)
• A high quality image (840 px x 400 px)
• A one-paragraph description
• and (if it serves your brand) a location

These milestones will appear as major landmarks on your Facebook timeline, cutting across both sides of the screen.

There’s more to a brand than just a cool design or image. A brand is a symbol of your company’s core values, culture, messaging and target audiences. It’s important to have a deep understanding of what your company is, who your competitors are and how you fit in or stand out in your industry.

A critical element in brand development, is understanding your customers — their wants, needs and beliefs that drive their attitudes and actions. If done well, your brand will convey the company’s benefits that meet those needs.

Once this important information is gathered, it’s time to clearly define your …

Our thoughts go out to everyone at Copley Square and the Boston Marathon.

If you have news that someone is safe, or are still waiting to hear for sure, both Google and the Red Cross have set up information sharing sites:

• http://google.org/personfinder/2013-boston-explosions/
• https://safeandwell-mobile.communityos.org/cms/

Both sites are operating under a heavy load, but are providing much needed information.

Budding flowers the harbingers of spring? Nah, spring arrives with baseball!

It’s time once again to consider the metaphors of baseball and how to apply them to business…and to life.

No one is perfect. Buster Posey, the National League’s Most Valuable Player, batted .336 in the 2012 regular season—better than anyone else in baseball. That means, for every 10 times he stepped up to bat, he made it to base just 3.3 times. He trudged back to the dug-out more often than he hit the ball. For this, he is acknowledged as outstanding.

Keep at it. The “Never Say Die and Don’t Whine …

Are you having a hard time getting past a prospective clients’ objections? Does it feel like you pass one hurdle only to have another thrown in your way? Rather than getting worn down or giving up from running such a slalom, see if you can straighten the course a little.

The next time someone expresses a reservation, ask if they have any other concerns. After all, you can’t formulate a complete response when you don’t even know all the questions.

Once you have the full list, you can recast yourself from adversary to ally as you work with your prospect to help …

Looking for something to write this April Fools’ Day?  Try turning your product (or business model) on its head.

For example, if mb/i were in the business of making websites less attractive, we’d probably produce a geocities-izer of our own.

If you can get your audience to scratch their head and wonder if you’re serious - you’ve won!  Just remember to clear up any confusion on April 2.  Better still, schedule a clarification to launch at 12:01 a.m.

In January, Dale Riehart wrote a great list of ways to prepare for working with a professional writer. One of his suggestions is that business clients prepare a positioning statement.

Of course, a positioning statement isn’t just important for a professional writer. It’s a valuable tool to have whenever you want to talk about your product or company. Think of it like an elevator pitch for copy - short and to the point. So how do you prepare a positioning statement?

Dale offers a proven and elegant solution: ad-libs.

Just fill in the blanks appropriately and …

After years of working on my client’s websites and branding I was not following my own advice and presenting myself correctly. I used my own website to showcase my work but also as a playground, and it became very inconsistent over the years. It was time to take charge of my own branding and make changes. This last fall I re-hauled my own branding, and I would like to share with you a few tips in general about branding that I had to relearn myself through this process.

Is your target market comfortable with your brand? Do you have an existing …