Many years ago I worked for a short while in the commercial real estate industry as an assistant to a successful broker. He would send letters and leave voicemails using what he called the “blood in the water” technique. Like…
How to Take Your Cover Letter from Boring to Brilliant
“I am writing to apply for the Marketing Manager position you have posted on your website. I have 5 years of experience in campaign management and 3 years of experience in content strategy. I also excel at working with others…
What the Heck is a Pitch, Anyway?
The word “pitch” used to be viewed negatively, provoking images of an overly-aggressive salesman backing you into a corner and hammering you with his spiel until you either bought his product or curled up on the floor in a pool…
What’s Your Story? The Growing Importance of Passion Projects in the Tech Job Hunt
“So…tell me about yourself.” Interviews often start out with this rather ambiguous prompt. How do you tackle it? One approach is to launch into a verbal resume, spouting your past experiences and degrees earned. But a better approach is to…
What’s Your One-Sentence Product Hook?
Something that’s often missing in sales and marketing is “the hook.” People launch into their spiel about all the great things their company offers, but they forget to warm up the audience first. Think of a good movie you saw…
5 Ugly PowerPoint Slides to Avoid at All Costs
Before the presenter had barely uttered a word, your mind had already checked out. You were no longer present in that meeting room – you were prancing playfully across a white sand beach, the fruity flavors of your boozy cocktail…
How Product Marketing is Like a Road Trip
After college my best friend and I drove across the country to live in San Diego, California. It was quite a road trip. A 3-day road trip, in fact. We battled a horrendous ice storm in Amarillo, Texas that nearly…
Creativity at Work Comes from Everywhere but Work
One Sunday morning I was searching around online for something interesting to do that day. I came across a website listing local classes in various topics – yoga, sushi-making, scrapbooking, blogging, and more. Suddenly my eye came across one that…
Is Over-Branding Killing Your Authenticity?
There I stood at the check-out counter, waiting patiently as the cashier scanned my items. After the initial inquiry about my status as a Walgreens card holder, all conversation came to a screeching halt. I glanced lustfully at the bottle…
Preposterous Pitches: The Best of Magic Hat
Many of you know about Magic Hat. The lucky ones among you have had a chance to play it. But for the uninitiated, Magic Hat is my signature improvised, and comedic, pitch game that makes an appearance at almost all…