Posts by Mark Morgan Ford
Hard Work or Talent?
I believe there is a direct relationship between hard work and success. Those who work harder achieve more. And that applies equally to individuals, families, ethnic groups, and nations. Yes, talent helps. But talent is not something we can choose. It is given to us, as are so many other “advantages”: the kind of family…
Read MoreMake Life Easier: Find One Thing You Have in Common With Your Foes
We all have “enemies” — unpleasant individuals we can’t avoid because of work or social obligations. As a general rule, we deal with them by staying away as much as possible. When we must interact, we speak as little as we can. Just the facts and goodbye. However, there’s a better way to deal with…
Read More5 Ways to Make Your Meetings More Productive
1. Start on time. 2. If there’s someone with a reputation for tardiness without whom the meeting can’t take place, schedule a briefing with him 15 minutes beforehand. If he gets there on time, use that 15 minutes to discuss the big issues. If he’s 15 minutes late, he won’t hold things up. 3. Distribute…
Read MoreHave You Done That One Great Thing? NO? What Are You Waiting For?
Time passes so damn quickly. And as you get older, it speeds up so much that, if you don’t do something about it, your life will take place without including the person who’s buried deep inside you. You know the person I mean. The dreamer. The bright, starry-eyed optimist who was once in charge of…
Read MoreWho Do You Work For?
As a development manager for a real-estate project I consult with, SB takes direction from three people: a profit-center manager, a project manager, and me. Most of the time, our advice and recommendations work together. Sometimes, however, we disagree. And when we do, it throws SB into a frenzy. SB complains about getting mixed messages……
Read MoreSummarizing Is Death
In all forms of expression, summarizing is lethal. But that’s what many copywriters do. At the end of a sales letter, they methodically recount all the important points they just made. What happens is that the energy of the copy is dissipated, the blood drained off. A much better approach is to take a single…
Read MoreA Word To Use Next Time You Get a Chance
I learned a lovely word today: MacGuffin. A MacGuffin is an irrelevant interest grabber — a story whose purpose is to draw attention to itself and away from something else. It comes from a plot device invented by Alfred Hitchcock. He borrowed it from a shaggy-dog story that goes something like this: A couple, riding…
Read MoreMy Heart Went Out to Her… and Then Came Back!
Profiled in The Wall Street Journal the other day: A single mother, hit hard by the recession. She can barely keep a roof over her family’s head. Her salary was cut by 60 percent. And buying even the basics is a struggle. A story we’ve heard again and again. “How sad,” I thought to myself,…
Read MoreMake a Strong Impression by Being Last
When you are going to be interviewed for a job, try to be the last one they see. Studies show, and my experience confirms, that the people who do best in multiple interviews are those who are first or last. And that’s regardless of how good they actually are.
Read MoreMarketing Tip: The “Eureka” Moment
When writing or reviewing long marketing copy, you’ve got to get to the point where you find yourself thinking, “Yes! This is good! This is really, really good!” I call it the Eureka Moment.
Read MoreWhat’s More Important in Marketing?
Products — the most successful products — meet urgent needs and solve important problems. But what solves today’s problem won’t necessarily solve tomorrow’s. We must constantly refine and reinvent to make our products “new.”
Read MoreKnowledge and Action
I’ve been starting businesses for 30 years. And after taking a look at those that failed right away, those that lingered and then failed, those that puttered along, and those that soared, I have come to the conclusion that to be successful, you need a “ready-fire-aim” approach.
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