Recent Articles From EvanCarmichael.com http://www.evancarmichael.com/ http://www.evancarmichael.com/Branding/4011/Five-Factors-that-Will-Make-Or-Break-Any-Small-Business.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Branding/4011/Five-Factors-that-Will-Make-Or-Break-Any-Small-Business.html Everyone involved with business tosses around figures regarding the odds of success of any given business achieving success. However, these general figures are not very accurate because there are so many factors that can make a business successful or significantly reduce its chance of surviving. Here are the five factors that will make the greatest difference in your personal chances of success in business. http://www.evancarmichael.com/Branding/4668/The-Shadow-Syndrome.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Branding/4668/The-Shadow-Syndrome.html Is a sales manager an essential component of a successful sales / marketing strategy? http://www.evancarmichael.com/Branding/4668/Giant-Shoulders.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Branding/4668/Giant-Shoulders.html Fear, slight chest pains with sweaty palms, avoiding direct eye contact. http://www.evancarmichael.com/Branding/4668/Character-Building-in-Fargo.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Branding/4668/Character-Building-in-Fargo.html Like many of you, I had some experiences, very early on in my career that I would file in the “character building” folder. These memories I would not want to relive, as they were, frankly, miserable. http://www.evancarmichael.com/Branding/4668/Lessons-of-Leadership-from-a-Curmudgeon.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Branding/4668/Lessons-of-Leadership-from-a-Curmudgeon.html Cur-mud-geon: a crusty, ill-tempered, and usually old man. http://www.evancarmichael.com/Branding/4668/Its-All-in-the-Presentation.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Branding/4668/Its-All-in-the-Presentation.html That’s the title to the book that Al Frink says he will someday write, summing up his business philosophy and approach to sales and marketing. I had the unique opportunity in my early 20’s when in sales, to travel with Al and make sales calls throughout some of the smallest towns in the Midwest. We developed sort of a Father/Son relationship as he offered me a level of advice and support much undeserved considering the size of my territory. http://www.evancarmichael.com/Branding/4668/The-Deliberate-Culture-and-Building-a-Brand—FOR-FREE.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Branding/4668/The-Deliberate-Culture-and-Building-a-Brand—FOR-FREE.html This critical building block in an organization is—practically—a free one. It takes thought, commitment, discipline, ability to communicate. It doesn’t take an expensive ad campaign or a better website, or even better products or services. http://www.evancarmichael.com/Branding/71/Demythologizing-the-McElroy-Memo.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Branding/71/Demythologizing-the-McElroy-Memo.html In the canon of English-language writings on brands and brand management, few documents possess the stature of the legendary McElroy Memorandum known as "Brand Man". In this article, Stanley Moss offers an analysis of McElroy's narrow focus, how brands have grown up around the memo, and how marketing is now simply a fractional part of branding. http://www.evancarmichael.com/Branding/4274/The-Brand-Provides-The-Key--or-You-Have-What-It-Takes.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Branding/4274/The-Brand-Provides-The-Key--or-You-Have-What-It-Takes.html I have a gardening background, both from spending years as the Brand Manager for Miracle-Gro and from my master gardener mother, who continues to teach me all about how to coax loveliness from a bare patch of earth. She was talking about tomatoes, and it reminded me of a very important personal branding lesson. http://www.evancarmichael.com/Branding/65/The-Seven-Deadly-Sins-of-Branding.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Branding/65/The-Seven-Deadly-Sins-of-Branding.html What do Apple, Nike, Dyson and the Mini Cooper have in common? Veteran branding expert designer David Brier dissects the key liabilities in creating a world-class killer brand, seven to be exact. Citing information from the Wall Street Journal, David offers a succinct message especially useful in these times when intelligent marketing must be senior to all other efforts a business makes.