A half hour meeting that accomplishes exactly what you need is feasible. But it requires smart (not time-consuming) planning; discipline during the meeting (yes, you’ll have to be the heavy sometimes); and a laser focus on achieving results (getting what you need in 30 minutes). Ideally, after the meeting people should be saying two things: Wow, that meeting was rigid. I can’t believe we got all that done in a half hour. The information that follows applies to the most common

These tips are written for the benefit of both the journalist and you because the bottom line is that you are each dependent on the other for a successful outcome. You provide the best ingredients and the journalist makes the culinary masterpiece. You and the journalist are not adversaries. This article assumes a phone interview, since that’s the norm. Most journalists no longer interview sources in person unless there is some compelling reason (much of what follows also appl

This idea-generating method originated with Alex Osborn, but was simplified by Michael Michalko (author of Thinkertoys – which you should keep under your pillow at night if you’re serious about differentiating). Michalko calls the method SCAMPER – which is an acronym for the types of questions you can ask yourself (or your group) that will spur ideas. Following are the basic differentiating SCAMPER strategies with in-depth questions for each strategy. S – Substitute somethi

Some people will tell you that differentiation is only for rapidly growing sectors. That’s not true. The fact is, you can bring a new product to market profitably in any of the five following industry types: Emerging industries Maturing industries Stagnant or declining industries Fragmented industries Leader - dominated industries And here are some strategy ideas for each industry type . Emerging Industries – they spring up quickly, attracting attention and investment in the