Hopkins said advertising is salesmanship. A coach called the problem commission breath. A face to face test you can run on any post or web page.
Neil Martin · Beats, Business & Life
Business
The best coworker you know doesn’t need to be asked
Sierra’s AI teammate stays quiet most of the time, then speaks up with a fix. What a good AI colleague looks like for a small team.
Do More Than They Asked For and the Money Tends to Follow
Lessons from my 2019 summit on surprising customers, and on asking for proper money once you’ve solved their actual problem.
You can only save money once
Most businesses use AI to do the same work cheaper. Mintel’s Jason Thomson thinks that’s the least interesting thing it can do.
Done Beats Perfect, So Start Scared
Fear and self-doubt never really leave. The people I interviewed who got results shipped the first version anyway and fixed it as they went.
Your next customer might be a robot
Microsoft’s research says nearly 60% of US shoppers are ready to let an AI agent shop for them. How to be the business an agent picks.
The trick is being lazy
A self-confessed disorganised CEO got her AI to build its own filing system. Why that’s my next step, and what it could mean for you.
Your friend didn’t check your backlinks
When AI recommends a business, it now judges like a friend giving advice. Why your reputation is what gets you recommended.
Show People Your Scars, Once They’ve Healed
Being honest about your flaws builds more trust than polish ever will, as long as you share the stories you’ve already made peace with.
Don’t use AI to make the ad
Oddbox used AI to work out why an ad flopped, then a human found the fix. A better use of AI for anyone running ads.
The AI conference website went down. I built an app anyway.
The AI conference website went down and bits of the demos wobbled. I vibe coded a prototype app in the room anyway. Done beats perfect.
Marketing starts the conversation
The purpose of marketing is to start a conversation. Why selling too early creates friction, the five jobs marketing really does, and why satisfaction equals experience minus expectation.
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About
Hi, I’m Neil
DJing since 1987, three decades in business, and the author of Done Beats Perfect. This is where I write it all down.