"Never use a fancy word when a simple one will do"

That’s the bottom line of “Why Jargon Feeds on Lazy Minds” by Scott Berkun. Moreover, he warns, “Pay attention to who uses the most jargon: it’s never the brightest. It’s those who want to be perceived as the best and the brightest, something they know they are not.” Berkun offers a list of management jargon […]

"Thought Leadership: Are You Making It or Faking It?"

Plenty of investment and wealth management firms try to distinguish themselves as so-called “thought leaders.” Many will fail. “Thought Leadership: Are You Making It or Faking It?” by Fiona Czerniawska says that clients seek: 1. Something relevant to challenges they face 2. Something new and different 3. Something that is supported by hard evidence – […]

"Relevant and useful content earns trust. And trust sells."

“Relevant and useful content earns trust. And trust sells.” I love this tag line from Bob Leonard’s Bolen Communications. It reminded me of why newsletters are so powerful. Why? Because newsletters that convey a sense of who you are–and that provide relevant and useful content–build trust. And trust sells, just as Bob Leonard says in […]

Optimism watch: "Could Bear Talk Be a Contrary Signal?"

“Doing the reverse of the crowd has often worked well,” as New York Times columnist Floyd Norris points out in “Could Bear Talk Be a Contrary Signal?“ So the fact that consumers feel unusually gloomy about the stock market, according to the Conference Board’s latest consumer confidence report, may bode well for stocks. More than […]

Warren Buffett on compliance officer

This is a great quote from Warren Buffett. Everyone must be his own compliance officer. That means everything you do can be put on the front page of the newspaper, and there will be nothing that cannot stand up to scrutiny. Jim Ware of Focus Consulting Group cited this quote in his talk on ethics […]