my blue goose: Recycled 747 Plane Becomes House - 06/30/08 08:14 AM
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Just as I was sitting back in my office and checking out some of the newest real estate news and winding down for the weekend, I came across a Yahoo video about a new home being built in California. Francie Rehwald has a dream that is … (3 comments)
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my blue goose: Aren't We All Storytellers? - 05/13/08 04:23 PM
We forget sometimes that we are all storytellers. Even the products we are selling (your houses) tell stories. It's human nature to feel at ease when we listen to story. There is nothing better then when Evan, my 18-month-old son, grabs a book and turns around and backs up which is … (3 comments)
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my blue goose: When A New Agent Finds Himself - 04/21/08 01:05 PM
In a manner of speaking, Mike Lefebvre has found himself. A short six months ago Mike entered into a very fickle real estate industry as a rookie real estate agent. I’m certain that some of his colleagues, family and friends told him he was crazy for entering an industry that was … (23 comments)
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my blue goose: Matthew Gosselin, Featured Guest on Real Estate Radio USA - 04/17/08 07:55 AM
Join me on Real Estate Radio USA Monday, April 21 at 5pm EST as I will be the featured guest. I plan on speaking about my book, My Blue Goose, the current state of the market versus agent marketing, and what to expect from my next book, Stand Out, Stick and … (2 comments)
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my blue goose: If You're At One Of These Events, Get My Book For Free! - 03/12/08 06:23 PM
Tis the season for real estate conferences! If you find yourself at the one or both of the following events, be sure to stop by the Xpressdocs booth and ask for me. Mention you saw me on Active Rain and I will get you a free copy of my book My … (1 comments)
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my blue goose: Do Your Socks Match Your Marketing? - 02/25/08 08:37 AM
The year was 2002 in San Francisco, CA when four friends realized that the world was facing a crisis. People were wearing the same socks; white, black and gray. Most people stick to these colors simply because they know they eventually lose one.
So the Little Mismatched Company was formed. With … (7 comments)
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my blue goose: Direct Mail Idea #11: Never Forget A Call To Action - 02/19/08 12:03 PM
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Keeping your targets from saying “So What?” after they finish reading one of your postcards is easy. Give them something to do. As important as it is to include your phone number, website and email address, give them something to do if they are truly interested in … (10 comments)
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my blue goose: Blog of Geese Lands In Texas - 01/28/08 10:02 AM
For those of you who read Blog of Geese on a regular basis, you know me as the author of My Blue Goose, Exploiting The Wow Factor in Real Estate Marketing. What many of you don’t know is that I work for a company called Xpressdocs, based out of Fort Worth, … (6 comments)
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my blue goose: The Math of Marketing Harmony - 01/22/08 09:30 PM
There are big brands like Disney, Coke, Wal-Mart. Then there are small brands which is the same category you as individual real estate agents fall in.
Large or small, everyone is after the same thing. It’s called marketing harmony. It is the pinnacle that a company reaches when everything just … (20 comments)
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my blue goose: Speak The Jargon - 01/21/08 10:56 AM
When I go to Dunkin Donuts I ask for an iced coffee with extra extra.
When I am working with a printer, I ask if they want their files in EPS and converted to outlines
While getting a haircut I tell them I want a 2 on the sides
All of … (2 comments)
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my blue goose: Becoming Part of The Culture - 01/17/08 11:33 PM
A few years ago I was fortunate enough to meet a successful real estate professional who made his office the golf course. It was in Rhode Island which hosts many privately-held golf courses. I promised him I would never use his name but would talk about him often. As he put … (20 comments)
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my blue goose: Kindle Me Kindly - 01/06/08 07:19 PM
I got an email from a reader who purchased My Blue Goose, Exploiting The Wow Factor In Real Estate Marketing, from his Kindle, Amazon’s latest and greatest piece of technology. This may be the first person to do so and it is exciting to represent a new era in publishing.
At … (0 comments)
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my blue goose: No More Excuses - 01/01/08 08:01 PM
I had a professor in college who’s email used to be noexcuses@aol.com. He didn’t want to hear them. None at all. If you didn’t do something that was your fault. “Own that fault” he sometimes said.
I hear a lot of excuses from agents when I am on the road. … (5 comments)
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my blue goose: Change Your Packaging - 12/31/07 02:15 PM
Pancakes have been around, seemingly, forever. So how could they ever get any better?
For one, the packaging could change. Pancakes are commonly a weekend food because of the length in time of preparation, unless of course you are fine with the frozen pancake thing.
One company has created a new … (5 comments)
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my blue goose: Change Is Good, Goodbye 2007 - 12/27/07 03:15 PM
Author’s Note: This is my last post until 2008. I’m astonished and overwhelmed with the attention that my book, My Blue Goose and my blog, Blog of Geese have received since launching. Thank you to each and everyone of you who have read, commented, forwarded and linked my blog posts.
… (0 comments)
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my blue goose: Peas. Twitter. Cancer. - 12/20/07 08:06 PM
Peas. Twitter. Cancer. These three seemingly unrelated items have been brought together in an act of courage and zest by Susan Reynolds. Together they hold a powerful and valuable mission: to bring awareness to breast cancer and to raise money for research.
Susan has captured the power of the Twitter community … (1 comments)
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my blue goose: Two Words For Agents To Focus On in ‘08 - 12/20/07 01:06 PM
Hyperlocal. Def. Not just local but excessively local in subject.
Think of this word when you are planning for your blog and your website. Notice blog came before website in that sentence. There are some great blogs out there that concentrate on subjects that are very local to the area … (3 comments)
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my blue goose: Direct Mail Idea #10: Make Your Mailing Lists Interest-Specific - 12/17/07 09:52 AM
The greatest asset you have in companies like Xpressdocs who allow you to order small numbers of quality, direct mail pieces is that you can target a very select group with special interests. You are only able to take advantage of this if you have your mailings lists sorted accordingly.
… (0 comments)
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my blue goose: What is this video blogging thing all about anyway? - 12/13/07 05:43 PM
I will answer this question and more in the next series of blogs, Video Blogging The REAL Way.
… (4 comments)
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my blue goose: VIDEO: Boston is Getting A Foot of Snow. Watch It Here! - 12/13/07 01:29 PM
Bad weather right now in Boston. How does weather affect your real estate sales?
… (0 comments)
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my blue goose: The Holidays Hit Yankee Candle Where It Hurts - 12/10/07 02:56 PM
On Yankee Candle's website they have a disclaimer that due to their high volume of orders this year they will be unable to process more orders on time to get to the destination before Christmas. This was posted a week ago. It amazes that a company like this can make … (9 comments)
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my blue goose: Tis The Season For Customer Service - 12/08/07 02:03 PM
I had two opposite experiences with customer service today.
Experience #1
I walked into the ever-busy Quincy, MA Post Office today. There are two lines in this post office. One for the USPS Store and one for the tellers. It is a little known secret that you can mail packages from … (6 comments)
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my blue goose: Creating Loyalty Among Homeowners - 12/07/07 08:36 PM
We should all be trying to create customer loyalty, right? This means communicating to your group on a regular basis. We all know this and we all know the benefits of doing so. Whether or not we actually do it is another story.
Putting that aside we need to look at … (0 comments)
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my blue goose: Tiny URL - 12/06/07 09:43 AM
There are so many great web tools that serve a small but important purpose. TINY URL is one of those sites.
How often have you wanted to send a link to a homeowner that is way too lengthy? Maybe it looks like this:
http://homes.realtor.com/search/listingdetail.aspx?ctid=10153&mnp=23&mxp=22&bd=2&bth=2&typ=2&sid=ff4c96fa010b4555b08a5a263fce11ce&sdir=0&sby=2&lid=1091418195&lsn=10&srcnt=30#Detail
Through tiny URL, that same site … (3 comments)
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my blue goose: Should Open Houses Be A Thing Of The Past - 12/05/07 09:18 AM
Dan Forbes, an Active Rain member has opened up a great debate about the effectiveness of the open house. Check out the post HERE
Here is my comment:
In the right context an open house can be a great tool. I think that is the biggest mistake agents are making. We … (9 comments)
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my blue goose: Direct Mail Idea #9: Provide As Much Information As Possible - 12/05/07 07:36 AM
I’ve heard about 200 agents this year alone tell me that they will never give out the address or price of a home on their property marketing. Their rationale is that if they do, there is no reason for a homeowner to go to them directly if they are interested.
… (1 comments)
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my blue goose: Direct Mail Idea #8: Make It Convenient - 12/03/07 05:27 PM
A survey conducted by the USPS tells us that 76% of respondents will take action on your direct mail only when it is convenient for them to do so.
Are you giving your readers a place where they can go to view more information about local and national market statistics on … (3 comments)
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my blue goose: Direct Mail Idea #7: Be consistent - 12/03/07 12:57 PM
If you aren’t mailing out to your blue list at least six times a year, don’t bother. Phyllis Peznik, Director of Sales for a NYC real estate company says that the secret to real estate success is “constant contact with the buyer and seller.”
Why? A Mayflower Transit study tells … (4 comments)
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my blue goose: "I Hate Technology..." - 12/03/07 12:33 PM
...Ruth said to me as I finished up a presentation to a group of real estate agents in Pennsylvania. Ruth is a 36-year veteran of the industry and used to believe that computers represent an end to a personable real estate experience.
“I dislike computers so much that I pay … (8 comments)
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my blue goose: Get Me A 6%+ Response Rate On My Direct Mail! - 12/03/07 10:07 AM
Direct mail is an interesting business. It has proven effective time and time again yet according to Borrell Associates only 16% of all real estate agents use it. For the ones who use direct mail on a regular basis this is good news. It means you don’t have as much clutter … (7 comments)
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my blue goose: Send Them A Ball! Huh? - 11/30/07 08:21 AM
If you are looking for a very unique and maybe odd closing gift, Visit SendaBall.com. They will customize and mail an inflated ball to anyone you choose for $19.99. "HAVE A BALL! ENJOY YOUR NEW HOME!" … (6 comments)
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my blue goose: Direct Mail Idea #6-Email Follow-up - 11/30/07 08:03 AM
Direct Mail Idea #6: Follow up with an email
In the sales world, everyone expects a follow-up. Let’s face it, as consumers we need constant reminders even when it is about something we are involved with. Any time you send out a direct mail piece, pick your top 50 most important … (4 comments)
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my blue goose: Word of Mouse - 11/28/07 02:45 PM
Over and over we have heard how important it is to generate positive word of mouth advertising about our business. We have also been told that bad news travels faster and to larger audiences.
In this day and age, news travels in a viral fashion much like a disease through … (0 comments)
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my blue goose: Brokers Face An Uncertain Future - 11/28/07 08:19 AM
On page 45 in Seth Godin's new book,Meatball Sundae , he says "I could talk about how the millions of full- and part-time real estate brokers are facing an uncertain future."
Does this scare anyone else? It shouldn't. We should be excited about this as long as we are willing to … (1 comments)
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my blue goose: You Asked...I'm Giving Out My Cell # - 11/27/07 10:36 PM
In an attempt to become more transparent to my readers I have decided to courageously give out my cell number for those of you who may have questions about my book, what I am working on, new ideas for the next book (stay tuned!) etc. The only thing I ask is … (2 comments)
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my blue goose: Direct Mail Idea #5: The Consumer Wants to Know What Is In It For Them - 11/12/07 06:38 PM
If your message doesn’t hold value to the person who is receiving it, don’t bother wasting your money. More than ever consumers need to know that there is something geared to them, some sort or payoff to take a look at your direct mail piece.
This is great news for you! … (7 comments)
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my blue goose: What Happens In Vegas (at the NAR conference)...I'll Tell You About - 11/12/07 02:00 PM
If you are one of the many who have emailed me and said "wish I could be there." Listen up! Now you can be!
Log on to Blog of Geese, my blog, and scroll down to the sidebar on the right side. The area is titled "Matt On The Run" and … (5 comments)
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my blue goose: The Ultimate Agent Tool Belt - 11/07/07 06:11 PM
Get ready for the most innovative, useful and must-have tools for your real estate business. Here is a great list of tools to give you that blue goose factor we have all been talking about.
Pixenate.com
Agents take a lot of photos and as you know they don’t … (11 comments)
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my blue goose: The REAL DEAL Review of My Blue Goose - 11/07/07 08:59 AM
The Real Deal, the leading New York City real estate magazine has reviewed my book, My Blue Goose, Exploiting The Wow Factor in Real Estate Marketing. Check it out HERE
… (3 comments)
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my blue goose: I'm IN VEGAS at the NAR conference (well, I will be soon) - 11/06/07 09:50 PM
If you didn't see my earlier blog, I want to make sure you stop and see me at my location at the NAR Conference. Introduce yourself at the Xpressdocs booth. I want to know who you are, why you are in the real estate industry, what you have done differently. I'm … (2 comments)
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my blue goose: Meatball Sundae - 11/06/07 09:19 AM
Please click here to view this blog. For some reason Active Rain wasn't posting this article correctly. … (1 comments)
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my blue goose: Damaging Your Business One Recipe Card At A Time - 10/30/07 11:32 AM
After writing the title I figured I had just about said it all. “But Why?” Some of you may say. Others will get defensive and tell me that they have been sending them for years and their clients love them. In fact they look for them in the mail. I even … (11 comments)
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my blue goose: Direct Mail Idea #4: The Consumer Wants Their Message Customized - 10/30/07 09:20 AM
Direct Mail Idea #4: The Consumer Wants Their Message Customized
A survey conducted by the USPS tells us that 43% of consumers want their marketing to be personalized and customized.
It has never been more important to sort your blue lists into a number of different categories; sort by buying … (2 comments)
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my blue goose: Where Agents Spend Their Money - 10/29/07 09:37 AM
Our friends at Xpressdocs have come out with an impressive survey that shows us where the top 100 real estate professionals that use their system spend their marketing dollars. Some conclusions from the survey include:
Agents spend at least 10-15% of their gross commissions on marketing
100% … (7 comments)
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my blue goose: When Race Matters - 10/24/07 10:10 AM
To Managers and Brokers of Real Estate Offices:
It’s time we had a talk. I have been doing some thinking and have some questions to ask.
1. As a company, what are we doing to market to people of different ethnic backgrounds?
2. Can all of our legal … (6 comments)
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my blue goose: There Are Too Many Agents Here - 10/23/07 07:54 PM
Here are the facts. Over the last couple of years we have seen a decrease in the number of transactions and an increase in agents. Below is a graph charting the increase of agents versus the decrease of transactions. All of the numbers are as reported by NAR. It shows that … (13 comments)
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my blue goose: 7 Tips To Get An Audience To READ Your Blog - 10/17/07 09:19 AM
7 Tips To Get An Audience To READ Your Blog
Real Estate Tomato, always a great real estate marketing source, gives us 7 great blogging must-haves that we should all probably post on the side of our computers. These represent the absolute basics to making sure your blog is read and … (2 comments)
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my blue goose: Should I Yell Or Whisper About My Price Changes? - 10/06/07 05:01 PM
Dilemma, Dilemma. What a hot topic this has become over the last few years as we have seen the marketplace slow. On the one hand agents are afraid that if they tell the public that a home has been reduced, it may indicate their failure of selling the home. The other … (5 comments)
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my blue goose: My Blue Goose Book UPDATE - 10/05/07 07:50 AM
My Blue Goose is flying along through the print process although it has been slightly slower than I would like. Due to my attempt at making this book a 'green' book, printing was slowed a little. Still, November 1st seems to be the ship date. So all of you have … (1 comments)
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my blue goose: Websites: If You Build It Will They Come? - 10/01/07 08:26 AM
Excerpt From My Blue Goose Exploiting The Wow Factor In Real Estate Marketing
As promised, the following link will bring you to an excerpt from my book My Blue Goose about building your real estate website.
Remember, for a limited time shipping is free for all pre-orders.
The book is … (5 comments)
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my blue goose: Come See Me At The NAR Conference in Vegas - 09/29/07 08:25 AM
I just wanted to let everyone know that I will be attending the NAR Conference in Las Vegas from Nov. 13-16. Be sure to stop by the Xpressdocs booth to say hi and to get a copy of my book, My Blue Goose, Exploiting The Wow Factor In Real Estate Marketing. … (4 comments)
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my blue goose: 5 Ways To Beat Up Your Homeowner (with good service) - 09/27/07 08:47 PM
5 Ways To Beat Up Your Homeowner (with good service)
Matthew S. Gosselin, Author of My Blue Goose
MyBlueGoose.com
Let’s face it. Homeowners can be disgruntled. Especially in markets when homes don’t sell as fast as they used to. Many of them will assume that the problem is with their real estate agent. Some … (1 comments)
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my blue goose: The End Is Near: 100 Days - 09/18/07 07:59 AM
Author's Note: This won't post on my own blog blogofgeese.com for a few more days. I thought I would give Active Rainers a chance to see it first. Enjoy.By Matthew S. Gosselin, Author of My Blue Goose-www.MyBlueGoose.com-Only 100 days until the end of the year. There is no better time to … (0 comments)
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my blue goose: Hopeless In Times Square - 09/18/07 07:44 AM
Hopeless In Times Square
By Matthew S. Gosselin, Author of My Blue Goose
I’m sitting here eating breakfast and staring out into Times Square. Once you get past the initial awe of the street, the commotion and the billboards, it is easy as an advertiser, to feel a sense of hopelessness. Sean John, … (1 comments)
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my blue goose: Real Agents Drink Starbucks - 09/09/07 07:33 PM
This is a quick one. I am writing a new article and need your help with an analogy. Just a simple yes or no would do but feel free to comment.I love Starbucks. Although, I'm not so much of a junkie to use their lingo of tall, grande, or vente. I … (20 comments)
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my blue goose: Good News About My Blue Goose! - 09/08/07 11:30 AM
Great news about the book My Blue Goose, Exploiting The Wow Factor in Real Estate Marketing. From now until October 1st, you can pre-order the book with NO SHIPPING CHARGES! The book sells for $21.95 and can be found at www.MyBlueGoose.com."Every serious real estate agent should keep My Blue Goose nearby."Barbara … (1 comments)
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my blue goose: Why R.E. Agents Suck - 09/04/07 12:52 PM
By Matthew S. Gosselin, Author of My Blue Goose
If any of you are in the Orlando area, you may have seen the following posted in the real estate section of the Orlando Sentinel.
“I’m ticked off at Realtors. I ask you why you don’t show my house that is for sale by … (19 comments)
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my blue goose: August 15th: Thoughts of Blue - 08/30/07 10:19 AM
I started to write an article titled “Internet versus Print advertising” and realized half-way through writing it that the article had been inaccurate since the title. As we learn more about the strengths of the internet and understand how we can better measure print advertising, we learn that it is a … (5 comments)
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my blue goose: Get The Word Out! - 08/27/07 01:12 PM
8 Ways to Get the Marketing Word Outby Matthew S. Gosselin"Setting A Sale Price in a Slow Market," (New York Times).
"Bubble, Bubble, Housing Market is in Trouble," (USA Today).
"Home Sales Plummet 21%" (Boston Globe).
You don't have to pick up too many newspapers or watch a lot of television to learn that … (4 comments)
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my blue goose: Create Content That Your Audience Will Actually Read - 08/27/07 01:09 PM
Create Content That Your Audience Will Actually Read
By Matthew S. Gosselin, Author of My Blue Goose
“It's no longer just enough for people to believe that your product (your services) does what it says on the label. They want to believe in you and what you do. And they'll go elsewhere if … (3 comments)
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