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CRM Guidebook for Businesses
Numbers tell a story
Social Media Guidebook for Brands
Media Lessons On The Road
Spring Cleaning
Photography
Listen To The Music
Location, Location, Location!
The Buying Process
Custom Creative
Understanding Google Analytics
TV Awards Show4Got to Include the Networks
March 12, 2024

Through the years, I’ve shared my professional background in television advertising sales. As a salesperson, I kept a close eye on the annual Emmy Awards. The more awards our shows won, the easier it was to sell commercials to advertisers – plus it was more fun to brag when you represented a network affiliate that won a big haul.

Making the Case4Google
February 19, 2024

It’s one of the most powerful sources of information in the world. One could make the argument that Google is the most influential resource known. Its impact is hard to measure, but the company remains omnipresent.

Working2Acquire Talent
January 16, 2024

We’re actively recruiting for…..”

This is a phrase, or even a buzzword, that c-levelers and human resources management types often toss around without a lot of thought. 

Something2Think About
December 6, 2023

You’re always marketing. There’s no rest. It doesn’t matter if you are a start-up, a tech company, a retailer, a home services expert, or anything else. Whatever you do in business or industry, you’re always marketing yourself.  

Unpopular Take4You
November 13, 2023

Here’s a reality! Not all marketing and advertising concepts are absolutely critical to your business’ growth and development.

Help Right Be4 You
October 11, 2023

Each of us have discovered that people are fascinating. We simply need to take a little time to get to know them and then listen to what they have to say. That’s a big part of the challenge. As leaders we run from a tasks to meetings to challenges to solutions mindset. Unfortunately, it’s all too rare when we sit and just listen to people. 

No Calculators2Help You!
September 13, 2023

It’s been well documented in past B2Seeds that I wasn’t the best math pupil. In fact, I never even made it to high school calculus. It certainly didn’t help that we weren’t allowed to use calculators on tests. I do remember wondering why I had to work out those problems by hand when my calculator could do it for me! 

Yacht Rock4the Win
August 7, 2023

Sometimes you hear a song and realize, hey I know that. Sometimes those songs are for advertising. Maybe it’s a musical branding piece done specifically for a company. Often, it’s a remade song that is newly incorporated into a campaign. 

Hard Questions2Answer
July 14, 2023

When I started this company 14 years ago, Public Relations wasn’t a focal point of our new firm.  Back in those days, we farmed out press releases, press conferences, and even media training. My background was in the television media business, so I was more focused on the advertising side of things in our industry.  

Be4and After
June 12, 2023

Before and After advertising is as old as... well, advertising. I mean, who hasn’t seen an ad for Weight Watchers, and marveled at the Before and After comparisons of this highly effective weight loss program?

Help Right Be4 You
October 11, 2023

Each of us have discovered that people are fascinating. We simply need to take a little time to get to know them and then listen to what they have to say. That’s a big part of the challenge. As leaders we run from a tasks to meetings to challenges to solutions mindset. Unfortunately, it’s all too rare when we sit and just listen to people. 

Pick the Font2Represent
December 8, 2022

So often in business a great deal of time is spent focusing on what we’re writing and that’s important. At the same time, it’s important to evaluate the appearance of what is written. Taking a closer look quietly makes a difference in the way copy is presented.

Something2Think About
November 16, 2022

Recently I learned of a fellow business owner who wanted to start doing some advertising.  His company had been busy for years, but recently his business had slowed down significantly. The phones weren’t ringing. The orders for work had stopped.  Enter the “famine” phase of the feast-famine cycle in commerce.

How to Unplug from Work During the Holiday Season
November 16, 2022

And just like that, the holidays are already here! As you frantically hang the stockings with care or try to meet those 2022 goals before the new year, it's important to slow down this holiday season both in and out of the office. With these simple tips on how to unplug from work during the holidays, you'll be ready to enjoy the full experience of this season.

It’s Hard4Many to Find Talent
September 6, 2022

The headlines are ever-present.  Every day you see a story about how hard it is to find employees.  For a while many thought it was the fault of the stimulus checks or people not wanting to work.  Some leaders in certain industries, point to the slow downs in immigration and access to those who work in professions which are woefully short-handed.

Customer Service2Crow About
August 3, 2022

We read about providing great customer service, but when you’re on the receiving end, man does it feel good.

Improvements4Your Website Today
January 19, 2022

Over the past five years we’ve built nearly 70 websites. Some have been from scratch, but many are conversions of sites that needed updating, a more modern look and feel, or to better reflect the shifting work our client is now doing.

 I remember one in particular where our client insisted over and over that the information on their current (dated) website would simply transfer over to the new design we were doing. No matter how often we asked, we got the same answer. They would not need new copy. When we showed them...

Ask Then Listen
September 15, 2021

About twenty years ago, in a city far from where my agency is located, I learned a valuable life lesson.

Gathered with me in an old room with dated furniture on a cloudy fall day were 12 people who I’d never met prior to that week. A few days before, we went through a tryout of sorts, and that was also a strange experience. I always wanted to...

The Power of the Front Porch
July 14, 2021

Business routines are backwards these days. It used to be I’d build a relationship with someone, then they would become a client. Now, clients decide to trust us to help them and then at some point afterward we begin...

Keyboard Communication
May 18, 2020

Some of us have thrived for years in the environment of the face-to-face meeting. It’s meant we’ve been able to read a room, notice body language, and maybe build rapport with someone based on the photos in their office or by identifying with...

Working2Acquire Talent
January 16, 2024

We’re actively recruiting for…..”

This is a phrase, or even a buzzword, that c-levelers and human resources management types often toss around without a lot of thought. 

Ask Questions2Learn
March 9, 2023

Remember the old saying, “curiosity killed the cat”?  Well, the lack of curiosity has done-in more than a few businesses and leadership teams.  Strong questions make a big impact.

Check Your Work2Improve
February 7, 2023

Mister Starr was my 10th grade geometry teacher. I didn’t do so well in his class. I do, however, remember him clearly reminding our class to “check your work”.  

A Long Line2Wait In
May 6, 2022

We enjoy giving it as a gift to our clients at the holidays.  I also love to meet with clients, and prospects, and potential employees as they drink it.  While I feel like I should enjoy a cuppa joe, the reality is: “I do not drink coffee!”

Ask Then Listen
September 15, 2021

About twenty years ago, in a city far from where my agency is located, I learned a valuable life lesson.

Gathered with me in an old room with dated furniture on a cloudy fall day were 12 people who I’d never met prior to that week. A few days before, we went through a tryout of sorts, and that was also a strange experience. I always wanted to...

Improving on Improving
September 27, 2018

People want to improve.  Well, most people do anyway. They’ll talk the improvement game.  They’ll go to conferences.  They’ll read those books.  Most will target a...

Bench Strength
November 20, 2017

On the first night of November (which did seem weird), the Houston Astros captured their first-ever baseball World Series Championship. Just four years ago they were the laughingstock of the baseball world and had lost over 100 games – a near record for futility.

Pull Over and Take a Big Whiff
September 20, 2017

In the marketing world, we tend to be heavily focused on the next month, quarter, or year.

Kindness Counts
April 20, 2017

I will often judge how much we’ll enjoy an act at The Spot based on one natural interaction: I watch how the artist treats our magical, kind, and helpful sound engineer, Travis. If they care for him and treat him well, their performances are almost always extra enjoyable.

Value Your Value
June 20, 2016

B2C Enterprises invests over a million dollars in media most years, while at the same time, interacting with salespeople from at least seven states. That’s a lot of business transactions and a lot of sales appointments.

Storytime is Worth the Time
April 20, 2016

Use someone else’s informative and entertaining story until you create your own to share. I did this when I was younger and I also did it seven years ago when I started my advertising agency.

You Can’t Fake Sincerity
March 20, 2016

They’ve ruined the process for many. Certainly they’ve made a lot of work for those who genuinely do put their prospects' best interests first. Typically when a salesperson walks through the door, the potential client leans to the position of distrust. It may be unfortunate, but it’s generally the case.

Step it Up
February 20, 2016


You get in and settle into your job and before you know it, the realization hits there are lots of other things that need to get done.

A Little Love Goes a Long Way
January 20, 2016

It's basketball season and I love basketball – more than most anything. So it’s a good time to write about basketball.

Gambling on (or for) Productivity
February 20, 2015

However, March of every year brings one specific activity that breaks this pattern. They are called "Brackets".

Cutting Through the Clutter
December 11, 2020

Every market has one of these types. Here in the Roanoke-Lynchburg television market, where our marketing firm is based, we are lucky enough to have two.

I’m talking about car dealers with terrible commercial campaigns.

No, it isn’t limited to just automotive marketing, but these guys are the...

Filling the Gap
November 16, 2020

For the past decade, I’ve noticed something that seemed kind of odd to me initially. Over time, I continued seeing this pattern and I figured it was time I identified it.

Some of the smartest people I know own companies, invent products, or find a better way to accomplish a goal. They are brilliant at what they do and have built a product or service based on some sort of genius technological solution. The work they do takes...

New Challenges Call for New Solutions
October 6, 2020

Years ago, I wrote about the value of “going where the eyeballs are” when it comes to advertising. It’s an age-old axiom, but as you evaluate your place in the business community, it’s one that deserves a little closer examination. If you have...

Observe and Improve
August 26, 2020

Over the years people have asked me how I decide what to write about in our monthly columns. Often it is noticing something basic and then pondering how it fits into marketing or business operations.

I have a teenager, which means I have to deal with the constant cycle of updating, repairing, and replacing of mobile phones. My normally sure-handed young man occasionally drops his...

Creating a Connection
July 24, 2020

My friend Bill from Toledo told me a story once and it has stayed with me for more than twenty years.

At the time, he was in broadcast television commercial production and, as a Black man living in America, he had a very different perspective than I did. He recalled being a kid in the early 70’s watching television and seeing...

Location, Location, Location
February 26, 2020

In real estate there’s an old saying: only three things matter – location, location, location. It’s funny how that same adage has an application in the...

Filling the Field
December 19, 2019

Football teams have evolved their rosters through the years – just like baseball teams did years before. You have short yardage runners, nickel backs, receivers who only play on third downs, and kickers who are especially talented at...

Adding Value with Consistent Messaging
November 12, 2019

I’ve said it so many times lately – mostly as a sort of a preparation for what is to come for our prospective new clients. The more marketing you do, the more there is...

Quantifying Your Marketing Activity
October 17, 2019

It’s an observation and it isn’t the case in every circumstance. For more than two decades I managed sales departments in the...

Invisible Ads and You
September 17, 2019

I’m convinced some ads are invisible. Well, they certainly take up space or air, but they get skipped or ignored more than...

Closed to Open
August 21, 2019

Way back in the olden days, the proverbial shot of the storekeeper with a broom at his front step, apron tied around his waist, seemed to be...

Capturing the Moment
July 17, 2019

Galaxys, iPhones, Google Pixels, and the sort produce so many great memories. After all, without them, how would...

Market Then Educate
June 11, 2019

My Dad calls them “destructions”. You know – the printed papers that come with most electronic items or things that need to be put together. Detailed explanations of...

Planning for the Future
May 15, 2019

There’s a new brewery in downtown Roanoke. In fact, there are like six new breweries in our hip, small city. We’re the up-and-coming craft brewing mecca of the east coast with...

Appetite for Success
March 14, 2019

For years now, my creative team has been inserting clever images or photographs into...

TV Awards Show4Got to Include the Networks
March 12, 2024

Through the years, I’ve shared my professional background in television advertising sales. As a salesperson, I kept a close eye on the annual Emmy Awards. The more awards our shows won, the easier it was to sell commercials to advertisers – plus it was more fun to brag when you represented a network affiliate that won a big haul.

People Like2Buy from People They Know
April 4, 2023

If you’ve ever looked at the sales process then you already know that people buy from people they know and trust.  If you haven’t thought about it, now is a good time to consider what I call the “headwinds” in the sales process. 

Looking For the One?
February 13, 2023

We get it. It’s a big commitment. You don’t want to invest all your time just to get hurt again. You want someone who listens and communicates, someone who supports your growth and grows with you, and most importantly, someone you can trust.

5 Ways Content Marketing Helps Convert Leads
October 10, 2022

What’s Content Marketing? Simply put, Content Marketing is the foundation for an entire marketing and communication strategy. Content Marketing can help your website rank on search engines, position you as a subject matter expert, build your stakeholder list and engagement level, and nurture...

Short-Term4Casts
June 30, 2022

Fear is a powerful motivator.

That’s a commonly shared saying that struck close to me a few springs ago in March of 2020. We rebranded our decade old marketing and advertising firm.  

The Long Game2Play
June 14, 2022

It came up yet again in a recent leadership meeting at the agency.  

One of our Directors joked that in advertising – patience is a virtue.  It’s just like real life and that long-shared saying applies to the marketing world too.

Best Out-of-Office Responders
May 6, 2022

Anyone with today’s technology can send an email anywhere, at any time. But you’re not just anyone – you’re a hard-working someone who is going on vacation this summer, and your eyes could use a break from your digital mailbox. Before you trade in your laptop for your flip flops, there’s one vital and innovative mechanism you absolutely must remember to activate before you take to the skies: your email’s autoresponder!

Wind4Lift
April 13, 2022

So many of our clients are using marketing and advertising to support their sales process.  Marketing and sales typically go hand in hand and, in fact, many companies have combined those departments.  When we engage our clients in an advertising program, it is often to help them with “direct response” results.

Inspiration4You
March 14, 2022

While it seems like it was just yesterday, I remember back in the ‘80s when my workplace was decorated with those motivational posters featuring a beautiful photograph and a strong statement intended to lift the spirits and inspire everyone. I bet you’ve seen those, too.

Attracting New Employees with a Powerful Website
March 4, 2022

Your business website is designed with your customer in mind. But have you also considered the possible jobhunters who will navigate your website?

It Happens Way2Frequently
February 22, 2022

You’re pretty careful not to hand your car keys to just anyone, right? I mean, sure – a valet, the guy at the car wash, your spouse – to those folks you’ll toss ‘em and take your chances. Your teenager? That may be a different question. How about someone you don’t know very well? Not likely. 

12 Bad Marketing Tips (by the Marketing Monsters)
December 1, 2021

When it comes to marketing for your business, monsters aren't the best advice-givers. In fact, their insights are quite terrible! When our monster-handling team at 5Points Creative heard about the Marketing Monster's "12 Holiday Marketing Mayhem Tips", we had to...

Solutions for Specific Audiences
November 15, 2021

Kitchens in the ’70s and ’80s had this appliance. It was a hit in suburban households for decades and an omnipresent part of the home back in the olden days.

How do most of us get along without the Trash Compactor now? It’s hard to say, but it’s been decades since the average home has been built with one of these contraptions – at least as far as I know anyway. Back then, the homeowner would...

Carved in Stone
October 15, 2021

A budget is a plan.

That’s all it should be.

Let’s be honest at the start of 2020 people were not calculating how to incorporate the adjustment that would come from a worldwide pandemic. No matter what type of industry in which you operate, there were far-reaching ramifications and everyone had to adjust. The budget situates you for success, growth, and should allow you to figure...

Zoom Fatigue
August 26, 2021

From all accounts, Zoom calls are going to remain a part of the business day.

For years companies ran WebEx, Teams, and other video conference meetings, but it wasn’t until 2020 that we all started playing in that arena on a regular (read: daily, or even hourly) basis. That shift was startling to many...

Something2Think About
December 6, 2023

You’re always marketing. There’s no rest. It doesn’t matter if you are a start-up, a tech company, a retailer, a home services expert, or anything else. Whatever you do in business or industry, you’re always marketing yourself.  

No Calculators2Help You!
September 13, 2023

It’s been well documented in past B2Seeds that I wasn’t the best math pupil. In fact, I never even made it to high school calculus. It certainly didn’t help that we weren’t allowed to use calculators on tests. I do remember wondering why I had to work out those problems by hand when my calculator could do it for me! 

Hard Questions2Answer
July 14, 2023

When I started this company 14 years ago, Public Relations wasn’t a focal point of our new firm.  Back in those days, we farmed out press releases, press conferences, and even media training. My background was in the television media business, so I was more focused on the advertising side of things in our industry.  

A Fun Title2Catch Your Eye
January 13, 2023

Some of the best ideas are stolen (may I more politely say borrowed). 

Over 30 years ago I was a TV sales manager who called on business and ad agencies in Michigan. One agency founder had a fun title on his card, and I remembered that.  Fifteen years or so later, when I started my company, I decided I wanted to have some fun with our titles, as well.  Internally we all know what we do, but externally, we like to poke a little fun at the formal titles and let our experience and sunny outlook shape the language that distinguishes us.

Improvements4Your Website Today
January 19, 2022

Over the past five years we’ve built nearly 70 websites. Some have been from scratch, but many are conversions of sites that needed updating, a more modern look and feel, or to better reflect the shifting work our client is now doing.

 I remember one in particular where our client insisted over and over that the information on their current (dated) website would simply transfer over to the new design we were doing. No matter how often we asked, we got the same answer. They would not need new copy. When we showed them...

Carved in Stone
October 15, 2021

A budget is a plan.

That’s all it should be.

Let’s be honest at the start of 2020 people were not calculating how to incorporate the adjustment that would come from a worldwide pandemic. No matter what type of industry in which you operate, there were far-reaching ramifications and everyone had to adjust. The budget situates you for success, growth, and should allow you to figure...

Zoom Fatigue
August 26, 2021

From all accounts, Zoom calls are going to remain a part of the business day.

For years companies ran WebEx, Teams, and other video conference meetings, but it wasn’t until 2020 that we all started playing in that arena on a regular (read: daily, or even hourly) basis. That shift was startling to many...

Feet on the Ground, Head in the Clouds
June 16, 2021

Late last year something happened in my business’ sales cycle and it got me thinking.

To support another organization, I placed a call to a friend of mine whom I had known for about a dozen years.  In the course of the conversation about this other topic, he asked me about marketing and advertising.  He wondered how we help clients...

Leaving it to the Pros
May 18, 2021

The year was 2003 and sequels were all the rage – The Lord of the Rings, Matrix, and Terminator movie series were topping the box office.  Speaking of Terminators, it was that year that Arnold Schwarzenegger became California’s Governor too.  The government was...

Changing with the Times
January 13, 2021

While I can’t remember every single detail, I do clearly recall that years ago, a friend of mine – Brett Winter Lemon, was showing me his iPhone on Kirk Avenue in Downtown Roanoke. It was spring. We were outside. He excitedly started...

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