Marketing Archives - Catherine Johns

Start Spreading the Word

Start Spreading the Word. Yes, it’s cold-and-flu season, as those online pop-ups and TV commercials remind us incessantly about coughing-sneezing-and-runny-noses. We’re talking a different kind of sneezing here. The kind of sneezing that gets you clients. Or gets you promoted. Or gets you elected. This sneezing is about spreading your “ideavirus.” The concept comes from marketing expert Seth Godin, who says it’s way past time to stop simply spewing our messages at people. Instead, we should be sharing our best ideas with people.

Catherine Johns | Feb 4, 2026

A young woman with curly hair looks worried as she covers her mouth with a tissue, her eyes wide with concern.

Business Communication, Marketing

How Fascinating Do You Feel?

How Fascinating Do You Feel – Maybe you’ve wished you were different in some way—more artistic, more athletic, more adept at small talk. It’s a long list of characteristics we might wish to change about ourselves. Some of them we can change. And some seem to be … just the way we are. Listening to clients lately, I’ve heard some frustration about the way they are. I can help them make some changes, of course. I also intend to help them be more satisfied with who they are.

Catherine Johns | Sep 11, 2024

photo of apple, bumch of bananas, an orange and a desk chair on white background

Business Communication, Marketing, Networking

Turn the Lens Around

Turn the lens around. It’s a tough task for job-seekers. And independent professionals seeking clients. And sales people hoping to create new customer relationships. In short, just about anyone in any business runs into the challenge of talking about themselves … while putting their focus on somebody else. The idea is to speak about the people you before yoou launch into how perfect you are for the job. In other words, frame their description of their own value in the context of what a potential employer needs. The way to do that is to talk about the people you serve first. And then, when they’ve established that you “get” those people, describe the value you would bring to the organization.

Catherine Johns | Feb 21, 2024

Business Communication, Marketing

The Downside of Difference and the Bigger Benefit

The Downside of Difference and the Bigger Benefit: You know how sometimes you have a chance to walk your talk … and it feels like walking the plank? Maybe you were with me last week for a robust discussion of mass lay-offs, badly handled. It generated considerable response.
There was this from one reader: “I hope some HR folks are on your mailing list. You should pitch this to the HR publications. Excellent article!” And then there was this, from a reader who actually is in Human Resources: “You just lost a listener, who up to now valued and shared your insights, when you referred to the HR person as the Angel of Death. I am insulted by your generalization of HR as a profession.” Huh. Interesting.

Catherine Johns | Feb 8, 2023

Business Communication, Marketing

It’s Better to Stand Out Than Fit In

It’s better to stand out than fit in. Remember those word puzzles we used to do when we were kids? They’d give you a list of items like “Apple … Orange … Chair … Banana.” And then ask, “Which one of these is not like the others?” It’s pretty obvious the chair is the one that doesn’t fit into the fruit bowl, isn’t it? Here’s the thing. I always identified with that chair. I didn’t fit into the fruit bowl either. The sad part is that I believed that was a bad thing. If only I could be cherries, instead of a chair … then I could belong with the apple, orange, and banana.
Not just as a child, but well into adulthood, I often felt like a misfit. And just as often, I felt sad about being not quite like the others. Maybe you can relate? There’s a lot to be said for fitting in, and those of us who don’t, exactly, can wind up wondering what’s wrong with us.

Catherine Johns | Jan 18, 2023