Picking a legible typeface is just plain common sense, right? If you want a client to earnestly read, word for word, a two-page cover letter, then you're going to make sure that the chosen typeface is getting out of the way, doing nothing to impair your client's ability to grasp your finely honed pitch. While … Continue reading Proof that you should pick a legible typeface
Tag: psychology
The benefits of conducting “premortems” for new business pursuits
Those who work in the A/E/C space know about about the postmortem (or debrief): a glum meeting where the pursuit team attempts to hash out the reasons we didn't win a project. When the client is willing, we get to actually have the meeting with the client and quiz them on our failure. (As useful … Continue reading The benefits of conducting “premortems” for new business pursuits
If interviews don’t work, shouldn’t we get rid of them?
In my role as an A/E/C marketer, one of my responsibilities is to help teams prepare for project interviews—even though clients would probably be better served by not conducting them at all. In fact, research has shown interviews to be a poor barometer for actual on-the-job performance. In fact, clients would be better served avoiding … Continue reading If interviews don’t work, shouldn’t we get rid of them?
Don’t forget about your future self
Sometimes—well, every day in fact—I do something that affects my future self. Sometimes, these things are small and rather straightforward, like leaving dirty dishes in the sink for "future me" to deal with the next day. Big deal! I think. That guy can handle it. But other times, these things are not so straightforward; they … Continue reading Don’t forget about your future self
Playing the “gaze game”
In his excellent book Subliminal, Leonard Mlodinow discusses a common and not-often-commented-upon element of all in-person social interactions—what he refers to as the "gaze game." We automatically adjust the amount of time we spend looking into another's eyes as a function of our relative social position, and we typically do it without being aware that … Continue reading Playing the “gaze game”
How to make difficult decisions easier with the Six Thinking Hats
Do we want to buy this house? My wife faced this question over and over again on our house hunt last year. No surprise there, exactly. What was surprising was how quickly we needed to answer that question. The speedy Denver market allowed little, if any, time for reflection. A desirable house would appear on … Continue reading How to make difficult decisions easier with the Six Thinking Hats
Taylor Coe 