Ingredients for a successful advertising recipe

New Marketing Article: The Never-Fail Recipe for Ads That Work Like Crazy

Posted: 23 Jul 2009

From Elizabeth Walker, Duct Tape Marketing: It's always surprising to us to see so many pieces of advertising, especially in print, that don't work. They simply don't contain the ingredients needed to successfully communicate with customers.

If you make a cake, you don't leave out any ingredients, right? Then why leave out an important part of your advertising message?

With a small budget and not a lot of space, many people run so called "business card" ads. The ad consists of the same elements that are on a typical business card: business name (usually a logo), your name, telephone numbers, and address, email address and website. Sometimes a catchy slogan too!

But where's the offer? Where's the call-to-action? Business card ads simply don't do anything but take up space.

Think of your ad as a "salesperson in print." What would happen if your salesperson dropped by a prospect and said, "Hi, I'm Ned from the ABC Company. Here's my phone number and address. Hope you call sometime. Bye!"

Would that work? Nope, and it's the same with ads.

If you want your ad to get results it must contain some key elements. Here's the recipe:

First, make it crystal clear who you are talking to, e.g. "Small Business Owners" or "Sports Enthusiasts" or "Golfers" or whoever your prime target group is  - get their attention by putting this at the top of the ad.

Second, use emotionally strong words to outline a concern, need or frustration this group has that your product or service satisfies, e.g. "Tired of staying up late doing your bookkeeping?" or "Are you worried about data loss, security, viruses, and keeping your network safe from hackers?"

Third, offer a solution: "Our easy-to-use bookkeeping system lets you keep track of your business without losing sleep." Or "We can analyze your computer network, diagnose any problems you are currently having, and look for hidden problems."

Fourth, offer something they can get free or an action they can take immediately with no risk attached â€" go to the web site for a downloadable sample, a report, tips and tricks, or drop by the store for our free checklist.

Fifth, end the message with your contact info: name, phone, fax, email and web address, and, of course, your logo and tagline.

Sixth, have you got a good picture of the product, or something showing the service, or conversely, the situation prospects are facing because they do not have your product or service? Here's a secret: often the most powerful picture is one of you! Now readers can put a face on your company.

There, that was easy wasn't it?

Next time you are putting an ad together for your business, follow the six steps in this order. If you do this, and if your ad appears where your Ideal Clients can find it, you will be communicating your product or service far more effectively than you've ever done, and yes, the phone will ring.

 

From OPEN Forum Articles

 

The motivational aspect of small, tangible achievements

New Managing Article: Tangible Microcosms of Achievement

Posted: 24 Jul 2009

From Scott Belsky, Behance:

There is something deeply gratifying (and motivational) about small, tangible achievements during long-term projects. Whether you are in a client service-based industry like consulting or advertising or if you are involved in a long-term pursuit to develop a new product, we can all benefit from internal short-term projects designed to produce something tangible. These microcosms of achievement provide us with interim rewards that help us maintain focus and momentum for the long term.

One firm that harnesses the rewarding power of tangible achievements is New York agency Brooklyn Brothers.  At the same time as they act as a creative agency serving clients, they also produce Fat Pig Chocolate, PMS vitamins, and a series of children's books. The team at Brooklyn Brothers believes that making a product lends invaluable insights into the life cycle of pushing a product to market. From these internal projects, the agency gains an understanding of the logistics behind developing, executing, and distributing a product, and that knowledge, in turn, gives them an edge on the client side.

And perhaps, in a world stuffed to the gills with digital and virtual products, there is a benefit to creating something tangible that can be held and felt - something entirely physical. At Behance, we were surprised by how much we learned through the process of creating our own line of paper products based on our organizational methodology, the Action Method. The product line forced us to simplify what we do with technology and knowledge. And it has served as a tangible, completed outcome that we can hold in our hands and consider as we undertake massive new projects with no end in sight.

Every team should venture to create something for themselves. If only as a refreshing team development exercise to experience what goes into the pursuit of making ideas happen with full control. The completion of smaller projects provides a sense of reward and confidence that can help you push larger projects through the sometimes demoralizing project plateau. And you also never know if your internal project may shed light on a larger opportunity that you hadn't anticipated. Many successful products such as Twitter and Gmail started out as unofficial side projects.

***This article is adapted from the research and writing of  Scott Belsky and the Behance team. Behance runs the Behance Creative Network, the Action Method project management application, the Creative Jobs List, and develops knowledge, products, and services that help creative professionals make ideas happen.

 

From OPEN Forum Articles

 

Being systematic in 5 steps

Social Media Business Plan in 5 Easy Pieces

Posted: 23 Jun 2009

So social media (Facebook, Twitter, and blogging, for example) is fun; but is it business? If you're wondering, then it's about time to take a step back, breathe deeply, and revisit the fundamentals. Ask yourself some basic questions, like:

Does this this fit into your business? Where is it in the business plan? Does it stand alone, or as part of strategy? Is it good in and of itself, or in business context? How much time (and time is money) and money does it take?

After all, things you do in business have to serve business goals. Right?

Here's how to apply the basic principals of business planning to your social media activities. Start with a plan, then follow it up with plan review, course corrections, and, ultimately, management. Here's how to do that:

1. Set the review schedule

Never do any business planning without a review schedule. What matters is the planning, not just the plan. Your first step should be to set a regular time — the third Thursday of every month, for example — to track your progress towards goals.

Given that we're all just human, we need to have that schedule set up to make this really work for business. Reminders, ticklers, and, if more than just you are involved, commitments from the their people.

2. Set the business objectives

What would social media success look like, for you and your business? Would it be lots of friends, followers, and connections? More web traffic? More blog subscribers? Perhaps you're looking for getting early warning about new trends, or a window into what your customers say about your business?

It's not just social media for its own sake, right? It's a business activity, with a business purpose?

Define the objectives. Don't sweat the writing, the text format, or the tools. It's business, so form follows function. Leave it in draft-easy form as bullet points on your computer, just enough so you can track it later. But get it down so you can review it later.

3. Set specific concrete steps

So how do you achieve those objectives? Think about breaking the longer process down into shorter steps, so you can track those steps and your progress towards goals. Part of the benefit of planning is being able to think through the sequence, and coordinate related tasks.

Setting the steps in order doesn't mean you're necessarily going to follow them, no matter what. The advantage of having a plan, even in the rapidly changing world of social media, is being able to mark how things change as they change, and still keep track of the related steps.

It also helps you pull the plan down into practical reality, avoiding the danger of the blue sky plan with vague good ideas and platitudes, but no real way to track success or failure.

4. Match tasks to owners.

Hint: when you think of what has to be done, do you see the face of the person responsible? Is there a single person responsible? That's what we call ownership, meaning the clear assignment of specific responsibilities to specific people.

Without ownership, the likelihood of implementation goes way down. When it's to be done by a group or a committee, it's just not as likely to be done.

So for twitter, for example, who is responsible for which accounts? Who is doing what searches to find tweets related to those topics? Or in Facebook, who is responsible for page updates, and trolling the web for mentions? Who is doing which blog, and how often?

5. Develop useful metrics.

Planning by itself is not the object, it's the execution that matters; and that means metrics. Measurement. Metrics means specific, concrete numbers so you can track whether you're on plan or not. Avoid generalities, and look to specifics that will speak for themselves. Try to set your objectives in specific numbers.

How to measure results? For social media, it might be followers or connections, but it might also be new clients, presentations, leads, unique visitors to a website, or some other factor you can measure. It will be different for every business, but it will always have a connection to your objectives.

And even if it's just you, the one-person business, you still want metrics. And a dose of realism is a real good idea too. Think about bites you can chew. The good news, though, is that if you follow through with step one above, realism will happen over time.

Ready, set execute!

Having a plan is just the beginning. Review, correct, review, correct: it's called steering. With this social media plan as well as everything in business planning: don't fall into the trap of the mythical business plan document, singular, noun, probably lost and getting dusty somewhere.

All business plans are wrong, but nonetheless vital; because if you didn't have the plan, you wouldn't know how to correct, and how assumptions have changed. The result is steering, and management.

From OPEN Forum by American Express OPEN

Consultation as a Tool for Integrating Personal and Professional Life

Integrate Your Personal and Professional Life in Three Steps

Posted: 17 Jun 2009

We asked Wharton professor and author Stew Friedman how employers could integrate their personal and work lives to find a productive and comfortable balance. Tough as it is any time, balancing the two can be a huge challenge in a recession when challenges seems to spring from every corner.

After all, work isn't everything. On the other hand, some of us are more attached to our careers than others. And we don't all have the same outside commitments or interests.

So, how can you achieve your own best mix of the personal and professional? Most important, says Friedman, is to articulate your goals, get feedback and clarify what matters most to you. He offers the following tips:

1. Describe your legacy. "Write a short piece, one page or less," says Friedman.  "Fifteen years from now, what legacy do you want? What impact do you want to have on the world?" Take a little time and write down where you want to be in 15 years – professionally, personally, spiritually, financially or in whatever way you see it.
2. Learn what people expect of you. List the 10 most important people in your life. Note what each one expects of you and how you're doing at meeting their expectations. "Ask yourself how these expectations affect one another, so you begin to see your life as a system," says Friedman. Then, have a conversation with each one. "This is the part of the process that tends to frighten us," he says. "Most people approach these talks with trepidation because they are afraid of what they will hear." But the good news is that most people's understanding of what others expect of them is not quite accurate. "We tend to overestimate," says Friedman. "People don't expect as much from us as we think they do. In my experience eight out of 10 people discover that what others expect from them is a little less than what they had presumed." Armed with a realistic sense of what people expect from you, you're likely to have more time and energy for your own pursuits.
3. Talk with trusted friends. Discuss what is important to you. "Ask what small changes you can apply that are doable, practical and small," Friedman recommends. For example, walking away from your business to pursue a full-time career as a songwriter might not be a good idea. But devoting one morning a week to your music may enrich your life. "Small is very important, because it is in your control," says Friedman. "This is the best way to build confidence and competence in creating sustainable change."

After taking these steps, you should have a compelling image of an achievable future. Then, translate that future into an action plan that will get you there. "This builds competence and confidence," Friedman says, "to help us overcome the inertia, the inhibitions, the guilt and fear that hold us back from doing what we really want."

 

From OPEN Forum by American Express OPEN

 

Being pro-active in down-times [ATTENTIVENESS], [ZEAL], [INTELLIGENCE], [PURPOSEFULNESS]

How A Business Owner Can Sleep Like a Baby During Tough Times

Posted: 19 Jun 2009

Be scared.  You can't help that.  But don't be afraid. ~ William Faulkner

One of the classic ways to find out what is really going on with a business owner or top-level executive these days is to ask, "What's keeping you up at night?"  Being a small business owner and a formally trained facilitator, I decided to take a different approach and asked 20 presidents of small businesses in marketing, interior design, insurance and a variety of other industries what's allowing them to get a good night's rest.  Here are the highlights of what they shared.

1.  Put in a good day's work. Jumping out of bed, getting to work early, being productive an extra hour or two at the end of a normal day if needed and staying focused and committed to growing the business — these were, of all the pointers, the ones most commonly shared.  No one wanted to be seen as a slacker, indecisive, depressed or out of touch with what's going on in the world.  The word "leader" came up in nearly every conversation or email, as did the importance of being looked at as one.

2.  Connect with upbeat, enthusiastic, high-energy people who share similar business concerns and offer up a whole host of action-oriented solutions to extraordinary day-to-day problems.  One of the things I heard time and time again is that it costs nothing to smile, and oftentimes we forget to do just that (not in a fake way) on a daily basis.  When we don't smile, it can bring a whole operation down into the doldrums — even when it needn't be.

3.  Communicate with the executive team and employees as often as possible to convey what's going on and the steps that are being taken to keep the company strong.  Actively seek input from every paid employee on how to improve the company's performance while maintaining profit margins.  These business leaders are involving everyone in everything, something they said they had not done up until now because they didn't think the employees needed to know.  Well, now they do.  Their lifestyle or job is on the line.

4.  Obsess over listening to customers, employees, vendors, colleagues and friends, and actually take action on what is said.  The presidents even report back to those who shared their thoughts and ideas on exactly what they did differently because of the information.  Of all the tools, this one has helped them the most to sleep peacefully at night.  It's very empowering to everyone.   It shows they really care.  It humanizes them.  And that's a good thing during a downturn.

5.  Emphasize a back-to-basics approach on everything, from how they buy office products to choosing cleaning services (do-it-yourself mentality) to who gets wooed over lunch or dinner for new business initiatives.  The key question to ask before spending money is:  Do we really, truly need this?

6.  Enhance everything they do, from response time to continuous improvement (quality) to total flexibility in how they manage projects.  If they did something in fourteen days, they do it now in four days, with half the number of people.  If a client says, "We're not sure if this will be a marketing, advertising or PR push," they say, "We can be flexible until you decide because we have the expertise to handle all or any one of those areas."

7.  Eliminate unnecessary expenses, from telephone bills (e.g., call waiting, call forwarding) to credit card balances to daily doughnut runs.  They are squeezing out every last little penny to keep their organizations as lean as possible.  An employee at one of their companies said, "We've put the business on a treadmill to trim waste."  No fat, no worries.

8.  Learn to not just live with but love uncertainty, the unpredictability of what's yet to come.  There's a certain strength (oftentimes you don't even know you have it until in a crisis mode) that comes over you when you acknowledge that this might not pass and could be forever.  The business leaders said they look at it this way: It's not your last dance; it's your first, so get in step.

9.  Reconfigure how to become a more nimble, value-added, innovative product, service or market creator. You can't get ahead in an environment like this unless you disrupt industries, trends or markets.  Their intent is to get out there and fire away with untried and untested ideas.  If they don't work, so what?  They said they'd fail fast and move on.  The goal is to generate revenue with a profit wherever and whenever possible.

Don't think of surviving.  Think of thriving.  Action, not words, says it all.  Imagine yourself five years from now and where you will be.  If you can envision it, you can do it.

As Faulkner says, you can be scared, you can't help that, but don't be so afraid that you cannot take appropriate action to move your organization forward.  Sleep well, dear reader.

This article is a preview to what's to come in the new OPEN Forum, you can see this article on the new Open Forum here.  To see more new content and features – including the Connectodex^SM tool for business connections – go to beta.openforum.com.  Just use your Americanexpress.com User ID and Password to log in.  If not a Cardmember, you can still have access to all of the great content once the new site launches.

 

From OPEN Forum by American Express OPEN

 

Motivating one's team members

Re-Engaging Team Members
Turning Negative Back to Positive

	Engaged team members make a valuable contribution.
	©iStockphoto/dgilder

"Excuse me, I'm the new program office administrator, and I need to book a hotel for a meeting. Could you help me with that?" you ask another administrator.

"Uh, just go on the intranet," replies your colleague, who then turns back to the person sitting next to her and resumes her conversation about her weekend plans.

"Okay..." you might reply uncomfortably, even though you've already spent half an hour trying to find the right web page.

Sound familiar? You've just encountered a "disengaged" employee. If you had a workforce full of disengaged employees, how devastating would that be to your business?

Disengaged people exist in all types of businesses, across all industries. You can spot them by their indifferent, blasé attitudes. They don't care about the company, they probably don't like their jobs, and they send negative signals everywhere they go.

Disengaged people are like poison - they don't perform their own jobs well, they drive customers away, and they have a bad influence on your other staff. Yet few people start off disengaged. It's typically a process that happens over time, as employee and employer expectations grow further and further apart.

What Is an Engaged Team Member?

Fortunately, you can re-engage members of your team and build back their pride and commitment. But you'll need to make a continuous effort and a strong investment in positive human capital management techniques.

The first step is to understand what an engaged team member looks like: Engaged people go above and beyond their job descriptions to get things done. They're committed to the organization's success, and they're willing to do what's necessary to reach goals.

It's important to understand that while many "average" employees are not quite fully engaged, that doesn't necessarily mean that they're completely disengaged. However, these average employees need re-engagement as well.

To reach a level of full engagement, you must build a people-focused workplace - one that recognizes that your people genuinely are your most important resource.

Re-engaging People

To achieve this, you need to meet people's expectations and provide a great work environment. There are several key management practices that are fundamental to this process. By providing these workplace conditions and continuously reinforcing their practice throughout the company, you can re-engage people who have fallen out of step with your purpose and vision.

We can divide re-engagement approaches into four areas:

1. Fact-Finding - Activities that help you (a) understand disengagement and your current situation and (b) monitor your situation on an ongoing basis.
   
   

2. Establishing an Environment for Engagement - Activities that help engagement flourish.
   
   

3. Hygiene Factors - Activities that help avoid de-motivation by managing people's stress, putting people in the right jobs, and providing feedback.
   
   

4. Motivators - Practices that help increase motivation and engagement.

Not all ideas will apply to all situations however, as a whole, these are the conditions and practices that will help you build people's engagement. We'll now look at each of these in detail.

1. Fact-finding

• Ask yourself when you ever felt unenthused and unengaged. This is a good place to start your re-engagement process. When you understand the sorts of things that caused you to disconnect with your company in the past, you may gain some insight into what members of your team are feeling right now.
  
  

• Talk to your people about their expectations and issues. Having clear expectations is a fundamental factor in re-engaging people. If people feel that they've been treated unfairly or have not been provided with the employment conditions they expected, you need to know. Once discrepancies are found, work toward a resolution as soon as possible. This lets people know that you care and you take their needs seriously.
  
  And ask them about the situations and issues that may be upsetting them. Push beyond the issues that are immediately obvious - the problem may lie with issues that are entrenched and systematic, and that the person thinks are just part of the way things are.
  
  This step is particularly important when you become the new manager of a group of people who are already disengaged. Resist the temptation to blame the former manager – instead, focus on moving forward from where you are now, based on what you find out from talking to your new people.
  
  

• Schedule regular "one-on-ones" with members of your team. Talk with individual team members about what they believe is expected of them, and then clarify and make modifications as necessary. When you keep communication open, you can often avoid potential conflicts and misunderstandings that can grow worse and lead to major problems.
  
  

• Survey employee engagement on a regular basis. With any kind of change process, it's usually a good idea to regularly ask your people questions related to their dedication and commitment to the company. Use the issues you've identified as a starting point, and construct a questionnaire to discover what you're doing well and where there's room for improvement. Use the results to begin a re-engagement plan that will help you build a stronger and more devoted workforce.

2. Establishing an Environment for Engagement

• Be honest and forthright about your own role in people's disengagement. A little humility goes a long way toward re-engaging someone. What if your management practices have contradicted any of the above points? What if you've been weaker in your commitment recently, and you've contributed to the current situation? Admit it, apologize for your actions, and construct a solid plan to move forward. This is a great way to start rebuilding your team's trust and show how supporting one another can make huge differences for everyone. By demonstrating your commitment to your people, they will likely respond with a renewed commitment to you and the business.
  
  

• Practice participative management. People usually want to participate and be involved. They want and need to feel that they matter and that their contributions are valued. To engage them, provide lots of opportunities for them to be involved with decisions. It's also important that people feel able to voice their ideas and raise issues - without judgment or fear of punishment. To re-engage people, help them feel confident that you'll welcome their contributions and that you'll really listen to what they say.
  
  

• Be a model for commitment to the organization. When employees believe their boss and senior management are committed to the company, that can provide proof that the company is indeed worth committing to. If you have doubts or express negativity toward the business, you can't expect members of your team to be totally dedicated and engaged. They take their cues from you, and they'll react to your opinions and actions.

3. Hygiene Factors

• Identify and manage stress and burnout. Overworked employees can have a difficult time engaging. They simply have too many competing needs, the greatest of which is their own survival. If you want engaged people, develop a genuine concern for their health and welfare. By using regular one-on-ones and staying connected to members of your team, you should be able to keep on top of their workload and stress factors. Do what you can to alleviate their stress by using the tools on our Stress Management pages, and refer your people for assistance as necessary.
  
  

• Put people in the right jobs. As you get to know members of your team through regular contact and feedback, think about ways to capitalize on their unique strengths and talents. Rather than focusing on a specific smaller problem or disciplining someone, look at the bigger picture: Does the person fit the job? You may need to regroup which tasks go with which jobs, or allow people to rotate jobs in order to enrich their learning opportunities. Work with members of your team to meet your company's needs. When people know you're dedicated to their success, they will, in turn, dedicate themselves to your success.
  
  

• Provide fair and regular feedback. Most people respond incredibly well to praise and recognition. For effective employee engagement, this can be difficult if you restrict yourself to a formal program or yearly performance appraisals. Make a conscious effort to observe when people are doing things right, and show them every day that they're appreciated. When you need to provide corrective feedback, make sure it's timely, and centered on a specific task.

For more on hygiene factors and motivators, see our article on Herzberg's Two-Factor Theory.

4. Motivators

• Provide growth opportunities. A big factor in employee engagement is building long-term commitment. This is important because it retains knowledge within the company and reduces turnover. Provide incentive for people to stay long term by discovering their talents and figuring out ways to use those talents within the organization.

This can be a powerful method of re-engagement. However, be careful that you don't try to re-engage someone by promising too much. Be genuine in your offers - otherwise, you can do much more damage to your reputation and to the person's welfare in the long run.

• Help people understand the big picture. Too often, people don't understand what's going on in the organization outside of the small world around their own jobs. When that happens, it's easy for them to become disconnected and disillusioned. Make sure that members of your team know the company's vision and strategy. They need to recognize the roles they play in the organization's success. To do this, keep people well informed, and make sure they stay focused on the big picture.
  
  

• Align personal and organizational goals. Make sure that people's goals are tied to departmental and company goals (this is related to understanding the big picture). A key part of engaging people is ensuring that the company's success matters to them. If you can link personal success and accomplishment to overall company goals, then you provide the basis for an engaged workplace.

Tip: If you've done all you can to engage someone, and they are still not engaged, you may need to take disciplinary action, either to emphasize the need for change or to remove someone who is blocking the team's progress. If you don't, you risk jeopardizing your whole team's progress. This is not an option to take lightly, so talk to your HR department as a first step.

Key Points

Employee engagement is a critical factor in a company's success. When you have people who are committed to your business, they'll stay with you long term and they'll work very hard to make the organization a success. It's extremely important, therefore, that you actively re-engage people who are disconnected with the company and that you work to build and maintain an engaged team. The keys to employee engagement are great management practices, including strong teams and a firm sense that what your people do on a daily basis matters to their boss and to the business as a whole.

The bottom line is that people need to feel wanted. Show them how much they're needed and why. Be honest and trustworthy - and acknowledge, with everything you do, that your people truly are the company's most valuable resource.

From Mind Tools mindtools.com

 

Say it now: "Thank you." Turn to the person beside and you say it to them. "Thank you." [THANKFULNESS], [UNITY], [GENEROSITY]

The Right Investment in the Right Bank

Posted: 16 Jun 2009

 

What investment is this?

• It's inexpensive by most definitions.
• No taxpayer money is needed.
• No regulations need exist much less even be enforced.
• It takes only a moment of time.
• And its ROI is truly priceless.

What is it? Two words, one phrase: Thank you or thank-you.  The recipient doesn't care how you use it. They just care that you did.

It takes only a moment of your time. And no money from your wallet is needed for it.

Say it now: Thank you. Turn to the person beside and you say it to them. Thank you.

Find a colleague in the hallway. Say it to them Thank you.

Maybe the first few times you do this, you're both surprised: you who said it and they who heard it said. They may look around, puzzled, not sure if they heard it right. If they do, say it again.

They will ask For what?

Be ready with an answer. That means you need to have looked and studied this person. Appreciated them.

There's plenty of reason to make this investment. Too often, we just haven't done the research.

Why is this important?

All of us face serious challenges right now. Some of it's tangible, from external sources like losing a job. Some of it's internal like the fear of losing a job.  We all face more demands for more change for more solutions for more creativity in the coming months.

Our personal, emotional, banks may be running low. OK. They are running low. And the least expensive means to insure we have sufficient emotional capital to keep our personal banks open…is this two-word, one-phrase: Thank you.  Saying it or hearing it. The first always leads to the other.

Eventually, you will want to expand your investment in the emotional banks of those around you. Here are some other investment vehicles using this two-word, one-phrase: Thank you. (Disclaimer: Past returns are not indicators of future performance. But…the compound interest on this investment is the highest, most consistent, of any investments when judged over time and in different markets, economies, companies, relationships.)

• Be specific. Thank them for a specific result.
• Share its meaning - I: Share with them how it helped you.
• Share its meaning - II: Share with them how it will help them.
• Memorialize it: Thank them again later, say at a review if you're a manager or leader.
• Go public: Rock their world and thank them publicly.
• Rock the joint: Do the above…for everyone in the room.
• House party: Goin' old school now, make it a house party. Make saying "thank-you" standard for your company meetings. Open the doors for everyone to invest. Allow time for everyone to say "thank you" to their colleague.

Each time you say this two-word, one-phrase: Thank you, you make a risk-free, no strings attached, investment in that person's emotional bank. At work, the returns from that continue long after those words have stopped echoing in your ears and theirs.

That's the right investment in the right bank.

Now's the right time to do it.

This article is a preview to what's to come in the new OPEN Forum, you can see this article on the new Open Forum here.  To see more new content and features – including the ConnectodexSM tool for business connections – go to beta.openforum.com.  Just use your Americanexpress.com User ID and Password to log in.  If not a Cardmember, you can still have access to all of the great content once the new site launches.

From OPEN Forum by American Express OPEN