Communication

Mar 29 2026

When Creating a Second Brand Helps and When It Distracts

By Michael Lynch Brand Management, Branding & Identity, Business Strategy & Positioning

When Creating a Second Brand Helps and When It Distracts Creating a second brand often feels like a strategic answer to a common question: How do we appeal to a different audience in a different category? While the logic seems sound on the surface: different audiences, tones, and price points—it…

Mar 29 2026

How the Shortlist Was Finished Before Anyone Called You

By Michael Lynch Marketing Strategy & Growth, Business Strategy & Positioning, Conversion Optimization & Sales Psychology, Lead Generation & Demand Creation

How the Shortlist Was Finished Before Anyone Called You In 2025, 6Sense analyzed purchasing behavior across more than 3,000 enterprise procurement cycles. Any company that relies on inbound interest and RFP participation as its primary route to new business should be concerned. A staggering 81% of buyers had a preferred…

Mar 22 2026

The Secret Role of Flaws in Building Trust

By Michael Lynch Business Strategy & Positioning, Conversion Optimization & Sales Psychology, Influence & Consumer Psychology

The Secret Role of Flaws in Building Trust We're conditioned to chase perfection. Polished websites. Immaculate pitches. Five-star reviews stacked like trophies. But here's the strange truth: perfection doesn't persuade — it repels. When everything looks flawless, people don't lean in with admiration. They lean back with suspicion. "Too good…

Mar 17 2026

Why Brands Must Break Out of the Commodity Conversation—Permanently

By Michael Lynch Conversion Optimization & Sales Psychology, Case Studies & Real-World Examples, Influence & Consumer Psychology, Marketing Strategy & Growth, Pricing & Revenue Growth, Thought Leadership & Authority Building

How to Break Out of the Commodity Conversation DemandSignals™ | Highly Persuasive Has this every happened to you? You've presented your capabilities. The prospect has nodded along — genuinely interested, no visible objections. You feel the meeting going well. And then comes the turn: "That all sounds great. What do…

Mar 16 2026

How to Build a Point of View For Your Brand That Attracts the Right Clients

By Michael Lynch Thought Leadership & Authority Building, Influence & Consumer Psychology

How to Build a Point of View For Your Brand That Attracts the Right Clients DemandSignals™ | Highly Persuasive There is a significant difference between having deep capabilities and having a distinct Point of View. In a marketplace filled with capable firms, the most successful aren't just hired for what…

Feb 28 2026

How Technically Superior Companies Get Priced Like Generalists

By Michael Lynch Business Strategy & Positioning, Conversion Optimization & Sales Psychology, Influence & Consumer Psychology, Marketing Strategy & Growth, Thought Leadership & Authority Building

The Commodity Trap: How Technically Superior Companies Get Priced Like Generalists HP DemandSignals™ | Highly Persuasive There's a moment in most high-stakes sales cycles that almost nobody talks about. It happens after the second or third proposal. The buyer has seen what three or four credible suppliers can do. The…

Feb 24 2026

How Partner Channels Dilute Brand Positioning Through Structural Damage

By Michael Lynch Business Strategy & Positioning, Conversion Optimization & Sales Psychology, Email & Retention Marketing

Why Partner Channels Dilute Brand Positioning — And What to Do Before the Damage Becomes Structural There is a special kind of brand positioning problem that only becomes visible after it's already expensive to fix. It doesn't announce itself. It accumulates quietly, through a series of commercially logical decisions that…

Feb 24 2026

Five Decisions Every Buyer Makes Before They Contact You

By Michael Lynch Business Strategy & Positioning, Conversion Optimization & Sales Psychology, Influence & Consumer Psychology, Lead Generation & Demand Creation, Marketing Strategy & Growth, Thought Leadership & Authority Building

Five Decisions Every Buyer Makes Before They Contact You By the time a prospect picks up the phone, sends the email, or fills out the contact form, the most consequential part of the buying process is already over. You heard that right. Not the negotiation. Not the evaluation. Not the…

Feb 15 2026

What Your Website Communicates To Buyers Without Your Team Present

By Michael Lynch Business Strategy & Positioning, Conversion Optimization & Sales Psychology, Marketing Strategy & Growth, Thought Leadership & Authority Building

What Your Website Communicates to Buyers Without Your Team Present Before any conversation, any meeting, any proposal — the buyer looks you up. This happens consistently across engineering firms, manufacturing companies, logistics operators, consulting practices, and every other category where the work is complex and the stakes are high. The…

Feb 15 2026

How the Founder Story Becomes a Growth Ceiling

By Michael Lynch Marketing Strategy & Growth

Here's an experiment worth running at your next leadership meeting. Ask your team to describe the company without using the founder's name. No references to "when started this in a garage." No "our founder's vision." No origin story at all. Ask them to describe what the company does today, who…