Communication

Apr 27 2026

What AI Search is Saying About Your Company Right Now

By Michael Lynch Branding & Identity, Business Strategy & Positioning, Influence & Consumer Psychology, Marketing Strategy & Growth, SEO & Organic Growth

What AI Search Says About Your Company Right now— and Why You Should Check Before Your Next Buyer Does Buyers in your market are now evaluating vendors without contacting them. They're using AI search to identify and compare options to create a shortlist before the first email is sent. The…

Apr 26 2026

Why Technical Companies Struggle to Tell Human Stories and What That Costs Them Commercially

By Michael Lynch Messaging & Communications, Brand Management, Business Strategy & Positioning, Marketing Strategy & Growth

Why Technical Companies Struggle to Tell Human Stories and What That Costs Them Commercially The most rigorous technical firms in any market often have the most powerful human stories buried inside them. Buyers who would respond to those stories never hear them. This is not a failure of the people…

Apr 10 2026

Why Social Proof Fails When It Looks The Same

By Michael Lynch Marketing Strategy & Growth, Brand Management, Branding & Identity

Why Social Proof Fails When It Looks The Same Every professional services firm has five-star reviews and testimonials. Every one of them say a different version of roughly the same thing. "Professional, responsive, delivered on time." "Completely transformed how we think about our brand." "Couldn't recommend them more highly." The…

Apr 10 2026

Is Your Best Thinking Is Building Someone Else’s Authority?

By Michael Lynch Messaging & Communications, Branding & Identity, Business Strategy & Positioning, Marketing Strategy & Growth

Is Your Best Thinking Is Building Someone Else's Authority? There are ideas in your head right now that your best clients would find commercially useful. They're sitting in a voice note from a client debrief two months ago. In an email thread where you said something precise about a problem…

Mar 29 2026

When Creating a Second Brand Helps and When It Dilutes

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

When Creating a Second Brand Helps and When It Dilutes 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 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 capabilities…