Business Advice Archives - joanne tombrakos

The Cost Of Overpromising And Underdelivering

One of the negotiating tips I received in my neophyte days of selling was to always underpromise and overdeliver. I was told it was a much easier way to keep a client happy. Overpromising was a surefire way to get yourself in trouble – especially when it came to advertising sales where the actual delivery […]

Thinking – the Underrated Skill AI Is Trying To Make Obsolete

I often tell my students that if they want to stand out from the crowd they need to take a moment to pause and think because most people don’t. And now we stand on the precipice of a new world order in which LLMs (Large Language Models) like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity want to do the thinking for us.

Where Too Many Pitches Fail

I’ve lost track of the number of pitches I have sat through in the last few weeks. It’s that time of year. Finals. And when you teach marketing and real-world classes every final is a pitch. I’ve heard new business ideas pitched. I’ve heard new product lines for existing businesses pitched. I’ve heard campaign pitches for brands. […]

How to Get a Job in an Age of Uncertainty

I get questions every day from current and former students about finding a job. Lately, I’ve seen an increased frustration whether they’ve just graduated or are about to graduate. They are not alone. These are uncertain times. While I’ve lived long enough to know that there is little certainty in life, there’s no doubt I […]

The Only Real Constant Is Change

When I was interviewed for my first job in media my soon-to-be new boss asked me how I felt about change. My response was easy. I loved it. That was why I was sitting in his office. I was looking for change. I wanted a new direction. I hadn’t been in the workforce for very […]

Joy May Not Be A Strategy But It’s A Great Way To Execute One

At the end of every semester I teach I hold my breath when I read my evaluations, prepping myself for that one student that I didn’t reach who waited until then to unload their grievances. This summer semester was no different. There was the one. But there were also all the other ones that I […]