martyweil.net

UL Functional Safety Mark Program White Paper

I'm very proud of the work I've done the last three years for UL. One of the most successful projects was this white paper that explains the product safety testing and certification organization's Functional Safety Mark Program.

Writing white papers, such as this one on complex technical subjects for C-Level audiences, is a specialty of mine. The challenge in developing this white paper on UL's Functional Safety Mark Program was in distilling information--from disparate sources in the company's Germany and U.S. offices--that met UL's marketing goals and lived up to the organization's vaunted scientific heritage.

 

Managing Assets in the Cloud Article Appears

This year, I've begun contributing to T.H.E. Journal. My first feature appeared online on 5-2-11. The article, Managing Assets in the Cloud, focuses on how school districts are using cloud technology to keep track of an ever-expanding amount of technology assets, which can be a daunting task, especially for understaffed district IT departments.

This is just one example of my recent coverage of the cloud computing phenomenon. I've also covered this topic for Automation World, Scholastic Administrator, and Managing Automation. Cloud computing has also been a topic of many recent white papers that I have written for corporate clients.

Quality Content on Corporate Blogs Leads to Better SERPS Position

During the past few years, writing content for corporate blogs has become an important part of my business. Recently, Syncfusion, an enterprise technology provider of .Net components and controls, asked me to contribute a feature to their company's blog site.

Companies like Syncfusion realize the importance of providing quality, topical content on their corporate blogs. Doing so is an essential element in driving organic traffic to their blog site. Search engines such as Google place a high values on relevant content, which leads to better SERPS position (the listing of web pages returned by a search engine in response to a keyword query).

Credit Recovery Courseware Software Case Study

This credit recovery software case study examines the A+LS courseware software in use at Delta Middle School.

When students at Delta were having trouble mastering subject matter, especially science and math, the school implemented a credit-recovery program to help struggling kids advance to the next grade level. Delta selected A+LS courseware from American Education Corporation (AEC) to facilitate an aggressive credit-recovery program. The case study, one of nearly a dozen I've written for AEC, chronicles the success of that implementation.

Selling Professional Services Assigned ISBN

Selling Professional Services, A Step-by-Step Guide, has been assigned the ISBN number 978-1-4524-5624-9.

The book is currently available for download on Amazon and Smashwords for $9.99. SPECIAL FOR READERS OF THIS BLOG: Use coupon QF67S for 40 percent discount.

One Amazon reviewer wrote, "This has been by far the most straight forward method for gaining new and repeat business that I have yet encountered. This little gem paid for itself many hundreds of times over in the first week, I've already seen growth and established new business relationships with a new service that I've recently started providing. The great thing about Marty's method is that it is very specific, took very little time to learn, and was easy to adapt compared to many of the sales philosophies that I have been studying over the past few years. I have worked with the author, and have always admired and appreciated his level of professionalism and business style. I am thankful that he has shared some of the secrets of his success. Highly recommended."

 

 

Before SaaS there was "Application as a Service" (ASP)

I've been fortunate during my 20+ year career to have been present at the dawn of numerous technology breakthroughs. In 2000, for instance, I wrote a short article for Sun's Open Manufacturing magazine that discussed the emergence of what was then being called "applications as a service" (ASP). My ASP article accurately predicted that the "rapid growing, rapidly changing digital marketplace" was ready for this "inevitable development." Of course, the marketing folks had the name wrong, as ASP eventually became Software as a Service (SaaS) that we all know today.

Tour of SAS Institute Results in Manufacturing Systems Data Mining Feature

In 1997, I had the pleasure of touring the SAS Institute in Cary, NC, for an article on data mining that I was researching for Manufacturing Systems. The highlight of the tour was a personal meeting with with the company's legendary CEO, Dr. Goodnight. The good doctor is one of the world's richest men. The face-to-face interview with Dr. Goodnight remains one of the highlights of my career.

Alchemy Software Editor Recommendation Letter

I humbly and gratefully share the contents of a letter of recommendation that I've received from the consummate magazine editor, David Greenfield. Having a respected editor like David say such kind words makes the days spent sweating deadlines worth the effort.

David writes:

During my editorial career I have had the opportunity to work with a number of freelance writers. Not one of them has been more professional than Marty Weil.

Marty not only consistently met deadlines (usually delivering well in advance), but his work went beyond the requirements of the assignment. His ability to comprehend and convey pertinent industry information on a variety of topics, as well as secure and manage high-level interviews, make Marty the type of writer every editor wants to work with.

Based on my direct experience, Marty would be an excellent addition to any business looking for the best in creative, insightful and dependable content creation.

 -David Greenfield, Editor-in-Chief, Alchemy Magazine

Human Resources Column in DCM Magazine Screening for Soft Skills

In his preface to Don Quixote, Miguel de Cervantes tells us: “Do but take care to express yourself in a plain, easy manner, in well-chosen, significant and decent terms, and to give a harmonious and pleasing turn to your periods: study to explain your thoughts, and set them in the truest light, laboring as much as possible, not to leave them dark nor intricate, but clear and intelligible.”

Data center managers would do well to give this advice to their staff. If their technically gifted employees can’t listen and communicate well or can’t see and have some understanding of the larger environment in which they work, their managers shouldn’t be surprised to find them tilting at windmills.

My recent column in DCM magazine discuss how data center managers can screen candidates for critical "soft skills."

Selling Professional Services eBook Now Available on Smashwords

My eBook, "Selling Professional Services," is now available on Smashwords.

From the Publisher: "This concise, practical guide provides you with a system to build a portfolio of clients, whether you are a writer, accountant, Web designer, or any other B2B service provider. The eBook provides step-by-step instructions, not a magic bullet. By following this proven method, you will be able to acquire new accounts, even during difficult economic times."

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