Philippe Matthews Show Guru Advice, Author Reviews, Tech Reviews, Entertainment News

What you think is an elevator pitch will actually alienate customers. Instead, have a conversation that creates a real sales opportunity. If you're like most entrepreneurs, you think an "elevator pitch" is a one- to three-minute sales pitch that you could presumably give during a very long elevator ride

What does a pet product start-up have in common with a Girl Scout selling cookies? They can both teach you about mobile payments.

Barclays bank, which already intertwines NFC chips and antennas into its banking cards in the U.K., has just taken a page out of Apple's book and released a new mobile app that should shake up the U.K. financial game.

How one company re-incentivized its sale force to pursue high-value customers. All customers are not equal

Take the time to discover which customers add the most value to your business. The CEO of one of our clients , a public company that provides credit card processing services to merchants, had a problem: The company had consistently delivered revenue growth rates better than most of its competitors, but its price-earnings multiple was lower than those companies.

Field organizers and volunteers are being issued Jack Dorsey's Square to take credit card payments. Mobile credit processing start-up Square picked up a high-profile endorsement today–from Barack Obama. The president's re-election campaign will use the San Francisco-based company's square attachment to process credit card donations.

MasterCard has revealed it's finally pushing the EMV system (aka chip-and-PIN) across its U.S. credit card infrastructure. Developed well over 15 years ago, the technology is ubiquitous in Europe to the extent some card readers have issues with visiting American tourists' old-fashioned plastic.

Small businesses are always thinking about clever ways to save money, and cab drivers are no exception. Driving a taxi is a small business and a tough one, especially in San Francisco, where I live

For most smartphone users obsessed with having round-the-clock access to text messages, apps, and email, running out of battery juice has become almost as painful as a lost wallet. But a new solution from one New York-based startup hopes to solve your smartphone energy woes--while potentially creating new sources of revenue and engagement for merchants and advertisers. The Juicebox is a simple, elegant mobile phone charging station that lets users juice up their iPhones, Androids, or BlackBerries in public venues

Millions of retailers have filed an antitrust suit against big bank credit card companies. The goal? Cutting interchange fees and ending a crushing monopoly

Kiva's director of social performance illuminates how the nonprofit has confronted naysayers as it expands its microlending to the U.S.

Breaking news from your editors at Fast Company, with updates all day. Shaadi.com Launches "Angry Brides" Facebook Game

Amazon's erotica section isn't just rife with tales of lust, incest, violence, and straight-up kink. It's also a hotbed of masked merchants profiting from copyright infringement. And even with anti-piracy legislation looming, Amazon doesn't appear too eager to stop the forbidden author-on-author action

Breaking news from your editors at Fast Company, with updates all day. Nuance Brings Voice Control To TV

Take client entertaining to a whole new level by creating a memorable experience. Your clients will thank you for it. Anyone can pick up a check–and if you spend much time with clients, you probably have