In this age of programmatic ad buys and self-serve platforms, one of the most overlooked leadership skills in business today is the ability to sell something. Fifty years ago, all of the great ad agencies were built this way, with CEOs like David Ogilvy landing clients on the basis of his wit, charm and "soft sell" salesmanship. Before getting into advertising, Ogilvy was, among other things, a door-to-door stove salesman. "The experience of door-to-door selling turned Ogilvy into a salesman," Kenneth Roman wrote in his book "The King of Madison Avenue."

"If we want users to like our software, we should design it to behave like a likeable person." So said Alan Cooper, the father of Visual Basic, back in 1999. He went on to further articulate the characteristics of this mythical "likeable person" -- a checklist that can also help us refine exactly what makes a visionary person or company.

When we think of opportunity, we refer to a window: The Window of Opportunity as a metaphor, symbol or conceptual representation of a space, which - if open - is possible to get through (why is it not a door then?) or perhaps pass something through, if not a human body equivalent.

So far, so good -- if you're reading this, it's proof that you don't necessarily listen to directions. That means you're perfect for this business!

Among the top challenges tech startups face is a failure to boldly communicate the core problem they are trying to solve, and for whom. Instead, they tend to muddy the message by including too many audience segments, and resorting to a long list of features, capabilities and widgets.

I came to New York to work in media a decade ago, and there's no other place I'd rather do business. Each morning I step off my commuter train I feel invigorated about being in the big leagues, competing at the highest level. I've learned a lot after a decade working in the city, from the big stuff to the minutiae. Here are 10 hard-won tips:

Last year was just the preview. Video-on-demand (VOD) and digital video recorders (DVRs) will be the kingmakers of television this fall season. The winners and loser of the broadcast TV season premieres will be determined not by who gets the biggest live audiences the night shows air, but by who get the biggest delayed audience -- and, specifically, by who does the best job capturing the fast-growing and increasingly valuable pool of VOD viewers.

This is not really a column about the Publicis-Omnicom merger -- you've already read enough about that. This is a column about what marketers are already doing that a consolidation like this is hoping to emulate and surpass.

In my consulting work, one question I occasionally receive is "How do you get marketing, sales and account services to work together?" Similarly, "How do you overcome conflict between these different groups?" These questions make me cringe, because there really should be one revenue funnel that aligns key groups responsible for bringing in prospects, converting them into customers and maximizing their profitability. The sooner this misalignment is dealt with, the sooner performance unlocks.

The merger of Publicis and Omnicom is yet another sign that the traditional media and advertising business is being disrupted. When this wave of consolidation is over, there will be just a few major holding companies left. At that point there will be a holding company for each of the top two or three brands in each category (auto, telecom, CPG, beauty, etc.), and then a roiling, vibrant economy of emerging brands, independent agencies and new technologies.