How can we best make sure school children eat healthier foods? Newsweek magazine reports we just need to use our words. A Yale University study had cafeteria workers simply ask children if they wanted an apple or other healthy food choices with their meal. The number of kids eating healthy food went up from 40 to 70 percent.

Renaming healthy foods also works. A Cornell researcher told kindergartners not that they were eating carrots -- but that they were eating "X-ray vision carrots." Carrot consumption went up 50 percent.

In your business, don't expect prospects to do something you don't ask them to do. If you want people to buy the fruits of your labor, ask them. Make it clear what you expect them to do. Or if you're wondering why people aren't buying your "carrots," think about your product name.  A huge factor in Yahoo!'s success years ago was its unusual, irreverent, memorable name that contained the promise of the product. People, let's use our words. Let your business words make you an American idol.