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Helping business owners grow their companies and transition with confidence, added value and complete control.
Category Archives: Marketing and Sales
Why Great Salespeople Make Lousy Sales Managers
It’s been said so many times that (at least I hope) it is a business axiom on the same level as “cash is king.” Promoting your best salesman to sales manager is guaranteed to cost you a great salesman and … Continue Reading
Giving Referrals: Fire and Forget?
We all appreciate getting referrals. There is a feeling of gratification in knowing that someone thinks enough of your work to send a friend or associate your way. Referrals are usually the life’s blood of most small businesses. When I … Continue Reading
Sales: Do You Have Customers or Clients?
Whether you have customers or clients is more than a matter of semantics. Some businesses use the term “clients” in an attempt to class up their image. Attorneys usually have clients. Kentucky Fried Chicken doesn’t, regardless of what they might say. Nordstrom? … Continue Reading
Posted in Customer Relations, Marketing and Sales, Sales
Tagged clients, customer relations, customers, marketing, sales, sales management, small business advice
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Is Distribution Dead?
It’s difficult to talk to any owner of a small distribution business without hearing complaints about competition from the Internet. Their criticisms are pretty universal, regardless of the goods being distributed. “Customers call with prices they claim to have found … Continue Reading
Posted in Customer Relations, Marketing and Sales, Sales, Strategy and Planning, Technology
Tagged business strategy, sales management
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Proactive, Preventative Sales
Sometimes a topic rises to the top of my long list of candidates because it seems to come up repeatedly. It may be a coincidence (probably is), but a single business ownership issue is raised in multiple coaching sessions or … Continue Reading
Posted in Customer Relations, Marketing and Sales, Sales
Tagged business ownership, sales, sales management
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Can You Build Your Business in Half the Time?
I had an unusual coincidence happen last week. Speaking to prospective new members of The Alternative Board (TAB), I wound up with three CPAs in the same meeting. They were from three different smaller firms, and all three identified their current … Continue Reading
Posted in Customer Relations, Marketing, Marketing and Sales, Sales, Strategy and Planning
Tagged management, marketing, promotion, sales management
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Trimming the Customer Tree
Anyone who has shopped for a live Christmas tree knows the drill. They have some on display, but none look exactly like what you want. You start looking through the trees that are still bundled up. If one looks promising, … Continue Reading
The Man (or Woman) Who Knew Too Much
Most businesses need salespeople. Most salespeople need to know what they are selling. This leaves many owners on the proverbial horns of a dilemma. Should they hire a great salesperson and teach him the business, or should they take someone who … Continue Reading
The Psychology of Fresh Paint
A bit more remains to be said about business owners who are gun shy about doing things in anticipation of an economic recovery. An owner mentioned to me the other day that he wanted to redecorate his conference room and purchase … Continue Reading
Posted in Marketing and Sales
Tagged business ownership, employees, leadership, small business
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The Only Thing We Have to Fear?
“The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” FDR famously broadcast during the Great Depression. His speech didn’t end that economic slump, and the election next week won’t end this one. It will, however, help. The Republicans are … Continue Reading
Posted in Economic Trends, Marketing and Sales
Tagged business strategy, economy, marketing, politics, sales
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Instant, perfectly targeted marketing.
I’m finalizing my speaker panel for our Fall seminar series. This season we are concentrating on marketing and sales. The recession is over, but no one can feel the “recovery.” If you are waiting for things to be busy again, you … Continue Reading
Posted in Marketing, Marketing and Sales, Technology
Tagged marketing, small business, small business advice
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Small Business Goes Global
I know that the business press has described the Internet based global marketplace for a decade now. Certainly I have any number of clients who’ve seen their small businesses impacted by a customer’s ability to search the globe for competitive … Continue Reading