-
Helping business owners grow their companies and transition with confidence, added value and complete control.
Category Archives: Sales
How Much Does that Gorilla Weigh?
How much does that (fill in your preferred number here) pound gorilla weigh? I always refer to an 800 pound gorilla, but I’ve heard others use everything from a 400 pound gorilla (which is pretty close to their real size) to … Continue Reading
Posted in Customer Relations, Entrepreneurship, Leadership, Marketing, Marketing and Sales, Sales, Strategy and Planning
Tagged Baby Boomers, business, business ownership, business planning, business strategy, entrepreneurs, entrepreneurship, leadership, management, marketing, new business, promotion, public relations, sales, sales management, small business, small business advice
2 Comments
Good Customers Can Be Bad
When can good customers be bad? What could be wrong with a customer who buys a lot, pays promptly, and never has a service problem? They might be buying too much. No matter how strong or comfortable a sales relationship is, … Continue Reading
Posted in Building Value, Customer Relations, Entrepreneurship, Exit Planning, Marketing and Sales, Sales, Selling a business, Strategy and Planning
Tagged Baby Boomers, Boomer Bust, business ownership, business planning, business strategy, entrepreneurs, entrepreneurship, exit planning, exit strategies, leadership, management, sales, sales management, selling a business, small business, small business advice
1 Comment
Choosing Not to Maximize Profits
The other day, a client asked me to review some questions from an MBA student studying business ownership. One of the questions was “Are you doing everything possible to maximize profits?” I’ve seen the same question asked in a number … Continue Reading
Posted in Business Perspectives, Customer Relations, Entrepreneurship, Incentives, Managing Employees, Marketing, Sales, Strategy and Planning
Tagged Baby Boomers, business, business ownership, business planning, business strategy, employee performance, employees, entrepreneurs, entrepreneurship, management, sales, small business, small business advice
2 Comments
Help Your Friends, Not Your Competitors’
I hear it all too often. “A customer just called us for a quote. They have always done business with our competitor. We’re going to give them our best deal, and see if we can take their business.” Before you … Continue Reading
Posted in Customer Relations, Entrepreneurship, Marketing and Sales, Sales, Strategy and Planning
Tagged business ownership, business planning, business strategy, employee performance, employees, entrepreneurship, leadership, management, marketing, new business, sales, sales management, small business, small business advice, trade
1 Comment
Small Businesses Fantasies: Service
As an evangelist for small business, I am the consumer equivalent of the locally-grown food movement. I spend as much of my discretionary income as possible with the owned-and-operated businesses in my area. As a consultant and coach to owners, I also … Continue Reading
Posted in Customer Relations, Entrepreneurship, Leadership, Managing Employees, Marketing, Marketing and Sales, Sales
Tagged business ownership, business planning, employee performance, employees, entrepreneurs, entrepreneurship, leadership, management, marketing, media, promotion, public relations, sales, sales management, small business, small business advice
3 Comments
What’s in Your Leadership Golf Bag?
This is one of those posts that more or less insists on being written. Last week I started talking about the pronouns that help to define leadership styles. I felt that clearly I needed to bring in Daniel Goleman’s work … Continue Reading
Posted in Entrepreneurship, Incentives, Leadership, Managing Employees, Sales, Strategy and Planning
Tagged business, business ownership, business planning, business strategy, employee performance, employees, entrepreneurship, hiring, leadership, management, sales, sales management, small business, small business advice
2 Comments
“Congratulations — You are the Low Bidder!”
The sentence that titles this post could be defined as the epitome of mixed emotions for a business owner. You won the business, but only because you are willing to work for less than everyone else. Perhaps you deliberately cut … Continue Reading
Posted in Customer Relations, Entrepreneurship, Leadership, Marketing, Marketing and Sales, Sales
Tagged business ownership, business planning, business strategy, employee performance, employees, entrepreneurs, entrepreneurship, hiring, leadership, management, promotion, public relations, sales, sales management, small business, small business advice
1 Comment
The Quest for Recurring Revenue
Recurring revenue is the current Holy Grail of business. Barriers to Entry, a traditional way of assessing your differentiation against competition, have been replaced by Barriers to Exit, how to make it at least inconvenient or at most excruciatingly painful for … Continue Reading
Posted in Customer Relations, Economic Trends, Entrepreneurship, Marketing, Marketing and Sales, Sales, Strategy and Planning
Tagged business, business ownership, business planning, business strategy, economy, employee performance, employees, entrepreneurs, entrepreneurship, leadership, management, marketing, new business, promotion, sales, sales management, small business, small business advice, startups, trade
1 Comment
When a Customer Outgrows You
There is nothing that quite matches the excitement of landing your first really big customer. It often brings with it the confidence that comes with knowing, really knowing, that you can compete in the big leagues. There could be the added security of … Continue Reading
Posted in Customer Relations, Entrepreneurship, Marketing and Sales, Sales, Strategy and Planning
Tagged business, business ownership, business planning, business strategy, entrepreneurs, entrepreneurship, leadership, management, marketing, sales, sales management, small business, small business advice
Leave a comment
Don’t Train with Customer Pain
I have lot of favorite books. In business, they range from cutting edge theory to some of the little “quick reads” that build a single management or behavioral point around an allegory. One of the best in the latter category … Continue Reading
Never Fire a Salesperson
The majority of business owners prefer linking pay to employee performance. The sales role in most businesses is the easiest and most obvious place to begin. Yet owners struggle with compensating salespeople in a manner that is affordable while still driving sustained performance. Building … Continue Reading
Posted in Entrepreneurship, Incentives, Managing Employees, Marketing and Sales, Sales, Strategy and Planning
Tagged business ownership, business planning, business strategy, employee performance, employees, entrepreneurs, entrepreneurship, hiring, leadership, management, marketing, sales, sales management, small business, small business advice
Leave a comment
Invisible Discounts
In the words of the late, great Father Guido Sarducci of Saturday Night Live fame; “I canna teach you everything you need to know about business inna fiva minutes. You buya something, and thena you sell it for more.” A … Continue Reading