What do a great party hostess and a great manager have in common? They take ownership of the outcome. Whether you are planning an amazing party or ramping up a new sales person, there are similar strategies you can follow to make sure everyone is engaged, and everything runs smoothly.
Mike Anderson, on May 3, 2012
On a recent business flight, I happened to engage a fellow passenger in conversation. His business was selling steel to manufacturers who make things (almost anything) with steel components.
Demrie Henry, on May 2, 2012
Let me create the scene: you’re meeting with your new prospect for the first time, and your goal is to build rapport and begin a needs analysis that will build your credibility as an expert in your field, and as someone who really cares about their business. You want your prospect to believe you’re someone who can truly help them solve their complex business problems. To accomplish this, you intend to metaphorically put yourself behind your client’s desk to uncover key challenges and prime opportunities their business is facing so that you may become their partner and work with them to create customized solutions. You’re completely prepared for the meeting and you know exactly how you’re going to lead the meeting. You sit down, exchange pleasantries and your prospect says… “Let’s just cut to the chase. Tell me… how much is this going to cost?”
Kurt Sima, on May 1, 2012
Who is worth your new business development time? Not every new business prospect is. Here are 6 things to consider when selecting a new business prospect:
Mike Anderson, on April 25, 2012
More price-sensitivity. Greater demand for “value added.” Remarkable scrutiny when it comes to determining “return on investment.” Why are clients so demanding, all of a sudden?!
Kurt Sima, on April 24, 2012
When cash from new business prospects starts to flow, business problems almost magically disappear. Here are five simple steps that will modify your sales strategy and jump start your new business machine:
Mike Anderson, on April 16, 2012
Recently, I was working with a client that was facing a tremendous problem. It was much more serious than the possibility of losing one of their biggest accounts. Due to some new legislation, they were on the verge of potentially losing an entire category of customers. Briefly, there was a period of shock… as if the sales manager and his team had suffered a traumatic (economic) injury. But then, very quickly, the group shifted into survival mode. Who knows where it came from—perhaps desperation, perhaps adrenaline—but the co-workers, led by their manager, started reviewing their capabilities and resources, and investigating where they might find pockets of revenue to replace the money that could soon vanish.
John Henley, on April 12, 2012
In most areas of life, we are faced with the choice of the Pain of Discipline vs. the Pain of Regret. If you exercise regularly, you are choosing the Pain of Discipline over the Pain of Regret. If you make mostly good food choices you are choosing the Pain of Discipline over the Pain of Regret.
Mike Anderson, on April 9, 2012
Recently, a gentleman asked me to introduce him to someone inside our company in charge of buying the products he happens to sell. I was a little hesitant, at first. After all, providing that referral would be like giving the guy my stamp of approval; if he did anything unprofessional, it might reflect poorly on me among my colleagues.
Alina McComas, on April 5, 2012
If a tree falls in the forest and no one is there to hear it, does it make a sound? Most of us have heard that saying before and it is that same premise that is creating a lot of buzz with respect to online display advertising this month. A recent comScore study found that roughly a third of online ads that are served are not viewed, and that those ads with a higher CPM do not necessarily mean that they are viewed more often. That study has a lot of people talking about served ads vs. viewed ads and the value of ads above-the-fold or below-the-fold.
The comScore study addresses some of the Making Marketing Make Sense (3MS) principles, specifically surrounding how display ads are served. The 3MSinitiative, a project developed by the IAB (Interactive Advertising Bureau), the ANA (Association of National Advertisers), and the 4A’s (American Association of Advertising Agencies), lays a framework for better digital measurement solutions in an effort to improve cross-platform comparisons. The first measurement 3MS outlined is shifting from a served impression standard to a viewed impression standard.
