Do you know who you’re marketing to? And, more importantly, do you know if your message is reaching them? As businesses, we’ve probably heard that the greater number of consumers we target, the greater our chances are of being found. Wrong! While that may be true for big box stores, national chains and brands, small […]
Big meeting. Sales presentation. In-laws anniversary party. If you’re like most people, public speaking doesn’t come naturally to you. The truth is that while most people prepare diligently and may even know their lines by heart, they’re so concerned with themselves and their presentation, they fail to remember that when we speak, the intent is […]
Context is a wonderful word. Simply defined it means the circumstances that form the setting for an event, statement, or idea, that allow us to better understand it’ s true meaning. That said, we understand that the words we choose may mean different meanings, based on context. Talk about profit and most people automatically think about […]
People take pride in their ability to multi-task. In fact, for many of us in the business community, multi-tasking has become a way of life. We run out of time and end up biting off more than we can chew. We do 2,3, even 4 things at a time. All the time. But is it […]
“You’ll never have a product or price advantage again. They can be easily duplicated, but a strong customer service culture can’t be copied.” – Jerry Fritz Ah, customers! Can’t survive without ‘em, but at this time of year, when making your way through malls and parking lots is reminiscent of a bumper car rally […]
Small business owners seem to have more than their fair share of stress, and as we take that mad dash into holiday season, it seems to increase with every step we take. That’s life I guess. Take a deep breath. You’ll push through. You always do. Unfortunately knowing that doesn’t decrease the stress […]
“Curiosity killed the cat, and satisfaction brought him back.” – Eugene O’Neill Curiosity may have killed the cat, but for us less furry creatures, we know that while it may get us into trouble, it also opens doors, expands our horizons, and may allow us to discover opportunities that would otherwise remain hidden. But […]
There’s a lot of competition out there, and the majority of businesses are fighting it out in a sea of competitors to try to get their piece of the action. That’s a shame. Our battle-worn and once glorious blue ocean has turned red. All those little fish struggling for air and trying to grab […]
“Price is what you pay. Value is what you get.” – Warren Buffet This has been a good year; but although business has picked up, and many especially in services industries are busier than ever, they’re not significantly profiting from their efforts. One factor that could significantly influence that is the way you […]
Tom Hopkins is a well-respected leader in the field sales training and executive consulting. In fact, he’s been doing it for close to 40 years. He’s written a lot of books on the subject too, all valid and insightful regardless of endeavor. My favorite quote of his is a very simple, yet opens up […]