Archive for July, 2013
Your Ultimate Competitive Advantage
What’s the ultimate competitive advantage in business and in life? It’s your ability to learn and (just as importantly) to quickly put what you have learned into action. “Formal education will make you a living; self-education will make you a fortune.” -Jim Rohn The first key is to understand that education is a lifelong process. […]
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5 Keys to Getting Past the Gatekeeper
In business, the term “gatekeeper” refers to the person who has the authority to control access to the decision maker in the company. The gatekeeper guards and monitors traffic to the person in charge. In most companies, getting an appointment with the decision maker requires getting past the gatekeeper. Selling to the decision maker requires […]
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What is Your Sales Process?
You may have the greatest service or product in the world, but if you can’t sell it, how much good will that do? The good news is that small improvements in your selling can have exponential effects on your bottom line. Focusing on the factors that can increase your selling efficiency or selling effectiveness will […]
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Optimism, Poetry, and the Entrepreneurial Spirit
Optimism is not a trait born necessarily out of good fortune. Edgar Guest was 11 years old in 1893 when his father lost his job. Barely a year earlier, the family had emigrated from Birmingham, England, to Detroit, Michigan. Now, young Edgar had to take on odd jobs in a still unfamiliar land to help […]
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Are You a High-Margin Business?
Achieving profit is the real goal of being in business. Profits are what allows a business to invest and grow. Some businesses have higher profit margins than others. That can be due to the type of industry, the competitive landscape, and economic conditions. There’s often a direct correlation between the margins a business can charge […]
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How Far Would You Go For a Customer?
There’s a story told of a middle-aged man and a teenage boy who checked into a hotel together while traveling. The staff noticed that both seemed quiet and somber and that the boy appeared pale. That evening, the two had dinner at the hotel restaurant. Again, they seemed unusually quiet, and the boy barely touched […]
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Are You Strategic or Are You Tactical?
Strategic planning and thinking are critical to success in business — and in sales. Strategic thought focuses on the big picture. It looks at building sustainable, long-term relationships with clients who can benefit from what you have to provide. Tactical thinking, however, focuses on the here and now. It cares only for making the quick […]
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Beware the Cycle of Doom
The cycle of doom is the nightmare of every business owner and salesperson who works to attract prospects and customers. It occurs when you find yourself without a steady, predictable stream of high-quality prospects that turn into customers. As the cycle progresses, every day can feel like a challenge. Where are the next leads coming […]
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Is Your Business Sellable?
One of the goals of every business owner should be to build a company that is worth selling. Whether it is actually put on the market or not is another matter. A business that is worth selling is growing, vibrant, and healthy. That’s why it’s in the best interest of everyone involved in the company […]