A few years ago I spoke at a large marketing conference in Atlanta, Georgia. One woman approached my display table to ask a few questions. Honestly she was so attractive it was intimidating. Tall with a pretty face, understated jewelry, a blue designer suit with beautiful shoes and a high-end bag. She looked like she’d […]

Don’t Make These Mistakes!
As I work with sales people and sales managers I see some  fatal mistakes being made as they negotiate.

May I share some of these here with you now in the hope that their “learning experiences” will benefit you and remind you of the importance of not falling into these “traps”.
Indeed, you may […]

As business owners we know that it’s important to get to know others, both suppliers and potential customers are on the need to know list. We go to functions, do mail outs and other marketing activities, join business clubs and go to early morning breakfasts to network and listen to others speak. It’s time consuming […]

There’s one marketing condition I see over and over with my clients, and it’s called “but-I’m-not-an-expert-itis”. These people are afraid to play bigger because they think it’s not their time yet. (The important words there being “they think”.) They’re waiting for something to happen - a degree, a certification, a blessing from the gods in […]

Having and maintaining a constant flow of communication with our clients and customers is essential in this day and age of technology and increased competition. Often we find that there is information that we know will benefit them, but simply due to pressing demands on our time, we sometimes don’t get around to talking to […]

If you’re forever hearing great things said about your work, yet not seeing these translate into sales and revenue, it could just be because you’ve fallen into the innovator trap.The innovator trap is where we can end up if we confuse educating with marketing. Going out and telling the world about something completely new and […]

“More sales are lost by sales people who fail to get to the “real objection” than for any other reason!”Wayne Berry

As I was saying…
If the […]

A while ago, I had a meeting with a fellow business owner who I was planning to use on a project I was developing. This person had a high degree of expertise in the area and was aware that I do not.A meeting was set-up to begin exploration of a working arrangement.
On both sides the […]

I recently came across this story and it reminded me of a few things I had seen in the past few years.
Quad/Graphics USA is one of the largest printing companies in the world. It is the brainchild of Harry Quadracci Jr. He constantly searches for cheaper, faster, more effective, exciting ways to do business always […]

“More sales are lost by sales people who fail to get to the “real objection” than for any other reason!”
Wayne Berry

As I was saying…
A company […]

I belong to an exclusive club called “those of us left behind after a suicide’.  It’s not a nice club to be a member of.  You have a double grieving going on, you grieve for their sad life and their death.  Unless you have experienced losing someone to suicide you can never understand what it’s like.  […]

Deadlines, time thieves and balancing work and family are causing many of us to suffer stress and unhappiness.  By planning each day and setting yourself goals, you will find that life becomes a little less hectic and your stress levels will decrease.  It takes 15 minutes each morning to plan your day.  Use this checklist frequently.
EVERYTHING HAS […]

If you’re considering hiring copywriting help for your next brochure, Web site, or marketing project. Congratulations! You should get great results if you hire a pro to do it right.
Many business owners and marketing professionals have valid concerns about letting an outsider develop their content. After all — it’s your business, you know it best, […]

The dual purpose of asking questionsMost sales people have some understanding of asking questions to reveal their client’s needs, but most have no understanding of the other equally important reason for asking questions.
Why you’ve got to “disturb” your prospect before you offer a solution
The second purpose of asking questions is to disturb our prospect about […]

This topic generated lots of interest when I mentioned it in the leader column, so I thought I’d write a full-blown article on making space for ideas.While running a workshop earlier in the year, I was talking about the topic of ideas to the assembled group of soloists. I began by asking the simple little question:
“What’s so good […]

So I’m on a tight deadline and I get this guy’s voicemail and he says, “Hi. I’m either on the phone or away from my desk. Leave a message and I’ll get back to you as soon as I can.” I’m thinking, “Well that’s just brilliant Einstein. Now tell me something I don’t know, such […]

“If you ask the right questions, your prospects will become so dissatisfied with their current situation, they will want to buy from you more than you want to sell to them!”

Prospects will not buy if they are totally satisfied with their current situation.
The fact is that no matter how good a product or service is, […]

Corporate training is an investment, not an expense, but how do you choose an appropriate trainer? Firstly, establish what skills are lacking in the company.
Choosing the right type of training programme can be a daunting task. If you haven’t researched the needs of your people, don’t waste your budget on training; make sure it is […]

I remember when I first launched my first business as a copywriter seven years ago, I had no clue what to charge. Without putting hard thought into what type of results my work gave my clients, I started out with an hourly rate that didn’t scare ME! I would still even stutter when I said […]

Tom Peters Business Author and world wide management ‘Guru’ says,“Excellent firms don’t believe in excellence - only in constant improvement and constant change.”
-Tom Peters
An interesting thought. Why label an organisation as excellent and or set a ‘benchmark’ to a certain level of operation or standard. Why not consider the benefits of a constantly developing workforce […]

This isn’t just for CEOs. It’s for everyone. Score yourself with a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ for each of these and see how many you get out of 11. Be honest: no-one else will know but you.
1. Arrogance. You’re right. Everyone else is wrong.
2. Melodrama. You always grab the centre of attention.
3. Volatility. Your mood shifts […]

“If you do it right, you should be able to make 10 calls and get 5 appointments”

Most sales people hate prospecting.
Why is that? If prospecting is such an important skill, why do so few […]