Have you ever been called in to meet by a prospect that's all excited about making the change? They're busy meeting with vendors, looking at all their options. And, they want you to get a proposal to them right away -- or to do a presentation. Stop, stop, stop! If you don't fully understand the why behind all this activity, you may be spinning your wheels for nothing. 1. Ask them, "Why, at this particular moment in time, did you decide that change was essential?" Find out what they say. Does it make sense? 2. Ask them again, "What's the business case for the change?"…
Selected by barbaraweaversmith
-
Most Topular Stories
-
[Video] 3 Critical Questions You Must Ask Every Hot Prospect
Jill's Fresh Sales Strategies Blog30 Jan 2012 | 4:55 am -
Inaccurate labels and why we need them (and need to improve them)
Seth's Blog9 Feb 2012 | 2:46 amIf I tell you, "I'm going to the baseball game," it seems as though you're likely to understand what I mean. Of course, you won't. When George Will goes to a baseball game, it's a religious experience. Me, I don't even like baseball. Or maybe it's my nephew's ball game (the playoffs), or maybe going to the game causes me to miss an important event, and on and on. We label the experience with just two words, and two words can't possibly capture the emotions and circumstance surrounding an event. The same thing is true with brands. If I tell you that a new business was funded by USV, that might… -
Loquiveri: A Platform To Share Your Letters With Congress
Forbes - Entrepreneurs9 Feb 2012 | 8:33 amHave you ever wondered what happens to all of the letters that constituents send to Congress? I certainly have. As a Forbes Contributor, I am lucky enough to have a platform to share my ideas. However, what about the tens of thousands of Forbes readers that would love to have a soapbox? -
How coffee changed America [infographic]
Holy Kaw!9 Feb 2012 | 8:57 amFull-size version at Lumin Consulting. Delicious coffee. Permalink | Leave a comment » -
Tracking your right life: Interview with Martha Beck
Escape From Cubicle Nation6 Feb 2012 | 12:00 pmThose of you who have been following my work for awhile know that I have been heavily influenced by my coach mentor Dr. Martha Beck. Her book Finding Your Own North Star changed the course of my life when I read it nearly a decade ago, and eventually led to my Escape from Cubicle Nation work. Martha is a Harvard-trained sociologist and bestselling author. She is Oprah’s life coach in residence, and writes a monthly column for O Magazine. In this interview, I talk with Martha about her brand new book Finding Your Way in a Wild New World. Building on the research she started at Harvard…
-
Jill's Fresh Sales Strategies Blog
-
[Video] 3 Critical Questions You Must Ask Every Hot Prospect
30 Jan 2012 | 4:55 amHave you ever been called in to meet by a prospect that's all excited about making the change? They're busy meeting with vendors, looking at all their options. And, they want you to get a proposal to them right away -- or to do a presentation. Stop, stop, stop! If you don't fully understand the why behind all this activity, you may be spinning your wheels for nothing. 1. Ask them, "Why, at this particular moment in time, did you decide that change was essential?" Find out what they say. Does it make sense? 2. Ask them again, "What's the business case for the change?"… -
Dealing with Oops! Moments: Sales Lessons from Rick Perry
26 Jan 2012 | 5:27 amThis not meant to be a political statement. It is simply commentary about what a candidate did - and what we, as sellers, can learn from it. When Texas Governor Rick Perry entered the presidential race, he immediately soared to a front-runner status. But, it didn't last long due to his performance during the Republican debates.For those of you who don't follow American politics, during the recent debates Perry stated that he'd eliminate three federal departments. When asked which ones, his mind went blank. He came up with two, but the third eluded him. For 55 seconds, he wracked his brain,… -
[Audio] 3 Big Sales Problems I See Today
22 Jan 2012 | 9:04 pmRecently I was interivewed by the Sales Lead Management Association about some of the biggest problems I see today that are having a negative impact on sales -- and what can be done about them What was my key focus? - Management's failure to understand changing customer/behavior.- Lack of sufficient digital assets to attract & nuture prospects.- Improper training & tools for salespeople to help them succeed in the new sales environment. You can listen to the download the interview below. Download this episode (right click and save) -
[Video] How to Get More Prospects in Your Pipeline?
12 Jan 2012 | 7:05 amAs sellers, we want to keep as many options open to us. We want to be able to pursue business with anyone who has the potential to buy from us. But doing this actually has a boomerang effect and reduces your sales effectiveness. Here's what you need to do to get more hot prospects in your sales pipeline: You must focus, focus, focus. Focus on certain types of customers. Put together a campaign and go after law firms. Or, think about what the school districts might need. Or how about mid-sized manufacturing firms. The more focused you are the better your message resonates. You can also… -
[Video] What If You Couldn't Get Any New Customers?
4 Jan 2012 | 4:45 amToday's video is designed to get you thinking. Seriously thinking. If you're on a sales team, talk about it together. If you're on your own, explore the ramifications. What you discover may have a huge impact on your success this year. And when you're done, please add your thoughts & comments below. Your ideas may stimulate us all to think at a higher level. Check out the video now >> Video Script: If you've been in the sale profession for any length of time, you probably have a whole laundry list of assumptions about what it takes to be successful. But our marketplace is undergoing…
-
Seth's Blog
-
Inaccurate labels and why we need them (and need to improve them)
9 Feb 2012 | 2:46 amIf I tell you, "I'm going to the baseball game," it seems as though you're likely to understand what I mean. Of course, you won't. When George Will goes to a baseball game, it's a religious experience. Me, I don't even like baseball. Or maybe it's my nephew's ball game (the playoffs), or maybe going to the game causes me to miss an important event, and on and on. We label the experience with just two words, and two words can't possibly capture the emotions and circumstance surrounding an event. The same thing is true with brands. If I tell you that a new business was funded by USV, that might… -
How do they know you're not a flake?
8 Feb 2012 | 2:43 amBefore your link gets clicked or your proposal gets read, a busy person is going to triage it to find out if it's even worth glancing at. Since everyone is now connected, the new permeability has created a deluge of noise, and just about everyone worth contacting is taking defensive measures. Do I know this person? Did someone I trust send them over? Where does she work? (Ideo? the FDA? The New York Times?) Has she won an award? Is she famous? Are there typos and is the design sloppy? Are they pestering me? Do I already follow this person online? Does music play when I visit the website? Will… -
Horizontal marketing isn't a new idea
7 Feb 2012 | 2:09 amBut it is the new reality for just about every organization. Vertical marketing means the marketer (the one with money) is in charge. Vertical marketing starts at the top and involves running ads, sending out direct mail and pushing hype through the media. Your money, your plans, your control. It might not work, but generally the worst outcome is that you will be ignored and need to spend more money. Horizonal marketing, on the other hand, means creating a remarkable product and story and setting it up to spread from person to person. It's out of your control, because all the interactions are… -
Who is your customer?
6 Feb 2012 | 2:26 amRule one: You can build a business on the foundation of great customer service. Rule two: The only way to do great customer service is to treat different customers differently. The question: Who is your customer? It's not obvious. Zappos is a classic customer service company, and their customer is the person who buys the shoes. Nike, on the other hand, doesn't care very much at all about the people who buy the shoes, or even the retailers. They care about the athletes (often famous) that wear the shoes, sometimes for money. They name buildings after these athletes, court them, erect… -
In search of a timid trapeze artist
5 Feb 2012 | 2:01 amGood luck with that, there aren't any. If you hesitate when leaping from rope to another, you're not going to last very long. And this is at the heart of what makes innovation work in organizations, why industries die, and how painful it is to try to maintain the status quo while also participating in a revolution. Gather up as much speed as you can, find a path and let go. You can't get to the next rope if you're still holding on to this one.
-
Forbes - Entrepreneurs
-
Loquiveri: A Platform To Share Your Letters With Congress
9 Feb 2012 | 8:33 amHave you ever wondered what happens to all of the letters that constituents send to Congress? I certainly have. As a Forbes Contributor, I am lucky enough to have a platform to share my ideas. However, what about the tens of thousands of Forbes readers that would love to have a soapbox? -
Amazon + Viacom = Fixed Network Data Caps and the End of TV as We Know It
9 Feb 2012 | 7:29 amAs an Amazon Prime subscriber, Michael Manzo, CMO of Openet, loves the new licensing agreement Amazon and Viacom have signed. The value is worth it just for the reduced shipping costs, he says. Briefly, Amazon and Viacom have inked a licensing agreement that will make thousands of new titles, including The Hills, Jersey Shore, The Hard Times of RJ Berger, The Real World, Dora the Explorer, SpongeBob SquarePants, Yo Gabba Gabba and Hot in Cleveland available to Prime customers. -
America's Biggest Seed-Stage Investor on Start-up Success
9 Feb 2012 | 7:18 amThe National Science Foundation (NSF) is America's biggest seed-stage investor. And one of NSF's portfolio managers has keen insights on what separates the start-up winners from the pack. -
The Cluster Effect
9 Feb 2012 | 6:43 amWhen you?re a small technology company trying to grow your business, you?re looking for every possible opportunity to succeed. The pressure from stakeholders to find capital or strategic partners to accelerate your business can sometimes be overwhelming. -
The Seven Habits of Spectacularly Unsuccessful CEOs Hall of Shame
9 Feb 2012 | 6:39 am
-
Holy Kaw!
-
How coffee changed America [infographic]
9 Feb 2012 | 8:57 amFull-size version at Lumin Consulting. Delicious coffee. Permalink | Leave a comment » -
Restaurant brands flock to Kids LiveWell program
9 Feb 2012 | 8:54 amThe number of restaurant brands participating in the Kids LiveWell program has tripled to 70 companies and 20,000 restaurants across the country. Eateries are finding creative ways to participate in the program that helps parents find healthier dining choices for their children, says Healthy Dining President Anita Jones-Mueller. Full story at SmartBlog on Restaurants by SmartBrief. More SmartBrief stories. Permalink | Leave a comment » -
DIY Pop Tarts on a stick
9 Feb 2012 | 8:10 amA hungry wise man once said, “All tasty food should come on a stick.” The food gods have responded to the man’s stick wish and created mini Pop Tarts on...you guessed it...a stick. Quicker alternative: toothpick, full-size Pop Tart, knife. Full recipe and directions at caplan miller. Delicious DIY. Permalink | Leave a comment » -
Fast-food diners say "downsize me"
9 Feb 2012 | 8:08 amAsking consumers if they would like a smaller portion may be a better approach to curbing overeating than posting calorie counts. The study from Tulane University found that when servers asked customers whether they’d like to “downsize” starchy side dishes at a Chinese fast-food restaurant as many as a third gladly cut back—saving an average 200 calories each meal. “Our goal was to test whether the invitation to downsize a meal component would be embraced by consumers and, importantly, whether the approach would be more effective than a purely information-based… -
The video game entertainment curve
9 Feb 2012 | 8:05 amVia loldwell. Video gaming. Permalink | Leave a comment »
-
Escape From Cubicle Nation
-
Tracking your right life: Interview with Martha Beck
6 Feb 2012 | 12:00 pmThose of you who have been following my work for awhile know that I have been heavily influenced by my coach mentor Dr. Martha Beck. Her book Finding Your Own North Star changed the course of my life when I read it nearly a decade ago, and eventually led to my Escape from Cubicle Nation work. Martha is a Harvard-trained sociologist and bestselling author. She is Oprah’s life coach in residence, and writes a monthly column for O Magazine. In this interview, I talk with Martha about her brand new book Finding Your Way in a Wild New World. Building on the research she started at Harvard… -
Are you massively wrong about the size of your market?
2 Feb 2012 | 4:05 pmI walked in my son’s Cub Scout meeting late last night, and ran into the wife of our den leader. She is a wonderful person; an engaged mother, passionate volunteer and airline pilot. “I am so sorry for being late,” I said. “I was teaching a class.” “No problem at all, where were you teaching?” she said. “On the phone,” I said. She looked puzzled. “You were teaching on the phone? How does that work?” “I teach marketing to coaches who are in the Martha Beck coaching program. They dial in from all over the world, and I… -
A concrete example of how to get yourself to “do the work”
1 Feb 2012 | 8:51 amGolden Gloves contender Amanda Wang and Pamela Slim. Photo by proud cousin Abe Cajudo. They say the best way to learn something and reinforce positive behavior is to teach it. So here, 5 minutes after gaining insight while on a walk to Starbucks, is my advice to help you “do the work” (said channeling Steven Pressfield). To watch directly on YouTube, go here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3zVWDH2QflA What I neglected to say in the video is that exercising even a little bit makes everything feel better! <Enjoy getting back to your regularly scheduled programming. I have a… -
How to build a powerful and profitable mailing list
17 Jan 2012 | 12:27 pmIf you have studied small business marketing, you may have heard the frequent cheer “The money is in The List!” And indeed, creating a strong email marketing list is a powerful foundation for any business, online or offline. In this video, I give you a few things to think about as you are establishing your mailing list, as well as a cardinal sin to avoid. To view this directly on YouTube, go here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g4xEkc0qEbg More marketing tips coming! At the end of this month, I am going to be opening a new section of Power Boost Marketing for enrollment. Power… -
Bigger goals mean more resistance – don’t back down!
12 Jan 2012 | 12:19 pmHappy 2012! If you followed my planning videos in December, you may have defined some nice juicy goals for yourself this year. And as you have started to execute those plans, you may have already faced some challenges and resistance from your market. My best advice? Don’t back down. Here’s why: (Direct link to YouTube here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZY-BbkxIkGQ) Bigger Fish! Pescadotes!
-
All Things Workplace
-
Leadership: It Is About You
5 Feb 2012 | 9:01 pmThere seems to be an ongoing attempt to recycle, re-package, re-label and microwave new leaders into existence. Yet that approach must be important, fascinating, or both, because it's a huge moneymaker. Look at this: Leadership books at Amazon: 72,587 vs. 26,086 for Nutrition & Diet. There are twice as many authors and publishers banking on people wanting to become leaders than paying attention to staying alive long enough to get there. Google the word "leadership" and you can spend the rest of your lunch break reading your choice of 160,000,000 results. Want to know the definition… -
Talent: Where You Decide to Perform Matters
29 Jan 2012 | 9:01 pmHide not your talents, they for use were made. What's a sun-dial in the shade? --Benjamin Franklin (1706 - 1790) Everyone is talented at something. Everyone. Where you decide to perform can build you up or whittle you down. So pick the venue that's a showcase, not a coffin. 1. If you want corporate life, find a corporation that's already doing the kinds of things you like to do the way you like to do them. Don't expect them to change for you, no matter how right you may be about something. 2. If you love being independent, then research the kinds of clients who will appreciate you… -
5 Meeting Traps and How To Fix Them
23 Jan 2012 | 1:30 pmI just returned from a good meeting. Everyone was engaged, no one dominated (unless it made sense because of specific expertise), and every speaker followed up to check for understanding. It was more like sitting around a warm fireplace in winter than a typical business meeting. So, it made me think about the planning that went into it and how it was led. If you've struggled through more than a few bad meetings, I'm guessing you've experienced the following traps. Here they are and how to fix them. 1) People think they are experts. Many people tell me that they know how to run an… -
Leadership & Influence: Raise The Standard
15 Jan 2012 | 9:06 pm"Fitting in" is a big deal, and in many organizations it's seen as the way to career longevity. That's a problem. People are influenced by those they see as being "ahead of them." If you simply match the rest of the workforce and blend in, your influence is diminished. Eventually, you become invisible. If you want to lead, be willing to raise your personal standards to exceed the common expectations of your organization or work group. "Raising" equates with "elevating." Once you raise the bar for yourself, you begin to view things from a heightened position that expands your perspective. When… -
5 Tips To Make Things Happen
8 Jan 2012 | 9:01 pmDecisions get made. It's time to start. The goal is clear. There is a picture of what the result should look like. Now we just have to "do it." Some don't make it... .. .individually or organizationally. Given that there are entire industries built around "doing it"--continuous improvement, change management, life coaching-- there must be some trick to that whole in between area. If you are involved in any kind of a change, here are 5 tips that you can take to the bank. (Ignoring them may put you in the collection agency). 1. Language matters. "We're going to make a transition…
-
Women on Business
-
What Do Leadership Coaching Services Offer?
9 Feb 2012 | 4:58 amGuest post by Jeffrey Sooey (learn more about Jeffrey at the end of this article) There are different coaching services to meet our many and varied needs. There are leadership coaching services and executive and corporate coaching services. These services may be similar but they also have their distinct differences which can assist you when dealing with a specific service. Let us begin with finding out what their differences are. Corporate coaching services and leadership services both cater to individuals and team leaders, but it is the former that specializes in the corporate world. -
Putting Your Blog To Work For You
8 Feb 2012 | 5:54 amGuest post by Charity Cason (learn more about Charity at the end of this article) In this age of social media and blogging, it’s more important than ever to make sure that your blog is marketing your business effectively 24 hours a day. There are so many mistakes that new bloggers make which can be easily avoided from the outset. Let’s face it; business people are good at what they do, but they aren’t always good at marketing online. The online world is a totally different animal when it comes to marketing, so take these tips to heart and make changes that will create a… -
Managing the “Great Expectations” of the Next Sales Generation
7 Feb 2012 | 10:53 amGuest post by Lynn Schleeter (learn more about Lynn at the end of this post) “The death of the traditional salesman has been greatly exaggerated,” heralded a recent column in The Economist (October 22, 2011). Why does the media always have to dredge up the Willy Lomans of the world every time the sales function is covered? Sales has made leaps and bounds since Arthur Miller wrote that fateful play in 1949. Yet there’s been nothing traditional in sales for the past 15 years thanks, in part, to women making it a successful career path. When it comes to tradition, the challenge today is… -
Leadership Development: Throw the Ball and Catch It Too
7 Feb 2012 | 6:48 amTom Brady’s wife, Gisele, will go down in history with a quote that goes well beyond football. Walking down the corridor to the safety of an elevator, she was taunted by fans about how the Super Bowl game ended and out came the now famous words about not being able to throw a ball and catch it at the same time. Maybe it was the shame of losing (someone had to), maybe it was the tension of hearing her husband was not as good as Eli (Manning that is), and maybe it was the frustration of expectations (too many). In any case, why did what she said go viral? Was it the use of an expletive that… -
GUTSY GALS are Electricians
6 Feb 2012 | 7:14 amSue was not feeling GUTSY; she was still in pain as she talked about an ugly spill that ended with a badly injured ankle. Several doctors told her she would have to be CAREFUL, very, very careful for, well…forever. Diana, sitting across the circle from Sue is a nurse. How could it be that she had the same ankle injury with that big, long medical name, a year ago? And she was also given the same “careful forever” diagnosis. And then the room began to light up. Diana told how she let her GUTSY side take over as she searched for alternative ways to get that busted ankle better. She gave…
-
OPEN Forum Articles
-
The Wrong Way To Market Social Media
9 Feb 2012 | 9:00 amFrom Matthew E. May: Entrepreneur Kevin Ready tells a sadly humorous social media story in his book StartUp: An Insider's Guide to Launching and Running a Business. The airport parking company that he uses has a shuttle bus that runs from the lot to the airport terminal. Plastered on the bus windows are posters that say: “Like us on Facebook. Plus us on Google. Follow us on Twitter.” "This makes sense doesn’t it?" asks Kevin. "Not. Let’s break it down. A. Somebody at the parking company has been tasked with the job of handling social media. B. Second,… -
How to Use Pinterest in Your Small Business
9 Feb 2012 | 8:00 amFrom Ivana Taylor: I signed up for Pinterest about six months ago. And just like Twitter, I didn’t quite get it at first. I’m usually so focused on applications that are obvious benefits to small business that I immediately dismissed it. This was a mistake on my part. Pinterest is a big mover in the social media space. In fact, Time magazine published Pinterest in its “50 Best Websites of 2011″ and Hitwise data shows Pinterest with 17 million total visits per week. As if that weren’t enough, stats show that the average time per… -
Make Your Marketing Seminars Worth the Effort
9 Feb 2012 | 7:00 amFrom Jennifer Gregory: A common marketing technique in the financial services industry is to hold events and seminars to sell products. These sales seminars are often not well-attended or good income producers. If, instead, you hold events for networking, socializing or education, you may generate more future clients and increase your business. Three types of events can help you meet new clients and build stronger relationships with the clients you have. Host a client-appreciation dinner Financial planner Ronald G. Lecours hosts regular client-appreciation dinners. His events… -
Back to Basics: Finding the Right Signage for Your Retail Business
9 Feb 2012 | 6:00 amFrom Julie Bawden-Davis: Jeff Moore knows that when your store is located in one of the largest malls in America, you have seconds to engage customers and get them to walk in. That's why the partner of the shoe boutique, Stilettos, relies heavily on signage. “Signs are the primary vehicle that bring people into the store,” says Moore, whose shop is in the King of Prussia Mall in Pennsylvania. “As a small merchant, it pays to look like the big guys, and our signs help us do that. People often walk into the store commenting on the quality of our signage.” Signs brand a… -
When You Can't Fire Someone for Arson
8 Feb 2012 | 1:00 pmFrom Courtney Rubin: The city of Erie, Pennsylvania, must pay nearly $207,000 to a firefighter who a court ruled was wrongly dismissed following a 2006 suicide attempt in which she set clothes on fire in a bathtub. An eight-person federal jury unanimously ruled that the city of Erie violated the Americans with Disabilities Act when it fired Mary Wolski in April 2007. Wolski was distraught over her mother's 2005 death from a staph infection and set the small fire at her father's vacant home, hoping the smoke would kill her. At the time–December 28, 2006–she was being treated by a…
-
Small Business Labs
-
I Miss the "Mail Moment"
9 Feb 2012 | 1:00 amBell tolls for the U.S. Mail, as we know it is a wonderful story from USA Today on the end of a great American traditional the postal service calls "the mail moment". This moment occurs when we collect, sort and open our mail - and do so with a bit of excitement and anticipation. Younger readers will wonder what I'm talking about. They've never experienced the pre-email, pre-social media "mail moment". But folks who grew up prior to the Internet know. The article is artfully written, and captures my mixed feelings about the… -
The Global, Human, Strategic Accountant
8 Feb 2012 | 1:00 amThe CPA Success blog has a good article on the new Chartered Global Management Accountant designation. This is a joint effort between two large accounting associations, the AICPA and the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants. This is interesting for several reasons. First, the accounting profession realizes businesses of all sizes are increasingly global. This means accounting professionals need to have the skills to advise their clients on global issues. It's good to see accountants looking to lead in this arena. Second, the new accounting designation is designed to… -
The Rise of Small and Micro Manufacturing
7 Feb 2012 | 1:00 amU.S. manufacturing is on a roll. The New York Times recently called manufacturing a "Surprising Bright Spot in the U.S. Economy", the sector has added 330,00 jobs over the last two years, manufacturing economic indicators continue to rise and the President has made manufacturing the center of his economic policy. The times are even more exciting for small (less than 100 employees) and micro (less than 5 employees) manufacturers. Most people don't realize how many small manufacturers there are the U.S. According to the National Institute of Standards and… -
Euromonitor's Top 10 Consumer Trends for 2012
6 Feb 2012 | 1:00 amEuromonitor released their Top 10 Consumer Trends of 2012 recently. The trends I found most interesting are: Consumer vigilantes speak up! On and offline protest is in the spotlight, pressuring brands towards greater accountability and genuine innovation. DIY life - Consumers are revelling in their ability to track and control their health, identity, communication and buying habits. Reality culture and consumers: Scripted reality or celebrities living the dream - consumers are gripped, sharing views and being moved to change their purchasing behaviour. I found these… -
Solid Jobs Report
5 Feb 2012 | 1:00 amThe January Employment Situation Summary from the BLS was quite positive. Total non-farm employment increased 234,000 and the unemployment rate fell to 8.3%. More importantly, private employment increased by 257,000, more than off-setting a small decline in government employment. This continues a trend towards stronger private sector hiring. Over the last 12 months private sector employment is up 2.1% while government employment is down 1.2% (this nets to a 1.5% overall increase). This is really good news - private sector hiring is always the key to…
-
Inc.com
-
Will Your E-Commerce Company Make It? How to Tell
9 Feb 2012 | 5:31 amHow can you tell if your e-commerce company is going to grow or fall flat on its face? These three measurements hold the key.How can you tell if your e-commerce company is growing? I use three metrics to measure top-line growth in my portfolio companies: traffic, conversions, and sales. TrafficNot all traffic is created equal. Any old eyeballs will no longer do. You need visitor engagement that can translate into sales. Getting the right visitor engagement is more complicated than just having a lot of money to spend. And as a young start-up, you can’t rely on snagging cross-over traffic… -
Find Your Company's Native Cannibals
9 Feb 2012 | 5:30 amHow (and why) to disrupt your own business before your competitors or upstarts have a chance to.Many years ago, I was lucky enough to work on a project with one of the original Apollo 13 mission-control engineers. One day, while he was patiently answering questions from his wide-eyed colleagues about how NASA got the astronauts safely home via their Lunar Escape Module, he paused, looked down at a gadget in his hands and cracked a wry smile. "You know, this little device has more computing capacity—by a large order of magnitude—than we had to work with in the entire LEM." No lie,… -
5 Ways to Reward Your All-Star Employees
9 Feb 2012 | 4:57 amThere's no such thing as too much employee recognition. Learn five ways to reward your team.I hope you’ll agree with me after reading this post that there is no such thing as too much employee recognition. In fact, I would imagine that the average employee at most companies is starving for recognition of any type. Heck, most of them rarely see any feedback at all except for the “dreaded annual review,” but that’s a subject deserving of its own blog post.Over the course of leading numerous organizations I’ve had the privilege of being a part of, our teams used… -
Don’t Be a Burnout Boss
9 Feb 2012 | 4:32 amHelping your employees set work-life boundaries is easy and prevents burnout. So why aren't you doing it?Are you an after-hours Blackberry addict? Do you expect your employees to be e-mail addict, too? How much to keep in contact with office calls and e-mail in the evenings and over weekends may be a matter of personal choice (or business necessity) for founders, but for employees when they can switch off can be a nerve-wracking gray area, points out Cali Williams Yost, CEO of the Flex+Strategy Group, on Fast Company recently.Unless you're in the psychic mind-reading business, the only way… -
Be More Profitable: 12 Easy Tricks
9 Feb 2012 | 3:43 amThese easily implemented tweaks will help you cut sales costs while increasing revenue.Bottom line getting you down? Don't despair: Here are 12 quick, easy, and absolutely foolproof sales tweaks that will are guaranteed to increase your profitability:1. Hone your sales lead criteria. Confirm that you’re going after the right leads. Revisit how you score your sales leads and observe—based on your current experience—what's working and what's not. Make changes as necessary.2. Enhance your sales technology. Revisit the online tools that you’re using to find leads and to…
-
Small Business Marketing Blog from Duct Tape Marketing
-
How to Use a WordPress Blog as a Referral Generator
9 Feb 2012 | 5:19 amHow to Use a WordPress Blog as a Referral GeneratorThis content from: Duct Tape Marketing I’ve seen and heard this scenario countless times. Two perfectly suited strategic partners determine they should start doing some things together in an effort to create referral opportunities for each other. They shake hands and agree that it’s a fabulous idea, but then nothing happens. Mostly nothing happens because there’s no catalyst to get the ball rolling in a way that makes sense. I mean, sure, they could both send out a mass mailing to their clients professing how great the other is, but… -
Turn Your Business Into a Community Building Platform
8 Feb 2012 | 5:36 amTurn Your Business Into a Community Building PlatformThis content from: Duct Tape Marketing I believe the future of business and commitment building resides in the idea of viewing your business as a platform for your community. The notion of a platform is one that receives a fair amount of play in various contexts. An author is said to possess a platform when they have built a following. Consultants might work with a business owner to build a platform through speaking, writing, blogging and connecting in social media. And finally, many tech firms have built platforms by creating open source… -
Is Your Marketing Producing the Results You Expected
7 Feb 2012 | 5:58 amIs Your Marketing Producing the Results You ExpectedThis content from: Duct Tape Marketing Quipol Image:One-Fat-Man via Flickr CC The poll question above is a bit loaded and, not that I want to skew the results, the answer for most lies in the fact that they don’t really know what results they expected or what result they are actually getting. Mostly they know the results aren’t what they had hoped for, but that’s another issue. Setting expectations One of the simplest, yet most effective, things you can do is set expectations or goals for your marketing. You can create… -
This Is a Message from Your Heart
6 Feb 2012 | 5:51 amThis Is a Message from Your HeartThis content from: Duct Tape Marketing I had a heart scan the other day – mainly because I’m old and my spouse is convincing in the most loving way. a4gpa via Flickr CCIf you’ve never done it, it’s a pretty incredible experience to get to watch the awesome mechanical miracle that is you heart spray blood in and out through a series of valves, tubes, chambers, levers and doors that any engineer would be challenged to recreate. More often than not the heart is the subject of poems and songs about romance and love but in addition to being a physical… -
Weekend Favs February Four
4 Feb 2012 | 5:32 amWeekend Favs February FourThis content from: Duct Tape Marketing My weekend blog post routine includes posting links to a handful of tools or great content I ran across during the week. I don’t go into depth about the finds, but encourage you check them out if they sound interesting. The photo in the post is a favorite for the week from Flickr or from my own travels. First run of the day Telluride Good stuff I found this week: Quipol – Easily create and embed social polls that are very easy to use and very good looking Transcribe – free online tool that makes it much easier…
-
BusinessWeek.com -- Small Business
-
DIY Apps Save Small Businesses Time, Money
6 Feb 2012 | 8:25 pmA study estimates that small companies have cut 725.3 million annual employee hours by using mobile apps, equaling $17.6 billion in savings -
Turning Girls into Tech Entrepreneurs with a Single App
6 Feb 2012 | 8:23 pmTechnovation Challenge is a contest for high school students run by Iridescent, which uses online software called App Inventor -
For Some U.S. Manufacturers, Time to Head Home
2 Feb 2012 | 3:00 pmMore companies are assessing the true cost of outsourcing -
Michigan Wants More Immigrants
2 Feb 2012 | 3:00 pmRepublican Governor Rick Snyder wants to attract talented foreigners he sees as crucial to the economy -
After Hedge Funds, a Career Rejuvenation
2 Feb 2012 | 3:00 pmA TSA inspection helped Julie Macklowe switch careers from hedge fund manager to entrepreneur, selling luxury, travel-friendly toiletry kits
-
Up and Running
-
Cut it out! (Some of the Best and Worst Coupon Campaign Tactics)
9 Feb 2012 | 4:00 amBy Ella Davidson of Coupons.org; Coupons is a site dedicated to giving back to the community while providing informative couponing knowledge. As any marketing strategist will tell you, understanding your target shopper is the best way to achieve success. Many factors can play a role in determining the outcome of your campaign. In a robust economy, simple tricks such as placing desired items at an entrance of a store can lure a potential shopper in. Once the shopper comes into the store, they will begin to look around and thus create sales that otherwise might not have happened. When an… -
Are You LinkedIn for the Sake of Your Business?
8 Feb 2012 | 4:00 amIf you and your business have been hesitant to invest the time and effort into a LinkedIn account, what are you waiting for? With some 120 million users, LinkedIn is still by far the choice of business professionals. Yet, many business pros, and their companies for that matter, have been late to the party when it comes to signing up for and maintaining accounts. For the business professional, even if you choose to come and go with a LinkedIn page, it is a wise idea to have a company page in place so that you can draw people to your site and reach out in turn. This holds especially true for… -
7 Overlooked Tax Deductions for Small Business Owners
7 Feb 2012 | 4:00 amTax (Photo credit: 401K) According to the IRS, each year millions of taxpayers overlook deductions and credits resulting in overpaying their taxes. Here are seven tips so you won’t become one of the statistics. Section 179 Deduction. If your business acquired assets in 2011 either through a lease or by purchasing them out right, you may be eligible to deduct up to $500,000. For more information about this deduction, you can read “End of Year Tax Tips” as well as the IRS publication “Bonus Depreciation and Increased Section 179 Deduction under the American Recovery and Reinvestment… -
Meet the #IamBplans Winners: Rebar Business Builders
6 Feb 2012 | 11:15 amRebar Business Builders helps strengthen businesses from the inside out by installing small business marketing systems that systematically attract and retain ideal customers. Their Managed Marketing programs provide everything a business needs to create, implement, and maintain their marketing plan. It’s like getting an entire marketing department in a box. The man behind Rebar Business Builders is Bill Brelsford, a CPA turned marketing coach. According to Bill: Accounting and marketing are seen as opposite ends of a spectrum. Left brain vs. right brain, analytical vs. creative, tie vs. -
Praise Where Praise is Due
3 Feb 2012 | 6:00 amIt all started with a simple email exchange. The final mail was short and to the point ‘ thanks for the great customer service, sadly it is unusual.’ It got me thinking.For me the exchange was pretty straight forward. A customer had emailed in with a query. I was in early, before the customer service team had arrived and I logged in to our email management tool. It was a straight forward request so I jumped in and answered it. The customer came back later than morning with another question and having had the initial correspondence with me I again answered it. No big deal? Then I…
-
Jill's Fresh Sales Strategies Blog
-
[Video] 3 Critical Questions You Must Ask Every Hot Prospect
30 Jan 2012 | 4:55 amHave you ever been called in to meet by a prospect that's all excited about making the change? They're busy meeting with vendors, looking at all their options. And, they want you to get a proposal to them right away -- or to do a presentation. Stop, stop, stop! If you don't fully understand the why behind all this activity, you may be spinning your wheels for nothing. 1. Ask them, "Why, at this particular moment in time, did you decide that change was essential?" Find out what they say. Does it make sense? 2. Ask them again, "What's the business case for the change?"… -
Dealing with Oops! Moments: Sales Lessons from Rick Perry
26 Jan 2012 | 5:27 amThis not meant to be a political statement. It is simply commentary about what a candidate did - and what we, as sellers, can learn from it. When Texas Governor Rick Perry entered the presidential race, he immediately soared to a front-runner status. But, it didn't last long due to his performance during the Republican debates.For those of you who don't follow American politics, during the recent debates Perry stated that he'd eliminate three federal departments. When asked which ones, his mind went blank. He came up with two, but the third eluded him. For 55 seconds, he wracked his brain,… -
[Audio] 3 Big Sales Problems I See Today
22 Jan 2012 | 9:04 pmRecently I was interivewed by the Sales Lead Management Association about some of the biggest problems I see today that are having a negative impact on sales -- and what can be done about them What was my key focus? - Management's failure to understand changing customer/behavior.- Lack of sufficient digital assets to attract & nuture prospects.- Improper training & tools for salespeople to help them succeed in the new sales environment. You can listen to the download the interview below. Download this episode (right click and save) -
[Video] How to Get More Prospects in Your Pipeline?
12 Jan 2012 | 7:05 amAs sellers, we want to keep as many options open to us. We want to be able to pursue business with anyone who has the potential to buy from us. But doing this actually has a boomerang effect and reduces your sales effectiveness. Here's what you need to do to get more hot prospects in your sales pipeline: You must focus, focus, focus. Focus on certain types of customers. Put together a campaign and go after law firms. Or, think about what the school districts might need. Or how about mid-sized manufacturing firms. The more focused you are the better your message resonates. You can also… -
[Video] What If You Couldn't Get Any New Customers?
4 Jan 2012 | 4:45 amToday's video is designed to get you thinking. Seriously thinking. If you're on a sales team, talk about it together. If you're on your own, explore the ramifications. What you discover may have a huge impact on your success this year. And when you're done, please add your thoughts & comments below. Your ideas may stimulate us all to think at a higher level. Check out the video now >> Video Script: If you've been in the sale profession for any length of time, you probably have a whole laundry list of assumptions about what it takes to be successful. But our marketplace is undergoing…
-
Penelope Trunk Blog
-
What Facebook's IPO means for women
7 Feb 2012 | 7:15 pmAfter the Facebook IPO, Sheryl Sandberg will become number two on the list of richest self-made women. She is the COO of Facebook. For those of you not familiar with her career, there’s a nice summary in the New York Times. But the bottom line is that she is really smart (Harvard), a really hard worker (startups, Google, Facebook), a great speaker (here’s a commencement speech) ,and she’s married to a guy who is also making tons of money in startups. There is nothing, really, that is bad to say about Sandberg. And she works very hard to encourage other women to go as far as she has… -
How to have faith in yourself
30 Jan 2012 | 8:37 amSunday nights at our house are dinner with me, the kids, the Farmer and the Ex. They are always fun dinners, and I always feel very lucky for that. My six-year-old talked about his new baby cousin, Eva (who is pictured, in utero, above). "She has a terrible name," he said, "for Pig Latin. Its Vaeay. It doesn't work." We all do the vowel arranging in our heads and agree, Eva is not a good Pig Latin name. "Mom has a great name! It's Enelopepay." The Farmer says, "It sounds like it could be the name of her next company." The Ex says, "Yeah,… -
Key to productivity: Choose phone calls carefully
22 Jan 2012 | 12:00 pmOne of the keys to my ability to work 40 hours a week and homeschool two kids is that I have great time management. Which is to say, I say no to just about everything. But learning when to say no is still a work in progress. Here's what I know about saying no to phone calls: 1. It's more efficient to read the book than talk to the author. I get about ten emails a day asking me if I want to talk to someone about their book so I’ll recommend it on the blog. My answer is always no. I said yes once because it was Gloria Steinem. And it turned out to be a really disappointing phone… -
Things I wish I had written
20 Jan 2012 | 10:34 amIn therapy lately I am learning to identify my feelings. Maybe you’re thinking this is elementary, but did you know that envy is about wanting something you don’t have, but jealousy is the fear of losing something you already have? I am thinking about those two things. I am almost never envious, but I am often jealous. Most of my emotions, in fact, are rooted in fear. I am thinking a lot lately about where my joy comes from, and one thing I love is writing well. When I have a blog post that people love I am happy for weeks. And the excitement of doing good creative work gives me energy to… -
How to manage a career in 2012
16 Jan 2012 | 12:57 pmI have never been great at picking my own clothes. I’m great at interior design, but I have a blind spot for clothes. So I email Melissa photos of my outfits, and she uses her photographic memory of my closet to edit my outfits. When I sent her this photo, she said: “What is this?” I only wanted her opinion about the color of the shirt, so I thought it was okay that it was blurry. But the more I look at the picture, the more I think that it’s how I feel about myself right now. I am not quite sure who I am, right now. And given the current career climate, this is actually how most…
-
HBR.org
-
How to Get Promoted (Anywhere in the World)
9 Feb 2012 | 7:43 amMichael Black is an American employee working in China for one of the country's oldest and most traditional consumer products manufacturers. Michael has been in China for two years and has done quite well. He's mastered the local language, been very successful in meeting his performance goals, and believes that he deserves a promotion. Michael is a bit uneasy "tooting his own horn," but he also realizes that if he doesn't do it, no one else will. When meeting with his boss to argue his case, Michael explains how he has met or exceeded all of his performance goals over the past two years and… -
The Case of the Rolling Stone (that Gathers No Moss) Resume
9 Feb 2012 | 7:30 amWhat would you think if a job candidate sent you a resume listing six jobs held in the last four years? Some of you would probably have an instinctively negative reaction: "This is someone who can't make up her mind or settle down — probably a flake. In 'my day' everyone knew that you couldn't change jobs more often than once every two years." Or would you have a more sympathetic interpretation? Perhaps that this is evidence of a candidate who is willing to take risks and seek out new opportunities? Resumes must be truthful — if you've had six jobs in four years, you need to say… -
How Employers Can Help Solve the Skills Gap
9 Feb 2012 | 7:30 amIn my consulting work with large, multinational companies, I see a pervasive anxiety among managers who have trouble finding people for skilled positions, no matter what industry or region. At the same time, employees are just as stressed about the growing skills gap, Accenture research shows, and most of them are unclear about which skills they need to advance their careers. There's a lot at stake here. The mismatch between the skills that companies need and the capabilities of people applying for job openings can result in delays in product releases, lower customer satisfaction, and loss of… -
The Most Important Question You Can Ask
9 Feb 2012 | 5:52 amWhy are you here? It's arguably life's most important question, but is it one you ask yourself? I recognize it's a question some people might view as self-indulgent, while others would see it primarily through a religious lens. But is there any part of an answer we could all agree on? I've found a very simple one for myself, and it's provided me in recent years with an increasingly powerful sense of clarity, inspiration and even joy. It's this: I'm here to add more value to the world than I'm using up. I use up resources every day — the gas I burn driving my car, the heat and… -
Yahoo's Shakeup Demands Fearlessness
8 Feb 2012 | 1:17 pmFour longtime Yahoo board members, including the chairman, are leaving the company. In this one move, Yahoo is trying to make a clean break from the past — signaling that they are primed to reboot. It's a much-needed and long-overdue step on the path to shifting trajectories. The Pattern of Failing Organizations Larger organizations follow a fairly predictable cycle when failing. It starts with denial. The proverbial "we're so awesome and our CEO is a rockstar so we're invincible" dynamic. Typically, this lasts some period of time (years, even decades) after having a lot of success.
-
MarketingProfs How-To Articles
-
Never Waste an Opportunity: The Value of Lead Nurturing
7 Feb 2012 | 7:00 amWhen new visitors arrive at your website, you have two ways to seize the opportunity and guide them toward becoming customers. Both opportunities can evaporate in the blink of an eye--if you don't have the proper systems in place. Read the full article at MarketingProfs -
Four Keyword Research Mistakes to Avoid at All Costs
6 Feb 2012 | 7:00 amIf you are serious about the words "sales," "profit," and "conversions," you must master keyword research. Learn four common pitfalls marketers make when selecting keywords--and how to avoid them. Read the full article at MarketingProfs -
The Inside Scoop on Using Twitter Lists for Profit and Sanity
3 Feb 2012 | 7:00 amThe dirty secret of Twitter is that as helpful as it can be, it's also a time sink. Learn how properly using and cleaning up your Twitter lists can help you save time--and generate leads for your business. Read the full article at MarketingProfs -
10 Hot Tips (and a Promo Campaign Planner) for Seasonal Sale Success
2 Feb 2012 | 7:00 amCustomers today expect more deals and offers during holiday seasons, so it's important to create seasonal campaigns to increase revenues. Here are 10 tips--and a campaign planner--to help you achieve seasonal sale success. Read the full article at MarketingProfs -
Five Tips for Implementing a Successful QR Code Campaign
1 Feb 2012 | 7:00 amQR codes can be inexpensive to implement and can provide you a measureable return on investment--if you use them correctly. Learn five invaluable tips for implementing an effective QR code campaign. Read the full article at MarketingProfs
