Business Coaching Articles For Entrepreneurs & Small Business OwnersBoomers … The Numbers, The Markets Keep Growing“You know, Norman, you really are the sweetest man in the world, but I’m the only one who knows it.” – Ethel – On Golden Pond (Universal Pictures, 1981) The Internet celebrated its 40th anniversary in September. It wasn’t such a big deal for the first 10 years until the PC got some traction. Our […] D Is For Direct MailDirect Mail, otherwise known as sending letters through the post to prospective customers is now pretty much a dying art. By many business owners, sending letters has been replaced by emails – can’t say I blame them really. After all, emails are cheaper, quicker and you can see who has opened it and read it. […] Dealing With The Dreaded Price ObjectionIn the fifteen years I have been working with sales teams I have consistently found that price objections are still one of the most commonly requested programs. In today’s commodity-driven world it is easy to fall prey to discounting your product or service in an effort to capture the sale. However, there is a better […] Find Your Playing FieldDo or do not, there is no try. – Yoda Energy is the essence of life. Everyday you choose how you are going to use it by knowing what you want and what it takes to reach that goal, and by maintaining focus. Ever find yourself wasting a lot of time and money without achieving great […] Align Your Dreams: From Ordinary To Ultra-Ordinary“Cherish your visions and your dreams as they are the children of your soul; the blue prints of your ultimate achievements.” Napoleon Hill What is your dream? You may want an entirely new job or a significant career change. Maybe you are seeking a promotion, or believe you deserve a raise! Perhaps you desire to […] Creating PR Success Beyond OprahI recently received a call from a prospective client who had recently appeared on Oprah and was looking for ways to continue and grow his media placements and build his public relations campaign. That was one smart, savvy business owner. Most people view Oprah as the summit, as the end of the line media-wise. Granted, […] Integrity Is The Best Tool To Get What You WantAs a child, you probably heard, “to thine own self be true.” But what does that really mean? When the newspapers are full of cheating and lying business owners, politicians, and academics, does it really make sense to maintain your integrity? To me, the answer is a clear, unwaffling YES! Without your integrity, you really […] Five Ways To Increase Profitability By Doing The Right Thing1. Base your business in the Magic Triangle. Honesty, integrity, and quality are the three sides of the Magic Triangle of business success. Create the kind of company that stands for something more than the bottom line, and your bottom line will increase. 2. Stop worrying about market share. The world has more than enough […] Seven Reasons Why Ethics Helps Your Business Succeed – And Five Easy Action Steps7. You’re much more likely to build a lasting business, and build it more easily 6. When your customers trust you, they come back again and again 5. It’s much easier to build joint-venture relationships that can exponentially grow your business 4. When your customers fall in love with the way you do business, they […] Three Pathways To Publishing Your BookDo you want your book to open doors, or do you just want to hold your own words, bound and printed? How you publish affects your income, reputation, and your leverage. Let’s look at three options: 1. Publish With a Traditional Publisher You’ll gain prestige, credibility, and a nice advance-and they pick up all the […] Being Clear On What You DoLast week I sat down with a lady who wanted me to refer business to her. She was really lovely and we spent about an hour chatting away. But, although I would have liked to have referred business to her, I walked away from that meeting not really understanding what she did or how she […] Face The DragonI’m a big fan of a Canadian television show called the Dragon’s Den. The premise of the show has budding entrepreneurs pitch their product or business idea to five venture capitalists who then decide if they are willing to offer funding. This is a great example of selling because the business owners are asking for […] Order-Taker or Sales-Maker?Charlie the sales guy talks to his first customer of the day. He has been dealing with this account for several years and the conversation goes something like this, “Hi, Alan. Just thought I’d drop by and see if you need anything this week. I notice that the white bell-hoppers haven’t been selling well but […] Keep The SaleDoes this sound familiar? After dozens of phones calls and emails as well as several face-to-face meetings, you finally reach an agreement with a prospect who is intent on buying your service, product or solution. “Whew! Another sale done,” you think to yourself. But, wait. Before you start counting your commission it is critical that […] What Customers Hate About YouRecent research uncovered almost eighty reasons why customers dislike salespeople. Here are the top seven. 1. Not listening. This was the most cited reason customers dislike salespeople. Too many salespeople neglect to listen to what their customers or prospects say which means they fail to address the key issues that their customer has stated as […] Take Out The TrashIs your head trash piling up? The term “head trash” came up during a conversation with a colleague and he used the phrase to describe the mental garbage that affects the performance of most sales people. Head trash is a collection of limiting thoughts or ideas that prevent you from taking specific action that will […] Sales Lessons Learned From Selling In A RecessionThe past year was definitely interesting. Some sales professionals prospered while others suffered. I spoke to one person who doubled his income—and he works in automotive sales! Yet, another well-established person experienced a decline of more than fifty percent in their sales. There are several key sales lessons that can be learned from selling in […] The Art Of NetworkingNetworking is an art, and like any artist, you need to constantly practice, refine and critique your work. Networking makes a huge contribution to your life and career, and it’s a skill that anyone can acquire. These tips can help you get started. Be open. Be open to new ideas, opportunities and people. Be prepared. […] Make The Most Of Your Mentoring RelationshipsMentoring is one of the best ways to learn, to get feedback, and to take your career to the next level. Here are ten tips for making the most of your mentoring relationships. Tip #1 Self-assess. Ask yourself, “What skills do I need to get where I want to go?” Tip #2 Identify your learning […] Avoiding The #1 PR PitfallParticularly when economic times are tough, companies look to grow their businesses as quickly as possible. It’s during those times, that most have a tendency to forget that marketing is a subtle art and revert to the hard sell. Particularly in the PR and media world, the hard sell is generally the least effective approach. […] |
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