Lip Service
Here's some heresy: At executive level in larger companies buyers are not trolling web sites to choose advisors. (They may assign their assistants to find venders.) They choose advisors based on peer-to-peer referral, no different from you asking someone you
Peripheral Skills
People seem to wonder what I mean by "peripheral skills," which are skills not immediately critical to your profession but do tend to set you apart. A brief example, which I'm sure you've all experienced. Tour guides and waiters have become
World Series
In the baseball World Series (an interesting title, since it's not open to "the world") the Nationals defeated the Astros in seven games with neither team winning one home game. So please don't be intimidated when you're in the buyer's office. "Home
Sales Talk Is an Oxymoron
Every buyer is different in many ways, but the commonality if they're healthy (about 95% of them) is that they seek to improve their condition, professionally and/or personally. Determine what that improved condition would look like (higher revenues, greater chance
Are You Talking to Me?
I'm astonished by how little designers (cars, hotel rooms, appliances, furniture, etc.) consult with their perspective customers before they produce the final product. I'm always asked by consultants what topics to use for a special event, a client conference, or a
Note to Candidates: Free Is Never Free (TINSTAAFL)
What the Democratic candidates are having trouble with is the "If
Overcoming Caveat Emptor
Does any political debate ever change anyone's mind? If you want your prospects to change their minds and become your clients, explain dramatically to them why it's in their best interests to do so. Too many sales are based on what's
The Chain Reaction of Attraction™
Bringing people together who otherwise wouldn't know each other, but who find it valuable to meet, is of huge value with very low labor. I call this The Chain Reaction of Attraction.™ They will, in turn, attract still others to
I Don’t Care If You Agree, We’re Going Forward
The New York Times is fond of headlines and teasers which say something like this: "Schools continue to engage in X curriculum, but not everyone agrees." Or, "We have a record economy, but not everyone agrees." The point is NOT that "everyone agrees." There are
Who Are Your Friends?
Ask your buyer before the project begins, "Who are the key people we need to co-opt to support us early?" These may be hierarchical, or social, or symbolic, but try to "stack the deck" before you encounter inevitable opposition.
