Response Time
When you get back to someone rapidly, you start in a very positive manner. If I'm unhappy with a product or service and complain, a fast response encourages me to believe they are concerned and want to make me happy.
Please, Please Like Me
If you are concerned about: • Someone unsubscribing from one of your lists. • A critique of your position in social media. • Rejection by a buyer. • Low "click through" rates. • A poor review on Amazon.com. • Low Klout scores • Low amounts of friends,
Up on the Roof
I usually stay in the high floors or penthouses of hotels. One of the bizarre aspects I love about this is looking down on rooftops. You see things not intended to be seen by the general public, It's sort of
Do You Know What You Don’t Know?
I've been approached by two people in the last two days for advice on whether I would coach them. Both seemed very expert in their fields, had been in the business for a decade, and had fine reputations, from what
You Don’t Owe the Client Your Time
I was asked an interesting question this morning: "What if you resolve the client's issue in the first month of what was determined to be a three-month project? What do you do for the next two months with that client?" The
The Fallacy of Planning
The problem with a plan is this: If you miss it, even though you've done well, you feel like a failure. If you hit it, there odds are you were focused on hitting it and actually could have exceeded it.
Sorry, I Called Someone Else Who Bothered to Show Up
Small businesses are not usually destroyed by poor economies, technological advances, or larger competitors. They are most often destroyed by horrible business judgment. The basic horrors: • Not showing up when promised • Poor customer relationships • Failure to plan (cash flow, inventory, part-time
Confrontation with Buyers
I don't believe buyers are usually "damaged," but many of them aren't terribly good at what they do, though they have the potential. Companies don't develop their "bench strength" effectively. Don't be bashful about confronting a buyer who wants to involve
Applicability 101
I refer to corporate sales as "wholesale" and individual sales as "retail." In the former, you find a single buyer who can acquire products and services for a wide array of people at significant prices. In the latter, you have
Doom Loop
The doom loop traps you when: you need cash, you're nervous about the meeting with the prospect because you need cash, you're ineffective in the meeting because you're nervous, you don't get the business because you were ineffective, and now