Nudge Until You Get What You Want
Sometimes, at about 5 in the morning, I feel my hand being lifted or my head sniffed. It's Bentley, who's decided that, at that moment, he needs to be petted. After a minute or two, sated, he goes back to
Of Dogs and Territory
Bentley believes whatever he can see from the truck is his territory, so he barks at people and dogs within range. It's a rather assertive attitude, but he is a 90-pound German Shepherd. "Whatever isn't nailed own is mine, and whatever
The Most Valuable Gift?
It's awkward—and often illegal or against corporate ethics rules—to send clients gifts at the holidays. But what if your "gift" for your best clients were individualized value unique to their market or organization? What if you recommended a better source of
Just One More Thing
Before you walk away from the buyer to write your proposal, ask this: "Is there anything at all we haven't discussed—other than fees which will be in the proposal—that would stop you from accepting one of the options I'll provide
MacBook Pro Appeal
One of my tenets pre-pandemic that has strengthened over the past two years is that the entire buying dynamic is changing and has to change. I believe "allowing the buyer to buy," peer-level referral, and evangelism (bringing buyers and prospects
Why Doesn’t Rolls Go Into the Ice Cream Business?
Everyone is asking, "How do I scale?" "How can I create leverage?" Maybe you need to start with very high quality and a clear idea of your value and ideal buyer. There are a lot of people on the internet scaling crap. Bentley,
Do You Know A Good Doctor? How About One on Facebook?
I've just decided to buy a new computer based on the recommendations of people I trust—not ads, not internet ramblings. That's how buyers come to you. What are the peers of your buyers and your current buyers saying about you? That's
I Really Don’t Care If You Agree
If you want to develop a strong brand so that people come to you and ask how you can work together, don't worry about the possibility of having an opinion that others might not agree with. You need to be
Introduce Me, Now!!
Referrals are the lifeblood of our businesses (I call them "the coinage of my realm"). Treat them that way, not as some afterthought. Language for a resistant client on referrals: "Look, referrals are important to you and to me. Why would
Deterrence
In grammar school I was a good athlete but a lousy fighter. I tried to stay out of fights, especially with older kids. But one day one of them started punching me in the arm repeatedly, and I viscerally punched