Do you know what your customers need, or only what they want? We make sure we sell what is needed, provide what is wanted and focus on the future. I was in a meeting where I gave a creative company a concept that was future focused for a client. Their number one question was “are [...]
I was talking to my dad yesterday about a story he read about T. Boone Pickens. He then told me that he called on Boone in 1964 to ask him to sell his production to Marathon Oil Company. Boone was in start up mode and was not the success he would be in the future. [...]
I was at TMI-The Episcopal School of Texas Monday for a video and photo shoot. I attended part of their chapel and a few meetings after interviewing students on why they are in the residential life program. It, once again, blew me away and makes me want to send my kids there as soon as [...]
Have you ever typed in a website and gotten a 404 error telling you that the “page no longer exists or has been moved?” These things are going to happen to you and to others. You have an excellent opportunity to make even the most mundane experience pleasant. How about sprucing it up with something [...]
If you want sales by 5pm every day, you need a pipeline full of prospects. The correct number for this is 15 warm ideas/leads/clients/prospects. If you have more, great, but make sure they are truly warm. What you do with your prospects is key! Are you finding clients for your prospects? Are you saving them [...]
Sales processes can be slow, cumbersome or downright fun and fulfilling. One can of Coke gets picked up and put down 30 times before it ever gets to your hands as a consumer. That same can took 319 days to make/process and eight companies participated in its life with 24% of scrap materials. What can you [...]
What percent of the time you spend in the lead time of developing your product or service is actually value added? According to Guy Parsons, the numbers might shock you. At best, he has seen the number at 5% but usually closer to .1% or less. Typically, companies will try to make the design of [...]
We feel before we think. We are emotional before we think and our emotions are contagious. Are your emotions worth catching today? Inspiration of this message came from Annie McKee, PhD
How do you treat your co-workers or employees? Your actions can sell or unsell them. Remember, it isn’t about motivation, it is about not demotivating your team. “You have to treat your employees like customers.” – Herb Kelleher, Southwest Airlines photo from 37signals.com
When I owned my former company, I wanted my vendors paid fast. My CPA and financial advisers always commented that you need to treat your vendors better than your customers treat you. Today, it is actually better! We require their invoice on the 1st and pay on the 15th. If you look at the “dreaded” [...]
