Smooth and Easy Sells

Jun 26, 2012 | Sales, Marketing & Customer Service

This is going to sound a bit "touchy-feely", but one of the tricks in writing marketing copy and designing marketing pieces is to ensure the "subtle" side is addressed as well as the overt message. To help your prospective customers not only UNDERSTAND what you're selling, the prospects also need to FEEL good about what you're selling and about you. When they do, you take away a number of their hesitations to buying. If they understand what you're selling, but something feels "off" to them,...

If You Want Change, You Need to…Change

Jun 19, 2012 | Leadership Development

Change is hard. Changing the way we think, behave, work, and lead others is really hard. It takes dedicated, intentional focus. It takes dedicated, intentional restraint. It takes dedicated, intentional action. It takes dedication to change. I've circled back and had interactions with two client groups recently who are experiencing the frustrations of change. Their organizations have been working to enhance their leadership teams, implement focused strategic plans, and implement a number of...

There Is No Magic Pill

Jun 12, 2012 | Sales, Marketing & Customer Service

I provided a seminar on Business and Marketing Plans for a group of senior managers recently. At the end of the session, during our final question and answer session, one attendee said, "I understand the value in everything you've shared today, but what can I do to increase sales right now?" Good question. I'm sure others wanted to know the same thing. I wish I had a sure-fire, guaranteed-to-succeed answer. But I don't. No one does. And if someone says they do, be very careful. Because if...

Succession Planning – Your Next Big Project

Jun 5, 2012 | Succession Planning

Every day, there are stories in the media discussing the importance of succession planning, yet many of us business owners aren't paying heed. According to a global study released by Korn Ferry International, "40% or less of organizations today have a capable CEO-in-waiting." Also, according to a report released by the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB), four out of ten small to medium-sized business owners intend to retire and exit their businesses within five years....