Well, in a few minutes I’ll head out to another networking event. And I’m terrified. It’s not what you think. What terrifies me is how people approach networking these days. In an age where the masses no longer exist and individualism is king, many still network as if it were a contest to see who [...]
How to Lose Customers (and Employees)
November 13, 2009 By 3 Comments
How many people work for your company? If more than a handful, chances are that you have a few policies. And the odds are just as good that one or more of these policies have irked a customer or two. I run into these policies all of the time. So do you. But yesterday, one [...]
Perspective…
October 7, 2009 By Leave a Comment
…is one of the most important elements of success. Yet it is rarely talked about. Consider the following fable: There was once a farmer who had a strong, hard-working horse. This horse could plough fields all day and carry heavy loads. The farmer’s neighbors, who did not have such a prized animal, often said to him, [...]
Persuasion & Surprise
October 6, 2009 By Leave a Comment
Sooner or later, you’ll need to persuade someone to take action they may not have taken before. To hire someone with an unusual background, buy a product they’ve never used, or embrace a new idea. One approach is to play it safe. Outline features and benefits. Put together a PowerPoint with fancy charts and bullet [...]
The Sales Pitch, Take 2
September 25, 2009 By Leave a Comment
A lot of people think that sales are intentional. I will sell this product to that person. So what happens? A salesperson naturally thinks he or she must take action, that they have to do something to someone. They almost always start by making a pitch. They pitch while making cold calls, at networking events, [...]
The Sales Pitch, Take 1
September 24, 2009 By 2 Comments
I listen to sales pitches all the time. This one, though, was a bit different. “Do you speak English?” The man who approached me looked familiar, but I couldn’t place his face. “Do I speak English?” I asked. I didn’t try to hide the fact that I was annoyed. He threw up his hands. “I’m [...]
Solve the Right Problem
September 10, 2009 By Leave a Comment
The way I see it, most big companies have two problems. The first is the problem itself – poor customer service, me-too products and services, uninspired marketing, miserable employees, and layers of bureaucracy. The second problem is that they solve the wrong problems. More often than not, companies focus their energy on improving the current [...]
Problem Solving 101
September 8, 2009 By Leave a Comment
Abraham Lincoln was fond of riddles. One of his favorites: “How many legs will a dog have if you call the tail a leg?” Most people, of course, thought that the answer was five. Lincoln always replied that the answer was four, not five, because calling a tail a leg doesn’t make it a leg. [...]
Lazy Recruiting
August 29, 2009 By Leave a Comment
In a good economy, hiring managers and recruiters typically focus on employed (passive) candidates. But in this environment, mass layoffs clearly mean that there are more quality people available in the ranks of the unemployed. That hasn’t stopped some from targeting the employed. In this Wall Street Journal article, a partner from Kaye/Bassman International Corp. [...]
The Brand is the Talent
August 20, 2009 By Leave a Comment
We shouldn’t be able to compete with big organizations. After all, they have more than we do. More capital. More distribution channels. More sales people. And while these things used to matter, they don’t anymore. The fact is, small companies today are often a lot more successful than large ones. Do you know why? There [...]
