A Question to Ask at Every Project Meeting

A Question to Ask at Every Project Meeting

Connecting Social Media Marketing with Buyer Behavior

If your business needs leads to increase sales opportunities, you better adopt an inbound marketing strategy-read this by Mark Schaefer: Connecting Social Media Marketing with Buyer Behavior

Target 10 to Win! by Charlie Van Hecke

I just finished my advance copy of “Target10toWin!”, by Charlie Van Hecke. I found it an very energizing and clear explanation of  the fundamental best practices which serious sales people need to practice.

In over 40 years as a sales and marketing professional, I have experienced no end of “million dollar” sales training sessions and have paid thousands of dollars on a quest to know all there is in assisting people in taking advantage of opportunities that met their needs (that’s what sales people do).

These are challenging times for sales and marketing.  Modern technology has given all people extraordinary access to information on which to base buying decisions.  To be relevant, sales professionals need to know their prospects and their organizations as well as possible and be seen as partners in meeting needs. Charlie hits all the important points such as the time value of money, target markets, positioning, the perception of value and utilizing modern communications to enhance prospect insights and relationships.  He has short cut names for these things but he conveys the primal elements clearly, concisely and with examples that are instructive.

I hate how to sales books, but I enjoyed this. Charlie took a complex, strategic sales subject and made it understandable and readable in less than 50 pages. The only thing I didn’t like was the run-together title, it’s faux spelling.  

Tips for Bagging a Big Customer for Your Small Biz | Susan Says -- Secrets of Small Business Success

Tips for Bagging a Big Customer for Your Small Biz | Susan Says -- Secrets of Small Business Success

Very good advice. I would add; the secret to hunting elephants is to go where elephants are. Don't sit in your office as mutter.

Customer Service Is Not a Marketing Strategy | BNET

Customer Service Is Not a Marketing Strategy | BNET

P&G, Colgate, Clorox to Raise Prices, Increase Marketing Spending → Private Label Foods

P&G, Colgate, Clorox to Raise Prices, Increase Marketing Spending → Private Label Foods

Management Team Gaps

Entrepreneurs and financiers are well aware of the term "funding gap". It usually refers to the financial pressure that is created when a small company is rapidly growing, so rapidly that it has outrun its funding sources.  Unfortunately, this often happens before they are successful enough to attract VC funding.  

If you know of a promising enterprise that could go to the next level "if only they had funding". Take a look at their management team, first.  Have they taken enough time to plan? Do they have cost controls in place? Do they have a market strategy that is properly monitored, tracked and funded? Do they know how to recruit, train and retain? On and on the list could go, but what it boils down to is gaps in management as well as gaps in funding.  There is a time value to money and if the existing management does not have time to do the things that create true value for the company, those gaps must be filled before financing will be offered.

In that situation the stakeholders of the company should first seek out management assistance that will work for a share of the value that is created.  Ted Turner did it at TNT in the day.  If you think your company has potential value, offer that as part of your budget to attract a good gap management team.

Entrepreneurial Tightrope: Home is a great place to start - USATODAY.com

I have been counselling Small Office Home Office people (SOHOs) for the last 10 plus years, all over the country. SOHOs include entrepreneurs, established small businesses and telecommuters. The number one issue that must be addressed when considering "working from home" or even in a small office is productivity/time management. The key to time management is really comfort and concentration. The following article is th emost clear appraisal of the steps one needs to take to be productive in a SOHO environment.

Entrepreneurial Tightrope: Home is a great place to start - USATODAY.com