I was talking to someone recently about how I would describe "sales". And to me, the essence of selling is helping someone change their status quo. They have a problem or challenge, and you have a solution that can help fix it. Selling Is Changing Inertia Because I'm sometimes super-nerdy, I described it in terms of inertia. A lot of people make the mistake of thinking inertia is about an object at rest. But actually, inertia just means that an object will keep moving in the same direction and speed unless an outside force acts on it. Newton said it better in his First Law of Thermodynamics: "Every object in a state of uniform motion … [Read more...]
Are You a Solopreneur Who Wants More Business? The Simple Reason You Need to Connect with Other Solopreneurs
For most solopreneurs (and small business owners in general), "networking" falls in the marketing column. It's a way to find new prospects and build relationships with existing clients. But if you just focus on getting more customers from your networking, you miss out on the most powerful connections that can support your business: your fellow solopreneurs. Putting your focus on building a robust and active network of small business owners can be a huge boost as you build your own business. You can massively leverage your marketing time by engaging with other professionals who are on the same path as you. Who Should You Network … [Read more...]
Stop the Sniping and Start the Loving: The Simple Steps to Sales and Marketing Collaboration
"He doesn't understand how hard I work on this!" "Her expectations are impossible to meet!" Have you noticed that the complaints that sales and marketing teams have about each other sound just like two partners in a dysfunctional marriage (or at least a pretty strained one)? When Sales and Marketing Argue, the Customer Loses This contentious relationship between sales and marketing is not a new thing. It's been common for sales teams to complain that marketing doesn't provide good leads, or that they aren't held accountable for results. The marketing crew snipes right back that sales people don't understand the challenge of getting … [Read more...]
Drive Your Sales Success with 5 Easy Networking Conversations
I've been speaking and training on networking for years, and in all that time, I've only met a handful of people who feel they really have their hands around their networking. Most people sullenly acknowledge that having better professional relationships would help, but stress that they just don't have the time or attention. Too often we wait until we need something from our network before we reach out. That never works since it comes off as self-serving and desperate (because it is). But you don't have to wait. Even if you don't need anything, in fact especially if you don't need anything, you should be investing in the important … [Read more...]
Daniel Pink – To Sell is Human
I read To Sell is Human when it first came out, and it was such a fantastic book...that I never had a chance to write down my thoughts. Oops. I recently went through it again, and was struck by how much still resonates. Dan Pink does a great job of unpacking the negative stereotypes that have been built around the idea of "sales", and why they might not be that relevant anymore. At the same time he points out something that I started realizing when I started as a salesperson as a 20-year-old kid: We're all in sales. Not matter what your job title, we are continuously attempting to persuade and influence the people around us. Big … [Read more...]
Zero to One – Peter Thiel
There was a book written about entrepreneurial success by Bo Peabody called Lucky or Smart? that springs to mind whenever I read books by "successful" CEOs and entrepreneurs. Peter Thiel obviously has some pretty good credentials, and it's easy to conflate that success with wisdom. Too often celebrity professionals don't back up their ideas because they don't have to - we just assume that because they are successful they must be right. I think Zero to One skirts this nebulous zone. I wouldn't read this as a "how-to" book, but rather as a way to meditate on what it means to create in the business world. Big Thought Building a start-up … [Read more...]
Speak to Win – Brian Tracy
This article was originally published a few years ago at the RockStar Success Library. It's a great foundation from one of the icons in the biz. Big Thought Effectiveness in public speaking is a learned skill; and your ability to speak in front of others is a key ingredient in professional success. Questions, Ideas, Implications “Fully 90 percent of your success as a speaker will be determined by how well you plan your speech.” (pg 18). I couldn’t agree more. When people ask me how to improve their public speaking, they are usually thinking about their deficiencies in delivery. However, most messages falter because of poor planning … [Read more...]
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- Next Page »