Archive for the ‘Blog’ Category

  • Stand by Your Value

    I once thought, for a brief moment, that I was going to build a deck. Mind you, I’m not talking about a large or overly complicated structure – just a rectangular deck big enough to hold a grill, a table… Read More

  • The Art of Getting Paid

    As a rule, I avoid peppering my speech, let alone articles and posts, with profanity. I’m not sure that someone paid good money to communicate should convey his point with words likely to be caught by a spam blocker. This… Read More

  • Through the Looking Glass – Putting Our New Website Through the Mirror Test

    It was at our June 2012 Drink ‘n Think that Rob MacDonald soured me on our website. Up to that point, I had received nothing but compliments. We had devoted a good bit of effort to it and it was… Read More

  • Is Your Next Star Client Currently Playing in the Minors?

    It happens all the time in sports. A relative underdog rises to the top and wins the championship. As one who tends to see the world through a business filter, I see this as the embodiment of a true lesson… Read More

  • Who’s Influencing the Person You Need to Influence?

    The United States Navy had a problem: Recruitment was down as fewer young people were showing an interest. Surveys revealed a number of factors, but the largest one was that mothers were discouraging their children from enlisting. In response, the… Read More

  • Are You Sitting on Sales?

    You’ve probably heard the 80/20 rule – based on the idea that 80% of your income comes from 20% of your clients. The question then is, what you’re going to do about it? I suggest one simple exercise: The 80/20… Read More

  • Why We are Not Working with You

    T&K Roofing out of Des Moines, Iowa has been in business for over 50 years. But what caught my eye about T&K was not its longevity (though admirable) or its adherence to the family values from which it arose. What… Read More

  • Driving to “No”

    At last week’s Drink ‘N Think, presenter Chris McDonell of McDonell Consulting & Development, taught me something I never thought I’d learn from a sales consultant – the importance of getting a no. He was talking about outcome. After the discussion,… Read More

  • Guest Article: Testing Your Candidates with the Car Talk

    By Scott Turnbaugh Too many interview processes rely on being in a conference room or an office. Once someone is a real prospect, take them on a half-day ride along with one of your high performers. Here are three ways… Read More

  • The World’s Most Powerful Sales Tool

    I was meeting with a client to review the subcontract template I had been asked to prepare.  Clients often tell me that they want to be protected, but that they also want the contract to be fair to both sides…. Read More