Candle-lit dinners, long walks on the beach, social media marketing strategies … what do these three things have in common?  Well, on the surface, not much. But when you start getting into the nitty-gritty of dating and marketing, you begin to realize they’re pretty similar: Both are all about getting someone to choose you (pick you, love you — Grey’s Anatomy, anyone?) over the rest of the fish in the…
Think about your three biggest competitors … got ‘em? Now, what do you say when potential customers ask you why they should do business with you instead of those competitors? More often than not your response contains subjective and ineffective language. You say things like “x years in business, trusted leader, great customer service, quality, value, blah, blah, blah.” Ever stop to think why they ask you that question? The…
Many sales folks I visit with consider social media just another “mouth to feed.” What I am about to share with our readers is the “sales side” of social media. I’ll start with a true story. From 2008 to 2010, I was part of a prestigious Top 10 group comprised of 12 like-minded business owners and sales professionals who met once a month at my training center.  Our homework each…
Four ways to overcome the most common roadblocks to strategic thinking With a title like director of client strategy, creating well-thought-out approaches is pretty much what I do. But in the slew of meetings and emails (an average of 126 emails per day says Radicati Group) and a whole host of “other duties as assigned,” it can be nearly impossible to think strategically on a daily basis. Because contrary to…
Q: I recently launched my new company and am thrilled with 23 new clients in three months! Who should my next hire be: a sales professional or support staff? A: Congratulations! What a great “dilemma” to have so quickly. Most readers are probably assuming they know MY answer to your question already since this is a “Sales Answer Man” advice column. Well, that’s not the answer I’m going to give…