This post evolved from a conversation with a colleague, Gina Trimarco, of Pivot10 Results, a leadership, sales, and service trainer, a studier of people, and a fantastic business sage. Gina uses analogies and metaphors in much of her training and coaching so I challenged her to take part in our

If you’ve had young children, you’ll feel my lament over those awful cartoons with the characters and theme songs that take root in your adult head like uninvited weeds in your brain garden. From the mouse to the purple dinosaur to the little girl who yells everything and carries a

Earlier this year, my friend and super sales trainer, Alice Kemper asked me my thoughts about the term Sales Playbook. I had shared with Alice that we build these often and help our clients execute these plans and she’s heard the term frequently lately and wanted to know if it

Watching the sales activity of several sales teams lately, I have come to the conclusion that these teams are truly confused about the differences between marketing and selling. I work with many small businesses where the business owner and/or the small sales teams sell and there isn't a marketing department

Last week we kicked off a series highlighting costly sales fails from leading edge sales trainers and consultants around the country. With so much experience coaching, training and in the fields, my mastermind group of Women Sales Pros had plenty of examples to contribute. In the last post, we highlighted

Last week, part 1 of rocking your resolution, we talked about how most resolutions die a quick and sad death—like a fruit fly circling a banana. Why? Well there are many reasons, but you can break it down into two main reasons most resolutions fail: 1) You make the wrong

There’s a certain comfort zone and preference most people have with the term “marketing” versus “selling.” Try telling someone “You’re going to start selling” and imagine what that reaction is versus telling a business owner or employee “You’re going to start marketing the business now.” Which one makes you a

Most small businesses don’t yet have a sales team. All the selling has been shouldered by the owner from the launch and through the growth of the business—and that owner wears way too many hats. For successful businesses, at some point, the owner decides that growth requires sharing that sales

You can say it in many ways. You can define it in many terms—from the technical to blunt: Cash flow is king for small business. The ability to survive and the opportunity to thrive for a small business both hinge on access to available cash. Surviving means you have the

“Just the facts, ma’am” – is the iconic line parodying detective Joe Friday from the old show Dragnet. Meant to demonstrate the character’s dry approach to interviewing witnesses, sometimes I feel like I’m meeting a live “Joe Friday” when I’m approached by someone trying to sell me a product. No