You can have a great idea. You can have a great product. You can be the best at what you do—but if you can’t effectively translate your value to another person or business and sell it to them, that’s a tough pill to swallow. Selling is all at once the

I’ve had the privilege of meeting and talking with thousands of people over the course of my career in sales, leadership and development. I've started carrying around this quote by Ayn Rand—wearing it, like a boxer’s robe ready to enter the ring: The question isn’t, “Who is going to let

In the last blog I asked you if you had a strategy to grow your business and after making you feel a little queasy, I promised to help you out with 4 steps to building an effective sales strategy. Selling more is a sales strategy and planning and executing, measuring

Is it strategy or is it illusion?Do you have a strategy to grow your business? Be honest? If yes, are you using it? Is there a sales plan in it? Are you executing your sales plan? Are you on track to meet your goals? Are you measuring your results? Are

A couple of years ago, I had a big meeting. A really great prospect who I had finally found the right opening accepted a request to meet to talk about his problems and my potential solution. Getting ready that morning, I put on my favorite suit. You know the one

What might seem like polite, considerate or clever technique to win favor or influence your target audience might be turning them off to your message. Whether you’re asking for an appointment, asking for their business or asking for a donation, reconsider using the following: 12 Phrases to Avoid in Sales

Are you waiting for someone else to take the reins of leadership? If you need a helluva compelling reason to take charge here and today, here’s to inspiring you: There’s a reason the former proper noun, “Google” is now listed as a transitive verb, according to Webster’s Dictionary. Customers are

Many many many stories have been written on the phenomenal, if not fanatical corporate culture CEO Tony Hsieh has created at Zappos, but here’s a new one on me: Zappos offers a 4 week immersion to new hires but after a week or so, they give newbies “The Offer,” which

Outside elements, personalities, bias, preferences, mistakes—these forces that impact business decisions cannot be compartmentalized and made without experiencing the application of external forces. So why do corporations still operate in departmental silos that stifle creativity, efficiency, productivity and profitability? As it turns out, no, no one ever asked me. However,

The foundation of everything you build. Everything rests on the kind of company you decide to keep. No, not who do you hang out with, but what vision, aesthetics, energy, influence, encouragement, relationships, structure—you keep in your business. Cactus grow in dry, sandy soil. Mushrooms grow in manure. Bromeliads grow