Text messaging has created a new “language” of sorts that is destroying the written word and has infected all aspects of our society. Driven by young cell phone users who would rather text than talk, these abbreviations are appearing in advertising, new media, and college term papers. SMS (Short Message Service) technology is a communications…
DetailsMy recent blogs about using questions as a selling tool got many comments from readers who sell to senior executives. I was reminded about how busy C-level execs are these days and how intolerant they are of “discovery” sales calls. C-level executives (i.e., CEO, CMO, CIO, etc.) need a different sales approach. Gone are the…
DetailsToo many press releases beat the drum about new product releases, product features, and the daring follies of egomaniac CEOs. Most this crap is just plain vanity and worthless to their audience. Can you hear the delete key tapping away? Good PR informs that reader about matters to them, not the authoring company. To this…
DetailsEver notice that when you go to the doctor, you get asked a lot of open ended questions while the physician says little? Much like a doctor, sales people help buyers with problems by asking questions and saying little. Rather, that is what the good sales people do. The patient replies with answers which are…
Details“In order to make an apple pie from scratch, you must first create the universe.” – Carl Sagan, astronomer Many “wannabe” entrepreneurs struggle with the idea of coming up with the perfect product or solution. This obsession with being the best keeps them from launching the product. Instead, they stay sequestered in the pre-launch stage…
Details“Different isn’t always better, but better is always different.” – Marshall Thurber, entrepreneur I like this quote because it sums up my thinking about how customers will buy an offering because of its differences not because it is like another offering. This is true even if the offering is a commodity or is nearly the…
Details“If everyone is thinking alike, then somebody isn’t thinking.” – George Patton, US General during WW II Please extend my apologies in advance to James Surowiecki, the author of “The Wisdom of Crowds”. His best selling book suggests that groups make better decisions than any made by a single member of the group. To this…
DetailsThe language of the web sometimes resembles Swahili and this is especially true with domain names. Coming up with a domain name with a .com suffix that matches your company name or offering is darn near impossible. The first thing you have to ask yourself is should your business or product name match your URL?…
DetailsA friend of mine reminded me that selling is not about what you say to the customer, but rather it is about the questions you ask. Many sales people are in love with their own words and ideas. They are often described as having the “gift of gab” which means that they really just talk…
DetailsGood negotiators are prepared. It first begins with knowing what you want. Additionally, good negotiators anticipate the wants and needs of the other party. You need to ask yourself a few basic questions: 1. What do you wish for? 2. What do you deserve? 3. What must you have? 4. When might you walk away…
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