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Category Archives: Growth and Strategy
Rough Seas Ahead?
Economists, politicians, and many business leaders are predicting a recession in 2023 as the Federal Reserve continues to tighten to lower inflation and inflationary expectations. Alas, I have no insight on whether an economic downturn will come to pass. I … Continue reading
Avoid Fair Fights (But Fight Fair)
Whether we are competing in our core business, starting a new business venture, or looking to win a new, large job or project, we need to focus our energies on areas where we have a competitive advantage. We need to … Continue reading
Flexibility
“Predictions are difficult – especially about the future.” This quote from Yogi Berra sums up the challenges we all face in today’s dynamic and fast-changing world. None of us has a crystal ball that allows us to predict the future … Continue reading
Posted in Business Acumen, Growth and Strategy, Perform / Execution
Tagged Adaptability, Flexibility, Marketing, Sales Success
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Be Opportunistic
“There are smart decisions and wise decisions. And one form of wisdom is the ability to judge when to let luck disrupt our plans. Not all time in life is equal. The question is, when the unequal moment comes, do … Continue reading
Three Ways to Develop Strategic Thinking Skills
Strategic thinking skills differentiate middle-level managers from effective upper level leaders. With excellent strategic thinking skills, the leader is able to make effective decisions that benefit their companies in both the short and long term. Developing strategic thinking skills requires … Continue reading
Posted in Business Acumen, Growth and Strategy, Perform / Execution
Tagged Business Strategy, Strategic Vision, Strategy, Vision
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Experiment… A Little
To move our companies forward, we need to experiment. We need to try out new products, new sales/ marketing strategies, new processes, and new leadership styles. We cannot be certain if all of these will work. But, to not experiment … Continue reading
The 5 Fundamentals of an Innovative Company
The world and the customer are changing rapidly. To keep up with these changes and to truly differentiate themselves in the marketplace, companies need to innovate. Yet, too many companies still rely on small updates, upgrades, or makeovers of their … Continue reading
5 Steps to Creating a Unique Strategic Vision
Today, companies struggle to consistently increase sales and profits faster than the overall market. In too many cases, these companies lack a unique strategic vision that would differentiate the company and its products and services from the competition. Instead, their … Continue reading
World Class Selling
The book, World Class Selling, by Roy Chitwood (founder of the Track Selling sales process) is an effective and insightful sales book. It is well worth reading for both new and experienced salespeople alike. Below I have summarized the key … Continue reading
Sales Fun Facts
This month, I thought to share some sales “fun facts” to get us all thinking of what we can do better to drive sales growth and success and move our companies forward. Having the right people on your sales … Continue reading
What Does a Buyer Want?
I recently interviewed a professional buyer at a customer company who was looking to move into a sales role for our company. I asked how she would use her current experience as a buyer to be a better salesperson. Her … Continue reading
Don’t Upsell…Right Sell
“Would you like to supersize your order?” As I wrote previously (“Do You Want Fries With That?” – An Opportunity for Profitable Growth), upselling can bring additional value to our customers, create additional sales and profits, and cement our relationships … Continue reading
Coaching and Developing Great Salespeople
Wanted: Great Salespeople! All of us are looking for great salespeople to close business, grow revenue, and help drive our companies to success. What are some of the qualities of great salespeople? Professional and personable Responsive and lives up to … Continue reading
5 Steps to Improving Customer Service
Excellent customer service is a fundamental for success in our businesses. Unfortunately, it is all too often lacking. So, how can we improve customer service in our companies? Hire and Develop Employees that Actually Like People: Customer service starts and … Continue reading
Prepare Questions…Not Presentations
The sales meeting begins. The salesperson starts talking through a PowerPoint presentation slide deck (which took him several hours to complete) telling the customer how great the salesperson’s company and products are. 30 minutes later the presentation is complete. And … Continue reading
Ten Ways to Grow Sales Now
Despite the improving unemployment rate and positive economic indicators, many B2B companies are stuck in slow and no growth modes. How can these companies re-kindle growth and increase sales?
Go Where the Growth Is
In today’s low growth world, B2B companies need to be looking for those market segments and niches that are growing faster than the overall economy. ‘Going where the growth is’ offers our companies the promise of increasing sales to growing … Continue reading
Determining the ROI of Product Development
This is a guest blog by K. Armen Miamidian, a time-tested CFO for successful mid-market companies. What’s Pumping Your Profits: An Internal Look at the ROI of Product Development? When are expenses not just costs? Why do risky assumptions become … Continue reading
Posted in Business Acumen, Growth and Strategy, Sales and Marketing
Tagged Financial Analysis, Product Development, ROI
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Social Media for the B2B Executive
Social media – Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, blogs, etc. – usually revolves around business to consumer (B2C) efforts. In it, companies are trying to reach many possible customers through their social media effort. For business to business (B2B) companies, the situation … Continue reading
Posted in Communication, Growth and Strategy, Sales and Marketing
Tagged Brand, Marketing, Sales, Sales and Marketing, Social Media
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Data Analytics 101
Data Analytics…Big Data…Sabermetrics With the success of the book and movie, Moneyball, a few success stories in the retail world (Amazon and Wal-Mart), and a lot of hype from the consulting and technology industry, data analytics has become a buzzword … Continue reading
David M. Shedd - Move Your Company Forward 