Have you ever done this: Looked at the bank account, looked at the bills, looked at your upcoming schedule and then just went into a major panic? What are you doing to do? The bills are coming in, the clients are heading out, and you are stuck right dab in the middle with what seems like no solution in sight. The last few months might have been great, but now, for some reason … [More]
Never Be Closing
Everyone knows that the first rule of sales is “always be closing.” But what if the less time one spends trying to close, the more time one can devote to helping people solve problems and seize opportunities? This book isn’t just a catalog of techniques to wrestle money out of a client’s pocket. It’s a comprehensive strategy that starts with a well-researched process for … [More]
Making Conflict Work
Conflicts at work are as inevitable as they are frustrating. In Making Conflict Work, Peter Coleman and Robert Ferguson address the key role of power in workplace tension. Whether butting heads with a boss or addressing a direct report’s complaint, one’s relative position of power affects how one approaches conflict. Coleman and Ferguson explain how power dynamics function, … [More]
Social Media Not a Bonanza for Sales Prospecting
A vigorous social media presence is widely seen as essential for success in today’s hyper-competitive direct sales environments. But even among the younger, always-connected generations, it is not found to be most effective for actually generating new sales. In a survey of more than 2,200 salespeople, Trelitha R. Bryant, senior V.P. of field testing and research at Behavioral … [More]
Storytelling App Enables Peer-to-Peer Marketing
Splicity, a new mobile app from Phoenix entrepreneurs Caleb Barclay and Ben Hall, offers businesses a platform to enable their loyal customers to create 17-second videos for strong peer-to-peer marketing. The initial idea was to make storytelling more accessible to the everyday person, Barclay explains. “We wanted to create a community around story-art framework.” But he notes … [More]
Mortgage Lender Targets Underserved Phoenix Market
Recognizing opportunity in Phoenix’s housing market, Carrington Mortgage Services has opened a new Scottsdale office, its second in the area. This is part of the company’s national strategy to target a specific underserved segment — those with a FICO credit score of less than 630. Arizona was among the areas hardest hit by the recent housing collapse, a distinction it shared … [More]
Sales Leads – Lost by Mistake?
U.S. businesses spend billions of dollars generating sales leads every year only to lose more than 70 percent of them simply because they don’t make contact quickly enough or follow up consistently, according to one study. But that’s not the only way they’re losing out on opportunities. A study of more than 600 companies by James Oldroyd, Ph.D., of MIT found the odds of a … [More]
Authenticity
Most sales training focuses on getting to know the product, analyzing the market and identifying the competition, but there is more to sales success than that. Successful selling takes three types of preparation: the “what”: knowing the product, the industry and the competition; the “how”: applying the knowledge, enhancing social interaction, developing relationships and … [More]
Pitch Perfect
Media coach and Emmy Award-winning correspondent Bill McGowan shares his secrets of pitch-perfect communications, showing readers how to communicate with confidence. Saying the right thing the right way can make the difference between sealing the deal or losing the account, advancing one’s career or suffering a demotion. McGowan shows how to craft just the right message. Along … [More]
Duct Tape Selling
It’s no longer enough to view a salesperson’s job as closing. Today’s superstars must attract, teach, convert, serve and measure while developing a personal brand that stands for trust and expertise. In Duct Tape Selling, Jantsch shows how to tackle a changing sales environment, for both individuals and those charged with leading a sales team. Readers will learn to think … [More]
Put Client Interest Over Self-Interest
Any entrepreneur willing to endure the proverbial “blood, sweat and tears” it takes to start a business knows how important clients are. They write the checks that pay the bills, so keeping them satisfied is rarely just lip service. In fact, most business owners believe they are putting their clients first — and would be shocked to hear they’re putting clients last. But in … [More]
Unlimited Sales Success
The art of sales is continually evolving, and for sales professionals worldwide, Unlimited Sales Success is a must-read for staying ahead of the curve. Brian Tracy is unquestionably one of the world’s most revered masters in achieving success, and this book, with its unfailingly smart strategies and techniques, reflects his supreme knowledge and innate understanding of every … [More]
How to Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big
Dilbert creator Scott Adams offers his most personal book ever — a funny memoir of his many failures and what they eventually taught him about success. How does one go from hapless office worker to world-famous cartoonist and bestselling author in just a few years? No career guide can answer that, and not even Scott Adams (who actually did it) can give a road map that works for … [More]
Marketing Gelato Spot Creates Win/Win Op for Local Chefs
Gelato Spot’s current marketing campaign combines cross-promotion within the restaurant realm of small business with support of community nonprofit Phoenix Children’s Hospital. Through the summer, Gelato Spot is hosting a flavor competition among chefs at noted local restaurants, who have created his and her own flavor, and funds raised will be donated to the hospital in the … [More]
Strengthening the Pipeline for References
Harnessing the power of references and referrals seems like an obvious win. What could make more sense for a business than to leverage the enthusiasm of happy customers to convince buyers that they need its products and services? And in an increasingly social and networked world — not to mention an economy where every dollar of revenue is critical — this type of third party … [More]
Check the Vital Signs of Client Relationships
Annual checkups play as vital a role in a businessperson’s professional health as physicals do for individuals — especially with regard to client and customer relationships, which are the lifeblood of every business. Most clients vote with their feet. They don’t tell a business they are unhappy — they simply start to give their business to its competitors. Client relationship … [More]
Professional Services Marketing
This book is a fully field-tested and research-based approach to marketing and client development for professional services firms. The book, now in its second edition, covers five key areas that are critical for firms that want to grow and become more profitable: creating a marketing and growth strategy, establishing a brand and reputation, implementing a marketing … [More]
Smart Calling
This is a sales book that makes sense for those struggling with the fear of making cold calls. Smart Calling is the benchmark as the highest professional standard for effective cold calling. Take the initiative to read and implement the author’s rational principles; readers are likely to sell much more and develop a prospect base of potential customers who will call when they … [More]
