The Association Fallacy
Have you noticed that in most cases local chapter meetings of national professional organizations are declining in attendance, frequency, duration, guest speakers, and so forth? That's because offering 12 monthly newsletters/magazines and a national convention aren't sufficient to provide value
How to Attract the Right Prospects
Before you fool around with your messaging, your web site, your collateral, and so forth, no matter what "experts" you're using for advice, ask this of yourself: What is my most dramatic value, who is the ideal buyer for that
The Greatest Innovators on 17th Street
Folks, if you paid to be in a book like Who's Who, or Great American Thinkers in Michigan, or The Great Coaches Under 37.5 Years of Age, there are three things wrong: You paid to get in, so it's not
Hurry Up and Wait
Are you developing contemporary examples—"social proof" if you will—that can convince your clients that you represent unique value appropriate to rapidly changing times? Some people are still selling "cold calling" today, and I'm sure they're watching black and white TVs
A Hundred Grand
$100,000 isn’t what it used to be. Five years ago, there were 12 vehicles selling for an average price of more than $100,000 in the US. Today, there are 32 such vehicles, according to Kelley Blue Book data. Many of your prospects
Did I Mention You’ll Be Sitting Near Taylor Swift?
Contrary to very old sales beliefs, you don't get prospects to change their minds after saying "no" by continuing to repeat the same question. Their egos are involved and they won't reverse themselves. But if you present new information ("I think
Approachable?
Are you approachable? Do you respond to all non-spam email within a day? Do you return calls within a couple of hours? Do you say "thank you" when someone cites you or writes something complimentary about you. Do you take
Delivering
I love the fact that my newspaper delivery guy, who delivers 352 days a year in all kinds of weather (his ten-year-old sedan apparently can handle heavy snow at 5am better than the post office trucks can handle even light
I Want A Car with A Clown Inside
If you don't deal with true buyers in your prospective clients, you are wasting your time and energy and money. The salesperson in the auto dealership doesn't ask the 10-year-old child which car he or she would like. The vet doesn't
Deal Vibes
Do you know what "deal vibes" are? Every time the prospect asks for a concession (change the appointment day, change the meeting time, allow for interruptions in the meeting, change meeting duration, allow others to participate, etc., etc.) you're giving off