This is my third post on Successful Business Planning. In the first post I encouraged you to start planning now for 2014. In the second I talked about making your plan usable. Today I want to encourage you to build a brand promise. This year I’ve spent about 80 nights in Marriott Hotels (plus a […]
This weekend’s planning & strategy session in Charlotte came to end Saturday late afternoon…a few quotes and some pictures – 1. “I got a lot more out of this than a typical distributor run conference, or channel summit!” 2. “There’s something special about getting together with other business owners, rolling up your sleeves, and working […]
It’s not often that I get to Chicago and the weather is just right – low 70’s, low humidity, clear skys, and best of all, no traffic to or from the airport! It’s been a productive week. Some lessons from this week’s strategy meeting are in order… 1. It’s never about the product. We spent […]
It’s my last day in Chicago, at least for this week (I’ll be back next week). Last night when I returned to my room I looked at the front page of the Wall Street Journal – Headline, Meet the Meeting Killers. Keep in mind, I’ve just spent 8 hours meeting with a group of business […]
When I drive by a restaurant with a line coming out into the parking lot, I may not stop and wait, but it occurs to me at that moment that I should try it – perhaps on a less popular day. The restaurant with no cars on Friday night at 7, is obviously not doing […]
This morning I had the honor of presenting to a group of business owners and sales professionals at Ingram Micro’s Technology Solutions Conference in Buffalo. I covered material from my, soon to be released book, From Vendor to Adviser…how do sales people move from point product selling to high-involvement selling; how do they reposition themselves […]
Well, we completed the first phase of our marketing strategy yesterday, but more importantly, I was delighted to find that Winter Haven, FL, has some great pizza! Who would have guessed…Not sure of the name of this place, but it’s right next to Arabella’s, another great place to eat if you enjoy Italian food (we […]
The Importance of a Plan Recently I have been working with a couple of different companies on marketing and business plans. This morning, while preparing for a two day meeting with a security software company in Florida, it occurred to me how important it is for every sales person to have a plan in place […]
Is your brand memorable? Some have tried to brand by offering lower prices, others with great customer satisfaction, or by building great relationships with their clients. I see companies touting great people, certifications, or their status as a reseller of some product. “We are gold partners”, or “Platinum and security certified!” But these things don’t […]
High Tech Business Growth 