Most entrepreneurs who start a company alone soon come to the conclusion that two heads are better than one—someone to share the workload, the hard decisions, and the costs. In a moment of crisis, you may be tempted to take on the first person expressing interest as a co-founder. This would be a mistake, and […]
Relationships
First Impressions Count!
One of the biggest issues we hear from everyone involved in sales and marketing is capturing the customer attention. Whether it’s that first communication, an email, text, or social engagement, that first phone conversation, or that first meeting. Getting that first contact or engagement is something nearly everyone struggles with. Given the difficulty we have […]
Do’s and Don’ts for Entrepreneur Business Networking
I often recommend business networking as the most effective way for a startup founder to find investors, advisors, and even key executive candidates. But what if you are an introvert, or new to this game, and don’t know where or how to start? The answer is still the same, but I have learned over the […]
3 Surefire Ways to Improve Your Relationship with Employees
Management should have a good relationship with employees for a number of reasons. You want to have a way of relating to the people that work for you, but you also need to be prepared to give them the help that they need when they are in peril. There are a few things you can […]
A Twist on Old School Tactics
In this era of all things digital, I thought it would be a nice change of pace to go old school and talk about some very simple marketing tactics that are often undervalued and underutilized. Best of all, neither of these ideas will dent your marketing budget. Thank you notes: When I was growing up, my […]
What We Think of Our Customers Colors Our Engagement
Someone called seeking coaching on a specific deal. He had fallen into traps which blinded him in moving forward with a winning strategy. He started the conversation with, “The key decision-maker is really a jerk! He’s power hungry, his people want to do something with us, they’ve presented compelling arguments, but he doesn’t want to […]
Modern Mentors: Navigating Mentorship in the Digital Age
Mentorship is as old as human society, perhaps even older. Before written communication, the only way information was passed down was from one person directly to another via speech and demonstration—monkey see, monkey do. However, nowadays, communication has evolved to that point that we oftentimes don’t see each other at all, but instead connect from […]
Relationships Matter—But What Does That Mean?
Andy Paul wrote a terrific piece on relationships (visit TheSalesHouse to get some of his thinking). There is a lot of discussion, pro and con, about the importance of relationships—but little of it drives any clarity about what a relationship is, and why it matters. There are the “old timers,” who view relationships as key, but define […]
Startups: Networking is Key to Your Success
Personal relationships are important for any business owner as they provide some respite away from the company and can help you de-stress effectively. However, these relationships are limited because you are only around family members and friends that you engage with regularly. On the other hand, professional networking helps you connect with like-minded individuals on […]
What Does Science Tell Us About the Key Secret to Happiness?
What are your goals? Become an entrepreneur. Climb the corporate ladder. Make more money. It may be to travel the world as a digital nomad. But the reason we write these goals down and strive to achieve them comes down to this big question. “How can I be happier?” The disease of more In our crazy […]
