There has never been a better time than today to start, run, and grow a business. While there are still challenges, various resources for entrepreneurs and business leaders abound, with most accessible via a single click or touch. From private and public sector programs to communities, websites, podcasts, and DIY videos, entrepreneurs have access to a robust support ecosystem that’s exploded to an unprecedented scale. Technology also performs…
Owners of small and medium businesses never expect to fail, but every year, thousands of companies close shop, anyway. Reasons for failure vary from cash flow problems to poor product-market fit, but in many cases, company leaders could have avoided the worst if they’d known what to expect. Keep an eye out for these common mistakes so you can prevent them: 1. Failure to Delegate When you start…
Lead generation is the heart of business growth. You need to drive new customers into your sphere in order to make conversions and build loyalty. When businesses talk about lead generation, though, they rarely address the role of link building. Instead, they emphasize increased lead generation through local marketing, better CRM, and predictive analytics. Without the layer of link building, however, businesses are undermining their lead generation strategy,…
Is your business living up to its potential? Among small businesses, the answer is almost always “no.” That can happen for a number of reasons: Owners are too anxious to take risks, fail to focus, or haven’t cultivated a strong network. Luckily, there are simple tools that can help your business overcome these barriers. These four tools enable small business owners to take control of their lead generation…
Salespeople are great at selling. They’re less great at all the things that surround the sales process — things like filling out spreadsheets, hunting down pricing and contract information, and figuring out how to use complex tools. Even the sellers who are great at these tasks are more useful to their organizations in the field or on the phone. Sales operations teams handle the busywork of selling and…
In today’s business climate, your ability to sell is your ability to lead. Companies’ stock prices climb and plummet based on leaders’ ability (or inability) to sell their day-to-day decisions to shareholders, and college sports programs live and die by the head coaches’ ability to sell the program to student athletes, boosters, and fans. Leaders are constantly in selling mode, promoting their ideas, their company, and their vision.…
“What me? Scared of sales, are you kidding? Sales is what brings in the money, and my business needs money. Why would I be scared of sales when everything I am doing is to get more sales? I’ve created a product, a fantastic website and marketing strategy. See, I am actively trying to get more sales,” I insist. “But you haven’t got any yet,” the voice in the…
Recently, the Hollywood gossip site Defamer posted an article about Mitch Grossbach, an agent at the powerful CAA talent agency in Los Angeles. The article discusses how Grossbach is seeking to move his fashion representation team to another talent agency, and how he’s using a PowerPoint presentation entitled “Agency Expansion Opportunity” to explain why he should be hired. According to Defamer, Grossbach is having a difficult time…
Conferences are the best, right? They have interesting people, great speakers to learn from, and the potential for numerous business deals. If they’re so great, why do conferences wear us out so much? Why do we so often feel scattered and unfocused? Are they even worth the money? The Two Secrets to a Great Conference While there are a lot of factors that can make or break a…
After whittling down prospective suppliers, Helen Cross was expecting to be on the receiving end of a positive sales call. However, with it ending up as a disaster, Helen shares some tips on how things should have gone. The 20th March marked the first ever International Day of Happiness. However, it was a decidedly unhappy customer experience on that day that led to me to write this article.…