It’s burnout time in business. It’s time for that last push to make 4th quarter and year end numbers; time to generate all the year end reports, do strategic planning for the new year, and re-negotiate annual agreements. Regardless of how you finish the year, expectations for next year are almost certainly ramped up, and…
If you expect to jumpstart business in the new year, you have the next three weeks, period, to plan and strategize. But it’s barely November, you’re thinking; there’s plenty of time for strategic planning. Right? Wrong. In 21 days we will be knee-deep in Thanksgiving festivities. Depending on your traditions, this may mean massive grocery…
Business insights can come from anywhere, so let’s take a look at what business can learn from the world of opera. I recently had the opportunity to watch an opera master class conducted by Matthew Polenzani, a world-renowned tenor and thoroughly fascinating instructor and speaker. The students performing were advanced, with strong voices and significant…
What are your stories, and how can you use them to build your business? We all have stories. You have your successes and the abysmal failures, your origin stories and funny anecdotes. Stories are the vehicles of emotion – joy, sorrow, anger, commitment and more. Emotion builds connection, connection builds relationships and relationships can build…
Directly or indirectly, solid relationships are a driving force in building sales. As consumers, we ask our friends and neighbors for vendors they recommend, with whom they have had a successful relationship. Word-of-mouth advertising is huge. Alternatively, we often gravitate to those vendors with whom we have had personal contact. The successful vendor might be…
How do you go about finding and selling to your perfect customer? Do you know who you’re looking for? And if you know who, do you know how to get their attention and transform them from a prospect to a delighted customer or client? Identifying your perfect customer: Who is your perfect customer? If you…
Don’t get left behind; take ten minutes now and jumpstart your 2019 strategic plan. Strategic planning can seem overwhelming. There’s no time today, and tomorrow never comes. You blink, and it’s the beginning of April. The first quarter is history, and you’re living day to day and minute to minute, hoping that the year will…
There are many approaches you can take to create a strategic plan. You may elect to focus on your ultimate business goals, or past experience; or you can base your plan on a SWOT analysis of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. An alternative option is to focus on your customer. The core premise of this…
It’s fall, which in the business world means it’s time to start strategic planning for 2019. Goodbye, summer; it’s time to rev the engines and charge ahead! Strategic planning is rather like the business equivalent of New Year’s resolutions. The best of intentions combine with a glorious vision, and we set out to conquer the…
Implementing a breakthrough idea can be the pinnacle of achievement, or the train wreck of the century. You’ve explored and analyzed, checked the marketplace and competition, pulled ideas from other industries and thought way out of the box. Or perhaps a bolt of lightning struck you with a transcendent “Wow!” moment during your morning shower.…