Recently I’m noticing a trend when I chat with folks in our industry. In my conversations I always like to hear what people are doing to grow their business. Time spent on business development. I define this as time spent prospecting. Lately what I am hearing is lots of excuses for not doing any business
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When it comes to goal setting, most folks who have goals (sadly many folks go through life without specific, articulated goals) choose reasonable, achievable goals. I know some will cling to the S.M.A.R.T. goal process, meaning goals should be Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-bound. I agree with all of these except Achievable. When we choose
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I really enjoy watching construction projects, especially massive ones. It is interesting to me that if a project is a 60 story condo, from day one the crane is taller than 60 stories, even though they haven’t even begun the foundation. The same should be true in building your business. From the beginning we entrepreneurs need
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I think of this story about success often. There were two boys who grew up together. They were best of friends. They mostly enjoyed going fishing together just about every day at a nearby lake. One of the boys went on to college. Went to work for a large corporation. Worked hard for decades. Advanced up the corporate ladder, eventually
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“Stranger danger” is a warning that all people you don’t personally know (strangers) can potentially be dangerous. There are lots of strangers giving advice these days. On social media. On YouTube. In your emails. And more. Lots of free advice. But who are these folks and should you follow their advice? My strong suggestion is that you check
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We are all busy. Busy with lot of activities every day. Busy with a long to-do list. Busy trying to catch up on emails. Busy with lots of activities. But are those activities driving you closer to the goals for your life? Or are they driving you crazy? The key is to look at your
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I am always amazed when I realize that every great man-made creation started with only an idea. Just an idea. Disney World and Disney Land were just an idea at one time. The iPhone was just an idea at one time. Amazon.com was just an idea at one time. You get the point. But do
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Most of us sales and business development types don’t like to hear the word, “no”. I get it. But sometimes us management types NEED to hear, “no”. Let me explain. I recently asked our administrative assistant if she would help with a new project. She replied with an emphatic but polite, “no”. Truth is that
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Truth is that in most selling situations the prospect isn’t always ready to buy when you are ready to sell. You know this. There are two kinds of sales types. The pit bull. The pitiful. If you go on a sales call and the prospect tells you they will call you the next time they
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Over the years, I have met many people, many of whom are very successful, who lack self-confidence and self-esteem because they do not have a college degree. I call this the Scarecrow Effect. You remember the Scarecrow in the Wizard of Oz. He felt he was not smart. He even sang a song called, “If
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