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How to identify your ideal customers
How do you answer the question, “Who are your customers?” Many of the businesses we work with typically answer with a very broad and vague description, and their marketing reflects their answer. Even those companies that can more sucinctly articulate what their ideal customer looks like rarely implement this into their sales and marketing activities. A […]
The opening night: Taking command of the stage
Each presentation is a new beginning-an opening night, if you will.A performance, whether on the theater or business stage, is a temporal and fleeting thing. Yet, it can leave a vivid impression on your audience long after you have exited that stage. The client or group you’re in front of today did not see your […]
The secret sales sauce
Developing trust is absolutely essential to building a thriving business and is part of a solid foundation in the sales process. While trust means different things to different people, qualities like dependability, loyalty, and honesty are building blocks that encourage a sense of trust. Your reputation as a business owner or sales professional is on […]
The IKEA experience: Making it memorable
Driving home down Speer last week I narrowly escaped a potential multi-car pile up. Just in front of Denver Country Club an unusual sight had cars stopping mid-traffic: a glass truck lit up from the inside revealing a fully furnished and artfully decorated living room, complete with funky pendant lights gently swaying as the truck […]
Taking Mount Bierstadt again
Life is full of second chances. This one is for two guys who signed up to climb a mountain last summer – then drove right past it in the dark of the early morning and kept going and going and going …. ColoradoBiz Managing Editor Mike Taylor and I did indeed eventually scale Mount Bierstadt […]
Three hot tips for cold-call success
Let’s face it, nobody really enjoys making cold calls, and nobody likes getting them. But they’re a part of doing business, and they’re not going away anytime soon. Making a connection remains a crucial skill to possess, whether you’re a salesperson, business owner, job seeker or fund raiser. Unfortunately, most people find cold calling or […]
Satisfied customers: a growth strategy for today
Even in economic times that seem to be flashing a “Caution!” light for business owners, one opportunity all companies can pursue is a commitment to satisfying customers. Customer satisfaction goes beyond warm-and-fuzzy feelings. Abundant evidence shows that building strong relationships through well-managed customer interactions creates real economic value. Investing in customer satisfaction leads to higher […][...]
Selling strategies for today’s economy
The old saying, “When prospects are enthusiastic, they are buying” does not hold true in this marketplace. Enthusiastic prospects may be focused on the exciting possibility of your product or service because they either don’t have any money or cannot or will not make a decision. Window shopping and tire kicking is fun for the […]
Top six reasons why every brand should blog
Hubspot’s 2010 “The State of Inbound Marketing Survey” found that: • 77 percent of Internet users read blogs• Blogs yield an average ROI of 600 percent• Companies that blog have two times the number of inbound links versus companies that don’t• 46 percent of companies with blogs have acquired customers from a blog-generated lead• 58 […]
Start sweating the small stuff
Many of us have heard that we shouldn’t sweat the small stuff. But how do you know what is small and what is not? How do you know if you are sweating the right stuff or the wrong stuff? That flawed philosophy is breeding poor customer service, underperforming employees, wasted opportunities, big mistakes and many […]
A recession success story
Many companies have had to reinvent themselves over the past three years. Mail Masters is an example of how one small firm transformed itself and is seeing the benefits of making change. Their business was down 45 percent in sales in 2009 from 2008, and they needed to make change quickly to preserve cash, grow […]
When is growth not good?
When Is Growth Not Good?Sometimes it’s in the bag … A recent article in the Wall Street Journal (“At Vuitton, Growth in Small Batches,” June 27, 2011) highlighted an interesting question that awaits successful businesses: What’s the cost of growth? My luggage selection doesn’t attract gawkers and mostly comes from Costco. I love my nice […]
