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SETH GODIN was the BIG DRAW at The Art of Marketing Conference in Toronto on March 2nd. The value in WHAT he had to say on Leadership & Creativity was not in the 'WHAT' of WHAT he said but in the 'WHAT' about WHAT he talked about. Read more to find out WHAT that was. Read More

Think you as a salesperson are (or should be) in control of the sales process? Guest blogger Joel D Canfield disagrees. He'd like to remind everyone who's really in control: the customer! Read More

To be effective in sales requires the ability to negotiate. But negotiation with organizations that we intend work with for years, and with whom tremendous competitive value is created, isn’t about value claiming. Instead, it is about being creative enough to create win-win deals that overcome the sticking points. Use these ideas to improve your ability to negotiate. Read More

We're at the final step in Getting to Yes. Think it's time to "Close"? Think again! Instead of "closing", try converting instead! Read More

Is the Sales Profession Dying? No… You are just listening to the wrong people!

I recently attended a sales and marketing conference. During one presentation, the focus turned to “Closing Techniques.” The presenter shared word-for-word scripts that would lead the prospect to “YES!”

Inevitably, someone in the back raised their hand and said, “That type of approach would put me off,” to whi Read More

Selling requires a strong ability to diagnose the client’s problems and challenges. By diagnosing their problems and challenges, and by developing a full understanding of their root causes, the professional salesperson can build a solution that perfectly matches the client’s needs. Follow these steps to improve your ability to diagnose! Read More

1) Momentum can cause friction. Don’t be moving so fast that you forget your community.
2) To build a big network, build many interconnected communities.
3) If you’re going to be disruptive aggressive and edgy you also have to be able to take what you dish-out; with a smile!
4) A social media listening strategy has to be applied on-going and consistently if you want to maximize ROI.
5) Google Read More

I can’t think of too many people I would less like to be around than the “idea guy” or the “I thought of that guy.” And two of my favorite blogs have called them out.

I have nothing to add. I’ll just point you to them... Read More

This is attribute #6 of the Top Ten Attributes of a Guerrilla Social Media Marketer. (unedited excerpt from my upcoming November 2010 book published by Entrepreneur Press and co-authored with Jay Levinson):

#6) Free and Variable

It is important to use free digital give away’s that have real value and customer benefits. Then of course we need a variety of paid options to upgrade to. One size Read More

I just finished up the latest book in the Jason Bourne series, Bourne Deception. I love the action and intrigue of a good spy thriller. It pulls me back to my early days in the intelligence community…

Okay, maybe not quite the same–I never had to kill quite so many people to accomplish my objectives. However, it did get my creative thoughts going ... Read More