The Competitive Advantage

August 9, 2016

Lost a client? Don’t give up on them.

Recently, one of our consulting engagements – with a large research firm – came to an end… they did not renew with us and continue on as I had expected. It happens… not all client relationships evolve as planned.

The question is… what do you do when that happens? Let me suggest the following…

July 31, 2016

20 Marketing and Sales Concepts Business Leaders Need to Know, Part 2

A 2-part series for CEOs, Presidents and other Execs on the Realities of Business Development

In the start of this series last month, we reviewed 10 concepts that we think are critical to business development success in our industry… an industry that doesn’t always embrace marketing & sales. They included:

1. It’s all about the process.
2. What gets measured gets done.
3. There are two kinds of clients.
4. Be patient.
5. Strategy Before Tactics.
6. Listen and learn… and be prepared to get out of your own way.
7. Not all marketing is marketing.
8. You still gotta execute!
9. People do business with people like.
10. Seek first to help, then to sell.

This month, we’ll add 10 more to the list.

July 26, 2016

Creating a sales training agenda? Don’t miss these critical topics.

Congratulations! You just hired a new sales rep… or maybe a couple of them. Maybe they’re even the first ones you’ve ever hired. And you’re anxious to get them trained and “on the street!”

So, what’s your sales training agenda look like? Like most firms, you’ll focus on all of the different services they will be selling… making sure they know exactly what you do. That’s a good start, but you’re missing a lot. Make sure to include these critical topics as you’re putting your training agenda together…

July 19, 2016

Creating a New Booth for the Fall Conference Season? Follow These 4 Guidelines…

It’s mid-July and the Fall conference season will be here before you know it. Are you ready?

One of the elements of successful exhibiting is a compelling booth. Whether you’ve got a big, solid structure or a simple pop-up, you can still deliver a message to the marketplace that gets attention. Because if you don’t, your ROI on those expensive conferences will be severely limited… not a message you want to take back to the boss! So if you’re thinking about a new booth for this Fall, consider these guidelines…

July 12, 2016

3 Proven Summer Sales Tactics

Summertime is often a slow time for businesses, in general… and for sales efforts, in particular. Clients and prospects are on vacation, their business is slow so they’re not in the buying mood, there are very few conferences and networking events scheduled this time of year and so on. So, what’s a sales rep to do, especially if they still have sales goals to achieve?

Below are three ideas to help minimize the summer doldrums and stir up some sales action…

July 5, 2016

20 Marketing and Sales Concepts Business Leaders Need to Know, Part 1

A 2-part series for CEOs, Presidents and other Execs on the Realities of Business Development

Most of the CEOs in our industry are researchers who either started their firms or rose through the ranks to take the helm. None came out of the marketing & sales world. Yes, they have responsibility for the overall growth of their firm, but many (if not most) built their business on good work, referrals and word-of-mouth. And many (if not most) are uncomfortable with the concept of a proactive, outward-reaching marketing and sales initiative. It’s not necessarily that they don’t want to do it, they’re simply not sure how to go about it.

In this two-part series, we’ll outline some of the primary marketing and sales concepts that all leaders need to understand to help grow their firms in our ever-more-competitive industry.

June 21, 2016

If these were my employees… I’d fire them!

For wasting thousands of dollars

As I write this, I’m attending Greenbook’s IIeX event in Atlanta… one of the largest conferences in our industry with over 800 participants. Along with the educational sessions, there are several dozen exhibiting companies lining the hallways and in adjacent exhibit rooms.

And here’s where it gets interesting – or infuriating – depending on your perspective. One of the exhibitors had a tabletop display that spanned the length of their 6-foot table. Behind the table, they placed their two chairs… WHERE THEY SAT FOR THE ENTIRE EVENT!

Over the course of the three days, I passed by their table numerous times (the last several times, out of morbid curiosity!). I never saw them engage passersby… and it was a busy event. They – yes, there were two of them – just sat there, talking to each other, ‘working’ on their cell phones and hiding from everyone else. They never once took advantage of the great selling opportunity that was [literally] right in front of them.

June 6, 2016

10 Guidelines for How to Be Successful at Sales

Whether you’re a full-time sales professional or a senior executive who does it “on the side,” we all want to know how to be successful at sales. Sales success – especially in our industry – is not what you think. Cast aside all of those heavily-scripted, high-pressure sales tactics and integrate these guidelines into your everyday activities…

1. It’s a relationship. For someone to decide to buy from you, they first have to get to KNOW you… then LIKE you…then TRUST you. And if all they ever hear from you is “buy something from me” – then you will never make it through that gauntlet. It takes some time for a sales prospect to get through all three phases… so be patient and stay engaged.