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Business Development & Sales
Advice and tips for anyone serving in a sales, business development, or revenue growth role. Best practices, leadership thoughts, and resource recommendations to help you grow the top line revenue of your organization.
Featured Business Development & Sales Posts
Meeting Summary
Theme: Getting More Referrals – What Actually Works
Getting More Referrals: What Actually Works A Practical Guide for Business Owners Who Want Better Referral Growth Referrals are one of the most powerful ways to grow a business, but…
Favorite Article
Sales Management Encyclopedia
In the Inc.com article titled “Sales Management Encyclopedia,” the concept of sales management is thoroughly examined, highlighting its…
Recommended Reading
Differentiate or Die
Jack Trout isn’t subtle with the title. And he doesn’t need to be. His point is simple and…
Recommended Reading
Retention Point
The Retention Point – Robert Skrob Why this book matters Most businesses think growth is the game. More…
Recommended Reading
Whale Hunting
Tom Searcy’s central argument is simple: instead of chasing dozens of small, transactional deals, you identify and pursue…
Recommended Reading
Key Performance Indicators
KPIs are about identifying the vital few—the numbers that directly tie to outcomes. Revenue. Margins. Customer retention. Cash…
Recommended Reading
The Greatest Salesman In the World
I’ve seen it over and over again with leaders—those who win aren’t always the smartest in the room.…
Recommended Reading
Kotler on Marketing
Philip Kotler makes a distinction most people miss. Marketing is not advertising. It is not branding. It is…
Recommended Reading
Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion
Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion You don’t read Influence the same way twice. The first time, it feels…
Reading Excerpt
Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion by Robert B. Cialdini
When making a decision, we will less frequently enjoy the luxury of fully considered analysis of the total…
Blog Post
Leadership Thought #286 – You Either Hit Your Goals Or You Don’t
I encourage you never to get comfortable with non-performance. It becomes too easy to rationalize why things didn’t…
Blog Post
Leadership Thought #457 – Eight Things You Can Do To End The Year On A High Note
As we wind down another year, I thought it would be helpful to share some of the best…
Blog Post
Leadership Thought #455 – There Is No Business Without Sales
Allow others to handle the operational details. As the leader, you are by default the Chief Sales Officer. …
Blog Post
Leadership Thought #442 – A Few Basic Truths About Business
In summary, get the basic business math right, avoid becoming too reliant on debt, make informed personnel decisions,…
Blog Post
Leadership Thought #422 – Are Your Customers Happy?
There are countless books out there on customer service and maximizing customer experience, but sadly, few companies heed…
Blog Post
Leadership Thought #273 – Why You?
In a competitive business environment, it's not okay to be like everyone else. Clients/customers are becoming increasingly sophisticated…
Blog Post
Leadership Thought #265 – Don’t Get Lost In Your Words
When individuals are feeling overwhelmed or confused, they want simplicity. The more words you use, the harder this…
Blog Post
Leadership Thought #254 – Don’t Be Like Everyone Else; Be Different
Bottom line is that to be successful in business, you need to be different from your competition. Simply…
Blog Post
Leadership Thought #235 – Sometimes A Business Needs to Fish in Another Pond…
One of a leader's primary jobs is to constantly pay attention to the marketplace and make changes as…
Blog Post
Leadership Thought #221 – Ask Better Questions
Regardless of your role in the organization, I encourage you to make a concerted effort to ask more effective questions.…
Blog Post
Leadership Thought #204 – Your Business GPA
I often ask my clients to think of this as their business Grade Point Average (GPA). Their goal…
Blog Post
Leadership Thought #198 – Are You Doing Business With The Right Clients?
Targeting the right prospects requires thought and effort. Every business needs to know when to say no. It's…
Blog Post
Daily Leadership Thought #132 – Identify And Cultivate What Makes You Special
We all have something unique that makes us special. The Gallup Organization claims that everyone has special talents…
Blog Post
Daily Leadership Thought #111 – Diversify Your Product/Service/Market Risk
We've all heard the saying that "You shouldn't put all your eggs in one basket." The same can…
Blog Post
Daily Leadership Thought #110 – Resist Commodity Thinking
It seems like everything is being commoditized these days. As a result, margins are shrinking, and businesses are…
Blog Post
Daily Leadership Thought #89 – Listen Until It Hurts
When you are a leader or manager, part of your job is to listen until it hurts. You…
Blog Post
Daily Leadership Thought #87 – Focus on The Outside (Sales) and The Inside Will Follow
Most leaders I know would get better results if they spent more time looking outside their organization for…
Blog Post
Daily Leadership Thought #83 – Everyone Has An Agenda
In life and business, everyone has an agenda and that is OKAY. In fact, it is to be…
Blog Post
Daily Leadership Thought #81 – Make Eye Contact and Smile
Numerous studies have demonstrated the importance of maintaining eye contact and smiling when communicating. Interestingly, many people still struggle with these fundamental communication…
Blog Post
Daily Leadership Thought #67 – Networking Isn’t Optional
As a leader, you are the public face of your organization. You are the ambassador to the rest…
Daily Leadership Thought
Daily Leadership Thought #17
Your role is what you make of it – there are no excuses when you are in charge
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