Business development

Prospecting tip: Don’t hang up on closing businesses

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rules for prospecing, tips for prospecting, better selling tips, successfull prospecting tipsYou’re making prospecting calls one day and come across a firm that is closing. Oh, well, you think to yourself, there are many more firms to call. And you dial up the next one.

Did it ever occur to you to continue the conversation, if even briefly? Did you ever consider the possibility that you could do some prospecting despite the firm’s misfortune?

You can, though for obvious reasons these are not high-value calls. The point is that you should take advantage of every opportunity to speak with business people. Even those in transition mode will land somewhere. You just never know what may become of those few moments on the phone.

This happened to me recently, and here is how I handled it.

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Sustainable business practices create win-win situation

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sustainable, sustainable business practicesGreen business practices are good for all

Your business is “green,” right? You incorporate the most popular green business ideas and practices; you do your part. Good for you!

Have you ever stepped back and given your program a thorough review? Many businesses take piecemeal approaches to going green: turning off lights when not needed, recycling as much as possible, adjusting thermostats. But that is changing as the country–and the world–gradually adapt the concept of sustainability.

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Marketing to Generation C

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You’ve heard of Millennials, Generation X and Generation Y. Now comes Generation C. Who it is, what they do, and how to market to them was the subject of a fascinating presentation during yesterday’s PRSA luncheon in downtown Milwaukee. A panel comprised of staff from Bader Rutter, a business marketing agency in Brookfield, Wis., provided a thorough review of this dynamic group.

First, unlike the other groups listed above, Gen C is not age related. The term, coined by rating service Nielsen, means Generation Connected. These folks are defined by their actions, Gen Cmainly through social media. With their smartphone always (or nearly always) on, Gen C’ers are:

Communicating and connecting: among other social media users near and far

Creating: content and posting it on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and other platforms. They are very passionate about brands, and use social media to share their opinions.

Changing: forcing marketers to change they way they do business in light of the exposure brought through these social media posts.

Why should marketers care about this group?

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Cross training and delegating enhance productivity, efficiency

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Cross training your employees is good for you and for them There are several reasons for implementing an employee training program for your tasks: – You can’t do it all (nor should you). – Your organization needs coverage in case you are gone. – Others need the training. It’s the best way to learn. Have … Read more

Sales tip of the week: Never give up

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Two important sales training tips In all of your sales training, I’m sure you’ve heard and read many good tips. A common one is, “never give up.” In this brief video, I provide an example of that principle in action, and discuss how applying it could pay off handsomely for me — and you, as … Read more