At the end of our strategy debrief, after I discussed what people typically do before they make a decision to reach out for business help, he said, “I was stalking you for nine months before I pulled the trigger.”
29
Jun
16
Jun
If It Matters, You Will Do It
His handle is @FailedProtostar. But one look at the photos on his Instagram feed and you’ll immediately see that he is far from failing.
09
Jun
When Automation Fails…
My recent experience with two well-known companies and their customer service paints a very telling and familiar picture about the role of automation. One was much more personal in its approach, while the other relied too much on AI. The former nailed responsiveness and got the sale, while the latter has left me feeling drained.
The truth is, the more personal company, the one that makes its buyers feel heard and valued, will win every time. This is a story, that in so many words, every buyer has told at one point or another.
02
Jun
The Problem With Influencers
During a recent conversation with a client of mine, I asked her, “Do you want to be an “influencer” or an expert who has influence?”
She stopped in her tracks and said, “That’s a great question, I want to be an expert who has influence.”
26
May
The Second Sale Strategy
You could likely learn a thing or two from those flyers you get in the mail – they are not looking for the first sale, they are looking for the second sale. Traditional “Getting the sale” thinking is transactional in nature. It doesn’t lay the foundation for a long-term relationship with your buyer.
Your strategy shouldn’t be all about the first sale. It should include what happens after that – what happens in the second sale.
In order for you to develop a strategy that includes second sale thinking, there is one thing that is critical to understand: Your buyer’s journey.
12
May
Why The Best Business Owners are Rule-Breakers
When everyone is complaining about your industry, there’s an opportunity to stand out. The best business owners are rule-breakers. Do the opposite of your competition—it will serve you well.
09
Dec
Should You Support Small Businesses?
The message to support small businesses seems to be everywhere these days, but where should the line be drawn?
Recently, we reached out to a boat repair company and left them a voicemail, followed by an email to see if they could do some work for us. Over a week later we still had not received a response.
Another professional was referred to us to buff out a portion of our boat. After several days, this individual finally responded and said he had taken a look at our vessel and was only willing to do the work if he could do the whole thing. We responded immediately and asked for a quote, and several days later, we still have not heard back.
This is not isolated to the boating industry. I see it everywhere.
28
Oct
Normalizing Business Failures
In a world where many business owners are sharing nothing but their success highlight reels, it’s time to normalize business failures, because they happen to everyone.
This past weekend, my friend and colleague, Christine Kane and I were sharing some of our “things gone wrong” stories via text and talking about how when things like this happen, people don’t talk about it.
She said “All these books act like if you do this right… you’ll never make a mistake again! And so we all hide it in shame when we do. And then you realize that everyone makes mistakes.”
But no one talks about it.
