Business in the Days of Awe
Tuesday night was a rare confluence of events: Rosh Hashonah, the Jewish new year, ended, heralding the beginning of the Days of Awe– a holy time of introspection for Jews. At the same time, it also marked the beginning of Ramadan, the holy month of fasting for Muslims the world over, serving the same purpose. […]
Would Being a Cross-Dressing Dairy Farmer Increase Your Repeat Sales?
Professionalism is a curse for you as a small business owner. Just the other day, I read on a discussion forum someone asking: “I’m going to be published, but should I include my website as a contact? I’m afraid it will turn off people who are more conservative.” What I wrote to her was: “Be […]
How to Get Referrals By Making Your Business a "Problem Child"
I’m guessing that you would like to have more referrals in your business. More solid referrals. More effortless referrals. Referrals like these: Two weeks ago I got sick. Fever, cough, weak. And, I was out of town teaching. My roommate had just had the same sickness a few days earlier. “You know, you need to […]
Are You Forcing Your Prospective Customers to Say, "No?"
Scenario: Me, dirty, tired, exhausted from yard work. Needing to rest before going out for the evening. Hungry, too. Did I mention hungry? What else is going on? Let’s see… still somewhat upset about having to push my new book release date back, a little upset about an issue confronting an organization that I’m on […]
Four Sure-Fire Ways to Connect with Your Prospects and Make the Sale
I can’t seem to let go of this “sales” theme. And the fact that my wife and I keep successfully using the Sacred $ales approaches in our relationship builds my excitement to bring them out to you. This week I was in a conversation with her, it was going along perfectly well, and then, for […]
Be a Humble Equal or Lose the Sale
I remember two sales conversations I had with prospects, both of them several years ago. One was “successful” and one was “unsuccessful,” meaning one person hired me, and the other person didn’t. But, ultimately both were unsuccessful. How can a sale be unsuccessful? When you make a sale to a new customer, whether it’s for […]
The Sacred Sale
I held the first of my monthly Business Heart series in Portland this week. It was a wonderful success for a first event- the room was full of amazing people, and we had a great time. And raised money for hunger relief in Portland. However, a comment I made to one of the attendees afterwards […]
The Biggest Shift
Happy New Year, everyone! Welcome to 2005. I wish you a prosperous, healthy, happy year for you and your business. A good friend of mine was recently put in charge of marketing for a nonprofit I admire greatly. She was both excited about her position, and also wanting to learn more. The big problem she […]
Are You Losing Customers Right After The Sale?
I remember repeatedly being frustrated by new clients, at least I thought they were becoming my clients, who said “Yes,” to working with me. But then, mysteriously, they went away. I began to feel like a leper. What was going on? It’s quite a journey someone takes through life to become your customer or client. […]
The Big Secret to Referrals
It’s no secret that word-of-mouth is the best marketing. When happy customers send you referrals, it just doesn’t get any better than that. However, there is a secret to making those referrals happen. Before I share the secret, tell me if this sounds familiar: Dozens upon dozens of former clients have told me “I told […]