Sales and Marketing

When I ask business owners and leaders how they get new clients, I am struck by how often the answer is “word of mouth or referrals.”

I worry about those organizations.

I understand the attraction …

When business people and marketing types talk about social media, they immediately default to networks like Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram. But the true powerhouse network, LinkedIn, is rarely mentioned.

If you live in the …

I’m against all systems of selling. So are all salespeople.

Oh, sales systems are taught all the time. In fact, almost every salesperson has learned one along the way. I ask every audience I’m in …

In last week’s column we explored the idea that email marketing is about earning the audience’s permission to keep talking. I suggested that there were two equally important elements — intent and content — that …

Weird as it sounds, with all of the new technologies, email seems almost old-school today. It’s been around for decades, and much like other mature mediums, we value and loathe it at the same time.…

Ever daydream? Of course you have! Ever get yelled at for daydreaming? Your mind was off in the clouds someplace? Of course you have!

Unfortunately, your teachers and parents have historically thought (and told you) …

In the “good old days,” when neighbors or work colleagues told you how much they enjoyed a nearby bed-and-breakfast, movie or restaurant, it mattered. Word of mouth has always been one of marketing’s most potent …

Let’s do lunch! 

Well, let’s do lunch the right way.

Too often salespeople think that getting a lunch appointment is the victory, and don’t concentrate on building rapport and the relationship to ultimately make the …

When I started in the agency business 25-plus years ago, there was this odd paranoia that ran through agencies big and small. There was a belief that agency personnel couldn’t be friends with people who …