Forget what you learned in those management books. There’s really only one way to ensure that everyone on your team excels. Management books have it all wrong. They all try to tell you how to manage “people.” It’s impossible to manage “people”; it’s only possible to manage individuals. And because individuals differ from one another, […]

Whether you’re just starting up or need a way to manage existing operations, these tools have you covered. My inbox is constantly cluttered with announcements about the latest newfangled Website that will change how we all do business. Some of them, like the inbox fixers I wrote about in my recent magazine column, really do […]

Use these 15 questions to discover whether a prospect will buy from you before you waste time on the opportunity. During initial conversations with a potential customer, your most important job is to find out: A. Does this prospect really need my offering? B. Does this prospect have money to buy my offering? C. How […]

Let social media aid your sales efforts. Here are a few super easy steps for getting started on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, and more. With less effort than you think, your organization can increase online conversions through genuine engagement on multiple social media platforms. And who wouldn’t want that? Social media sites can contribute heavily to […]

Growing fast? Here’s how to make sure your company culture and organization keeps up. Last week, I was talking with the CEO of a start-up that was so successful that in the last year it had increased its revenues and employee count by more than 50%. And at the same time, it had just raised […]

Telling the simple truth is far more productive than trying to fool your employees. By its very nature, managing employees requires a certain amount of discretion. However, there’s a fine line between discretion and deception that, when crossed, creates resentment and job dissatisfaction. This post contains 10 lies that I’ve heard bosses tell in real […]

Just in time for the holiday shopping season, PayPal will let you offer customers a buy now, pay later option. Bonus: You get paid right away. People love deferred interest financing programs, especially toward the end of the year when holiday shopping puts the squeeze on their wallets. So the timing makes sense for PayPal […]

A new study links boredom not to the environment surrounding you. Rather, it’s your inability to focus. Here’s why. Where does boredom come from? The everyday answer to this question is crystal clear–from repetitive, mindless tasks, dull environments (and people), and general lack of stimulation. In this view, if you’re working away at your company […]