Forget cramming to learn your new industry inside and out. When you’re starting up, ignorance makes you more creative, unique, and effective. Maybe ignorance really is bliss. I talk with entrepreneurs all the time who started their businesses without a real understanding of what they were getting into. It sounds crazy, but I actually […]

Adopting a more vibrant approach to teamwork can improve the flow and performance of your organization. During a year on assignment in London in the early 2000s, I (Bill) took the opportunity to watch a lot of soccer. I learned a lot not just about soccer, but about business as well. My recollection is that […]

Will women buy a toolbox just because it’s pink? Don’t assume you know anything about what your customers really want. Shopping for my stepson is always a challenge. So when his birthday rolled around, we found out what he wanted from his best friend: a stand-up rolling toolbox. That made perfect sense for Steve, a […]

A few simple tips to help your presentations stand out amongst even your biggest competitors. The first step in landing a big deal with a new client or customer is getting them interested in what you have to offer. That usually entails an initial presentation that will whet their appetite for more information. Interest generation […]

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 […]