It could be said that business leaders have one job, and that’s to make decisions. The decisions we make affect people’s livelihoods, their careers – not just our employees – but our customers, our vendors, our community. I wonder how often any of us sit down and think about how we make business decisions –…
“I’ve tried that, it didn’t work…” I was having a discussion with an owner of a B2B creative services firm about his business development process. He had a strong business that he’d built by leveraging his personal network, but he wanted to see more growth. This is a business owner who’s aggressive and isn’t afraid…
To start, here’s a little price increase notice sample. I then follow it up with 6 ways to how to tell clients you’re raising your prices below: Dear John (your client’s name is John, right?); How are you doing? We used to be so close. Lately there’s been some distance between us; I just want…
Most business owners are familiar with their sales funnel—the accumulation of new business prospects that are in the process of choosing to buy from you (or not). The sales funnel is arguably the most important process that a growing business needs to track. How are we turning people who are “interested” in buying from us…
As a business owner, we all have more than one job (many of us carry 4 or 5); but two of those jobs are the same for every business owner. The first is being a great leader in your business. Whether you are the CEO/President, or a partner who shares the leadership, one of your…
This week, I’m joining 80% of americans in planning a travel vacation for the summer. As a business owner, I know how important it is to get away; but I’m also aware of the impact a “vacation” has on my business—and the business of my clients. When anyone goes on vacation, we feel it! Schedules…
It was April 2001. I was 35 years old, and I was done with corporate life. I had spent over a decade living in airports, sleeping in rooms at the Courtyard by Marriott™, and meeting in conference rooms that were out of state. I was tired of it. I made the choice to step out…
Sometimes, the standard interview questions don’t cut it when hiring. Even after asking out-of-the-box interview questions, you may need some more exercises that help you pinpoint the most ideal people for your business’s open roles. You’ve come to the right place if you’re in that spot. We’ve gathered seven out-of-the-box interview activities to help you test…
Cold is not usually a positive association. Cold coffee. Cold weather. Cold attitudes. Not many people will jump up and down with excitement when you’re describing something cold…unless it’s ice cream. The same goes for cold leads. They’re not the easiest to work with–and you need to find a way to warm them up while prospecting without…
When you finally decide it’s time to send your clients a price increase notice, there are a few best practices to follow to help ensure you and your customers are on the same page about what’s happening. The last thing you want to transpire when you’re making a request is to put them on the…