I remember attending a meditation workshop with Mark Epstein, a well-known 'Buddhist psychologist.' He told a story about a meeting he had with Ram Dass, spiritual teacher and author, where Ram Dass had asked Mark Epstein about his work with his patients. As Mark talked about his work, Ram Dass interrupted him and asked, "Do you see them as already healed?"I was so struck by this story. As a coach and healer of businesses, I saw the clarity in...more
You want more revenue and you want it fast. The marketing experts tell you to "create a compelling offer." You immediately think "Sale." You wonder how big the sale should be. How much can I afford to give away before the sale starts costing me money? How will I word the sale materials so customers don't take advantage of me? The worries start and you realize you have a huge task to pull off this sale and generate real revenue.Unfortunately, in...more
Many companies and their decision-makers require written proposals, and if you are like many sales people, you probably shudder at the thought of this request. However, writing a good proposal doesn't have to be painful providing you keep a few points in mind.First, recognize that closing the sale in a business proposal is a process, not an event. It doesn't occur just because you have asked for a commitment or because you have presented all the features and benefits of your product or service. When a customer or prospects agrees to do business with you after reviewing your proposal, it means that you have addressed their key issues and demonstrated exactly how your solution will benefit their company. This requires a bit of strategic planning.Unfortunately, too many sales people spend too much time talking about their company, product or service at the beginning of the proposal. The drawback with this approach is that decision-makers are extremely busy which means they don't want to waste their time reading something that has little or no relevance to their situation. Salespeople will argue that this information is critical and that they need to present it in order to show how...more
In any business endeavor, a win-win outcome is always the most satisfying and productive. It certainly beats the alternatives - win-lose, lose-win, or (heaven forbid!) lose-lose - in which one or both parties walks away feeling an assortment of negative emotions, possibly including disappointment, anger, resentment, and a desire to throw crockery...more
I could make up a terrific story about this, but I won't lie - I had avoided (as in postponed, side-stepped, procrastinated) having a board of directors until now. Frankly, I had visions of having a group of old, cranky, humorless men telling me what to do.Of course I was just being lazy, too. I would rather be out making products and building a...more
Have you ever been asked that question?I was! Back in 1979 while doing a "pressure cooker" course on selling with an insurance company!I wondered how relevant that question was, considering my personal and financial situation at the time.No wife! No job! I was a solo dad with three children, one of them a baby less than a year old. "You must be kidding", I thought to myself at the time! What relevance can that have to me learning to sell insurance policies?How naive I was! The course that followed had an unbelievably positive and a life changing effect on me. Although it only took affect several years later. The seed had been sown!You're probably saying to yourself, "How can a course on selling life insurance have that much effect on anyone?"Well that Insurance Company was the one created by W Clement Stone. I found the course to be very challenging, because in New Zealand at that time we weren't really aware of the "Hype" that Americans used to motivate their workers to perform at their optimum. It pleases me each time I think about it now, to know that I passed, top of the class and received a book as a reward, this book was already a best seller, but I'd never heard of...more
Sales turnover and net profits may follow a rollercoaster pattern familiar to most business but when the cash flow dries up the game is over. Urgent attention to the management of working capital can provide every business with the cash resources to...more
There are 4 parts to a UFOC:* Cover Page* Table of Contents* Items 1-23* ExhibitsThe format for each of these sections is very specific and covers the following:Cover Page The Cover Page identifies the franchise business, including the name under...more
Whether you are planning to start a brand-new business, expand an existing company, or get financing for a business venture, you will need to write a business plan. A business plan not only lends your business a sense of credibility, but also helps...more
Exchange Traded Funds, better known by many investors as iShares, the brand owned by Barclays Global Investors ('BGI') have been around in the UK since April 2000, with the launch of the iFTSE100 on the London Stock Exchange. From a slow start, by...more
Superior business leader and American investor Warren Buffett is often called "Oracle of Omaha" or the "Sage of Omaha" and philanthropist. (Wikipedia, 2007) Buffett is the CEO, and the biggest shareholder of the Berkshire Hathaway Company. Buffett's...more
People are losing their homes and many more will lose their jobs before the mortgage meltdown works its way through the system.To paraphrase Alan Greenspan's remarks on March 17th, 2008, "The current financial crisis in the US is likely to be judged...more