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A few years ago, while I was on vacation, I received a very usefulsales lesson from a stray cat. I was sitting in the condo, enjoying some late-evening relaxation, when I heard meowing nearby. I got up and, to my surprise, I found a cat I'd never seen before sitting by the sliding glass door, calling for my attention. I opened the door, and thetiny animal stared up at me with a look of absolute expectancy on its face. I tried to pet it and it let me, then it continued to coax me for food. It was obvious that, in this cat's mind, providing... Read More

Guest post by Anthony Musker.​ I know many of you may raise your brows after reading the heading of this post. You may be thinking that B2B Marketing and Snapchat are quite different from each other, and the latter is a fun-associated application that sends short video clips and images. So how could it be useful for B2B marketing? It may be a fun-associated app, but it also helps in connecting people in the real world. Just like Facebook and Twitter , it can also be useful in advertising your products and services and connecting with... Read More

When people want to buy something, they have lots of options. According to Internet Live Stats , there are over 1,250,240,286 websites in the world today - and the number kept growing even as I looked at the page. Obviously, not all of these websites are your direct competitors, but even if you just look up your specific industry in your geographical area, you'll probably find at LEAST three or four other people doing the same thing you do. And that's assuming people are even sure they want a product in your field. They might just decide... Read More

I recently had an interesting conversation with some of my fellow writers who were struggling with social media addiction. They wanted to focus on creating content, but they felt compelled to continuously check their notifications on their favorite social channels. As a result, they were struggling to actually produce content, because they were spending so much time online. But as I pointed out, social media addiction isn't 100% a bad thing. As a creative, introverted copywriter, I have the opposite problem: if left to my natural... Read More

How many hours have you spent driving to networking events, making small talk, asking questions, giving pitches, handing out business cards, and doing follow-ups... only to have few or NO new sales or referrals to show for it? Live, in-person networking can be an invaluable source of clients and referral partners, because it enables you to build rapport and trust much faster than most online methods can. Unfortunately, many people are just a few skills away from getting a return on their investment of time and energy, so they spend... Read More

For many business owners, it's easy to feel neglected and unwanted ​- by potential clients who aren't interested, by business contacts who don't return emails and calls, and by themselves . When you're neck deep in these feelings, it's easy to be insecure, unhappy and uncertain - which will only serve to drive people away even more, thus exacerbating the problem. How can you break this vicious cycle, so you can build your business with confidence and joy that attract great people to you, and that enable you to enjoy the journey... Read More

If you're a highly intelligent, educated person, you probably have a special challenge when it comes to making sales. You explain your offering to your client, you tell them what you'll help them do, and you give them a list of the things they'll get... ...but instead of getting as excited as you thought they would, and immediately taking action to purchase a product they obviously need, they go blank-eyed and seem to lose all interest. They might ask you "What does that mean?", give a neutrally polite "that's interesting", or tell... Read More

Sometimes, you need to tell people things they don't want to hear. This is especially true if you're a coach, and it's your job to tell people when you see them sabotaging themselves, or you notice that they have a false belief that's holding them back. This situation can also come up if someone has an unreasonable expectation or request, or you see someone spreading information that they sincerely believe, but that you know is inaccurate in a way that could harm someone if they acted upon it. Some people are receptive to... Read More

I recently had an interesting experience on an art site, and it reminded me of an important principle that applies to both your business and your life in general. I was reading a comic by one of my favorite artists, and I thought about making a comment. I typed something I thought was fitting and funny... and then paused. I found myself asking, Should I post this? Does it add enough to the conversation, or is it just more internet noise? This person already gets a lot of comments on her art. In the end, I decided to post it,... Read More

Did you know that your best leads and marketing allies are usually your satisfied customers? When someone has used your product or service and loved it, they've a lot more inclined to work with you again, and to recommend you to their friends, than a stranger to your business would be. This is especially important in light of the fact that bringing someone from being a total stranger to becoming a loyal repeat customer and advocate of your business can take a lot of work. You've got to get their attention, hold that attention, earn... Read More