Tag: business development
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Listen, connect, innovate.
These three words will do wonders in EVERY relationship you have – both business and personal. As simple as it sounds, it represents a lifetime commitment of practice, patience, getting it wrong, and improving. LISTEN:It must start here. Hear the words others say as well as what they don’t say. By following the ‘anatomic rule’…
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Only Execute Fully-Funded Projects
A mentor talked with me about only executing fully-funded projects early in my career. I feel strong and confident every time I use this tip to make a decision about where to invest my energies. I have been burned every time I go against this methodology. As have countless others. One trick I have learned…
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Connect. Don’t Persuade
My acceptance into the Sales Training MBA program offered by The School Of Hard Knocks was accepted 3.5 years ago – shortly after the birth of my daughter. I continue to learn so much from this program and am enthusiastic about never graduating! Before enrolling, I had sat through countless seminars teaching the benefits of…
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NO is GOOD for Business
NO is a great answer in sales! We often think about only the buyer having the ability to say no, and it often hurts our egos when they do. There is huge power in saying no to a prospect. I recommend it be done with professionalism, some empathy, and at least a hint of rationale.…
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Unique Value Proposition = Never-ending Revenue Stream
#Marketing, #Brand and #Sales channels ARE your unique value proposition – not merely a way to communicate it! It is time to re-design them to reflect their true power of building engagement and future-proofing your business. What exactly do I mean? Engagement is a signal that audiences trust you, your messaging, and/or your brand. Sometimes…
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Business Growth in 6 Simple Steps
Business growth is simple. More specifically, it is based on simple steps. This simplicity is not to be confused with being easy. The better we grow as individuals, as contributors, as leaders, and as marketers; the more we can see opportunities to build systems that help those around us and make decisions to benefit us…
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Leadership in the 21st Century
The summer I turned 13; I attended my first formal leadership training workshop. I was hooked! I have served hundreds of leadership positions in the 25 years since that weekend – formal, informal, elected, appointed, volunteered, etc. Some were for pay while others were just necessary. Some were as brief as 10 minutes; while others…
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How Do You Accept Ideas?
Raw ideas have little value unto themselves. They need to be expanded, tweaked, massaged, and refined. Painters and sculptors often display a collection or series of pieces that are variations of a single theme or idea. Over a period of time, their art evolves and we can enjoy the fruits of their labor. Authors and…
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The Art of Business
Art changes the world as much as it changes the artist. It goes beyond the painting, sculpture, or poetry that are produced and connects us to our emotions. Then it brings us to a resonant frequency. The work we do every day is no different. The products we make, reports we file, and meetings we…
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Theory of Abundance
We all want more abundant lives, businesses, and careers. We seem to think of this word only as a good thing, but I have discovered that abundance applies to everything – the good, the bad, and the mediocre. Without getting too metaphysical or philosophical; I’d like to share my thoughts on how each of us…
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A Carpenter’s Perspective on Building Business
I have always been handy with tools. Combine that with a strong sense of curiosity to understand that I easily adopted a DIY mindset early on in life. It began by taking things apart after they had ceased ‘working properly’ to study the innards and how they were assembled. As my knowledge and skills increased;…
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What Is The Structure of Your Business?
Arches distribute weight loads over a span – providing windows, doorways, tunnels, and all sorts of internal volume. They are one of the oldest and most widely recognized aspects of architecture and are defined as a curved masonry construction for spanning an opening – consisting of a number of wedge like stones, bricks, or the…
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The Other Side of FEAR
My first ever attempt of public speaking happened during freshman year of High School. The assignment was to give a 3-5 minute speech on any subject that excited us. I honestly do not recall the topic I chose; but I remember vivid details about the way I presented it. We were presenting in alphabetical order…
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Grow Your Business Through Networking, Not Karaoke
Networking events are not for making sales pitches and closing deals. They are for meeting and connecting with other people. Sometimes you meet some really great prospects, but as most networking events are put on by an industry organization; you meet a lot of your competition – or at least people who already believe,…
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Creating the Right Environment
Several weeks ago, I learned a vital life and business lesson in my very own kitchen. After reading about the naturally occurring, wild yeasts that make sourdough bread, I thought I would give it a try for myself. I combined equal parts (by weight) unbleached flour with warm water and mixed them until there were…
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Pushing Boundaries of Innovation
In late 1890s Henry Ford was trying to get his automobile company funded. Though they already existed; he had innovative ideas that pushed the boundaries of most people’s imagination. He was laughed at and told that people didn’t want automobiles or quadracycles – they wanted faster horses. Many would-be investors mocked his ideas and labeled…
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Dare to be bold
There is a common old saying that tells us squeaky wheels will eventually get the oil they need. But in today’s technologically-driven world, our ears are bombarded with dings, buzzes, chirps, and audible reminders that we are likely to think that squeaky marketing is somebody’s custom ring tone and are likely to ignore it altogether.…
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Traditions
Over the holidays, we often take time to reflect on what is important to us and share in a variety of traditions; a particular meal only served once-a-year; curling up on the couch to watch a holiday movie at 2:00 pm; the way we decorate the house; and the opening of gifts. Like the holiday…
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Illuminate Sales
Many businesses sell a commodity item – something that has ‘one hundred and one’ of uses, or ‘that everybody needs’. There is a portion of your audience who will buy it because it is available, and a portion who buy it with a specific use in mind. Let’s say it is a candle. If you…
David R Frick 