Small Business Toolbox
Is wishful thinking stagnating your business? Part I of II
In working with and observing entrepreneurs over 30 years, I have identified limiting mindsets that can have a direct impact on business owners’ ability to grow their businesses. These mindsets either fall into the category of Wishful Thinking or Fearful Thinking.When it comes to Wishful Thinking, the best way to describe it is that you […]
Are your referrals a sure bet?
You may have heard the cold call statistic that it could take as many as 100 phone calls to get one meeting. That statistic has been around since cold calling was in its heyday. But at a one percent return on your time investment, are those odds really working in your favor? After all, wouldn’t […]
Herding Cats: A handy guide to managing sales professionals
Managing sales professionals can feel like herding cats- a constant balancing act of patience and prodding, tolerance and coaching. There is much written about the importance of teams in the strategic sales process. It is equally important to recognize high performing sales professionals have distinct, strong characteristics best suited to do what they do-sell. Many […]
Marketing unexpectedly: Are you ready to shake things up?
Walking into a Main Street gallery gift shop, I was greeted by its associate who asked, “How may I help you?” My answer, the same answer most likely you have given on countless occasions, “No thank you. I’m just looking.” Instead of the usual, “Okay, just let me know if you have any questions,” this […]
Information should be shared, used
Sales drive organizational profits. And the most competitively agile organizations know they benefit from replicating the best practices of their top sales professionals, throughout the organization. Successful sales professionals intuitively build relationships at every opportunity considering each potential source of information may lead to a new sale, a bigger sale, a repeat sale, or a […]
Thinking about or considering buying or selling a business?
Over the past several months, I have witnessed buy-sell agreements fall through in businesses because of unanticipated developments that converted an appealing opportunity into a calamity of hidden surprises that ultimately killed the deal. As more and more Baby Boomer business owners are looking toward selling what they have built over the years, as well […]
Small Business Toolbox: Do you cut corners or gain an edge?
A small business is a boot-strapping business in the beginning. Anything that can be done without huge expense or investment is the underlying motivation in order to realize a profit sooner rather than later. The problem with many business owners’ mindsets is that they are more focused on curtailing spending as opposed to making wise […]
Starting a Business? Think. GO. Ready. SET! Reap!
By Sherré DeMao The New Year always brings a new resolve for how business is going to get done. For many, it is also the impetus that results in the decision to finally start a business. Starting a business is hard work, there is no doubt about it. Where newbies misstep the most is in […]
Are you practicing band-aid marketing?
By Sherré DeMao Is your business implementing a marketing effort or a marketing strategy? I was inspired to write this column after continuing to see a pattern in what I would classify as the top five band-aids companies use with the belief that their sales will skyrocket or when a desperate need for sales exists. […]
Are you netting the wrong results?
By Sherré DeMao Nothing can be more frustrating for a business owner than to put immense time, energy and effort into building a business, only to realize that the effort is not paying off. Not only are the results desired not occurring, but the results garnered are heading the business in an undesirable direction, in […]
