A different way to increase productivity
Never before have business people wasted more time than they do today. And all that wasted productivity will continue next week, next month and...
How much personal value-add can you deliver?
There are two separate and distinct types of value-adds that customers and prospects consider when deciding where to buy: the first is the one...
Are your salespeople prepared for war?
U.S. Army recruits are required to attend Boot Camp before they are allowed on the battlefield. Fighting for your life, defending your homeland and...
Inventory shrinkage is like having a hole in your pocket
The rule of thumb that I use for the amount of annual inventory attrition a business can live with is 1/2 of 1% of sales....
Two key factors that affect your gross margin
I believe it is the job of a building supply business’ sales team to sell the operational capacity of the company they represent. When...
Celebrate “Breakeven Day”
For a moment, think about the benefits of knowing how much sales volume at what level of gross margin your business needs to breakeven...
Getting more mileage from company services
In seminar programs I present I am almost always asked questions about service. From the feedback I receive, it seems virtually every company in...
When hiring, experience can be overrated
The highest odds of hiring a highly productive salesperson is to hire a person with the raw talent to do the job, someone who...
Service: To market it, it’s best to measure it
I have never met a salesperson who didn’t claim that his company had terrific service. And by the same token I have never met...
Beware of copouts that stifle profits
Avoid denial. Managers who expect to grow and prosper must look at their businesses as objectively as would an outside analyst, so beware of...