I was recently in a local retail store with a big sign announcing “Closing Sale, everything 70% off.” It was enough to get me to enter the store and ask the clerk why the store was closing.  The clerk, who happened to be the Assistant Manager, said “Internet prices are killing us.”   I tried to…

If you have ever bought a new house or made any big purchase decisions, you likely did some comparisons. Most of us do that even when we think we know what “we want.” We are looking for that tie breaker. What will help me make my choice? Which stands out and why? Is there anything…

How often do you challenge your salespeople, and yourself, to clean up your company’s sales pitch? We have worked with hundreds of companies to help them build a compelling data-driven pitch. The key to success for any new sales pitch is that it must be a consistent presentation of your company’s value. And the goal…

Companies throw buzz words around like pillows at a preteen sleep over.  Value Proposition, value marketing, cost benefit, cost justification, value chain – you’ve heard them.   Too many are adopted by company leaders to create the internal “vision” of what the company must focus on in their corporate culture and sales and marketing efforts.  …

I will confess, I am a big fan of Judge Judy. I love how she cuts to the chase and doesn’t let folks ramble on with their “feelings,” just goes for the facts. What a concept! But most of all, she tells plaintiffs and defendants alike: “I don’t want to hear that, I don’t care…

Peter Drucker said “90% of information used in an organization is internally focused and only ten percent is about the outside environment. This is exactly backwards.” This may be one of the most telling business quotes of all time.   We often see companies that are wrapped up in themselves. Their self-image – who they…

This is sure to be a controversial message to some folks, so I will make every effort to present both sides. I know I am sticking my neck out, but here goes. As we help companies uncover their competitive advantages, often some will immediately tout their strong Net Promoter Score. I always cringe when I…

We review our client’s websites, as well as their competitors, to see how – and more importantly, if – they convey competitive advantages. After viewing hundreds of sites, we rarely find anything meaningful.   What is most prevalent is the latest trend in how to set up a website. Style for websites is beginning to…

In our experience, it is always surprising when conducting a review of a company’s sales and marketing message to learn that there is little or no consistency.  Often the website message doesn’t align with the brochure, and neither match the sales PowerPoint.  Then, let’s add that each member of a sales team will often a…