Don’t Know What You Don’t Know?
Posted on August 10th, 2020 | Blog | No comment
We all know the dangers of assuming. We all know the peril of projecting. Yet businesspeople at all levels of an organization do it frequently. Some such actions are more hazardous than others. As we work with businesses of all sizes and industries, we have picked out a few assumptions – myths, actually – that read more
Act or Wait? That is the question.
Posted on June 26th, 2020 | Blog | No comment
We have all learned in the last few months that not only is “change inevitable” but it is astonishingly unpredictable. Forecast Covid anyone? Did your business plan take that into account? Businesses all over the country, of all sizes have had two basic outcomes from Covid implications: It was either “good for my business read more
Are Your KPIs “K” to Your Customers?
Posted on June 1st, 2020 | Blog | No comment
When a salesperson tells you they will deliver “on time,” how much confidence does that give you in your buying decision? Do you know what that really means? Do you sell that way also? Sometimes when you can prove that you have had a high on time delivery rate in the past, it may minimize read more
How will this economic recovery differ from 2008?
Posted on May 8th, 2020 | Blog | No comment
Both the 2008 recession and this pandemic were economic and business destroyers but for quite different reasons. How will those differences impact us going forward? On September 29, 2008, the Dow Jones dropped 777 points. We were all shocked. Today that kind of drop seems like an everyday occurrence with an equally shocking bounce read more
Disruption and the Speed of Change
Posted on April 11th, 2020 | Blog | No comment
This present virus disrupter may be the right time to think about the future. The question many pose today is this, what will the next disrupter be to impact your industry? For business owners and leaders, that’s the wrong question. Better to ask what you might do differently so that your business will be read more
Business down? Add Lemonade!
Posted on March 17th, 2020 | Blog | No comment
Not going to conferences, trade shows, visiting customers? Make a difference now for when you resume business as usual. Smart Advantage can help you find your differentiators and competitive advantages remotely. You never have to leave your office; we don’t have to come on site! Make this worldwide Down Time pay off for your company. Arm your sales read more
Get Your Story Straight, and above all, Consistent!
Posted on March 16th, 2020 | Blog | No comment
After reviewing the marketing and sales messages for hundreds of companies, one thing has become glaringly obvious: there is little or no consistency in the messaging from any one company. Often messages are drowning with clichés. Clichés that are replicated on the websites of their nearest competitors. No one stands out, everyone is generally read more
Are you killing the goose?
Posted on February 3rd, 2020 | Blog | No comment
I am beginning to think that if we answered every single customer satisfaction survey we got after virtually each purchase, we would have to give up all our discretionary time to provide feedback to companies. You get a survey after you stay in a hotel, fly on a plane, order flowers, buy anything online, make read more
Hold the Line in Sales Negotiations
Posted on December 28th, 2019 | Blog | No comment
Now that the holidays are behind us, did you notice how many days are named for shopping? Black Friday, Cyber Monday, Small Business Saturday, and Super Saturday are all special ways to shout – SALES. As if these designated shopping days aren’t enough, there’s no shortage of last minute specials with their blow out read more
Complaints, Please?
Posted on December 6th, 2019 | Blog | No comment
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 read more