Hopefully, by now, you know that you cannot just be a product source and expect to command a premium price or a loyal customer base. Quite simply, if you don’t want to be commoditized, don’t be a commodity. Think about why your customers buy, and work to give them a reason to buy from you.…
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Some day, I’m going to change! Many adults still are struggling to find out what they want to do. Oh, they’re busy. But mostly they react and react and react, and never really set their own directions. They expend a lot of energy trying to make a living and spend little time making a life.…
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Do you know what success looks like for you? I’m amazed by the number of people who are dissatisfied with their current situations but cannot describe what their personal happiness would look like. In “Alice in Wonderland,” the Cheshire Cat tells Alice that if you don’t know where you want to go, then “it really…
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A frequently asked question that I get at speaking engagements is, “What is your elevator speech?” Or, I’m asked to help someone craft an elevator speech. Here’s what I don’t like about elevator speeches: They’re canned. They are a one-size-fits-all recitation that’s not going to win anyone any business. It’s not that I’m down on being…
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Quit being afraid of the future. That’s where all the good stuff lies. The road to failure is littered by organizations that feared and tried to hold back the future. Just look at Lotus 1-2-3, which owned the database and software business powering PCs in the days before Windows. Or look at Kodak, the company…
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How would your clients describe the experience of meeting with you? How do they feel as you walk out of their offices? How do they feel about your impending appointments to see them? Here’s the toughest question for you to ponder. I want you to think this through thoroughly. If you are part of a…
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What will your role be in the buying and selling of promotional products in 2026? How are you preparing yourself now? We’ve seen some major shifts over the past couple years, and everything points to the fact that change only is going to accelerate. More and more, the buyers of promotional products are digital natives. Those…
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It’s hard to leave money lying on the table. I’ve heard a lot of people eager for the sale, drooling over the pennies that could easily be had. “Money is money,” they will opine and blame and shame you for not picking up the easy bucks. Here’s the problem with the easy bucks: They keep…
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Where’s your focus? It seems like all the glamour and excitement in sales and marketing focuses on account acquisition. Everyone loves the “rainmaker,” the professional who reels in the big fish and new, headliner clients. We spend our time, our resources and our money on carefully crafted marketing plans. We think through objectives, strategies and…
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It would be his only at bat in the World Series. After sitting in the dugout with a hamstring pull and worn-out knees, his team down 4-3 with two outs and a teammate on first base, he was called on to pinch hit. He was facing Dennis Eckersley, the 45-save relief ace of the winningest…
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