Happy New Year. From the day this article is published, you have 363 days left in your new year. You have a clean slate. A fresh opportunity. What will you accomplish with these 363 days? Dream big. Businesses in North America spend almost $300 billion per year on printing and promotional products. You are within…
Read More
Back in the early days of building my original Proforma distributorship, I had an appointment with the owner of a furniture store chain. I was on time. He was not. After waiting for half an hour, I asked the receptionist if the owner knew I was there. She informed me that he was filming a…
Read More
Over the years I have developed what I call the “Muzzillo 10 Percent Rule.” Simply stated, the rule is that, at any point in time, only about 10 percent of folks are dissatisfied enough with their current situation that they are wide open for change. This is true for end-user customers. Only about 10 percent…
Read More
Question: Where should I look for QuickBooks software? Answer: My advice is to buy only from a proven source. The safest source is to buy directly from Intuit. But, there are many resellers that provide some attractive offers. I’ve heard a full range of reports from good to bad. Be careful in your selection of…
Read More
E-commerce: Is available all the time Serves unlimited customers or prospects at the same time without waiting Allows the customer to browse without pressure Listens to exactly what the customer says, and shows them what they’ve asked for Suggests other items gently, while showing them what they ask for Remembers who customers are on every…
Read More
Back when I was growing my original Proforma distributorship, I was teaching one of our newer sales reps how to conduct field calls. In my view, field calling is a lost skill. Sadly, in this day of email and voicemail, salespeople think they don’t need to get out and do field calls. I strongly disagree…
Read More
Question: Can I print checks in QuickBooks? If so, do you have any tips for buying the checks? Answer: Yes, you can print checks in QuickBooks. When doing so, the transaction is recorded directly into your general ledger (into the account you designate). Also, when writing a check to pay a supplier purchase order, the…
Read More
Step 1 Recognize that if it were easy, everyone would do it. And if everyone did it, still only 10 results will show on the search result page. In other words, Step 1 is recognizing the reality of the challenge so you can focus on what you really want to accomplish. Step 2 Decide on…
Read More
Early on in building my distributorship to $20 million (I sold that business in the early ’90s to focus on our franchise model), I realized there were only four activities that would make me wealthy. Today at Proforma we call these the 4 Pillars of Success. Earn new customers. Sell more to current customers. Hire…
Read More
When we first started franchising Proforma in the late 1980s, most people in our industry scoffed at our business model. So, we reached out to people outside our industry to start building our franchise concept. In the late 1980s, there was no internet! So we relied on advertising in business publications and attending “own your…
Read More