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…
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Question: I have a Mac that I use for my business, but I’d like to use QuickBooks. What are my options? Answer: There is a Mac desktop version of QuickBooks, which is very different from the Windows QuickBooks and is inadequate for our business. Furthermore, it is being discontinued, and a 2017 version is not…
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Wow! Did this year fly by or what? With Thanksgiving quickly upon us, you might have a minute or two to take a breath, and do some thinking before you go into the last crazy push to the end of the year. As is my custom, I have some questions that I would like for you…
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When I hear the word “actually” in a presentation, my “BS detector” goes on high alert. While true in all presentations, the alarm bells ring very high when the word is used in a software demonstration. “You can actually pay your bill with one button click.” “You can actually see your logo with no effort.”…
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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…
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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…
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How do you make yourself matter to your customers? How did selling today become such a “soft” touch? How did things like liking, loving, trust and your mission become more important than prospecting, qualifying, features benefits, and closing, closing, closing? The reality is that people usually buy from people they like. What is always true…
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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…
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Question: My QuickBooks isn’t working the way it should. Is there anything I can do to fix the problems? Answer: If you are experiencing basic operating problems in QuickBooks, there is a “Verify and Rebuild” function. To run this, back up your QuickBooks first, and go to “File” to “Utilities.” Run “Verify Data,” which will…
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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…
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