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Snipe Hunting: Fixing Sales Problems That Don’t Exist

Sure there are legitimate sales problems that need to be fixed, but more often than not I’m finding sales managers (and salespeople) determined to fix problems that don’t exist.

As we wind down another month, sales teams all over the world are in a mad dash to figure out how they can close more deals. Many of them will use one tactic in an effort to do that. It’s a crutch, but many salespeople are fully convinced it’s THE problem that needs to be solved.

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A Curable Blemish: Fix Those Small Problems Before They Fester

Warren Hellman, a San Franciso-based investment banker, passed away on December 18th, 2011. While reading about him recently I saw a quote published in the San Francisco Chronicle in 2005: “The companies we buy, for the most part, are large, profitable enterprises, though they may have a curable blemish.”

Does your enterprise – large or small – have a curable blemish? Maybe even more than one?

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I Don’t Mind The Bait, But I Hate The Switch (Sometimes)

I began selling hi-fi gear when I was a teenager in high school. The world was very different in the early 70’s. The Viet Nam war was winding down. Watergate was just around the corner. President Nixon wasn’t the only guy telling lies. Unethical marketers were spectacularly skilled at it.

I chuckle when I hear people talk about “way back in 2004.” 2004 seems like yesterday to an old dog like me.

Bait and switch was a big legal deal in the days of my youth. Maybe it still is, but I just sort of expect it anymore. I could be jaded after all these years. Ya think? 😀

Some retailers regularly practiced unethical marketing. Bait and switch. Fictional “regular” pricing. Fictional “sale” pricing. Advertising low end products they didn’t have in stock. But we’re way past all that now, right? Not on your life. Deception is alive and well – a craft destined to never die!

The Internet is a breeding ground bigger than any before for it. Daily we’re baited with headlines, sales copy, video titles, podcast titles, Tweets and so much more.

Today’s currency practically demands it because every content producer needs attention in order to continue creating content. What’s the point in blogging if nobody reads your blog? Ditto for videos or podcasts. People claim content is King, but it’s a lie. Attention is the King. Content might be the Queen. But sometimes the content is the Jester. And the joke is on us!

Watch today’s show and listen for the number one fear consumers have. As a blog reader, YouTube watcher, podcast listener or general Internet user – I guarantee you’ll be able to relate!

 

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How Do You Know When To Quit?

Ah, the questions of life. How can I get started? Is now a good time to start? How can I know I’m going in the right direction? What’s my best option? So many questions.

Quitting isn’t among the most popular topics to consider. Nobody likes a quitter, we tell our children. Fact is, people quit all the time. Winners quit regularly. It seems contradictory.

Mentioned in today’s show:

David Siteman Garland runs The Rise To The Top. He interviews people.
Andrew Warner runs Mixergy. He interviews people, too.
Jaime Tardy runs The Eventual Millionaire. And she interviews people.
• Randy Pausch Last Lecture: Achieving Your Childhood Dreams (the YouTube video; if you’ve never seen it – do it now)

No, I’m not quitting. At least not today!

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How I Lost $50,900 (and my pride), But Kept My Wife

Allow me to tell two stories of my own stupidity and foolishness. Both cost me a lot of money, but they may have cost me more in embarrassment and vulnerability. I certainly lost some pride over the deals. Thankfully, my wife stood by me – all without scolding me about how stupid or crazy I was.

As my kids were growing up I constantly preached to them about making mistakes. I knew they’d make mistakes, all kids do. My sermon to them was always the same, “Don’t make a mistake from which you can never recover.”

While these two stories had a high cost, thankfully…they were mistakes from which I could and did recover. I hope you can learn to be smarter by avoiding the mistakes I made.

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