Many business owners have taken ownership of their company’s direction and are finding improved results by doing so. To get your strategic plan on the right path, there are three basic rules that you must follow:
Use brevity in voice-mail messages to stand out. Keep them to less than 20 seconds and communicate a single point—any longer, and you risk losing the recipient's interest. Drafting and rehearsing a concise, pre-planned message can prepare you for either having a strong conversation or leaving an effective voice-mail message.
I do not have a top 10 list of resolutions or suggestions for 2012; the only fact that I can nearly guarantee is that the world will not end on Dec. 21. What I will say is to consider the following:
...if the Mayans are wrong. There is no ONE thing you can do, buy or become to make your business a thriving enterprise. Let’s reflect on real and relevant ways to make positive changes to your business this year.
“No one returns my call.” Yes, in a perfect world all voice-mail messages are returned. But we don’t live in a perfect world. That means we need to improve the quality of our calls. To me, that means leaving one of four voice-mail messages:
I think printers should be printers. I don’t think it’s a good idea to try to reinvent yourself as a marketing service provider and run the risk of alienating potential customers who are marketers. I know I’m probably very unpopular right now, having said that, and I expect a lot of you out there will disagree.
Some of the best sales advice I was ever given came to me about a year after I started my career. Mike Powers, the sales manager, said, “Bill, you need to go piss someone off. If you do, you’ll sell a lot more.”
Paper consumption in North America is declining. This is a structural decline, and not just a cyclical decline. That means we can’t expect paper demand to “return to normal” when the economy recovers. This is the new “normal.” That point is not in debate, though experts do differ on the rate of decline.
For salespeople, the holidays can mean leaving an endless string of voice-mail messages for prospects. Your request for a call back—especially during the holidays—is likely to be ignored. Instead, promise a specific action on your part.
The second response to my recent writer’s block blog produced this question: “How do you do your job and balance being PERSISTANT without being a PEST?” That is such a great question! Here are a few of my thoughts.
