As I wrote in an earlier post, your core story is arguably the most important business-building tool you can own. If you haven’t already read that post, please take a couple minutes and read it now, it gives meaning to the...

If you’ve heard about core stories, but can’t quite wrap your head around them or have questions about their importance to a business, following is information that may help. I’ve seen core stories interpreted and delivered a number of ways,...

At one time of another, I expect we’ve all been there — put on the spot to say something and not quite knowing what to say. It can happen on the phone, in a meeting, following an introduction, etc. Here’s...

Markets are competitive. I can’t think of a market that doesn’t include a number of vendors or suppliers who compete for market share. A truth that’s often ignored or misunderstood is most companies who compete in a given market look alike to the people who make purchase decisions and...

Features and functionality have a key role in your core story, but you have to position them to realize their selling power. And there’s a cautionary piece when talking about them that can jeopardize your sales process. The danger is...

Difference empowers your core story because it makes it uniquely yours. It ties the things you do directly to the benefit your customer purchases. It starts the process of creating an orange to compare to the apples your competitors offer....

Every person you: speak to stand across the counter from meet shake hands with speak on the phone with open the door for Has a family or people important in their life they: think of support love care for The...

The purpose of B2B lead generation isn’t to get people to buy your product or service. Think about it — this is where a lot of B2B lead generation campaigns go wrong. If you have a product or service that...

Have you noticed there is never anything good in the fine print of an agreement? All the good stuff is up front and in large print. The bad stuff is buried in the back somewhere, deep inside a long paragraph,...

Whatever you’re doing now, do this next — get your pen, place it to paper, and write a thank you note to a colleague, customer, supplier, or friend that deserves one. It doesn’t have to be long, it doesn’t have...