Top Secrets Of Promotional Products Sales

A few weeks ago, I was in California for a wedding and I got a big reminder about the fact that regardless of what’s going on in the economy, there is always a segment of the population that has significant money available to spend. So every now and then I think it’s a good idea […]

Last week, I gave you an example of how customer service is killing retail. Today, I thought I’d give you an example of the exact opposite. How good customer service can actually save retail. In our last episode, I told you about part of my recent, retail shopping experience, and how it could really discourage […]

I had an experience this weekend that gave me a clear example of how customer service is killing sales — especially retail! And how any business can learn from this experience. This weekend, I went shopping — which is pretty unusual for me. Occasionally, if I need something, I’ll stop in a store and buy […]

Members of our Total Market Domination course focus on initiating contact with the specific people in their markets who are likely to spend the most money with them. It’s not about dominating everyone in a market, because many don’t have two nickels to rub together. Instead, it’s about totally dominating the segment of the market […]

Many salespeople just “wing it” when talking to clients. They think a little product knowledge and a decent personality are all it takes to win clients and close sales. And while those traits can help, primarily with those who were already predisposed to buy from you, they certainly won’t close everyone. Nor will they take […]

Many people don’t think it’s possible to dominate their market, because they’ve never clearly identified exactly which market, businesses or individuals they need to reach. In our last episode we explained the importance of mindset when it comes to market domination, and how if you don’t think it’s possible, you’ll never even attempt it. And […]

I’m not a huge fan of all the “woo-woo” or “rah-rah” aspects of mindset that are preached by other people. But, there are a few solid, concrete aspects of mindset that need to be in place if you plan to dominate your market. Henry Ford once said, “Whether you think you can, or you think […]

How often should I follow up with prospects and clients? It’s a question I get a lot, and as attention spans have shortened over the years, my thoughts on this subject have changed… but not in the way you might expect. I am very often asked how often we should follow up with prospects and […]

When visiting London, many years ago, I noticed signs throughout their subway system — what they call the underground. The signs said “Mind the Gap,” referring to the gap between the train and the station platform. It stuck me as a unusual combination of words, and since then, I’ve always used it as an analogy […]

I started a new challenge this month for my Total Market Domination clients. It’s about how to grow your sales and start dominating your market in just 22 minutes a day. Sound crazy? Not when you consider the fact that many people, in fact most people, blow a lot more time than that on activities […]

Where do you go to get clients? Do you rely on your local BNI group? Do you prospect through your local Chamber of Commerce? Do you get most of your leads via referrals? Regardless of where you go to get clients, the real question becomes “how’s that working for you?” Are you able to generate […]

If you’ve been in business for any length of time, you’ve run into your share of poor quality prospects. But who comes to mind when you think of your worst prospect ever? No matter what business you’re in, there are people who are qualified to do business with you and there are people who are […]

Cold calling may be one aspect of prospecting, but that’s not all there is to it. In this excerpt from a live training event, David Blaise explains that when you think in terms of prospecting and bringing new clients through the door, it doesn’t have to mean cold calling. Just the words “cold calling” sounds […]

In every business and even in a non-profit, someone is responsible for bringing in the money. Who is it in your organization? And are they up to the task? In every organization, there is a person or persons responsible for bringing in the money. In a church it could be a pastor. In a nonprofit […]

How many of the people in your market, who need the products and services you offer, are pre-programmed to go directly to you, without considering any other options? Or perhaps more telling, let’s look at the flip side… how many people in your market can’t buy from you right now, because they don’t even know […]

Sometimes in sales we like to hold out hope that just because someone hasn’t said “no” to us, they’ll eventually turn into a “yes.” And sometimes that happens. But in nearly every case, you’re probably far better off getting a hard “no” now, instead of taking “maybe” for an answer — for months or years […]

Even when businesses are running into trouble, the two most common excuses given for a lack of action are no time and no money. They don’t have time to address the problem — often because they’re too busy doing the same things that got them into the problem situation to begin with — or they […]

Uh oh. Sales have dropped off a bit. Not a huge decline, just a few percent. Well maybe, four, six, eight, something like that. No big deal, right? Well, it could be no big deal, or it could be one of the Five Early Symptoms of a Seriously Struggling Business. I have conversations all the […]

Show me a business that has no secrets and I’ll show you a business that has no value. Over the years, I’ve taken some heat for our brand Topsecrets.com and for my belief that it’s our business secrets that create the most value in our organizations. Still, there are people who say, “there are no […]

This morning I heard the song “Don’t Fear the Reaper” by Blue Oyster Cult in my Pandora mix, and it reminded me of a famous Saturday Night Live sketch, where Christopher Walken’s character, Bruce Dickinson, insists the song “needs more cowbell.” And it made me think about all the business owners and salespeople who are […]