(Time to read this Blog article is about 50 seconds) Note:  This blog article is from my friend Jim Brown.  Jim is a brilliant business thinker and a ‘straight shooter’.  He can be reached at James B. Brown Consulting Inc. jbbrown@bell.net . Jim’s comments about the need for more women in senior management positions is […]

(Time to read this Blog article is about 40 seconds) Order taking is the process of taking someone’s money for something they’ve already decided to buy. Many so-called sales people are actually just ‘order takers’. Selling is helping people make a purchase when they have doubt, confusion or concern, or convincing people to buy more […]

(Time to read this Blog article is about 30 seconds) Many businesses spend huge sums of money on ‘customer research’ to find out exactly what their customers want.  Then, when they deliver that, they wonder why customers don’t go “WOW”. What they don’t realize is, they’ve fallen into ‘The Research Trap.’  It works like this. […]

(Time to read this Blog article is about 90 seconds) Every business talks about ‘marketing’, but most never really define it.  There are many debates, disagreements and myths about what marketing is.  Some folks equate it to advertising, promotion and sales, but it’s much more than that.  Here’s my simple definition of ‘marketing’ that may […]

(Time to read this Blog article is about 60 seconds) A number of clients have asked me to comment on the increasing minimum wage that we see in Canada and the USA.  First off, to give yourself a little perspective, for just one week try living on what some of your minimum wage employees are […]

(Time to read this Blog article is about 60 seconds) Many businesses, large and small, make the mistake of believing that their customers have only one ‘currency’ in their lives, which is money.   So they can think of only one way to compete, which is to cut their price.  ‘Price’ is important but when you […]

(Time to read this Blog article is about 45 seconds) Many companies measure their service excellence by how well and how quickly they respond to their customers.  How we respond matters.  But the real customer service magic comes when we anticipate our customers’ needs and proactively do what needs to be done. One day, early […]

(Time to read this Blog article is about 40 seconds) We’re not just talking about cultural or ethnic diversity; we’re talking about diversity of thought and perspective.  If you surround yourself with people who look, think and act like you do, this doesn’t unleash your creativity, it narrows your view and limits your possibilities.  Innovation […]

(Time to read this Blog article is about 40 seconds) One of my recent coaching clients has been negotiating to buy out a competitor.  As usual, the seller thought their business was worth much more than it actually was.  How could they have worked so hard and the business be worth so little?  Because working […]

(Time to read this Blog article is about 90 seconds) There’s much talk in business today about the importance of initial and on-going training, coaching and employee development…and so there should be.   You can’t grow your business without growing your people. To truly embrace a program of ongoing employee education and development, keep in […]