What if I told you there was a simple, yet effective three-word mnemonic to help your sales professionals be more strategic, close deals faster, improve margins and increase customer satisfaction, all at the same time? If you are like most you are thinking, “I wouldn’t say anything, just tell me how.” Or you would say, […]

Busy or bad day? Like grandpa used to say, “Your response is your responsibility.” Okay, grandpa may not have said that, but it is true. All too often, we get going so fast that we lose the ability to see past ourselves. This often leads to us being a bit short, forgetful or just not […]

Todd Meissner wishes he could say that his company’s “digital revolution” was part of some overall master strategy to totally rebrand its reputation as a cutting-edge print and finishing technology provider. He really does. But if you want him to be honest, Meissner says that would be giving Color Ink way too much credit. In […]

If Gregg Bauer could pass along one piece of advice to the students he teaches on the Atlanta campus of Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD), it would be to stick to your convictions. His experience, which includes more than 30 years in graphic design and advertising, is filled with stories of those unrelenting […]

Which scenario best describes your current management frustrations with the 20-somethings entering your organization? 1. You just explained appropriate corporate protocol only to then discover their questionable comments and postings on Instagram and Snapchat. 2. You are perplexed by their informal communication style, both written and verbal, with seemingly cryptic acronyms and expressive emojis. You […]

A lot can be said about today’s selling landscape, but the most accurate description? Noisy. Old ways of selling may no longer reap results. To push out information and hope it sticks likely will no longer work. You have to get personal, tell a story, be memorable and, some would even say, become vulnerable. “We […]

“Obstacles do not block the path; they are the path.” — Zen proverb Steve Jobs did not particularly care for the original concept of Apple’s “Think Different” and “To the crazy ones” campaign. True story. To hear Rob Siltanen tell it, Jobs initially called the script crap (we are being kind here). The then creative […]

Eric Wallace had figured it out. In 2015, against the backdrop of big-beer conglomerates like Anheuser-Busch, InBev and MillerCoors scooping up smaller, independent craft breweries across the country, Wallace devised a way to foster an ownership mentality, enthusiasm and high level of buy-in among employees. He made them owners—literally. His company, Left Hand Brewing Co., […]

Lance Tyson has been in the sales game for more than 20 years. So when you mention the delicate relationship between sales and marketing, he knows where the conversation is heading. For starters, these are new days in the age old clash between the two departments. Today’s consumers, whether B2B or B2C, are more highly […]