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 […]

Most of us strive continually for comfort. The “comfort zone” is where we want to be, and we don’t want to venture outside of it. It is our safe place—no surprises, no roadblocks, no curveballs. But as we navigate life, we find ourselves in positions that are far outside of our comfort zones. Though an […]

Editor’s Note: This is the second in a three-part series by design thought leader Stefan Mumaw from his HOW Design presentation, “Think Like a Villain: A Creative’s Guide to Winning Through Villainy.” “If you have a gun, you can rob a bank. If you have a bank, you can rob anyone.” — Black Mask It’s the […]

What does it take to build an elite, high-performance sales force? How do we develop a team of highly motivated, client-service oriented, quota crushing machines? Like explorers searching for the city of gold, business leaders are on the lookout for secrets to building an effective sales force. I do not have a secret map, but […]

Selling with a purpose and marketing for a cause. It constitutes a different mentality from the norms of marketing and branding. This type of campaign has the dual purpose of increasing profitability while bettering society. And more brands are getting involved with cause marketing and taking advantage of the opportunity to make an emotional connection […]

One-on-one. It’s still the most effective and important coaching technique great leaders must possess. It inspires in others an internal drive to act ethically, without direction, to achieve their goals. Effective coaching drives performance, builds competence and confidence and, ultimately enhances relationships. The best coaches help people find ways to make things happen as opposed […]