Have you noticed that the best marketers and salespeople regularly seem to do what others don’t? They are willing to pay the price to get ahead.

In my seminars I talk about what works and how to achieve success with Relationship Farming. Here are some traits I’ve found by studying for those seminars that top professionals practice regardless of their industry. These advanced-level strategies will give you a decisive advantage in achieving your goals.

Study the Market

This is critical for relationship farming. Know what is working today, where pain exists and how you can best implement solutions. Don’t assume. … Read the rest

Competition is all over the place these days! Whatever field you’re in, there are competing forces offering your product or service, or a good substitute. Price competition is often the way many choose to beat the competition. That is not the best way to compete. There is a much better, and more profitable way to do business.

It wasn’t that long ago that many would joke about their “crackberries.” These were the ubiquitous Blackberry cell phones that many joked they were addicted to like a crack addict. Many felt that the Blackberry brand, for texting and calling, would always be … Read the rest

There is an important ingredient you can use in building lasting relationships. Many people talk about building relationships in business, but they often focus more on a transactional nature. This is short-sighted and doesn’t bring about the best results.

We have to plan for what is coming long before it arrives. This time-honored Aesop Fable about the “Wild Boar and the Fox” illustrates the point.

The Wild Boar and the Fox

A Wild Boar was sharpening his tusks busily against the stump of a tree, when a Fox happened by. Now the Fox was always looking for a chance to … Read the rest

A while back I was attending an annual opening meeting for a marketing group in Orlando, Florida. I love meetings like this where I get to learn about new ideas, listen to great speakers and connect with friends and new acquaintances.

But then, there was “that guy.”

You know the type. This is the kind of guy who thinks a business gathering is all about “getting the word out” about his stuff, what he is doing and what is important to him. Ugh! This guy I met only talked about what he did in his work as a graphic artist. … Read the rest

Stop it already! I don’t have time for yet another blog, news story, article, podcast, video on the Net, social networking meeting, blah, blah, blah. Yikes! I am inundated with so many choices that it drives me nuts.

Maybe you can relate.

We’re all swamped with so many things going on. Your customers are in the same place. They are swamped and can’t keep up with all the new information. Then you, as an aspiring new vendor of theirs, come bouncing in the door with your new Wonder Widget and they can’t handle any more. You call it rejection. They … Read the rest

Most entrepreneurs and salespeople today are regularly on the road. Being on the road gives you the advantage to be with clients and important decision-makers.

On the road, however, you need the tech tools that let you get the job done under any circumstance. The tools that I describe in the following could help give you a competitive advantage.

Recently I had the chance to see a few tools that I want to share with you — mobile professional to mobile professional. Here are four that I’ve experienced lately that can help give you a competitive advantage — and perhaps … Read the rest

What does it take to be a successful entrepreneur in today’s white-hot environment? It seems it gets tougher and tougher as more people are competing for the same scarce resource called time from prospective buyers. It used to be easy. You could produce an article, or better yet, a video, and it would grab attention.

A while back I had the opportunity to meet and introduce former heavyweight champion of the world, George Foreman, as he spoke before 2,100 people attending live and about 50,000 via the Internet. He is an entrepreneur who teaches people to overcome problems and keep … Read the rest

I am so amazed by the miracle of videoconferencing. The fact that we have much higher bandwidth today to accomplish it, and brilliantly clear video and audio, makes using these wonders of technology ideal for collaborating, connecting and building community.

But the technology alone is not good enough.

I just returned from a business trip to Greece where I was able to see, for the first time, that country’s beautiful ocean-side communities, the marvels of ancient Athens with the Parthenon and the Acropolis, and even more. By “even more” I mean getting a chance to see what it is really … Read the rest

We often hear the outcry of jobs being lost or sent overseas.

Many today are hurt by the loss of their job, and even more are stuck in dead-end jobs they tolerate only because they have to pay the bills.

Many say that the results of the last presidential election happened largely because people were scared of losing their jobs and tired of seeing a bleak future.

So what is the solution? Is it to bring back old jobs? Should we hope for a 1950s style workplace again?

This is not going to happen. We feel for the people who … Read the rest

Sometimes, entrepreneurs have to be unconventional.

We have a clear example of being unconventional with what the American rebels did against the powerful British Empire to secure American independence. Imagine you’re in this situation:

• You’re up against the greatest military power in the world. The Americans were farmers, hunters, backwoodsmen and “just plain folk.” Any betting person would have said the Colonists didn’t stand a chance at the beginning of the conflict.
• You feel all alone. The Americans had no other nation backing them at the outset. In addition to that, the Colonists were not united. Many historians tell us

When you talk to successful business people, they inevitably tell you that it is all about relationships.

This has been true throughout time. It’s true today, and it was true way back in the bazaars of the Middle East centuries ago. People like to do business with those they know, like and trust.

To build success in business, you have to build quality relationships. This takes time, money and energy to do it right. More than anything, it takes the ability to listen to the needs of others and figure out creative ways to help them solve their problems through … Read the rest

Getting attention for your business and your ideas has become a priority for marketers today. Attention is the most precious resource that we have. Seems there are always more videos to watch, podcasts to listen to, articles to read and people who want to “pick our brains” all the time.

It seems to never stop. We are inundated with messages, all trying to get our attention. All of these wonderful marketers (okay, I’m being generous) are vying to get our attention and have us get involved with them and their products and services. Sometimes you just want to turn off … Read the rest

Imagine a world where you immerse yourself into learning, training, and entertainment so vividly real that you forget you’re using a device. That world is not just theoretical. It is called virtual reality, and it is one of the hottest trends in technology today.

Virtual reality was vividly on display at the CES trade show in Las Vegas sponsored by the Consumer Technology Association. For me, this was an exciting time, as I was able to visit the booth of Chinese company 3Glasses as they demonstrated their new D2 headset.

Philip Kong the COO of 3Glasses, gave me my first … Read the rest

Today’s world is mobile-hot, and we now treat our smartphones and tablets like an extension of our bodies. Apps open the power of your mobile device like never before.

Many apps have the ability to increase your productivity, build relationships with customers more (great for relationship marketing), save you money, and make life a lot easier.

All of the apps I’m listing are available on iOS (my choice), and many are also available on Android. Check it out to see what applies in your unique situation.

Here are some that you’ll want to consider:

• Waze

Crowd sharing road and travel … Read the rest

Ask any independent manufacturers’ representative or manufacturer who has several years’ experience under their belt what they feel is the greatest change in how they conduct business and chances are they’ll point to technology.

The constant change and the accompanying growth of the tools that they use to perform their jobs have transformed all of their interactions between themselves and their customers. While some might bemoan the fact the technology to some extent has impersonalized business (i.e., high tech means less high touch), the majority will maintain that today select technologies provide such an enormous leap that we wouldn’t think … Read the rest

The best marketers know that what worked before does not necessarily work today.

The old idea of “push” marketing has now been replaced. It is not even “pull” marketing. Today, the key is to be able to persuade people in a pleasant way to embrace you, your products, and your services.

Today, things are different. You can’t force people to watch your ads. There are so many choices that people are programmed to flip channels at light speed. We have a whole generation trained in “the art of the delete key” when it comes to junk mail.

I recently conducted … Read the rest

Customer service is paramount for success in business. When you find a technology that helps you serve customers better and save money at the same time, that is a great combination. This is especially true when you’re looking to go global.

In this article I want to share two technologies that give businesses the ability to connect with customers in a very powerful, helpful way — all while cutting costs and expanding profitability.

Reaching Customers Globally

You know that global opportunities are enormous. For many companies, expanding globally helps them to temper negative local economic conditions. To connect with customers, … Read the rest

Throughout history people have used tools to get the job done. Better tools give a competitive advantage. Innovative tools leapfrog you ahead of the competition.

Today technology and the tools that come with it provide such an enormous leap that we wouldn’t think of competing in business without them.

Here are seven tools for success, which can give today’s salesperson the advantage in a hotly competitive market.

1. A Useful (and Regularly-Used!) CRM

The Contact Relationship Management tool you use will greatly affect how you connect and ultimately succeed. You want the tool that gives you immediate access to important … Read the rest

Technology is great. It helps us to get more done, connect with others more, and has advanced the living standards of human beings dramatically. Medical and dental technology are so far ahead of where they were even a few years ago, that we don’t want to go back.

But there is a dark side. Technology can be overwhelming.

This often happens when we have expectations that are pressing, based on our desired outcomes. Health care professionals and psychologists have long told us about the dangers of taking on more than we can handle.

I like studying this phenomenon, particularly as … Read the rest

Life can be tough at times. Any successful business person knows that. It can sometimes get really draining and sometimes we don’t know how to move forward.

If you’ve ever had some of those times that are very tough and you wonder how to keep going, I want to share some thoughts with you that have helped me and others.

You might have heard the old saying, “When the going gets tough, the tough get going.” This has been attributed to both Joseph Kennedy, father of President John F. Kennedy, and to Notre Dame football coach Knute Rockne. Whoever said … Read the rest

In today’s whirlwind of social media exists a seemingly endless string of opportunities available for investing. But where is the best place to invest in social media to get the best return?

You can put money into Facebook advertising, LinkedIn advertising and now we have Twitter advertising. Let’s not forget about YouTube advertising that is also available. In addition to all that, we have some of the more traditional Search Engine Optimization tools (SEO), Google Ad Words and more.

Plus, don’t forget about the options you have for putting ads on your own website linking to products you’ve created, ads … Read the rest

“It is difficult to make predictions, especially about the future.”
— Popular quote attributed to a Danish philosopher.¹

This is 2015. It is a momentous year for many reasons, not the least of which is that it is the very year that is celebrated by the greatest time travel movie series of all time — Back to the Future. That series starred Michael J. Fox as Marty McFly and Christopher Lloyd as Doctor Emmett Brown.

In the movie, Back to the Future Part II, Marty, and his future wife Jennifer, are taken from 1985 by Doc Brown … Read the rest

Competition is abundant. Whatever field you’re in, there are competing forces offering your product or service — or a good substitute.

Price competition is often the way many choose to beat the competition. That is not the best way to compete. There is a much better and more profitable way to do business.

It wasn’t that long ago when many would joke about their “crackberries.” These were the ubiquitous Blackberry cell phones that inspired technology addiction jokes, and many felt that the Blackberry brand would always be the dominant force. No one could dislodge them.

Well, along came this uppity … Read the rest

“What are you doing that you don’t have to do?”
— Mike McKinley, professional speaker

You don’t have to do it all. It sometimes can feel that way. You have to hunt for leads, make the appointments, close the sales and maintain the relationships. You also like to have control over things. You like to manage details about all the “stuff” happening in your business.

Well, let it go. Let it go and prosper. Let me explain.

You have expertise in certain areas. That is why you are in business for yourself. You have a few things where you have … Read the rest

I was recently speaking to a client about an upcoming presentation I am scheduled to do for his company. He’s a successful salesman and was recently promoted to chairman at a large company. We were talking about what is essential for successful salespeople today.

My client expressed frustration that some of his more seasoned salespeople don’t embrace technology as a sales tool, relying exclusively on their social skills to connect with customers. He wants a sales force with both tech savvy and a knack for conversation.

I agree! In my experience, salespeople who leverage technology succeed more.

To help you … Read the rest

Want to get more in life?
Want to have more of the things you want?
Here is the simple (but not easy) process.

The late, great Zig Ziglar was right when he said you can get anything you want if you help enough other people get what they want. However, the real crux of the matter is “How do you help enough other people?” What do you do to help them? What value can you provide for them that they are willing to pay you serious money?

That is where you have to be prepared. Zig would be the first … Read the rest

OK, OK, OK. So ya’ know that ya’ need to get involved with social media. All right already! But, WHAT do you do to improve sales and what is simply a waste of time, money and effort? That is the question.

Knowing these three myths and three musts (plus an important bonus!) will help you successfully embrace social media.

Myths of Social Media

• You have to be on every platform

Baloney! You need to be on the platforms that will work for YOUR system in YOUR operation for YOUR customers. Period. End of story. You need to have tools and … Read the rest

“Whatever you can do or dream, you can begin it.
Boldness has genius, power and magic in it.
Begin it now.”

— Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832), German poet and dramatist

You know it is true. As an entrepreneur or salesperson (and aren’t we all in today’s warp-speed economy?) you know that results only happen when you take wise, decisive, results-driven action. Losers in life sit and plan and strategize forever. Then when things don’t work out just right, they complain that it wasn’t their fault but someone else who caused the problem. They spend their creative energies trying to … Read the rest

Building mutually beneficial relationships is the best way to long-term profitable business growth. It goes beyond the quick fix and short-term. This is the mentality that ensures your business not only has a good week or quarter, but decades of business growth.

Several components are built into the model for establishing, building and maintaining profitable business performance. These components are integral in the process of what I call R-Commerce. It is not about the E-Commerce (the electronics). It is about the R-Commerce (the relationships). These relationships are the roots of your business tree which grow deep to produce the bountiful … Read the rest

I’m always looking for great ideas to share with you about how to be more successful in your business and personal life. Well, I hit a bonus when I recently visited the headquarters for Zappos, the online sensation selling shoes and many other items. This is a company that is known for its dazzling customer service and the outstanding leadership of its CEO, Tony Hsieh.

It was Gina, my partner, who came up with the idea. I thought it was not bad, but we’d be too busy. Boy, was I wrong! What a great enlightenment we had from the moment … Read the rest