I'm thinking about starting an auto repair facility.  Well, not really, but yesterday I was struck with the thought that I could start one and have a pretty good opportunity to be successful. Our German car broke down.  Anyone who owns a German vehicle knows that...

I often find myself being reminded that simple lessons are the most important ones. Today we wrapped up exhibiting at a two day trade show that we were the primary sponsor of. As part of our sponsorship, we were given the opportunity to show a continuous loop...

Don't forget how important it is to make a positive impression on every person you come in to contact with. Make sure you go the extra mile. A few days ago I was talking to a friend of mine about his boat. Apparently, the oil pressure in his engine dropped to zero. He...

Here's an idea to gain you dozens of instant leads within your own client base. Review your notes. If you're like me, you take a lot of notes when meeting with clients and prospects. When you get back to the office, you spend most of your time focusing on what your...

Think different. Why would an organization choose us over someone else? A couple of years ago, before we developed our comprehensive best practice encryption service, we competed against anther company to deliver an encryption solution. The prospective customer liked...

Last week I was invited to lunch by an individual who was interested in selling me on using his organization for various professional services. Let’s call him Roy. It was a great lunch and I enjoyed discussing my family, my hobbies, the future of D&D, the work we’ve...

Adapted from Seth Godin’s blog: The closer you are to the point of need, the more value you offer.   Pizza at the airport costs five times more than pizza on the way to the airport. Tax audit services in the middle of an SEC investigation cost triple what they cost...

So I’m at a client of ours this morning talking about our value, and he made an interesting statement. “When you tell us that you will validate our design, what are we supposed to say?” he asked. “Thanks for telling us that we know what we’re doing?” All too often we...

My Consulting Practices Manager sent this around the other day. I think there's a lot to learn there. With change there is often a significant amount of stress and conflict that may be difficult for people. Conflict, however, is not a bad thing. It is a fundamental...