When we seek funding or respond to an RFP, our proposals meet the criteria requested, presenting well-positioned information to persuade the decision makers to choose us. But winners are chosen by some mysterious set of criteria not only unknown to us, but often unknown to them. I began thinking about this when a friend told […]
Using current negotiation models, people feel they are giving up more than they want in exchange for receiving less than they deserve. As part of standard practice, negotiation partners going into a negotiation calculate their bottom line – what they are willing to give up, and what they are willing to accept – and then […]
We all theoretically recognize that everyone has the right to their own beliefs. But in situations where we have great passion (or the moral high ground, as we would like to believe) we have difficulty being generous with those who disagree with us. Wouldn’t it be nice to persuade others to see the world as […]
With little ability to read during my bout with the flu over Christmas, I listened to NPR. What I heard was hopeful: programs discussing kindness. Kindness – not a word historically associated with corporations, those bastions of male verve – is now being equated with the bottom line. How times have changed. In the 90s […]
Why does the sales model merely focus on placing solutions when it’s last step buyers take during the buying decision process? Would you ever jump up out of bed and say, “Geesh! I think I’ll just go out and buy a new car today! Maybe I’ll go to that dealership around the corner and see […]
I recently got this cold call: D: Hi. I’m David, with Keller Williams. I’m calling to inquire about your property. Are you still looking to sell your place? SD: Do you have a buyer for me? D: Possibly. How did you determine your sale price? SD: How do you know what price I determined? What […]
You’re a smart entrepreneur with a savvy team. Your widget will make millions. You started up with a few bucks your friends gave you but now you need funding. Do you know how an investor will choose to fund you over others? The answer is you don’t know. Instead of relying on a great presentation […]
Currently we’re merely listening for what we want to hear, thereby restricting the full potential of social listening. As more than merely a tool for monitoring, text mining, analyzing, or customer experience management and intelligence, social listening can determine when and how to actively facilitate buyers, users, and followers through to the desired outcome. There […]
What, exactly, is a value proposition? What if you make You your value prop? A value proposition differentiates you from your competition. It is a promise to your customers of value – what they can expect from your brand, what your company says it does well, what your product offers. But if you make yourself […]
As a keynote speaker your content is merely one aspect of what you bring to the party. You are actually part of the success team your client has in place to ensure a successful event. Sure, your content is terrific – unique, interesting, informed. But frankly, your client can most likely get similar content from […]
