Trade publications aren't just for decorating the lobby! Trade Publications  One thing that differentiates great salespeople from the new guys and the “also-rans” is their ability to think like a customer.   I am told that the only real way to gain this type of insight comes via years of customer experience.   I’m not buying it.   We can accelerate the process.   After years of direct customer visits, I cannot think of a single lobby that didn’t have at least one (often a pile) magazine catering to the customer’s industry.   These trade publications are a wealth of information surrounding the customer’s day to day problems.   Editorial pieces often prominently make the case for solutions to common critical issues - literally begging to be solved.   Other times, published studies point out detailed economic justifications for our products.   Our table is set; the sale is half made. I recently came across an article so valuable ...

The State of the Economy – a down and dirty analysis Everybody always wonders how the economy is impacting business.   The topic comes in Numero Uno in the cocktail chat at most distributor association meetings.   No distributor to distributor phone conversation excludes the topic.   We are in some uncertain times.   In general I have heard stories of great Januarys followed by pathetic Februarys or some permutation of the story.    Privately held distributors often won’t provide sales data for the record and sometimes exaggerate when asked.   Yet I believe most of us are still interested in what’s going on.   With this point in mind, we thought about providing a short recap of the publically held companies in our sector.   They are required by law to report sales so the information is real.   While there is a difference between their business model, territory and scope, I think it gives us a subtle insight into the economy. ...

Steve Jobs, Mark Zuckerberg and me. During research for our book covering the onboarding process, we have talked to a lot of young people.  More than a couple are fond of quoting Steve Jobs.  He’s a rock star of business; one of those rare guys who crosses generations like a Keith Richards or Sir Paul McCarthy.  And while most of us prescribe to the follow-your passion theory, I believe the majority of business leaders have made a few conscious decisions to position ourselves professionally along the way.  Does it make good business sense to follow your passion? _______________________________________________________________________________ Distributor Planning Made Easy. Check out our Distributors Annual Planning Workbook: http://amzn.com/1481196448

Just a reminder – it’s April 1 st , better known as April Fools’ Day.   They say a person grows by taking risks.   We grow by pondering the foolish things we have done.   We help others by sharing our learning path.   I thought I would share one of those foolish moments from my own career.   Many years ago I covered a geography measuring 150 miles x 200 miles.   One would think organization would be an important part of the equation.   Early on, I decided to take advantage of the fancy leather bound calendar issued by my employer.   Each month was a new insert for the calendar and I did my best to set up appointments using the tool.   However, each month came with an insert.   And, I didn’t do a very good job of making sure I had the right insert for the following month.   The result – I scheduled a whole round of appointments on the wrong day of the week.   This culminated with me finding myself driving several hou...