Doug Wagner, Author at Sunwapta Solutions

21 Oct 2012

Your Culture Doesn’t Grow in a Petri Dish

By Doug Wagner|2017-04-03T11:35:01-06:00October 21st, 2012|Categories: Business Strategy, Doug's Blog, Dream Teams|

Your brand is how people outside your company perceive your company, products and services.

You don't control your brand. After all, you don't control people or what they think.

It used to be that you could buy a brand image if you had enough money to spend on advertising.

This is becoming more difficult if not impossible; especially for the smaller players.

You can influence your brand.

Petri-Dish Image courtesy of moomsabuy | FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Your Culture

Your company culture is determined by your values, behavior and consistency on how you […]

10 Oct 2012

Value > Payment > Cost: It’s the Law

By Doug Wagner|2017-04-03T11:35:07-06:00October 10th, 2012|Categories: Business Strategy, Doug's Blog, Go-Giver Coach|

There is a basic economic reality to business. Every great and successful business follows it.

Your business must follow it as well; or eventually perish.

It is the Law.

In "The Go-Giver" by Bob Burg and John David Mann, state the "The Law of Value" as:

"Your true worth is determined by how much more you give in value than you take in payment."

Value

Like beauty, value is in the eye of the beholder.

Value is perceived.

It can include the raw cost of producing something… materials and labor. If that part is appreciated.

But unless someone wants what you are selling (think […]

3 Oct 2012

Know, Like and “Trust?”

By Doug Wagner|2017-04-03T11:35:13-06:00October 3rd, 2012|Categories: Doug's Blog, Go-Giver Coach, Marketing, Sales|

In "The Go Giver", Bob Burg and John David Mann wrote:

"All things being equal, people will do business with, and refer business
to, those people they know, like and trust."

The words equal, know and like could have a lengthy discussion in and of themselves when it comes to the nuances of meaning, business, people and sales.

But I want to zero in on trust.

I recently had a coaching call with the amazing Dixie Gillaspie where she reminded me that trust has a special meaning in business sales. So like most powerful lessons, I think and then write (or talk) […]

23 Sep 2012

Accountability Starts at the Top

By Doug Wagner|2017-04-04T15:41:12-06:00September 23rd, 2012|Categories: Business Strategy, Doug's Blog, Go-Giver Coach|

In my last post I talked about finding a business coach (or adviser or consultant).

Once you seriously commit to the process of having a coach something happens.

Have you ever heard how people will hire a maid or clearing service and then just before they arrive, they clean the house from top to bottom because “I don’t want them to think I am a slob”.

Well just the act of hiring a coach works something like that if you are serious. You immediately start thinking about the things that you want to improve and do better because “someone” will be […]

17 Sep 2012

Finding a Business Coach (or Consultant)

By Doug Wagner|2017-04-04T15:43:12-06:00September 17th, 2012|Categories: Business Strategy, Doug's Blog, Go-Giver Coach, Mindset and Motivation|

For many of our early years in business I have to admit I did not really believe in hiring a business coach or consultant.

I think it was a mix of:

Seeing it as an expense and not an investment,
Not really trusting others as much as myself,
The belief that I could figure things out myself (eventually).

When we finally did break down and enthusiastically hire a marketing and sales coach (consultant) we had a pretty iffy experience. Sure the guy was pretty decent in his field.

The problem was he was more concerned about maximizing the revenue from us and not […]

11 Sep 2012

The Irrelevant Entrepreneur

By Doug Wagner|2017-04-04T15:44:19-06:00September 11th, 2012|Categories: Business Strategy, Doug's Blog, Manifast|

In my last post (What the Flu Taught Me About Business) I talked about why it is necessary to think like an entrepreneur and make yourself unnecessary to your business’s success (at least for a period of time).

Many aspiring entrepreneurs and business owners will be tempted to take a very dangerous shortcut.

The Shortcut

It goes something like this. “I can’t handle all of the work I have to do” or “I don’t like doing these parts of the work.” The really forward thinking (i.e. brilliant strategic) ones will go “I create more value doing X than Y so I […]

9 Sep 2012

What The Flu Taught Me About Business

By Doug Wagner|2017-04-03T11:35:40-06:00September 9th, 2012|Categories: Business Strategy, Doug's Blog, Manifast|

The flu means fever, headaches, body aches, sore throat, upset stomach, bloating… (I won't go into all the details, you get it).

Usually the having the flu means it is very difficult to work, often for several days. And even when you can finally think straight, it often means another few days at home to avoid passing it on to coworkers or clients.

Clowns

Even Clowns Can See Better Days

What happens to the work you normally do when you are sick?

What is the impact […]

20 Aug 2012

Selling Without A Plan – Do You Have One?

By Doug Wagner|2017-04-03T11:35:47-06:00August 20th, 2012|Categories: Business Strategy, Doug's Blog, Marketing, Sales|

Today I was part of no less than two discussions around closing and why it doesn't always happen. The similarities with my own recent experiences caused me to consider things a little deeper. I've been making these very mistakes at times.

Snoopy
You've got them seeing Snoopy. Now what?

The Big Event

By big event I mean a product demo, major sales call, public speaking, a seminar, a teleseminar, a webinar or any other event where you are bringing people in to feed your sales pipeline.

In many cases you are very focused […]

15 Aug 2012

Finding “Your One True Purpose” (For Now)

By Doug Wagner|2017-04-03T11:35:59-06:00August 15th, 2012|Categories: Business Strategy, Doug's Blog, Go-Giver Coach, Mindset and Motivation|

Marry talent and passion and you have found your life calling.

Do what you love and nothing can stop you. Eternal happiness will be yours.

This is what some believe. What some have told me.

Your one true purpose.

Passions Evolve

I don't know about you, but my passion for things changes over time.

Sometimes I am really passionate about something at the outset but lose interest over time. Other times I have had lukewarm enthusiasm for something at the start and passion has built over time.

Passion is also a choice that is influenced by others in your life. Were you ever part of a band […]

9 Aug 2012

Your Story: Communicating Value First

By Doug Wagner|2017-04-03T11:36:09-06:00August 9th, 2012|Categories: Business Strategy, Doug's Blog, Marketing, Sales|

We are in the process of building out our new Manifast website. This is not the Manifast tool which is already quite mature and powerful, but our marketing website.

There are so many ways you could do it.

This is our approach.

Communicate the Value First

Seth Godin talks often about telling a story; best story wins. Chet Holmes talks about focusing on a core story with market driven data in "The Ultimate Sales Machine". Bob Burg and John David Mann talk […]

dwagner

About Doug Wagner

Your Culture

Value

The Shortcut

The Big Event

Passions Evolve

Communicate the Value First