Business Strategy

There are two major categories of partnering that I can think of:

1. Related services or products,
2. Un-related (or at least not obviously related) services or products.

Related partners are the obvious situations, where you are in related lines of business. If you focus on the Microsoft suite then partnering with Microsoft makes sense. If you are a desktop support company then partnering with a networking company might make sense.

It can be with a competitor or non-competitor. Maybe working with a competitor can bring you a larger contract than you could get on your own.

Then there are partnerships that aren't so obvious on the […]

In my last post I talked about choosing the tasks that need to be done really well as part of your time management process.

That begs the question, “What do I do well that adds the most value to the business?”

These are the things I should be spending the most time on, both developing and perfecting my skills and the things that I should make sure are done to the best of my abilities.

I decided to share some detail not to be seen as bragging but to make this post more real and relevant.

Based on my own experience, some personality tests I took, […]

Good time management suggests that you should prioritize your activities based on importance and urgency.

• Important items are those that things where you add the most value to your business (or employer).
• Urgent items are those that need to be done to satisfy a requirement but don't necessary create a lot of value.

Items that are important and urgent should be worked on first. Picking your kids up from day care before they close is probably both.

Time also changes urgency. As the deadline approaches, a task can become more urgent. The need to eat is like that, it can be put off […]

Let's face it. Deep down, sales are usually fairly selfish. You are selling your products or services to bring in revenue and profit. Sales drive your business.

Hopefully the transaction is mutually beneficial and the customer is getting something of value in the exchange. If not it might just be a one night stand.

When you are looking at your longer-term partnerships with either suppliers, competitors or customers it is very wise to start the conversation by looking at things from their perspective. I recently read a post by Stuart Crawford on giving back to your partners that got me to thinking about this […]

Today I was a little bit saddened. The place I have been going to for quite a while, the one that had great Reuben sandwiches, repeated a mistake they had previously rectified (see The Right Thing Is Smart).

Today my sandwich was overdone and the bread was hard and rubbery… the normal care and attention to details was not there. Now to be honest, the last few have not been that consistent.

Because I have been going there pretty regularly for several years I can’t help but feeling betrayed somehow, especially considering my previous experience. The owner/operator had to have known […]

Have you been to a sales seminar or training course in the past few years? Consultative selling is all the rage and it seems like the wisdom is to call high. Sure they might direct you downwards, but start at the top. Become a trusted advisor. That is the path to sales success.

This is harder than it seems for so many reasons. First it's really hard to get the CEO's or a senior VP's time. They have gatekeepers. Then when you do, you have to be able to add value quickly, or they will push you aside for more pressing issues. […]