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Explore over 350 articles that will help you grow your client relationships and improve your personal effectiveness.
How to Accelerate Your Sales Cycle
How long is your sales cycle? How many months does it take to go from first meeting to a paid engagement? Your answer probably will be, “It depends!” But whatever your answer, you no doubt wish that your sales process would move more quickly. Right now, as many companies are rocked by a simultaneous health […]
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What to Do When Clients Are Unresponsive
One of my favorite New Yorker cartoons was drawn in 1993 by Robert Mankoff. It shows an executive at his desk, fielding a telephone call from someone who wants to meet him. “No, Thursday’s out” he replies to the caller, adding, “How about never? Is never good for you?” Today, that cartoon hits especially close to home. […]
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Using Power Questions–Your Week 10 Client Growth Challenge
In Week 10 of your client growth challenge, you’ll develop three Power Questions for a client. For the critical background you’ll need to complete this week’s challenge, be sure to read Week 10 of It Starts with Clients, “Use Power Questions.” The greatest minds have always focused on asking the right questions. “Computers are useless” Pablo […]
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Week 9 Challenge: Build a Relationship Growth Plan
In Week 9 of your client growth challenge, you’ll develop a plan to grow a key client relationship. Be sure to read Week 9 of It Starts with Clients, “Grow Your Relationships: The 10-Minute Plan.” The new retention is expansion The new retention is expansion. If you’re not growing a client relationship, you may very well be backsliding into […]
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Your Week 8 Challenge: Reframe Your Client’s Issue
In Week 8 of this challenge, you’ll use reframing strategies to help your client define the right problem, the total problem, and the total solution. Be sure to read Week 8 of It Starts with Clients, “Reframe for Maximum Impact.” You may be doing your client a disservice by accepting their definition of the problem or […]
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Week 7 Challenge: Use Agenda Setting Strategies + a Bonus Video
In Week 7 of this challenge, you’ll use agenda setting strategies to make an upcoming client meeting richer and more effective. Be sure to read Week 7 of It Starts with Clients, “Anticipate and Agenda Set.” How well do you really understand your client’s agenda? I define a client’s agenda as their three to five most […]
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Week 6 Challenge: Free Up a Stuck Sale
In Week 6 of this challenge, you’ll assess a sale that is stuck or not moving forward at the rate you’d like, and identify actions you can take to free it up. Be sure to read Week 6 of It Starts with Clients, as it provides in-depth guidance on how to free up a stuck sale. […]
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Your Week 5 Challenge: Win the Sale
In Week 5 of this challenge, you’re going to learn to master some further, important sales strategies. Be sure to read Week 5 of It Starts with Clients, as it provides in-depth treatment of a number of important business development concepts. Why proposals fail Let me highlight some common reasons why proposals fail. This is a […]
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