Why I Became a Whale Hunter by Dave Cooke

Nothing is more critical to the sustainable success of a business than its abilities to galvanize the organizational team around their accountabilities for growth. While so many businesses place a high emphasis and dependence upon the functional responsibility of the sales teams for their growth, sustainable businesses recognize that increases in revenues are best accomplished through the retention of existing clients and the efficiency with which their team attracts and converts new clients. Sustainable revenue growth is about focusing on developing and maintaining great relationships that add value to the firm and to the client. That is not a sales function—it is an organizational accountability.

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Are You Responding to RFPs? We hear you.

Today we want to highlight a podcast called “The RFP Whale Hunt.” Take a few minutes out of your day to listen to this podcast. Dr. Barbara Weaver Smith explains 10 ways to win an RFP. As we often say, sometimes the winning strategy may be to walk away. These do’s and don’ts will help you with winning tactics for getting that competitive edge.

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The Sales Graveyard: Cold Calling and Other Retired Tactics

Back in 1995, smiling and dialing was expected. A sales person was supposed to get names from trade shows, Thomas Register, Harris, etc. Then they were supposed to start calling. I swear, salespeople taught buyers to not answer the phone. I honestly believe bad sales tactics had a lot to do with the internet boom. Buyers desperately wanted a way to get product information without a pushy salesperson.

USP and Transcending the Competitive Landscape: 3 Fundamental Steps on How to Grow Your Business

Many managers (whether in small, mid-sized or large businesses) who survived the very difficult last few years are working hard to come back strong. You may currently be: restructuring, hiring new talent, revitalizing your marketing plan, becoming more creative with staff resources and how best to maximize them, all while making the best of technology from the Internet to mobile to social media and various data analytics tools.

My advice if you would like to transcend the competitive landscape is to think about Intentional Growth™ and create a plan to establish, highlight, and promote how you are unique as you grow into the future. The critical word here is “grow” and the focus of this post is how your USP (Unique Selling Proposition) will support and fuel that growth.

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The Sales Fairy Tale: HOW TO FIND YOUR PRINCE CHARMING and live happily ever after!

Once upon a time, businesses everywhere searched high and low for the right big account. They marched through the forest and didn’t see the trees. They scoured the earth and met with saber-toothed tigers and vicious lions that sent them scurrying back to their caves. They set out day after day with great optimism only to return home with little or no luck. Until one day, they looked out across the wide ocean and asked, “How do the ancient traditions of sea-faring nations feed and clothe their families during the long and arduous winters?” And they discovered the key of Whale Hunting!

One of The Best Business Superpowers – Courage

Courage is such a strong word to use in the business environment but it can be fitting. I recently decided it was time for me to start my own company after working for two wonderful people for 9 years. I know I am not running into burning buildings or facing enemy fire but I do know it took a lot for me to make this leap.

If I am being honest I think deep down I knew I should have left about 3 years ago. But I could always come up with a reason to stay, a reason to let my fear of the unknown, of failing, overcome my desire to take the leap. In the end, while not heroic, it did take courage for me to do what I knew was right.

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Revive the Spirit in Entrepreneurial Spirit

Let’s talk about being hungry. You want this. You want to be successful. Grow your company. Close that deal. Are you motivated? Yes. Inspired? If you’re like most entrepreneurs, some days are better than others. Many entrepreneurs work so hard for so long, soon the “spirit” part of their entrepreneurial spirit is gone. In order to keep it real, sometimes you need a break. A breather. Renew the sense of purpose with which you started this endeavor. Even taking the smallest moment to get re-energized will help you bring more to the table in your conversations, partnerships and strategy.

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The Pleasant Comfort of Trust

There is nothing more enjoyable than being in comfortable surroundings. In the show Cheers, I am quite certain it wasn’t the just beer that brought Norm to the bar—though it was a nice bonus. Rather, it was the comfort and comradery that he felt at the bar. Norm could be himself and not really give a care. If you remember, the entire group in that bar was extremely open, frank, and much braver within the group than outside of it.

Creating Leverage with the Right Tools

Whether you are a die hard whale hunter or follow some other sales methodology, success in sales really comes down to following a defined sales process. I am not going to get into the specifics about any one process, but I would like to talk about the value in pairing your process with the right technology. I look at technology as a tool and not an end in and of itself. Like any tool, when it is used correctly, it can help you do great things.

Searching for Business Development Tactics

Recently all of you out in the blogosphere have been finding us via the search term “business development tactics.” Curiosity hasn’t killed this cat yet, so I did my own search to see how we stack up against the competition.

I'm happy to report, you have a lot of good options out there. Surprisingly relevant information.

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