How to Keep Your Salespeople Motivated
➽ How do I keep my commission-based salespeople energized and eager to make sales? ➽With commission-based employees, it’s not always about the money. Promising boatloads of cash for results doesn’t necessarily motivate, just as chastising someone for failing to make quota often has no effect. That’s because with salespeople, “the desire to be successful in […]
Make Your Pitch Personal
➽ Can I share my own story when I pitch to my target market? ➽You might worry that others will think sharing candid personal details shows weakness, but I’ve found that it forges a bond. For example, when I started Women For Hire—a career expo company—more than a decade ago, I let job seekers know […]
Doubling Up: How to Run Two Businesses
Owning one business is plenty challenging for most people. How can you run two? A: Marley Majcher runs a high-end Los Angeles catering and event-planning firm, The Party Goddess!, and also travels the country coaching entrepreneurs. Kelly Lester doubles as an actress and owner of EasyLunchboxes, a food container company. Ceci Johnson owns Ceci New […]
Collaborate!
My greatest challenge is that it’s only me. I need help executing my grand ideas. How can I get extra hands onboard without paying for them? A: In a word: collaborate. By working with like-minded people and companies that serve the same audience you do, you’ll benefit from each other’s legwork. But you can also benefit by collaborating […]
Generating Referrals
When I moved to New York City 20 years ago, I needed a dentist. I asked a colleague to recommend someone. She enthusiastically referred me to her dentist, and I still go to him. So do my brother and sister-in-law. And her sister and brother-in-law. Referrals—personal recommendations—have always been one of the most effective ways […]
Be a Media Maestro
Q: I see many industry peers appearing in the media, and I realize this could—and should—be me. But I don’t know where to begin to generate coverage of my company’s area of expertise. A: I’m a weekly contributor on ABC’s Good Morning America, but I didn’t start there. I worked my way up from the […]
Can This Biz Be Saved?: Make the Price Right
Q: My coaching service is low-cost, so I need an endless supply of clients whom I can’t find time to secure. How can I get a handle on my numbers before I go bust? A: Ignoring costs is a deadly trap for entrepreneurs. To have any shot at running a sustainable business, nail your numbers […]
Inventory Purgatory
Q: I have too much inventory. It’s not moving, and it’s killing my business. What are my options? A: Every retailer faces this problem sometime. You bet the farm that a product will move, but instead, it. just. sits. there. Years ago I came up with a seemingly great idea, a line of T-shirts for […]
Plucky or Lucky, You Decide
So often people tell me that I’m lucky. Lucky to have an exciting career. Lucky to work with phenome
Be a Network Star
I spend lots of time and money going to networking events to generate business vital fo
Can This Business Be Saved?: Choosing Your Business
Q. I’ve been reading SUCCESS for about a year, and I’m ready to qu
The Art of Being Barbara
On every episode of ABC’s hit show Shark Tank, there’s a little drama that
