Generated by All in One SEO Pro v4.8.8, this is an llms.txt file, used by LLMs to index the site. # Productive Strategies, Inc. ## Posts - [B2B Selling vs. B2G Selling: What’s the difference?](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/b2b-selling-vs-b2g-selling-whats-the-difference/) - Are you selling business to business or business to government or both? There are similarities but also differences that need to be recognized to optimize your results. Readers of this column know how difficult it is to make a major business-to-business, or B2B, sale. Sales cycles are long, there are multiple decision-makers, competition is fierce, - [Small Assignment, Big Impact](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/small-assignment-big-impact/) - How our smallest assignment last year helped a start-up business grow and influenced an industry. Last year after a talk I gave at the Small Business Expo on Business to Business Selling (B2B), a woman asked for my card because she wanted to meet to tell me about her business and learn more about mine. - [The Five Levels of Marketing - Level Five: Vision Sets the Course](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/the-five-levels-of-marketing-level-five-vision-sets-the-course/) - Begin with the end in mind and you’re on the path to long-term success. To date we have covered the Sales, Information, Tactical, and Marketing Plan Levels. Although the fifth level is the last to be discussed, it is often what sets a business in motion when it is founded. Today we will illustrate marketing - [The Five Levels of Marketing - Level Four: Planning the Work, Working the Plan](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/the-five-levels-of-marketing-level-four-planning-the-work-working-the-plan/) - The axiom “You can’t manage what you can’t measure” is fundamental to creating a marketing plan that works. That’s what Level Four: Marketing or Program is all about. As a reminder, the Five Levels of Marketing are (1) Sales, (2) Information/Data/Analytics, (3) Tactical or Campaign, (4) Marketing or Program, and (5) Vision/Strategic. We’ve explored each of the first three levels in - [The Five Levels of Marketing - Level Three: Tactical Sales Campaigns in the Field](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/the-five-levels-of-marketing-level-three-tactical-sales-campaigns-in-the-field/) - Using intelligence from prior levels leads to revenue-building sales campaigns on the ground in real time. In the past two months we’ve written about the Five Levels of Marketing—specifically about Level One: Sales and Level Two: Information / Data Gathering. Now, we’ll discuss Level Three: Tactical Sales Campaigns, which is fun because it’s a payoff level. - [The Five Levels of Marketing - Level Two: Putting Data and Information to Work](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/the-five-levels-of-marketing-level-two-putting-data-and-information-to-work/) - Tracking key types of data each month provides insights that can build a highly productive marketing plan. In a prior Productive Insights blog, we introduced our Five Levels of Marketing model. This column will focus on Level Two, where we see a range of data and information that can be used to leverage the sales effort. Before getting into details - [The Five Levels of Marketing](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/the-five-levels-of-marketing/) - Try putting the Five Levels Model to work to help you determine the best combination to grow your revenues and your business. Over the years it has been helpful for some of our clients to have us organize their sales and marketing activities into a model. Our model breaks down marketing into five distinct levels. - [The Question That Leads to a Positive Decision (The Texas Hospital Story)](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/the-question-that-leads-to-a-positive-decision-the-texas-hospital-story/) - Probing questions work only for so long. Once you know the problems, find out what the cost of not solving those problems could mean for the prospect. And it's not always money. Over the years several clients have asked me to observe one of their salespeople in the field to learn what is holding back - [Showing Up . . . and Winning The Information Battle](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/showing-up-and-winning-the-information-battle/) - Several years ago, I helped a Wisconsin piece-part manufacturer compete for a multimillion dollar opportunity. They asked me who I wanted to take along from their company, and I said the chief engineer, the head of quality control, and a production representative. Day 1: On the plane ride to the East Coast, I let everyone - [The New Information Game: Playing to Win](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/the-new-information-game-playing-to-win/) - When I was president of a manufacturing company, a colleague and I flew to Little Rock, Arkansas, to compete for a contract for a new U.S. Army rocket program. It was a major piece of business with a multi-year contract as the prize. The people seated in front of us on the flight were talking - [Becoming a Business-to-Business Top Producer](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/becoming-a-business-to-business-top-producer/) - How can you become one of the very best salespeople and business developers in your industry? A new, complimentary seminar on March 19th can help you find out. How can 20 percent of business-to-business salespeople bring in 80 percent of all new business? They’re selling the same brands and the same products for the same prices. - [Much Bigger Sales: How to Make Them Happen](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/much-bigger-sales-how-to-make-them-happen/) - Are you competing for larger sales but just not winning them? Help is at hand. One of my favorite success stories is how we helped a pharmacy benefit management company break through to win much larger sales. PBMs serve as third-party administrators of prescription drug programs. The CEO of this particular PBM called us, explaining that - [Yes, You Can Differentiate a Commodity](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/yes-you-can-differentiate-a-commodity/) - Here’s how. Research what your market likes and dislikes about your product, understand specifically why customers come to you, and, the old standby: “think creatively.” A producer of a graphite oil additive for the car dealership market was taking the company in a new direction and knew they needed to build a much more effective - [Sales Reps and SMEs Working Well Together](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/sales-reps-and-smes-working-well-together/) - Team selling with subject matter experts can be the best sales experience you’ll ever have–or the worst. Training and practice for sales reps and SMEs can benefit everyone, especially the prospect. Over the years, I’ve sold with nuclear power-plant engineers, lawyers, real estate developers, software designers, and other highly talented and knowledgeable subject matter experts, - [Back to School, Back to Business](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/back-to-school-back-to-business/) - The summer holidays are over and the winter holiday s aren’t yet here. But excitement is in the air because autumn always feels like a new beginning. Make the most of all that energy by energizing your networking. Here are some tips. To get started, let’s ask a question: Is networking the lifeblood of selling? Most business-to-business - [Build Bridges to Build Sales](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/build-bridges-to-build-sales/) - Who should control prospect and customer relationships to maximize revenue? The obvious answer—the salesperson—isn’t necessarily the right answer. While someone must lead and manage an account, controlling all aspects is not the best use of a salesperson’s time. For larger accounts, especially, building as many bridges between buyer and seller as possible is almost always the - [Take Off Like Top Gun](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/take-off-like-top-gun/) - Are you feeling a “need for speed” right about now? If so, that probably means one of two things. With just six months to go in the year you might not be on track to meet your sales goals. Or, maybe you see an opportunity to surpass your goals and put even more points on the - [What’s Different about Differentiation Today?](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/whats-different-about-differentiation-today/) - The answer is a head-scratcher, but it’s true: Nothing—and everything. Differentiation has long been a watchword in business. But recently, amid pervasive disruption and fierce competition in many markets, our clients and prospects seem to be more concerned than ever about knowing exactly how they’re different and then how to leverage that differentiation. You can - [Team Selling Magic: Sales Reps and SMEs](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/team-selling-magic-sales-reps-and-smes/) - An old joke defined experts as “people who know more and more about less and less until they know all about nothing.” If that joke were ever funny, it isn’t any more. That the word has become an almost meaningless communications cliché is bad news. Real-life experts are no joke because they’re critical to our - [Manufacturing Is Back!](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/manufacturing-is-back/) - Have you ever stared into your refrigerator, increasingly desperate to find food or drink that you know is there? Has your significant other ever strolled by and said, “Oh, it’s right there, right in front”? Well, it can be the same way in business. Your business isn’t a refrigerator, and we’re clearly not your significant - [Nature and Nurture: Making Lead Generation Pay Off](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/nature-and-nurture-making-lead-generation-pay-off/) - Do your sales leads have the right DNA? Do you know how to make the most of it? We do and can help you get there, too. Today, popular psychology holds that the personality of an individual human being is shaped not by genetics or by environment alone but by an uneasy collaboration of both. We’ve found - [The Basics of Champions](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/the-basics-of-champions/) - Take it from LeBron and Kareem, a “back to the basics” mentality can make you and your team winners. “Back to basics” has become such a time-worn phrase it almost seems worn out. Almost but not quite. The fundamental things still apply in sports and in business. Even for the very best performers. Lebron James, who - [Are You in a ‘Hidden’ Business? Should You Be?](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/are-you-in-a-hidden-business-should-you-be/) - Sometimes the obvious money-maker isn’t the biggest one. Do you have another business hiding in plain sight? McDonald’s founder Ray Kroc was known for asking MBA students what business they thought he was in. Hmmm. Let’s see. Fast food, maybe, or hamburgers? Yes, Kroc explained, but that’s not all. Kroc knew that the real money - [Can B2B Telephone Campaigns Still Lead to Growth? Glad You Asked!](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/can-b2b-telephone-campaigns-still-lead-to-growth-glad-you-asked/) - The short answer is “yes.” A more thoughtful—and useful—answer is “yes, and . . .” Have you ever tried to get new business by “cold calling” prospects on the phone? What about calling customers to see about their current or future needs? Or calling into a new market to gain intelligence about its potential? Maybe - [Making Conflict in Sales and Marketing Productive](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/making-conflict-in-sales-and-marketing-productive/) - Healthy conflict can lead to healthy sales —if managers know how to guide the process or get help if they don’t. Children are admonished to “play fair” and show “good sportsmanship”—and rightly so, we believe. They learn, or we hope they learn, to use these principles to guide their behavior and, at least on the playground, - [Boost Your Top Line to Boost Business Value](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/boost-your-top-line-to-boost-business-value/) - Here’s how to do it. Productive consultative sales training and process development can make the difference. Do you know IRV? If you’re a business owner or senior executive, you should. Why? One thing small and middle-market businesses are all about is increasing their value. And IRV is a straightforward way to use sales to increase that value - [An Often-Overlooked M&A Tool: Sales Integration](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/an-often-overlooked-ma-tool-sales-integration/) - Companies spend all sorts of pre-M&A time on alignment. But what about after the merger or acquisition deal is sealed? There is still work to be done, especially in sales. When companies make acquisitions, they have a lot to do, from identifying redundancies in staffing, processes, and procedures to selecting which survive and which can - [Three Leaders, One Lesson](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/three-leaders-one-lesson/) - The fundamental things apply in basketball, bed-making, and becoming the safest company in America. In 1965, Kareem Abdul Jabbar (then Lew Alcindor) and his fellow freshmen at UCLA beat the varsity in the opening scrimmage. Interesting, to be sure, but not necessarily remarkable. Except that the UCLA varsity was a two-years-running national NCAA champion and - [Is Differentiation Really Worth the Effort?](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/is-differentiation-really-worth-the-effort/) - Do you wonder whether differentiating your company will yield a significant ROI? Maybe you wonder whether your company can be differentiated at all. Most owners, presidents, and CEOs would agree that the short answer to the question “Does Differentiation Add Value?” is “yes.” So, then the focus moves to the question behind the question: “Is Differentiating Our - [Phil Krone on Giving Back: Community Leadership, Manufacturing Careers, and the Positive Future](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/phil-krone-on-giving-back-community-leadership-manufacturing-careers-and-the-positive-future/) - Our FOCIS® Consultative Selling Training teaches the value of “paying it forward” in business with colleagues, prospects, customers, and others–without expectation of return. Phil Krone, president of Productive Strategies, lives that philosophy “on and off the court” in his business and community life. In this 15-minute podcast, Discussing Community Leadership with Phil Krone, Phil talks with Congiz - [Online Marketing: Hard-Earned Insights](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/online-marketing-hard-earned-insights/) - How can we understand the wizardry that is today’s marketing–and what it can, and cannot, do? Thanks in part to steadily improving online functionality, marketing has changed dramatically in the past ten years. And, thanks to the pandemic, marketing has changed even more dramatically in just the past year. We’ve all seen it “in the news.” - [How do they do it?](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/how-do-they-do-it/) - This faith-based not-for-profit achieves 40 percent year-over-year growth for 17 years by applying well-known business principles, one in particular. Why can so few businesses even dream of such growth? During its first 17 years or so “Feed My Starving Children” (FMSC) assembled and distributed a total of 3 million meals. During its next 17 years - [Your Business: What are the “unknown unknowns”?](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/your-business-what-are-the-unknown-unknowns/) - It’s time to find out. Here’s how. How do you uncover things “you don’t know you don’t know” about your company or organization? More important, how do you determine what they mean for your success now and in the future? Do you think you know all you need to know about your company? Probably not. - [The Shot! And the Importance of Discovery](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/the-shot-and-the-importance-of-discovery/) - Asking the questions that give you the confidence you need to win in sales. Basketball fans old enough to have watched the 1992 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament will remember one of the most iconic plays in March Madness history. With 2.1 seconds remaining, the Grant-Hill-to-Christian-Laettner connection led Duke to an unforgettable 104-103 victory over Kentucky - [Where do entrepreneurs get their great ideas?](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/where-do-entrepreneurs-get-their-great-ideas/) - The answer is just about anywhere. But here are several sources we’ve seen work wonders. Over the years we have enjoyed watching entrepreneurs realize their dreams of bringing something of value to the marketplace. This column will cover some of our observations, including a guide to how these entrepreneurs came up with their innovative service - [How do you fill the top of the funnel?](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/how-do-you-fill-the-top-of-the-funnel/) - There are many ways to generate leads—cold calling, networking, outsourcing, and more. Here are some examples from the field. No other business development activity is more diverse than how salespeople get leads for the top of their sales funnel. We have had clients who have never made a cold call, and we have had clients - [Virtual Selling in the ‘Now’ Normal: Win or Lose–It’s Up to You](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/virtual-selling-in-the-now-normal-win-or-lose-its-up-to-you/) - The medium has changed but the message hasn’t: Deliver value during the sales process. That’s what top producers have always done, it’s what they still do, and it’s what you can do, too. Now, with less in-person selling, knowing just how to do it is more important than ever. Winning and losing—really? Is that the - [From Ray Kroc to You: In Selling, Always a Need for Speed–If It’s the Right Kind](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/from-ray-kroc-to-you-in-selling-always-a-need-for-speed-if-its-the-right-kind/) - Three business-to-business sales lessons on fast from McDonald’s founder Ray Kroc: 1) Be fast to follow up on a problem, 2) Be fast to get to the decision-maker, and 3) Be fast to recognize the potential and act on it. Here’s what happened when he followed that advice himself. In 1954, before he built his - [Risky Business](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/risky-business/) - Why don’t we talk more about risk? It permeates business every day. But at the hundreds of meetings and events we participate in each year—both in-person and virtually—we’ve noticed that risk is rarely mentioned. Maybe risk is too much on our minds. In an increasingly uncertain world, risk is a constant companion that we just - [Discovery + Delivery = Much Better Presentations](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/discovery-delivery-much-better-presentations/) - Prospective clients sometimes call us with a “sales presentation problem.” Translated, that means executives or managers have noticed that their salespeople don’t use the beautifully produced, loaded-with-information, and probably expensive PowerPoints that management has prepared. “Everything is there,” the managers tell us: “Exactly what we want prospects to know about our offerings and our company.” - [Founders: Want to Grow Your Young Company Faster?](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/founders-want-to-grow-your-young-company-faster/) - By Scott Kraege, Guest Columnist To Our Readers: Scott Kraege is managing director of The Heritage Group Accelerator Powered by Techstars . He’s also a former client whose salespeople participated in our consultative sales training—in fact, winning one of our annual contests—and whose sales processes we helped to develop. We applaud Scott’s work that provides - [How to Make the Most of Your Sales Funnel](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/how-to-make-the-most-of-your-sales-funnel/) - Do you use the income statement approach or the balance sheet approach? Not sure? Here’s how to know and then how to use your sales funnel to win more sales. Most salespeople, sales managers, and other business developers do know that the “sales funnel” plays a key role in making a sale. But too many - [Yes, You Can Write a Book](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/yes-you-can-write-a-book/) - No, I don’t mean like the one on your nightstand, the one you think you’re reading as you doze off and turn out the light. I mean a book that you write–sharing your wisdom, explaining how you got where you are, demonstrating your expertise, telling all those entertaining and enlightening “war stories” that make your - [Our New Website is Live!](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/our-new-website-is-live/) - We've been working on a new site for the last month, and we're pleased to say it's finally live! - [Consultative Negotiation: Phil Krone, Tom Hazlett to speak to VIA members on April 23](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/consultative-negotiation-phil-krone-tom-hazlett-to-speak-to-via-members-on-april-23/) - Productive Strategies President Phil Krone and Senior Consultant Tom Hazlett will deliver a talk and discussion about the principles and practices of “consultative negotiations” to the Valley Industrial Association at 9 a.m. on April 23. In the 90-minute presentation and workshop, Krone and Hazlett will discuss negotiation styles, skills and principles as well as minute-to-minute, - [Shop Your Own Products and Services](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/shop-your-own-products-and-services/) - We usually cover business-to-business topics in this column, but I believe the lessons here are relevant for both consumer and business sales. - [An Unexpected Way to Create Value Through Referrals](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/an-unexpected-way-to-create-value-through-referrals/) - Turn sales into problem-solving partnerships by adding value through relevant referrals and proactive, discovery-led conversations. - [Are You Telling Yourself Stories That Hurt Sales?](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/are-you-telling-yourself-stories-that-hurt-sales/) - Explore three more self-limiting sales stories and how to rewrite them for growth, with real-world examples and actionable questions. - [Do the Stories You Tell Yourself Hold You Back?](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/do-the-stories-you-tell-yourself-hold-you-back/) - Uncover three self-limiting sales stories and how changing both mindset and process—with the FOCIS discovery approach—drives bigger wins. - [What stories are you telling yourself?](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/what-stories-are-you-telling-yourself/) - Are your sales stories holding you back? See how shifting from seller-centric to prospect-centric tactics wins more business. - [Self-Audit Can Send Sales Soaring](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/self-audit-can-send-sales-soaring/) - Set audacious targets with a disciplined self-audit: uncover gaps in target markets, sales processes, and alignment—and fix them. - [Position Your Sales Team to Succeed](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/position-your-sales-team-to-succeed/) - Is your sales puzzle complete? Discover 10 key questions to assess and enhance your team’s performance for greater success in the second half. - [A Simple Way to Show You Care](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/a-simple-way-to-show-you-care/) - Explore the impact of simple acts of appreciation, such as handwritten notes, in building meaningful connections with clients, employees, and loved ones. - [5 Reasons to Market with Social Media](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/5-reasons-to-market-with-social-media/) - Uncover the unstoppable momentum of social media in business. Find out how to leverage popular channels to strengthen customer connections. - [Selling in Europe](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/selling-in-europe/) - Gain valuable tips on adapting your sales communication to different cultures while maintaining clarity and effectiveness. - [Getting Cash Faster](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/getting-cash-faster/) - Find out if targeted 'pre-due' alerts could be a cost-efficient way to improve your business cash flow, with insights from a practical case study. - [Selling’s Sweet 16th . . .](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/sellings-sweet-16th/) - Discover the 16th way to add value in consultative sales—help prospects understand complex contracts and hidden costs for better decision-making. - [Making Lead Generation Pay Off](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/making-lead-generation-pay-off/) - Discover how strategic lead nurturing transforms cold leads into loyal customers by understanding their buying journey and timing. - [Is It Hard For Your Customers To Be Heard Inside Your Organization?](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/is-it-hard-for-your-customers-to-be-heard-inside-your-organization/) - See your business through your customers' eyes with Customer Advisory Boards—driving innovation, loyalty, and industry foresight. - [Is the Brochure Dead?](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/is-the-brochure-dead/) - Find out how affordable, high-quality printing redefines brochures' role in sales. Keep your materials current to stay competitive. - [Marketing Plan or Marketing Audit?](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/marketing-plan-or-marketing-audit/) - Before crafting a new marketing plan, consider a marketing audit to understand your current position and identify areas for improvement. - [Productive Strategies Can Increase Revenue Growth](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/productive-strategies-can-increase-revenue-growth/) - Discover how implementing confidential tip lines and reliable data backup systems can protect your business from internal fraud and data loss, safeguarding revenue growth. - [Stop! Don’t Slash Sales and Marketing](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/stop-dont-slash-sales-and-marketing/) - Discover 11 strategic ways to cut costs and boost sales during slow times, including proven techniques like outsourcing lead generation and streamlining your sales process. - [What Have You Done For Us Lately?](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/what-have-you-done-for-us-lately/) - Learn why effective product training is vital for maximizing ROI, enhancing employee knowledge, and fostering stronger client partnerships. - [Your Weak Links in Business Development](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/your-weak-links-in-business-development/) - Transform your sales approach with proven training in consultative selling techniques—ensure consistency and scalability in your growth strategy. - [More Upside of the Downturn](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/more-upside-of-the-downturn/) - Discover how disintermediation can revolutionize your business strategy, and learn real-world examples to turn challenges into growth opportunities. - [Get Busy, Getting Busy!](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/get-busy-getting-busy/) - Uncover how businesses can succeed during slowdowns through trend awareness, new product development, strategic hiring, and positive attitudes. - [Upside of the Downturn?](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/upside-of-the-downturn/) - Find out how to capitalize on the current economic climate with tips on boosting sales, refining marketing content, and enhancing your sales team’s skills. - [When Bad Economic News Can Mean Good Economics For You!](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/when-bad-economic-news-can-mean-good-economics-for-you/) - Learn how to sustain and grow your revenue even when the economy is uncertain with upstream targeting, smarter marketing, and direct engagement. - [When the Tough Get Going, Where Do They Go?](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/when-the-tough-get-going-where-do-they-go/) - Looking to grow your business in a tough economy? Discover strategic insights to plan and achieve your ambitious growth goals effectively. - [Are Your Employees All Thumbs When It Comes to Communicating?](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/are-your-employees-all-thumbs-when-it-comes-to-communicating/) - Enhance your team's communication prowess—our training helps Millennials master face-to-face dialogues, build trust, and create business value. - [How Do Top Salespeople Build More Business Faster?](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/how-do-top-salespeople-build-more-business-faster/) - Discover the behaviors top salespeople use to succeed. Join our intensive FOCIS® training and transform your selling skills today. - [Cost Reduction within Marketing and The Sales Process](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/cost-reduction-within-marketing-and-the-sales-process/) - Discover 11 strategic steps to boost revenue and cut costs during slow times with targeted sales and marketing tactics. - [How Much Are Legal Services Worth?](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/how-much-are-legal-services-worth/) - Uncover how legal firms are adapting to auction-style pricing and why emphasizing value over cost can enhance client relationships. - [The Hunting to Farming Ratio in Business Development](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/the-hunting-to-farming-ratio-in-business-development/) - Sales efficiency begins with the right balance. Explore proven solutions to leverage your sales team’s potential and increase revenue systematically. - [“News” on Persuasion](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/news-on-persuasion/) - See why incorporating high-impact visuals and storytelling into presentations, a strategy perfected by PSI, can significantly improve your winning edge. - [Productive Strategies Can Help You Discover Sales Growth](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/productive-strategies-can-help-you-discover-sales-growth/) - Struggling to identify the key factor limiting your sales growth? Discover our proven process to pinpoint and overcome your greatest sales challenge. - [Show and Tell or Ask and Listen?](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/show-and-tell-or-ask-and-listen/) - Discover why Chicago's Olympic bid failed and how a consultative sales approach could turn future opportunities into wins. Learn key strategies today. - [The ABCs of RFPs](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/the-abcs-of-rfps/) - Discover how to transform RFP challenges into winning opportunities with expert strategies. Learn myths, realities, and tactics to outshine competitors. - [The Sales Force Impasse](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/the-sales-force-impasse/) - Before you spin your wheels looking to old solutions or approaches, ask yourself this: “Is there something missing in our sales process?” - [CEO Sales Training](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/ceo-sales-training/) - Enhance your sales leadership with our 12-hour seminar on consultative selling. Equip your organization to accelerate growth and customer satisfaction. - [New Peer Group Opportunity](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/new-peer-group-opportunity/) - Sales pros are just beginning to recognize how Peer Groups can act as their de facto Advisory Board – an invaluable tool CEOs have relied on for years! - [Productive Strategies Introduces Senior Consultant Michael Schnitzler](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/productive-strategies-introduces-senior-consultant-michael-schnitzler/) - Discover how Northfield's Productive Strategies expands its team with Michael Schnitzler, boosting lead generation and sales training for complex industries. - [Productive Strategies Introduces Sr. Consultant Kristin Brown](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/productive-strategies-introduces-sr-consultant-kristin-brown/) - Find out how PSI combines market strategy and targeted training enhancements with Kristin Brown's instructional expertise for superior client results. - [Productive Strategies Welcomes Mike Hill and Indianapolis](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/productive-strategies-welcomes-mike-hill-and-indianapolis/) - With a background in sales, marketing, and business coaching, Mike Hill offers valuable insights to unlock your company's potential. Contact us now. - [Attorneys Attend the FOCIS® Business Development Workshop](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/attorneys-attend-the-focis-business-development-workshop/) - Enhance your law firm's growth with our FOCIS® seminar. Master consultative selling, win major cases, and build a stronger client pipeline efficiently. - [Do Prospects Respond to Your Voice Mails and E-Mails?](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/do-prospects-respond-to-your-voice-mails-and-e-mails/) - Struggling to get callbacks? Find out how to turn your voice mails and emails into valuable, response-generating conversations with expert tips. - [Is ADHD Affecting Your Sales Results?](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/is-adhd-affecting-your-sales-results/) - Uncover how adult ADHD affects sales roles and the benefits of coaching to enhance focus, organization, and overall sales success. - [No Booth? No Problem.](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/no-booth-no-problem/) - Get expert advice on leveraging trade shows without a booth. Prioritize planning, networking, and follow-up to turn face-to-face encounters into business results. - [Women As Game Changers](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/women-as-game-changers/) - Uncover the benefits of sports for women professionals, including enhanced confidence and competitive spirit, essential for thriving in business. - [Marketers: Beware Customer Service](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/marketers-beware-customer-service/) - Discover how effective customer service can turn around the customer experience, foster loyalty, and align with essential marketing axioms. - [Focusing on Charisma](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/focusing-on-charisma/) - Enhance your influence by practicing genuine engagement and attentiveness in daily interactions, and learn how these traits elevate your leadership presence. - [Following Up Means Business](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/following-up-means-business/) - Learn why immediate and persistent follow-up is crucial, even with busy prospects, to maximize sales opportunities. - [Stop Selling for the Holidays?](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/stop-selling-for-the-holidays/) - Buyers do buy during the holidays if you can identify problems your product can solve for them and persuade them of the value of your solution. - [Credit Where Credit Is Due: CPEs for CPAs](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/credit-where-credit-is-due-cpes-for-cpas/) - See why mastering consultative selling through FOCIS® is a game-changer for CPAs, boosting efficiency and client engagement for sustainable success. - [Reinventing Your Company? Consider Disintermediation](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/reinventing-your-company-consider-disintermediation/) - Uncover strategies to bundle, unbundle, or re-bundle services through disintermediation, and stay ahead in technological shifts. - [Big Data or Small Ball?](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/big-data-or-small-ball/) - Discover how small businesses can leverage data insights through 'small ball' strategies to boost sales and customer engagement. - [Putting My Mouth Where My Money Is](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/putting-my-mouth-where-my-money-is/) - Gain insights into the importance of enthusiasm and customized processes in successful selling. Elevate your sales skills now. - [The Good, the Bad, and the Beautiful](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/the-good-the-bad-and-the-beautiful/) - Uncover key tips for remote sales management, including leveraging technology and fostering relationships, to maximize productivity and engagement. - [Why ‘showing up’ makes a difference](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/why-showing-up-makes-a-difference/) - Uncover the power of showing up early and in person to gain insights, build trust, and close high-stakes deals effectively. - [What Do You Do after You Say, ‘Hello’?](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/what-do-you-do-after-you-say-hello/) - Unlock the secret to closing sales: create value after 'hello'. Explore 17 strategies that turn prospects into loyal customers. - [New Handy Guide to Growth](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/new-handy-guide-to-growth/) - Read 'Expressway to Growth' for quick, effective advice on managing business growth while aligning with personal and family objectives. - [Nuggets from Selling’s Front Lines](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/nuggets-from-sellings-front-lines/) - Get expert tips on sales, lead generation, and marketing strategies you can implement anytime—whether at the beach, backyard, or office—to maximize results. - [Innovation Turned Outside In?](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/innovation-turned-outside-in/) - Learn from experts Nelson and McGee on leveraging your company's internal assets, cutting unnecessary baggage, and boosting productivity. - [Attorneys: Do Clients Appreciate Your True Value?](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/attorneys-do-clients-appreciate-your-true-value/) - Learn strategic insights into increasing law firm net realization rates by understanding common challenges and effective consultative selling methods. - [Goals, Symbols, and Risk](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/goals-symbols-and-risk/) - Discover the significance of goals and symbols in sports and business. Learn how clear objectives and meaningful symbols drive success and growth. - [Salespeople: Innovators in Your Backyard](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/salespeople-innovators-in-your-backyard/) - Learn how skilled salespeople can influence product innovation at every stage, from uncovering needs to persuasive market introduction. - [Earning the Right to Close](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/earning-the-right-to-close/) - Are you truly earning the right to close deals? Explore proven ways to add value in sales, transforming prospects into loyal customers. - [Lead Generation: Nurture vs. Nature](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/lead-generation-nurture-vs-nature/) - Enhance your sales pipeline with effective lead nurturing. Discover how 'drip' marketing builds trust and accelerates buyer research for better conversions. - [Can ‘Remote’ Re-Motivate Sales?](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/can-remote-re-motivate-sales/) - Explore the challenges and solutions for remote sales teams, including fostering a strong sales culture and maintaining product knowledge. - [How Important Is Speed in Selling?](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/how-important-is-speed-in-selling/) - Discover why speed is crucial in B2B consultative selling and how faster actions build trust, create value, and close deals efficiently. - [Big Data, Small Ball, and Your Growth](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/big-data-small-ball-and-your-growth/) - Learn practical ways small and mid-sized companies can utilize big data principles to identify customer motives, optimize lead generation, and improve loyalty. - [Does Showing Up Still Pay Off?](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/does-showing-up-still-pay-off/) - This article explores the importance of face-to-face interactions in sales, emphasizing the human element behind business success and customer relationships. - [Salespeople as Innovators?](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/salespeople-as-innovators/) - Discover how skilled salespeople can drive product innovation through discovery, communication, and persuasive selling. Enhance your company's growth strategy. - [The Power of Power in Selling](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/the-power-of-power-in-selling/) - Discover how mastering the 'power of power' can transform your selling approach, making your sales process more efficient and influential. - [The Big Bang of Marketing and Sales](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/the-big-bang-of-marketing-and-sales/) - Learn how the Web's debut in 1993 sparked a never-ending expansion in marketing practices and what this means for sales professionals now. - [Stop Setting Goals: Try ‘Systems’](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/stop-setting-goals-try-systems/) - Find out why the goal-setting mindset might be outdated and how integrating systems of behavior can transform your approach to success and motivation. - [‘Keystone’ Habits Key to Productivity](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/keystone-habits-key-to-productivity/) - Discover how keystone habits can transform your long-term goals into achievable systems, as explained in Charles Duhigg's 'The Power of Habit.' - [Elephant in the Room or Elephant in the Corner?](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/elephant-in-the-room-or-elephant-in-the-corner/) - Discover how a single undiscovered issue can hinder your company's revenue growth and learn practical strategies to tackle these hidden challenges. - [What’s Your Hunting-Farming Ratio?](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/whats-your-hunting-farming-ratio/) - Discover how balancing your sales team's hunting and farming efforts can boost growth. Learn to assess and optimize your sales ratio effectively. - [Can Lawyers Learn to Sell?](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/can-lawyers-learn-to-sell/) - Find out why more lawyers should embrace consultative selling to win more clients and grow their practice sustainably. - [When a Competitor Badmouths Your Company](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/when-a-competitor-badmouths-your-company/) - Learn the right steps to take if a competitor spreads false information. Protect your company’s image and focus on serving your customers effectively. - [Hate Cold Calling? Embrace Your Fate](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/hate-cold-calling-embrace-your-fate/) - Discover how a targeted workshop can transform skepticism into enthusiasm for cold calling among new commercial real estate brokers. - [Navigating Obamacare, Talking to a Brick Wall, Saving a Small College–and Its Town](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/navigating-obamacare-talking-to-a-brick-wall-saving-a-small-college-and-its-town/) - Discover how FOCIS® training led to big wins in healthcare, education, and analytics. Learn from real stories of persistence and strategic questioning. - [When Is “Doing the Right Thing” the Right Thing?](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/when-is-doing-the-right-thing-the-right-thing/) - Understand how different perspectives influence ethical choices in business through compelling client cases and thoughtful analysis. - [Match Making: Process to Prospect](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/match-making-process-to-prospect/) - Discover how tailored sales processes for different products and audiences can significantly boost your success rate. Learn to become a true matchmaker. - [Why Visuals Make Great ‘Discovery’ Tools](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/why-visuals-make-great-discovery-tools/) - Boost your sales impact by mastering the art of using styled visuals, from prepared materials to spontaneous sketches, to support your message. - [What’s So Important about Process?](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/whats-so-important-about-process/) - Discover how a customized sales process can boost your team's organic growth and margins, especially in today's competitive market landscape. - [Turning Hunger into Hope](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/turning-hunger-into-hope/) - Participate in a life-saving initiative by packing nutritious meals for starving children on August 19, and enjoy a networking reception afterward. - [Is Your ‘Sales Department’ Really Selling?](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/is-your-sales-department-really-selling/) - Discover how evolving your sales department can boost growth. Learn when to differentiate customer service from actual selling and develop tailored strategies. - [7 Ways Your Proposal Can Seal the Deal–or Sabotage It](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/7-ways-your-proposal-can-seal-the-deal-or-sabotage-it/) - Learn the secrets to building killer proposals: thorough discovery, face-to-face presentation, tailored content, and value-focused messaging. - [Networking’s Dirty Little Secret for Lawyers (and the Rest of Us)](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/networkings-dirty-little-secret-for-lawyers-and-the-rest-of-us/) - Discover why many lawyers hesitate to network and how overcoming discomfort can lead to greater career success and firm growth. - [New Customer Service Chaos in Big Companies?](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/new-customer-service-chaos-in-big-companies/) - Discover the chaos in customer service communication through a personal story about trying to disable voicemail internationally. Insights into corporate miscommunication await. - [Letting Your Sales Leads Come to You](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/letting-your-sales-leads-come-to-you/) - Discover how everyday interactions can generate high-quality sales leads. Learn from real-life examples and practical tips to let opportunities come to you. - [Find Value by Using Consultative Negotiation](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/find-value-by-using-consultative-negotiation/) - Learn the art of consultative negotiation with our upcoming two-day course, developing skills to customize strategies and build confidence in negotiations. - [Manufacturers and Distributors: The New Give and Take](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/manufacturers-and-distributors-the-new-give-and-take/) - Discover how shifts in distribution and manufacturing relationships are reshaping supply chains and what strategies can maximize your profits. - [Unsticking Strategy](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/unsticking-strategy/) - Learn practical strategies to turn long-standing strategic issues into opportunities for growth or resolve them efficiently with expert facilitation. - [Good News-Bad News for US Manufacturers](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/good-news-bad-news-for-us-manufacturers/) - Discover the challenges US companies encounter when shifting production in-house, from factory shortages to costly investments, and possible solutions. - [5 Myths about Marketing Research](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/5-myths-about-marketing-research/) - Discover the truth about marketing research myths and how proper insights can transform your business decisions for better growth. - [Always ‘All In’ to Be the Best](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/always-all-in-to-be-the-best/) - Explore the secrets behind Coach K’s extraordinary career success and how applying his principles can elevate your business achievements. - [Shaking Up Your Sales Territories?](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/shaking-up-your-sales-territories/) - Learn effective tactics for expanding or realigning sales territories to maximize productivity and sales potential. - [Is Your Business ‘Owner-Proof’?](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/is-your-business-owner-proof/) - Discover how owner-proofing creates a resilient business that thrives without your constant involvement. Learn key strategies to boost your company's value. - [Referrals: The Workshop](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/referrals-the-workshop/) - Discover how to boost your business with effective referral strategies. Join our workshop to develop skills that generate sustainable, high-quality referrals. - [Your Company and Jurassic Park](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/your-company-and-jurassic-park/) - Find out why chaos in sales and operations can threaten your company's success. Explore key warning signs and effective solutions. - [The ‘New’ Negotiation: How Good?](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/the-new-negotiation-how-good/) - Learn how the 'new' negotiation style, focused on cooperation and effective communication, can significantly improve your success rates. - [The Buying Motives Gap](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/the-buying-motives-gap/) - Understand the importance of identifying both obvious and hidden buying motives in B2B sales to enhance your sales strategies and gain a competitive edge. - [Are These 7 Tools in Your Sales Tool Box?](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/are-these-7-tools-in-your-sales-tool-box/) - Boost your business development with proven referral skills, understanding how to identify and nurture the right contacts for sustainable growth. - [Yes, Your Company Is Different](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/yes-your-company-is-different/) - Struggling with market differentiation? Discover proven strategies to identify your company's unique value and boost your sales & margins. - [An Author? Who, Me?](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/an-author-who-me/) - Thinking of writing a book? Find out how a professional writer or editor can help you share your expertise and achieve your publishing goals. - [The Best Business Gift Ever?](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/the-best-business-gift-ever-3/) - Uncover the secrets of creating value in every business interaction to increase referrals and closed deals effectively. - [3 Hidden Sales Builders You Need to Know](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/3-hidden-sales-builders-you-need-to-know/) - Boost your sales team’s effectiveness by mastering these three often-overlooked duties that enhance value creation and business growth. - [The Great E-Mail Marketing Myth](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/the-great-e-mail-marketing-myth/) - Discover why email marketing still holds power in B2B sales with targeted strategies that enhance credibility, visibility, and lead generation success. - [‘So What?’ or ‘Here’s How’](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/so-what-or-heres-how/) - Unlock the key to successful team selling with subject matter experts. Learn how tailored processes and trust can elevate your sales performance. - [CEOs: Value in Sales Process Streamlines Sales Cycle](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/ceos-value-in-sales-process-streamlines-sales-cycle/) - Gain key insights on transforming your sales approach with proven strategies to add value at every stage and outpace the competition. - [How Creating Value Gets You In–and Keeps You There](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/how-creating-value-gets-you-in-and-keeps-you-there/) - Master the art of value-driven sales by understanding how to find unspoken needs and issues, enhancing your sales effectiveness and relationships. - [Special Ops Selling: One Eye Closed or Two Eyes Open?](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/special-ops-selling-one-eye-closed-or-two-eyes-open/) - Find out why even seasoned professionals benefit from ongoing training and how to apply these lessons to improve your sales results. - [Do Your Sales Reps Need a Lifeline?](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/do-your-sales-reps-need-a-lifeline/) - On their way to wealth and security, contestants on the TV game show “Who Wants to be a Millionaire” face tough questions during their once-in-a-lifetime experience. Sometimes they need the help of a “lifeline”- from the audience or a phone call to a friend-before giving their “final” answer. Your salespeople are under similar pressure every - [The Best Business Gift Ever?](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/the-best-business-gift-ever/) - “Successful people are always looking for opportunities to help others. Unsuccessful people are always asking, ‘What’s in it for me?’” —Brian Tracy Creating value–“helping others”–is perhaps the best gift you can give your customers, prospects, and colleagues. Even better, you can do it all year ’round in a special way during the sales process. That’s right, you - [Growth Questions for a New Year](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/growth-questions-for-a-new-year/) - For many of us, the period between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day is often one of reflecting on the year about to close and planning for the one about to open. Here are some thought-provoking questions our clients and prospective clients find helpful to make the most of their reflections. We hope you will, too. - [Do Your Salespeople ‘Live the Brand’?](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/do-your-salespeople-live-the-brand/) - A brand can be broadly defined as the “face a company shows to the world.” But it’s much more than that-or, at least, it can be. The question is how do you build and support a company brand to get the most out of it? There are many ways to build, adjust, and sustain a - [How to Invest Your Sales and Marketing Dollars](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/how-to-invest-your-sales-and-marketing-dollars/) - A prospect once came to us saying he needed more leads–80, in fact. Naturally, we wondered about the reason for such a specific number. After we learned more about his business, especially his goals and challenges, he told us: Since he hadn’t closed any of his last 80 leads, he wanted to get started on - [Disruptor or Disrupted: Which Will Your Business Be?](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/disruptor-or-disrupted-which-will-your-business-be/) - In September, I moderated a panel on market disruption for about 40 middle-market business owners, CEOs, and presidents. Information and insights came not only from the expert panel members (listed below) but also from the senior leadership audience. The panel was part of a larger, day-long event attended by 125 C-suite leaders who networked, heard - [Where Do You Get Your New Business?](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/where-you-get-your-new-business/) - The who, what, when, where, why, and how that you need for a banner year. “Where do you get your new business?” is a question we’re asked a lot, especially since we teach business-to-business consultative selling skills and sales process development. People expect us to have a good answer, and we do–“referrals.” Unfortunately, those same - [Scariest Sales Calls Ever!](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/scariest-sales-calls-ever/) - “What is the worst sales call you have ever made, watched, or been subjected to?” A cringe-worthy question, to be sure, even scary this time of year. But it’s one worth spending a couple of uncomfortable minutes thinking about. OK . . . . Now, once you’ve zeroed in on the worst, or one of - [Vision, Sales Process Create New Customer Value](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/vision-sales-process-create-new-customer-value/) - Brendan Kelly has become one of the most successful commercial/industrial tenant rep real estate brokers in the US. Yet his story, and that of his team, is not only about selling commercial real estate services successfully. It’s also about making higher value sales of any product or service in a business-to-business environment. And it illustrates - [Do You Earn the Right to Close?](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/do-you-earn-the-right-to-close/) - We believe that consultative selling can be defined as creating value during the sales process –that creating value before the sale gives you the right to close because you’ve earned it. The question for every salesperson then is, how do you create value? We find that probably 75 percent of salespeople and other business developers - [Are You Coachable? Is Your Team?](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/are-you-coachable-is-your-team/) - Over the past 23 years business developers and others participating in our courses on consultative selling, consultative negotiating, and increasing referrals have demonstrated a wide range of coach-ability. Here’s how a few approached coaching, both giving and receiving. We hope you’ll gain some insight about yourself, your team, and using coaching to gain-and keep-an edge. - [Trade Show Success: What’s the Secret?](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/trade-show-success-whats-the-secret/) - Why do companies attend trade shows? Answers vary, including the completely unacceptable, “Not sure, but we’ve always done it.” Trade shows aren’t for everyone but if you’re going to go, don’t just attend- participate. After all, you can see as many or more people in two or three days at a show as you might - [Leveraging Time in the Sales Process](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/leveraging-time-in-the-sales-process/) - What’s your number-one sales challenge? What obstacle, if you overcame it, would most help you increase sales? We ask that question when we survey participants before the first session of our consultative sales training course, FOCIS. The survey helps us understand how to tailor the course to the needs of any given company, class, or - [Will Taking Notes by Hand Make You a Better Salesperson?](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/will-taking-notes-by-hand-make-you-a-better-salesperson/) - The unequivocal answer is “ probably. “ But it’s an awfully strong probably that’s backed up in research and in practice. In our consultative sales training course and in our coaching, we’ve always advocated taking notes during discovery with prospects or customers. No breakthrough there. Taking notes just seems to be commonsense, right? If only - [The Good, the Bad, and the ‘Perverse’](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/the-good-the-bad-and-the-perverse/) - Examples of unintended consequences -usually, negative-are common. Environmental regulations on manufacturing reduce pollution in the US, for example, but higher costs drive prices up. Manufacturers without restrictions in other countries receive more orders and increase their production. The net effect is more pollution overall. Sales managers need to weigh unintended consequences as well. They are - [25 Years and Counting: Part 1](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/25-years-and-counting-part-1/) - In January, Productive Strategies celebrated its 25th anniversary. This month we’d like to celebrate our clients-the people and the companies that have made it all possible. We’ll do that here by introducing you to the varied industries and professionals they serve-and the impactful, often innovative things they do. Next month, we’ll help you understand how - [How ‘Flying Blind’ Can Lead to Better Prospecting](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/how-flying-blind-can-lead-to-better-prospecting/) - Typically, sales people love face-to-face meetings with prospective customers. But prospecting to get those meetings? Not so much. One way to avoid the obstacles that make reluctant prospecting all too common is to replace them with something more positive and powerful. Why are sales people so averse to prospecting? Well, common answers are fear of - [Marketers and Turnaround Experts Get Advice on Selling](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/marketers-and-turnaround-experts-get-advice-on-selling/) - Phil Krone, president and founder of Productive Strategies, Inc., is scheduled to speak to the Chicago chapter of the American Marketing Association (AMA) on June 7. He also addressed the Turnaround Management Association (TMA) on June 2. At the AMA event, Krone will pose a few questions to help marketers better understand how well they - [How Important Is Differentiation?](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/how-important-is-differentiation/) - Is differentiation a nice-to-have business attribute or a must-have? In other words, is it a luxury or a necessity? Companies in mature markets have always felt the need to impact revenues by developing differentiation that creates unique value for customers and prospects. Today, however, fierce competition, unending channels of communication, and disrupters on all sides - [Growth at the Speed of Trust](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/growth-at-the-speed-of-trust/) - Our age is one of disruptive change , not only in politics but also in business. Now, more than ever, getting sales and marketing to work together, and mean it, offers opportunity to reshape the time-honored mathematics of collaboration. Not only can 1 + 1 = 3, but also 4, 5, 6, 7, and more–in - [Chicago Marketers and Turnaround Pros Get Advice on Selling](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/chicago-marketers-and-turnaround-pros-get-advice-on-selling/) - Phil Krone, president and founder of Productive Strategies, Inc., spoke to the Chicago chapter of the American Marketing Association (AMA) on June 7. He had previsouly addressed the Turnaround Management Association (TMA) on June 2. At the AMA event, Krone posed questions to help marketers better understand how well they are working with sales forces–and - [Sales and Marketing: Shake Hands!](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/sales-and-marketing-shake-hands/) - At a meeting of the American Marketing Association’s Chicago chapter earlier this month, I began my talk with a critical question: “Has there ever been a time for sales and marketing to be more closely aligned than now?” I was speaking at a program on “Managing at the Speed of Change,” which we co-sponsored with - [Krone, Pemberton to Moderate Marketing Panels for CEOs](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/krone-pemberton-to-moderate-marketing-panels-for-ceos/) - Philip Krone , president of Productive Strategies, and Scott Pemberton, senior consultant, will be moderating separate, expert panels about marketing and selling for the Presidents’ Symposium on September 12. Krone’s panel is entitled “ Will You Be a Market Disruptor or Will You be Disrupted?” Pemberton will moderate “Selling and Marketing at the Speed of - [Krone, Pemberton Present to Middle-Market Entrepreneurs](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/krone-pemberton-present-to-middle-market-entrepreneurs/) - Philip Krone, president of Productive Strategies, and Scott Pemberton, senior consultant, moderated separate panels about the changing worlds of marketing and selling for the Presidents’ Symposium at the University of Chicago’s Gleacher Center on September 12. Krone’s panel was entitled “Will You Be a Market Disruptor or Will You be Disrupted?” Pemberton moderated “Selling and - [Do You Uncover the Need Behind the Need?](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/do-you-uncover-the-need-behind-the-need/) - In our experience, the very best salespeople– the 20 percent who outperform their colleagues significantly–have the ability to discover “root cause.” The root cause is the true problem a prospect needs to resolve. The remaining, and less successful, 80 percent can identify that problem only occasionally or not at all. And they usually don’t know - [Leveraging Time in Sales](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/leveraging-time-in-sales/) - What’s your number-one sales challenge? What obstacle, if you overcame it, would most help you increase sales? We ask that question when we survey participants before the first session of our consultative sales training course, FOCIS. The survey helps us understand how to tailor the course to the needs of any given company, class, or - [New Practice Area to Benefit Nonprofits](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/new-practice-area-to-benefit-nonprofits/) - We’ve long worked with nonprofits, not-for-profits, and other organizations focused on producing positive social impact or serving members rather than customers. Now, we’ve created a new practice area to increase our involvement with those types of organizations and their funders. Over the past 25 years, Productive Strategies has been privileged to work with nonprofit, not-for-profit, and for-profit - [Your Company’s Secret Sauce](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/your-companys-secret-sauce/) - Many companies have one. Too many don’t know what it is—do you? Most successful companies have a “secret sauce” that gives them an edge—a true differentiator that creates unique value for their customers or clients. Companies might also have a “plain sauce,” which also differentiates them, but is not secret or as powerful. This month - [Google Analytics: Data and Decisions. A Free Program for Business Leaders](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/google-analytics-data-and-decisions-a-free-program-for-business-leaders/) - On Wednesday, August 8, we’re offering a complimentary program in Vernon Hills, Illinois, to help you better understand Google Analytics and its value for your business or organization. It’s ideal for CEOS, owners, and presidents to attend with their directors of marketing. Networking 7:30 a.m.; program 8 to 9:30; plus one-on-ones afterward. For more information or to secure your place, - [Sales Are Down—Is Compensation to Blame?](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/sales-are-down-is-compensation-to-blame/) - Not necessarily —in fact, probably not. And neither is marketing. So, what is the likely cause? When a company’s sales fall short, sales managers and others—CEOs, presidents, owners, senior executives—often think first of the incentive program: Is it robust enough to be competitive? Next, they wonder whether marketing is generating poorly qualified leads: Are we opting - [3 Hidden Sales Builders You (and Your Team) Need to Know](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/3-hidden-sales-builders-you-and-your-team-need-to-know/) - Top producers perform these “duties,” as they call them, to invest in the long-term success of their companies and their careers. We know that the very best salespeople are skilled at delivering value during the sales process. They know that’s fundamental to being a top producer. They know multiple ways to deliver value and how to use them - [New Option for Analyzing Sales Performance](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/new-option-for-analyzing-sales-performance/) - How valuable is a “DNA match” with top producers? Very, as it turns out, especially if coupled with the right training. In evaluating sales performance for clients, we’ve mainly use two ways. Now, we have a third! ONE: Previously in this column, we’ve endorsed examining historical sales data through the prism of ten-year moving totals and averages. - [Where Do New Product Ideas Come From?](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/where-do-new-product-ideas-come-from/) - Just about anywhere, of course. But here’s one way to generate them nearly every day. A simple, straightforward method that can be applied every day is observation coupled with “seeing what others don’t see.” Here are two examples from Tom Anderson, Jr., CEO of Digital Check Corporation, the world’s leader in producing check-scanning equipment for banks and their - [What Can We All Learn from Top Producers?](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/what-can-we-all-learn-from-top-producers/) - Quite a bit, as it turns out —whether you’re selling, fundraising, or just wanting to communicate more effectively. What is a “top producer”? We define top producers as the 20 percent of business developers who bring in 80 percent of all new business in for-profit companies or professional service firms—law, accounting, architecture, engineering, and others. But the - [Where Do You Get Your New Business?](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/where-do-you-get-your-new-business/) - The who, what, when, where, why, and how that you need for a banner year. “Where do you get your new business?” is a question we’re asked a lot, especially since we teach business-to-business consultative selling skills and sales process development. People expect us to have a good answer, and we do—”referrals.” Unfortunately, those same - [Are Great Questions Really Selling’s Secret Sauce?](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/are-great-questions-really-sellings-secret-sauce/) - Maybe. But here’s the fundamental question about questions: Why are so many of us so reluctant to ask them? Well, some of us can blame well-meaning mothers and fathers. They discouraged “prying” into other people’s lives as “rude.” But even in selling, whose baseline mantra is “Ask good questions,” we’ve found that salespeople and other business developers - [What Do We Do Here? Why Does It Matter?](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/what-do-we-do-here-why-does-it-matter/) - Our presentations and courses grow out of our fundamental business development mantra: Deliver value in every interaction . They offer practical ways to change behavior, develop processes, and build relationships that bring in business for companies, professional services firms, and not-for-profit organizations. Our goals in this column each month are two. First, and essential to ensuring that you read - [How Do the Best Decision-Makers Think?](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/how-do-the-best-decision-makers-think/) - They tend to focus on the what and why of a decision, not the how . You can help your prospects—and yourself and your team—by guiding them to see the true value in your product or service. All decision-makers have more opportunities and challenges to address than they have time, money, or other resources to address those issues. What sets great decision-makers apart - [Ready, Set, Network!](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/ready-set-network/) - The holidays are already on the horizon , and they offer many business and social opportunities for productive networking. Our recommended mantra—”Give Before You Get”—is in tune with the season. The question is “Just how can I do that?” To get started, let’s ask a question: Is networking the lifeblood of selling? Many business-to-business salespeople would probably - [Will Potential Buyers See Your Business Development Process as an Asset or Liability?](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/will-potential-buyers-see-your-business-development-process-as-an-asset-or-liability/) - If and when you decide to sell your company, will potential buyers see your current sales and marketing processes as assets or liabilities? In other words, are they processes that new owners can rely on for growth and profit or that they have to fix? Companies and investors looking to buy other companies always do financial - [CEO Peer Groups: Your New Competitive Advantage?](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/ceo-peer-groups-your-new-competitive-advantage/) - Owners, presidents, CEOs, COOs, and other senior executives who participate in peer-learning groups frequently credit them with playing an important—even critical—role in achieving business goals. But they’re not for everyone. Ever since its most recent low point in 2008, the U.S. economy has been expanding along a path of successive highs and the concept of CEO - [The Best Business Gift Ever?](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/the-best-business-gift-ever-2/) - Creating value is perhaps the best gift you can give your customers, prospects, and colleagues. Even better, you can do it all year ’round during the sales process—you can provide value before making the sale. A particular set of communication skills is the key. Do you and your team have them? This time of year , especially, - [Put Down the Phone, Pick Up Your Sales](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/put-down-the-phone-pick-up-your-sales/) - Will the perceived decline in the value of face-to-face communications accelerate in the new year? Worse, will it accelerate a real decline in your sales performance? Recently the Wall Street Journal reviewed the book Face to Face: The Art of Human Connection by Oscar-winning film and television producer Brian Grazer*. The review, “Put Down the Phone,” explained how the book offered guidance - [Marketing Growth Opportunities Hidden in Plain Sight](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/marketing-growth-opportunities-hidden-in-plain-sight/) - Marketing-related savings in the tax laws, “business-performance DNA” that puts sales and customer service reps in the right seats, and (uh-oh) a state-specific product-packaging law that’s blindsiding companies. If at first you don’t see them, keep looking–here’s what you should see. Have you ever stared into your refrigerator, increasingly desperate to find food or drink - [Still Leveraging ADHD after All These Years](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/still-leveraging-adhd-after-all-these-years/) - We’ve long been writing about ADHD, when managed effectively, as being an opportunity for salespeople who have it and for the companies they work for. But new questions keep coming up. For example, what can you do when your competition is your prospect’s untreated ADHD-like behavior? In our experience, ADHD can cut at least two - [Offshoring and the Failure of Selling](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/offshoring-and-the-failure-of-selling/) - The good news is that manufacturing is returning to the U.S. The bad news is that much of it should never have left in the first place. The reason manufacturing left was not a failure of politics, economics, or business expertise. It was a failure of selling. By that I mean selling that not only educates, - [New Product Launches Need a New Product Sales Process](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/new-product-launches-need-a-new-product-sales-process/) - Here’s some timeless advice on launching new products and helping them really take off. The secret? Don’t just educate—persuade. About twenty years ago The Wall Street Journal listed, in order, these seven phases of a government program gone south.* We stick to our knitting here—which is business, not government. But we noticed then that these same phases - [What Are the New Rules of Selling and Business Development?](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/what-are-the-new-rules-of-selling-and-business-development/) - Like the new rules of hand washing, the new rules of business development aren’t really so different from the old ones—they just need to be applied differently. The good news is that not everything has changed. Here is some guidance on how to know which is which and what’s what. As restrictions on businesses are - [Starving for Good News? Enjoy this Sampler!](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/starving-for-good-news-enjoy-this-sampler/) - Business is more of a struggle today than ever, but there is also more reason for hope. You just have to look for it. We’ve always had a glass half-full mentality, maybe even three quarters. That’s not surprising, of course: We teach consultative sales training and customized process development. Down-in-the-mouth just doesn’t work in selling. - [Looking for New Business?](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/looking-for-new-business/) - Productive Strategies President Phil Krone recently spoke at two virtual events for business groups about getting new business in today’s challenging environment. On July 28 he served on a panel—“Attracting New Business”—at a virtual event sponsored by Midwest Business Brokers & Intermediaries. His focus was the importance of aligning sales and marketing to boost efficiency. “New - [From Zoom to Vroom: Finding Another Gear](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/from-zoom-to-vroom-finding-another-gear/) - Six months ago, many of us were struggling with remote platforms. Now, even though we’re still learning how to handle the technology, it’s time to push forward. Sellers can use powerful new tools to grow their toplines—and that includes meeting new challenges with imagination and optimism. The new mindset in business development is to shift - [Which Is the Neglected ‘Middle Child’ in the Sales Process?](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/which-is-the-neglected-middle-child-in-the-sales-process/) - There are several possibilities but only one that really qualifies. And for good reason. Twenty or so steps make up the traditional sales process. Which step do you think is the most neglected, the one that’s most underappreciated, the one suffering from the so-called middle child syndrome*? Is it cold calling, demonstration, pre-meeting preparation, proposal - [25 Years and Counting: Part 2](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/25-years-and-counting-part-2/) - Last month, we introduced you to the many and varied companies we’ve been fortunate enough to serve. This month, as promised, here are some insights in how we work with them successfully, how they work with us, and how you can do the same. Why do we celebrate our clients? How do we help each other - [Recruiting Interns: Your Secret Weapon](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/recruiting-interns-your-secret-weapon/) - When recruiting interns, it’s easy to promote the role you’re offering by rolling out the common, cliche benefits of an internship: “It’s a great way to see how the real world works,” “You’ll make great connections,” “You’ll get some good experiences,” and more. While these benefits are accurate, managers often exclude one of the most important, - [Want Growth? Think Transition, not Change](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/want-growth-think-transition-not-change/) - Why do so many businesses “drop out”? One always easy answer is that they fail to “change.” But there’s a lot more to it than that.Three things inspired this column: A recent sampling of our readers, America’s high school dropout crisis, and my daughter. First, in a recent sample, a number of our readers told us - [Align Your Sales and Marketing Now: Our Newest Workshop Builds Your Competitive Advantage](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/align-your-sales-and-marketing-now-our-newest-workshop-builds-your-competitive-advantage/) - Working together, sales and marketing can grow your business faster and better— but only if they do, in fact, work together . They must be aligned. The good news is that alignment isn’t magic. Specific processes and actions you’ll learn in our new workshop will help your company get this now-essential business process right and keep it right. - [No Drag in this Dragon Boat: One of Our Own Is at the Helm](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/no-drag-in-this-dragon-boat-one-of-our-own-is-at-the-helm/) - Senior Consultant John McDermott is a member of the United States team competing in the 14 th IDBF World Dragon Boat Racing Championships 2019, August 20-25, in Pattaya-Rayong, Thailand. The International Dragon Boat Federation sponsors the event every other year for its 74 member nations. From the stern, as helmsman McDermott steers one of the traditional, colorful vessels - [Increasing Referrals Workshop Added](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/increasing-referrals-workshop-added/) - To develop much better referrals to conclude this year and launch next year, enroll in our popular half-day course “Referrals: The Workshop” on Monday, November 4. It runs from 8 a.m. to noon at the Productive Strategies offices in Northfield, Illinois. In a business-to-business environment, referrals can lead to 80% of all new business. But building - [Can Professionals Learn to Sell?](https://productivestrategies.com/business-growth-strategies-blog/can-professionals-learn-to-sell/) - The short answer is “Yes!” Selling is not magic. It’s a process that can be taught—and learned. One of our large, global law firm clients has been tracking the results of our small-group consultative sales training of their attorneys. We’ve trained about 50 attorneys in eight cities. The study is controlled for gender and experience. For ## Pages - [Productive Strategies, Inc.](https://productivestrategies.com/) - We are a management and consulting firm that makes growth a measurable outcome for our clients. Are you ready to grow your top line? Contact us today. - [B2B Sales Coaching, Chicago, IL](https://productivestrategies.com/b2b-sales-coaching-chicago-il/) - We are highly effective as an outside resource either on a project or ongoing basis during the B2B sales coaching process. Contact us today to learn more. - [Sales Training, Chicago, IL](https://productivestrategies.com/sales-enhancement-chicago-il/sales-training/) - Sales training that aligns, engages, and ignites sales growth. 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