Is Your Order Conversion Ratio Too Low?

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“Where Are The Orders?” “Why aren’t we converting more of our quotes?  Our biggest investment last year is failing…I’m concerned.”Last year, Sam’s company launched a new product that they were convinced was a winner.  But after six months of losing more orders than they were winning, Sam’s frustration is peaked and his team is discouraged. The new product was developed with customer input and has the potential to produce unique benefits for their customers.  But …

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New Year – Fresh Start

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Assess These Three Points The best thing about each new year is that we get another opportunity to begin anew. We get a fresh start, and expectations are high. How can you make the best of this new beginning? Consider these three points: 1. Assess direction: Revisit your vision/mission statement(s) – is your chosen direction still valid? On what will you focus in 2013 – what key 3 goals do you want to achieve this …

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My Favorite Resolutions For 2013

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Shared Resolutions It’s that time of year when we reflect on the past and envision the future. Here are my favorite business resolutions for 2013, shared to inspire you to create your own resolutions for the New Year.“Start every day with strategic clarity by spending 10 minutes reviewing what one-to-five things you want to achieve this year, what your strategic priorities are for achieving them, and (most importantly) what businesses, activities and opportunities you have …

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What Are Your Priorities?

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Seeking More High Touch To Balance Our High Tech Last week at this time, we were first learning about the heartbreaking violence committed against innocent children and their teachers. This horrific news follows other terrible stories of carnage that have occurred during the past several weeks. What a season of joy and peace it has been! In last week’s blog, we explored the issue of balancing our business responsibilities with our personal core values. This …

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It’s Lonely At The Top!

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Balancing Business Needs with Personal Values After completing our business development strategy meeting with his team, the CEO grabbed me and said, “Let’s get a coffee.”  As we settled into his office, he mentioned that the year had been a good one, albeit very challenging, and he was ready for a break. “There’s still so much uncertainty out there – the competition, tax law, new regulations – we can’t get a break and I’m tired.  …

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Where Is Your Growth Stuck?

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Making Time to Set Direction “I’m so busy running the business that I don’t have time to think longer term.”So began a recent client meeting.  It’s been an exceptionally challenging time to run a business.  The day-to-day struggles are all-consuming; to survive, you keep your head down and focus on achieving essential short term results. But as a leader, you are also responsible for ensuring the long term sustainability of your business.  In every company, …

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The Most Important Principle Revealed

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Your Brand Is Your Promise My father grew up in Minnesota during the Great Depression.  His father and mother had farmed in Montana, persevering through locusts, droughts and troubles with local Native Americans; they went bankrupt twice. Finally, with a wife and now five children to feed, my grandfather relocated to the iron range in northern Minnesota where he could earn a living cleaning out railroad locomotive boilers. In Minnesota, Dad’s family built their house, …

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The Treasure Of Thankfulness

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Take Time To Count Your Blessings What an inspiration it was to dedicate a whole day to thankfulness. As the world spins ever faster, on this one day, we stop to count our blessings.I’m thankful for my family and friends Who give meaning to my life. I’m thankful for you who entrust your business to me. Working with you brings joy and fulfillment with profound respect for your success. I’m thankful for this exceptional country …

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Programmed to Take the Easy Way?

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Demonstrating Commitment or Convenience The other day, we were standing in line to use the “up” escalator.  The queue was long, despite the fact that right next to the escalator was a flight of steps that no one was using.The staircase wasn’t too long…about half as long as you might see going to the next floor at a department store.  Yet, there we all were in line, most of us looking reasonably healthy and able …

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The Peace of Resolution

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What’s Next For Your Business? Well, it’s finally over!  After months of noise and drama, we’ve had our election and can now enjoy the “peace of resolution.”  We know the results and, with some reflection and analysis, we’ll plot our future path.  After achieving a major goal or accomplishing a key milestone, it’s an ideal time to pause and evaluate what’s working in your business, what needs improvement and what is constraining you. This week …

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