If you’re feeling overwhelmed by various forms of electronic communication, you’re not alone. There’s something to be said for traditional forms of contact, whether the warmth of a handshake or the crunch of a newspaper. In our attempt to feed our information-hungry prospects and customers, we run the risk of creating a system overload. If […]

Perfect pitch is a musical term for the ability to recognize any note on the scale just by hearing it — or to sing any note on the scale without a point of reference. Experts say only one in 10,000 people have this ability, though others may possess elements of the skill. In sales, we

If you’ve ever eaten at a fast-food restaurant, surely you’ve been asked, “Would you like fries with that?” or “Would you like to supersize your meal?” Cross-selling involves presenting customers with complementary products or services to consider above and beyond their initial purchase. Here are a few tips on how to successfully cross-sell (or up-sell)

Baseball legend Babe Ruth once said, “The way a team plays as a whole determines its success. You may have the greatest bunch of individual stars in the world, but if they don’t play together, the club won’t be worth a dime.” Ruth may have been talking about baseball, but the same is true in

Experts say it costs five times more to attract a new customer than to retain an existing one. Consequently, customer retention is critical to the success of your business. Here are a few tips to help you stay in front of your customers and increase your customer retention rates: Develop a customer loyalty program that

Some truths are timeless. Here are five from the Roman statesman Cicero and though written more than 2000 years ago, each is still applicable today. 1. The delusion that personal gain is made by crushing others While this may be true of Hollywood villains and reality show contestants, most of us realize that true success

Nineteenth-century humorist Josh Billings famously said, “Life is a grindstone. Whether it grinds a man down or polishes him up depends on the stuff he’s made of.” Here are five tips to help you make sure life’s polishing you into a beautiful gem: Slow down. Yes, we’re all busy, and we all have deadlines we

In order to satisfy today’s information-hungry audience, K.I.S.S. (keep it simple sweetie) doesn’t always apply. Prospects and customers are looking for detailed information to help them make informed decisions. Here are a few tips to help you educate your audience about the products and services you sell: Make your marketing materials more educational. Include a

Of Manhole Covers and Marketing You’ve probably heard the question asked, "Why are manhole covers round?" Answers vary from the obvious ("because manholes are round") to the more obscure. Wikipedia offers several possibilities. My personal favorites? A round manhole cover cannot be accidentally dropped into the round hole it covers.   The circular shape makes

The USPS is redefining letter-size booklets. New size and tabbing requirements took effect September 8, 2009. A booklet consists of multiple sheets or pages that are bound by a saddle-stitching, perfect binding, pressed glue or other binding method that creates a nearly uniformly thick mailpiece. The new requirements apply only to letter-size booklets, not larger