THE VALUE PROP BLOG
11 Best Practices to Punch Up Your Zoom Meetings
In this new age of widespread work-from-home positions, you may find yourself using Zoom and other video-conferencing platforms more than ever. But being on-camera isn't quite like being in-person for those important business meetings. Here are 11 tips to help you make better Zoom calls.
I've actually been a Zoom user for years—long before COVID-19 sent us running to video conferencing solutions. And as a result, I am a seasoned "Zoomer".
But as I (and obviously you) have noticed,...
4 Things Business Owners Should Know About Why People Buy
I have a question for you: Why do customers buy?
A few weeks ago, I was working with a client whose sales team was struggling to close deals. So I asked him the question I just asked you. It's one of those questions that seems so elementary, it's easy to brush it off.
But really think about it.
When he and his sales team did, they all came up with different answers (which is fine, I love creativity!) But at the end of the day, customers kept slipping away to...
What to Do When Your Revenue Stream Goes Dry
Your job as CEO is to lead your company to new opportunities, capitalize on them, and generate revenue streams. But the question is, how do you do that well in a fast-changing environment like the one we’re in?
Owners have often referred to their various revenue streams as “rivers of cash.”
The metaphor flows (pun intended) because one can visualize having to “navigate” these rivers. There are "rapids" of activity; decisions that "make waves"; and resources...
What I Learned From My First Business
My first business? Yeah, it failed. Here's what happened.
It was New York, it was the early '80s, and there I was: a fresh 20-something, son of immigrants. I didn't run with the most optimistic crowd--but I had a dream of becoming a comic book artist. And I wasn't too shabby, I even enrolled in art school!
But it didn't take long for me to realize I was a long way from becoming Stan Lee.
That's when I got the idea for my first business: a comic book delivery service for serious...
Why Getting Back to Normal Shouldn't Be Your Goal
You’ve probably heard it said—or even said it yourself: “When business goes back to normal, then…” Ahh, yes, normal. The days when you didn’t need a face mask to go grocery shopping. The days when you could have meetings in person. The days before COVID-19.
It’s easy to look back with a nostalgic longing for those days. We all wish we had a magic eraser wand and could set the clock back to February. But of course, we can’t.
In fact, we...
How to Sell to Your Customers When Their Hair Is On Fire
Your customers are in shock. The whole economy has ground to a halt. And yet, there are still sales to be made. Here’s how you can sell to your customers (ethically), even when their hair is on fire.
Recently, I was talking to David Newman, of Do It! Marketing. And on behalf of his clients, he asked me this very hard question: “How can you sell to your customers when their hair is on fire?”
And, oh man, isn’t everyone’s hair on fire...
4 Keys to Keeping Your Sales Alive in Crisis
With business shutdowns happening nationwide, how do you keep your sales alive? There are four things you need to know.
Even before Coronavirus, anyone who is selling knew that you don’t “pitch” a new idea or product as they do on Mad Men. Gone are the days of standing in front of someone for 20 minutes and making your case in such a compelling way that the buyer simply cannot resist.
But now in the midst of Coronavirus, those days are REALLY gone. For one...
How to Negotiate in Crisis—The Right Way
With the world in crisis, business owners find themselves negotiating on every front – from done deals that became undone to rent concessions. Here’s how to negotiate a win-win in crisis.
Negotiating is almost always a pain. There are always many feelings to navigate, wishes and desires to be fought for. Negotiation is never a relaxing activity—especially in a crisis like the pandemic we currently find ourselves in.
In a crisis, time gets shorter. The stakes...
Business Shut Down? Plan For Brighter Days
With COVID-19 sweeping the country, shut down business owners may (begrudgingly) find more time on their calendars. Here’s how they should use their time to plan for brighter days.
Only a few weeks ago, I bet your schedule looked very different than it does now. Perhaps you were burning the candle at both ends because there just never seemed to be enough hours in the day. And then, of course, came Coronavirus and businesses across the country are shutting down.
...
Don’t Panic! Six Truths for Business Owners in Crisis
As business owners, we’ve always known that the greater economy is beyond our control. And when things look rosy, this fact isn’t so scary. We have plans and strategies. We know our markets, our target customers, and...
