What if I told you that you could have a meaningful conversation with five qualified prospects over the next two hours? And what if you could do it without leaving your desk? And, even better, what if you could do that everyday? Conversations with five new prospects everyday. What would that mean to your business?

Guess what? You can do that right now. There’s nothing stopping you. The only thing you have to do is pick up the phone and start dialing numbers.

I know, I know – cold calling is dead. Or at least that’s what many of today’s “sales experts” would have you believe. Today we have email, social media, inbound marketing, an abundance of networking opportunities, and many other ways to connect with prospects without having to make the dreaded cold call. [Read more…]

You get off the elevator, sign in at the registration table, and walk into the banquet room. You scan the room. There’s a sea of people in front of you and very few of the faces are recognizable. The ones that are familiar are already locked into conversation. You have two choices – stand against the wall and wait for this thing to end or get in there and initiate conversation with a bunch of strangers.

If you get anxious at simply hearing the words “networking event,” don’t worry. You’re not alone. Even for the most hardcore extroverts, networking events can be difficult and downright uncomfortable.

So if everyone feels awkward at these things, why do they persist? Well, the truth is that even in our digital age, there’s still no connection as strong as the in-person meeting. Something about seeing someone’s face, shaking their hand, and looking them in the eye helps to forge a bond than could never be created over email or social media. [Read more…]

On October 6, I’m co-hosting a unique business event in San Rafael, CA with my good friend, Lisa Safran of Safran Consulting. The event is called How to Elevate Your Business: 10 Steps to Sales Success. You can learn more and register for an early bird discount here. We’ll spend a fun and interactive day going over case studies and exercises to make you and your team more effective at selling.

Perhaps what I’m most excited about is what Lisa will bring to the workshop. She’s spent more than 25 years helping business leaders and salespeople become more effective communicators with the power of improv. She’s also written two books on the subject and has served as an improv and communication coach for individuals, businesses of all sizes, and numerous schools. [Read more…]