Taking Copycats to Task
How two companies deal with knockoffs and imitators. Read story
Susan Greco
A Salvo in the Postage War
Using a magazine "ride-along" program to increase market for catalog products. Resource phone numbers provided. Read story
Pricing Gets Easier (Sort Of)
Results of survey asking how companies determined the price of their latest product or service. Read story
First-Pass Telemarketing
How one company landed nearly 100 new accounts by training customer-service people to do telemarketing. Read story
Bonuses for the Right Moves
One company tracks its sales reps' activities and rewards them for following each step it takes to make a sale. Read story
First-Class Export Help
SBA program pairs business schools with small companies so students learn while counseling the companies. Read story
Breaking Away
Three defense contractors found success in diversification after the government slashed its spending. Read story
Winning Back a Lost Customer
Tips on handling the loss of a major client. Read story
Modern Marketing 101
Two books explore current marketing themes and strategies. Read story
Putting the 'Green' into Evergreen Sales
How one small company assessed the risk and payoff of setting up a strategic partnership with a customer. Read story
When's the Right Time to Hire a Sales Manager?
Five CEOs' reasons for hiring or not hiring sales managers. Read story
Recruiting the Newly Retired
Jo Anne Schiller hired recently-retired sales reps, who already know the territory and can work on commission alone. Read story
Instant Rewards for Big Deals
Steve Braccini awards commission checks as bonuses to salespeople when customers convert to long-term contracts. Read story
Customer Letters to Live By
Ordering information for 'The Complete Customer Service Letter Book' by Ed Werz and Sally Germain. Read story
The Score on Sports Sponsorship
Two companies' experiences with sponsoring sporting events. Read story
Rewarding Balanced Sales
Company keeps sales force tuned in to the full product line by paying an override commission to reps who meet goals. Read story
The Art of 'Reference Selling'
Tips on using customer references as marketing tools. Read story
The Big Picture on Pay
Ordering information for Strategic Pay by Edward Lawler, which lays out options to traditional commission systems. Read story
Talking Through Service Costs
Service provider focuses on customer expectations and sets prices accordingly. Read story
Marketing Through Employers
A newsletter start-up taps consumer markets by piggybacking on large companies. Read story
Stand and Deliver
Summary of two Dale Carnegie workshops on sales presentations. Read story
When Customers Call...
Chart showing that customers are more satisfied the fewer times they have to call to get problems solved. Read story
The Art of Selling
How some companies have abandoned old-style sales for a whole new kind of relationship with customers. Read story
Even the CFO Sells
How one CEO uses team selling to gain instant credibility and lower selling costs. Read story
Marketing by Mentor
A CEO spends half what most small companies do on marketing by asking pros from other companies to be his advisers. Read story
Telesales Tips
Ordering information for The Logic, Power and Use of Telesales and Telemarketing from Culpepper and Associates. Read story
Street-Smart Pricing
Marketing to universities, a CEO sold colleges licenses to copy her software and sell it cheaply to students. Read story
When Quotas Don't Work
How a company dropped sales commissions to improve customer service and encourage inter-office cooperation. Read story
Recession-Proof Pricing
Publisher of coffee-table books replaces product line with shorter books, calendars and nature recordings. Read story
Mail-Order Basics
Books to use for building a mailing list and generating publicity. Read story
Riding on Big-Company Coattails
Up-and-coming software publishers sell and distribute products through veteran publishers. Read story
Bonuses for Breaking New Ground
Sales reps receive bonuses for opening new accounts or selling new products. Read story
Profits in Private Labels
How a private-label manufacturer boosted sales after merging with a brand-name manufacturer. Read story
The ABCs of Internal Guarantees
Internal guarantees allow companies to offer customers service guarantees Read story
How Good Are Your Sales Skills?
Ordering information for 'The Idea-a-Day Guide to Super Selling and Customer Service.' Read story
Smart Use of 'Special Offers'
California software start-up offers low introductory price to attract potential customers. Read story
New Thoughts on Pricing
Information on obtaining a how-to booklet on pricing strategies for start-ups. Read story
Cleaning Up International Mailing Lists
How to improve the accuracy of international mailings. Read story
How Do You Pay Your Sales Force
Chart showing how variously-sized companies pay their sales forces: salary, incentive program, or combination. Read story
Making Company Tours Pay Off
How a Milwaukee manufacturer uses factory tours to sell its products. Read story
