Sales and Marketing


Recent Sales and Marketing Articles

Opening Your Books to Customers

Jan 1, 1995

Few companies show their financial statements totheir customers -- they're afraid that if customers find out what their margins are, they will try to nego...  Read more

Capitalizing on Complaints

Jan 1, 1995

Common sense isn't that common, which is why simple things like asking an angry customer what he or she wouldlike you to do can seem like such a remarkabl...  Read more

Minimizing Double Trouble

Jan 1, 1995

Some customers just seem to attract problems. It's Murphy's Law, says Neil Cannon, CEO of Schmidt-Cannon, a $15-milliondistributor of promotional items, i...  Read more

Contact at Every Job

Jan 1, 1995

Think twice before creating a system in which customers deal only with salespeople. Often you can provide better service--andrun your company more efficie...  Read more

Class Acts for Your Customers

Jan 1, 1995

In certain industries, customer education can generate immediate sales. That's particularly the case for specialtyretailers, who often have an untapped op...  Read more

Capitalize on Disgruntled Customers

Jan 1, 1995

Some of the best sources of inexpensive, on-target market research are people who give your product a free trial and then turn itdown. Disappointed...  Read more

Plugging Your Customers

Jan 1, 1995

One good way to reinforce your relationship with customers is to plug them whenever you can. At San Luis Sourdough, a$3-million bakery in San Luis Obispo,...  Read more

Inside Info on Outside Rivals

Jan 1, 1995

Be sure your employees are up-to-date on what your competitors are up to.  Read more

Voice Mail Tops Telemarketers

Jan 1, 1995

Anticipating a good response to his television ad, Menderes Akdag of Lens Express, in Deerfield Beach, Fla., hired a telemarketing firm to field calls for...  Read more

Knowing When It's Time to Leave

By Russell S. Holdstein |  Dec 1, 1994

One CEO explains how he sold his company while retaining emotional ties and a paycheck.  Read more

Start-up News: Service-Industry Starts on the Rise

By Phaedra Hise |  Dec 1, 1994

A graph of what start-ups define as the biggest obstacles to overcome to ensure success.  Read more

Entrepreneurs of the Year

By Jay Finegan |  Dec 1, 1994

Introduction to the 1994 EOY issue that presents the judges and process behind the award.  Read more

Unconventional Wisdom

By Jay Finegan |  Dec 1, 1994

Third, the ownership package attracts veteran managers. "We've been fortunate enough for the past six years to have good people knocking at the door," say...  Read more

Opposite Attractions

By David Whitford |  Dec 1, 1994

A look at the two winners of the 1994 Master EOY titles, their companies, and the runner-up.  Read more

The Decade-Long Overnight Success

By Susan Greco |  Dec 1, 1994

The turnaround EOY for 1994: A close-up look at a one company's struggle to return to former glory.  Read more

The Personals Touch

By Alessandra Bianchi |  Dec 1, 1994

The winner and runners-up of the award for the company that promises continued rapid growth, Emerging EOY.  Read more

The Good Seed

By Teri Lammers Prior |  Dec 1, 1994

The winner and runners-up of the 1994 Supporter of Entrepreneurship award.  Read more

Friend of the Family

By Tom Ehrenfeld |  Dec 1, 1994

The Socially Responsible EOY winner and runners-up for 1994.  Read more

Sales Management: Hot-Product Survival Guide

By Susan Greco |  Dec 1, 1994

Co-owners explain how they took their company into new markets and how the sales force supported the change.  Read more

Resource: Sale Automation Without Tears

By Susan Greco |  Dec 1, 1994

The author of 'Sales Force Automation,' George Colombo, offers tips to successful automation.  Read more

Sales-Force Turnover: Excuses, Excuses

By Susan Greco |  Dec 1, 1994

A chart displaying companies in terms of annual revenues and the percentage of salesforce turnover in 1993.  Read more

Marketing: Messages That Hit the Spot

By Susan Greco |  Dec 1, 1994

Two overviews of companies that are packing newsletters or catalogs with their products.  Read more

Overseas Sales On-Line

By Karen E. Carney |  Dec 1, 1994

A quick look at several companies that are doing international business through on-line services like CompuServe.  Read more

Just Did It

By George Gendron |  Dec 1, 1994

A quote from Donald Katz's 'Just Do It: The NIke Spirit in the Corporate World,' concerning Nike's turnaround.  Read more

Gee, It Didn't Look This Way on Paper

By Phaedra Hise |  Nov 1, 1994

A quote from a natural-food start-up president warning against allowing green MBAs access to large amounts of capital.  Read more

What Business Would You Start?

By Joshua Hyatt |  Nov 1, 1994

Nearly 50 business luminaries, ranging from H. Ross Perot to Ed McMahon, are asked what businesses to start.  Read more

Diamonds in the Rough

By David Whitford |  Nov 1, 1994

While the Baseball strike lingered, a start-up league thrived. This story tells how and looks at future plans.  Read more

Benchmark: Sales Training Hit List

By Susan Greco |  Nov 1, 1994

A chart showing the type of training and percentage of respondents who cited it as "very important" for sales reps.  Read more

The Irresistible Customer Questionnaire

By Alessandra Bianchi |  Nov 1, 1994

A look at a magazine for children produced to support specific software and to survey the kids who use it.  Read more

Advertising: Agency to Client - Do It Yourself

By Robina A. Gangemi |  Nov 1, 1994

A quick look at a sofware developer who hired an ad agency to bring their ad projects in-house.  Read more

Publicity: A Better Way to Seed the Market

By Susan Greco |  Nov 1, 1994

A look at how a small company offered a popular product at cost in a highly successful promotional campaign.  Read more

In the Vanguard: Putting Multimedia to Work

By Martha E. Mangelsdorf |  Nov 1, 1994

A quick look at how small business is using multimedia applications for training, presentations, and marketing.  Read more

A Skill of One's Own

By John Chuang |  Nov 1, 1994

The CEO of a temporary-employment firm discusses the training and opportunities "temping" offers.  Read more

Working Capital: Three Smart Tips for Borrowing from Customers

By Jill Andresky Fraser |  Nov 1, 1994

The president of an advertising-specialty company offers tips to a source of creative financing--customers.  Read more

13th Annual Inc. 500: A Do-It-Yourself Guide

By Anne Murphy |  Oct 15, 1994

A quick introduction sampling what the 1994 winners of the Inc. 500 think about small-business success and growth.  Read more