4 Ways to Successfully Mix Business & Pleasure
There's nothing wrong with pitching business to your friends as long as you follow these unwritten rules of engagement. Read more
Sales
Recent Sales Articles
Make a Cold Call That Works: 4 Steps to Prepare
Cold calling is hard enough when you're calling "out of the blue." Here's how to lay the groundwork in advance. Read more
10 Tricks for a Fabulous Workday
It takes just as much effort to have a wonderful day as it does to have a miserable one. Why not enjoy yourself? Read more
5 Ways to Alienate a Customer
These five dumb mistakes drive customers away. Fortunately, they're all easily avoided. Read more
Inside the (Increasingly American) Start-up Boom in Brazil
Taxes are prohibitively high, and the red tape is miles long. But a growing number of American entrepreneurs and VCs are putting down roots in Brazil. They w... Read more
How to Get (& Keep) Customers 
Selling tips from IdeaPaint's Jeff Avallon and Scott Gerber, founder of the Young Entrepreneur Council. Watch video
3 Non-Financial "Gifts" for Your Sales Team
Growing sales is not about motivational efforts or higher commissions for your sales force. The best incentive is to invest in your business model and your b... Read more
5 Tips to Build a Killer Consulting Business
You already have the expertise and the contacts. So what do you do next? Here's a good place to start. Read more
Making Change Happen: How to Create Urgency
Need to move your issue up on someone's priority list? Follow these five steps. Read more
World's Most Important Business Question
One simple question can determine whether your company will succeed or fail. Make sure you and your team are constantly asking it. Read more
9 Rules for Better Meetings
Trying to fight inefficiency? Keeping business meetings on topic and on schedule is like expanding your workforce without increasing payroll. Read more
10 Biggest Consumer Complaints
Got a consumer-facing business? Here's a top 10 list you don't want to land on. Read more
5 Tips for Better Sales Presentations
You need to persuade customers that you're the right supplier and that this is the right time to buy. Here's how to nail it. Read more
4 Mental Tricks to Conquer Fear
You can't be successful if you're ruled by fear. Here's how I reprogrammed my brain to be more courageous. Read more
Steve Jobs & You Have This in Common
If there's one thing entrepreneurs are good at fighting, it's their intuition. That's a shame. Read more
These 3 Questions Will Help You Close
Understanding the needs of your prospects is paramount to closing a deal. Ask these three simple questions to get those critical insights. Read more
How to Know if Your Marketing Firm Is Giving You BS
You want results, and all they talk about is "branding." What gives? Read more
How to Close a Complex Deal
In some types of sales, the "agreement to buy" is just the start of the real buying process. Read more
Win Customers: 7 Small Gestures That Go Far
The features of your product are important. But it's the little things that leave a lasting impression and encourage people to buy. Read more
4 Things Customers Don't Want to Hear
Just because your prospect is courteous doesn't mean he is interested. Use these tips to avoid boring your audience. Read more
5 Things Potential Customers Want to Hear
When you're going on a sales call, make sure you give your prospects the information they are looking for. Read more
Why You Don't Need Salespeople
Imagine a world in which you were able to fire all of your salespeople and still achieve consistent revenue growth. How would you pull it off? Read more
Better Way to Coach Employees
Coaching is more than just giving advice. Use this process to help your team members hone their own behavior. Read more
6 Writing Tips for Sales Messages
A crisp, well-written sales message will help you win more customers. Here are a few tricks for non-writers. Read more
5 Simple Ways to Increase Sales
Use these management techniques to boost your team's performance without big cost increases. Read more
5 Shrewd Ways to Attract Top Talent
You need to stand out as you recruit your start-up team. Here's how. Read more
Help Older Workers Adapt to Changes
Use these four steps to get your most senior employees comfortable with technological shifts. Read more
3 Essential Rules for Winning Trust
Strong business relationships are impossible without trust. Make your customers and colleagues know you can be counted on. Read more
13 Tactics to Land Your Start-up Customers
Selling a brand new product or service is one of the toughest jobs around. Here's just what you need to know to win. Read more
Be More Optimistic. Here's Why
How you interpret your so-called reality determines how you react to it. And those reactions are what actually matter. Read more
A Love Story: Start-ups & Ultimate Frisbee
Founders, engineers, and designers have wrested control of Ultimate Frisbee from jocks and made it their own. I got in the game to explore. Read more
Defuse an Angry Customer
Use these six steps to cut through the drama so you can address your customer's actual problem. Read more
The $1 Million Elevator Ride
It's not always the pitch that matters. Sometimes you need to know when to shut up and listen. Read more
3 Tricks to Create More Time in Your Workday
Shaking up your workload can also makes you more successful. Use these three simple rules to make a change. Read more
True Secret to Success (It's Not What You Think)
If you're not exercising this emotional muscle, you're probably setting yourself up for failure. Read more