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Leanne Hoagland-Smith
Leanne Hoagland-Smith helps people in business get results at ADVANCED SYSTEMS with office in Valparaiso. Contact her at (219) 508-2859 or visit www.processspecialist.com. Keep track …Read More
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Behavioral targeting the new way to market
The purpose of marketing is initially two-fold: to attract attention and to begin to build the relationship. However, with technology being able to deliver additional metrics, marketing is now even more about behavioral targeting based on market segmentation. For years, businesses segmented their customers to …Read More
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LinkedIn mistakes start with the profile
Because LinkedIn is a great business-to-business networking tool, people make mistakes because they have not learned how to hone the tool. Also there appears to be a disconnect specific to “talk the talk” and “walk the walk.” Last week, the first three LinkedIn mistakes were …Read More
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Top mistakes made using LinkedIn
In the book “People Buy You,” Jeb Blount writes about how LinkedIn is probably the most important business networking tool in history. Jeb also details the “pump and dump” behavior of some sales people. Not sure about this phrase? Does “throw up and show up” …Read More
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Critical thinking a necessary business skill
All human beings think. Our brains along with our opposable thumbs are what separate us from all other mammals. Yet, for many in business, the ability to consistently apply good critical thinking skills is lacking. Thinking is easy, yet critical thinking is far more difficult. …
Serendipity in business
This past business week was filled with serendipity. Several entirely different experiences happened that when united brought unexpected value and clarity. Let me please explain. First I had the opportunity to speak with Mike Muhney, the inventor of ACT customer relationship management system (CRM) and …
The most valuable plan for today’s business
Strategic business plans, sales plans, marketing plans and even social media plans are used by forward thinking organizations. These plans set a course of action or actions to ensure the best use of resources allowing for the greatest growth, productivity and ultimately profitability. And historically …
Content marketing a competitive B2B advantage
Business-to-business (B2B) marketing is growing as more and more entrepreneurs enter the already crowded global marketplace. According to the US Census Bureau, the majority of small business owners are non-employed (meaning no employees) and many are selling services from consulting, coaching, design, financial, IT, etc. …
The resolve behind business resolutions
Today being the second day of the year, many small business owners, crazy busy salespeople and citizens from young to old have made those infamous New Year resolutions (think goals). Research tells us the majority of these New Year resolutions will be forgotten by the …
2012 will be time to hold onto your business seatbelts
In 1954, General Electric produced a movie to celebrate its 75th birthday. What is interesting to note is that the movie successfully predicted changes in technology including cell phones, 3D TVs and video chat. Future trends in 1950s are now reality. With 2011 coming to …
Why most mission statements fail to deliver the desired results
Walk into some offices and you see the company’s mission statement prominently displayed. In some instances, thousands of dollars have been invested to write this short statement and it is money not well invested. The reason is one of confusion between these two words vision …
Symptoms posing as problems muddy the business waters
“I’m so crazy busy I can’t think straight.” “It seems like nobody really wants to work here.” “Boy, I wish my sales people would hit their sales quotas.” Probably since mankind started engaging in commerce, these statements or similar ones along with countless others have …
The hardest question in business
The hardest question for any business owner to answer and along with the correct response to potentially deliver the greatest increase in sales is this one “What do you do?” The reason why this is such a hard question is one confusion and time. Small …
Managing significant risk challenges business owners
This past week I had a discussion with Steve Dalton, Business Development Manager for Golden Technologies in Valparaiso, a firm dedicated to providing tailored and sustainable solutions where technology is leveraged to improve the performance of people and processes. Our discussion quickly turned to what …
How mobile is your business?
Being ahead of the flow is very difficult for many small business owners because they wear a plethora of hats from selling to marketing to administrative to technical support. With the ever-increasing gigantic if not quantum leaps in science and technology, working with all these …
Are you looking forward to the future or stuck in the present?
This past week I had the opportunity to witness the incredible commitment by Angela Ramos, owner of Inspiration Fitness in Crown Point. Many other small business owners along with crazy busy salespeople could take a lesson in commitment from this dedicated entrepreneur. Ramos understands the …
Telling stories isn’t just for bedtime
As children, many of us were lulled to sleep by our parents who read us fairy tales and other bedtime stories. We created in our brains towering castles, fire breathing dragons to lords and ladies dancing. Through hearing these words, we envisioned brilliant pictures that …
Nothing to be afraid of in public speaking
Today is Halloween. For the last few weeks, cable stations have been running scary movies while parents have been buying or making those annual Halloween costumes. Then there is all that buying of those trick-or-treat candies. Halloween is recognized as a day of fright, of …
Finding value in investment sets successful business leaders apart
“We don’t have a budget as much as we need to take this action.” This statement or what is called a sales objection is heard every day by small business owners to sales professionals. Just this week, I again experienced this all too common sales …
The prospecting times are a changing
When you hear the word prospecting, what image comes to mind? Maybe it’s one of the old miner holding a pick ax on his shoulder followed by a tired donkey walking up and down a well worn mountain path in search of that illusive vein …
Vison and innovation bring happy client base
Many small business owners complain about the various problems or “business diseases” in their organizations. These range from misbehaving employees to demanding customers to excessive government compliance. All these “business diseases” lead to limited or no business success. In researching the word “disease,” I looked …
