Marketing

“I'm okay. I get a most of my business through referrals and don’t need help to get more clients”. If this is you, great! But could a steady stream of referrals be [...]

The surgeon said "open wide." Sixty seconds later, the tooth was out. Two stitches. Done. $535. If you've been following my newsletters, you'll know this wisdom tooth had been causing me grief [...]

If you've been in professional services for any length of time, you've likely experienced it. A big project lands. Revenue looks solid. Everyone's heads-down delivering. Then the project wraps, the invoice goes [...]

Having worked with professional services firms over 25 years, I've observed most sales stall because they make a fundamental mistake. (And full disclosure – I’ve made the same one myself) We describe [...]

Giddy up… The 2025 Melbourne Cup has just been run and, true to form, the favourite didn’t win - it came 19th. (Interesting fact: Since the first race in 1861 – the [...]

One of the most powerful lessons I ever learned in sales is that your credibility provides the greatest leverage in sales. The more credible you are, the easier it is for people [...]

Love him or loath him, Trump pulled off a remarkable victory. I thought there are some great sales lessons in how he did it. ABC’s Global Affairs Editor, John Lyons thinks Trump’s [...]

Simon Senek popularised the whole concept of begin with your why.  Why your organization exists.  Why you do what you do etc. But you know what?  I don’t generally give a toss [...]

One of the things that saddens me is seeing great technological innovations fail, mainly due to a lack of marketing and sales. I've seen that happen in many guises from inventors tightly [...]

Taking a transactional approach to sales is a classic mistake which will severely impact your revenue and profitability. Ask these 4 questions to increase your deal size. Transcript: Do you [...]

Want to attract more of your ideal clients?  Position yourself as a specialist! Plumbers can unblock drains, install gas, hot water systems and even roof tiles.  Accountants do tax returns, book keeping, [...]

Would you "hire" yourself based on the value proposition you communicate to your prospects? Just how clear are you? Could a prospect immediately recognise themselves having the problems you can solve? We [...]

“Winter is coming” – has become part of the vernacular.  Business goes in seasons and cycles.  There are times when you’ll be consumed by delivery, wondering how you’ll get everything done.  But as sure [...]

Do you always go for the cheapest price?  Or do you look for value for money – knowing buying the cheapest now may cost you dearly in the long run? I often [...]

All sales and marketing is based on effective communication.  Effective means the other person easily understands what you’re saying. Which means keeping it at an 8th grade level or that of the [...]

There’s a saying in marketing, “The more you tell, the more you sell”.  In other words, the better you educate your prospects regarding your solutions, the more interest and engagement you’ll create. [...]

Let me start by saying “In business, nothing happens until you sell something”. Which means picking up the phone and actually speaking with a prospect.  Finding out if they have a problem [...]

What would you do if your one method of communicating with your prospects and clients dried up, overnight?  How would you cope? It’s a question a heck of a lot of businesses [...]

Sales has got a bad rap.  Most think it’s about ramming your message down someone’s throat, having clever comebacks for objections and continually trying to close. Frankly nothing could be further from [...]

Many business owners express confusion regarding the roles of marketing, prospecting and selling. While they are distinct activities, think of them as three “safe tumblers” locking the door to a stream of [...]

Perceived risk is one of the greatest barriers to a sale.  Will I get what was promised?  Will it work?  What will my family, friends, co-workers, bosses think?  Will the supplier stand [...]