I recently heard about Alaska’s Fat Bear competition – where people voted on the best prepared (read “fat”) bear preparing[...]

What the standard you walk past? As a leader what will and will you not tolerate? These questions have a[...]

I’ve just started swimming again. Or should I say, attempting to . The last time I was in a pool[...]

I believe one of the most important attributes we can have is empathy and compassion. Especially in sales dealing with[...]

As a business leader, one of your most important tasks is to be strategic and lead. You are the one[...]

Why do your clients work with you? When was the last time you asked yourself how you create value for[...]

What do you believe makes a really effective salesperson?  On a continuum, is it someone with deep product knowledge at[...]

This video is part of a business advice series focusing on leadership and strategy. It comes out of recent conversations[...]

I'd like to talk about the relationship between security opportunity and prosperity and the chasm of possibilities this opens up.

Many people have an issue with silence. It plays out in sales conversations where one of the biggest mistakes that[...]

Trust is a key ingredient in business. It takes time to build up and can be destroyed in an instant.[...]

One of the biggest traps in B2B sales is not taking into account the personal agendas of every stakeholder involved[...]

Ever had a salesperson obviously lose interest if they believe you’re not ready to buy?  That’s incredibly short term thinking[...]

I’m Rashid Kotwal. In almost two decades consulting to business owners I’ve come to realise all successful business owners and[...]

I’m sure you’ve heard of the “Golden Rule”  Treat people the way you want to be treated. It’s a great[...]

Sales is the lifeblood of business.  Your goal as a leader is to take charge, Lead Your Business to maximise[...]

Ever met a truly great persuader?  The quintessential, “Could sell ice to Eskimos”. They all tell stories knowing we primarily[...]

Successful businesses all undertake three distinct, intermeshed activities for consistently acquiring clients.   Marketing, prospecting and selling.   Let’s start with[...]

Does bedside manner matter in sales? This might seem like a question more suited to your doctor, so bear with[...]

Let’s talk about the elephant in every sales situation. It’s something felt by every one of us to some degree. [...]

  I’ve been thinking a lot about the natural tension between buyers and sellers. Buyers are worried about and thinking[...]

Have you ever been talked out of a sale?  Or even worse talked a prospect out  of one? This story[...]

    Do you intimately understand the problems your clients actually care about?  The ones they would happily pay money[...]

  Are your sales people playing to their strengths?  Or have you shoehorned people into roles they’re really not suited[...]

I’m sure you’ve heard the proverb, “For the want of a nail the kingdom was lost”.  I’m going to use[...]

I’m sure you’ve heard the cliché “No one wants a Drill.  What they want is a hole”.  But really, who[...]

To chase or not to chase, that is the question! As a young man trying to attract interest from the[...]

  What do you do when a prospect calls you out of the blue and one of the first things[...]

I grew up watching Lost in Space.  Just about every episode had Dr Smith getting up to no good and[...]

Who would have believed the Lion King is a great metaphor for business.  Particularly the lyrics of the circle of[...]

Have you ever sent a proposal only to never hear from the prospect ever again?  Crickets.  Your prospect ghosts you.[...]

I have a couple of questions for you.  What do you know and is it what you are actually known[...]

  Camels.  I think they’re pretty ugly and they spit.  But that aside they’re one of the most resilient creatures[...]

It's almost the end of the year. What you do now will set you up for a great 2021. You[...]

Look around you.  Unless you have a completely unique product or service which is highly unlikely, you’ll have myriad competitors.[...]

  As business owners, life is too short to work with people we don’t like, don’t appreciate the value we[...]

Every crisis and period of disruption such as Covid-19 has seeds of opportunity within it.  As a leader you can[...]

Commercially smart business owners understand the concept of leverage and the 80/20 rule.  Concentrating 20% of your effort to give[...]

In sales I’m sure you realise the importance of qualification.  Whether a prospect has a need or not. Which starts[...]

There are very few professional consultants who like cold calling.  In fact, I’d say 99.9 percent hate it and would[...]

It’s an understatement to say we live in uncertain times.  The pandemic has thrown a spanner in the works for[...]

Are you familiar with the drama triangle?  It’s a social model of human interaction developed by Stephen Karpman in 1968.[...]

I have a direct challenge for you.  I want you to raise your prices.  And keep doing so until you[...]

What do you do when a prospect expresses interest in your product or service?  How do you handle the conversation? [...]

In business it's not who you know but who knows you.  If you're well known as an expert in your[...]

  Any salesperson worth their salt knows we all buy on emotion and justify with logic. From complex to completely[...]

There’s an old saying, It’s not what you know it’s who you know.  However, I firmly believe in business it’s[...]

A big mistake we see is when businesses take a piecemeal, ad-hoc approach to client acquisition.  Which means they struggle[...]

  When coaching people in sales, we stress the axiom, “I don’t care how much you know until I know[...]

A trap many consultants fall into is trying to sell the big enchilada.  Business transformation.  Improving leadership or company culture[...]

  The Chinese symbol for crisis denotes both danger and opportunity.  Both of which we’re experiencing with the pandemic. My[...]

  Agility, resilience, resourcefulness.  The three hall marks of every successful person  be it in business or life in general.[...]

As a leader do you ever find yourself saying any of this? Nobody can do it as well as I[...]

Are you outsourcing your thinking?  Going with the flow.  Letting others tell you what to think, how to act, who[...]

Should I call?  Should I not call?  Should I actively sell? Should I hang back? In the words of Henry[...]

  Right now the world seems to be going to hell in a handbasket.  Fear and uncertainty rules. Having said[...]

What sort of leader are you? My name’s Rashid Kotwal. Over 40 years I’ve come across a wide variety of[...]

Fires, floods, now pestilence with Covid-19.  We live in an age of disruption.  So it’s not a case of if,[...]

Your organisation’s growing rapidly.  How do you hire the right people?  What should you be looking for? My name’s Rashid[...]

  When working with business leaders, we emphasise that everything starts at the top with your leadership. Leadership ultimately is[...]

In business as well as life in general, one of the greatest predictors of success is your mindset. Something understood[...]

Does your business provide you with short, medium and long term income? My name’s Rashid Kotwal. When working with growth[...]

Do you believe your clients buy on price?  So you feel you have to keep your prices low to win[...]

Imagine sending one email and getting over 2,000 targeted leads back within a day.  People who’ve given you their full[...]

How often do you contact a prospect before giving up?  Once, twice, three times?  And by not persisting are you[...]

In business there’s ultimately no difference between making sales and starting a personal relationship. My name’s Rashid Kotwal. Let’s say[...]

2020 is upon us.  I’m sure you have big plans.  Lots of sales growth.  But it’s one thing to set[...]

The late Ziz Ziglar was a consummate salesman who loved hearing the word “NO!”.  That may sound ridiculous, so bear[...]

Imagine playing a competitive game with no scoring mechanism.  No way of determining a winner or loser.  It’s an oxymoron[...]

According to Hebrew proverbs, Where there is no vision, the people perish.  And as the Cheshire Cat said to Alice,[...]

I’m sure you’ve heard the sayings, “Like attracts like”, “Birds of a feather flock together” and “As within, so without”.[...]

Ever been in a tight spot with cash flow?  Where you need clients fast?  Here’s what you need to do.[...]

Are you someone who needs all your ducks lined up before you take action?  Everything to be perfect?  The i’s[...]

In business, your success is in no small part a direct reflection of your mindset. In my experience, business owners[...]

Do you have an abundance or scarcity mentality?  In other words, do you believe there’s enough money to go around[...]

You’ve finally got that meeting with who you believe could be a good prospect.  You turn up at the appointed[...]

AI, block chain and Fin Tech start-ups appear to be sprouting up everywhere.  Founded by someone who has what they[...]

What do you do when confronted with a new idea or way of doing something? Do you immediately go, “It[...]

Have you ever found yourself rambling in a sales meeting? Losing control of the conversation? So you find yourself going[...]

Content marketing.  It’s been all the rage for a few years.  But has it brought the results you hoped for?[...]

If you’re a small business owner how much money and time do you spend on marketing?  Trying to generate more[...]

Sales.  It’s such a loaded word for many coaches and consultants.  They cringe at the thought of contacting strangers to[...]

Who’s your biggest sales competitor? It’s not whom you think. It’s the status quo. Doing nothing is the easiest thing[...]

Selling! It’s such a loaded word. And it’s surprising how many people hate the thought of doing it. Which is[...]

Over the years I’ve learned one thing about prospects. They lie! Generally not intentionally, but they lie all the same.[...]

How often do you reach out to a prospect?  Once?  Twice? Three times?  Even more? Would it surprise you to[...]

Have you ever had what seemed like a great sales conversation and had your prospect say, send me a proposal?[...]

Are you a perfectionist?  Someone who wants everything to line up before you get out there. There’s a useful saying[...]

Have you ever had a client you regretted taking on?  Unfortunately it’s a scenario that many of us face at[...]

Money!  It’s such a loaded word for many of us.  Especially when it comes to what we can earn and[...]

Want to become a better communicator?  Ensure you get your message through? The rate someone normally speaks at reflects the[...]

A speaker in an innovation workshop kept humorously stating he was an overnight success after 15 years of hard slog. [...]

Have you ever grappled with a difficult problem.  Sat with it for days, weeks or even months getting more and[...]

How easy do you make it for prospects to contact you?  How about referral sources? I'm constantly amazed at how[...]

Why did you get into business in the first place?  What did you aspire to? If it was to eventually[...]

Do you have a clear 12 month strategy and direction for your business?  Have 90 day plans which outline exactly[...]

Are you a business owner?  If so what business model are you using?  Is it a practice, business or hybrid?[...]

Would you like to get more high quality referrals? When coaching professional consultants looking to expand their reach we get[...]

As a business leader when was the last time you asked your clients for feedback on how you’re going?  What[...]

Former US president George W. Bush is infamous for saying, “Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame[...]

As a business leader where do you spend your time? Are you getting the best ROI for your efforts? Could[...]

Quick question for you.  Do you have a lot of LinkedIn connections?  Do you regularly add to them? If so,[...]

Having worked with leaders over two decades, we have proven time and time again that mindset is the first and[...]

Opportunities.  Some people see them everywhere.  They try to grab each and run with them.  There are times when it’s[...]

90 days. It's all it takes to go from hero to oblivion in your customers' minds.   Transcript 90 days.[...]

Do you have what it takes to be successful in business? Over the years we’ve worked with a multitude of[...]

This is the final in our three part series on how to make good decisions and become a better leader.[...]

I’m continuing the series on good decision making. In a previous video I covered why having a clear vision, core[...]

All great leaders exhibit one common quality.  The ability to make decisions.  More often than not, without complete information they[...]

There’s a paradox between marketing and sales. In marketing, the credo is the more you tell the more you sell.[...]

If you’re anything like me you get a lot of unsolicited sales calls. Usually they make a number of common[...]

All successful leaders embody a mindset of constant learning. The lessons we value most are things that we discover for[...]

A client lost a multi-million dollar job because they didn’t take our advice. They’d bid for a job with a[...]

One of the greatest dangers we face is fossilisation of our minds.  Believing that what used to work will continue[...]

When you pay for a job to be done, no matter what it is, how do you know it was[...]

Congratulations, you’ve worked hard to get a meeting with a prospect who’s a senior decision maker. It’s the first time[...]

We buy on emotion and justify our decisions with logic. However, most people when asked what they’re looking for will[...]

If you experience prospects who give you the run-a-round and keep making excuses you haven’t found out their intrinsic motivation[...]

Over a 30 year sales career I’ve probably made every mistake in the book. The biggest one is starting a[...]

In a sales career spanning 30 years I have found the most important predictor of success is your intent going[...]

When dealing with two or more people in a sales presentation ignore the "quiet ones" at your peril.  Here's why...[...]

Why is it that most salespeople automatically go into "pitch mode"?  Insisting on telling us all about their wonderful product[...]

We all know dogs can smell fear.  What you may not realise is that people can as well.  And we[...]

Henry Ford said, whether you think you can or think you can’t you’re right. All success or failure starts in[...]

Having had a corporate and business sales career spanning 30 years I’ve come to an inescapable conclusion. Something that if[...]

In almost two decades consulting to business owners I’ve come to realise all successful business owners and leaders exhibit certain[...]

Mistakes. We all make them. But it’s what we then do that defines us. Especially when that involves our clients.[...]

Are you a gambler?  Would you roll the dice with a 3 million dollar stake hoping it’ll pay off in spades?[...]

Are you someone who plans everything to the nth degree? Cautious in your approach, maybe averse to risk?  You come[...]

  Have you ever felt confused by too much choice? A café menu board with 50 variations of exotic sandwiches.[...]

Are you a victim of the modern curse of always being "on"?  Constantly checking your email, social media and text[...]

It's difficult enough getting new clients, so how can you make sure they stay in the fold? Unless you have[...]

Do you sabotage yourself?  In life, work or business? Look, we all do it to some extent.  Full of good[...]

Are you a commodity? You may not reckon you are, but you market sure thinks so. Don’t believe me? Tell[...]

Do you get out of the blue prospecting emails where the sender rabbits on about how wonderful they are and[...]

Let’s talk about a common issue faced by many professional consultants. A fear of selling. Maybe even an absolute dislike[...]

If you’re in business have you ever experienced the feast and famine so prevalent in small to medium sized businesses? [...]

Your business success or lack thereof is a direct reflection of your mindset.  How expansive or closed you are. By[...]

If you employ people you know your number one risk is ending up with a person who doesn’t fit the[...]

You know your new product is a game changer. But you can’t seem to get traction. How do you convince[...]

Over 20 years I've coached hundreds of salespeople. Most could effectively deal prospects in their own peer level. But only[...]

Have you ever walked into a shop to just look around and ended up walking out with a rather expensive[...]

What I’m going to say now may well surprise you. And your initial thought might be, that can’t be right.[...]

Have you ever been cheesed off because you gave a referral, they got the business, but you never heard back. [...]

I’m sure you’ve asked for referrals, maybe from clients, associates, even friends. hey say yes of course, but nothing happens.[...]

There’s a big myth. That getting a referral means you just rock up and the sale is in the bag.[...]

Ask any business owner and they’ll say referrals are the best source of new business. And they’re right. A good[...]

People often ask me how they can get their marketing message in front of the right prospects. Given the plethora[...]

What’s the one thing guaranteed to perk your immediate interest?  It’s hearing your name mentioned across a crowded room. Self-interest[...]

Many years ago a mentor who’s an extremely wealthy businessman hammered a concept into me. You can be the Jack[...]

Steven Covey popularised the phrase, start with the end in mind. Something that’s especially important when sitting down with a[...]

Over the years we’ve observed many small business owners, especially professional consultancy firms confuse the urgent and the important.  So[...]

Do you drop everything when a prospect or client calls? Or do you have a business posture which says, "I[...]

A client recently asked how to handle a price objection. Their prospect wanted a major discount which would have meant[...]

Would you like to double your revenue and profit within one year or less? In this video series we'll cover[...]