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Have you become a commodity?
A society that accepts "head hunters", "down-sizing" and encourages people to sell themselves to the highest bidder in the market reduces its citizens to commodities. This has its ramifications in work/life balance or general life harmony.

Working at Warp Speed in a Lean Turnaround!
A Lean Transformation in your company may be the best way to create the scenario you need for success. You need to instill processes, culture, manage events and work at warp speed. Lean has a structure that is well defined, a proven commodity that you can follow in a step by step basis.

Selling Value Vs. Being a Commodity
Buyers and sales reps are in a constant battle. The buyer is trying to strip away the perception of value to drive down prices while the sales rep is left to defend why the buyer should be willing to pay more. The sad truth is that sales people are often lacking in the skills required to sell value. These tips will help you defend your profit margins from erosion.

Lesson #4: Develop a Strong Sense of Leadership
“The ability to deal with people is as purchasable a commodity as sugar or coffee and I will pay more for that ability than for any other under the sun,” said Rockefeller.

Lesson #2: Understand the Future and Your Place in It

“I’m a paper man, not electronic,” says Helu. “My children gave me a lap top for Christmas, but all I know how to do so far is push the on button.” In university, Helu studied engineering. He can process numbers and formulas at a speed impossible for most. But, when it comes to using computers and the like, Helu is uninterested. He prefers to keep to himself in the drab basement of his two-story headquarters surrounded by the paper ledgers he has been using since he was a boy.

Marketings Greatest Enemy
You work like crazy trying to attract attention and business, operating from a marketing calendar, committing to your strategy and doing everything right, resulting in an influx of customers -- but you lose them. They never come back.

Blueprint for Success
It’s not just business acumen, but integrity, that carries you forward in the business world. It’s as simple as keeping your word, or, in some cases, remembering what your words were. It seems that “simple” isn’t always easy for some people.

Three Tips for Peak Performance
We all have the capacity to operate at peak performance – but we don’t! The following tips should help you shift your perspective on how you spend your most valuable commodity – your time – so that you are effective and efficient.

Can Your Salespeople Sell More Effectively by Asking More Questions?
Selling by asking questions is hard. A list of questions isn't the answer. Left to their own devices, your salespeople won't be able to create the kind of questions that are needed. You might not be able to either.

Social Media #4 - Consumers Get Their Voices
Part 4 in social media tutorial

Gold Reaching All-Time Highs!
The gold and silver ETFs are on fire as they continue to surge higher. Being ready for a sharp reversal is important if you want to lock in gains on a portion of your position.

Don't Wait To Be Bailed Out!

While the economy is in this downward financial spiral people need to get educated and focus on their future. We all need to decide what we are going to do next, and not wait on the next bailout from the government. Working for the man doesn't seem to be working since people are getting let go from there jobs, so start working for yourself and controling your financial future, and the benefits are fantastic.

Stupid Choices in the Selection of Sales Assessments
When you use an assessment in the sales recruiting process, it must be customizable so that criteria unique to your business, like I described above, can be factored in. That way, in addition to whether the candidate meets our criteria of a successful salesperson, we must be able to determine whether the candidate will be able to succeed in the face of the company's unique challenges.

Motivation or Sales Process?
Many people are looking for a quick fix when it comes to.....

Create Large Accounts by Establishing C-Level Relationships
Learn how to move from vendor to preferred supplier in a heart beat. Here’s the path to C-level executive suites. Once relationships are established there, sales come easily and continuously.

Top 5 Ways Business Acumen Adds to Your Bottom Line

Acumen is described as insight, good judgment and wisdom. Sales acumen combined with business acumen is being hyper aware of trends going on in the world and connecting the trends to your product/service and solutions. The salesperson of the future is moving beyond bonding and rapport; They are professional that know how to carry on a conversation at the 'C' suite. Today's decision maker expects a professional salesperson to understand the business of business.

TRUST

It is popular amongst successful entrepreneurs to talk about certain intangibles that make for good business. Intangibles such as leadership, innovation, persistence and follow- through. I say this, because I too speak of these things, both passionately and often. Their importance goes without questioning. Each cannot be given, and consequently must be earned. Each is intrinsically valuable in and of itself, and may stand as a singular example of character.

Premier Internet Marketing Education – Why It’s Imperative For You To Learn Internet Marketing
An internet marketing education is rapidly becoming the most valuable commodity in today’s global economy. Getting the internet marketing education you need, in order to leverage the internet, is becoming the most prized skill set you can own.

Work At Home Online Business Idea - Publishing An Email Newsletter
If you are unsure of what work at home online business to start take a closer look at publishing your own newsletter. It can be very profitable and a lot of fun as well.

How to Delegate Properly

Leaders are expected to constantly concentrate their time on activities that nobody else in their team can perform. They are miracle doers, business saviors and thus, they do need to delegate. Delegation is defined in the Harvard Business Review as”the transferring of a specific duty from one person to another and includes the transfer of work as well as accountability for that work”. Delegation is an indispensable tool in a leader’s time management toolkit reflecting a leader’s calculated decision as to which tasks to do him/her self and which tasks to move forward and to whom. It allows a leader to put into effect his influence and handle his own responsibilities more effectively while simultaneously developing the skills and abilities of his team members.

The Benefits of Home Business- Life Balance and Time
There are many benefits of working from home. The main is being able to establish a balance of life and your time. This gives you more freedom to spend with family. Also working from home gives you the ability to work anywhere you want, when ever you want.

Top Salespeople Avoid Commodity Selling
If your pushing products/service you may be turning your product/service into a price driven commodity. With small changes in how you approach, talk and present can take you out of the price driven commodity race.

Success is a moving platform

Do you have the wrong sales team delivering your sales strategy? Ask yourself the follow the questions: How has your strategy and /or market place changed recently? How have you seen the role of 'sales' change over the last few years in your industry? How do your sales people compare to your competitors? How do your sales people need to sell now? How is your product offering behaving in the market place now? Was it once exclusive and now a commodity? The definition of a ‘good' salesperson is driven by many possible needs. Those needs are a function of industry standards, changing market conditions, competition, corporate strategy and culture, personalities, past experiences, just to name a few.

Tips For Starting A Profitable Online Business
If you are a single parent and you find working two jobs close to impossible, then you definitely need to read up on profitable online business start-up ideas as a way to work at home and earn a second income.

Improving Memory
Adults with ADD often complain of a poor short-term memory. Research has shown that there is a link between impaired memory and ADD. However, the good news is that your memory is not a stagnant commodity. Your memory can be improved no matter what your age, IQ or if you have ADD.

Win with In-Store Service
The "In Store Experience" is well known as a crucial part of a retailer's interaction with his customers, but what can be done to differentiate your store?

Why the Oil Roller Coaster is Over!
Oil in the global economy has become more of an indicator for the global economy’s health, where in the past rising oil prices was a bad thing, because it beat up the best consumer in the world. (U.S.A.) The correlation is evolving in the global economy and both stocks and oil may continue to rise together.

Viewing Your Time as a Valuable Commodity

Sometimes the keys to successful time management have nothing to do with planners, schedules or organization technique. Instead, changes of viewpoint can make all the difference in the world. These epiphanies can transform one’s outlook regarding time and how it is handled. One of the most important recognitions is understanding time, not as a menacing clock ticking away, but as a valuable commodity.

Sales Training Tip - Most Sales Come Down to Price - Right?
If you think sales is all about being the cheapest producer then you need to read this article. Statistics show that only 20% of people will ever buy the cheapest price. Make sure you are not dealing with those by reading this article.

Spring up your selling skills to improve your business!
Do you sell solutions or products and services? There is a big difference between the two. Most people today only want to deal with sales people if they can provide solutions to their problems or opportunities to improve sales, operations and lower costs.

HOW MONEY HAS EVOLVED TO FIT TODAY’S ONLINE TRANSACTION.

They say if you do not know where you are coming from the you cannot know where you are going. By understanding the way the trade and money has evolved over the year will make you appreciate the role of different types of money in existence today. Let’s start by understanding the different business postures which have existed in this world. Some of those postures are old and dead, some are still around. We start looking at the historical changes in trading and different currencies used.

Economy Recovering? This Indicator Seems to Think So!
This indicator is widely watched by institutions all over. It's now saying that the economy is at the "beginning stages" of an economic recovery. Want to know what it is and why it is pointing to better days to come? Read on.

It's My Party - And I'll Cry If I Want To
Is there anything more embarrassing than turning up at a party and finding that you are the only one there?

Prevent your customer from seeing your product as a commodity
To prevent your customer from seeing your product as a commodity, you have to differentiate it. One way to do that is to think of your product as a solution to a customer's problem and then your sales job becomes one of a problem solver.

Just How Different Are You
So how do you effectively pull your prospects out of the box? In other words, how do you define what makes you TRULY different. Having done many surveys for my clients asking their customers this very pointed questions, I can tell you this. 9 times out of 10 it is in the little things.

Cold Calling Should Not Create the Sales Catastrophe of Becoming a Commodity
Do you need more sales as service professional whether you are a business consultant, sales coach, financial advisor, insurance agent or realtor? Are you making those necessary cold calls? Did you ever think that you are potentially creating a sales catastrophe of becoming a commodity?

Build Value Not Discount To Avoid Becoming A Commodity in Your Industry During Good or Bad Times
Many sales professionals to small business owners to C Level executives believe that by discounting their products or service during good or bad times that they can increase sales and maintain customer loyalty. However, what these folks are really doing is just the opposite because they have turned their products and services into a commodity.

Upgrading Your Company Website
Dealing with website development issues can be an overwhelming task. There are many things your marketing team must consider, in fact, there are so many things to bear in mind that many of the most important ones never get dealt with, or are buried under competing interests.

Good help is hard to find. Retain the best, improve the rest.

The single most valuable asset any business has is its employees. Finding good people is always tough, even in times when unemployment is high. Even then, finding a good match of skills and culture for your business is tricky at best. And labor laws give leverage to the employee in most states. Therefore, before your employees have a chance to go stale, look for the best and recognize them. And take the rest and make them better! This article talks about how to do this, and why it is so critical to the long term stability and profitability of your organization.

Rare Investment Opportunity
With the stock market down, and gas hitting new lows, a lot of people ask me, "What should I invest in?"Very simple... People! Now, more than ever people are looking for leaders to invest in their success! You have this opportunity and it’s right in front of you at your fingertips!

Questions On Guest Loyalty
A readers question about guest loyalty. Is it really an effort to encourage guest loyalty or just a frequency scheme disguised as a loyalty program?

The Male Brain - Hardwired to Fail?
The male brain is hardwired differently from the female brain. Until now, it's been the males' turn to shine; but things are quickly changing.

RELATIONSHIP SELLING – PART II (TYPES OF RELATIONSHIPS)

Do not sell products, services or commodities. Just establish strong relationships with clients and achieve the coveted status of a trusted advisor. Then, your clients will elect to buy services and/or products from you. Never try to sell them. I know that this sounds deceptively simple. Almost as if one could just sit around and wait for things to happen. Establishing and maintaining trusted client relationships without trying to sell them anything, requires a lot of patience and a constant struggle against the temptation to start selling.

HELPFUL SUGGESTIONS FOR MANAGING WORK
Manage your time better and plan ahead. Develop a system that works for you and not against you

10 Good Reasons To Turn Down A Job
Should you take every job that comes your way? No. Here are 10 good reasons to turn down a job.

THE TEN COMMANDMENTS FOR SHORTENING YOUR SALES CYCLE OVER TIME

By John Doerr It usually takes a long time to find a shorter way. ~Anonymous I spend a good percentage of my time selling. I also teach selling to professional service providers. And one issue that comes up time after time is, "How do I get prospects to buy faster? Why don't people respond to my proposals, my calls, my emails, or me? How do I shorten the sales cycle?" My flip answer, "Have more in the pipeline at all times, so the sales cycle just seems shorter." Of course, that rarely makes anyone feel better. So based on our research and experience, here are my Ten Commandments to Making the Sales Process Move More Quickly.

IS THERE ANY VALUE IN YOUR VALUE PROPOSITION FIVE TIPS FOR COMMUNICATING THE REAL VALUE OF YOUR SERVICES
By John Doerr Are You Different? In the course of my work with all manner of professional service firms, I hear a very common lament. “We are becoming a commodity. The prospects just seem to buy on price. We are really good. How can I possibly separate myself from the crowd?” My usual response is, “What can make you special? Why are you different?”

FIVE STEPS TO GETTING THE FEES YOU KNOW YOU DESERVE

By John Doerr One of the most common laments I hear from service business executives goes like this: "Our services are becoming a commodity. Everyone is out there saying they can do the same thing we do, pushing fees further and further down. Prospects are just buying on price." Unfortunately as service providers, there are aspects of what we provide that have become commodities. Price competition is rampant. However, if you follow these five steps to provide value before, during, and after the sales process, you will get the fees you know you deserve.

How Awkward is it for You to Ask Questions?
Maybe you aren't asking the right questions in the right order for the right reasons? Asking the right questions is definitely a skill and the best sales people are very adept at it.

When you hear, "Your Price Is Too High!!

When your customer tells you your price is too high—You have made the sale. That’s right. They are telling you • The product you are selling satisfies all their needs • he product solves their problems • They love your product/service • They want your product/service Now all you have to do is show them your product is worth more to them than their money. All you have to do is turn the feature Price into a BENEFITT.

Focus on Your Talents

Most people are focused on where the opportunities are and then try to fit themselves into that mould, without giving appropriate thought to their own unique talents and abilities. However, that's not always a great idea. Because today's business playing field is slippery, time is a commodity you don't have, the future is unknown, and security is a thing of the past! In this environment it is important to remember to try differently, rather than trying harder!

The Role of Self-Confidence in Success
If you see successful people, you will usually find that they are very self-confidant. Self-confidence may have come to these people on account of their success, but usually self-confidence is present in people before they become successful. Once they start working toward success, usually self-confidence and success run parallel, each fueling the other.

6 Steps Up the Ladder of Sales Success.

A lot of successful people have said that we always have to think about the customer and to think about the sales. You’ll hear me talk a lot about sales because it’s a skill we all have to master. In business, the only way to remain in business is to sell successfully. No one will buy anything from you if you don’t master the art of selling. Eliminate your competition. The days of basing your product solely on its USP are almost gone, and this is why the UEP is so important. Today’s lesson, in short: a guaranteed personal transformation is hard to duplicate and replace.

DEFENDING YOUR TIME
Time management is not so much about managing our own time as preventing other people managing it for us.

Is Ford’s auto-xchange the “Real Deal?” (Survey Response 1)

In a recent video that was released by The Ford Motor Company, Ford's Vice President and Chief Information Officer, Jim Yost indicated that the company has to "share information in real-time" and therefore can no longer use "the sequential processes” in which there were many “handoffs" and "transfers of information." Yost also emphasized the fact that Ford needs to "integrate much more closely with their customers, supply base and even internally," as well as stressing the importance of making information available to multiple levels of their supply base "simultaneously," thereby eschewing the current "cascade processes that might take days, weeks and even months" to disseminate. To enable you to respond to this question, you can access both the video as well as the corresponding article by contacting the author.

Member Question Regarding Ariba Experience
Member Question: Does anyone have any experience with a company called Ariba and their ability to do spend analysis for a procurement group? Question Submitted By: Patrick Program Manager United States

Business Coach learnings about Unprofitable Sales
As Brian Tracy says, the root of all business problems is “low sales”- and the solution is “high sales”. Very true! Now read on to what his certified FocalPoint Business Coaches have to say about fixing that problem in your company.

Six Life-Threatening Marketing Problems

90% of start ups don’t make it past their first year; while 90% of the survivals don’t live long enough to celebrate their 5th birth day. I don’t want to paint a gloomy picture here, but it’s the brutal fact all entrepreneurs have to face. As an education marketer, I have dealt with hundreds of business owners struggling to promote themselves through conventional advertising, and I can honestly tell you that the #1 reason for failure is lack of cash reserve to bring product to market, in another word, it’s a marketing problem. Here’s a checklist of six symptoms, and if left untreated, could develop into life threatening marketing problems.

Supplemental Material Double Marginalization and the Point of Ideal Price Viability

I have received a number of e-mails regarding my August 10th posting (Double Marginalization and the Point of Ideal Price Viability) requesting clarification of my theory. In line with the old saying that a “picture is worth a thousand words,” the following graph will hopefully illustrate the basis for my conclusions. (NOTE: due to space limitations I am not able to incorporate the actual graph into this posting. To obtain a copy of the graph send me an e-mail at jhansen@procureinsights.com with “Graph” in the subject line.)

Thought Conformity
People pass off others' thinking as their own. They parrot others' issues without personal analysis. And they embrace others' perspectives as if it was their original thought. But these repackaged perspectives hamper innovation, personal growth, and business results.

The Squirrel Effect

Like that squirrel, people often hide what they consider important to their personal survival in the corporate world. It’s called information. Hoarding bits and pieces, they act as if information alone is a work-life sustaining nutrient. The more information nuggets they have, the safer or more powerful they think they’ll be. And while those nuggets might help someone survive in a corporate culture where information is a bartered commodity, long term it won’t help them thrive. Here’s why.

Accomplish More By Working With Your Time
With today's busy lifestyle you will often feel that there simply isn't enough time to do everything you want to do. Most of us have busy work schedules and have families to look after so every minute of leisure time seems like a valuable commodity. However, there are some simple steps you can take to get more out of your day.

Product Packaging The Secret to Selling a Commodity Product
In the world of marketing, perception is reality. You can use that to your advantage if you sell a commodity product. This article gives you a good example of how to package a commodity product for higher profits.

Marketing Professionals
A KEY INDUSTRY COMMODITY IN CRITICALLY SHORT SUPPLY

1.4 World prices for African commodities: Economic Report on Africa 2007
Commodity prices on the increase

All Change Please
Swirling commodity and currency prices, banks that won’t lend, insurance that does not ensure, imperiled ecology and jobs becoming rare. But do we actually want these systems to recover?

Leadership Is The Most Powerful Commodity On The Planet!
Leadership Is The Most Powerful Commodity On The Planet, but unfortunately, most people have been conditioned in our society to follow the herd - do what is safe.

Fiat Money vs. Commodity Money
As the world economies have embraced fiat money over commodity money we stand on dangerous ground. United States debt and World debt have reached record proportions. This crippling debt sees no foreseeable end and the roots can be traced to the twentieth century shift of thought between fiat and commodity money.

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