A discussion about the fundamentals of leadership and success.

The Limits of “E Marketing”

“Technology is a queer thing. It brings you gifts with one hand, and stabs you in the back with the other.”

C.P. Snow

Five Common Errors That Cost Sales and Harm Business

First Law on Holes: When you’re in one, stop digging!

Denis Healy

There’s no shortage of advice regarding new things we can do to improve our sales, but sometimes our problems are coming from things we need to STOP doing. Despite the current focus on positive thinking and affirmations, one problem that holds sales reps back is self-centeredness. When that’s the case, the quickest route to improvement is to face that fact, correct the habits associated with it, and move on.

People, Product & Process: Improving Your Business By Asking the Right Questions

“Judge a man by his questions rather than by his answers.”

Voltaire

“Strategic thinking is like showering— you have to keep on doing it.”

Olan Hendrix

Human Error in Business Systems: Costly and Pervasive, but Avoidable

“Error is a hardy plant; it flourishes in every soil.”

Martin F. Tupper

With the current emphasis on positive thinking and affirmations, people often overlook one of the biggest drains on profit margins— human error. Outside of engineering circles, it rarely gets discussed. But acknowledging, understanding, and incorporating the problem of human error into strategic planning processes can be very good for the bottom line, no matter what business you’re in.

Improve Your Business By Being Brutally Honest With Yourself

“No persons are more frequently wrong than those who will not admit they are wrong.”

François de La Rochefoucauld

Improve Your Profit Margin by Sharpening Up Your “Emotional Intelligence”

“All things being equal, people will do business with, and refer business to, those people they know, like and trust.” Bob Burg

Using hard data such as productivity and profit margins, psychologist and business specialist Dan Goleman has demonstrated the importance and power of “emotional intelligence” as a determinant of financial success. His work should not be confused with various fads that have ruined workplaces in the past. It’s serious business and should not be taken lightly.

Several Societal Trends That Threaten America's Future

“We have met the enemy, and he is us.” Walt Kelly

Innumerable surveys and polls indicate that a large majority of Americans feel that our country is “going in the wrong direction,” and express deep concerns about our future. Few however, are very specific about exactly what’s wrong, and are able to do little more than point fingers at “the government” as the major reason for their pessimism. I think however, that we’d also better take a look at ourselves.

Improving Your Sales Skills: Six Principles to Keep in Mind

This article is about sales, but its focus is on principles, not tactics. There is a difference, and it’s important. Tactics are scripted ruses that are intended to increase sales but usually don’t. In contrast, principles are timeless and unchanging truisms regarding how people perceive, respond, and relate to one another. Successful sales professionals value principles— amateurs depend upon tactics.

Influence: Science and Practice

The Ability to Listen: An Invaluable But Underdeveloped Business Tool

“Most of the successful people I’ve known are the ones who do more listening than talking.”

Bernard M. Baruch

The ability to communicate our ideas to others is essential for success in business. Less often discussed, however, but just as essential to effective communication is the ability to listen. As simple and obvious as this seems, it remains a major problem in business, underlying innumerable breakdowns and failures. Fortunately, the dysfunctions associated with this can be corrected by those who truly wish to.

Four Errors That Can Bring Down Any Business

“Error is a hardy plant; it flourishes in every soil.”

Martin F. Tupper

As a long-term analyst of business and industry, I’ve witnessed the good, the bad, and the ugly in regard successes and failures in enterprise. Human beings are prone to error by nature, and successful entrepreneurs know this and are wary of their own fallibility. This knowledge and wariness are both invaluable tools for avoiding disaster in a competitive and rapidly changing economy.

The problem of human error

Making 2013 a Renaissance Year for You and Your Business

“The plans of the diligent lead to profit, as surely as haste leads to poverty.”

Proverbs 21:5

2012 was a year defined by uncertainty regarding issues over which business leaders had little or no control. Many coped by adopting conservative strategies and taking a “wait and see” attitude. 2013 is all about resurgence and growth, and the most successful entrepreneurs make the revitalization of themselves the foundation for future prosperity.

2012 in the rear view mirror

Pottstown: Ripe for Redevelopment, But Needs a Unified Effort

“Alone we can do so little. Together we can do so much.”

Helen Keller

Once a hotbed of manufacturing, Pottstown’s more recent history has been characterized by a sluggish economy and high unemployment. But its eventual revival is a certainty, as it has far too many assets to remain in the doldrums for long. Taking advantage of all that Pottstown has going for it, however, will require some fresh thinking, a spirit of unity, and a concerted effort.

The Mysterious Stock Market: As Psychological as it is Financial

“The dumbest reason in the world to buy a stock is because it’s going up.”

Warren Buffett

Action, intrigue, uncertainty, elation, and exasperation. I’m not talking about the latest box office thriller; I’m referring to the stock market. Despite its perplexing ups and downs, it affects us all, no matter what business we’re in. For that reason, improving our understanding of what drives it is essential. And what drives “the market” is that which drives all business— human psychology.

Making Every "Business Minute" Count: Maximizing the Dollar Value of your Time

“Time is what we want most, but what we use worst.”

William Penn

Two things that business owners have in common are that (1) we survive by translating our time into dollars and cents; (2) the clock is more often an enemy than a friend. There are ways, however, to rethink how we look at both our priorities and our time that can help. The rewards for those who are willing to do so include better efficiency, less stress, and last but not least, improvements on the bottom line.