Distinguishing Touches

As many of my readers know, I am constantly saying that we learn our best marketing lessons when we are the customer. I had a great reminder this past week. My wife, Michelle, had to undergo a rather serious abdominal surgery. It doesn’t matter how busy you may be, or who you are, such news…

Close your eyes, relax, breathe deep – and spend some money. Retailers have long known that less-stressed shoppers are likely to browse longer, but there’s also evidence that they’ll also be more receptive to higher prices. A recent study in the “Journal of Marketing Research” found that relaxed shoppers were willing to pay up to…

This week’s reminder is for all the managers in our member firms. Whether your title includes the terms: general, sales, service, installation or office; please hear me out. If you are not growing as a person and a leader, how can you expect those who report to you to do otherwise? It’s very likely those…

Fourteen states have announced they will be raising their minimum wages the first of the year. Alaska: $8.75 to $9.75 Arkansas: $7.50 to $8.00 California: $9.00 to $10.00 Colorado: $8.23 to $8.31 Connecticut: $9.15 to $9.60 Hawaii: $7.75 to $8.50 Massachusetts: $9.00 to $10.00 Michigan: $8.15 to $8.50 Nebraska: $8.00 to $9.00 New York: $8.75 to $9.00 (effective New Year’s Eve) Rhode Island: $9.00 to $9.60…

According to the White House, federal agencies have withdrawn, made inactive, or delayed 1,579 planned regulatory actions since President Trump took office. While almost a third of these deregulatory actions were begun under prior Presidents and some will have little impact on businesses, the President and Congress has succeeded in undoing some major rules. The…

When I speak to salespeople, I often ask them how ready they are to make a sale right now. I almost always get an answer to the effect of, “I was born ready!” Then I will ask them for a clean business card (not a wrinkled one that has been in their wallet for too…