Why do buyers often introduce ‘irritants’ like arranging for your competitors to be visiting them just before or after you so you pass in reception, or saying they just had a comparative quote 10% lower than yours?

The business environment is full of ups and downs just as the world economy has its’ peaks and troughs. In the very same way each individual business will have its fare share of good times and bad.

I was speaking with a business owner recently about a number of topics and we got round to marketing and then on to Twitter.

Which of these words are you using to run your business? Here’s a way to remember them – “Try” to strike them from your vocabulary, “but” if you “can’t”, you can “settle” for only using a few and make a “goal” of getting rid of the rest “later”, when you’re “alone” and nobody’s watching.

There are Seven Stages in the Maturity of a business. Today we’ll focus on the first four, because they tell us what happened that screwed up our understanding of how to grow a business and why we can’t get off the treadmill.

Don’t kid yourself. The market doesn’t determine our prices; our prices determine our market. It’s our fault, not theirs.

How often are you faced with a sales assistant or someone on the phone who patently has no interest in you or what you might want to buy?

“Your attitude will determine your future…”. It sounds simple, but it is harder to actually do, especially for sales people. Developing and maintaining a positive mental attitude requires determining and controlling your thoughts.

Start-ups are faced with very many challenges not least of which is the need to keep costs down while business develops and revenue starts to come in.

Have you ever bought a house? No sooner than you buy the house than the real estate refers you on to an insurance agent. And a lawyer. And assorted services.

Most people will probably associate the words ‘influence’ or ‘persuasion’ with the sales process. However, influencing, in other words, getting another person to accede to your requests is at the core of most soft skills …

I was at a customer appreciation event for a large telecommunications company in Beaver Creek last week. Jonny Moseley, 1998 Olympic gold medalist in freestyle skiing …

Finding opportunities in a challenging economic climate by getting 1% better. Advice and suggestions from MYOB’s NZ General Manager – Julian Smith. Presented at the Bizzone Expo, Christchurch, NZ

Some great tips from our contributors on how your business can survive the first year of business. Tip 1: Invest In Professional Marketing Services. Regardless the size of your company …

For many people the thought of an interview can be pretty scary. We think of interviews in terms of what we have to go through to get a job or promotion.

In my travels I have encountered business owners who don’t seem to be able to keep a promise. Are you one of them?