Articles by Mike Crandall

Our most precious commodity is time—we only have so much each day, week, month, etc. Because it is such a precious and limited resource, we must fully understand that every minute you spend with the wrong person, you cheat the right person out of! 

Even though they may not be clearly defined, you likely have some long-term objectives for yourself, your family, your career, your business, etc. (I would be remiss if I did not share the fact they should be defined; however that is a topic for another column.) Recently I heard something that bothers me greatly and has since I heard it. I was visiting with a potential client and was saddened to learn of a bad experience they had with a consultant who provides services similar to ours.

There is a fundamental truth in the business world that spills into our personal lives as well. This concept is something I have used with people I have coached for over twenty years.

Who is your sales competition? Most business owners, executives, and salespeople think about competition in sales completely wrong. It may seem crazy, but it is true. As a sales coach and consultant, I hear comments all the time like, “We don’t have anyone we compete with,” and, “No one sells what we sell.” These may seem like odd statements, but they are very real and come up on a regular basis. 

If you are like most business owners and leaders, you are frustrated by waste. Especially when is it obvious like wasted materials in what we build or manufacture and wasted work hours when employees do incorrect work or make mistakes that cost us more time. These things often go beyond frustration to flat-out anger. Particularly when we can see how much it is costing us and the negative business impact of wasted time, energy, money, materials, resources, etc.

When people think of those who are successful, they often think about individuals who did something others were afraid to do. However, most don’t truly explore what made them do those things. Most of the time, it started with courage that drove them and propelled them into success! Courage is one of the key ingredients needed to be successful (or more successful) in the professional world, but it is also applicable in our personal world as well. 

As the calendar turns to a new year, there is always much discussion about making the new year better than the prior year. Often it leads to conversation and/or work around goals, plans, New Year’s Resolutions, etc. All too often people come up with things they want to do and accomplish, but they often miss the things they need to truly drive success forward. 

Do you want more out of 2022 than what you got out of 2021, whether it’s more money, free time, respect, friends, etc.? If you are like over 90% of the population, you said you would achieve something in 2021 that you fell short on. Why do you think only 10% did not fall short? Because they have the desire and commitment and follow the 6 simple steps we outline in this column.

Often times in business (and in life), we work on the wrong end of the problem. Frequently, we put time, energy, and money into things that truly will not fix the issue we are trying to resolve. This is far more common than most people realize, especially in the business world.

We all know that many things in the world have changed since the start of Covid in 2020. The business world has been a huge part of the change we have all seen or experienced. Sales, a significant part of the business world, is no exception. Not only have supply chain issues, technology, and communication formats impacted sales, but what buyers want and how they work have also been tremendously influenced by Covid.