If you’ve made the commitment to “Get Organized!” in 2012 — then you might have been exploring the many project management tools that are out there. It can get absolutely overwhelming when you see all the tools out there and really hard to choose one. Who should use project management tools and why Sales people who are managing customers or key account projects.  Project management tools will keep you on track and make sure your project gets done on budget and on time.  Several CRM systems have project management features – but if you’re budget sensitive – consider using Manymoon … Read more »

Are you pulling your hair out trying to decide what type of web hosting is right for you or your business? You are not alone. Many individuals and businesses struggle with choosing a web host, because it can be confusing to the average user, not to mention it is a very daunting task. Be that as it may, it is crucial to find a good and compatible web host, because your website will not be successful without it. There are various types of web hosting to choose from and deciding which one to go with depends on the type of … Read more »

If you are like me then you are constantly using email to market to and communicate with your customers/leads. I send hundreds (if not more) emails a week. I love getting replies to my emails (I always use my email address as the reply to, since email is a low cost way to begin a conversation.) I’ve recently come across a new tool that really has been helping me when customers actually reply to my emails – Rapportive. This tool works only if you are using Gmail, which my firm does. Basically, it looks at the email address in the … Read more »

On Saturday, April 3, 2010, at 9:00 AM, Apple released the iPad into the world. By 10:00 AM, I was experiencing mine ($599 for the 64GB version). By the end of the day, 300,000 had been purchased. Or maybe “friended” would be a better description. Or “married”. The world has definitely changed. My first impressions: The iPad has far greater potential for business than I expected. For one, it runs Apple’s Keynote app ($9.95). To call this their version of PowerPoint would be like calling the Great Wall of China a fence. And because it has an optional VGA connector … Read more »

I’ve decided that if I’ve recommended something at least three times in as many weeks – it’s definitely time to write an article or a review or both.  And this is exactly what’s happened with Scott Allen’s The Virtual Handshake. I can’t believe I’m writing about this book 5 YEARS LATER.  But it’s still good advice and I’m recommending it verbally and so I’m sharing some insights with you. But first, a little about Scott Allen, the author.  Scott started out as a tech guy, so you should listen to him because like most tech guys I know – he … Read more »

When I run into a trend-setting application that gives small business owners, CEO’s and marketing managers a leg up, I can’t wait to share it! First let me tell you about a trend and a new fact of life for small business so that you can have some context because that’s how you’ll understand how truly wonderful this new application is. Businesses and Brands MUST Make Themselves Fit Into Customers’ Lives Let me explain.  There is research out there that shows that consumers all over the world don’t really spend more than 28% of their time shopping and purchasing.  Not … Read more »

Yesterday, I had the privilege to guest host the Small Business Trends Radio Show where Iinterviewed Victoria Ransom, the CEO of Wildfire Interactive. I’m ashamed to say that I hadn’t ever heard of Wildfire Interactive — but today, I’m going to make sure that this terrible tragedy doesn’t happen to you. You’ve probably seen, heard and read a lot of advice on how to use Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Foursquare and other social media tools to increase your business.  And you’ve probably also heard that one of the best ways to increase the number of loyal (meaning real) followers and fans … Read more »

If you haven’t been paying attention to Neuromarketing — you need to get on this bandwagon yesterday because the work that scientists are doing with brains will show you that much of what we think we know about how people buy is a big fat lie. Take this whole idea of choice, for example.  For decades we thought that a sales person’s job was to actually move prospects through this selling process where the go from practical obliviousness about your product or service to where you become happy, profitable cusotmer. Today, we know that the salesperson’s job is being more of a … Read more »

Why do we only talk about trends at the end of one year and the beginning of the next?  At the rate of market and technology changes we’re living through, we should at least reflect on what’s trending somewhere in the middle of the year – when we can actually make some judgements on what trends were right and what trends were wrong.  Perhaps some trends were called before their time?