How cool would it be if there were a silver bullet in sales and marketing to retire quota and make lots of money? You know what I mean — the one thing we could say or do that magically makes...

A common condition I encounter with a number of prospects and new clients is frustration with difficulty talking about their business. You’re in great company if you can’t quite find the magical words to express your company’s value and worth...

As I wrote in an earlier post, your core story is arguably the most important business-building tool you can own. If you haven’t already read that post, please take a couple minutes and read it now, it gives meaning to the...

If you haven’t already, please read part 1 of this topic for steps 1-4 to create your compelling story. Here’s the link. Step 5: Why should I believe you? We’re going to start the second part of this process with...

I hope you found the two part, eight step process to create a core story helpful: Part 1, Part 2. And here is a link to an introduction to core stories, including information on why they are so important. The...

If you’ve heard about core stories, but can’t quite wrap your head around them or have questions about their importance to a business, following is information that may help. I’ve seen core stories interpreted and delivered a number of ways,...

At one time of another, I expect we’ve all been there — put on the spot to say something and not quite knowing what to say. It can happen on the phone, in a meeting, following an introduction, etc. Here’s...

Markets are competitive. I can’t think of a market that doesn’t include a number of vendors or suppliers who compete for market share. A truth that’s often ignored or misunderstood is most companies who compete in a given market look alike to the people who make purchase decisions and...

Features and functionality have a key role in your core story, but you have to position them to realize their selling power. And there’s a cautionary piece when talking about them that can jeopardize your sales process. The danger is...

Difference empowers your core story because it makes it uniquely yours. It ties the things you do directly to the benefit your customer purchases. It starts the process of creating an orange to compare to the apples your competitors offer....