How to Leave a Phone Message That Gets a Call Back

One of the most important tasks in business is connecting with people.  The problem is, however, that we can't always meet everyone in person to connect with them.  While e-mail or text messaging works okay for sorting out logistics, such as setting up a lunch appointment, e-mail and text messages don't help to connect with people.  Therefore, we often pick up the phone instead of just sending an e-mail or text message.  This helps to build rapport and connect with people.  

But if we can't get ahold of someone when we call, we have two options: to try back later or to leave a message.  Here are ten tips to leaving a message that will get a return call:

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Four Reasons Every Business Should Sell Impulse Items

Impulse items are those products that result in unplanned purchases due to the purchaser picking them up, or deciding to buy them, right before the purchase is made.  A common example of impulse items is in retail where lower-dollar items such as candy, magazines, and drinks are displayed next to the cash registers on the way to the store exits.

The idea behind impulse purchases often result from emotions and feelings that arise when seeing a product.  If these products are displayed right before a customer is leaving the store, the customer will find themselves making an unplanned decision before leaving the store.

Impulse items work extremely well for many

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Adam Witmer
Overuse of the Word Innovation

Innovation.  Everyone is talking about it.  Everyone seems to know they need to innovate.  And everyone seems to try to sell their innovation as a marketing pitch. 

But the word “innovation" has become an over used buzz word.  Even the president of the United States talked about small business innovation in one of his State of the Union addresses.  

The problem is that the true meaning of the word has been lost because of the overuse of the word innovation.

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Why You Need to Diversify Your Business

Several years ago, I was talked with a friend of mine who was a financial advisor.  We were discussing his business and discussing the potential risks associated with his company.

To me, his biggest risk was the fact that he had partnered with a bank as the sole source of referrals for his business.  Every customer he had came from the bank.  In fact, he didn’t even have his own office - he worked out of the bank.

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Adam Witmer
The Biggest Sales Mistake I Ever Made

Sales is an essential component to any business.  In fact, I would even argue that it is the most important element for a company - if you don’t have sales, you don’t have a business.

For that very reason, many companies spend thousands and thousands of dollars to provide their sales staff with skills they need to increase their productivity.

But I learned a very difficult lesson early on.

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Weekly Update #2

This post is my second weekly update where I share with you what I have been up to and what I plan to get done during the next week.  I am actually posting this a day after my first weekly update, but I wanted to do that to make sure i had one update to align with each week of the year - we just finished the second week in January, so this is update #2.

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Adam Witmer
Weekly Update #1

I have decided to write a weekly update as to the progress of my blog and online Platform.  I am not sure how long I will do this or how it will evolve, but I want to use this opportunity to share with you - my readers - what I am working on and how things are progressing.  Or not progressing, if that is the case.

o with out further ado, here is my first update...

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Adam Witmer
3 Ways You Are Failing Your Team

As a business owner, the success of our team depends of us.  The buck stops with you.  Failure, success, bloating - it all starts and stops with you.

And that is a ton of pressure, isn’t it?

The good news is that we have the opportunities to build and lead incredible teams.  But we have to do it the right way.

The following are four ways that you might be failing your team:

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Adam Witmer
5 Reasons You Might Be Losing Sales

Obtaining new customers is one of the most challenging aspects in business.  Yet, day after day businesses leave prospects at the door because they can’t convert them into a paying customer.  But what if that could be avoided?  

How much would you pay to know why your prospects don't convert?

To benefit my readers, I want to share a personal experience I had this week where I wanted to work with a local business I had never worked with before, but ended up going to the competition.

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Selling Like an All Star Quarterback

Sales can be an overwhelming word for a business owner.  I know that the hairs on the back of my head rise every time I think about selling my services in the traditional way.

Some people are natural hustlers when it comes to sales - the have no problem pushing their product into a sea of rejection.   They weave and wind between objections and are still able to reach the goal line and make the sale.  But I am not a hustler and have a difficult time with a sea of rejection. 

So the thought of traditional sales makes me very uncomfortable.  

Fortunately for me, I know that I can still sell like an all-star quarterback without the skills of selling.

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