Don’t get trapped by this all-too-common advice. — What’s the worst business strategy in the world? Working for free. What’s the second worst business strategy in the world? Risk-reversal. (Especially for a new business.) In case you aren’t familiar, allow me to illustrate: Let’s say you’re a brand new marketing agency. You’re trying to land your first few…

We’re obsessed with remembering what we read.

Hint: It’s not about disruption or innovation. — When we strip away the complexity, business is a very straightforward process. Solve problems for people. Become more effective, and more efficient, and you’ll find yourself running a very profitable enterprise. We’re often distracted by stories we think we’re supposed to be living. Stories of innovation, disruption, authority, popularity, and…

I’ve encountered at least four. — The Clear & Obvious No You will hear it in their voice, see it in their face, and know it in your gut. Do not continue, do not press your point. Hear them, acknowledge the no and move on. The Repeated No Some people abhor confrontation. They won’t come out and…

The Power of The Everything Store. The power of Everything Stores (Amazon, Apple, Walmart etc.) is that they have integrated themselves deep into the lives of their clients; who love them for it. Everything Stores are constantly uncovering new categories and verticals to work in (sometimes even inventing new categories). Their Secret Is One Simple Question. Their secret is one simple question…

What you can learn from Netflix’s underwhelming model. — Netflix Is Amazing, But It Had a Problem. As of Q3 2021, Netflix had 214M memberships and drove around $7.5B in revenue — but they’re price capped. Their highest-tier is $19.99 — what happens when someone who loves the service wants to spend more with Netflix? They can’t.

Want more sales? Master these two elements. — Prediction: A Signal Of Mastery. Intentional Practice Leads To Clairvoyance. Athletes know where the game is going to be. They pop up where the ball is. How did they get there? Hundreds of thousands of intentional reps. Notice I didn’t say “reps” — I said intentional reps. Practice with a goal in mind. Professionals Are Made, Not Born. Great athletes are, to some degree, born…

Everyone wins when you upsell. — Everyone Wins When You Upsell. Imagine if McDonald’s just sold burgers. Think of all the value they’d be leaving on the table. Think of how unhappy their customers would be! If they didn’t sell fries and drinks there’d be a lot more hungry, thirsty people walking around. See An Upsell As An Insurance Policy For Your Client/Customer. People want what you have. They’re buying to…

The pitfalls of playing it safe in life & business. The Distortion of Safety. In structural engineering, adding layers of safety and multiple redunancies is as natural as breathing air. You would never build a structure with a single point of failure. Why then, do we design our lives that way? Our businesses? Playing It Small Is The Risk. When…