Posts Tagged ‘sales’

Beyond The “Elevator Pitch”

Thursday, December 16th, 2010

We hear a lot in business literature about how it’s important to have an “elevator pitch” — a prepared speech about our business that’s so concise we could deliver it to someone on a brief elevator ride.  We’re often told to memorize our elevator pitch and practice it in the mirror, making sure we look [...]

“Authentic Marketing,” Part 5: A Personal Share

Wednesday, June 16th, 2010

“I teach people how to use mindfulness practices, like meditation and yoga, to focus while they work.  I help them bring these practices into their in-the-moment experience of working — to go beyond just using them on the yoga mat or the meditation cushion.”
This is a correct description of what I do.  Unfortunately, it also [...]

“Authentic Marketing,” Part 4: An Awareness-Building Exercise

Thursday, May 27th, 2010

In an earlier post, I suggested that we can actually enjoy marketing when we’re able to tap into our natural compassion and concern for others.  As I said, I think this often requires us to let go of the ways we protect ourselves from getting hurt when we interact with another person.
For example, if we’re [...]

“Authentic Marketing,” Part 3: I Can Read Your Mind

Saturday, May 22nd, 2010

It’s not just a line from the Alan Parsons Project — it’s the truth.
I know how you’re feeling and what your intentions are.  What’s more, everyone else does too.  Human beings are extremely empathic creatures.
I’m exaggerating a little — sometimes you can trick people into buying your facade.  But much of the time, when you [...]

Thoughts On “Authentic Marketing”

Wednesday, September 30th, 2009

I’ve read a bunch of discussions on blogs recently about how to be “authentic” in marketing your goods and services—and, in some cases, whether authentic marketing is even possible—and I have some thoughts to contribute.  I’ll offer a simple, but powerful, question to ask when you’re working on selling your stuff to guide you toward [...]

Bringing Humanity Into Networking

Monday, April 13th, 2009

“Who you are speaks so loudly I can’t hear what you’re saying.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson
I’ve been going to my fair share of business networking events recently, and what’s come up for me is that the conventional wisdom on networking and “selling yourself” could use a little tweaking.
Like many people, I used to go to [...]