Business Archives

“New Sales Driver”: A Simple Sales Model for Success

What is a sales model? What elements should go into a company’s sales model? A sales model is a framework of processes that a company uses to generate sales. In his book, New Sales Simplified, veteran salesman and sales coach Mike Weinberg provides a three-step sales model designed to generate consistent sales for both businesses and sales reps. He argues that with his model, any salesperson can become a successful “sales hunter.” Below is an overview of the three stages of Mike Weinberg’s sales model “New Sales Driver.”

Leadership Level 3: Results-Based Leadership

What is leadership level 3? What are the key characteristic qualities of a level 3 leader? In Maxwell’s leadership hierarchy, leadership level 3 is the results-based or production leadership. It is at this level that you truly begin to lead and make an impact. To thrive as a production leader, you need to be self-motivated, disciplined, and organized. When your team members see your work ethic, they are inspired to be productive themselves, creating a winning team that attracts other strong workers. In this article, we’ll discuss Maxwell’s leadership level 3, its pros and cons, and what to do to

The Multitasking Myth Stands in the Way of Success

What is the multitasking myth? What is the truth about getting more done? Gary W. Keller, the founder of Keller-Williams, argues that the multitasking myth stands in the way of success. It causes people to attempt to focus on more than one thing at a time, ultimately leading to less productivity and poorer performance. Rather than saving time, multitasking wastes time. Continue reading to learn about the multitasking myth and the disadvantages of multitasking.

Organizational Strategic Planning: Think Analytically

What is organizational strategic planning? What factors should you consider when devising a big-picture strategy for an enterprise? Organizational strategic planning is an organizational process of setting objectives and devising a plan for attaining them. According to Richard P. Rumelt, the author of Good Strategy, Bad Strategy, there are three general principles you should adopt when devising a big-picture strategy for your organization: 1) think like a scientist, 2) think like an analyst, and 3) avoid common faulty biases. Keep reading to learn about these guidelines and demonstrate them with real-world examples.

Level Five Leadership: Legacy-Based Leadership

What is Level five leadership? What do you think a leader should do once they’ve reached the pinnacle of the leadership ladder? In John Maxwell’s hierarchy, level five leadership is called the pinnacle leadership or the legacy-based leadership. At this level, people follow you because you have a reputation for developing strong leaders and strong organizations. Pinnacle leadership is about legacy—developing Level 4 leaders so that your organization continues to thrive even after you’re gone. In this article, we’ll discuss Maxwell’s level five leadership, its upsides and downsides, and what to do to thrive at this level.

How to Be Decisive, and Why It Matters to Your Success

What does it take to learn how to be decisive? How can you become a decisive decision-maker? Learning how to be decisive requires ignoring the criticism of others and standing firm on your decisions. This will help you become a better decision-maker. Decisiveness helps you reach decisions quickly and work consistently towards a goal. Read on to learn how to be decisive in your decision-making.

4 Ways to Improve Competence in Yourself & Others

Building a team where everyone can make decisions sounds great in theory. But it works only when people have the skills and judgment to back up those choices. L. David Marquet discovered this firsthand as a submarine commander, and his observations reveal how leaders can systematically improve competence in their teams. Continue reading to learn how to develop the kind of competence that makes distributed authority powerful instead of risky.

The 80/20 Law: Why You Should Focus on the Vital Few

What is the 80/20 law? How can focusing on the vital few help you succeed? One myth standing in the way of success is that everything is important. However, all things are not equally important—figuring out and focusing on the most important things is the key to success. The 80/20 law states that a minority of effort (20%) produces the majority (80%) of the results. That means that focusing on the few, highest-impact things is the key to creating extraordinary results. Read more to learn about the 80/20 law.

Richard Rumelt: Good Strategy, Bad Strategy Overview

What is Richard Rumelt’s Good Strategy, Bad Strategy about? What makes a good organizational strategy according to the author? In Good Strategy Bad Strategy, Richard Rumelt lays out the essential components of good organizational strategy and the faulty thinking behind a bad strategy. He also describes specific and measurable techniques for designing a focused strategy that gives your organization the best chance of success. Below is a brief overview of Good Strategy, Bad Strategy by Richard Rumelt.

L. David Marquet: Traditional Leadership Is Dead

Why does the traditional leadership model frequently fail to achieve the best results? What’s a better alternative? In Turn the Ship Around, submarine captain L. David Marquet shares his experience with traditional leadership in the U.S. Navy. Everywhere he turned, the assumption was that people are either leaders or followers. Experience taught him something different, and he changed the way he led. Read more to learn why traditional leadership is not always the ideal model.