HOW TO SELL WHEN THE CUSTOMER IS IN CHARGE OF THE SALE by John Graham It only takes a few words to describe the dramatic change that confronts every sale...

Use these seven principles to stay ahead of the pack in any market.
Most businesses fail to achieve their potential because of faulty thinking — which happens when business executives, owners, and managers don’t like news that runs contrary to the pictures inside their heads.

Marketing may be second-nature in large companies, but smaller firms often have a tough time implementing, managing, and monitoring an effective marketing strategy. The 'marketing director' title is often conferred on the person designated to answer requests for sales literature, or given as an afterthought to the sales manager (who thinks that marketing is just another way of spelling s-a-l-e-s).

Selling isn’t about making sales — it’s about engaging customers, entering into a conversation with them, and letting them respond when they’re ready to buy. That’s called marketing, and marketing makes sales. In this article, John Graham uses Krispy Kreme Donuts as an example of how a company finds ways to create excitement and build customer loyalty.

As the corporate misdeeds of executives continue to dominate the news, we hear about the curses of greed and immorality. But John Graham calls these executives disloyal. This article focuses on the importance of loyalty in a company and the need to hire loyal employees.
It’s time to get our heads on straight. That 60s phrase is a perfect fit for today’s confused and disturbing business climate, as each newscast brings darker revelations of corporate abuse.

Improved communication has turned us into less adroit communicators. With e-mail, voice-mail, and cell phones, getting the message to another party is so easy that we no longer worry about the content of the message. Poor communications skills translate into lost business. This article by John Graham discusses these consequences and offers guidelines for improving communications.

IT'S ALL ABOUT THE BRAND: USING PUBLIC RELATIONS TO BRAND by Michael Maynard How do you brand your business? A catchy name and logo certainly help, and if you have an advertising budget t...

The major goal of any agency or brokerage can be expressed in just one word: survival.
The mounting failures involving seemingly strong, well-established businesses that have been around for 15 to 75 years are of great concern.
The time has come for agencies and brokerages to take immediate action in order to survive a protracted economic downturn that may extend for several more years in some sectors of business or regions of North America.

LOOK CLOSELY AT THE CORPORATE IDENTIFICATION PROGRAM by Richard Barry There are plenty of good and bad ideas that will dictate the direction of a corporate identification p...

Where's your business headed this year? This article by John Graham offers recommendations on setting your priorities.

If we listen to half the politicians, everything will be coming up profits this year. They tell us to stop worrying about the economy. We're heading towards a new sunrise, they say. The other politicians paint a darker and far less optimistic picture. Where does that leave us? What are we to believe in 2004?