Selling 2.0 – Helping is the New Selling

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Selling 2.0 – Helping is the New Selling

Just as you sometimes read that 40 is the new 30 or brown is the new black, I propose that helping is the new selling.  Large and small companies are catching on to the very basic human principle that we tend to like those who help us, and, of course, we prefer to do business with people (and companies) that we like. Last time I was in LA, my mother pointed out an “ad” that Allstate Insurance posted in the LA Times.  The ad was really just a list of free gift suggestions, things that a person can do for others which make a difference for them, but which don’t cost the giver anything.

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Book Recommendation: Get Clients Now!

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Get Clients Now! A 28-Day Marketing Program for Professionals and Consultantsby C.J. Hayden

If you are interested in expanding your client base, but are not sure what to do next, check out this book.  It provides tools for evaluating your existing business development strategies, identifying areas of weakness, and designing a 28-day action plan to target those areas.  The book walks you through the process of selecting ten specific daily or weekly actions and provides a useful structure for tracking your progress.  This approach to marketing works by focusing on a set of simple and effective strategies done consistently over a period of time.  This book can be used on its own or in conjunction with a coaching/accountability structure.

Our Iceberg is Melting: A Book About Organizational Change

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It is also a parable about organizational change written by one of the foremost experts on the subject at the Harvard Business School. The story explores the process by which crises come to the attention of leadership,

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First Break All the Rules, by Marcus Buckingham and Curt Coffman

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“How do the world’s greatest managers find, focus and keep talented employees?” The Gallup Organization interviewed managers and leaders in large and small organizations to discover what the top ten percent had in common.  They learned that the best supervisors tend to take an unconventional approach to overseeing staff.  For example, these managers do not advocate treating everyone identically.  They pay attention to the differences in style, temperament and motivation of each person and adjust their techniques accordingly.  They also spend the majority of  their time and energy on the most productive rather than the least effective employees.  When great managers identify weaknesses in their star staff members, they find creative ways to work around those flaws rather than waste time and energy trying to fix intractable character traits.   Regardless of how much experience or success you have supervising others, this book will provide new perspectives and insight.  Plus, it’s a fun read.

ABC’s of Happiness – Not for children

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ABC’s of Happiness – Not for children, by Mark Yablonovich and Juliet Kaska.  Illustrated by Scot Ritchie. This is a picture book, but it really isn’t for kids, as some of the pictures have adult themes.  It is mostly intended as a fun gift book, but it also has useful coaching practices to go along with each letter.  A is for Acceptance,  B is for Balance, etc.  Each letter of the alphabet comes with a couple of silly phrases and quirky pictures, and then there are some coaching or meditation practices related to each topic.