Whatever sage advice you impart to someone, make it short and memorable

To me, it’s all the more valuable if a person passing along some advice puts it into a short, memorable phrase. This month’s Uniquely Cleveland focuses on the The Northern Ohio Italian American Foundation, its 20-year history and its philanthropy, including an annual gala, which this year will honor Tommy LiPuma. A Cleveland native and […]

EVA Air co-brands with well-known pop icon Hello Kitty with Houston-Taipei non-stops

When Taiwanese carrier EVA Air began its new nonstop flights in June from Houston to Taipei, that wasn’t the only thing new. In addition to the excitement of having yet another nonstop route in Houston, the route is serviced by an EVA Hello Kitty Jet. Sanrio, the official home of Hello Kitty and Friends and its partnership with EVA Air is a prime example of successful co-branding in a global market. The successful pop icon Hello Kitty, includes apparel, appliances, stationery, toys, plush stuffed animals and more.

Managing the team’s behaviors leading to the sale

Typically, when I am talking with company executives and they are frustrated with the company’s revenue, I hear tales of lost orders, poor sales pipelines and shrinking margins. It is always after the fact and by that I mean it’s after the month, quarter or year has ended. That begs the question, are there any […]

Shake it off

When you experience rejection you have two choices: Allow it to affect your confidence and self-worth, or “shake it off” and move on. Don’t let rejection break your stride and keep you from accomplishing what needs to be done. The rule of thumb in sales is to expect three to five no’s before getting a […]

Start thinking creatively

Advertising Executive George Lois said, “Creativity can solve almost any problem.” The creative act, the defeat of habit by originality, overcomes everything. The only way you can release your creativity is to identify the barriers and start removing them. A common one is “We’ve always done it this way.” It could also be policies, rules […]

When to have a (sales) meeting or how not to waste people’s time

Have you ever sat in a meeting, sales or otherwise, and wondered why you were there? Why some of the other people were there? Better yet, have you ever organized and led a meeting where the participants were wondering why they were there? Meetings, if done correctly, can inform or get decisions made or both. […]

A bad attitude is like a flat tire

Have you ever walked outside to get into your car only to notice that one of your tires is a little low? As a quick fix, instead of immediately taking it somewhere to get fixed or replaced, you just pull into a gas station and put some air into it yourself. How many times have […]

No one knows how to navigate change better than a startup

Age isn’t everything. In today’s increasingly competitive marketplace, the ability to quickly react and adapt to change is critical to success, and no one knows this better than startups. Unencumbered by legacy processes, smart startups enter into the market ready to react and stay agile, given the unpredictability and risk they face in their early […]