The Sticking Point Solution: 9 Ways to Move Your Business from Stagnation to Stunning Growth InTough Economic Times

THE STICKING POINT SOLUTION (2009)......Page 1
CONTENTS......Page 7
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS......Page 8
INTRODUCTION: BAD ECONOMY?
GOOD NEWS!......Page 10
01: IS YOUR BUSINESS STUCK?......Page 20
Some Businesses Are Stuck Losing Out to the Competition......Page 24
Some Businesses Are Stuck Not Selling Enough......Page 25
Some Businesses Are Stuck with Erratic Business Volume......Page 26
Some Businesses Are Stuck Failing to Strategize......Page 27
Some Businesses Are Stuck with Costs Eating Up All the Profits......Page 28
Some Businesses Are Stuck Still Doing What's Not Working......Page 29
Some Businesses Are Stuck Being Marginalized by the Marketplace......Page 30
Some Businesses Are Stuck Saying "I Can Do It Myself!"......Page 31
TODAY'S JOURNEY TOWARD AN UNSTUCK TOMORROW......Page 32
02: ARE YOU STUCK LOSING OUT TO THE COMPETITION?......Page 36
OPTIMIZATION VERSUS INNOVATION......Page 38
RECOGNIZING THE SIGNS OF WHAT'S WORKING AND WHAT'S NOT......Page 40
THE POWER OF MARKETING-WHICH MOST PEOPLE IGNORE......Page 41
Fifteen Ways to Position Yourself......Page 43
ASKING THE RIGHT QUESTIONS ABOUT HOW TO MAKE YOUR BUSINESS MORE SUCCESSFUL......Page 45
THE STRATEGY OF PREEMINENCE: MAKE YOURSELF KNOWN......Page 48
DON'T BE JUST A SHEEP......Page 52
The Bottom Line......Page 54
03: ARE YOU STUCK NOT SELLING ENOUGH?......Page 55
CHANGE THE WAY YOUR SALES FORCE SELLS......Page 56
Key Points to Remember When Doing Consultative Sales......Page 66
CHANGE THE WAY YOU ADVERTISE......Page 67
Seven Ways to Leverage Your Advertising......Page 68
Ten Terrific Advertising Headlines......Page 70
CHANGE YOUR ONLINE PRESENCE......Page 75
CHANGE HOW YOU LEVERAGE......Page 77
CHANGE YOUR MESSAGE......Page 81
CHANGE IS THE NAME OF THE GAME......Page 84
The Bottom Line......Page 85
04: ARE YOU STUCK WITH ERRATIC BUSINESS VOLUME?......Page 87
STRATEGIZE, ANALYZE, AND SYSTEMIZE YOUR BUSINESS......Page 88
KNOW YOUR BUSINESS STRATEGY FORBRINGING IN PROSPECTS OR CLIENTS......Page 90
KNOW HOW TO ANALYZE WAYS OF GETTING BUSINESS......Page 95
KNOW YOUR BUSINESS'S SYSTEM......Page 99
IT'S ALL IN THE NUMBERS: KNOW WHERE YOUR HIGHEST REVENUE COMES FROM......Page 103
The Bottom Line......Page 105
05: ARE YOU STUCK FAILING TO STRATEGIZE?......Page 108
THE SECRET OF THE HIGHEST AND BEST USE OF YOUR TIME AND TALENTS......Page 110
The Fine Art of Delegation......Page 111
Schedule All E-Mails, Phone Calls, and Meetings So You Choose When to Handle Them......Page 115
Work on Your Business, Not in Your Business......Page 117
Eleven Keys to Working on Your Business......Page 118
Don't Be Afraid of Change......Page 120
The Power of Purpose......Page 124
The Power of Possibility......Page 125
The Power of Passion......Page 126
The Bottom Line......Page 127
06: ARE YOU STUCK WITH COST SEATING UP ALL YOUR PROFITS?......Page 129
RETURNING TO ROI: MEASURE EVERYTHING YOU DO......Page 130
THE BETTER BUSINESS BARTERS......Page 133
STRIKING THE RIGHT BALANCE BETWEEN PAYING TOO MUCH AND PAYING TOO LITTLE......Page 140
HARNESS THE POWER OF PACKAGING TO INCREASE YOUR PROFITS......Page 143
EXPAND (OR CONTRACT) YOUR TIME HORIZONS TO STABILIZE AND IMPROVE YOUR CASH FLOW......Page 144
The Bottom Line......Page 145
07: ARE YOU STUCK STILL DOING WHAT'S NOT WORKING?......Page 147
Ten Questions to Ask Yourself......Page 149
DEVELOP FUNNEL VISION INSTEAD OF TUNNEL VISION......Page 151
Ask Other Companies How They Do Business and Learn from Them!......Page 152
BUCK THE TREND......Page 153
ELIMINATE THE CONSTRAINTS THAT ARE HOLDING YOU BACK......Page 156
Constraint #1: The Idea That Mistakes Should 8e Avoided at All Costs......Page 157
Constraint #3: Linear Thinking......Page 158
Constraint #5: Being Alone and Lost in a Networked World......Page 160
Constraint #6: Customer Bottlenecks in Your Sales Process......Page 161
MANAGE YOUR SALES FORCE......Page 162
DON'T LET THESE THINGS HAPPEN TO YOU......Page 164
FIVE EASY STEPS TO CHANGE THE WAY YOU DO BUSINESS......Page 166
The Bottom Line......Page 168
08: ARE YOU STUCK BEING MARGINALIZED BY THE MARKETPLACE?......Page 170
BE PREEMINENT IN YOUR FIELD......Page 171
BE PREEMPTIVE: KNOW WHY YOUR PROSPECTS AND CLIENTS MAY HESITATE TO BUY FROM YOU......Page 178
BE PROPRIETARY: OWN YOUR MARKETPLACE......Page 180
WALK IN YOUR CLIENT'S SHOES......Page 183
The Bottom Line......Page 186
09: ARE YOU STUCK WITH MEDIOCRE MARKETING?......Page 188
MARKETING'S ROLE IN YOUR BUSINESS......Page 189
MARKETING AS PART OF YOUR STRATEGIC PLAN......Page 191
Step #1: Gain Your Market's Trust......Page 193
Step #2: Establish Your Preeminent, Proprietary Maven Persona......Page 195
Typical Character Types: Which One Are You?......Page 198
Step #3: Develop a Vision for Your Marketplace......Page 201
Step #4: Tell Your Creation Myth......Page 202
Step #5: Become a Polarizing Figure......Page 203
Step #6: Develop Your Own Phraseology......Page 205
Step #7: Use a Signature Communications Channel......Page 207
Step #8: Create a Velvet Rope Community......Page 208
Step #9: Accelerate the Process with Mentors......Page 211
PUTTING YOUR MAVEN MATRIX TO WORK......Page 212
The Bottom Line......Page 215
10: ARE YOU STUCK STILL SAYING "I CAN DO IT MYSELF"?......Page 217
KNOWING WHEN TO STAY PUT AND NOT EXPAND YOUR BUSINESS......Page 218
KNOWING WHEN TO EXPAND YOUR BUSINESS......Page 220
CHANGING YOUR MINDSET ABOUT DOING EVERYTHING YOURSELF......Page 223
HOW JOINT VENTURING CAN CHANGE YOUR LIFE......Page 226
REAPPLYING OPTIMIZATION TO FIND HIGHER-QUALITY PROSPECTS AND CLIENTS......Page 230
THE JOYS OF JOINT VENTURING......Page 232
The Bottom Line......Page 243
11: HOW TO GET GOING AND GROWING IN A CRISIS ECONOMY......Page 245
WHEN THE GOING GETS TOUGH, THE TOUGH GET GROWING......Page 246
COMMANDEER A FRIENDLY TAKEOVER......Page 252
PENETRATE NEW MARKETS......Page 257
The Bottom Line......Page 260
CONCLUSION: CONGRATULATlONS! YOU'RE UNSTUCK!......Page 262