Capture and Keep Customers with the Most Powerful Product in Your Inventory
“Money without brains is always dangerous.”
So said Napoleon Hill, best-selling author of the modern personal development classic, Think and Grow Rich. And it’s as true today as it was in his day.
It’s also true that money without brains is always limited – especially when it comes to selling technology. Sure, you can sell a lot of products and a lot of professional services. And you can probably make a lot of money in the process. But at some point, the flow of new customers through your pipeline will slow, and you’ll reach a saturation point with your existing customers. And the money will be spent.
But if you use your brains, the picture can be very different. I’m not talking about the power of positive thinking or The Secret or airy notions of believing, conceiving and achieving (though those are powerful too). I’m talking about actually using your brains to grow your business.
If you’ve read the other articles in this series, you’ve probably noticed that I’m really into concrete ideas, techniques and tools that will make you stand out from the hordes of iron movers who crowd the seven infernal circles of IT distribution. But these aren’t just tricks and window dressing. These are the tools of a consultant–-and they just might keep your money from getting dangerous or limited, or dangerously limited.
Wait. Did I just use the “c” word – that filthy, vapid synonym for all things unsavory, unvaluable and unhelpful? Didn’t Ed Finkelstein, legendary Macy’s CEO, say, “A consultant is someone who takes your watch away to tell you what time it is?”
Yes. To all of that. I did, and he did. And next time we meet, I’ll defend my use of that term, and tell you how reclaiming and redefining it can be the secret to a long, happy – and maybe even money-filled–-life.
Until then, as Casey Kasem always says, keep your feet on the ground, and keep reaching for the stars.
Eryc Eyl / Freelance Writer and Business Consultant
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