Over the last year, I’ve witnessed a number of companies pitching private equity, investment banking and related deals that have all been disappointing. The time frame for closing the deal is extended enormously; the number of interested investors is a fraction of what was expected, and the multiple offered is far less than expected. In several cases, the deals just fell through... Read More

 

Almost everyone today agrees that companies need to be encourage and harness innovation to increase profits, customer responsiveness and/or solve societal problems. There’s a lot less agreement on HOW to do this effectively. Over the years, I’ve spoken and delivered webinars about creativity....Read More

 

Did you know that Joe Girard is the “World’s Greatest Salesman”, according to the Guinness Book of World Records? He wrote How to Sell Anything to Anybody – providing us with solid sales lessons. Joe was a salesman at Merolis Chevrolet, in Eastpointe, Michigan for 15 years. He sold more retail big-ticket items, one at a time, than any...Read More

 

What can we learn from 500 smaller companies who tend to dominate their industries, but purposely keep themselves off people’s radar, so as not to give away too many of their secrets? The answer is a lot – if you have the pleasure to read “Hidden Champions of the Twenty-First Century: The Success Strategies of Unknown World Market Leaders” by Hermann Simon...Read More