tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21478643707935369892024-03-05T13:50:07.647+02:00Mortgages, marketing and sales.Everything about mortgages, marketing and sales put together in perfect harmony in one Blog.Pierre Fouriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09989141394698670559noreply@blogger.comBlogger30125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2147864370793536989.post-3033703041099791212008-11-25T06:00:00.000+02:002008-11-25T06:00:00.850+02:00The one who mention price first will loose the dealI have met many hard-working people in my life. Some became successful, while others failed miserably. This lead to the conclusion that your success not only depends on how hard you work, but it is greatly influenced by how well you can negotiate.Everything in business goes through the process of negotiating. Negotiating requires planning, and you need to know exactly what you want, what you Pierre Fouriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09989141394698670559noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2147864370793536989.post-81063155578896994132008-11-24T06:00:00.000+02:002008-11-24T06:00:01.036+02:00Will you only be a distant memory?Business is a lot like politics; once the people cast their vote you are either in or out. The hardest, gut-wrenching thing about people is that you will never know what they will say until they have said it. You have done all the research, quantified the data into various colourful charts and graphs, and you are now tempted to predict what people will say.I hate to tell you this, but if I were Pierre Fouriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09989141394698670559noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2147864370793536989.post-76319364963792203862008-11-21T06:00:00.000+02:002008-11-21T06:00:00.702+02:00Be twice as good every two yearsHow new is your business? It takes approximately two years for processing power to double. It makes sense to keep your company up to pace with new technology. Computers’ processing speed and capabilities double every two years. Every two years the rate at which information becomes available also doubles.Is your business’s capability doubling every two years, or are you falling into a capability Pierre Fouriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09989141394698670559noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2147864370793536989.post-89541781539429510572008-11-20T06:00:00.000+02:002008-11-20T06:00:00.917+02:00Sometimes a manager stands aloneAs manager of your management function you are held accountable for the attainment of set objectives. When big decisions come across your path you can follow the average path of consensus, or you can stick your head out and make fact based, 100% pure decisions.When the big decisions break on your shore you will be standing alone. These are the times when conviction counts, and you will have to Pierre Fouriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09989141394698670559noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2147864370793536989.post-91152281328568043472008-11-19T06:00:00.003+02:002008-11-19T06:00:00.993+02:00Don’t loose touch with your staff and co-workersIt won’t kill you to get into the front-line every once in a while. Answer some calls, work a few shifts, do the filing and make your own coffee.Over the course of time many mangers tend to withdraw from the fiery furnace to the sterile, air conditioned comfort of their private offices. For some reason managers tend to get off the train in order to avoid communicating with the staff.Stay in touchPierre Fouriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09989141394698670559noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2147864370793536989.post-8404389504325531292008-11-18T07:58:00.004+02:002008-11-18T08:14:06.720+02:00End the casual relationships with your suppliersDuring the course of the past twelve months I have read numerous newsletters, articles and blog entries that cover the topic of perfect partnerships. For those of us who do not have the time and money to buy every book that covers this topic and read it, I would like to share with you three things you need to measure to distinguish partners from suppliers.Upon closer inspection you will notice Pierre Fouriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09989141394698670559noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2147864370793536989.post-29229100159845453082008-11-14T06:00:00.000+02:002008-11-14T06:00:01.352+02:00If the risk is likely to be fatal, forget itWhenever you need to make an important decision assign a risk factor to it. If the risk is high, the consequences fatal, and it is likely to happen, forget about it.Everything has a life cycle. Nothing lasts forever, but some things last longer than others. There are various decision-making models you can use to help you make better business decisions. There is a quick and simple way to determinePierre Fouriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09989141394698670559noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2147864370793536989.post-2031488012256846732008-11-13T06:00:00.000+02:002008-11-13T06:00:00.464+02:00It’s who you know that really countsSuccessful businesses are glued together by their advisors. Unless you have some divine ability to know everything there is to know in your industry, I strongly recommend that you compile a list of experts and key contacts and nurture them.It is more often than not the advisors, negotiators and analysts that put the “big” in front of a company’s name. The best available advice is a key ingredientPierre Fouriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09989141394698670559noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2147864370793536989.post-8954895647853711802008-11-12T06:00:00.000+02:002008-11-12T06:00:00.775+02:00Don’t guess what your customers wantSometimes the best advice is free. The key ingredient to successful market research is to get as close as possible to the customer. With Internet and email it is now possible to get even closer to your clients. If your clients are so “close” to you, why not get them to do some work for you?Your customer is the most reliable source of information at your disposal, and it is free. “Quality purpose Pierre Fouriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09989141394698670559noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2147864370793536989.post-52026038226900837922008-11-11T09:33:00.002+02:002008-11-11T09:49:00.471+02:00Market segmentation – Less is moreEven with the technological advances and vast choice of media at our disposal, the possibility of effectively reaching “everyone” is nothing more than marketing utopia.Small companies develop into large corporations because they realise that segmentation multiplies opportunities. They also realise that market segmentation is the most efficient and profitable means to better client service.Unless Pierre Fouriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09989141394698670559noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2147864370793536989.post-21836019775698016202008-11-10T12:52:00.005+02:002008-11-10T13:58:47.090+02:00Secondary tools of sellingIn my previous post I covered the primary tools required for selling to, setting up and maintaining your client data base. Although some salespeople have a natural "feel" for it, sales and marketing is not an art. Many "natural" salespeople make the mistake of thinking that it is not important to keep their client databases, stats and information sheets up to date. Following are a few secondary Pierre Fouriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09989141394698670559noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2147864370793536989.post-80970630434214566972008-11-05T11:41:00.005+02:002008-11-05T15:55:25.142+02:00Gain business and improve your salesA step-by-step approach to set up your sales systemWe are living in a world filled with new technology, access to the world wide web and a multitude of marketing mediums to choose from. If you are privileged enough to have access to all the latest technology and marketing methods you are truly blessed. Fortunately it is not a necessity to have access to all the latest and greatest. There are Pierre Fouriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09989141394698670559noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2147864370793536989.post-79400608724371808182008-11-03T06:57:00.009+02:002008-11-04T15:55:38.484+02:00Understanding the client buying cycleThere are client buying cycles with most products and services. It is important that you have a clear understanding of the client buying cycles, and to be able to identify where you "stand" with your client in order to implement the right sales strategy.The buying cycleInitiation pointThe initiation point is the point in the client buying cycle where the client begins to think about whether or Pierre Fouriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09989141394698670559noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2147864370793536989.post-44408035132502319342008-10-31T05:25:00.002+02:002008-10-31T06:59:51.016+02:00Empowering your sales forceIf you take a look at the various sales teams within an organisation you will find that there are teams that are not performing at all, and then there are those teams that are just flying. The difference between a sales team who flies and a sales team that falls is usually a result of the sales managers ability to lead, develop and inspire his or her people. The sales meeting is the heart of the Pierre Fouriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09989141394698670559noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2147864370793536989.post-52116668760781438862008-10-30T08:23:00.004+02:002008-10-30T08:49:53.251+02:00Gain market share at the bottom of the economic cycleThere is no better time to gain market share than when we are at the bottom of the economic cycle. When I tell this to business owners the first reaction I get is a frown or a twitch. After I explained my statement the frowns quickly turn into smiles of hope.If you look at your competitors and other fellow businessmen you will find that most of them are negative, demotivated, immobile, depressed,Pierre Fouriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09989141394698670559noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2147864370793536989.post-89385439401513656222008-10-29T04:59:00.005+02:002008-10-29T06:10:42.389+02:00Taking charge of your own economyIn order for you to take charge of your own economy you first need to get a better understanding of the economic cycles. It is a fact that not all businesses suffer at the bottom of an economic cycle. There are quite a number of businesses that are doing well at the moment (bottom of the economic cycle). Many businesses don't do that well at the top, and that is why there are bankruptcy at the Pierre Fouriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09989141394698670559noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2147864370793536989.post-53474950279683830402008-10-28T07:21:00.002+02:002008-10-28T07:27:28.055+02:00Understanding economic cyclesBy definition and experience I believe that most people around the world are by now familiar with the term global recession. What I also assume is that many people heard about the recession, doesn’t really know what it means and therefore looses sleep over something of which they almost certainly have no control.I am in no way trying to tell you that you should not be concerned about economic Pierre Fouriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09989141394698670559noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2147864370793536989.post-31014377474759657532008-10-27T08:32:00.004+02:002008-10-27T09:40:38.126+02:00Capitalising on economic cyclesYou have the skill, but do you have the boldness to move ahead in a turbulent economy?There are not many things in life that causes more uncertainty than a global recession. If you have been running your own business for a while you will certainly be aware of the fact that business, in general, consists of many ups and downs.Although a global recession hits the hardest, because a large group is Pierre Fouriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09989141394698670559noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2147864370793536989.post-45537713046784996422008-10-24T08:11:00.003+02:002008-10-24T08:46:59.808+02:003 Tools for effective leveraging of changeIf you followed the posts this week you will realise that change itself is not the goal, but the environment in which you live and work. To get a clear understanding of how people react to change, what causes resistance to change and strategies on how to overcome resistance to change, I strongly recommend that you read the posts I published this week. Today I end my discussion about change by Pierre Fouriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09989141394698670559noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2147864370793536989.post-34469497279515610832008-10-23T04:00:00.009+02:002008-10-23T04:00:01.014+02:0012 Strategies to reduce resistance to changeThis week I am focusing on change, how people react to change, why they react the way they do, and what you can do to reduce and leverage change. I recommend that you read the previous posts on this topic: 7 Truths about people and change, and 5 sources of resistance to change before you read this post.I hereby introduce 12 strategies for reducing resistance and clearing the way for effective Pierre Fouriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09989141394698670559noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2147864370793536989.post-49886645562285953822008-10-22T07:44:00.004+02:002008-10-22T07:56:38.805+02:00Contact UsPlease use the form below to contact us should you have any questions, comments, feedback, complaints, or suggestions.Get the Contact Us Form V3 widget and many other great free widgets at Widgetbox!Pierre Fouriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09989141394698670559noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2147864370793536989.post-21824375813337458712008-10-22T04:24:00.006+02:002008-10-22T05:40:21.116+02:005 Sources of resistance to changeYesterday I posted an article about how people react when undergoing change. I strongly recommend that you read the previous post first in order to get a clear understanding of how people react to change, before you read this post that focus on why people react to change.Humans are creatures of habit, and resistance to change might be seen as a form of stupidity. Sometimes change is small and Pierre Fouriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09989141394698670559noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2147864370793536989.post-35920860580043358982008-10-21T05:50:00.004+02:002008-10-21T07:05:59.181+02:007 Truths about people and changeThere is probably not a single person on earth that is not somehow affected by change. We are living in a world of innovation, re-engineering and transformation. Everyone experiences change differently, and everyone reacts differently to change. Some people thrive on change, while other people find it very painful. Change requires a great deal of flexibility and adaptability, and because of this Pierre Fouriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09989141394698670559noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2147864370793536989.post-19173767891547869272008-10-18T15:06:00.005+02:002008-10-18T16:19:09.141+02:009 trust-gaining strategies (Part 3 / 3)This is the final part of the series containing trust-building strategies. I hope that these strategies will help you to develop the skills required to both trust others and getting other people to trust you in return. 7. Be sensitive to others' needsIt is important to realise that you might not be the only person who works hard, get tired and experience the everyday pressures. There are people Pierre Fouriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09989141394698670559noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2147864370793536989.post-65655968059046312382008-10-17T04:47:00.004+02:002008-10-17T05:58:21.463+02:009 trust-gaining strategies (Part2 / 3)Yesterday I published the first of three entries that focus on strategies that gain trust. Today I continue with the next three strategies that I consider to be important in order to gain trust. I realise that the things that are important to me might not be important to you, but I sincerely hope and believe that you will find at least one strategy that "speaks" to you. 4. Show some loyalty to Pierre Fouriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09989141394698670559noreply@blogger.com0