Me-Too Companies: Imitation is Not Flattering How do you tell if you’re a Me-Too company? Are you in second, third or fourth place in your segment? Were you founded by a smart person who focused on...

Fight the Label: Best-Kept Secrets I often encounter brands that have labeled themselves a “best-kept secret.” As leaders, we must challenge ourselves and resist diminishing our brands or that...

Overcoming Success The most formidable barrier many companies and their channels face is overcoming their prior success. It sounds like a stretch, but whether it’s current or even decades-removed...

Much of my business life has been working with brands and helping them motivate, align and engage their sales channel. Sometimes the channel is a dealer or distributor network; sometimes it’s reps...

I’ve been fortunate enough to get to know leaders of companies of all sizes, industries and degrees of success—Leaders who are hungry to do better, to grow, to feel that sense of accomplishment and...

I always go back to the belief that your brand lives inside your product. It’s the uniqueness of that product that sets the brand apart in the hearts and minds of customers. Think about it. There...

Have you ever been excited about a product, only to visit the store or go online and end up walking away no longer interested? It’s happened to me many times. Usually, it’s because there was a...

Today, my message centers on something I have seen transform organizations in the most profoundly positive way. When introducing new products or brands, I want you to forget the usual assumption of...

This message is on the “red-headed stepchild” of most corporations: training. Sometimes it is even “homeless,” and relegated to the marketing, sales, or human resources department. And since it’s...

We’ve been reading about the Great Resignation. Millions of people are leaving their jobs to find meaning or fulfillment elsewhere. Some move to a new company and others just stop working.   As...

I can proudly say the leaders I work with are genuinely good, sincere people. Every day, I see them being pulled left and right while trying to achieve results and please bosses, customers, and...