Let’s be really honest here, your B2B sales prospects truly don't want more “friends”, which is an all too common sales approach. They barely have time now for the ones that they’ve already got. And a new “friend” that’s only recently appeared with the intent to sell them something isn’t very high on their priority list.

Part of the problem is this thing called "being incongruent". If you’re trying to befriend someone, but your ulterior motive is to sell them something, then you’re not really their friend. So all the baseball game tickets, lunches at the racket club, and social stuff is just a giant put-on, and your prospect knows it. You know it. That’s why you don’t...

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I’m not quite sure why so many businesspeople view direct marketing and response marketing as some kind of low brow garbage. Sure, junk mail and infomercials can be campy, with shady characters running amok with their pitchmen frothing. Serious business wants nothing to do with the marketing and advertising equivalent of a carney barker in the aisle at a flea market. They prefer pristine branding campaigns that convey sophistication, eloquence, professionalism, and polish.

Hey that’s great. But the last time I checked, you couldn’t really split test a brand image. You spend all your money on a campaign and pray, hoping that it pays off. If it doesn’t, well guess what? It’s a career decision that can make or break the ...

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