Category Archives: cool people from around the web

Game-Changer Alert: Sharon Drew Morgen Is a Sales Heretic!

As some of you know, in addition to writing this blog I’m also the co-host of a podcast about sales and sales leadership.  One of the perks of that job is the fact that people send me free books to read and talk about.  I love my job!

This week, I’ve been reading Sharon Drew Morgen‘s book “Dirty Little Secrets: Why Buyers Can’t Buy and Sellers Can’t Sell and What You Can Do About It” in preparation for an episode of the Sales Management 2.0 Podcast that we’ll be recording this weekend.  I’ve gotta say, I’m blown away by the concept of the book.

Sharon Drew (yes, that IS her first name) is out to change the face of sales, and I’m signing on to help her in any way I can (and I’m only on chapter one of the book).  She’s created a system she calls Buying Facilitation, and it’s based on a simple premise, one that readers of this blog have heard before: while salespeople may control the sales process, your prospects control the buying process.  Which of those two processes do you suppose it’s more important to understand?  Well, if you really want to succeed, Sharon Drew says you should be far more concerned about what’s going on in the buyers head.

I’m not going to ramble on too much, mostly because Sharon Drew does such an excellent job of explaining the concept on her own blog.  I’ll defer to her wisdom on the subject and encourage you to a) go read her blog posts and form your own opinions of whether she’s a madwoman or a maven, and b) pick up a copy of “Dirty Little Secrets” to enjoy.

What Can Small Businesses Learn From Mobius Technologies?

I love the moxie of a small company in a small town in Northern California who looks at a giant oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico and says “Yeah…we can fix that.”

That’s exactly what Mobius Technologies, of Lincoln, CA, has done, and they didn’t stop there.  When Mobius realized that it was going to take too long to get through the bureaucracy and red tape required to get their product approved for use in the cleanup, they set about using social media tools like YouTube and Facebook to recruit a volunteer army and encouraged them to spread the message.

And while I think the powers that be at Mobius Technologies are making a huge mistake by not engaging with bloggers to help them spread their message (it seems they don’t consider bloggers to be “true” media outlets), I can’t argue with the results they’re getting.  Have a look at this video from the local ABC affiliate in Sacramento.

Mobius is starting to get some traction, and I applaud the work they’re doing.  More than that, though, I applaud the way they’re going about it.  Here are some valuable lessons other small business owners and entrepreneurs can learn from the example of Mobius Technologies:

Can Small Business Solve Huge Problems?

I wanted to share something I came across last week that I believe demonstrates a lot of the principles that this blog is all about.  Have a look at this video, but don’t form an opinion just yet: 

The reason I asked you not to form an opinion just yet is that I’d like for you to get a little more information before you get too excited and start demanding that this product be used in the Gulf oil spill.  I don’t want you guys and gals to start acting like a “herd”!  I do, however, want for this product and Mobius’ claims to get some media attention so that the product can be vetted for use in the cleanup efforts.

So why am I sharing the video, then?

Meet Some of My Virtual Friends

No matter what anyone says, the internet is the coolest place in the world, especially since that whole Web 2.0 evolution. Where else can you meet so many fantastic people from around the world (and right in your own backyard) who think like you do?

I’ve been reading Walden by Henry David Thoreau for the third or fourth time, and I can’t imagine what it must have been like for a guy like him; he seemed to be constantly frustrated by the refusal of his fellow townspeople to think about anything other than their crops and the latest gossip. Sure, he could go visit Ralph Waldo Emerson (what was it with these guys and the three names?) and chat about transcendetalism, but what then? No wonder he wandered into the woods for a couple of years to just be alone.

Thoreau would have loved the internet, I think. He would have been able to read everything he ever wanted to, connect with other like minds and discuss or debate ideas until the cows came home. He would have found his tribe, have no doubt. I know I have.

In a little over a year, I’ve met more intelligent, articulate, clear-thinking people than I did in the previous decade. Many, in fact most, I’ve never met in person; our relationships are entirely virtual, but the connections are real, nevertheless. Here are a few of my virtual friends and a taste of what they’re doing to make a difference: