Jeff HarknessNov 3, 2023
I’m watching a transformation happen in a client’s business. It’s exciting to see. We started this phenomenon with a simple decision to invest in training…
Kevin KehoeNov 3, 2023
At the end of a sales presentation the words, “We like your numbers; we’ll get back to you,” are the kiss of death. It’s in…
Frank RossNov 3, 2023
My partners and I gather the financial data from many of our clients nationwide, dump the information into a big cauldron, stir it around and…
Jeff HarknessAug 15, 2023
Right now your phone probably is ringing with every “business broker” and “deal guy” saying they have a deal for you. Sound familiar? Are you…
How do you sell more work? Relationships certainly help. Luck is a good thing, too. But it’s good habits consistently executed that create results. This…
Invariably, all of us sages are queried with: “You’ve been around the country. You see things. So, what kind of year is 2014 going to…
In the March 2014 issue of Landscape Management, The Benchmark columnist Jeff Harkness covered online advertising methods, including Google AdWords and Bing Ads. Here's more…
Companies are being “pitched” daily to spend money on web marketing, and there are many confusing options. Ask yourself this question: “Is my company even…
I received a lot of good feedback from my last column about the habits of successful salesmen. Thanks! There were many requests to provide more ideas…
OK, it’s January. You should have your budget completed for this 2014. You do, don’t you? Uh-oh, you don’t, do you? Why is this budgeting…
One of my clients has a leadership approach that’s limited his company’s ability to grow and attract quality talent. He is fair, but often manages…
The industry has changed dramatically over the past five years. We are truly in the new normal now. Part of that new normal is the…
I am all about eliminating the guesswork we face in our businesses. Yes, I am a budget freak. Some of this stems from what my…
I’ve had the recent pleasure of managing a client’s account management team for the last six months. I love it, but managing people who are…
In my last column I talked about the first function of a good sales manager—planning and prioritizing the salesman’s time. In this column, I address…
In the last several months in this space, Jeff Harkness, Kevin Kehoe and I have written about sales performance, margin generation (a sign of pricing…
Jeff HarknessAug 14, 2023
The big winners in 2013 and 2014 will be companies with access to capital. While the stock market is trading at all-time highs and the…
In my March column I shared financial benchmark data for sales growth as well as a list of best-in-class tactics that drove that sales growth.…
Are you wondering how the industry fared in 2012? And how you did by comparison? Over the course of the next few months, the consultants…
For employers who have adopted a wait-and-see approach with the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), the time to wait is over. This year…
The top salespeople in the grounds maintenance segment of the industry sell more than $1 million in new annualized contract revenue every year. The industry’s…
Every once in a while you need to take a step back and look at how far you’ve come in business. Smell the roses, as…
As you think about renewing maintenance agreements for next year, do you identify jobs that are underperformers and develop strategies to deal with them? For…
Selling has never been more challenging. That’s because it’s becoming more difficult to get real face time with prospects. Therefore, when you do get face…
