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Lexi Mortenshleel

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Lexi Mortenshleel recommends this answer by Willem Tait

Nov. 19, 2010

Can anyone be a sales person?

I agree with both Harlan, Jessica and Eric. Maybe consider that there is a grey area between consulting with a client and selling to a client. Depending on the product, a consultative approach is sometimes better.
In other cases a hard sell is required. Best ... more

Sales Training Techniques

Lexi Mortenshleel recommends this answer by Jessica Groopman

Nov. 19, 2010

Why are people against taking cold calls more often than before? Are you scared to speak?

What I think is really interesting about this question is that you mention 'more often than before'. This is where I think the answer (or one answer) lies. 'Before', although unspecified, evokes a time of fewer choices and less efficiency. Particularly in the context of ... more

Lexi Mortenshleel recommends this answer by Jessica Groopman

Oct. 19, 2010

Small businesses and the economy?

Small businesses are a huge driver of the economy. One could argue they are THE driver of the economy, in fact. According to the Small Business Administrations Office of Advocacy, Small Businesses account for 99.7% of all businesses in the US. It goes on to ... more

Economic Policy

Lexi Mortenshleel recommends this answer by Jessica Groopman

Oct. 18, 2010

What are some ways that you keep yourself productive?

Mike,
I like this question... because face it... we all get burnt out sometimes. For me, productivity is a recipe with 2 ingredients:
1.) a List
2.) Relevance
The list is key for me. I simply have to have one place I can go to that encapsulates ... more

Customer Service

Employee Productivity

Lexi Mortenshleel recommends this answer by Jessica Groopman

Oct. 14, 2010

Are customer service surveys effective?

This is a great discussion! There is one point I'd like to add however.
I think it's important to make the distinction between open-ended vs. closed-ended questions. One of the reasons customer service surveys fail... or just feel well, lame so often is because respondents ... more

Customer Service

Customer Service Reps

Lexi Mortenshleel recommends this answer by ken rodell

Oct. 4, 2010

What is the best way for a small B2B firm to generate leads online?

Hi Dan,
The responses you are receiving are great but I would consider them to be mostly reactive as opposed to proactive (businesses still have to find you instead of you choosing your clients). I am a Small Business owner as well and what we ... more

Lead Generation

Online Lead Generation

Lexi Mortenshleel recommends this answer by Jessica Groopman

Oct. 3, 2010

Should customer service be taught?

That's an interesting question. I think it's important for employees or prospective businesspeople to be prompted on basic customer service best practices, but I'm not sure it's worth devoting an entire semester or course to it. For business majors, perhaps. But is it really so ... more

Customer Service

Lexi Mortenshleel recommends this answer by Marc Jordan Paxton

Sept. 21, 2010

How much of social media marketing is TIMING?

Here’s the problem with all the answers above: they’re ALL RIGHT! Social Media is the most complex issue marketers have faced in the past 20 years. It’s not just about WHERE to publish content, or about what MESSAGE to send out; now, more than ever, ... more

Marketing Strategy

Lexi Mortenshleel recommends this answer by Stephanie Cipresse

Sept. 13, 2010

What online survey tools do you use to collect data?

The online survey tools have made it fast and easy to collect feedback from anyone including customers, partners, employees, target users. I currently use SurveyMonkey (Professional Subscription) and have previously used WebSurveyor (became part of Vovici in 2006). I have also investigated Zoomerang (from MarketTools) ... more

Market Research

Lexi Mortenshleel recommends this answer by Amy Babinchak

Sept. 12, 2010

What industries will drive job creation in the United States?

New ones that you and I haven't even thought of yet. They will be dreamed up and headed by the 20-somethings.
As a lover of economics (I couldn't be convinced to leave the college life until I'd taken every course 100-900 level)this recession has been ... more

Economic Environment

Economic Growth

Lexi Mortenshleel recommends this answer by John V

Sept. 9, 2010

How should a small business start up go about creating a website?

I think the contributors above all miss a key point, and that is has your friend clearly defined the goals and objectives of the business, and have they determined how the company and its products should be positioned and promoted. If they have not, then ... more

Lexi Mortenshleel recommends this answer by Trish Bertuzzi

Aug. 31, 2010

What Challenges Are You Facing in Your Forecast Accuracy?

Accurate forecasting is the lifeblood of any business. How do you grow your business if you don't know your revenue to expense ratios?
If you have a forecasting accuracy problem, consider addressing it through your compensation plan. Compensation drives behavior right? Take 20% of your ... more

Forecast Accuracy

Lexi Mortenshleel recommends this answer by Timothy R. Loftus, ITILv3, ITA, ACS

July 1, 2010

Focus Research Insight: Why On-Premise buyers emphasize Vendor Background more than Hosted Buyers?

Simply put (I being the IT/Telecom Manager);
On-Premise will mean that I have to fix any issues that arise with just my staff and any vendors I can involve.
Hosted will mean that, even though the service is my responsibility to my company, the hosting ... more

Information Technology

Focus Research Insight

Lexi Mortenshleel and 3 other people answered this question

July 1, 2010

How do you monetize your Market Research??

Hey Jon,
Thanks for the insightful response! Those are 2 solid suggestions. I certainly agree, it can be very difficult to justify the value to people who are new to market research, particularly when that value is more *strategic in the long term* than it ... more

Market Research

Monetization Strategies

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