The Freestyle Entrepreneur

by John Ingrisano The Freestyle Entrepreneur John Newton became captain of his own ship at age 25.  He was offered the job a year earlier, but begged off, asking instead to be made first mate, so he could gain more experience.  In the end, it made him a better leader.  (For those of you who do [...]

by John Ingrisano The Freestyle Entrepreneur Whether you’re just chatting about your business to a stranger in an elevator or summarizing your company’s key features and benefits to a make-your-day prospect, do not just wing it!  Ad libbing is for amateurs.  Instead, actually write down and learn these following sales tools: 1.  Your company’s elevator [...]

by John Ingrisano The Freestyle Entrepreneur Are we there yet?  That’s the kids’ mantra from the backseat.  It can also be our whine when we wonder about when it’s ever going to get easier in our business.  Well, when it comes to you and your business success,  the answer should be:  Not yet!  The fact is, [...]

[The following is a guest column written by Dr. Robert C. Snyder, musician, businessman and keen-eyed observer of life.  Enjoy. JRI]  In the late 1940s I became aware of customer loyalty. I noticed that Millard, my dad, always bought his gas at the same Texaco station near our house in Topeka, Kansas. Millard never let the [...]

HOW TO BEAT BUSINESS BURNOUT The Freestyle Entrepreneur is pleased to announce the first program in the TFE Business Presentation Series:  How to Beat Burnout!  This program, presented by entrepreneur John Ingrisano, can be tailored for your individual for business, entrepreneur, executive or inventor group. The premise:  Burnout and boredom are among the top reasons [...]

by John Ingrisano The Freestyle Entrepreneur Are you in or are you out?  Too many business owners these days (and, yes, their employees and sales people, too) are only half-committed.  They’re burned out, fed up, on the verge of going under. They coast, going through the motions of their responsibilities, both dreaming about last weekend’s football [...]

 I had the opportunity to observe a sales presentation last week.  She was good: knowledgeable, enthusiastic, relaxed and persuasive.  However, when she got to the close, her entire tone changed.  I could hear it and I could feel it.  It was an awkward and obvious transition that screamed:  “Okay, I’m done with my talk.  Now, [...]

I recently spoke with a biz owner who, convinced the place would go to pieces without her constant presence, hasn’t had a full day off in 12 years.  If that sounds too familiar for comfort, here are two suggestions to get you a few days off for fun and recreation in 2011. First, in advance, [...]

by John Ingrisano The Freestyle Entrepreneur Smart marketing:  I just did a neat interview with one of the owners of Nutorious, a specialty nut company.  (Look for the amazing story of this zero-to-60-in-five-years Wisconsin start-up in the January 2011 issue of NEW North B2B Magazine.)  They sell high-end snack nut products, and have walked away with [...]

PATTY @ PAPA MURPHY’S MADE MY DAY It was 11:45 AM on a knock-about Saturday.  I’d just finished doing some clean-up at our church and was ready to pick up two pizzas that I could pop into the oven later today for dinner for friends before heading off to hear/see Messiah at Green Bay’s Weidner [...]

Some people ask, “Why do sales people fail?”  With 35 years in this field as a sales professional and trainer of sales representatives, I recognize that sales people do NOT fail:  They simply quit before they become successful.  That’s why I encourage sales newbies to commit to the “10,000 Hour Rule.”  Research has shown that [...]

[The following is a guest piece by consultant Paul Rudo at rudoconsulting@gmail.com.   Enjoy. -- JRI] In order to be successful in any business, you must first have a high-quality product or service. But how do you define quality? It’s simply the degree to which you meet customer needs, and the dollar-for-dollar value that you deliver. But the [...]

By John Ingrisano The Freestyle Entrepreneur  [The following is an excerpt from John Ingrisano’s  The Back to Basics Book of Selling: A Guide to a Successful Sales Career.]    You don’t need to be a genius or have a Ph.D. in market­ing to be a successful sales professional. All you need are four things: A [...]

  If you’re like many business owners and dedicated managers, it has been a tough year.  I know I’ve been booking long hours to keep my business in the black.  The problem:  A lot of us are cutting into serious personal time … and there is a price you may end up paying.  Yes, work [...]

I’m a solo-preneur these days; have been since 2004.  While I like the freedom (get to come and go as I please), going it alone is very limiting.  There’s only one me, and I am finding that my time and talents are very limited, especially in the rapidly changing techno-world.  Going solo almost entirely eliminates [...]

by John Ingrisano The Freestyle Entrepreneur  [The following is an excerpt from John Ingrisano’s The Back to Basics Book of Selling: A Guide to a Successful Sales Career.]  The sales process is really fairly simple. It’s a lot like riding a bicycle — once you have it mastered, it becomes second nature. But for the person [...]

    In the past, I’d always adhered to the hard and fast rule that business and politics do not mix.  No political signs in your yard or storefront.  That’s because the number one goal of business is to make money, and I saw no sense in risking losing customers just because our political views [...]

Wow!  Did I ever get an overpriced truckload of criticism about my recent piece on buying local, on daring to point out that local businesses need to treat their local customers special.  So, let me try again. If you own a local business in a small town (or if you’re a small biz in a [...]

  by John Ingrisano The Freestyle Entrepreneur  [The following is an excerpt from John Ingrisano’s The Back to Basics Book of Selling: A Guide to a Successful Sales Career.]  Does selling make a difference? Without a doubt. But what is selling? If you asked 100 sales professionals to write down their definitions of selling, you would [...]

It’s happening right now.  As the towering super wave approaches, all we hear at first is the innocent sound of envelopes being opened … followed by such sounds as “You’ve got to be kidding!” (and that’s the most polite response).  Millions of individuals and businesses are receiving notice of significant health care premium notices right [...]

by John Ingrisano The Freestyle Entrepreneur   This one’s liable to get me in big trouble with some folks, especially my local business owners.  But here goes.  I’m seeing major problems with the long-term viability of “buy local” programs.  Okay, the idea makes sense, but ONLY if the local businesses play ball.  Too often, they [...]

by John Ingrisano The Freestyle Entrepreneur    [The following is an excerpt from John Ingrisano’s The Back to Basics Book of Selling: A Guide to a Successful Sales Career.]  The sales professional plays a unique role in society and in our economy. He or she is a facilitator, a catalyst —- someone who makes things happen. [...]

  By John Ingrisano The Freestyle Entrepreneur   [The following is an excerpt from John Ingrisano’s The Back to Basics Book of Selling: A Guide to a Successful Sales Career.]  It was once widely believed that, “If a man can … make a bet­ter mousetrap than his neighbor, though he builds his house in the [...]

  “Achievement is talent plus preparation.” – Malcolm Gladwell (Outliers: The Story of Success)  Desperate times can lead to desperate measures … and I’m seeing a disturbing trend these days among small business owners.   On more than one occasion, I’ve seen businesses pad their services – add extras without authorization.  “The air filter was pretty [...]

“If you don’t drive your business, you’ll be driven out of it.”– Malcolm Forbes   I’m John R. Ingrisano, founder and president of Custom Communications and owner of The Freestyle Entrepreneur (www.TheFreestyleEntrepreneur.com).  I’m a marketing strategist who has helped businesses survive, grow and make money for 35 years. What you do (and let’s see if [...]