Entrepreneurship & Small Business

When a customer says “I want to think about it” or “I need some time to think it over” it's one of the most frustrating expressions a salesperson can hear. You feel helpless, or if you've been poorly trained, you lapse into some manipulative dialogue that proves you’re both a bad salesperson and you’re only there for the money.

Five new startups have secured spots in the 2014 class at Milwaukee startup accelerator gener8tor. They were chosen from more than 450 applications for the program, which recruits, mentors and trains entrepreneurs leading high-tech business ventures from around the world.

The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation’s 1 Million Cups startup program will begin hosting meetings in the Milwaukee market beginning Aug. 6.

The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation's 1 Million Cups startup program will begin hosting meetings in the Milwaukee market beginning August 6.

I did my first big Twitter group tweet last week. It’s called a “tweetcast.”

Popular ABC entrepreneur show “Shark Tank” has announced it will hold its first casting call in Milwaukee for the show's upcoming sixth season.

Chad Albrecht, president of Centare, drew some rather inquisitive looks when he told the audience at a recent business luncheon that the most important strategy driving growth at his Brookfield-based software development company is not “putting the customer first,” but instead is “putting employees first.”

Every salesperson is looking for the fastest way, the best way, and the easiest way to “close” a sale.

It never ceases to amaze me how many people still ask me, “What's the best way to close a sale?”

My sales perspective flies in the face of traditional selling. And it's not just a disruption – it's the new way of sales. What's your perspective?