Sales won't save your business. Here's why.

There are a lot of motivational quotes floating around Instagram. And some of them I love. Others...not so much.

Frankly, there are pieces of advice floating around via Instaquote that are dangerous in their simplicity.

Granted, those lil graphics demand brevity, and who on earth knows what the original context was when the All-Star businessperson said it the first time. But still – for the legions of IGers who are double-clicking or screen-capping those knowledge bombs, following them could turn out to be a disaster.

Here's my take on why the advice 'Sales Cures All' could be doing you more harm than good.

Avoid Giving Away Too Much At The Negotiating Table

Negotiation TipsDevon SmileySeptember 12, 2018article, negotiation consulting, negotiation, priorities, profit, strategy, motivation

Make Bartering Work For Your Business

Negotiation Tips, Small BusinessDevon SmileyAugust 1, 2018article, negotiation consulting, negotiation, pricing, profit, guidelines, clients, communication

How NOT To Set Your Prices

Small BusinessDevon SmileyJune 20, 2018article, negotiation, negotiation consultant, money, pricing, profit, strategy

The Problem With Charging What You're "Worth"

Small Business, Negotiation TipsDevon SmileyMay 30, 2018article, mindset, negotiation consultant, The Smiley Sessions, small business, pricing, profit, strategy

Price Strategically To Boost Profits

Small Business, Negotiation TipsDevon SmileyApril 11, 2018article, video, negotiation consulting, negotiation, small business, freelance, profit, pricing, strategy, mindset

How To Get More Comfortable Talking About Money

Small Business, Negotiation TipsDevon SmileyApril 4, 2018article, video, negotiation consultant, negotiation, mindset, The Smiley Sessions, pricing, profit, money

Essentials For Hosting A Profitable Event or Retreat

Small BusinessDevon SmileyJanuary 25, 2017article, negotiation, negotiation consultant, profit, communication, revenue, contracts, event planning, retreat

Perfect Prices With 5 Simple Questions

Setting prices is a great equalizer in the world of entrepreneurship. Whether you’re just starting out with your first mini-offering, or have been around the business block a few times, trying to pinpoint exactly what your rate should be can feel an awful lot like playing pin the tail on the donkey.

How To Avoid Project Delays

Small BusinessDevon SmileyDecember 28, 2016article, clients, negotiation, negotiation consulting, profit, contracts, guidelines, boundaries, small business

What You Need To Know About Sales vs. Negotiation

There are a lot of different hats you wear as an Ambitious Entrepreneur. You've got to get a handle on writing copy, planning social media, marketing your business - and of course there's sales.

But your professional development doesn't end there.

Today, I'm sharing some straight talk on why mastering sales and negotiations are two different beasts. And why you need both of them to thrive.

Motivate Sales, Maximize Profit

Making sales – convincing people to hand over their hard earned money in exchange for your product or service – is fundamental to your business. When that flow of customers slows down, or we hit a rough patch financially, our first instinct can be to get out our price slashing tools and motivate purchases via discounts...but there's a better way.

A Quick & Simple Bottom Line Booster

Having a healthy bottom line is a must in business. You need to bring in enough to keep expenses covered, and still squirrel a little something away for a rainy day. So if your profit statements are looking a little lacklustre – it’s time to act.

Small BusinessDevon SmileyApril 21, 2016video, The Smiley Sessions, profit, money, guidelines, results

Optimize Your Bottomline With Bespoke Pricing

‘One size fits all’ is a myth.

Whether it’s a pair of leggings, a marketing strategy, or a negotiation technique. The attempt to cram your unique business (along with all those wants, needs and one-of-a-kind skill sets) into a mold alongside the rest of the world just isn’t going to be flattering. Least of all to your bottomline.

The Rookie Pricing Mistake Even Experts Make

Pricing mistakes happen to everyone. And anyone. Even me. And I'm sharing a pricing mistake I made in today’s Smiley Sessions.

Did making this mistake suck? Yup. Am I embarrassed to share it with you? Nope. Because I know that by giving you a sneak peek at a boo-boo even us experts can make, I can save you from making the same mistake in your business.

Check out the video for my big mistake, and bigger lesson learned.

Small BusinessDevon SmileyJanuary 28, 2016negotiation consultant, pricing, video, guidelines, advice, profit Comments