Column: Make a Friend; Don't Just 'Be Friendly' to Get Sales
March 3, 2010 Call me nuts, but in an increasingly competitive and commoditized industry, "friend" seems like a strategically good place to...

Column: Keep It Simple, Steady on Front Line
February 3, 2010 When was the last time you were greeted promptly with a smile, actively listened to, and thanked by name? A pretty short list...

Viewpoint: Martin On Retailing - Putting Your Best (Web) Foot Forward
December 29, 2009 Banks that are not cognizant of how many customers begin "shopping" their organizations on their Web sites are not paying...

Viewpoint: Martin on Retailing - Leading with a Sales Pitch, Striking Out
December 3, 2009 Companies choosing to begin customer interactions with sales pitches are establishing whose priorities matter most —...

Viewpoint: Martin on Retailing - Avoiding Message Overload in Branches
November 5, 2009 During a period when more pressure than usual is on us to cross-sell products, the temptation to pile on the marketing is...

Viewpoint: Martin on Retailing: Jobs Are Temporary; Failure Can Be, Too
October 1, 2009 In our current business environment, it is understandable that many of our teams are having a bit harder time keeping a...

Viewpoint: Martin on Retailing: Managing with the Player-Coach Model
September 3, 2009 Take a minute this week to make sure your branch managers remember that, in our increasingly demanding branch environments,...

Viewpoint: Good Will Can Be a Sales Mind-Changer
August 6, 2009 It's often the basic and simple good will gestures that generate the kind of awareness and positive personal impressions that...