Of course every business services firm that calls on small- to mid-sized businesses (SMBs) says they are a trusted advisor to their clients, but reality doesn’t always support that claim. I read a great article this week about how most firms that call on SMBs instead tend to provide “Random Acts of Consulting.” 

A value-added advisor is someone whose ideas and advice you respect enough to invest time and money into having them around. The business relationship is about more than just the product purchase itself. 

“Are we keeping up with the Joneses?” Owners of small and mid-sized businesses (SMBs) are always interested in how their competition is doing…and how they compare to them financially. Yes, it may be about ego to some degree, but it also tells a business owner how their company is faring financially. Are they middling, above average,...

Last week, we hosted the first installment in Vertical IQ’s free fall webinar series—a presentation entitled Red Ocean vs. Blue Ocean Sales Strategies by Ray Adler, banking sales coach, strategist, and change catalyst with BTI Growth Advisors. While Ray’s presentation discussed sales from a banking perspective, the lessons are highly...