1.   Hire the person - don’t fill the job  - Far too many people are hired to fill a position and as a result intellectual talent which can make a difference in any company is over-looked as not being the perfect fit for the tasks to be accomplished. 

2.   Fire quickly - including at the top – Owners and managers are quick to terminate lower-level employees but are far too generous in overlooking terminations that need to occur at the top.

3.   Forget competing on price – Nobody can sustain a low price image forever.  Competing on price will only provide a short-term volume bump at the risk of destroying the value of your long-term potential

4.   OPM – Other People’s Minds – Use them, never allow yourself to think you’re the only one that understands your business.

5.   You’re the problem – SCA (Sustainable Competitive Advantage) – The only advantage you will be able to create long-term is through your employees and it  starts with you being a person a people want to associate with.

6.   24/7 Marketing – In today’s market it’s impossible to personally be everywhere, you have to have the tools in place to bring you customers from areas, places you never would expect them to come from.

7.   Know your customer’s customers – Take the time to understand where your and how your product / service is being used, you’ll be amazed at what you learn.

8.   Never think you’ve lost a customer – if they bought from you once, even if they had a bad experience you can still get them back and you need to do so.  Customer’s who have bad experiences will talk to others.

9.   Fire your worst customers – Every company has at least a few customers that after the P/L  is run will show the only thing they contribute is work.

10. Challenge your banker / accountant – You may think they have your best interest in mind but with the wide range of customers they have there is no reason to think they’re doing everything they can for you

11. There is no such thing as a fatal decision – Decisions become fatal only after a number of other bad decisions have been made.  Companies rarely get off course because of a single move, they get off course by a serious of bad moves with each one escalating the impact of the previous one.

Mark Hunter, “The Sales Hunter”, is a sales expert who speaks to thousands each year on how to increase their sales profitability.  For more information, to receive a free weekly email sales tip, or to read his Sales Motivation Blog, visit www.TheSalesHunter.com.

Reprinting of this article is welcomed as long as the following is included: 
Mark Hunter, "The Sales Hunter", www.TheSalesHunter.com, © 2008