It’s the End of Summer: What Are You Doing to Find New Clients?

09.01.2010

Here we are, the “end of summer” as the kids get back to school, summer vacations have been taken, and it is back to the old routine. But wait a second, I went out for a walk this morning to just reflect a bit on 2010 so far and it was already in the 80’s with high humidity…are you sure that summer is ending?

I had a great summer. I probably traveled a bit more than I would have preferred and my softball teams didn’t quite win as much as I would have liked, but I had a great time none the less. Summer for Randolph Sterling, Inc. was pretty good too, I’d have to say. Every day, I am lucky enough to learn something, and this summer (well 2010 actually) has been no different. It may be the most simple of lessons that stuck with me the strongest, but it was remembering that relationships are key in doing business. It has been said before by many people that people buy from people they KNOW, LIKE, & TRUST.

Case Study: “Help Me to Help You”

08.30.2010

It is so hard at times to determine who your ideal client really is. Let’s face it, the true qualities of an ideal client rarely are the ones you can go to a Dun & Bradstreet list and search for. I can find things like the number of employees, sales volume, and even location, but can you find easy to work with, quick to get back to you, or values what you do?

A New Season Is Almost Upon Us

08.26.2010

A new season is almost upon us- the heat of summer fades into the glory of fall, baseball yields to the dominance of football, and for me personally- new and exciting opportunities are on the horizon! Perhaps this can be a time of change for you, too.

Social Media Procrastination

08.16.2010

Back when I was in college I was fairly active with a few groups that dealt with issues related to science education. I ran the psychology club at my school for a number of years, bringing in three or four speakers per semester that would speak on such topics as getting into grad school, autism, the social psychology and mind control and love, the psychology of religion, the evolution of behavior, and an endless number of other subjects. I was (and technically still am) a member of Psi Chi and had the opportunity to represent my school’s chapter at the American Psychological Association’s conference in Boston in 2008. And after I graduated I met a number of people affiliated with non-profit science education groups that operate at the national level.

The Social Media Skeptic

08.10.2010

Back around the holidays I was at a party where I met a social media skeptic, who put me in one of those situations where I was given minimal information about a business and thirty seconds to explain how implementing the social media could vastly improve every aspect about it.

Three People You’ll Always Meet When You Work in Social Media

08.09.2010

Since I took a job working in social media about a year ago, I’ve frequently found myself in a couple of recurring situations upon telling people what I do. In these situations I tend to encounter a few recurring characters. Perhaps you’re one of them. Hopefully you’re not.

Hitting the Dog Days of August…I hope you aren’t dogging it!

08.03.2010

Here we are, in the beginning of August, the dog days of summer. It has been a hot one on the Raleigh/Chicago shuttle, but that doesn’t stop business from moving forward. Last Friday I was at a meeting hosted by our new client, the Tooling and Manufacturing Association, where one of the speakers was William Strauss, Senior Economist and Economic Advisor at the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago. Mr. Strauss spoke about economic trends and how “The Great Recession” came to an end around the middle of last year and how the economy has expanded since then. That came to great relief to some of the people in the room who had not seen changes in their everyday lives which prompted me to say, “You make your own economy.”

Case Study: Working With Associations, a Two-Sided Benefit

07.29.2010

As part of our sales management solutions, we are often asked to go to other areas of the country to work with some of our clients’ outside salespeople. In our downtime, we have two options…sit in the hotel room and watch old movies or get out and meet new companies to work with.

The “Real Classroom” vs. the Real World: Did an “Innovative” Approach to Advertising 101 Prepare Me for the My Job?

07.22.2010

For those of you who don’t know, my educational background is not in business. No, I double majored in psychology and history. However, while in college I did take a handful of electives in business as something practical in case I didn’t head to grad school immediately after graduation. Most of these courses were like any other class. There were terms to memorize and concepts to understand, as well as the occasional test to study for. However, a couple of these classes, to one degree or another, had professors who prided themselves on implementing what they saw as an innovative approach to teaching: setting up a classroom environment based on what we should expect to encounter once we entered the real world.

One Year and Going Strong

07.20.2010

It’s been about year now since I joined the Randolph Sterling team.

At the time, Randolph Sterling lacked any social media efforts beyond Rich’s personal LinkedIn account. The company website was out-dated, although still on par with many small to mid-sized businesses that I came across while partaking in my job hunt. And I was a recent college graduate with a degree in psychology working as an academic research assistant, a job that entailed doing everything from data entry and statistical analyses on SPSS to grinding up fruit flies to extract, isolate, and replicate specific sequences of their DNA.

Ready to Launch

07.13.2010

Earlier this year, we unveiled our new logos and last week we revealed our new website. Getting a new website has been something we had been intending to do for awhile, but between opening up our second office, getting our SAM groups off the ground, initiating our social media efforts, setting up our new trade [...]

Randolph Sterling Inc.'s Facebook Brain Strain Begins!

07.01.2010

Do you know who Jeff Albertson is? What about Norville Rogers? Or David Howell Evans? If so, it might be time to put this knowledge to good use and compete in Randolph Sterling Inc.’s Facebook Brain Strain! “What is this?” you may ask. Randolph Sterling’s Facebook Brain Strain is a trivia contest that will test your knowledge, your skill, and perhaps your ability to use Wiki, as it challenges you with a series of questions and riddles from July 1st to July 31st. Some will appear on the Randolph Sterling Facebook fan page. Others will appear on Rich’s personal page.

Randolph Sterling Welcomes a New Account Manager!

06.29.2010

Becky Maccini joined our team at Randolph Sterling last month as our new account manager to help us introduce ourselves to potential clients, strengthen our relationships with current clients, and help our clients build their own lists of clients. With her, she brings thirteen years of experience in the mortgage industry, which she describes as [...]

The weather is heating up, and so are the sales!

06.28.2010

Summer is finally here so I can finally put my snow shovel away! As the temperature starts to rise, so have the sales numbers of our clients. Many initially approached 2010 with caution, since they did not know if we were in a real recovery or if people were just starting to buy again to make up for everything they didn’t buy last year. Now that we are almost halfway through the year, we can say, at least from where we are sitting, that the recovery is real.

Due to Popular Demand…a New Service from Randolph Sterling Inc.

06.21.2010

Sales is about one thing…relationships.

How can you build a relationship with a prospect that you don’t talk to? For over 7 years, we at Randolph Sterling Inc. have talked about the value of relationships, about how you need to integrate emails, social media, phone conversations, and meetings to learn more about your prospects so you can better help them. Sometimes, however, you just don’t have the time necessary to reach out to all of the people you need to. You get busy with your current clients and don’t follow up on that referral a colleague gave you, or the business cards you collected at the trade show. Now we have made it even easier for Randolph Sterling, Inc. to help you.

Comments Please: Soliciting Feedback through a Third Party Service

05.19.2010

When soliciting feedback, there’s a few ways to do it. You can ask people directly. You can make a post on your blog. You can email them directly. Or you can use a survey service such as the one offered through Constant Contact.

Case Study: What Does Losing a Sales Opportunity Cost You?

05.12.2010

Problem: A provider of used packaging and process equipment machinery has a top notch marketing system for generating new leads. The system also will develop and send a quote out to the prospect looking for a particular piece of machinery, then send a copy to the assigned sales executive, averaging about 200 quotes per day. The sales executives process orders from the prospects who either request more information about a particular machine or are interested in purchasing one.

A Special (Belated) Mother's Day Note from Randolph Sterling, Inc.

05.10.2010

I’m sorry this is a day late everyone, but I Saturday was my dad’s birthday and Sunday was Mother’s Day so I wasn’t on the computer too much to write.

The Results are in for Randolph Sterling’s Newsletter Survey!

05.10.2010

On and off for the past several months Rich and I have discussed sending out a survey to our loyal newsletter readers to see if they felt they were getting the most value out of our newsletter. However, it was never quite a top priority for either of us. There were always just other projects to work on and other tasks to do. Then about six weeks ago we noticed our readership had been down for our last couple of newsletters and decided it might finally be time to put together our survey.

Randolph Sterling Announcement

05.06.2010

This is the first blog entry for the brand new Randolph Sterling website. We hope you enjoy reading our future posts.

What's Your Swag? Strengthening Your Social Media Network

04.27.2010

After months of listening to and trying to figure out what a social media is, how it can be used, what’s a twitter, who’s face is in a book and what am I linking in, I thought it might be time to try and catch up with the rest of the world. I knew going in it was going to be tough to get me up to speed in 2010, but a man has to start sometime. I mean, I’m on Facebook and LinkedIn, but I really don’t know what to do with them, and more importantly, how to use them to my advantage.

Happy Birthday to Randolph Sterling!

04.22.2010

Seven years ago today, April 22, 2003, the papers were approved and Randolph Sterling, Inc. was born. In some ways it seems like yesterday while in others, it seems like a million years ago!

5 Years and Counting

04.05.2010

My career with Randolph Sterling began as I was looking for a fresh opportunity. The company offered me unlimited growth potential and a completely different career path, however I recall feeling hesitant to leave a position and company where I had built a solid foundation. Would a young company like Randolph Sterling really be a good fit for me, would I be successful? I was unsure of how it would all work out but I decided on a leap of faith.

You Don’t Have to be a Basketball Superpower to be Successful

03.24.2010

Well, it’s that time of year again. March Madness, to many sports fans, is the best season of them all. Numerous games over a three week period, every game means something, loser leaves town, the highest high and the lowest low, and players shedding tears, some for joy, most for sorrow. If you like sports, it’s hard not to get a lot of enjoyment out of the tournament.

Check Out Our New Look

03.23.2010

Have you noticed something different about us lately, but just can’t put your finger on it? Perhaps you saw it on Rich’s Facebook page? Or maybe on Twitter instead? You might just be noticing it now? If you haven’t here’s the answer…or at least one of them:

Yep, we have a new logo and it comes [...]

Musings on an Age Old New Media Riddle: Facebook Groups or Fan Pages?

03.22.2010

A few weeks ago I was at a dinner where I admitted to working in social media to a gentleman at my table. He was a businessman “experimenting” with different social media strategies for his company, and one of his first questions upon hearing about my occupation was “What’s the difference between a Facebook group and a Facebook page?”

The Light Is Getting Brighter…What Will You Do?

03.09.2010

While talking with a large number of manufacturing companies the last few weeks, I have noticed a positive change in attitude. Most companies were optimistic about their business as we started the new year. The feeling seemed to be that things were getting better and 2010 would certainly show productivity to be on an increase.

A Night at Marcello’s with the Midwest Society of Professional Consultants

03.09.2010


Last Wednesday I attended Rich’s talk at the Midwest Society of Professional Consultants’ monthly meeting at Marcello’s in Chicago, titled “The Last Day of the Project Is the First Day of Unemployment.” Rich initiated a conversation, gave his audience a few questions to related to the topic to think about, then moderated a highly interactive [...]

A Quick Lesson in Social Media from Randolph Sterling's New Director of Social Media

03.08.2010

Recently I was promoted to the position of Randolph Sterling’s Director of Social Media (the inside joke is that I was essentially filling that post for the past eight months, and it just felt about time to make it official).
But anyway, with my new position I do have some additional duties and challenges (such as [...]

Special Event: Lucky's Pot of Leads

03.07.2010

Lucky’s Pot of Leads
Order tickets via Eventbrite: http://luckyleads-efbevent.eventbrite.com
In conjunction with Business Club America and Randolph Sterling, Inc., Hummingbird Creative Group invites you to the second of a series of 9 roundtable events in 2010 to celebrate Hummingbird’s 15th Anniversary.
Friday, March 12, 2010 from 11:30am – 1:00pm at 1705 Prime, join industry expert panelists:
Wendy Coulter, President, Hummingbird [...]

When to Grow ?

02.24.2010

Since the first of the year, I have been talking to a lot of companies. Their success is across the board. Some are closing after years of providing a product or service. Others are busier than they have ever been and are at their manufacturing capacity. However, the majority of companies I have talked to are somewhere in between.

Case Study: A Lackadaisical Sales Force Reenergized

02.23.2010

Not long ago we were hired by a component manufacturer. This company specializes in developing solutions for complex components with challenging material requirements including heat treatable stainless steel, titanium, and nickel alloys. They specialize in the areas of medical instruments, aerospace, defense, electrical motors, business equipment, hydraulics, and pneumatics.

Mid-February Is Here, and with It Several Upcoming Events

02.11.2010

We just sent out our mid-February newsletter, which will either remind you that the pesky groundhog did whatever groundhogs do to say it is going to be six more weeks of winter, or that it is just about Valentine’s Day…a day of love, chocolates, overpriced roses, and Hallmark cards.
Since I have not yet been able to sell [...]

Case Study: Following Up on Leads

02.11.2010

One of the companies we work with sells new and used machinery. Some of their machines are very small. Others are very large. Their products are used by a variety of customers that range from bakeries to construction companies.
Prior to contacting Randolph Sterling, their used equipment sales were strong, however, there was a concern that they were [...]

Calling All Entrepreneurs and Business Owners

02.09.2010

I recently attended an event for small business owners and people who are looking to start their own business.  It was sponsored by The Executives Profit and American Chartered Bank.   The goal of the event was to take businesses and individuals from where they are to where they want to be.
The Executives Profit consults with [...]

WordPress vs. Hootsuite: When the Stats Disagree

02.03.2010

One of the first things Rich, Randolph Sterling’s founder and CEO, asked me when I was hired as the company’s social media intern last summer was whether there was a way for us to track our success. In other words, did he spend his flight from Chicago to Raleigh or Raleigh to Chicago writing a [...]

Why Work in Sales?

01.27.2010

Have you ever wondered why you are doing what you do? Did you grow up knowing what you wanted to be as an adult? I mean, of course, after the cowboy, fireman, and hairdresser stages. While some of us might have planned our career when we were young, does anyone dream of being in human [...]

Learning about Clients and Prospects through the Social Media

01.27.2010

It is the second decade of the twenty first century. Direct contact with friends, family, clients, and prospects is becoming increasingly limited. We screen our calls as others screen the calls we make to them. We leave voice messages in the hope that not only those we are calling check their voicemail in a timely manner, but that they will deem our message worthy of a response. We send e-mails with no knowledge of if or when they’re opened. We make posts on people’s walls and wonder afterwards if we were clear enough in indicating that we would like them to comment on it. And we tweet to our friends and colleagues and strangers trying to convey a greeting, a message, and a call to action in 140 characters or less. So, the question is how do we cope with this increasingly acceptable lack of contact with people, especially when doing business.

Master of Memory: How to Build Rapport, Increase Familiarity, and Get People to Like You

01.17.2010

During my junior year of high school I took a college prep course which met everyday during first period. During this class we’d typically spend our time learning ACT and SAT strategies, but sometimes we’d have a special guest speaker come in to tell us about life as a professional in one field or another [...]

Randolph Sterling, Inc. Celebrates 6 Months of Social Media!

01.13.2010

Six months ago Randolph Sterling did not have a newsletter or a Facebook page or a blog or even a Twitter account. The president of Randolph Sterling, Rich Burghgraef, thought that there might be potential in such things, but was reluctant to get involved in any of them.  Around that time he hired me as [...]

Happy New Year 2010…Now It’s Time to Get Back to Work!

01.12.2010

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season filled with joy, laughter, and happiness of every kind. Hopefully you are well rested because now it is time to get back to work.
If you remember back in November, I wrote an article about the holidays coming and how many salespeople get into “nobody is buying [...]

IT’S A NEW YEAR!!!

12.30.2009

Christmas is finally over. The shopping can stop. The relatives have gone home. We can go back to having a normal diet, not one filled with large meals where we eat and eat. But, before we start that post holiday diet and exercise program, we have one more 24 hour period of indulgence. Yes, it [...]

Holidays With Art: A Merry Mood and a Merry Christmas

12.15.2009

It’s the holiday season and we are busier than ever.  Gifts to buy and company to prepare for consume our waking hours.  Despite this, have you ever noticed that people seem to be just a little bit nicer to each other around this time of year?   You wonder with everything going on, why?
I don’t know [...]

Merry Christmas To All, And To All A Good 2010

12.13.2009

As the holiday season is upon us, and we sit at the dawn of a new decade, I wanted to take a moment to wish everyone a very happy holiday season and best wishes for a wonderful new year.
OK, so we aren’t truly on the dawn of a new decade. There was no year 0, [...]

More Information on SAM Peer Groups

12.02.2009

Sales & Marketing Peer Groups
In a trusted and confidential setting, members discuss the issues that can make or break their businesses. They share hard-earned expertise and newly acquired ideas to help each other reach better decisions.

The Executive SAM (eSAM) Peer Group: Directors of Sales, VP’s of Sales and Sales Executive Managers join the eSAM program. [...]

A Special Opportunity for BCA Members

12.01.2009

BCA-Triangle members know the importance of building relationships and looking to other BCA members as a valuable resource to help you grow your business. Our members have tools to offer each other that compliment the educational component of BCA and enhance the value of your membership. As an added membership benefit to you, Rich Burghgraef, President of [...]

FabTech 2009

11.24.2009

Recently, I attended FabTech, a large trade show at McCormick Place in Chicago.  It got me thinking about how important these shows are and the value to a company when they attend.
If the economy is in a slump, it certainly isn’t evident at these shows.  A single booth is expensive and there were a large [...]

Art's Initial Thoughts on the FabTech & AWS Welding Show

11.20.2009

Went to trade show in Chicago the other day.  The Fab Tech & AWS Welding Show was held at McCormick Place.
Among the many exhibitors, there were some outlandish display booths, including a small semi trailer truck with the center cut out for their display.
Everyday there were various presentations, including ones about the industry, safety and [...]

30 Days and Going Strong

11.12.2009

My name is Art Crowley and I have been with Randolph Sterling, Inc for just over 30 days.  I am a Sales Executive with Randolph Sterling and will be responsible for adding new clients.   What a whirlwind these first weeks have been.  I feel like I have learned so much yet, at times, it feels [...]

Closing the Deal on the Go: The Sales Letter

11.04.2009

If you decide to write a sales letter to a prospect, this first step can determine the success or failure of the relationship. When writing the letter, keep it simple. Stick to a single goal such as setting an appointment.
Without being there you cannot see how your prospect responds to the information you give them. [...]

First the North Carolina Office: What’s Next? Randolph Sterling Inc. Welcomes a New Account Executive to the Team

10.25.2009

As a small business owner, many decisions that larger companies make with ease are met with a great deal of consideration at our level.  Hiring new people has always been a challenge for me. Some will say it is because I may be a bit more controlling than I give myself credit for, but I [...]

Everyone Is in Sales

09.06.2009

Everyone Is in Sales.
Think about it.
From the first time you tried to sell your teacher on the fact that the dog ate your homework, or tried to sell your parents that you didn’t have room for vegetables but you do have room for dessert, you’ve been selling.
Many small or mid sized business people don’t realize [...]

What Is Randolph Sterling’s Virtual Sales Manager?

09.02.2009

At Randolph Sterling we know that each company is different, each industry is unique, and each account executive has their own strengths and weaknesses. That is why we take the time to learn your business and those who are responsible for growing it by working with you. 
 Randolph Sterling provides our virtual sales manager service to [...]

What Is Outsourced Sales and Lead Generation?

08.31.2009

Prospects and customers are more knowledgeable. They are being asked to do more with fewer resources. Even with voicemail, e-mail, regular mail, cell phones, pagers, and an endless array of social media pages, they are more difficult to reach.
 You, on the other hand, are being asked to sell more than you did last year, with [...]

Answers to Common Questions About Randolph Sterling

08.30.2009

1) What can Randolph Sterling show a good salesperson that they are not already doing? Sales is an art which needs to be constantly honed and practiced. The best in the business are always looking for ways to get that competitive edge and to look for that new technique to add to their arsenal.
2) I’ve [...]

Event:Learn More About Our Sales and Marketing (SAM) Peer Groups This Thursday In Raleigh, NC

08.10.2009

Strategize with Your Peers to Grow Your Business
Date: August 13th, 2009
Time: 11:30 am – 1:30 am
Event Type: Roundtable
Market: The Triangle, North Carolina
Where: 1705 Prime, 1705 East Millbrook Road, Raleigh, North Carolina 27609
Details:
Join us for lunch as we introduce Randolph Sterling, Inc.’s Sales and Marketing (SAM) Peer Advisory Group Concept – a peer-to-peer advisory group for [...]

What Motivates You?

08.03.2009

What motivates you?
Take our poll or leave a comment : )
Are You Intrinsically or Extrinsically Motivated to Go to Do Your Job?(polls)

Six Secrets to Finding a Business Development Advisor

07.27.2009

A question companies often face is what qualities and qualifications should they look for in a business development advisor. To us at Randolph Sterling, there are six crucial, but simple, questions such companies should ask:
(1) What are the advisor’s education, experience, and qualifications? Has the advisor had experience in dealing with the types of issues [...]

Randolph Sterling 2.0

07.23.2009

Randolph Sterling is now on Word Press! We will begin blogging soon : )