How to succeed with cold calls

Dear WW: Is anyone else having trouble getting through to people today? Is there something that other people are doing that I don’t know about? VERY COLD CALLS
Dear COLD,
I had an out of town guest visit me recently. We were listening to the Seattle weather report and she started laughing because of all the different [...]

How to decide if you should invest more in your business

Dear WW: I own a small retail business which has been open for two years. We have a great idea, a great location, and business started off well. But for the last year our sales have been going sideways. I’m not sure what the problem is. My manager thinks I need to pump more money [...]

How to write a business plan

Dear WW: I’m part of a start up and am frustrated by people who seem to think writing a business plan is the most important step we can take. How necessary is one? (We’re not borrowing from banks.) And if business plans are so darned important, how come no two people can agree on what’s [...]

What not to do as a leader

Dear WW: I really want to be an effective leader. The stuff I read doesn’t seem like it works in the real world. Can you give me something that really works? CAN’T FOLLOW
Dear CAN’T,
An executive once asked me in a job interview to describe one leadership experience I’d had. I described a program that I’d [...]

How to become your own boss

Dear WW: I’ve finally decided to leave the corporate world. I read in the bio on your web site that you’ve started three corporations. What do I need to know to create my own business? FIRE THE BOSS
Dear FIRE,
It’s a big leap from a cubicle to your own business, so it’s wise to prepare. And [...]

How to do an elevator pitch (present an idea in 30 seconds or less)

Dear WW: I have a project that I want to pitch to a Venture Capitalist that I know. But I know how busy she is so I’ll only have a minute or two to make my pitch. BLINK AND SHE’S GONE
Dear BLINK,
A gate agent at the airport told me a story about a friend who [...]

Gifford Pinchot on how to encourage innovation at work

Dear Readers: Innovation-many people talk about it but few know how to achieve it. Gifford Pinchot is the leading innovation expert at work today. He is also the founder of the Bainbridge Institute, a new management training program on Bainbridge Island, WA. I spoke to him about what each of us can do to be [...]