Runaway Spending

Congress has failed to check the President's insatiable appetite for spending - not that Congress is any slouch when it comes to spending.

Last fall the Republicans twice tried to keep from raising the debt ceiling. They couldn't do it without suffering a tremendous backlash, so they gave in - just once. Then it was twice. Now four times.

Why do we have a debt limit anyway? Whatever it is, Congress raises it whenever we approach it. Just eliminate it and have no set spending limit - like an American Express card.

Tomorrow the limit increases to $16.2 trillion - with no budget in place for over 1,000 days with which to measure, control, monitor, or approve the spending.

Ronald Reagan lamented the first $1 trillion budget during his Presidency. Look how far we've come since then.

Go ahead and spend. At some point, you'll run out of resources.

For more information about my sales training, consulting, and teaching programs visit my website at stevehoffacker.com. I also maintain a blog (Sales Quips) on the real estate network Active Rain. © 2012, Steve Hoffacker. All Rights Reserved.

Finding Our Way

Imagine walking in the woods or exploring a new city. We may not always know which way to turn or how to get to where we want to go so we use a variety of tools and instincts too find our way - not unlike tools we have for measuring our business journey and keeping on track.

To find our way when we are in unfamiliar surroundings, we use signs, natural features, landmarks, a compass, and even stop and ask for directions. In business, we use benchmarks, planning, evaluation, assessment, goals, business plans, and objectives to guide us and mark our performance.

In my podcast message today, "Finding Our Way," I talk about staying on track and aiming toward our goal in our business journey.

For more information about my sales training, consulting, and teaching programs visit my website at stevehoffacker.com. I also maintain a blog (Sales Quips) on the real estate network Active Rain. © 2012, Steve Hoffacker. All Rights Reserved.

Bring It On, The Economy Thanks You

Many people lament the barrage of political ads on TV and the direct mail pieces that fill our mailboxes. I admit they are tiresome, but they are fantastic for the local economy. I say bring 'em on. The more the better - especially since they have minimal impact anyway.

Along with many other people, I throw all direct mail away without even looking at it. I dismiss most TV ads.

Here in Florida, over one-quarter million ballots have already been cast for next Tuesday's election. All the ads in the world can't change those votes.

Go ahead and spend. We don't need limits on spending. Whatever the candidates want to contribute to the USPS, local printers, local newspaper, and local radio and TV stations is great. Our economy thanks you.

For more information about my sales training, consulting, and teaching programs visit my website at stevehoffacker.com. I also maintain a blog (Sales Quips) on the real estate network Active Rain. © 2012, Steve Hoffacker. All Rights Reserved.

Being Consistent

Building a consistent image is so important to winning and retaining business.

We need to maintain an even approach with our customers and sales leads so that we present essentially the same image and message to everyone we encounter.

It's important that we present a consistent story, message, and demeanor so that people know what to expect from us. We aren’t one thing this week and another next week, or one thing to one customer and something else to another. We can gear up and down as the situation calls for it and upgrade our message, but it should still be us and our values shining through.

In my podcast message today, "Being Consistent," I talk about why we need to be true to ourselves and our values.

For more information about my sales training, consulting, and teaching programs visit my website at stevehoffacker.com. I also maintain a blog (Sales Quips) on the real estate network Active Rain. © 2012, Steve Hoffacker. All Rights Reserved.

How Long Do We Continue To Put Up With This?

How long do we as a country continue to tolerate and pay for the buffoonery of the TSA? The TSA must go.

Last week they issued an apology - by letter rather than in-person or by phone - for a serious mistake they had made involving two elderly South Florida women at JFK Airport who had been improperly treated at the end of last year. Clearly these women were a serious threat to national security or they would not have been treated as they were. There are conflicting accounts, but something improper happened - and an apology ensued.

Also last week, they let a woman inadvertently carrying a handgun in her purse collect her purse from the screening area and go on her way at DFW Airport. She boarded her plane and made it all the way to the runway before they caught up with her 90 minutes later. She was no threat either, but the TSA's incompetency was quite evident.

Today, in Nashville, they detained Sen. Rand Paul from neighboring Kentucky after he went through the radiation chamber because they also wanted to pat him down. He refused. Now, clearly the Senator was a serious security risk.

TSA has proven that this plan isn't working. Time for a new one that is far less costly and much more friendly.


For more information about my sales training, consulting, and teaching programs visit my website at stevehoffacker.com. I also maintain a blog (Sales Quips) on the real estate network Active Rain. © 2012, Steve Hoffacker. All Rights Reserved.

Super Bowl Hype

Now that the two teams who will battle each other in Super Bowl 46 (XLVI) have been determined, it's time to turn our attention to more important matters than who wins the game - the Super Bowl commercials.

Already, companies are talking about their ads, and Kia intends to release their special ad before the big game in some 18,000 movie theaters.

If this year is like others in recent history, there are only going to be one or two commercials that are noteworthy - ones good enough to watch a second time. A couple will be honorable mention, and all the others will be a pure waste of money and creative talent.

We only have 2 weeks before they are unveiled. Then the Monday morning quarterbacking will begin as we analyze the fare of Super Bowl commercials.

For more information about my sales training, consulting, and teaching programs visit my website at stevehoffacker.com. I also maintain a blog (Sales Quips) on the real estate network Active Rain. © 2012, Steve Hoffacker. All Rights Reserved.

Keeping Good Company

This afternoon, I went to the Fox News website to see if they had anything to report about the South Carolina primary election as the voting was winding down, and a banner ad for one of my books on Amazon was running (that I didn't place or know anything about).

I don't know how many other people are seeing this, or if I'm the only one, but it's definitely cool to see.

For more information about my sales training, consulting, and teaching programs visit my website at stevehoffacker.com. I also maintain a blog (Sales Quips) on the real estate network Active Rain. © 2012, Steve Hoffacker. All Rights Reserved.

The Ultimate Sale

The first step in creating a relationship with a customer is selling ourselves. We have to make that connection and become believable to them.

The current political campaigns illustrate the importance and the difficulty with selling ourselves. Candidates often have only their words that they use to persuade that their ideas are better than their opponents.. We often have products and services to assist us in making the sale. Selling what who we are, what we stand for, how we relate to the customer, and how we want to help them solve their needs and issues is paramount to making the sales transaction happen.

In my podcast message today, "The Ultimate Sale," I talk about selling ourselves before we can sell anything else.

For more information about my sales training, consulting, and teaching programs visit my website at stevehoffacker.com. I also maintain a blog (Sales Quips) on the real estate network Active Rain. © 2012, Steve Hoffacker. All Rights Reserved.

Change Your Vantage Point

Sometimes we need to approach an issue from a different perspective - get a different vantage point.

Like riding on this ferris wheel, we need to be able to look at things from different angles, heights, and directions to gain a better understanding.

For more information about my sales training, consulting, and teaching programs visit my website at stevehoffacker.com. I also maintain a blog (Sales Quips) on the real estate network Active Rain. © 2012, Steve Hoffacker. Photo by Steve Hoffacker, unedited. All Rights Reserved.

On The Record

Preparation is one of the most important things we can do in the sales process. Other parts are important, but it all begins with proper preparation. We have to be ready to successfully and effectively meet and engage the customer before we ever meet them.

With the current political season, it's easy to illustrate the importance of being ready with an answer and how we can apply that to our sales businesses. When people come into our sales arena or approach us in public, we don't have time to try to think of what we're going to say. We need to be prepared and know our product, services, features, benefits, pricing, and competition.

In my podcast message today, "On The Record," I talk about the need to know what we offer so well that we can discuss it without needing time to think of a response.

For more information about my sales training, consulting, and teaching programs visit my website at stevehoffacker.com. I also maintain a blog (Sales Quips) on the real estate network Active Rain. © 2012, Steve Hoffacker. All Rights Reserved.