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	<title>SPIA Official Blog - Coaching Business Professionals since 1971</title>
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	<link>http://blog.spiainc.com</link>
	<description>Real Results You Can Trust</description>
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		<title>Will 2012 Be THE Beginning Of Your Business’ Next Growth Spurt?  Are your ready?</title>
		<link>http://blog.spiainc.com/marketing/will-2012-be-the-beginning-of-your-business%e2%80%99s-next-growth-spurt-are-your-ready/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.spiainc.com/marketing/will-2012-be-the-beginning-of-your-business%e2%80%99s-next-growth-spurt-are-your-ready/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 04 Jan 2012 22:35:31 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Craig Stimmel</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Accreditation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Entreprenureship]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Future Thinking]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Leadership]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[M&A]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Positive Business Thinking]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Management]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Process Improvement]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Strategic Planning]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.spiainc.com/?p=484</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Y2012 looks like a real winner for business that can break the RECESSION MINDSET!  What do I mean by Recession Mindset?  I refer to a pessimistic through process that suggests that the future is likely to be “more of the same” or “worse”.  The result?  A passive marketing/sales effort that relies on little, if any, change and a even more conservative willingness to invest in growth.]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.spiainc.com/marketing/will-2012-be-the-beginning-of-your-business%e2%80%99s-next-growth-spurt-are-your-ready//feed</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>No time to build a training program for your salespeople?  Here are the steps you’ll need to get started &#8211; quickly.</title>
		<link>http://blog.spiainc.com/business/no-time-to-build-a-training-program-for-your-salespeople-here-are-the-steps-you%e2%80%99ll-need-to-get-started-quickly/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.spiainc.com/business/no-time-to-build-a-training-program-for-your-salespeople-here-are-the-steps-you%e2%80%99ll-need-to-get-started-quickly/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 19 Dec 2011 12:42:34 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Craig Stimmel</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Entreprenureship]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Leadership]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Management]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[sales]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Sales Management]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Standards of Performance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Training]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Human Resources]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Process Improvement]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Systems]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.spiainc.com/?p=482</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[One of the first things that sales and company executives ask us when we meet them is; “We need to grow our sales, what can you do for us?” To that we always respond, “If you’d share with us some of the processes that you have in place now for the sales team to follow – we can then take a look at them and see if there might be a way that we can help.”]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.spiainc.com/business/no-time-to-build-a-training-program-for-your-salespeople-here-are-the-steps-you%e2%80%99ll-need-to-get-started-quickly//feed</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Marketing On Steriods: Combining EMarketing, Social Networking &amp; Traditional Marketing</title>
		<link>http://blog.spiainc.com/marketing/marketing-on-steriods-combining-emarketing-social-networking-traditional-marketing/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.spiainc.com/marketing/marketing-on-steriods-combining-emarketing-social-networking-traditional-marketing/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 29 Nov 2011 14:04:56 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Craig Stimmel</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Branding]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Communications]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Corporate Visibility]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[E-Marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Management]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Social Media Marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Operational Efficiency]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Process Improvement]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[sales]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Social Media Management]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.spiainc.com/?p=476</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Is it time to build a Marketing Machine?  Let’s examine the benefits.  And Assemble The Best of Both Worlds  There’s marketing and there’s sales, and each has its pros and cons. To ensure your marketing and sales people work in concert with one another as teammates, like they should, you need a Marketing Machine.  A Marketing Machine combines the strengths of marketing and sales to create a powerful business development system – a combination of technology aprocess! Strategic Planning &#038; Implementat-ion Associates builds Marketing Machines using a combination of software and eMarketing system.]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.spiainc.com/marketing/marketing-on-steriods-combining-emarketing-social-networking-traditional-marketing//feed</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Getting “Beyond” The Start-Up Phase Mentality  A Virtual Brick Wall That Often Lasts For Years</title>
		<link>http://blog.spiainc.com/business/getting-%e2%80%9cbeyond%e2%80%9d-the-start-up-phase-mentality-a-virtual-brick-wall-that-often-lasts-for-years/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.spiainc.com/business/getting-%e2%80%9cbeyond%e2%80%9d-the-start-up-phase-mentality-a-virtual-brick-wall-that-often-lasts-for-years/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 01 Nov 2011 11:57:29 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Craig Stimmel</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Enhancing Management Efficiency]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[HR Poisoning An Employee]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Leadership]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Poisoning Employees]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Start-Up Trouble Shooting]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Start-Ups]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Business 101 - Startups]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Human Resources]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Management]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Operational Efficiency]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.spiainc.com/?p=471</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Kicking off a new business means that the entrepreneur or business owner begins operations leveraging his/her knowledge of the products or services it performs and how those product/services will be delivered to the marketplace.    When the start-up begins with the entrepreneur him/herself – a non to infrequent occurrence, the entrepreneur begins operations doing absolutely everything – sales/marketing, finance and operations – dividing up his/her time based on what has to be done based on a priority known usually only by that individual. ]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.spiainc.com/business/getting-%e2%80%9cbeyond%e2%80%9d-the-start-up-phase-mentality-a-virtual-brick-wall-that-often-lasts-for-years//feed</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>ADD/ADHD – A Positive Entrepreneural Trait? – Why Is It That Such A Large Percentage of Successful Entrepreneurs Have To Deal With &amp; Succeed Despite the Challenge?</title>
		<link>http://blog.spiainc.com/business/addadhd-%e2%80%93-a-posirive-entrepreneural-trait-%e2%80%93-why-is-it-that-such-a-large-percentage-of-successful-entrepreneurs-have-to-deal-with-succeed-despite-the-challenge/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.spiainc.com/business/addadhd-%e2%80%93-a-posirive-entrepreneural-trait-%e2%80%93-why-is-it-that-such-a-large-percentage-of-successful-entrepreneurs-have-to-deal-with-succeed-despite-the-challenge/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 10 Oct 2011 14:24:16 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Craig Stimmel</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Business Psychology]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Entreprenureship]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Management]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[stress in business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ADHD]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Adult Deficit Attention Disorder]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Entrepreneurship]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Stress in Business]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.spiainc.com/?p=463</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Why is it that such a large percentage of successful entrepreneurs (up to 25% of the US population according to the National Institute of Health NIH) exhibit to a greater or lesser degree some symptoms of Adult Attention Deficit Disorder (ADHD)?  Could it be that one or more of the symptoms of what ADD does to over 25% of the American population be a benefit to people who have learned to live with ADD as they consider establishing a business vs. working for someone else?  Is ADHD a negative trait? I’d say just the opposite. Their high energy level, willingness to put in the hours, and ability to do a great....]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.spiainc.com/business/addadhd-%e2%80%93-a-posirive-entrepreneural-trait-%e2%80%93-why-is-it-that-such-a-large-percentage-of-successful-entrepreneurs-have-to-deal-with-succeed-despite-the-challenge//feed</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>ARE YOU POISONING YOUR EMPLOYEES  and &#8211; SHOOTING YOURSELF IN THE FOOT?</title>
		<link>http://blog.spiainc.com/management/are-you-poisoning-your-employees-and-shooting-yourself-in-the-foot/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.spiainc.com/management/are-you-poisoning-your-employees-and-shooting-yourself-in-the-foot/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 24 Sep 2011 19:17:13 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Craig Stimmel</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[HR]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[HR Poisoning An Employee]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Leadership]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Management]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Professional Service Firm]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Relationships]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[SPIA]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[stress in business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Communications]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Human Resources]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Operational Efficiency]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.spiainc.com/?p=458</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Poisoning an employee?   What does that mean?  I’ve never hurt anyone anytime in my life!   Deliberately yes – likely what you think is the case may not be true!  Why?  Because poisoning an employee means you’ve removed one or more employee’s sense of empowerment and ability to positively impact the efficiencies/effectiveness of what they do for the company. 

What is the typical result of "POISONING AN EMPLOYEE"?  ]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.spiainc.com/management/are-you-poisoning-your-employees-and-shooting-yourself-in-the-foot//feed</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>PR/Communications – More Critical Now Than Ever</title>
		<link>http://blog.spiainc.com/marketing/prcommunications-%e2%80%93-more-critical-now-than-ever/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.spiainc.com/marketing/prcommunications-%e2%80%93-more-critical-now-than-ever/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 16 Sep 2011 16:58:47 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Craig Stimmel</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Branding]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Communications]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[PR]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Public Relations]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Social Media Management]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.spiainc.com/?p=454</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Keeping existing customers happy and finding new ones has always been difficult.  Today the marketplace is seeing more aggressive competitors, often “ridiculous” pricing and deteriorating service levels as competitors reduce overhead by cutting staff.  What do savvy business people do to replace customers who drop out and/or move to another competitor?  Do they roll-over and pretend it’s not happening?  Or, to put it another way, they’re asking themselves, “Do I wait for the economy to return to ‘normal’ or begin to be as aggressive as some of our competitors?”]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.spiainc.com/marketing/prcommunications-%e2%80%93-more-critical-now-than-ever//feed</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Marketing or Selling?  Know Why It&#8217;s Critical To Know The Difference?</title>
		<link>http://blog.spiainc.com/marketing/marketing-or-selling-know-why-its-critical-to-know-the-difference/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.spiainc.com/marketing/marketing-or-selling-know-why-its-critical-to-know-the-difference/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 06 Sep 2011 18:47:47 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Craig Stimmel</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Management]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[sales]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Sales Management]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Suggestive Selling]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.spiainc.com/?p=443</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[“I don’t care how many degrees you have on the wall, if you don’t know how to sell, you’re probably going to starve.”—George Forman

A lot of business owners think they are selling, when really all they are doing is marketing. Do you know the difference between the two?  It will cost you a lot of time, energy, and money if you don’t.]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.spiainc.com/marketing/marketing-or-selling-know-why-its-critical-to-know-the-difference//feed</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>SLOW ECONOMIC TIMES ARE NOT THE TIMES TO DO NOTHING IN YOUR BUSINESS.  HERE&#8217;S WHY&#8230;.</title>
		<link>http://blog.spiainc.com/business/the-costs-of-doing-nothing-in-your-business-during-economic-slow-times/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.spiainc.com/business/the-costs-of-doing-nothing-in-your-business-during-economic-slow-times/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 18 Aug 2011 18:02:33 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Craig Stimmel</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Business Psychology]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Competing During Tough Times]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Future Thinking]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Positive Business Thinking]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Business Appraisals. Finance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Competing In A Down Economy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Competitive Advantage]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Staying Competitive]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Turn Arounds]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.spiainc.com/?p=433</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[An Article by Karen Whitman, SPIA Partner:  There is definitely a risk to business owners with a “wait and see” attitude.  Just to name a few:

    Loss of market share
    Lost customers
    Loss of profitability
    Loss of cash flow
    Loss of liquidity
    Inability to keep up with technology
    Loss of productivity
    Loss of key employees
    Panicked employees
    (Worst scenario)—Loss of your business

 The greatest risk is the fear induced by the thought of the above happening in your business.  This kind of fear can actually paralyze a person’s thinking, and it is the thoughts that control actions.  Disabled thinking equals immobility in your business.  Even though your business may not be at risk, this thinking makes you feel threatened.  It goes back to the old adage, “If you think you can, you will, and if you think you can’t, you don’t!”]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.spiainc.com/business/the-costs-of-doing-nothing-in-your-business-during-economic-slow-times//feed</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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		<item>
		<title>INTEGRATING SOCIAL MEDIA INTO A POWERFUL MARKETING STRATEGY</title>
		<link>http://blog.spiainc.com/marketing/integrating-social-media-into-a-powerful-marketing-strategy/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.spiainc.com/marketing/integrating-social-media-into-a-powerful-marketing-strategy/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 02 Aug 2011 16:26:05 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Craig Stimmel</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Business Relationships]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Communications]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Management]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Relationships]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Social Media]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Social Media Management]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Social Media Marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[SPIA]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Competitive Advantage]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Integrating Social Media Into Marketing Strategies]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.spiainc.com/?p=428</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[In Y2011, we find ourselves striving to take advantage of Social Media Marketing (SMM).  Today its all about looking for the “best” marketing strategy to connect with a company’s target audience.  So, recognizing this flow of progress, we might ask ourselves, really how much has marketing really changed in the last twenty-five years? From the beginning, the basic objective of every successful marketing strategy has been the same – establish or develop stronger connections or relationships with people.]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.spiainc.com/marketing/integrating-social-media-into-a-powerful-marketing-strategy//feed</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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