In this Issue

🏆    Pained Optimism
✈️    Proactive Selling
🎯    How to Gain Certainty

🏆  Pained Optimism‍

I am amazed by the resilience and positivity of entrepreneurs. Even against the odds, entrepreneurs choose to win.

Last week we hosted a webinar called, “How to Win When the Rules Keep Changing.” During the session we polled the participants on their perceptions of the economy and their businesses.

The results demonstrated a pained but optimistic outlook:

• 50% are optimistic and expect their business to grow, even though 71% are experiencing slowing or stalled growth at this stage in the year.
• 64% are increasing their sales and marketing to combat a weakening economy. 63% expect the economy to worsen in the next 12 months.

Uncertainty and the trade war are taking a toll, but that doesn’t mean you have to lie down and accept it.

Mindset matters. The companies that act fast and adapt faster gain an advantage.

They are the ones proactively selling and finding new markets, developing new products, and creating new value propositions. They are the ones reconfiguring their companies for the current business reality.

Being optimistic and hopeful is a choice you can make.

✈️  Proactive Selling

With its back against the wall, APT entered 2025 with a commitment to grow. APT went from 42% to 181% of quota within five months!

APT is an automotive equipment manufacturer. They make gauges, fixtures, and automation equipment.

Their industry is on the frontline of the trade war. With competitors going under, how is APT defying the odds? The answer: proactive selling.

Two behaviors are delivering a profound impact.

First, on-site customer visits. We mandated that the sales team invest one day per week visiting customers.

It’s too easy to hide behind email and Teams meetings, but nothing can replace an in person meeting. Not only does it build stronger relationships, it delivers dramatic insights.

Those insights are helping APT to look forward and reframe its value proposition. They are spotting new opportunities and rapidly adapting to their market.

Second, make every deal precious. It’s easy to let things fall through the cracks when you’re busy, but when you’re fighting for every dollar you simply cannot afford not to be proactive.

Sales tracking and account management are critical to managing every inquiry and quote to a successful outcome.

APT is a dramatic turnaround and growth story in a sector that is in turmoil. Their story demonstrates you have more control and potential than you might recognize.

The key behavior is proactive selling. Get in front of your customers and listen to what they are really saying. They will tell you what they want and need to buy.

🎯  How to Gain Certainty

You can gain certainty by opening a conversation with your team.

Following last week’s webinar, Tara, the president of The Japanese Paper Place, sent me a note. She wrote, “I took your questions below as a brainstorming topic to a staff meeting.”

• Focus on things that won’t change. What are things about our business and customers that won’t change? 
• Focus on things you can control. What are things we can control?

She said, “It was a great first step to engage the staff in collective thinking about how we can move forward.”

Uncertainty is caused by an inability to predict the future. When the rules and expectations are shifting under your feet, it’s hard to know where to go next.

By focusing on what won’t change and what is in your control, you can proceed with some certainty.

🤔  Thoughts on Today’s Issue?

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