Out of synchronization. Electronic modes of communication allow a query to be sent at 5:00 p.m. in Washington DC with an answer sent from Los Angeles by 5:00 p.m. which will be waiting for the original poster the next morning when Los Angeles is still fast asleep. You don't need to synchronize your clocks to work effectively.

The customer's viewpoint on the features of your product or service. "Sell the sizzle, not the steak." This critical element can be elusive for technical professionals and this is where I can help. Each prospect requires a translation of the features of your offering to benefits for them. When accomplished, you have greater flexibility and a larger marketplace.

Software that is the end of the line. Designed to provide end-user facility, it imbeds code in your data, making migration difficult, expensive, and/or impossible.

Data with which you work, in a form from which you will migrate to a new system.

Planning for future change by incorporating a variety of ways to migrate data, maintain systems and/or deliver data to end users.

For everything you ask for, there should be a return to the contributor. For every "take" there must be a "give." For instance, I installed a Unix web database to capture source data on faculty research proposals which was previously paper-based. In order to "take" from the faculty with a new requirement to enter their information on-line, I "gave" the ability to print out most of the data into a form required by the University for approval, saving them handwriting or typing that form.

The phenomena of being enraptured by the software you currently use, or the first demonstration you see. The learning curve of new software is a legitimate issue. However, the natural preference for familiar software (or the first demonstrated software) is an issue of psychological attachment, or imprinting.

Data that has been "tweaked" to work in a new system. If this "tweaking" is a manual process, you'll bury yourself in installation labor costs. If it will be part of ongoing data capture, it must be automated or you'll bleed red ink.

Multiple stakeholders contributing to the selection of a "winner" creates a complex sales environment. In this environment, all decision-makers must reach the same conclusion in the same time frame. Your staff must capture deeper intelligence than in a consultative sale, and translate that intelligence into a formal proposal capable of winning in direct comparison to proposals from your competitors. This is my specialty.

Training for complex sales involves more players in your organization, and builds on the skills needed for straight and consultative sales to work with a team to respond strategically to all the stakeholders.

One or a few decision-makers reach a decision with your salesperson who customizes the solution to the customer's needs. Sales cycle is longer than a straight sale, but shorter than a complex sale. Training for consultative sales focuses on rapport and design for strategic value.

Also referred to as "simple sales." Sales involving just one or two decision-makers, with the sales person closing the sale within a few contacts. Training of this type will focus on closing tactics such as: Open ended questions, prospect qualification and interpersonal skills.

That first sale, made to a larger, famous and/or prestigious organization. The purpose is to borrow some of their credibility for your new firm. Training or coaching in this strategic capture is ideal for high-tech startups.

Traditional management in which manager and team members are CO-located, or travel to work and communicate effectively. [See also, Virtual Management Workshop]

The opposite of "knowledge is power, the more I know than you, the more powerful I am." In the new economy, "information closely held is worthless."¹ Transparency was once thought naive, is now valuable, will soon be required. Open door policies and open books are the first acts of transparency. MicroStrategy strives to be transparent. Their corporate policy is that "any employee should be able to find any piece of information on the company or its employees within 5 minutes."²

Manager and team members may never meet in person. All communication, training and work is done long distance. [See also, Virtual Management Workshop]