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Go figure: Food makers processed more peanuts over the past year than nearly any other time on record despite a national salmonella outbreak blamed for killing nine people and scaring consumers away from peanut products for months. Peanut farmers who once feared $1 billion in losses are chalking up their good fortune to a bad economy that has more people reaching ...

Every element of the sales food chain is vulnerable in a recession, but perhaps none more so than the list sector. When businesses feel the pinch they tend to follow a familiar pattern, shifting the focus from prospecting activities, which can be expensive and risky, to the relatively safer ground of customer retention. "We saw the same in the last recession," ...

Regardless of the economic climate, people want to lead a greener lifestyle according to an informal survey of ecomii.com visitors and Debatables participants. ecomii is the #1 green lifestyle resource on the Internet (according to comScore). Lack of information and consumer understanding as to how to be greener remain an impediment according to the survey. "We decided to tap the collective ...

Looking for a job is not a pleasant experience even in the best of times. Add record-high unemployment and a tidal wave of competition to the mix, and the search for employment can be maddening. Now there's even more for job seekers to be concerned about: crooks who exploit the unemployed by posting fake job ads online. These ads lure unsuspecting ...

Some companies are coming up with some unique ways to stay engaged with their customer base and keep their products flying off the shelves.  Kellogg's, Domino's and now Microsoft is trotting out a new program with Jack Welch.  How can you stretch your own business to avoid be categorized as a "low priority" purchase?      

Ah, the recliner. The American invention that linked lazing in the living room to television and frozen dinners is one of the few bright spots in a well-worn U.S. household furniture industry. Sales of reclining chairs are getting a lift from the growing popularity of high-tech TVs, home theater equipment and video games, as well as an aging population that is ...

There cannot be a marketer in the country that has been unaffected by the economic downturn. While the much-derided 'Generation Y' is experiencing a downturn for the first time, many marketers have seen such economic turmoil before. However, the precise nature of its constituents, namely the lack of available credit and the potential marketing opportunities, is unprecedented. While commentators may herald ...

A retreat in California's Malibu mountains was the last place TV producer Thom Beers figured he'd be hit with a pitch for a reality series. But that's where Discovery's appropriately named Pitchmen was plotted. "I go away every year to a spartan ashram just to cleanse and shut out the rest of the world -- no cellphone, no BlackBerry, no business," ...

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Armies of new Avon ladies, Mary Kay reps and Tupperware sellers are advancing on living rooms across the country, their ranks full of professionals forced to take a second job amid the recession. Becke Alexander, sales manager for New York-based Avon Products Inc., hears each week from laid-off bankers and stay-at-home moms, but also gainfully employed people worried ...

President Lyndon B. Johnson knew how to close a deal, his strategy was simple and one I won't soon forget.

On a recent Sunday, Billy Olson decided to do something new. Though he'd lived in the area before, he had never visited Valley Forge National Historical Park. So for two hours, Olson took a hike. The rolling hills and open meadows were soothing, and as he recalled the difficulties faced by the Continental Army, he felt encouraged about his own challenges. ...

The current trend with everyone currently is to ‘go green’ and this trend definitely does not stop at large and small companies alike. Everyone is looking to save a little bit of money in any way possible, if going green will help them do this then they will gladly look into it. 1. Reusable/Recycled Bags This is one of the most ...

Article talks about new app which allows you to customize your profile which shows up on Google ... May be a good way for job seekers to make sure that the first hit a potential employer sees when doing a Google search on them, is the one THEY control and set up ...

The City of Chicago is basically closed for business on Aug. 17, a reduced-service day in which most city employees are off without pay. City Hall, public libraries, health clinics and most city offices will be closed.

WASHINGTON – The world economy is likely to shrink this year for the first time in six decades. The International Monetary Fund projected the 1.3 percent drop in a dour forecast released Wednesday. That could leave at least 10 million more people around the world jobless, some private economists said. "By any measure, this downturn represents by far the deepest global ...

TAMPA - It may be a bit tougher now for investors to flip short sales for big profits. Attorneys' Title Insurance Fund notified its 6,000 member lawyers this week that it will not insure deals made with a popular - but controversial - method for closing flips of short sales. A short sale occurs when a mortgage holder agrees to allow ...

How to leverage social media to market your business.

Who's Firing is a weekly survey of organizations announcing (or rumoring) layoffs. Not only is this valuable for job seekers, but for business analysts, corporate strategists, marketers, salespeople, investment analysts, financial advisers, and others who are interested in companies that are contracting.   Inclusion on this listing doesn’t mean the entire industry is down, as many from the same sector appeared ...

This article is not directly related to Sales, but what are your thoughts on this issue, as it sparked a great deal of debate on Monday.  Please share your opinions. 

You've met a new prospect, accurately assessed their needs and determined that you can provide the product and service he/she is looking for. You've presented your information in an engaging manner and the prospective customer appears interested. This article talks about how at this point many salespeople now make one or two very fatal mistakes that cost them the sale. ...