Remember the old “pop quiz” when you were in school? Wasn’t it a great feeling when you were prepared with all the answers? On the other hand, it was a real drag when you were caught off guard and didn’t have a clue. Read more

Are cold calls a good idea or a complete waste of time? What about pitching business via letters and emails – does writing to strangers pay off, or should you focus on contacting people you already know? When marketing online with a newsletter, blog, or social networking, should you reach out to folks who haven’t heard of you or stick to your existing network? Read more

Many business owners just scrape by, serving clients who are struggling themselves. But in spite of the economy, there are many businesses and people who have been unaffected and are willing to pay for premium-level services and products. Read more

Have you ever stopped to notice what habits you’ve gotten into, especially around work? Habits have been on my mind lately, in particular how to develop good habits. My fascination began when I read The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg, and I recently learned more about habits when a colleague introduced me to the work of B.J. Fogg, a teacher at Stanford and an expert in business innovation and habit formation. Read more

Remember back in grade school when the teacher asked you to hold hands with a friend on field trips? The idea behind the buddy system is that it’s much harder to get lost if there are two of you traveling together. When you get into trouble, your buddy can help you out, Read more

C.J. Hayden speaks to a live audience of career services professionals, including coaches, counselors, and resume writers. Does it seem like your marketing gets “stuck” somewhere and doesn’t produce the results you think it should? Here’s what you’ll learn Read more

Public speaking is one of the most powerful techniques available to showcase your abilities to prospective clients. Many professionals and consultants have built successful practices by regularly giving free presentations to associations, businesses, and educational institutions. Read more

It often happens that we follow up with prospects multiple times without getting a response. If you call them, email them, and send them letters, but you never get through or hear back, at what point should you scratch them off the list and move on? The rule I’ve always used to make this decision is: evaluate the value of the potential sale. Read more

Lately, everywhere we look, from the in-flight magazine in our seat pocket to the Sunday Style section of the Denver Post we notice an article on networking: the right way to network, the wrong way to network, what it is, what it isn’t, how to, how not to, and more. Read more

Browse the Internet, read the newspaper, or thumb through a magazine, and you’re bound to see an article advising you to use your network to help you grow your business. But how exactly do you do that? Read more