Real-World Strategies

    22 Feb, 2026 Picture of Ross Armstrong Ross Armstrong 5 min read
    He Built a Great Team. It Cost Him $7 Million.

    A marine services contractor out of Houma ran a tight operation. Seventeen years in business. $3.5M EBITDA. Strong backlog. Loyal crew that had b.

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    15 Feb, 2026 Picture of Ross Armstrong Ross Armstrong 4 min read
    Your Spreadsheet Is a Liability - Here's What Buyers...

    There’s a moment in most exit processes when the room gets quiet. The buyer asks a simple question about pipeline conversion, customer history, o.

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    08 Feb, 2026 Picture of Ross Armstrong Ross Armstrong 3 min read
    When the Founder Is the System, Deals Quietly Die

    Why ‘systems in people’s heads’ quietly destroy transferability. Most owners don’t think of themselves as the bottleneck. They think of themselve.

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    01 Feb, 2026 Picture of Ross Armstrong Ross Armstrong 4 min read
    How to Measure Customer Health and Prevent Quiet Losses

    The 3 Metrics That Matter (And Why Most Owners Find Out Too Late) Most business owners think they know their customers. You’ve got them in your C.

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    25 Jan, 2026 Picture of Ross Armstrong Ross Armstrong 3 min read
    A Business That Needs You Is Risky to Buy

    Every owner knows this feeling. You step away for a few days. Your phone stays quiet. The team handles things. And you think: “The business doesn.

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    18 Jan, 2026 Picture of Ross Armstrong Ross Armstrong 3 min read
    How Customer Concentration Can Undermine Your Business...

    January is when many owners quietly start taking stock. The business looks strong. Revenue is solid. Margins are healthy. But if you’re honest, t.

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    11 Jan, 2026 Picture of Ross Armstrong Ross Armstrong 4 min read
    Hidden Traps That Could Be Destroying Your Business's Exit...

    You didn’t mean to build a business that’s hard to sell. It happened slowly. Over years of grinding, solving problems, and doing whatever it took.

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    03 Jan, 2026 Picture of Ross Armstrong Ross Armstrong 4 min read
    Maybe This Is the Year You Sell: Are You Ready?

    “Maybe this is the year I sell.” You’ve built something real. The business is profitable. You have a team. And if you’re honest, you’re tired of .

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    29 Dec, 2025 Picture of Ross Armstrong Ross Armstrong 7 min read
    5 Hidden Valuation Killers Buyers Notice (That Owners Don't)

    You think your business is exit-ready. Your revenue is solid. Your margins are healthy. You've grown year-over-year. You've built a team. You've .

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    26 Dec, 2025 Picture of Ross Armstrong Ross Armstrong 5 min read
    The Uncomfortable Truth About Sales

    The last few years taught me I was doing this wrong. Sitting across from a prospect, something shifted. I realized I'd been approaching this enti.

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    19 Dec, 2025 Picture of Ross Armstrong Ross Armstrong 6 min read
    Maximize Your Business Valuation: The Critical Role of Your...

    You're in a boardroom. The buyer is walking through their valuation model. And they just applied a 25% discount to your EBITDA multiple because o.

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    12 Dec, 2025 Picture of Ross Armstrong Ross Armstrong 4 min read
    The Exhaustion Question: Good Tired vs. Chicken Tired

    Why your energy allocation matters more than your work ethic You end your day exhausted. Your mind is fried. Your body is drained. You collapse i.

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    09 Dec, 2025 Picture of Ross Armstrong Ross Armstrong 1 min read
    Pace: The Silent Hero of Successful Selling

    Sales is like a marathon in Zone 2 – steady pace, long game, and no sprinting to burnout! Just like in running, pace is a critical element in sal.

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    28 Nov, 2025 Picture of Ross Armstrong Ross Armstrong 2 min read
    How to Add $3M to Your Exit Without Growing Revenue

    Here's what nobody tells you: The owners who sleep well after selling didn't sell to the highest bidder. They sold to the right buyer. They found.

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    15 Nov, 2025 Picture of Ross Armstrong Ross Armstrong 1 min read
    The Legacy Question

    Most owners think about exits wrong. They think about money. Multiples. Deal structure. Tax implications. All important. All secondary. The prima.

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    05 Nov, 2025 Picture of Ross Armstrong Ross Armstrong 2 min read
    Bonus Depreciation Strategy to Boost Business Valuation

    Unlock the hidden potential of your manufacturing business by leveraging bonus depreciation strategies to skyrocket your company's valuation and .

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    30 Oct, 2025 Picture of Ross Armstrong Ross Armstrong 1 min read
    How to Add $3M to Your Exit Without Growing Revenue

    "It's all up here." Owner taps his head. Smiles. To him, it's experience. Expertise. The accumulated wisdom of twenty years. To a buyer, it's ris.

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    22 Oct, 2025 Picture of Ross Armstrong Ross Armstrong 1 min read
    The Clean Financials Advantage

    "Our books are clean." Most owners believe this. Most are wrong. Clean books and buyer-ready books are different things. Clean books: Revenue and.

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    15 Oct, 2025 Picture of Ross Armstrong Ross Armstrong 1 min read
    The Business You Can't Leave

    Here's the uncomfortable truth: most small business owners built themselves a job, not a business. If you disappeared for 90 days, what would hap.

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    07 Oct, 2025 Picture of Ross Armstrong Ross Armstrong 1 min read
    Your CRM Is Your Valuation Engine

    Every deal in your CRM is either building enterprise value or destroying it. Most business owners don't realize their messy CRM is costing them m.

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    30 Sep, 2025 Picture of Ross Armstrong Ross Armstrong 1 min read
    You're Reading the Wrong Script

    There are two kinds of scripts in sales. The first kind exists to make you feel productive. It's a checklist of value propositions, a parade of f.

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    22 Sep, 2025 Picture of Ross Armstrong Ross Armstrong 1 min read
    Choose Your Metrics, Choose Your Culture

    Choose your metrics carefully. They're choosing your culture. Revenue per rep: Yesterday's thinking. Retention per relationship: Tomorrow's advan.

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    16 Sep, 2025 Picture of Ross Armstrong Ross Armstrong 1 min read
    Who Called Who Last?

    When They Start Calling You We've got it backwards. We measure calls made, emails sent, meetings booked. We track our output like assembly line w.

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    05 Sep, 2025 Picture of Ross Armstrong Ross Armstrong 1 min read
    Mistakes Are Tuition

    We avoid them like expired milk. But they're the only path forward. Each failure is data. Success requires collecting enough data to actually kno.

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    27 Aug, 2025 Picture of Ross Armstrong Ross Armstrong 1 min read
    The Trust Deficit

    Building Trust: Why Listening Wins in a World Drowning in Pitches Take a step back. Look around. Everywhere you turn, someone is pitching somethi.

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    20 Aug, 2025 Picture of Ross Armstrong Ross Armstrong 3 min read
    Hiring for Customer Success vs. Hiring for Quota Achievement

    The hiring manager slides two questions across the table: "Tell me about a time you exceeded your sales target." "Tell me about a time you helped.

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    17 Aug, 2025 Picture of Ross Armstrong Ross Armstrong 3 min read
    How to Transition Your Sales Team from Hunters to Farmers

    The hunter wakes up hungry every morning. Empty handed. Starting from zero. Again. Yesterday's kill feeds no one today. The celebration was brief.

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    13 Aug, 2025 Picture of Ross Armstrong Ross Armstrong 1 min read
    Gamify Your Sales Process and Drive Yourself to Win

    Here's the thing about sales: it's already a game. The scoreboard is right there—revenue, calls made, deals closed. You're already keeping score..

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    10 Aug, 2025 Picture of Ross Armstrong Ross Armstrong 1 min read
    Why Your Customers Ghost You After the Sale

    Your bag of tricks worked. You convinced them to buy. You got the signature. You celebrated. Then silence. Here's what happened: You taught them .

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    07 Aug, 2025 Picture of Ross Armstrong Ross Armstrong 1 min read
    The Cancer Cell in Your Conference Room

    You have cancer cells. Right now, as you're reading this. We all do. Most of them never amount to anything. They just... exist. Quietly. Doing th.

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    05 Aug, 2025 Picture of Ross Armstrong Ross Armstrong 1 min read
    Two Types of Salespeople

    The gym membership guy wants to lock you into a contract. The personal trainer wants to change your life. One of them is building a business. The.

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    25 Jul, 2025 Picture of Ross Armstrong Ross Armstrong 1 min read
    The Transformative Power of AI in Private Equity Value...

    Reframing Sales and Marketing as Strategic Drivers The Multiplier Effect Consider the multiplier effect: a portfolio company generating $50 milli.

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    12 Jul, 2025 Picture of Ross Armstrong Ross Armstrong 1 min read
    How Smart Firms Are Completing Due Diligence 3X Faster

    The Due Diligence Revolution The days of drowning in spreadsheets and manually parsing through thousands of documents during due diligence are ra.

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    05 Jul, 2025 Picture of Ross Armstrong Ross Armstrong 1 min read
    Commission Automation: Integrating Sales & Payroll Systems

    Sales Commission Automation That Actually Balances: Integration with Payroll and Financial Systems Sales teams drive revenue, but calculating the.

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    27 Jun, 2025 Picture of Ross Armstrong Ross Armstrong 3 min read
    Creating Unity and Trust: The Pillars of Sustained Success

    The Trust Equation: Why Culture Trumps Strategy Executives often chase the latest strategies, technologies, and marketplace trends. Yet the best .

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    20 Jun, 2025 Picture of Ross Armstrong Ross Armstrong 1 min read
    Quote-to-Cash-to-Books: End-to-End Sales to Finance...

    Bottlenecks caused by silos among sales, billing, and accounting departments slow down revenue recognition and inflate errors. The solution? Quot.

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    14 Jun, 2025 Picture of Ross Armstrong Ross Armstrong 2 min read
    The Hidden Revenue Leak in Your Sales and Finance Processes

    Your finance team spends hours a month reconciling spreadsheets. Your salespeople spend productive sales time manually entering information into .

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    07 Jun, 2025 Picture of Ross Armstrong Ross Armstrong 2 min read
    POPai Automation: Revenue Intelligence That Connects...

    The question keeping executives up at night isn't whether marketing is effective—it's demonstrating precisely how much profit each marketing doll.

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    31 May, 2025 Picture of Ross Armstrong Ross Armstrong 1 min read
    RevOps Revolution: Sales+Marketing+Finance Integration =...

    The Impact Organizations that have implemented integrated revenue operations see average profitability increases of 156% in 18 months by eliminat.

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    26 May, 2025 Picture of Stephen Blitz Stephen Blitz 3 min read
    How AI Agents Are Transforming Small Business Finance

    Artificial intelligence is no longer a tool exclusive to tech giants. Today, AI agents are being embraced by small businesses to transform their .

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    25 May, 2025 Picture of Ross Armstrong Ross Armstrong 2 min read
    How Artificial Intelligence is Transforming Sales and...

    Artificial intelligence has become the new normal to stay competitive in the marketplace of today, creating unprecedented gains in efficiency, de.

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    19 May, 2025 Picture of Stephen Blitz Stephen Blitz 2 min read
    Why CFOs Must Embrace AI to Drive Strategic Financial...

    The Evolving Role of CFOs I’ve witnessed firsthand the transformation of the finance function. The days when CFOs focused solely on closing books.

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    16 May, 2025 Picture of Ross Armstrong Ross Armstrong 3 min read
    Personal Brand Metrics: How Individual Rep Reputations...

    Understanding the Impact of Personal Branding in Sales In today's hyper-connected sales environment, your personal brand is no longer a mere addi.

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    12 May, 2025 Picture of Stephen Blitz Stephen Blitz 2 min read
    Beyond Numbers: How Strategic CFOs Drive Business...

    The role of the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) has evolved significantly, extending well beyond traditional financial reporting and management. To.

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    10 May, 2025 Picture of Ross Armstrong Ross Armstrong 2 min read
    Win-Loss Analysis: The Most Underleveraged Performance...

    Several metrics overwhelm executive dashboards: customer acquisition cost, pipeline velocity, average deal value, and conversion rates. And yet a.

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    05 May, 2025 Picture of Stephen Blitz Stephen Blitz 2 min read
    The Expanding Scope of CFO Leadership

    The Chief Financial Officer's role has transformed dramatically in recent years, evolving far beyond traditional financial stewardship. In 2025, .

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    03 May, 2025 Picture of Ross Armstrong Ross Armstrong 3 min read
    The Importance of Comprehensive Sales Analysis

    Making informed decisions is crucial for success. Comprehensive sales analysis provides a holistic view of your sales data, enabling you to make .

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    28 Apr, 2025 Picture of Ross Armstrong Ross Armstrong 2 min read
    Working In vs. On the System: The Critical Distinction That...

    The Operational Trap: Working "In" the System Working "in" the system means focusing on day-to-day operations—executing established processes, re.

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    20 Apr, 2025 Picture of Ross Armstrong Ross Armstrong 1 min read
    The Paradox of Affiliation: When Connection Limits Growth

    When More Connections Mean Less Freedom The paradox of affiliation manifests when companies become so deeply embedded in their network of partner.

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    13 Apr, 2025 Picture of Ross Armstrong Ross Armstrong 2 min read
    Strategic Success Principles: Insights for Business Leaders

    The Foundation of Strategic Success The most successful organizations don't just have strategies—they have a disciplined approach to making strat.

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    07 Apr, 2025 Picture of Ross Armstrong Ross Armstrong 2 min read
    Getting Lucky Is Not a Strategy: Building Sustainable...

    There's an interesting pattern across businesses in various stages of growth. Some organizations attribute their successes to strategic brillianc.

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    30 Mar, 2025 Picture of Ross Armstrong Ross Armstrong 1 min read
    Living Inside Your Pipeline

    In sales, it's easy to get caught up in the numbers game and forget the human element that drives successful deals. However, the most effective s.

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    28 Mar, 2025 Picture of Ross Armstrong Ross Armstrong 3 min read
    Marketing Is About Building a Product That Tells a Story

    There's a fundamental shift in how successful companies approach marketing. The most effective organizations no longer see marketing as merely pr.

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    25 Mar, 2025 Picture of Ross Armstrong Ross Armstrong 2 min read
    Building Powerful Connections: The Critical Role of...

    Successful sales and marketing strategies extend far beyond traditional advertising and direct outreach. At Pillar Optimization Partners, we've o.

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    24 Mar, 2025 Picture of Ross Armstrong Ross Armstrong 2 min read
    Traction Is Easier When Strategy Is Aligned: The Power of...

    A common scenario in businesses of all sizes: leadership teams investing tremendous effort pushing initiatives forward, only to see disappointing.

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    15 Mar, 2025 Picture of Ross Armstrong Ross Armstrong 2 min read
    Business Strategy Is Culture: How Your Strategic Choices...

    Business strategy and organizational culture are inseparable. While many leaders treat these as distinct domains—strategy being what we do, cultu.

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    15 Mar, 2025 Picture of Ross Armstrong Ross Armstrong 2 min read
    Strategic Choices: How They Shape Your Business Success

    Strategic choices are the fundamental decisions that determine your business's direction, resources, and competitive positioning. Unlike day-to-d.

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    09 Mar, 2025 Picture of Ross Armstrong Ross Armstrong 3 min read
    Strategic Planning: Understanding the Hidden Opportunity...

    Strategic planning isn't just about mapping a path forward—it's about choosing which paths to abandon. Every "yes" to one direction is inherently.

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    09 Mar, 2025 Picture of Ross Armstrong Ross Armstrong 2 min read
    Why Your Business Blueprint Is More Than Just a Plan—It's...

    Every entrepreneur has heard the saying, "Failing to plan is planning to fail." But at Pop4Success, we take planning to a deeper level. Today, we.

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    04 Mar, 2025 Picture of Stephen Blitz Stephen Blitz 3 min read
    The Pitfalls of Tax Avoidance Through Equipment Purchases

    As tax season goes on, many business owners are advised to purchase additional equipment as a strategy to reduce their income tax burden. While t.

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    02 Mar, 2025 Picture of Ross Armstrong Ross Armstrong 2 min read
    Navigating the Choppy Waters of Sales Compensation:...

    In the high-stakes world of sales, compensation plans are more than just numbers on a page—they're the lifeblood of motivation and performance. H.

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    02 Mar, 2025 Picture of Ross Armstrong Ross Armstrong 2 min read
    Customer Success as a Sales Strategy: Driving Sustainable...

    Transforming Sales Efforts for Long-Term Success In today's competitive business landscape, customer success has emerged as a powerful sales stra.

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    23 Feb, 2025 Picture of Ross Armstrong Ross Armstrong 0 min read
    Funnel Finesse: Optimizing Opportunities

    Breathing Life into Your Sales Pipeline Sales success isn't just about numbers—it's about living inside your pipeline! By immersing yourself in y.

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    23 Feb, 2025 Picture of Ross Armstrong Ross Armstrong 2 min read
    Sales is Helping Others: The Deep Meaning of Empathy

    We often focus on metrics, targets, and bottom lines. But at its core, genuine sales is fundamentally about helping others solve problems. When l.

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    17 Feb, 2025 Picture of Ross Armstrong Ross Armstrong 2 min read
    From Workout to Win: A Sales Champion's Journey

    The Power of Fitness for Sales Success Combining a regular workout routine with your sales career can give you a significant edge in the competit.

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    17 Feb, 2025 Picture of Ross Armstrong Ross Armstrong 2 min read
    Tie the knot with your CRM and Drive Sales Success

    Just like in marriage, great communication with your CRM is the secret sauce to an effective partnership! In today's competitive business landsca.

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    06 Feb, 2025 Picture of Ross Armstrong Ross Armstrong 2 min read
    Warrior Sales Mentality

    The Warrior Spirit: Forging Resilience in Sales In the fast-paced, high-stakes world of sales, resilience is not just an asset—it's a necessity. .

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    02 Feb, 2025 Picture of Ross Armstrong Ross Armstrong 1 min read
    Performance-Powered Culture

    Sales Culture: The Heartbeat of Company Success A strong sales culture is crucial in today's competitive market. It drives revenue and shapes the.

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    30 Jan, 2025 Picture of Ross Armstrong Ross Armstrong 2 min read
    THE HUSTLE is over!

    The allure of "hustle culture" can be tempting. The idea of working tirelessly, pushing boundaries, and chasing immediate gains has been glorifie.

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    26 Jan, 2025 Picture of Ross Armstrong Ross Armstrong 2 min read
    What Are You Giving Customers? Building Lasting...

    Businesses often find themselves asking: "What are we giving our customers?" While many companies default to the traditional approach of offering.

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    23 Jan, 2025 Picture of Ross Armstrong Ross Armstrong 3 min read
    Deal Intelligence: Knowing When to Push and When to Hold...

    In the high-stakes world of business negotiations, having "deal intelligence" can be the difference between securing a game-changing agreement an.

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    21 Jan, 2025 Picture of Ross Armstrong Ross Armstrong 2 min read
    Hear Me Out: Why Top Sellers Are Actually Top Listeners

    The Power of Active Listening in Sales: Unlocking Prospect Potential In the world of sales, the ability to truly hear and understand your prospec.

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    18 Jan, 2025 Picture of Ross Armstrong Ross Armstrong 2 min read
    Culture Club: Why Your Sales Team Needs More Than Boy George

    Sales Culture: The Heartbeat of Company Success In today's hyper-competitive market landscape, a thriving and robust sales culture isn't just an .

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    14 Jan, 2025 Picture of Ross Armstrong Ross Armstrong 2 min read
    Funnel Your Way to Fortune

    Creating a Marketing Funnel That Converts: A 2025 Guide In today's digital landscape, crafting a marketing funnel that effectively converts prosp.

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    10 Jan, 2025 Picture of Ross Armstrong Ross Armstrong 2 min read
    Selling Smarter: Boosting Sales with Data Insights and...

    Selling Smarter: Leveraging Data-Driven Insights and Psychology In today's competitive business landscape, successful sales strategies go beyond .

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    02 Jan, 2025 Picture of Ross Armstrong Ross Armstrong 2 min read
    AI in Sales: Boosting Efficiency and Driving Growth

    Artificial Intelligence: Revolutionizing Sales Performance In today's competitive business landscape, artificial intelligence (AI) is transformin.

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    31 Dec, 2024 Picture of Stephen Blitz Stephen Blitz 2 min read
    How AI is Transforming the CFO's Role in Financial...

    How AI is Revolutionizing the CFO's Role in Financial Management In today's rapidly evolving business landscape, Chief Financial Officers (CFOs) .

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    30 Dec, 2024 Picture of Ross Armstrong Ross Armstrong 5 min read
    The Battle of Sales and Operations: Navigating Conflict for...

    The Battle of Titans: Sales vs. Operations In the corporate world, few conflicts are as enduring and impactful as the tension between sales and o.

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    25 Dec, 2024 Picture of Stephen Blitz Stephen Blitz 4 min read
    Navigating FinCEN BOI Reporting: A Comprehensive Compliance...

    Navigating FinCEN BOI Reporting: A Comprehensive Compliance Guide The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) Beneficial Ownership Informat.

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    19 Dec, 2024 Picture of POP4Success POP4Success 3 min read
    4 Pillars of Business - What is it?

    The Four Pillars of Business Success Building a successful business requires more than just a great idea; it requires a solid foundation composed.

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