Walters And Associates

I ask nearly every business owner I work with some version of this question.... In your last five sales conversations, how many questions did you ask before you started explaining what you do?

Sometimes the answer is zero, perhaps it's two and maybe, occasionally even 3. (By the way, this forms part of the very premise of my second book: Stop Selling, Start Sharing).

This is where we find a huge gap. Not tactics, not confidence, not pricing. Curiosity is everything, in my opinion. Are you getting curious about the problem your client or prospect is dealing with before you start talking about your solution?

It might sound small. However it changes the whole conversation, for you and them.

This is a small piece of what we dig into at Sales Redefined, my one day intensive on September 29 in Burlington. We're only offering 12 seats.

Built for owners who are tired of running on the "new business energy" that ran out a while ago.

Details and seats here: https://waltersandassociates.ca/salesredefined

Sales Redefined: Stop Selling, Start Sharing Built from Jeff's second book, Stop Selling, Start Sharing this one day intensive will show you a different way to approach your business.

You didn't start your business to become the only person with all the answers. But somewhere along the way, that's the job you ended up with.

Summit Seekers is a community for business owners who want some company on the climb: twice-monthly time with me, real peer support, and a place to land between the big decisions.

Take a look: https://waltersandassociates.ca/summitseekers

Summit Seekers- A W&A Community For business leaders committed to the ascent.

For most of my career, and like most people, I've hated saying the word sales.

I'd say business development or account management, or well, almost anything else, because along the way I'd learned that selling meant behaving like someone I didn't want to be. Pushy, self-focused. A bit, or a lot, fake. And that never worked for me, because I've always been others focused and have worked hard to live authentically. The idea of being a "salesperson" felt totally counter to who I actually am.

Thirty years in, here's what I actually think now. The businesses that grow aren't run by the best pitch-people. They're run by people who understand that business isn't about selling anything at all. It's about clearly understanding another's problem and then sharing solutions that address that problem with the other in mind first.

That's basically the whole idea behind my second book, Stop Selling, Start Sharing. It's also why I put together Sales Redefined.

I'm running a one day version of Sales Redefined on September 29 in Burlington. It's for business owners who built something real on their own expertise and now have to sell it to keep growing. Only 12 seats, on purpose. Small group, real conversation.

If that sounds like you, come.

Here's the link to register:

Sales Redefined: Stop Selling, Start Sharing Built from Jeff's second book, Stop Selling, Start Sharing this one day intensive will show you a different way to approach your business.

Momentum is building quickly for Growth Day Burlington.

Sponsorship Opportunities are now available, tickets will be going on sale later this month- the wait to get yours is almost over!

Our speaker lineup is almost complete- and with some incredible content, learning, stories and perspectives.

This is a room you'll want to be in! We have locked down an incredible Emcee as well- details to follow, but this person is an amazing "super-connector" of business leaders.

Can you guess who it is?

I couldn’t be more excited to make this post!

It's official: Walters & Associates has planted our flag in Burlington.
This move has been a long time coming. We've spent the last few years earning our place here, as engaged members of the Burlington Chamber of Commerce while building relationships one conversation at a time. Now we've got a dedicated home to match that commitment:

#102 - 3050 Harvester Road

To be clear, our Kitchener office isn't going anywhere- it’s open and active. Our theme of Business Redefined is growing into the markets where our clients are building their futures. Between Burlington and K/W we see nothing but opportunity to serve all of Southern Ontario- from Niagara to Burlington/Oakville to Kitchener/Waterloo.

More to come as we settle in. Come by for a visit and say hi.

I'm not sure where to start with this post...nearly 24 hours later. Yesterday, I was a grateful guest and honourary member of the Bruzzese Steel crew at the CMB golf charity golf tournament in support of CityKidz, held at the beautiful MontHill Golf & Country Club.

Bruzzese Steel is a wonderful client of ours, and it was amazing to be with them for the day. But even MORE INCREDIBLE....an ALBATROSS!!!

On the par 5, 4th hole on the Gold nine, I hit a 5 wood about 200 yards out of the far right rough, over the pine trees.....and well, in the hole it ended up! And yup- we had witnesses and the whole works. I'm still in shock and completely stunned. Apparently an Albatross is like a 6,000,000 to 1 possibility! I don't play the lottery, but perhaps I should buy a ticket.

Thanks to the Jon, Jay, Paul and Pat at Bruzzese Steel, and to Justin Bruzesse and Lucas Bruzzese of CMB for a brilliant event.

Oh, and as the framers (final pic)- the "Looney Framers" as they called themselves said: "No Johnny, no trusses". In other words, they can't do their jobs if Bruzzese Steel hasn't done theirs first- which they ALWAYS do!

Put this one in your calendar right now!

An event like you haven't experienced before is coming to Burlington Ontario this November. November 18th to be exact.

Details, including: program, location, pricing and a brilliant lineup of speakers will follow very soon. If you want to finish 2026 strong and prepare you and your business for an unstoppable 2027, get this date on your calendar now!

Last night I sat on the deck with a drink in one hand and my driver in the other, doing what golfers do in July: tinkering.

I've had a decent start to the season, but I want to make some adjustments. I've adjusted my grip to a stronger grip, but find myself pulling instead of drawing the ball. I grabbed my adjustable driver, opened it up, watched a few videos, and made some changes. You know the options if you golf a bit. We can play with the loft and the lie, open the face for a fade, close it for a draw.

Then I stopped. I put the club back together and thought: none of this matters if the swing underneath it is broken.

Golf has given us incredible technology: adjustable heads, custom shafts, launch monitors that measure everything down to the degree. All of it can make a good swing better. None of it can make a bad swing good. You can dial in the perfect equipment and still slice it into the trees, because the club was never the problem. The swing was.

That's the work we do at Walters & Associates. We're the pros that fix your swing, not your equipment.

We're not in the business of adjusting loft and lie; tweaking a sales script here, a marketing tactic there, hoping a different angle produces a different result. That's band-aid work. It might buy you a few extra yards occasionally, but it won't fix what's actually costing you strokes (and money, if we’re talking business).

We're here to address the underlying mechanics of how you lead, sell, and build trust inside your business. Remember, as I always say: "just because you're an expert in a skill, a trade or a profession doesn't mean you know how to run a business in it."

The question I need to ask you today is this: In your business right now, are you adjusting the equipment, or are you willing to look at the swing?

Here's an interesting paradox: some leaders we talk to are so overwhelmed by the burden of leadership/ownership that they fear that the very thing that will solve their overwhelm (hiring us) is too much to handle- one more thing that will add to the overwhelm.

The overwhelm that makes W&A necessary in your business is the same overwhelm that makes engaging W&A feel impossible.

Rest assured, a conversation, or engagement with us will help relieve that stress quickly. The faster you make the call, the faster the overwhelm will start to dissipate (unless you like that kinda thing 😀).

Adding an advisor doesn't add stress, it releases it.

Jeffery was on the road, meeting with founders and leaders all week.

The action began on Tuesday at the Cherry House in Burlington for the monthly The Entrepreneur Nation® meeting. Then he was off to London for The Entrepreneur Nation® After 5 Business Mingle at Highland Country Club, road tripping with lawyer Michael Liddiard (who also happens to lead the Burlington T.E.N. chapter). It was a long day, but worth it, given the new connections Jeffery made, including a great in-person meeting with Jerry Hall of New Millennial Success Academy.

Wednesday morning was an early start with 18 holes at Lowville Golf Club, along with our new Business Development Lead, Ed Hamill and a couple of soon-to-be clients. You don’t need to know Jeffery’s score, but business does get done on the golf course.

Thursday was back in Burlington, where Jeffery and Ed sat down with another new soon-to-be client at Jackson's Landing. Great meeting and good food.

That's a wrap on the week, how has yours gone? We’re already looking forward to next week