Every now and then I get a call from one of my consulting clients who is all excited because he thinks he’s found the ideal salesperson. “Brian,” he’ll tell me excitedly, “This guy is great with people. He’s a really good talker.” And I’ll respond with: “I’ve no doubt he’s a good talker, but can…
Details“The greatest revolution of our generation is the discovery that human beings by changing the inner attitudes of their minds, can change the outer aspects of their lives.” – William James Your belief system paints a picture of your world, how you relate to it, andwhat you attract into your life as a result. What…
DetailsProfessor Alex Haslam of the University of Exeter, in a recent presentation put on by the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research, took the following position in answer to the question, “What makes a great leader?”
“Don’t they get it?” said the executive, “If we don’t generate a good return to our shareholders, there won’t be any investment in the company. And, without investments, there won’t be any more company to give them their job. What more motivation do they need?” Do you hear a faint echo of your parents here?
DetailsWe live in the three-pound universe between our ears, but it’s surprising how little most people know about themselves. How we see the world develops from our earliest years as our innate, inborn tendencies (our temperament) interact with our experiences and the environment to build underlying patterns of thinking, emotions, and other characteristics that become…
DetailsI remember the first time I met Laura. It was my very first Colorado National Speakers Association meeting five years ago. Imagine a room full of professional speakers and trainers who were for the most part, independent business owners. During the very short breaks we had in between the guest speakers, they were all scrambling…
DetailsHer reputation long preceded our introduction. Back in 1993, I was living in San Antonio, Texas, and working in human resources for the largest medical center in the city. That’s when I first heard about Barbara Greene, affectionately known as the “networker from heaven.”
A sales call shouldn’t be something that happens by accident; it should be a planned event. When sales calls aren’t planned, they often result in wasted time and effort, resulting in a no sale. No matter how hard you try, you can’t make a sale on every call but, as a minimum, you should be…
DetailsDetails are the finishing touch that bring back your customers for future business. A colleague of mine manages nearly forty commission sales people. The “best of the best” make huge income and are revered in the top 100 of a large, multinational company. What is their secret? Make the customer feel special – like…
DetailsA manager I was coaching recently explained (away) the behavior of one of his supervisors: “He isn’t an angry person. He means well. It’s just that he’s often sharp with people. And sometimes they take it the wrong way. He’s really a good worker. I’ve told him that people can be intimidated by him, so…
DetailsYou can use the following anonymous survey to assess team communication. Use the following scale to answer each question: A score of 1 means you do not agree with the statement; 4 means you agree with it; a 2 or 3 means your opinion falls somewhere in the middle. Your survey results are confidential. Keep…
DetailsWhen delivering presentation skills training programs, one of the first requests we get is, “Can you provide some tips and tools to polish our presentations so that they are less boring and everyone stays awake?” The reality is the attention span of an adult is 8 seconds. Now, this does not mean that people won’t…
DetailsOft expectations fails, and most oft there where it promises – William Shakespeare A story is told of a young psychology student serving in the Army who one day decided to test a theory. Drawing kitchen duty, he was given the job of passing out apricots at the end of the chow line. He asked…
DetailsIn his short, wonderful book, Helping, Edgar Schein presents us, whether we are a professional coach or a manager playing a coaching role, with three ways to respond to a request for coaching/mentoring help (or, for that matter, advice with a problem on the job). We can be: an expert resource who provides information or…
DetailsLast week I had the wonderful opportunity to sit in the audience and hear Chip Heath, author of the New York Times bestselling book, Made to Stick and regular columnist for Fast Company magazine speak. Along with his brother and co-author, Dan Heath, the boys have come up with an amazing simple but easy process…
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