Why these are four of the most important words in business. When you’re in a leadership role and expected to be decisive and firm it can sometimes narrow your thinking. And the natural instinct is to assert your authority and maintain it. Control tactics and narrowed thinking can also occur in teams and organizations: “We’re …
Category: Speed up sales cycle
Give it to me straight – The Sunday Snippet – [3.9.14]
Candid and constructive feedback is difficult to deliver to family, friends and co-workers. Pointing out a shortcoming or area of improvement can feel mean and rude. But it’s not. It’s compassionate. Above all, it’s helpful. How else can we know about our blind spots unless someone tells us about them? Providing honest and direct feedback shows …
The power of a smile – The Sunday Snippet – [3.2.14]
Smiling is an easy way to lower stress and improve performance, plus the price is right. If you remember the TV show Fantasy Island from the 70’s and 80’s, you probably recall Mr. Roarke’s famous line at the beginning of each show as new guests arrived at the island: “Smiles, everyone, smiles!” Mr. Roarke knew …
Start a sales conversation – The Sunday Snippet – [2.23.14]
Start conversations instead of pitching. It’s simple and it works. The hard sell is still alive and well, unfortunately. Many companies and their people still think that the best way to gain new business is to lead with a sale pitch. This ham-handed approach is a common one: Describe your offering and benefits as quickly …
Bacon and business – The Sunday Snippet – [2.16.16]
Why breakfast meetings bring business. Mornings can be busy and challenging. Commutes, kids, carpool, and simple fatigue or dread (if you’re not a morning person) can turn mornings into messes. But breakfast can be an excellent time to do business. And there is some correlation to being a morning person and being successful. I find …
Solving, not selling – The Sunday Snippet – [2.9.14]
Selling should be like solving a puzzle, not playing a game. Ian Altman is being helpful again. In fact, he can’t help but be helpful. It’s in his DNA and his business philosophy and it’s probably one of the reasons we’ve hit it off so well since meeting a year ago. Altman is truly one …
Tame your inbox – The Sunday Snippet [2.2.14]
Make peace with your inbox using the “Yesterbox” technique. Email can be exhausting. It piles up, it never stops. Sometimes it makes you feel like Lucy and Ethel in the chocolate factory. Tony Hsieh, the wildly successful founder and CEO of online clothing seller Zappos use to feel the same way: “In 2012, I felt …
It’s about time – The Sunday Snippet – [1.26.14]
Three time-saving ideas — that don’t take much time. Time and money. They get talked about a lot and are often the big payoffs in product and service pitches – “save time and money!” We see that line every day. And they are often portrayed as having equal value, however that’s not true. While money …
The presentation formula – The Sunday Snippet – [1.19.14]
Presentations often miss the mark. Here’s a formula for creating one that truly informs and persuades. Nobody wakes up in the morning thinking they need more information presented TO them. With the exception of a root canal, there may not be a more painful experience than having bullet points read to you during a PowerPoint …
Stories stick – how to win hearts, minds and business with stories
Make a lasting impression — and new sales — with customer stories. Chip and Dan Heath are famous for their smart and compelling books. The book that first made them popular, “Made To Stick,” is a classic. It lays out in simple terms how to get people to remember and understand your message as well …