I was in the gym yesterday. A guy roughly my age was “working out.” Except he wasn’t. I thought it was a hidden camera show. What he did was so nonsensical, so wrong and so unhelpful as to be laughable if it weren’t for the fact he thought he was exercising. My writing skills aren’t…
The responsibility of good leadership always outweighs the accolades. Those you lead think of themselves less as followers and more as team players or contributors. Leaders don’t confuse “simple” with “easy.” Something simple to understand can be difficult to do. If you are sincere, you can’t over-appreciate those you lead. Team members want the opportunity…
I’ve written, spoken and advised about great customer service for years. Not too long ago I had an epiphany: I was emphasizing the wrong thing. Don’t misunderstand. Customer service is important. But it is a tool, not the structure you are trying to build. It is a means to a more important end. What really…
An optimist believes the glass is half full. The pessimist believes the glass is half empty. But there is a different, and better, way to think about the glass. The half-full or hall-empty assessment misses an important nuance: There is still room for more. Many settle for half empty or half full situations in life. How you…
I started my career in sales and marketing. Starting my own business required me to increase my sales skills, and in the intervening years I’ve spoken to many sales organization. Sales isn’t easy, but neither is it complicated. Here are ten ways to kick start your selling. 1. Make more calls. Getting in front of more…
If you want to create bigger and better results, there are two words that will help. If you are selling anything, there are two words that will always move you forward. Whenever you are working to achieve a big goal, there are two words that will enable you to progress. Want a better relationship? This…
Warren Buffett’s business partner and investment guru Charlie Munger tells this story: “I have a friend who carried a big stack of index cards. Whenever someone said something that reflected self pity, he handed them a card: Your story has touched my heart. Never have I heard of anyone with as many misfortunes as you.”…
Winston Churchill famously said, “Never, never, never give up. And “nobody likes a quitter.” At least that’s the common perception. Quitting gets a deservedly bad rap. It doesn’t feel good to give up. It seems like an admission of defeat or weakness. But there are times when giving up is a good idea. Here are five…
One of the most familiar maxims in management is “what gets rewarded gets done.” While true, what is often missed is the more subtle, but equally powerful, point that what is rewarding gets done too. Managers and employees alike don’t just do things that offer an extrinsic reward; they do well at the things they…
Relationship is powerful. It differentiates a product or service, creates loyalty, and sets you apart from competitors not willing to invest in building relationships. Companies encourage employees to build better relationships with customers. I teach the basics of relationship building in business and have written about how to do it in my books, most notably…