Success
The number one reason why sales cultures are not performing the way CEOs want them to is simply because they’re concentrating on the wrong people. That’s right. You see, last Sunday was the annual Met Gala in New York City. The Met Gala was started in 1995 by Anna Wintour, who is the editor-in-chief of…
Did you hear that Rolls-Royce announced this week that it is building five brand new buildings on its main manufacturing site in England? So, I ask you, what was the driver for making this huge, expensive decision? Many of you would say it is to build new cars. That is far from the truth. The reason…
In today’s world, the pressure to quickly deliver innovative solutions can sometimes lead to unintended consequences. Just ask Boeing. Its recent spate of mishaps is causing it a lot of problems. From increased regulatory pressures to safety concerns to customers, fliers, like me, worrying whether or not the Boeing plane they’re on is actually going to get…
As we’ve all seen for the last year or two, there’s been a lot of shoplifting. A pack of thieves breaking into stores, stealing massive amounts of merchandise, and leaving before the cops come. If they’re caught, they’re back on the streets in a couple of minutes. Shoplifting has gotten to such a high degree…
I want you to meet Alex. Alex is a van driver who picked me and a few of my colleagues up from the hotel in Albuquerque this weekend to take us to the airport. It was a seven-minute ride. During the ride, Alex asked us if we had traveled to many different cities and ordered…
If you truly want to keep your competitors out of your accounts, you must become part of the inner woven fabric of your client’s organization. Consider that loose piece of thread sticking out of the bottom of your sweater, and you start pulling it. All of a sudden, you inadvertently pull apart the entire sweater.…
A few years ago, I was taking a self-improvement course in New York City with a good friend of mine. After the program, we returned to my condo in Fort Lee, New Jersey, on the 10th floor. Now, my friend is an accomplished pilot. He flew overseas commercially for a major airline and was a…
This past Sunday, we had a great Super Bowl with an overtime win—the San Francisco 49ers against the Kansas City Chiefs. Both teams had two different styles of quarterbacks. One of the reasons both teams made it to the Super Bowl was because their head coaches leveraged each quarterback’s strengths. Coach Andy Reid, with the…
In 2006, I collaborated on a negotiation book with famed negotiator, Herb Cohen. Herb has a saying that negotiation is a game, a game that both sides want to win. Yet, most people lose velocity in their efforts to negotiate a deal because they are married to getting the deal exactly the way they want…
25 years ago, when I started my speaking and consulting business, I started my first office in an executive suite. I met this person who worked for a computer company and we developed a friendship. Every morning we’d come to work, we would meet in the kitchen, and we’d have our morning coffee. We would…
Having the right mindset is critical to all of our success, especially during a crisis, like Coronavirus. In today’s video, I’d like to introduce you to Michael Rubin, CEO of Fanatics, who overnight converted his Major League Baseball uniforms manufacturing factory to produce masks and gowns that our medical workers desperately need to combat the…
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Do you see hidden opportunities amidst the COVID-19 crisis? In today’s video I share a beautiful, feel-good story that will inspire you to unleash your creative genius, gain velocity, and go after your goals and dreams in the face of this once-in-a-lifetime adversity. #VelocityMindset #COVID19
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The economic crisis created by the COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way we do business once and for all. It’s now safe to admit that there will be no going “back to normal.” Instead, what we are experiencing right now IS the new normal – and it will be this way for awhile. So how…
Read MoreWhile sellers are constantly working to sharpen their sales techniques, buyers have become more sophisticated as well. One growing trend I’ve noticed is that sellers often get outplayed by savvy buyers, who have been schooled in the art of negotiation. Sellers end up leaving their commission on the table and feel out of control. The good…
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I love golf, but what I haven’t always loved is the cooler I used for carrying water and ice when I played. It was clumsy to carry and open. Everything about it was awkward. I know this is a small complaint in the scope of life, but that’s not the point. Small Things that Make a…
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Moving might not have anything to do with sales and leadership, but messaging sure does. Whether you’re a leader or a salesperson trying to influence somebody, the first thing you have to do is create a connection that allows prospects or employees to hear what you have to say. Making Communication Count Effective communication addresses…
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Everyone dreads calling a customer to say they can’t deliver what they want when they want. Who wants to deliver news like that? No one does, and that’s where the trouble really starts. The worst mistake people make in business is not communicating the bad news. When you avoid the pain of giving someone a heads…
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When I wrote the Complete Idiot’s Guide to Great Customer Service, we interviewed people at companies with exemplary customer service. As a part of the process, I spoke with Hertz’s vice president of reservations in Oklahoma City, and he shared a story with me that I have not forgotten. Hertz did a survey of top…
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I had the joy of spending this past Father’s Day with my daughter, and at one point she told me about a difficulty one of her friends was experiencing. She wondered if I could help him with a deal he hadn’t been able to close. From the conversation with my daughter, I concluded that he…
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Pessimism tends to get a bad rap. In fact, top-producing sales execs exercise a fair degree of pessimism. It is the sales reps who are overly optimistic that often fall short of their goals. The sales execs who make pessimism work for them think about potential obstacles and then leave no stones unturned to make…
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