Top Sales Speaker
I recently received an honor that caused me to reflect on an entire career. I was inducted into the 2026 Legends of the Speaking Profession. For someone who has spent decades speaking professionally, you might assume that communication always came naturally to me. It didn’t. As a teenager, I had a speech impediment that prevented…
There are people who become successful. There are people who become famous. And then there are those rare individuals who become something much greater. Dolly Parton became an icon. Her story didn’t begin with wealth, connections or opportunity. She grew up as one of 12 children in a one-room cabin in the mountains of Tennessee.…
Vince Lombardi famously said: “Leaders aren’t born, they are made. And they are made just like anything else, through hard work.” I agree. Leadership requires effort. It requires discipline, repetition, resilience and a willingness to keep improving. But there’s another piece we cannot afford to overlook: Hard work only creates meaningful progress when it is…
I recently received a sales message that opened by telling me the sender and I were in the same business. There was only one problem. We weren’t. The sender had my name. He had a template. But he clearly hadn’t taken the time to understand what I actually do, who I serve, or whether what…
Some of the biggest breakthroughs in business don’t begin with a brilliant answer. They begin with a different question. I recently came across the story of an industry built around companies purchasing life insurance policies from policyholders. Traditionally, everyone viewed life insurance through essentially the same lens: Buy the policy. Pay the premiums. Eventually, the…
Most communication problems are not caused by what we say. They happen because of what the other person believes they heard. People do not listen to words in isolation. They listen through filters shaped by past experiences, assumptions, emotions, expectations, and beliefs. Those filters can completely change the meaning of a message. I might say:…
In today’s business environment, leaders and sales teams are being pushed to move faster, produce more, adopt new tools, and deliver immediate results. But moving faster does not automatically mean moving forward. One of the most important principles of the Velocity Mindset® is to start with the end in mind, but first, you must make…
Markets are volatile. Budgets are tightening. International tensions are affecting supply chains, energy prices, and business confidence. For leaders, the pressure is real. But here is the brutal truth: Uncertainty does not destroy companies. Inaction does. When fear enters the boardroom, decisions slow down. Investments are delayed. Teams lose confidence. Organizations begin waiting for conditions…
Most salespeople don’t lose deals because of price. They don’t lose because of the competition. And they rarely lose because of the economy. More often than not, they lose because they’re approaching every opportunity with the same linear thinking they’ve been taught since childhood. From the time we enter school, we’re trained to follow the…
Fame can be addictive. Not just celebrity fame. Business fame. Leadership fame. Social media fame. The kind of visibility that makes people feel seen, validated, and recognized. But when attention becomes the goal, direction often changes. People start making decisions for reactions instead of results. They chase clicks instead of contribution. They prioritize visibility instead…
Let’s face it — the economy is shaking. Markets are volatile, budgets are shrinking, and fear is creeping into every boardroom. And if you are not careful, that fear can lead to paralysis and inaction. But here’s the truth no one talks about: fear and uncertainty don’t kill companies. Inaction does. The winners in…
In his groundbreaking book Activate Your Brain, Scott Halford lays out the Five C’s of neuroscience—five triggers that, when activated, increase the chance of success in any pitch, proposal, or conversation. They are: control, certainty, completion, choice, and context. Today, I want to focus on just two: control and certainty—and how they played a major role…
For 17 years, Rory McIlroy chased one dream. He had already conquered the PGA Championship. He stood atop the U.S. Open. He lifted the Claret Jug at The Open. But Augusta—home of the Masters—always found a way to say no. In 2011, he led by four heading into Sunday. The golf world expected a coronation.…
Tariffs are dominating the headlines, and the fear keeping business leaders up at night—loss of control, loss of security. Nobody knows where this is headed. That kind of uncertainty crushes confidence, and when confidence disappears, people pull back. But if you have been in business long enough, you have seen this before. Back in 1983,…
Want to know how the Yankees crushed 19 home runs in just five games? It wasn’t luck—it was leverage. Talk to any exec in pro sports, and they’ll tell you that at the top, the difference between elite players is razor-thin. So how do you gain a competitive edge? If you are the New York…
As a top sales consultant and keynote speaker, here’s the million-dollar question that can double your business in two years: “What are the three results you need to generate from your next supply agreement?” This is what I call an issues-based question—designed to prompt someone to think about their future and what truly matters to…
As a top sales consultant, I’ve successfully shown organizations on six continents how to gain velocity in their sales efforts by asking the right questions. Here’s an example: A major financial services firm called me in to review their numbers. It took their advisors five sales calls to close a new investor, and they knew…
Duolingo, a player in the ed-tech space offering language learning services, was stuck in a rut with their company’s revenues. They offered a free version of their product to compete against other players like Babbel, which used a subscription model to sell their products. Duolingo gave their product away for free, calling it “freemium” to…
8% Growth in a Struggling Market? This Fast Food Giant Reveals the Magic Formula Behind Its Success!
Today, several sectors are experiencing downturns due to economic factors. But in the fast food industry, even when demand is soft and year-over-year revenue declines, there is one fast food brand that is growing at a very fast rate. Guess who it is? Drum roll, please… Taco Bell! That’s right—Taco Bell. Taco Bell is forecasting…
Ever get a message that starts like this? “Hey Ron, I see that we are both in the same business of helping clients grow. We help consultants like you generate at least 25K a month.” Delete. Why? Two reasons. First, if the only thing personalized in your message is my name, it’s not personalization—it’s a…