What Does Success Look Like to You?
In 1995, my wife and I decided to go back to Hawaii for our fifth wedding anniversary, staying at the Maui Marriott. One morning, we went down for breakfast. As we're sitting at our table, the waiter comes up, looks at me, and says, "You're Ron Karr." I reply, "Yes, I am." He goes, "No, you don’t understand," which surprised me because I thought he recognized me as a loyal customer. But that wasn’t why he knew me. He said,...
How to Throw a Hail Mary Pass
As a sales leadership keynote speaker, I'm often asked about the best way to throw a Hail Mary pass when trying to save an elusive prospect. I tell them that even if you're looking for a miracle, you still need a strategy. Take the recent game between Chicago Bears and Washington Commanders as an example. Washington was down by three points with one play left, around the Bears' 50-yard line, and they went for a Hail Mary. And what happened...
How to Thrive in a High-Failure Zone
Recently, I had dinner with an executive in the baseball industry. He described baseball as a high-failure sport. I love that phrase. Why? Because I've always used it in my speeches. Not that phrase exactly, but the idea. Think about it: a hitter getting three hits out of every 10 at-bats is a .300 hitter. That means they failed seven times, but they're still considered Hall of Fame material. That's why it's such a high-failure sport. Now, that relates to...
Surefire Strategy to Instantly Boost Your Sales Close Rate
For the past 12 years, I've been on retainer, coaching senior executives at a company. In the first two years, I spotted a major issue: they were sending out far too many proposals. How did I know? Their close rate was a dismal 10%. That's what happens when you're wasting time on unqualified leads. So what did we do? We focused on better qualification. In just two short years, we cut their annual proposals from 650 to 450 and...
Prioritizing Experiences: The Key to Achieving Meaningful Results
A study published in the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry revealed that a new pill developed in Denmark "mimics the effects and benefits of strenuous exercise without moving a muscle." Imagine just taking a pill and having all of the same health benefits as if you had run - and I quote - “a long distance at a fast clip." When I read this, I was truly excited. Finally, I don't have to do all that grueling work! ...
Do As I Do
If you want to gain velocity in your negotiations, you need to practice “do as I do,” not “do as I say.” Let me explain. A few years ago, a vice president of sales called me and asked to keynote his opening sales kickoff meeting. We discussed what I would cover, and when he asked for my price, he also requested a discount. I said, “Well, that's an interesting question, thank you for asking. However, if you're asking me...
Have You Earned Your Seat at the Table?
There is an old saying that to succeed, you need to earn your seat at the table. The interpretation is that you earn your seat by gaining the client's trust—trust that you have the client's back and trust that you keep your promises. Today, having your client’s back and keeping your promises is just the cost of entry. But there is a third way to earn your client's trust and propel yourself to success with great velocity: help your clients...
Passion Equals Success
What do applicants get wrong in the process of applying to a top-tier college like an Ivy League school? Today they believe that perfect SAT scores are enough to differentiate them. According to Christopher Rim, founder of Command Education, perfect test scores no longer differentiate students. They are simply the cost of entry. What differentiates students today is their tapping into interests that unleashes their passion. Since 2015, Command Education has been helping students in the top, elite private...
Have You Addressed The Big Elephant In The Room?
When was the last time you truly listened to a captain's welcome announcement on a plane? Last week, flying from New York to Florida, Captain Ian Wallace of @United Airlines came out of the cockpit before the doors closed. He grabbed the intercom and filled the aisle with his hulking presence. Looking directly at us, he welcomed us to his flight in his booming voice. He had our full attention. Then, he dared to go where many don't...