Velocity Mindset
In the mid-2000s, I was lying in a hospital bed recovering from back surgery when a difficult question hit me: What haven’t I done with my life? And why? When you’re forced to slow down, clarity shows up. I realized that unrealized goals rarely come down to talent or opportunity. They come down to three…
Most professionals ask the wrong question. They ask: “How do I improve what I’m already doing?” High performers ask: “What outcome do I really want to achieve?” That shift changes everything. Because when you focus on activity, you stay busy. When you focus on outcomes, you become strategic. And here’s the real problem… We let…
Things like AI and other issues come second. The first question is: what do you want to achieve for yourself? If you are not happy with what you are achieving on an annual basis, what would make you happy? What would make you feel fulfilled? It has to be specific, and it has to be…
Let’s talk about what’s happening in the market right now: tariffs, inflation, supply chain pressure, price. Customers are cautious. Decisions are slower. And suddenly everyone’s favorite strategy is discounting, because nothing says “premium solution” like dropping your price faster than your confidence. Inside the company, it usually sounds like this: Sales says, “We’ve got to…
Most people think velocity is blocked by outside forces—other people, missed signals, bad timing. The truth is far more uncomfortable…and far more powerful. It turns out the biggest obstacle that gets in our way is internal, and it starts with the stories we create every day. Everything that someone says or does to you, you…
Every conversation you have is shaping a story in someone else’s mind—and if you are not aware of it, that story could be working against you. We are emotional creatures. Like a strength, it can help us—but if it is overused, it becomes a weakness. Anything you say to me or do to me, all…
A quick question: have you ever shared what you thought was a brilliant idea, and the reaction you got back was a polite nod, crossed arms, or the classic, “Yeah, let’s think about it”? Same idea, same words, same logic and yet it landed with all the impact of a wet noodle. Here’s why. Have…
I became a speaker for the wrong reason. I figured if I could be on stage and slay my dragons by being proverbially naked in front of the audience, then I had made it and gotten rid of all my fears. That’s not true. That was being self-focused, and it didn’t help the audience. I…
Before you even introduce yourself, your prospect’s hormones have already voted on you. The question is: did you win? In the first few seconds of any interaction, their brain is quietly—but decisively—determining whether to trust you, engage with you, or shut down completely. And it all comes down to three key hormones neuroscience identifies: cortisol,…
You know, there’s a phrase from my childhood that stuck with me for decades. It wasn’t inspirational. It wasn’t wise. It was—“You’re a fraud.” My father said it to me. T And it became a lightning bolt that hit me every single time I tried to do something big. And here’s the worst part… There…
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…
If you want to influence others, gain new customers, or increase your sales to current customers, selling change is a key skill to master. The better you are at it, the more velocity you will gain in closing more sales—faster. Customers are often reluctant to make changes due to perceived risk. Whether you want someone…
The saying goes that you can’t teach an old dog new tricks, but that is simply not true—and science confirms it. According to recent neuroscience findings, the brain has a great degree of plasticity, which means it can be retrained. While it is easier to learn new things at a younger age, there is still sufficient plasticity for adults…
A client recently shared with me that they had conducted a sales presentation by using the process outlined in my book Lead, Sell or Get Out of the Way. Afterward, attendees said it was the best presentation they had ever been to. Talk about differentiating yourself. How did they do it? By engaging the participants…
In sales, it’s not uncommon to face certain objections again and again. So how do you turn those common objections into closed deals? Simple: You stop having conversations that are driven by past experiences or fear of the future. Let me explain. In 1980 I landed my first sales job: selling copy machines. But before long…
This week I met Ashlin, a phlebotomist at my doctor’s office, and I’d like you to meet her too. As soon as I sat down for the blood draw, I was impressed with her attitude. She was both confident and caring, and I felt safe in her hands. When I complimented her, I asked what…
Severe thunderstorms were forecast for the Denver area on Sunday evening, so I was relieved to be flying out in the afternoon. I thought I’d be in good shape with a scheduled departure at 1:40 p.m. So much for my assumptions. Five minutes before we pushed back from the gate, the wind started rocking the plane…
Sunday night I experienced a rough flight out of Atlanta due to a line of thunderstorms and tornadoes making its way across the southeast. I was sitting next to a gentleman who had the window down, and I kindly asked if he would open it, which he did. I then proceeded to share my “wisdom”…
What makes you feel more like a kid than watching things explode? Recently I had the privilege of interviewing Steve Spangler, a leading science personality, who has been blowing things up and mesmerizing audiences for the past 30 years. I love science, so you know I had to ask Steve to explain the scientific point…
In Brandon Steiner’s new book Living on Purpose he shares a story about the University of Washington men’s basketball team losing its third game in a row in mid-February 2018. Even though the team’s record was 18-9, Brandon could see the team was despondent over its recent losses. During the game on Feb 15, Brandon…