When your team grows, check your attitude – Part 2
In Part 1, we shadowed Bill as he struggled with the expansion of his marketing team. Two new hires joined…
Category: Conversation
Make your business card a connection point
If you are like me, you’ve collected hundreds of business cards over the years. Some of the data from these…
I wouldn’t do your job for all the money in the world.
On a typical day, you’ll encounter a wide variety of people, performing many different roles. Susan, the perky red-haired Starbucks…
Don’t Over Engineer Your Elevator Pitch
You walk into a crowded conference hall. The air in the exhibit hall seems to stand still. If you wanted…
Get personal and watch a person light up
The scene: Two workers decompress over a beer at a local conference’s happy hour. “So, what do you do?” says…
When’s the last time you talked with your customers?
Have you heard someone say?: “To have a friend, you need to be a friend.” Can this quote be repurposed…
Hungry to persuade and motivate? Try this recipe.
The words we use are very situation-dependent. What you tell your friends on the green of the 18th hole on…
Tell a good story and you’ve got a customer for life
I have plenty of fun doing nighttime baths with the kids. In kids’ bathtubs, animals, boats, floating books take up…
You are not going to believe this
“Because the hook brings you back I ain’t telling you no lie. The hook brings you back On that you…
Pull up a chair and talk with your customer
Peel back the vulnerabilities of a person and you discover his true self. If you keep your eyes and mind…
Audience 101: Talk with us, not at us
Shortly after the calendar flipped from 2010 to 2011, our family attended our neighborhood’s church for an uplifting Sunday morning…
A cautionary tale: the Smartphone names of the future
Smartphones (Android, iPhone, Blackberry) are omnipresent and show no signs of ceasing. Apple has done a dazzling job at creating…
Team meetings: Despite the pushback, keep having them
In a global world, you’ll typically work with professionals that are time zones apart. You’ll sip your morning coffee and…
You’ll miss the point if you talk too much
I’ve spoken with quite a few salespeople over the years. I’ve learned interesting tidbits from sales representatives near and far:…
3 Tips to Getting your E-mails Read
1. Keep it short and sweet. People don’t want to read a dissertation. If you need to have a discussion,…
Think ‘See Saw’ When Communicating
I walked by a neighborhood park the other day and noticed two young kids gleefully playing on a see-saw. The…