Posted: September 16, 2014 | Categories: Self-Improvement

“One of the most tragic things I know about human nature is that all of us tend to put off living”                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                Norman Vincent Peale

The quote above we hear often in one form or another.  Stress control expert Dr. Hans Seyle believed that we spend over 60% of our time either dwelling on something in the past or worrying about something that may happen in the future.  That leaves 40% of the time to enjoy life in the present moment.  The question is:  How do we discipline ourselves to live in the moment?Read More…

Posted: September 10, 2014 | Categories: Sales, Self-Improvement

“We shall defend our island…whatever the cost may be.  We shall fight on the beaches, the landing points, the streets, and the hills.  We shall never surrender!”

These words were uttered by Winston Churchill during a radio address prior to a German invasion during WW II.  Even though Hitler’s troops did bomb part of London and much of Coventry, they failed in their attempt to take over England.  Many believe that the power and conviction in Churchill’s words intimidated Hitler just enough to make him hesitate and ultimately fail.Read More…

Posted: August 18, 2014 | Categories: Sales

I remember a tireless mantra from my first sales training class:  Evidence defeats skepticism.  Let me take this one step further:  Selling added value defeats price objection.  There are few things that can derail a sale more than price objections.  If we let ourselves get caught in that trap, we may get stuck.  Let’s face it, if price were the only concern, every time we looked at a parking lot, we would see only the least expensive cars.  This indicates that price is not the only concern our prospects have.  So what do our prospects really want?  That is what we have to find out.Read More…

Posted: August 17, 2014 | Categories: Leadership

Several years ago I was coaching a team on negotiating skills.  Their company manufactured assembly machines and the average ticket was over 600K.  One day, one of their key clients called them and asked for the blueprints to one of the machines they were manufacturing.  Dave, the sales rep, knew what that meant:  They were shopping around and wanted to give the prints to another vendor to look at.  Dave didn’t want to give up the prints, but he kept thinking, “The prints are theirs.  They have paid for them.  I can’t be selfish”.  With painful reluctance, he let go of the prints.Read More…

Posted: August 17, 2014 | Categories: Presentation skills

Some people fear public speaking.  Others love presenting before a group.  Whether you love it or hate it, there is one thing you must know:  You must prepare and over-prepare.Read More…