You are what you wear.  Well…kinda.  Think about what is required by your job, by your company.  Some require a uniform (something logo’d).  Some require a dress shirt and tie.  I used to have to wear a suit.  In fact it had to be black with dark tie, belt and shoes.  So we can agree […]

OK, they started.  Cool.  Now what?  This is a big challenge for almost every company on the planet.  How do I get Skippy, Todd or Mary up and running right away?  And if you are in retail sales, how do I get them selling yesterday (especially if they are new to retail sales)? Before you […]

Next in line for the art of selling is something that impacts us all.  How many of you have had that sales guy or gal who is so aggressive you immediately think they are like snakes or sharks?  You may be thinking of the proverbial “used car salesman”.  Which I find a bit harsh, but […]

We continue exploring the art of selling.  And it will be confusing.  But before we go cross-eyed, let’s consider this…many times and in many ways, it has been stated that knowledge is power.  I agree.  I also agree with one of my favorite quotes by Einstein that “Imagination is more important than knowledge.”  So does […]

There is a science to selling and there is an art.  There is.   The steps, well, they really are pretty simple.  “Hi, what do you want, here is it, buy it and thank you.”  That is pretty much it.  Five steps and they always work no matter what.  Read a sales book.  Same steps.  Check […]

“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens:  a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a […]

I just got back from Vancouver.  Great session with some managers and one of our conversations turned to customers and their being sometimes wrong.  Specifically that they are many times flat out wrong.  Despite an alleged thought that they are incredibly right. Now in sales, we have been taught that “the customer is always right”, […]

Lately, I have been doing lists.  You know, the sheets of paper that say “I will do this today.”  Some do not need paper, they can do it in their head.  Others use their devices.  We do have the technology.  Regardless of our method, we all have aspirations for the day.  “I will do this […]

In 2011, I published a blog about an aspect of perfectionism.  I was looking at what a manager is looking at in an employee and how they might distinguish what they are really looking for in a team member.  But what about in ourselves?  Are we striving for perfection in ourselves in some way that […]

Yesterday something hit me.  When thinking about a growth opportunity in management and leadership, I contemplated how does embracing habits fit into the discussion?  Think about it.  How often are we influenced by our habits in managing or leading our team?  You do anything enough times, regardless of it being either right or wrong, it […]