a 20-year client fired us today

by | Aug 11, 2014 | Uncategorized

Some of you might remember the United Airlines commercial where the company president gathers his staff in a conference room to tell them:  “I got a phone call this morning from one of our oldest customers. … After 20 years, he fired us. Said he didn’t know us...

i don’t give a #$?@X#% …

by | Jul 28, 2014 | Uncategorized

Every once in a while I hear a story about a sales situation that just blows me away. This is one of those stories. It could happen to anybody, and here’s how it goes. I met with one of my sales rainmakers recently, and he started telling me about one of his new...

advice….who needs it?

by | Jul 14, 2014 | Uncategorized

Let’s conclude our discussion about the art of giving advice. I started this series by sharing Jim Rohn’s quote, “Don’t mistake courtesy for consent.” Often, executives and managers give advice only to have the employee listen politely—and then ignore the advice...

unsolicited advice is often seen as criticism

by | Jun 30, 2014 | Uncategorized

Let’s continue our discussion on the art of giving advice and talk a little about getting advice, too. Last time, I advised you to follow Jim Rohn’s advice when offering advice: “Don’t mistake courtesy for consent.” I also suggested asking the follow-up questions:...

handoff business

by | Jun 2, 2014 | Uncategorized

I’ve been in the same office building for almost 20 years, and I’ve seen a lot of other businesses come and go. For some reason—my longevity here I suppose—I’ve become the “3rd floor resident manager.” That means if I’m in the men’s room and we are out of paper...

vacation dos and don’ts

by | May 19, 2014 | Uncategorized

Summer, for all practical purposes, is here, and that means it’s time to share my annual “vacation do’s and don’ts.”                                                                               Over the years, this content about how to...

momma’s day

by | May 9, 2014 | Uncategorized

A while back, I saw a mother hosting her young son’s birthday party in a local park on a beautiful, sunny Sunday afternoon. She was wearing a button that read, “All birthdays are Mother’s Day!” And I thought to myself:  That’s a wonderful way to look at “the world’s...