Back in 2009, I’d taken a job with a reputable company, selling insurance policies. They hired me based on my sales background, and on the extensive professional network I’d accrued over the years. I was a shoe-in for this job, and there was no question in their minds I was destined to do well by […]
As an endurance athlete, I know a few things about facing challenging obstacles and the power of resiliency. I would even argue, that by coincidence, I was perhaps one of the few people on the planet who had unknowingly prepared myself mentally, emotionally and spiritually for COVID-19 in the two years leading up to the […]
I was coming back to my car from a bike ride. As I pulled up, I glanced at the car parked beside mine. It had a small bumper sticker. On the first line, it said “I believe in the transformational power…” That’s as far as I saw. As I was mounting my bike back on […]
Consider this scenario: Chuck is a successful CEO of a marketing agency. His firm is widely known as one of the best in the nation, largely due to Chuck’s personal 25-year track record. Jerry is a recent newcomer to Chuck’s firm—hired to head up Chuck’s online engagement division. Jerry was recruited largely due to his […]
We all know that there are things we need to do to raise our game. Whether it’s becoming a better delegator, increasing our sales or becoming a faster runner; there are universal truths that we must learn along the way. More often than not, what we need to do makes perfect sense. Sometimes, however, the […]
Selling is one of the toughest jobs in existence. It is often lonely and at times, downright thankless, but even worse when you don’t have a personal support system in place. I’m very fortunate to be happily married, and have been so since April 2000. My wife is also an entrepreneur—and she gets it when […]
Rarely does a company, for no reason in particular, decide to push itself beyond its own status quo and take an innovative leap. Implementing a complicated new technology, for example, or expanding into a new market, or adding a revolutionary new product–all require huge learning curves and hours of training, and these changes are rarely […]
We all talk to ourselves. But did you know that the latest research points out that these inner conversations can impact you in ways you never imagined? According to Charles Fernyhough, a professor and researcher at Durham University in England, our self-talk helps us plan, regulate our emotions and be creative. With the help of […]
Role Plays…two words that will make even the heartiest and fearless of salespeople get a bit queasy. Let’s face it, no one likes to be put on the spot and critiqued. But I’ve yet to find a better way to really see whether a salesperson “gets it.” I’ve spent the past two days in Birmingham, […]
I’m passionate about cutting firewood! For over 40 years I’ve toiled in the deep woods throughout the state of Virginia, logging, splitting and stacking this wonderful source of primitive heat. I’ve also picked up a few life lessons while harvesting this extremely labor-intensive natural resource. There is one lesson in particular I would like to […]
