"Fair is when one side gets exactly what they want and the other side gets just enough to stop complaining." - John Dutton, Yellowstone Although this is a great life lesson, it should never be your intent when you are negotiating. What ever happened to Covey's 7 Habits? If Covey had written …
Tactics
Make this years goal setting process easy
Mondays' have always been my day. I loved them. It was time to put my plan into action. That plan was different every week, but it was the same. It always revolved around sales, accounts, territories, products, management, building the team, internal and external meetings, traveling, putting …
Planning your next vacation?
Many of us are getting ready to plan for their Summer Vacations. Maybe you are taking the family to Disney World. You have worked on this vacation plan for weeks, even months. Taking it to the next level, you have planned the arrival time to the minute. Finally, you have selected the perfect hotel …
How to know if you are on the right track!
Should you get on this train or not? Do you know the general direction you are heading? When you plan for the future, at what point do you actually start moving towards it? Closer to, or farther from? If you wonder where the train metaphors are coming from, I just came back from a meeting in Europe. …
The “Wimpy Syndrome”
This is probably one of the most overused negotiation tactics by buyers and purchasing professionals in history. I call it the Wimpy Syndrome. You all remember “Popeye the Sailor man” and his friend Wimpy. Wimpy always wanted the immediate satisfaction of a hamburger today, with the promise of …
Tips: Closing the Deal
Going into this meeting, you know you have this deal. You have been in this position 10 Time’s, and you have your script ready. Your preparation for that objection is beyond reproach. Just at the moment you were going to say something, the prospect throws a curve. Jose Valverde, Detroit Tigers …
What type of pencil do you use?
When I say the word “it”, what do you think about? Does it make you feel a certain way? It is a simple word, carrying very little emotional meaning, am I right? Now, what happens if I use it with other words like; Cujo, Misery, and Carrie. Now “it” evokes horror, fear, and disturbing images of …
Tips: How to be a salesperson, NOT an account manager
As a CEO or business owner, you wonder why Sales are not increasing. You have spent money on Sales Training, hired account managers, and review the metrics weekly. What are you missing? One of my functions is to gather information to provide my principals with some level of market intelligence. …
Tip: Hard Work is Irrelevant
If you could design the best compensation plan, would it be based on hard work, or output? I once heard a story about a locksmith. During his apprenticeship, he would take hours to work on a project. His customers would come and see him pour his heart and soul into his work. Quite a few would …
When Summer Starts, Do You Stop?
Ahhh ... it's summertime! The time to regenerate, rejuvenate, and relax. Most of us will take a vacation of some sorts. You may not be able to leave town, and may not even get time off of work, but summer means slow pace for most of us. We worked hard from September to May/June, and traditionally …