Lost and Found Loserslost-found-header (10/25/2022) Lost and found items create logistical challenges, but stories are always about people. The story of how (or whether) a person is reunited with a lost item they need or value determines the success of important business relationships. Create a… READ ON
Avoid the Data-Dump Doldrums (10/11/2022) Data-dump presentations are guaranteed attention-killers. Information is important, but storytellers make that information meaningful. Add PowerPoint slides full of tables and tiny type to create a particularly excruciating audience experience. The following statements are true. The description is accurate. But… READ ON
You Can Keep Your Business Cardsbusiness cards header (9/27/2022) I was talking with a friend at a business networking event when a man came plowing through the crowd doling out business cards as if he were handing out candy on Halloween. After the most cursory of introductions, he put… READ ON
Rewrite the Bogus Story of Happiness (9/13/2022) What’s the number one cause of unhappiness?   Love?   Money?   Hunger?   Insurance companies?   The number one cause of unhappiness is the pursuit of happiness!   You can never be happy.   Think about your last new… READ ON
Put a Price on Your Passion (8/30/2022) How do you put a price on your passion? How can you charge a fair-but-high price for your services?   You’ve got a fantastic prospect on the line. The conversation is engaging. The relationship develops instantly. Your hopefully-soon-to-be client is… READ ON
Inspire Prospects to ASK You to Sell! (8/16/2022) Inspire prospects to ask you to sell to them. Many years ago I was out sailing on Biscayne Bay with an old sailor friend. The conversation drifted from how to adjust the sails to light talk about our personal lives,… READ ON
Sound Advice for Writers & Publishers (7/26/2022) The following advice on writing and publishing is based on my own experiences and those of my clients. I hope you find it valuable and encouraging, even if it changes your expectations. I’ve written and published twelve books, and I’m… READ ON
Hobbyist or Professional? Be the Best in the World. (7/12/2022) Hobbyist or professional? True professionals dedicate their lives to being the best in the world at whatever they do—not some day, but today—every day. Not try, do. I have played guitar almost every day for almost forty years. I play… READ ON
Conflict: Sailing the Storms of Life and Business (6/28/2022) In storms of life and business, it requires immense energy to sustain conflict. Dangerous and destructive forces require attention and—at the appropriate times—resistance, but often the best strategy is to park and wait for the tempest to subside. A retail… READ ON
Sell Outcomes, Not Productssell outcomes not products header (6/14/2022) Sell outcomes. The products or services you exchange at the transaction stage of a business relationship might not be the most meaningful basis for describing what you offer. Before you print your next batch of business cards, think like a… READ ON