Leadership Lesson from X Games
Talent Alone is not Enough January 27, 2013 marks the first time an athlete has ever achieved a six-peat…six consecutive gold medal performances…in the winter X Games. Tucker Hibbert did so in...
View ArticleDoes anyone remember your vision?
After laboring with your leadership team to set a compelling vision for 2013, the chances are, your staff won’t even remember it only 30 days into the new year. Don’t believe me? Take this simple test:...
View Article1 Minute Leadership Test…Will You Pass?
The role of the leader is a difficult one, to be certain. Done well, it is one of the most rewarding professional and personal experiences for the leader and those they lead. Done poorly, and at best,...
View ArticleChallenger Sale: Change Your Trajectory
Sales growth begins at the root and is unseen Have you ever experienced planting your lawn by seed rather than laying sod? If so, you are likely familiar with the concern you feel after seeing no...
View ArticleImplementing the Challenger Sale, Visually
Making a Powerful Impact, Visually In January 2012, I was giving a keynote address on becoming a ‘Challenger’ to a room full of highly competent sales reps, who were self-described as Relationship...
View ArticleAre your questions killing the sale?
Prospecting can be tough and so can getting calls returned. When a sales person finally gets that prospect’s call, many fail to quickly establish credibility and ultimately lose the sale, without ever...
View ArticleChallenger: Use a Warmer to Build Credibility
In my previous post, Are your questions killing the sale?, I framed the ineffectiveness of reps using exploratory questioning with prospects to get deeper into their business issues. The consequence of...
View ArticleChallenger Sale: Do you Reframe in 3-D?
Do you remember when the Magic Eye pictures were all the rage back in the 90′s? For those unfamiliar with Magic Eye artwork, a 3-D image was embedded into a picture that otherwise appeared to be...
View ArticleMother’s Day – A Flawed Model for Leadership
What began 100 years ago, with President Woodrow Wilson signing into law a National Day to honor mothers, has come to represent something of a flawed model for truly honoring those we care about. In...
View ArticleChallenger Tip: Practice what you preach when coaching
Sales Leaders were gathered around the conference table to debrief the progress of each respective team’s reps in The Challenger Sale. There were some great successes shared, with one story of a...
View ArticleSales: Those that can’t close, can’t open
Ever get bad advice? I read a post this morning that struck me as such as it advised 3 Questions Sales People Should Ask Every Prospect. The three questions [taken from a longer 'disqualification...
View ArticleConstructive Tension through Insights
If you are anything like me, I learn best from real life examples. This morning, I was reflecting on a conversation I had with a major retailer a number of years ago, that not only got them to think...
View ArticleChallenger Sale: Moving beyond Rational Drowning
It was June of 1986 on our annual water ski trip to the Colorado River when it happened. Families were enjoying the warm sun sitting on the beach in this little cove on the bend of the river. Water...
View ArticleTeam Exercise: Giving your best
Recently, at a Sales Team meeting, we were reviewing the metrics and performance, and addressing the inherent problems with “giving your best efforts.” The team works hard, and subsequently believed...
View ArticleCase Study: Is the Problem Marketing or the Marketer?
The Phone Call… “Am I going crazy?” Having just answered the phone, I had no idea who was calling and asking such a question of me. I responded with a courteous, but cautious chuckle saying, “Well…I...
View Article10 Principles of Personal Leadership
Image courtesy of Todd Clarke I was recently working with some of my retail clients on ‘showrooming’ and leadership, and was reminded of some of the great principles Howard Behar spoke of in his 2009...
View Article1 Word that Undermines Your Value
Is making phone calls a part of your profession? Do you find that getting returned phone calls is increasingly more difficult? If you answered “Yes” to either one of these questions, you may be...
View ArticleThe Challenger Sale & St. Francis of Assisi
“Preach the Gospel at all times, and when necessary, use words.” These are the words ascribed to St. Francis of Assisi when addressing the Franciscans in his Rule of 1221 on how they should practice...
View ArticleIs ‘Status Quo’ Perception or Reality?
sta•tus quo /ˈstātəs ˈkwō/ - Noun: The existing state of affairs, esp. regarding social or political issues: “they have a vested interest in maintaining the status quo” “Status Quo” – The condition we...
View ArticleChallenger Tip: Where are you leading?
Challenger Principle: “Lead TO, not WITH your solution” I have the honor of talking with sales reps from all over the world who have taken a keen interest in becoming Challengers. A common issue that...
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