Last week I was speaking with my friend, Ben*. He's a business owner who opened his doors a few weeks ago. His business is built on high touch, face-to-face sales. One of his employees asked him if she could start using the Internet and phones to sell. This would be a BIG change to his business model. He had many concerns. Legitimate concerns about things like costs, closing ratios, and the like. He was trying to come up with all of the answers himself. This happens a lot. A manager … [Read more...]
Pick up the Ball: A Simple Way to Save Face
April 16, 2011 by
I was emailing with a colleague to set up a time to meet. Then she dropped of the radar. I wondered what happened ... was it me? Was there something I said? After a couple of weeks I was about to follow up with her. Then I received this email from her: "I’m completely rude. I apologize profusely for not getting back to you. I am so sorry. I think my brain has been swallowed by a hippopotamus or something. Can we try again?" Boy, did she save face. I was completely disarmed. I got a … [Read more...]
1 Simple way to stop using excuses and start delivering
April 15, 2011 by
Yes or No. Black or White. One or Zero. I will do it. I will not do it. The job is done or it's not done ... complete or incomplete. I had a habit of using conditions and qualifiers in my speech (and I still fight this habit). I can weave a winding sentence that could confuse an insurance underwriter. The long sentence helped me avoid committing. This habit was killing me. It undercut my effectiveness in delivering consistently. Delivery is the fulfillment of a … [Read more...]
Move the Heat Around
October 19, 2010 by
To light a fire, light kindling in different places. This increases the likelihood that the fire will catch. As a fire is lighting, we may reposition the heat. We move the kindling around to expand the reach of the heat. A quick review - Fire requires heat, oxygen and fuel. Your message is the heat. The visibility of the message is your oxygen. People are your fuel. Your kindling is your Innovators and Early Adopters. Identify who they are. Light them with your message. Want to … [Read more...]
Reinvigorate. A new message
August 30, 2010 by
Have you seen any of these TV shows about redesigning a room on a shoe string budget? Time and again, rooms find new life and a renewed purpose by changing the paint on the wall, removing clutter, moving furniture and adding a plant. The results amaze me every time. With small, low cost, surface changes, the space is transformed … they go from lifeless and purposeless to invigorated and clear. The designers have an eye to see what little needs to change to have a big impact. In … [Read more...]
How to get your point across – Have one…
August 25, 2010 by
When E.F. Hutton talks, people listen. There was an old commercial … a guy would be in a room filled with people. He'd tell a friend that his E.F. Hutton broker gave him some advice. The room would go silent. Everyone hung on this person's every word. I worked with someone who was like EF Hutton*. When Mario talked, people would listen. It was mysterious. It was like magic. A room would hush while Mario spoke. I asked a colleague how Mario did this. His answer was succinct and on … [Read more...]
Get your point across – Stop killing it
August 24, 2010 by
I am a plant killer. Years ago, I had this had this palm tree sort of plant. It would turn brown. So I'd water it. I would water it really well. I wanted the plant to live … To have a green and vibrant existence. So I kept watering it. For some reason, the palm would stay brown. It got more brittle. It withered. It died. I wondered what was wrong with the plant. When I threw the plant out, I took it out of its pot. The soil fell away. It seemed void. Stripped down. I noticed … [Read more...]
Do More with Your Tomatoes
August 23, 2010 by
Years ago, I was visiting with friends. I chose to cook dinner for everyone. I was dicing tomatoes for a salad. The tomatoes were ripe. The knife was dull. I had a mess on my hands. The tomatoes crushed under the force of the dull blade. My tomatoes did not obey me. They did not follow along with the plan! Rather than becoming neat little cubes, they became a collection of crushed and bruised pieces. I was frustrated. I'm sure the tomatoes were frustrated. The tomatoes weren't … [Read more...]
Communicating is a Hard Skill
August 22, 2010 by
Communicating is hard. Yet it is called a soft skill. It's easy to over communicate. It's easy to under communicate. It's hard to communicate. Rather, it's hard to communicate effectively. Communicating effectively comes down to succeeding at a single goal: Make A Point - Transfer an idea from one brain to another in a way that creates common understanding Multi-million dollar projects fail because communicating effectively is hard. Employee morale plummets because communicating … [Read more...]
