Cans work well for beans and vegetables but fail miserably in sales. Yet, many sales organizations mandate that salespeople memorize or read specific soundbites designed for specific situations. Would you want to be on the receiving end of one of these impersonal, canned statements? This type of sales practice is just one of many reasons why people dislike hearing a sales pitch.

In Sales Yoga, we practice the art of Integrative Questioning to build rapport, develop…

It’s a hot summer day with no perceptible breeze. Lying across the way is a haphazard pile of debris, having been blown into what almost looks like a small pyramid. A spotlight of sun, the size of a small flashlight beam, suddenly appears on the pile, having been channeled by a pane of window glass. Suddenly, a burst of flame erupts as the wood, grasses, and other assorted…

If people aren’t always doing what they are supposed to do, what’s a leader to do?

To help you and your organization, I’m launching a new newsletter this Tuesday, May 21st. CalledTake No Prisoners, this free weekly memo explores how Radical Accountability prospers companies and changes lives. Instead of taking people hostage…

“Yoga is almost like music in a way; there’s no end to it.” — Sting

Selling, like yoga, is almost like music as there is never an end to it, if it’s being done right. Yet, so many salespeople engage in a stop-start mentality in their sales practice. They start selling, land a few good prospects or customers, try to leverage them for all they are worth, then find themselves back at the beginning of having to start selling again. It’s little wonder that so many salespeople are not…

During an advising call with a client this week, she reported lackluster performance by one of her company’s locations. As we dug into the issue, it became clear that the members of the sales team were fishing with the wrong net.

Salespeople have the equivalent of nets in their sales efforts. Some use wide nets, like those on a shrimp boat, that bring in many possibilities, allowing them to pick and choose the best customers. Others employ the equivalent of a small aquarium net,…

I’m proud to acknowledge the efforts and results of my clients in this new feature I’m affectionately calling a Standing Ovation.

This month’s Standing Ovation Goes to Amy in Minnesota. Amy is a senior leader in a manufacturing services firm servicing the Twin Cities. As a result of her commitment to Radical Accountability, which has been a focus in our work together, Amy has successfully doubled the size of the sales team in a market where finding…

In just four days, over five million people have viewed the YouTube video of the musical couple featured on Pumpcast News. This hilarious feature shows what happens when a television monitor, normally displaying broadcast news and advertisements over a gas pump, is converted into an interactive video conference for the benefit of The Tonight Show audience. So enthralled were the producers of…

Each week, I feature companies, organizations, industries, and even individuals who exemplify the power of Radical Accountability (the Heroes who have committed to an unwavering responsibility for getting done what really matters most) and the need for it (the Zeroes).

HEROES

Grand Geneva Resort (Lake Geneva, WI)

For your outstanding service and commitment to excellence this week. The entire…

In a brief chat this past weekend a friend shared details of her daughter’s whining about her current circumstances. Being the ever confident and highly competent mom, she did not allow Molly to pull her down into the clutches of a victim spiral. Instead, she pointed out that, while not everything about the situation was of Molly’s making, she had done nothing to try and rectify the problem.

While there are real victims of crimes, even people who have been impacted by some of the most…

Welcome to this new weekly series. Each week, I’ll feature companies, organizations, industries, and even individuals who exemplify the power of Radical Accountability (the Heroes who have committed to an unwavering responsibility for getting done what really matters most) and the need for it (the Zeroes).

The…

Earlier this week, a salesperson told me about a difficult conversation she was about to have with a client. In asking for my advice, she said there was a chance this customer will ask for a price reduction and that she’d have to do a “dog and pony show” to convince them to keep working with her at the current rate.

I told her she needed to “kill the dog and corral the pony.” As you may suspect, there was a long pause on the other end of the phone after such a startling…