We are all individuals, and we like to be thought of as individuals. Not numbers, not the guy from XYZ Co, not so-and-so’s husband, wife, brother, boss etc. Just us, as we are.

So why is it then that we so often hide that real us to project the ‘me’ we think we need to be?

When it comes to business and particularly in recruitment companiess, this is…

So you see a job online that you really like the look of, and then what? Do you send your CV, do you attach a covering letter? Do you think about it for a while.

What goes on behind the scenes at recruitment businesses seems to be a hot topic on the blogs at the moment. All sorts of things are being quoted about the percentages of CVs rejected because of spelling…

We all know that building great client relationships is the key to long term business success. But how do we get there, and when we do, how do we know?

Building relationships takes time and effort. A lot of time and a lot of effort. It is not something that can be rushed. This is because it takes time to develop trust.

It is only really when we trust someone…

Its a really common thing. You work with a really great candidate, you place them into a great job.

Yippee.…

In our house, listening is the number one point of contention currently. It seems that our 5 year old son is able to turn his hearing on and off like a switch. I know that it’s just his age but it is infuriating the number of times one kid can be asked to do something before he actually acknowledges it. Ask him, however, if he would like a sweet, and it seems he is all…

You know the situation. You get up at ‘silly o’clock’, get dressed and leave the house. You get to the train station, and stand on the platform with all the other grey faced, tired and weary commuters. You board the train, talk to the same old faces, arrive at your destination, get on the underground, get off again, walk to the office and start your working day. Starting…

I really wish I had given it a name, the act of calling a client with the express intention of enhancing your business relationship. The simple act of picking up a phone, and giving someone a call, for no other purpose than to improve your relationship.

I’ve been doing it all my working life, but didn’t name it. Hank Paulson, the ex-boss of Goldman Sachs had the good…

I’ve talked a lot recently about the benefits of blogging as a part of a social media portfolio.  I am a real fan of blogs and blogging and read a lot of blog posts, especially with the help of the very good Google Reader app. Its a great way to keep up to date with changes in all  sorts of industries, stay in touch with changes and rumours in technology…

We’ve all heard the stories of people who put crazy statements on their Facebook status, causing not only great embarrassment to them, but often cause them to lose their jobs too.

Crazy status updates

You know the kind of thing…. “OMG, I am sooooo hungover, hope everyone is having fun working today while I have a ‘sickie’ “…

“If at first you don’t succeed, before you try again, stop to figure out what you did wrong.”

- Leo Rosten US (Polish-born) author (1908 – )

I love this quote from Leo Rosten. I believe hugely in effort and resilience. To be successful you must find a passion for what you do, get your hands dirty and really go for it. But, what so many people do…

I had a great meeting with an old client of mine this week, where amongst chat of rugby and motorbikes, we discussed why it is that so many professional consultants don’t like to business develop.

Interestingly, we both felt exactly the same way and came to the same conclusions. Good consultants are good consultants. They are technically excellent, they provide their…

Why is it that the word sales fills most of us with dread and fear? Is it the pushy, poorly skilled people we try to avoid in the high street, or the seemly constant cold calls we receive at home just as we are putting the kids to bed or sitting down to eat?

The self talk is something like this "I'm a professional, not a salesperson"..... Does this sound better to you…

We all have days where we are stuck for inspiration. We get to our desks with all good intentions but somehow things don’t just flow the way we want them to.

It isn’t that we aren’t enthusiastic about what we do, or that we just can’t be bothered, we just need that little kick of motivation to get going.

Finding…

We all know the kind of clients we would like to work with, but how are we going to get them?

Those of you who have attended my workshops and seminars will know that I take a very soft approach to professional selling. First we sell ourselves to our prospects, starting with Knowing, moving to Liking and working towards Trusting.

Business is not about hitting…

Google is constantly working to develop and improve its product offering. These changes meet with differing levels of approval from the world at large, but regardless of how we see them, the changes are here to stay.

Some facts

Google is the world’s No.1 search engine. It owns You Tube, the…

Its a funny recruitment world we live in these days. Funny, in that so many new consultants (and to be fair the managers who teach them) have grown up in a world dominated by email, and on-line recruitment systems.

Gone are the niceties of speaking with people. Gone is the ability to influence and sell. Gone is the opportunity to differentiate and build real…

We all use phones all day long, we speak with clients, we talk to friends and loved ones, we call colleagues and suppliers.

We are more than happy to speak with people we know, but when it comes to calling someone we don’t know, even the most hardened sales-people can go weak at the knees.

If this sort of thing makes sales-people nervous, then I know its not…