Take No Prisoners is a free weekly memo from Scott Wintrip that explores how Radical Accountability prospers companies and changes lives. Instead of taking people hostage with outdated, heavy-handed, and ineffective methods of management, measurement, and motivation, Radical Accountability focuses on creating an unwavering responsibility for getting what matters most done.

Why is it that some companies consistently perform well, regardless of what’s happening in the…

Some interactions with candidates almost seem to be divinely inspired, while others feel like you’re trudging though mud and muck, getting nowhere fast. What’s the cause of these very different scenarios?

Inspired Recruiting, an almost effortless interaction with a candidate, always has two components: trust and compulsion. Without both of these, recruiting becomes a more difficult task.

Without trust and compulsion, you experience Shields…

During a conference I spoke at last week, I met two types of leaders: those whose businesses were experiencing accelerated growth and the rest whose companies seemed to be stuck in neutral, going nowhere fast. The key difference in the leaders of these firms is decision making. Without exception, the leaders whose firms are growing fastest have leaders who think more nimbly and act more swiftly.

When making decisions, people strive to get them right. Never have I met…

Over the years there have been lots of “Got” campaigns, one of the most famous being “Got milk?” In selling, when we get stuck, it seems far from being a pleasant experience like a mustache from a tall, cold glass of milk.

This was true for Fred, a manager who ran a book of business in executive search. As Fred sat across a conference table from me, he clearly had gotten quite stuck. He was in a slump of all slumps, having not closed a deal in several months. For a guy that had always…

You may find this commentary odd coming from a guy referred to, at times, as a trainer. While it’s true that I teach leaders and some staff, in addition to my consulting work, I’m an educator, not a trainer, as I don’t work with animals.

Education, done well and done right, is not training. Training works for animals because of the repetitive nature of the act of getting a lion or a killer whale to perform a task for a reward. Humans, while they benefit from repetition and…

“When you can do a common thing in an uncommon way, you will command the attention of the world.” – George Washington Carver

Too many firms in the staffing and recruiting business still compete on price even though it’s the least sophisticated way to sell. At times, even highly talented, seasoned veterans use this harmful technique when they’re afraid of losing a deal.

Our industry would do well to remember that buyers know that the…

Take No Prisoners is a free weekly memo from Scott Wintrip that explores how Radical Accountability prospers companies and changes lives. Instead of taking people hostage with outdated, heavy-handed, and ineffective methods of management, measurement, and motivation, Radical Accountability focuses on creating an unwavering responsibility for getting what matters most done.

When two or more people put their…

More than 70% of current and prospective buyers see you as a necessary evil. Some, such as those in HR and procurement, use stronger language, calling recruiters “scum sucking pig dogs” or admitting they engage staffing firms only for “problematic use” (yes, these are real quotes from buyers).

How is it that an industry that impacts the most important asset of…

Sales leaders often spend generous quantities of time reviewing progress, running meetings, and responding to emails. The most critical task, regularly revisiting the most important question, is often overlooked or completely neglected.

That question is:

“Would I want to be sold to like that?”

Most sales leaders, when they set aside their natural bias about what their salespeople sell, openly admit that the selling experience delivered by many on their…

Ever notice that some people seem to effortlessly get things done while others struggle? Are those that do this smarter, better at their jobs, or more motivated? In some cases, one or more of these is a factor, however, the most important element is self-command. Those with better self-command achieve more with less effort, staying out of their own way in the process.

What is self-command and how do you achieve it? Just like a vocal performer…

Effective communication is never one sided, but that’s exactly what you get with email. One person writes and transmits; the receivers read and reply. These monologues are never, ever effective dialogues as there is a time delay that allows too much room for misinterpretation, misunderstanding, and miscommunication. Email strips away not only the tone, and too often the context, from the message, but it also removes the very essence of efficient and effective human conversation.

Is…

Take No Prisoners is a free weekly memo from Scott Wintrip that explores how Radical Accountability prospers companies and changes lives. Instead of taking people hostage with outdated, heavy-handed, and ineffective methods of management, measurement, and motivation, Radical Accountability focuses on creating an unwavering responsibility for getting what matters most done.

Radical Accountability is considered a practice as there is always an aspect of it that can be…

Next time someone asks you to repeat a question, count the number of words. Chances are it was more than ten. I’ve often noticed this happening with salespeople talking with prospects and clients and executives speaking with members of their team. What’s the issue? Our brains process questions of less than ten words much more effectively than those that exceed ten.

Each time we pose a question of more than ten words, the listener spends more time focusing on the question and less on…

While bigots are a thorn in the side of society, they can teach us valuable lessons.

Take Donald Sterling, owner of the Los Angeles Clippers basketball team in the United States, as an example. After his racist comments were revealed on tape he thought it prudent to be interviewed by CNN’s Anderson Cooper to try and clean up his own mess. Rather than rehabilitate…

Take No Prisoners is a free weekly memo from Scott Wintrip that explores how Radical Accountability prospers companies and changes lives. Instead of taking people hostage with outdated, heavy-handed, and ineffective methods of management, measurement, and motivation, Radical Accountability focuses on creating an unwavering responsibility for getting what matters most done.

Paul is a classic example of being a salesman of the flavor of the…

While going global would be a prudent measure for many reading this, learning from global patterns is the next best thing. Trends don’t last and, as a result, are not reliable indicators of actual market conditions and emerging opportunities. Patterns, on the other hand, are virtually infallible barometers as they demonstrate the momentum of where things will continue to…

Why is it that buyers continue to purchase services and products inferior to those delivered by your company? Momentum is the cause and the cure.

If what you offer is truly better, the buyer has to stop focusing all of his energy on the current provider and shift some of that your way. The temporary deflection of momentum accounts for only 10% of his energy and attention; the other 90% is what keeps him in the current purchasing pattern. This is why buying is compulsive—people stay…

Take No Prisoners is a free weekly memo from Scott Wintrip that explores how Radical Accountability prospers companies and changes lives. Instead of taking people hostage with outdated, heavy-handed, and ineffective methods of management, measurement, and motivation, Radical Accountability focuses on creating an unwavering responsibility for getting what matters most done.

Getting buy-in, while an admirable concept, is holding back versus helping many companies. If…

Many buyers are forgetting to buy from salespeople they actually like. Is it message? Quality of service? Cheaper price? No, no, and no.

It’s even simpler than all of that…it’s presence. Even many of the very best salespeople are losing deals because they aren’t around when buyers are ready to buy. What’s most unfortunate about this is that showing up is one of the few things salespeople can control.

Out of site, out mind, means out of…