A year ago, I wrote about NPS – Nice Person Syndrome, a “condition” most managers have that causes inconsistent accountability. To help you assess if you have NPS, answer the following questions:

1. Are staff not held consistently accountable in your firm?

2. Do you come up with justifiable reasons when expectations are not met?

3. Are reprimands or terminations…

Gunslingers in the Wild West often lived another day by quickly grabbing their Colt 45′s to put an end to a threat with a bullet. Another type of gun slinging is happening daily across the globe as salespeople shoot from the hip in meetings with prospects and clients, relying on memory alone for the questions used to gather important information. This often leads to poor marksmanship as details are inevitably missed as they focus too much on what they are going to ask next versus hearing…

For decades, people have treated sales as a numbers game, yet, this old-school mindset no longer fits current realities. In this podcast, Scott shares the Quality Quantitative Method, the current best practice for achieving high performance and better results.…

Like a predator disguised as an ally, there are numerous people out there posing as buyers who will consume your time and energy, leaving you with zero ROI for your effort. Yet, salespeople keep going back to these same people, over and over again, engaging in the irrational belief that it will somehow be different, this time. Yes, procurement, vendor relations, HR, and other influencers and gatekeepers are part of the buying process and must be treated with respect. However, it is unethical…

Do expectations really make a difference? Robert Rosenthal, the first psychologist to systematically study this with teachers and children, found there were IQ gains in students in whom they expected this outcome. In addition, as noted on NPR.com:

“As Rosenthal did more research, he found that expectations effect teachers’ moment-to-moment interactions with the children they teach in a thousand almost invisible ways. Teachers give the students that they expect to succeed more time to…

Like Medusa turning a man to stone, many salespeople become frozen in place when they think they are about to land the “big one.” Poor sales production can often be tied to the lure of that one big account or a prospect that looks like the sure thing. Scott provides sage advice on how to overcome this issue.…

Even the most positive people can find themselves caught in a downward spiral of negativity. Scott shares how to quickly spot this issue and extricate yourself from these situations.…

Scott shares the power of Forest Ranger Leadership and how it keeps you from having to constantly put out “fires.”

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Back in the old days, as we hiked ten miles to work in the snow with no shoes, when you took a temp, contract, or direct hire order in the staffing and recruiting business you did everything in your power to fill it. Yet, today, I hear leaders complain that staff members often come to them saying they cannot find anyone for some orders. When these leaders take the time to dig in to the details, they often find that “could not find” means that no one could be found in the database, through…

Having just returned from a weekend with my wife in Miami, I find myself pondering the rich diversity of this coastal gem. Known as the cruise capital of the world, the contrasts of Miami range from art deco to skyscrapers, Cuban cuisine to seafood just plucked from the Atlantic, and techno dance clubs to the Florida Grand Opera. The multitudes of languages, people, food, architecture, and music show how deep diversity creates a dynamic and vibrant entity.

The depth of diversity in…

Like a drunk on a bender, the driver in the truck ahead of me this morning was swerving as he buried his head in his smartphone. It was a classic case study in the dangers of distraction and why this is often compared to driving while intoxicated. In it’s own way, the allure of the words and pictures on those touchscreens have an intoxicating effect, drawing people in and diverting attention from navigating a ton of metal, plastic, and glass.

The roadways are not the only place where…

Welcome to the Avoidant Economy, where cash is King and companies have made it their thrones as they sit on piles of it. Welcome to delayed decisions, fear of overhead, and the permanent change in the psyche of buyers as a result of the Great Recession. The Avoidant Economy is not going away, in fact, it’s getting broader and deeper as volatility, uncertainty, and fear continue to prompt leaders to pause before making decisions and choices. Even the upcoming election will do little to change…

Sell to the “er” and watch how people suddenly go from disinterest to engaged conversations that lead to sales. For example, if a prospect tells you…

…I’m happy, ask, “What would make you happier?”

…My current vendor is fast, ask, “How would you benefit if we could do it faster?

…I’m getting good service, ask, “What would make it gooder?”

Of course, there is no such word as “gooder,” so you’d say “better” instead! The point is that your prospect was not thinking…

“I yam what I yam and that’s all that I yam,” said Popeye in every episode of the iconic comic strip of the same name. It appeared that Popeye had healthy self-esteem and a clear image of who he was and his place in the world.

So, who are you? If you said CEO, business owner, Sr. Vice President, of another title-oriented label, you’re missing the point. You are so much more than your title or even your role at home. More importantly, who you are is not a static state that remains…

This morning I awoke to learn that Tropical Storm Issac had knocked out power at home and the office. For a storm so feared by many and covered so thoroughly by the media, this result was a minor inconvenience. In fact, it gave my wife, Holly, and I the perfect excuse to walk to the restaurant in our neighborhood for breakfast, allowing us to enjoy some “bonus” time together. What a truly awesome thing to have no power!

Yes, Issac is a serious storm that’s having an impact on many…

Scott explains that an effective sales organization needs a combination of sales and services to sustain horizontal and vertical growth. He provides details on the attributes an organization must have in place to achieve this.…

Scott discusses packaging for the end cap. This includes strategies like clearly conveying the value of the product or service, how you package, and the impact of your choices of words.

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Scott provides three simple questions to assess if you are on the right path. These are: is this simple, is this sustainable, and what evidence do you have that it will work?…

Scott shares the four “ates” to stop the feeling of overwhelm. These are: eliminate what is not an absolute necessity, delegate either internally or externally, automate, and integrate.

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Scott explains that mastery is achieved by practice and education that happens before the skill or action is actually needed.

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