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 Instead of taking people hostage with outdated, heavy-handed, and ineffective methods of management, measurement, and motivation, Radical Accountability focuses on creating an unwavering responsibility for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…