Taking Action

Here are a couple of interesting quotes I found on the topic of taking action:
“You cannot build a reputation on what you are going to do.” – Henry Ford
“Sitting still and wishing makes no person great. The Lord sends the fishes, but you must dig the bait.” – Author Unknown
 

Enlisting your pit crew: The secret strategy that will help you get people to help you with your career

In a previous post I talked about the benefits of having people in your life that can help your career. I called them your pit crew. 
Today I will share with you some secrets on how to get people to help you.
1. Take Inventory: You have some people in your pit crew already. Make a list [...]

How to keep your career in the fast lane? Enlist your pit crew

One thing that I discovered about all the successful people that I have met is that they didn’t achieve great things alone.
My mom likes watching NASCAR racing on TV. Her favourite driver is Jeff Gordon. http://www.jeffgordon.com
Jeff (or Jeffy as she calls him) has proven to be one of the all stars on the Stock Car [...]

Go get ‘em tiger: How to set your new Sales Rep up for failure

Imagine you are hired as a new salesperson and on your first day after a brief orientation, your Sales Manager gives you a little pep talk that goes something like this:
“The customers are out there… all you need to do is go out and find them.”
Then after he loads you up with product literature and [...]

How do you manage the complex sale? Selling into the Family

Have you ever had a situation where you met with your customer, you built rapport, you determined their needs and they seemed to be excited in your solution, but you still didn’t get the sale?
If so, you are not alone.
Many sales professionals have come across the same situation, only to walk away scratching their heads.
Selling big-ticket [...]

Taking life too seriously?

After sending my last post titled: ”The Power of Play” I found this quotes.
“Don’t take life too seriously. You’ll never get out alive.” – Bugs Bunny
“You should live everyday as if it were your last and one day you will be right.” – Neil Aitchison
“Happiness is not a station you arrive at, but a manner of [...]

The Power of Play

I heard a great quote the other day from Poker legend Doyle Bronsen.
“We don’t stop playing because we get old. We get old because we stop playing.”
I defintately agree with this philosophy, because in business we tend to take our jobs and ourselves too seriously.
People say that they need to act “Corporate”.
Now just what does [...]

How to handle customer complaints? Part 2: Calming them down

In a previous post, I described a situation where an angry customer came storming into my store.
I also talked about how many salespeople fail to follow-up on their orders because they are afraid to confront challenges if their customer’s expectations were not met.
In this post we are going to talk about how to calm down [...]

How to win with class (Lessons learned from the Stanley Cup winning Detroit Red Wings)

Last night the Detroit Red Wings won the Stanley Cup for the 4th time in 11 years, as they defeated Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins 3-2 to win the Cup in 6 games (4-2).
After watching the television coverage of the celebration, 3 things stood out.
These 3 things are great examples of winning with class.
1. [...]

How do you handle customer complaints?

He was prepared for a fight.
You could tell by the way he stormed into the Footlocker store, that I was managing at the time. His neck was flushed (and no he was not a redneck), and his pupils were dilated and he was ready for battle.
The rest of my staff ran for the stockroom. Leaving me alone.
Have you ever been [...]