Personal branding long before social media

Personal branding today is deeply rooted in how you present yourself online. But, a 40-year old brand known as Jimmy Buffett provides some lessons we could all learn about brand building. Read more

How to facilitate a meeting that gets things done

Have you ever felt like you were imprisoned in a meeting? Many people have. Most meetings in corporate America gather great minds around the table. The challenge is getting everyone’s ideas to surface in order to move to consensus and take action! Read more

How to change people’s behavior

I have been traveling the past week while also preparing to present at the 2011 Senior Sales Executive Conference. My topic is, “Driving Collaboration and Effective Change Initiatives.” I have been using Tom Kelley’s Advice and thinking like a traveler. When we travel, we open our eyes and see things we may not usually see. I was looking for signs of people driving change. Read more

Top five practices of exemplary leadership

“Describe a time when you were at your best as a leader.” That was the first assignment we received from Barry Possner, co-author of The Leadership Challenge, at a recent leadership workshop. It set the foundation for a rich conversation about how leadership is personal and reinforced the need to create a relationship if you want to entice others to want to follow you. Read more

Making business planning as much fun as summer vacation

For the past few weeks I have been planning our summer vacation. I somehow, against her better judgment, convinced my wife to join me (with our two dogs) for a month-long RV trip throughout the western U.S. The planning process shed some new light on how to approach business planning with the same vigor and excitement. Read more

How to introduce humor in public speaking, part 2

In the last post, I shared some tips to help you get your presentation off to a good start via humor. When your audience laughs, they may have a tendency to see things your way. At the very least, if you can keep them amused, they won’t fall asleep! In this post, tips #5 – 10! Read more

How to introduce humor in public speaking, part 1

President Barack Obama exacted his revenge last weekend after weeks of attacks from his would-be Republican challenger Donald Trump, joking that the billionaire businessman could bring change to the White House, transforming it from a stately mansion into a tacky casino with a whirlpool in the garden. Read more

How to find the right sales coach

The Sales Playbook is one of my favorite topics. So, when the Corporate Executive Board and their Sales Executive Council (SEC) announced their most recent research was entitled Rewriting the Playbook, How High Performers Win the Consensus-Based Sale, I was one of the first to register for the event highlighting their findings. Read more

Listening to the customer and taking action: Dell

What does success look like? Why do you put your customer front and center? Those were the questions Andy Lark of Dell opened with when presenting in front of more than 500 customer experience advocates at this year’s Net Promoter conference. Read more