Plan “spontaneous” rewards for your teamIt is worth your time and effort to understand what motivates your team of salespeople? After all, they (and the revenue they generate) represent your business’ life. Hiring the best sales people and giving them the tools to succeed is important, but keeping them motivated is critical. Read more
Should we abandon PowerPoint?Matthias Poehm, President of the Anti-PowerPoint Party of Switzerland is blaming PowerPoint presentations for a negative economic impact in 193 countries worldwide. Poehm calculates that 85% of employees and students who view presentations with PowerPoint believe the slides are “killing motivation.” Read more
How to be more productive at workHow effectively are you managing your own personal energy? The defining mantra in the modern workplace is, “More, bigger, faster.” More information than ever is available, we are expected to juggle more balls than ever and get more done in less time. Managing your energy levels in this environment may be the key to success. Read more
Rory’s Cubes urge business people to weave a taleNeed a great icebreakers and want to reinforce a need for creativity in your organization? Look no further than Rory’s Story Cubes. Read more
How to engage your audience during a presentationEngaging your audience is the most important thing when giving a presentation. My friend Tim Riesterer at Corporate Visions always reminds me, “There are two moments when your audience is most engaged and retains information. When you start speaking and then again when you tell everyone that you are about to wrap up. Research shows listeners lose interest in the middle of the presentation.” Read more
Six tips for visual storytelling that sellsPeople connect with stories while listening to businesses proposals and ideas. Some people are born with an innate craving for telling their story with PowerPoint slides. But, there are other ways to engage your audience when visuals are necessary. Read more
Budget cuts? Lower my expense account but don’t touch my bonus!America’s businesses have trimmed the fat (and then some) from their expenses. The federal government has found a way to (barely) cut spending, cover (for now) its debts and (again, for now) avoid tax increases. With a pending double dip, where can companies cut? Read more
What the ant and the elephant teach us about leadershipI am great believer in the power of the parable, the fable, the story, the case study. I use stories frequently in my talks, sessions and in my writing. When people hear an inspiring tale that they can visualize, it helps them to remember the moral of the story and the lesson to be learned. Read more
Tuning sales operations for growthOuch. Your sales force just missed another deadline, putting launch of your new product line in jeopardy. What’s wrong? With a broader, end-to-end look at what they are doing, you might just find significant opportunities to help free up more of their time for selling instead of the other necessary activities that aren’t managed most efficiently and may be done elsewhere. Read more
Three ways to begin your presentation with a storyJim Schrager, a long-time veteran of the venture capital world, works with MBA students at the University of Chicago to improve how they sell their ideas. Students pitch their ideas to him and they tend to follow a logical path: the market size is X, if we can get 3% of that market our revenue will look like this in 3 years. Read more