“Can you help our engineers with their presentations? They’re horrible! They always bombard us with too much data.” I’ve been asked this question countless times by business leaders who sit through presentations from their engineering teams. The complaint is that the presentations include way too much data and detail. What needs to be done? There’s a […]
My brother’s favorite hunting buddy wasn’t me. It was his golden retriever, Dakota. This past week Dakota passed away peacefully at home. After my brother got home from work that day, Dakota greeted him as usual but wasn’t the same. After Dakota got to see his favorite hunting buddy for the last time, he went […]
In every Corporate Ovations workshop I deliver, I ask my students, “How many of you want me to show 125 slides full of text, then turn my back and read to you?” It’s no surprise, the response is always zero. Then I ask a follow-up question… “How many of you still see people doing that?” 100% of […]
You know who I’m talking about. It’s that one guy who always seems to derail your presentation by first interrupting you. Then once he has your attention, he takes everyone down a rabbit-trail. “Hey, wait a minute… take a look at the numbers for the Southwest Region in Q2. How did that happen? Clay, that’s your region. What […]
The Disney World attendant reached out her hand toward my crying son and said, “Russell… will you come with me please?” Earlier we had asked about getting Peter Pan’s autograph and we were told he would not be signing autographs today, but he would be in the parade down Main Street USA. Peter Pan was […]
On that horrific day 15 years ago, we were focused on one thing… saving human lives. Just like so many other life-changing moments, I still remember exactly where I was when it happened. I’m sure you do too. Each year on this day several thoughts weigh on my mind. They serve as a reminder to […]
It’s the classic tale where the unlikely hero saves the day. We’ve seen it in many Hollywood summer blockbusters like Transformers, Independence Day, and Apollo 13. While most of the time these popcorn blockbusters are known for one-liners and lots of action, what you may not realize is how the unlikely hero uses classic rhetoric to save […]
To combat the root of all evil we need to go to the beginning. You probably all know the story. Adam and Eve eat the apple (fruit) which they weren’t supposed to eat, and that’s the first sin. If we dig deeper into the details, we can find some useful lessons for the sales professional in […]
Sales people are coin-operated. Maybe you’ve heard that expression before. It’s true that most sales positions are commissioned, but it’s not true that all sales professionals are driven only by money. Is there anything wrong with sales professionals being driven by money? Nope. I’ll admit, some of the most successful sales professionals I’ve met were obviously […]
