Entries by Charles H. Green

Trust Tip 41: Multiply Transactions by Ten

Put six toothpicks on the table in front of a friend. Lay three of them in the shape of an equilateral triangle. Ask your friend to arrange all six toothpicks so that in total, they create four equilateral triangles. When they finally give up, reveal the secret:—create a four-sided pyramid. The “trick” is to think […]

The November Top 5!

Thank you very much to everyone who read, commented or linked to these posts. Trust Tip 14: More Hard Talk about Soft SkillsEveryone knows you’re supposed to listen with your complete attention.  But how can you do that if you’re thinking about what you’re going to say next?  The answer is, you can’t.  Here’s how […]

Pfizer, Doctors, Sales and Trust

NEW YORK (Reuters) – Pfizer Inc. said last week it would cut its U.S. sales force by about 20 percent, or some 2,200 jobs, as part of a comprehensive cost-cutting program. Good move. Wrong reason. Pfizer is the world’s largest pharmaceutical maker, with a vaunted sales force. The cut is big news. But at least […]

Win Ben Stein’s Trust

Here are two provocative takes on the issue of trust in corporate governance. One comes from Jim Peterson at the International Herald Tribune; the other from the multi-talented Ben Stein (yes, that Ben Stein). Peterson, in Can Shares for Directors Fill In for Virtue? takes a side swipe at the prevailing wisdom of compensation consultants, […]

John McCain, Trust and Politics

Don’t worry: this is not a political blog, nor about to become one. In 2000, Sen. John McCain campaigned for the presidency from his bus, the Straight-Talk Express. His image and strategy were about being the Man you could Trust to Tell you the Truth. In November, 2003, John McCain said: "Ethanol is a product […]

Trust Tip 7: Returning Calls Unbelievably Fast

This is a simple tip with outsized impact. How many people have not returned a call (or email) you placed to them 3 days ago? 4 days ago? 5 days ago? Think about what those non-actions cost you. They create a low-grade, chronic, sub-conscious tension, a sense of annoyance and resentment that you can’t do […]

The Next Big Trust Scandal: Options Backdating

The scandal du jour is options backdating. Recently, it was illegal snooping by a Board Chairman. We’ve seen late-trading and front-running charges at mutual funds, payoffs and rigged bids in the insurance industry. We’ve seen over-reported oil reserves, and under-reported profits. The mothers of all recent scandals—Worldcom and Enron—have pretty much wound down. In perhaps […]

Trust Your Teen, Trust Your Economy

Let’s say your 17-year old daughter wants to have a few friends over when you’re out of town overnight. Do you say: a. No way, unless (no more than three friends, only girls, gone by 10PM, neighbor checks in, etc.) or, b. okay, and I expect you to behave responsibly or you’ll be grounded for […]

Trust Tip 20: How to Close a Sale

For those of you in business development and sales, what would you say is the most important aspect of that process? Here’s what the market thinks. Or, at least what Amazon’s search algorithm produces when the word “sales” is linked to a related term: Sales 302,410 Sales price 24,969 Sales pitch 11,797 Sales meeting 5,608 […]