How do you get people to believe you? It sounds like a simple enough problem. In business, most of us – implicitly, if not explicitly – have one answer (or at most, two). That answer is to prove it with data; and to look polished and confident while doing it. Particularly in complex, B2B services […]
We’ve all been faced with that dreaded moment when a potential client – or even an existing one – demands a price cut. While some basics about price cutting are the same, there are unique versions of this problem facing those of us in advisory, services businesses. Does this one sound familiar to you? ———– “A […]
Many fine sales authors will tell you that an essential ingredient in selling—perhaps the essential ingredient—is effort. Gumption, grit, hustle, sweat—whatever the word, the image it conveys is that success in selling is tough. No pain, no gain. Selling is a lot like football, this view says: the team that exerts the most effort is […]
Last week saw an impressive uptick in conversations about trust in companies. While United may be the strongest case for bleeding trust today, it’s not limited to them. It’s the massive PR mishaps that grab our attention – but that’s misleading. Trust can affect every business – including yours. It’s not just about the big, egregious faux […]
A few years ago, Deborah Nixon posted an interesting question on LinkedIn. She asked: “Is there a difference between authenticity and honesty?” She got about 35 answers. Here’s what I sent in: Deborah, I’m sure you would agree the two terms cover a lot of territory in common. The trick with these definitional things is not to […]
A zombie idea is one that refuses to die, regardless of repeated efforts to kill it off. The idea that neuroscience explains trust and leadership in business is one such zombie. Authors like David Rock and Paul Zak have popularized the idea that we can “understand” themes like trust and leadership better through the wonders of neuroscience, […]
One of the more frequent comments I get in talking about being a trusted advisor is this: “We’d love to practice all the things you talk about, Charlie, we agree with them all. But, we just don’t have the luxury of the kind of time it takes to get there. There are too many other […]
It’s an article of faith in business that “if you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it.” The alternative phrasing is, “What gets measured gets managed.” Nowhere are those mantras more repeated than in the fields of corporate sales and training. And at the intersection—the field of sales training—it’s beyond an article of faith; it’s […]
What’s the relationship of time to sales? Should we worry that “time’s a wasting?” Or pay more heed to “all good things in due time?” It sounds like a trivial question, but it’s got some far-reaching implications. In late 1964, an English group calling themselves The Rolling Stones got their first U.S. Top 10 record […]
Have you ever stopped and asked yourself if you’re worthy of your client’s trust? It’s a big question, but one with an interesting twist. It seems that trust, especially a client’s trust in us, is something that we too often take for granted. Just because a client signs on board with us – shouldn’t mark […]