Posted: June 13, 2023 | Categories: Sales, Self-Improvement

We’ve all heard expressions like, “it is what it is” and “what goes around comes around”.  Old sayings can help us in our thinking and actions.  They can also hurt us and others.  Here are a couple of my least favorite sayings:  “It never hurts to ask” or “Ask and you shall receive”.  These sound reasonable.  If I am a sales professional, it is important that I ask for the order when the time is right instead of continuing to talk about the features of my product or service.  Many salespeople struggle with closing.

Now let’s look at the other side of the coin:  Has anyone asked you for something and your first thought was, “What nerve!”  We get offended when we feel we are getting played or manipulated.  So when do we ask or not ask?  If what we are about to ask is appropriate, built on trust, and leads to a win-win situation, asking can be a good thing.  If our motive is not noble, we may want to hold back.  Whatever saying or maxim we tend to live by, let’s make sure we apply them unselfishly and with noble motives.  That works!

Posted: May 18, 2023 | Categories: Leadership, Management, Team Building

Turnover is costly. Is that an understatement? How many times have we seen a treasured team member give their surprise two-week notice? In each case it is unlikely that the person leaving decided to do so that day.

Now let me ask you a question: Do you change the oil in your car regularly? Why? Your car is probably working fine.  Why bother? It is called preventive maintenance. We value our car and want to keep it properly maintained for a long life.

How about our team members? What do we do to stay in step with them so they don’t give us a farewell? Here is a recommendation from Richard Finnegan, a consultant specializing in engagement and retention. In his book, “The Stay Interview”, he recommends we conduct one-on-one “stay interviews” at regular intervals with our staff members. Here are the five questions he recommends:

1. When you come to work each day, what things do you look forward to?
2. What are you learning here?
3. Why do you stay here?
4. When was the last time you thought about leaving our team?  What prompted it?
5. What can I do to make your experience at work better for you?

If we can do these interviews we can greatly reduce the frequency of those “surprise” resignations. Let’s practice good, regular, preventive maintenance with our team!

Posted: April 19, 2023 | Categories: Leadership, Self-Improvement

“Insincerity is shallow and selfish.  It ought to fail and it usually does” 

– Dale Carnegie

I remember reading the above quote over 40 years ago and it remains embedded in my mind.  Insincerity is like counterfeit money:  Eventually you will get busted.

Have you known someone who always starts a conversation asking questions about you and your family?  You probably have.  We enjoy it when others show a genuine interest in us and remember what we have told them.  That is the operative word…GENUINE.  Here is what I mean:

Last week a friend of mine received a call from someone she had not spoken with for many months.  The conversation started off well, and the friend asked about grandkids.  Jill answered by saying that she babysat for her grandkids on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons, and also Sunday afternoons.  Jill’s friend replied, “Oh how nice!”, and then moved on to other topics.  About 10 minutes into the conversation the friend asked, “So do you get a chance to see your grandkids often?”  Jill was stunned.  She had already answered that question earlier and it was apparent her friend had not been listening.  Good listening builds trust.  Lousy listening erodes it.

If you have found yourself making the same mistake that Jill’s friend did, it doesn’t mean you are an insincere person.  I must confess I can think of times when I let myself get distracted and made a similar error.  When I did, I felt like a “penny waiting for change”.  and I apologized for my failure to listen.

The lesson is this:  When we ask questions to find out how others are doing, we LISTEN.  It builds trust and gives us a perfect conversation starter for the next time.  Others will appreciate our genuine and sincere interest in them.

Posted: April 10, 2023 | Categories: Customer service, Leadership, Sales

“Good manners are made up of petty sacrifices”

–Ralph Waldo Emerson

I remembering once hearing of a conversation between a worldwide traveler and person who was just starting to travel.  The neophyte was going for a tour of Europe, and he asked the season traveler for his best advice.  The reply was not complex.  The travel pro said, “Just learn how to say “thank you” in every language you will encounter, and make sure to always say thank you.”  Weeks later, the rookie traveler returned and said to the pro, “That was the best travel advice I have every received!”  It reminds me of  what we all learned in kindergarten:   Say the magic words of “please” and “thank you”.

Last Thursday my wife and I decided to treat ourselves to dinner.  We went to a local fast-casual restaurant that belonged to a chain with a reputation of friendly service.  The person took our order.  His face was expressionless.  We paid up and shortly after he gave us our sandwiches with a “Here you go”.  I was waiting for a “thank-you”, and there was silence.  We quietly walked away with our food. It then began to occur to me that “please” and “thank you” are going out of fashion.  That is sad.  As customers, we choose to spend our money at certain places, and when we do, we help provide the capability of a business to issue paychecks.  Thank you, anyone?

I also realized that recently I find myself saying “thank you” to someone who should be thanking me.  It gets worse.  When I do say thank you, I often hear, “No problem”.  Really?  I never thought of myself as a problem.  I thought of myself as a customer.

Before the phrase thank you becomes extinct, I encourage you all to use this phrase wherever you go.  Did someone do something nice for you today?  Thank them.  And thank you for ready this blog!

Posted: April 4, 2023 | Categories: Management, Self-Improvement

Have you ever been asked, “Do you have any hobbies?”  If your answer is, “I really don’t have any”, you may be missing something.  The happiest people I know have hobbies.  Those who are in constant stress tend not to have hobbies.  They don’t have the time…right?  Let me tell you about my friend, Dan.  He is 84, and living a life most people only dream of:

Dan began his career in pharmaceutical sales.  He was a champion performer and retired after 30 years on top of his game.  His next move was immediate:  He went to a career in executive coaching and team development.  He became a cohort of mine, and did brilliant work.  He retired after 15 years of coaching.  He was ready for his next career as an entertainer.

Dan is a natural performer and he started his own business of doing comedy and nostalgia shows for nursing homes.  He soon became quite successful, and was booking over 100 shows per year.

Dan is an example of the value of hobbies and avocations.  I can easily think of ten more people with similar stories.  There is one thing we can learn from every one of them:  Always have a hobby or avocation.  Doing so helps ensure balance, reduce stress, and may lead to our exciting next venture in life.