An email from a reader this week started by recognizing that I am always making "course corrections." He is correct, but I prefer the word "iterate." My willingness to confess to getting things wrong and making corrections is the measure I use to…

The definition of the word “hustle” (as I know it) includes the idea of working with a sense of urgency. The word hustle has lost something. Now it is used to describe entrepreneurial behavior or endeavors. Many of these endeavors die from the…

Despite our best efforts to see both the sales process and buyer's journey as linear, reality provides a truth that is at odds with what might better serve us—and our clients. In complex, B2B sales, it is more often that deals take a circuitous…

The following strategy is for salespeople who are asked to present to a prospect by a broker or agent. Here is how to win when you have an hour to present to a prospect you haven't met. You might want to read this primer on Value Creation before…

The CEO of the company I grew up in would often chastise employees for walking past a small scrap of paper on the floor. She knew you saw the debris and walked by it without making the little effort of throwing it away. She would confront the…

Andy Grove and Gordon Moore of Intel were struggling with a severe challenge to their business. As foreign competition grew, their memory chip business was becoming unsustainable, and their margins were eroding. Grove suggested that the Board of…

The four levels of value provide an orienting generalization that gives guidance on what your dream clients value. Because value is in the eye of the beholder, creating value means providing something your client perceives as value (for a primer…

I consider myself fortunate to believe that work is a game, and my life is my real work. If something is a game, you play. Work isn’t my life, but my life is my real work. I tend to work more hours than most people would want to work, and I am…

If you want greater success in any area, these ten questions will help you deconstruct your pursuit and your plan. These ten questions that point you towards success sound simple when you first hear them but answering them proves difficult. The…

The single question I hear most often from salespeople is, "How do I compel my prospective client to take action?" We have to unpack this a bit to explore what's behind this question. You can compel your client to take action, but much of what…