Sales Coaching

I’m often asked in workshops, “who needs to be my number one brand advocate?” The guesses range from my current supervisor, a trusted mentor, a current client or a leader in the industry.  Some, even after going over the ”18 Critical Connections You Need to Know” still ask, “is there one that stands out as more important than anyone else?” The answer is yes. Yet, it’s not one of the ones on the list nor is it any of the really good guesses.  Simply put – it’s you.  The biggest sale we make on any given day is the sale we make to ourselves – we either sell ourselves on our strengths and our great “you can do it attitude” or we sell ourselves short and buy into the many weaknesses, obstacles, should-ofs, would-ofs and could-ofs. Where people fall short is in HOW to be your best brand advocate.  It doesn’t mean getting really good at spouting your unique value or promis... (more)

A Brigadier on Leadership

Gavin Bulloch  Brigadier Gavin Bulloch (British Army, Ret.) served as an infantry  officer for 36 years and was involved in counterinsurgency operations in several theaters during his service. He is a  graduate of the Army Staff College and the National Defence College. Brigadier Bulloch commanded a battalion on duties in Northern Ireland, served at NATO Headquarters on the Strategic Plans Staff, and finally served in Greece as a Defence attaché before retirement. He recently updated and revised the British Army's doctrine for counterinsurgency. Brigadier Bulloch works as a consu... (more)

Are You An IT Superhero?

At times, do you think you're a Superman or Wonder Woman? Pitted in a daily struggle between the IT department and the business units? We all know that IT managers juggle a number of hats and scramble to put out dozens of fires, and truly can be a superhero to their organizations. But did you ever think about what kind of superhero you are? Where do you rank in the Legion of Superhero's taxonomy? Are you an IT Wolverine, Green Lantern or Flash? Take the IT X-Men (or Women) quiz to see if you have the right stuff to be an IT Superhero. 1. Do you do it all? A one-man or one-woman sho... (more)

Four Common Sense Social Media Tips for PR and Marketing Pros

New Media on Ulitzer "The wisdom’s in the room. Make a concerted effort to learn from those around you," said Butch Ward from Poynter Institute in St. Petersburg, FL, as he spoke with a crowd of public relations professionals at the January 2010 Social Media Café.  Butch and three fellow experts shared new ways of including social media tactics in our public relations practices. The Poynter Institute describes itself as “a school dedicated to teaching and inspiring journalists and media leaders.” The Institute’s interest in how PR or “business communication” professionals practice... (more)

Coaching the Star Performer

Dear Lee, I have a tenured sales person who has a history of overachieving his sales quota for the past three years. In fact, he has been one of the top performers in the company and is excellent at closing business in competitive accounts. However, his service after the sale and his follow through is the worst on my team. Clients have complained frequently about feeling as if, he only cares about them when he is selling them something and then he disappears, doesn't return phone calls, etc. I have attempted to coach him on this deficit but quite frankly, he doesn't take critici... (more)