Know your audience! With the high level of cultural sensitivity these days, it is often better to err on the side of caution. If you don’t want your humor to come back and bite you, don’t hurt one per...
Open-ended questions open doors for new discoveries and opportunities. They encourage others to speak their truths, share their experiences, and express their ideas.
Be fiercely curious about who they are, what they do, what they like, and what they need. If you pay attention to them, they will pay attention to you.
Choose the Happy Side of Life. Seek ways to bring humor, laughter, and joy to work. It will not only make work more fun, but it can positively impact your bottom line.
A wise business practice is to become a prolific note-taker if you aren’t already. When you’ve had a great conversation or interaction with someone—whether it is on a conference call, Skype, in a meet...
Socrates would teach his pupils by asking them intelligent and probing questions. By using their critical thinking skills and problem-solving abilities, they could discover the answers for themselves...
Memory Makes Magic HappenHave you ever been away from someone for a while and when you are reunited after a long absence, they ask about something or someone whom you talked about previously? My frien...
From a leadership lean, are you the BOSS that creates fear and rules with an iron fist or are you a LEADER who listens and connects with your team members to create a culture where collaboration and c...
Are you the one who strives to brighten other people’s days or are you the one waiting for others to do that for you? These are choices that can and do make a huge difference in the value you bring to...
Usually this kind of self-serving honesty will sabotage your success. If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all. Realize that sometimes your own words can, and probably will, come bac...
Teddy Roosevelt has been credited with saying, People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care. Think about that from a sales perspective.
Is it possible to be friendly and engaging every day? Of course not. Everyone has their moments. I once read a quote from an anonymous author who said, It’s okay to have a bad day— just don’t unpack a...
Curiosity adds depth to what you know and to your life experience.
On the other hand, when presented with a service-minded professional who strives to deliver the best possible experience, aren’t you duly impressed? They are genuinely interested in learning about you...
We’ve all known that one salesperson whose primary motivation in a transaction is to earn a commission—regardless of their customer’s needs. From their body language to their self-driven talking point...
Push versus Pull Marketing. Who wants to be pushed around? I certainly don’t. Statements push and questions pull. Don’t you prefer the latter? Questions pique interest and can keep the dialogue flowin...
My friend Scott Friedman (ScottFriedman.net) is a motivational humorist who specializes in employee engagement, celebration, and customer service. He teaches organizations that when their organization...
Instant AccessWhen my twins were born, I moved abruptly from being a professional career woman to a full-time, stay-at-home mom. The role shift opened a new door of commonality which surprised and del...
It is easier to do business and work with people who are most like ourselves.
Going with Your GutYour natural instincts are a great barometer for a person’s trustworthiness. Listen to your gut when something feels amiss. When your natural Spidey-Sense kicks in, it may alerting...