BLArticle®
The personal touch of a blog; the informative touch of an article.
Embracing Repetition
A few months ago, my wife and I went to a concert of one of our favorite performers. (The name has been left out to protect our favorite performer.) He sang a few older songs, and a few newer songs, but there was one song in particular we were waiting for. This was...
Conquering Doubt
I’m a quirky guy, and as a distance runner, I had a few rather unusual tendencies to prepare for a race. Some might even say these tendencies were neurotic. One month before every race: I would not take a sip of alcohol until after the race. I would not eat foods that...
The Ultimate Indicator Of Success
Recently on a podcast, I was asked a common, but complicated, question. The question was this: “What do you look for in a salesman?” There were three of us on the panel, and we each had three very different answers. The first answer came from a...
Don’t Get Too Comfortable
When you think about it, for most of us, the pursuit of comfort is almost an obsession. We search for comfortable shoes, comfortable clothes, a comfortable house, a comfortable chair, and the list goes on and on. But strangely enough, not everything is...
Championship Rounds
I grew up playing and watching just about any sport, but strangely enough, the sport I enjoyed watching the most was one that I never participated in. I’m referring to “the sweet science" also known as boxing. I marveled at the skill of Muhammad Ali, the speed of...
The Polite Prospect Syndrome
For people who sell, there are many difficult objections that they need to prepare for; cost, trust, and urgency, to mention a few. One of the leading objections, however, is often misread. As a matter of fact, if you aren’t paying close attention, you’ll never see...
A Tough Call
We spend a great deal of time, effort, and training on how to make the sale, and rightfully so. But I want to ask this; what do you do when you do not make a sale? The fact is, no matter how talented you are as a salesperson, no one has a 100% closing...
The Ultimate Gift
I was raised by a Lion. No, not a real lion, but a true, card-carrying proud member of the Lions Club International. My father, Lee Jolles, served faithfully for over 50 years, and I was able to witness what it meant to be someone who really gives of himself. One of...
The Can’t Miss Holiday
I’m a New Year’s Eve man. No doubt about it, and I’m not ashamed to admit it. What can you say about New Years Eve that isn’t positive? Christmas is a wonderful holiday, but not everyone celebrates Christmas. The same could be said for Kwanzaa, Bodhi Day, Hanukah,...
Don’t Want To Be Sold? Be Careful What You Wish For
There I was, sitting down with a nice cup of coffee and watching a ballgame. An advertisement came on the air from not just any bank, but my bank. It turns out that Capital One bank is really going to shake up the banking industry. According to Capital One, “all...
The Perfect Underdog
When was the last time you tried to teach another person how to play chess? It’s no easy task. Recently, one of my kids expressed interest so I decided to have a go at it. Clearly, I was feeling ambitious. I began my lesson with what I felt was the easiest piece on...
Done Is Better Than Perfect
Perfection is a noble act. From a young age, we strive for it. Certain professions demand it. In fact, the sheer pursuit of it seems to lie somewhere between noble and mythical. Yes, there’s nothing like applying ourselves to achieve perfection except for one,...
Percentage Plays
This morning I got up and made myself a cup of green tea. I hear it’s a healthier alternative than regular tea, and the taste isn’t half bad. The US National Library of Medicine provides a report that people who drank 1-3 cups of green tea a day, could reduce the...
Words – Tune – Intent
The other day, I was texting a good friend of mine. Off and on over the years, we have promised to get together for lunch, and I thought now was a good time to initiate that get-together. It started harmlessly, with a couple of simple text exchanges. I was trying to...
Why People WILL Believe You!
My books are like my children; I love every one of them. But Why People Don't Believe You… is personal. This book is about finding the necessary magic to help others believe you. It has the ability to help not just those who struggle with this issue or those who have...
United Breaks More Than Guitars
For close to forty years, I’ve been a loyal United Airlines customer. In doing so, I’ve earned various premier status - logging in a minimum of 25,000 miles in the air a year, and crossing the lifetime million mile mark some years ago. Those million miles gets you a...
Why People Don’t Believe You
A BLArticle® Miniseries Part 2 “Something For Everyone?” Do you know the kind of book that publishers tend to run away from? Books that are for everyone. It’s instinctive to want to create something for everyone, but it isn’t logical. To begin with, how would you...
Why People Don’t Believe You
A BLArticle® Miniseries Part 1 “Sometimes a book just finds you…” I’ve been conducting seminars for over 30 years, and I thought I understood what almost every audience needed. Back in the summer of 2012, nothing could have prepared me for the audience I met in a...
The Rise And Fall Of Business Models
Frequently, I’ll ask participants in the seminars I conduct about their expectations. Someone usually raises his or her hand and offers the following classic statement: “If I could learn one or two good ideas that I can use from time-to-time, I will be happy.” One...
Humor That Isn’t That Funny
One of the challenges of grabbing a microphone, walking to the front of a room, and speaking, is the strange paradox of confidence that is clearly on display. If you come on with too much attitude, you can be perceived as pompous. If you come on looking too unsure...
“Rob is an expert not only in the art of influence,
but also in human nature.”
~Ken Blanchard,
coauthor of The One Minute Manager® and Trust Works!