BLArticle®
The personal touch of a blog; the informative touch of an article.
Everybody Has A Story…
There are few things that are indisputable when trying to learn about another individual. It all begins with trust. Here’s what I know to be true: No one is going to open up to another individual if they don’t trust him or her. Trust is earned....
A Lesson In How NOT To Treat Your Most Loyal Customers
Last week, I went to book a flight at the United website, and when I went to get my seat assignment, I was being asked to pay more for ticketing in the Premier Zone. This was second time that this happened; The first time was earlier this month. The first...
Asking Almost The Right Question
There are a number of important questions that every salesperson must ask. Some of these questions involve gaining a commitment to change, the clarification of objections, earning the client’s trust, or even creating urgency. Some questions involve a final...
Keep It All In Balance
Want to know a word that ironically trips a lot of people up? That word is “balance.” It is such a simple word, but it becomes complicated when you look at its applications. First, we seek balance in our lives. We want to be good to our friends and spouses,...
A Most Misleading Measurement
Would you like to know one of the most common questions a sales trainer hears? “How will we measure the success of your program?” Companies make significant investments in the training of their sales forces, and it certainly makes sense that they would like a method...
Avoiding The Voices
Earlier this week, a client contacted me and made a simple, straightforward request: She asked for a program I don’t offer. I’m not trained in this particular topic; I don’t write about it, and I don’t deliver modules on it. My mind had a field day...
It’s Not Always Who’s First – It’s Who’s Protected!
About six months ago, I heard some rather troubling news from a company in Europe that delivers programs for me. They conduct “Customer Centered Selling” workshops in a variety of countries. They received a letter from a lawyer asking them to stop using the term,...
Finding The Right Word
Last week, I wrote a BLArticle™ that took me longer to write than any other BLArticle™ I’ve written in the past two years. There were so many lessons in the Jeremy Lin story; I wanted to get it just right. Well, I almost did, but one word seemed to throw the message...
A New And Old Reminder To Never Stop Believing
If I asked you what NBA star holds the record for most points scored in his first five starts, you might guess Lebron, Kobe, Shaq, Johnson, Bird, Durant, Jordon, or so many others. Of course, you’d be wrong because the record was just set, this past week, by a...
Good-Bye Angelo Dundee – You Taught us Well
This past week marked the passing of a man many may remember, and many others may have never heard of. I’m referring to an old boxing trainer, and legendary corner man, Angelo Dundee. He trained many famous fighters, including Muhammad Ali, George Foreman, and Sugar...
The Secret of Speaking Success
I’m on the road this week, outside the city of Philadelphia, conducting an Executive Presentation Skills program. It’s a program I really like teaching because it allows me to go back to my roots. After all, the first book I ever wrote was not a sales book, but a...
Sometimes You Need To Begin With The End
I love a good story as much as the next guy. As a matter of fact, you could say I make a living by telling stories. When I’m on my game and telling a good story, you never know how it might end. That helps me hold my audience’s attention. When...
Learning How To Say, “Thank You”
The other day, I spoke with a friend who had good news. In a battered economy, a battered job market, and for this person, a battered personal profession, he had good news. After some hard work a break had come his way, and my immediate reaction was to...
The Art of Happiness Principle 5: Close Relationships
Disclaimer: No one has cornered the market on happiness, and the approaches I discuss are simply one man’s humble opinions. Happiness is a journey. You don’t have to be there, but instead, make it destination, and a goal within your journey… This is a...
The Art of Happiness Principal 4: Meaningful Activities
Disclaimer: No one has cornered the market on happiness, and the approaches I discuss are simply one man’s humble opinions. Happiness is a journey. You don’t have to be there, but instead, make it destination, and a goal within your journey… It makes...
The Art of Happiness Principal 3: Acting Happy
Disclaimer: No one has cornered the market on happiness, and the approaches I discuss are simply one man’s humble opinions. Happiness is a journey. You don’t have to be there, but instead, make it destination, and a goal within your journey… How many...
The Art of Happiness Principle 2: Optimism
Disclaimer: No one has cornered the market on happiness, and the approaches I discuss are simply one man’s humble opinions. Happiness is a journey. You don’t have to be there, but instead, make it a destination, and a goal within your journey… If there is...
The Art of Happiness Principal 1 – Control
Disclaimer: No one has cornered the market on happiness, and the approaches I discuss are simply one man’s humble opinions. Happiness is a journey. You don’t have to be there, but instead, make it destination, and a goal within your journey… Think back to...
The Art of Happiness – Part 1 An Introduction
The other day, I was having a discussion (that turned into a debate) about what seems to be a very simple issue. I am referring to the issue of happiness. The sticking point in our debate was not the fact that some people are happier than others. It went deeper...
Now Subbing For Bill Clinton… Rob Jolles?
There are times in our lives when our number is called, and we have a job to do. Sometimes it’s not a pretty job, and sometimes it’s not a fun job. Sometimes we even know that our very best may not be good enough. In the end, we are really left with...
“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!