BLArticle®
The personal touch of a blog; the informative touch of an article.
How Do You Talk To You?
Take a moment and think about the last time someone you knew well mustered up the courage to ask you for help. No doubt, you displayed kindness, and probably empathy as well. As a matter of fact, my guess is that these behaviors came naturally to you because you...
The Truth Behind Sales Scripts
The use of scripts is one of the oldest techniques taught to sales people in how to sell. In my sales career, I had to learn three scripts. The first was a fairly short, punchy one from New York Life called, “The Hundred Man Story.” It tracked the typical...
The How And Why To Sell To Friends
In sales, it seems the toughest prospects are the ones we know best. Have you ever wondered why? It might be because we think we’re overstepping the lines of friendship. When we know someone well, we never want that friend to question our motives for the...
What Song Will They Sing?
Once upon a time, I dreamed of being an actor. This dream was fueled by a steady diet of watching war movies at home with my dad, going to movies with my brother and watching Lewis Martin movies alone. The first job I ever had was working as an usher at a movie...
Can You Sell And Problem Solve?
The title of this Blarticle® poses a great question, and I’ll always have a soft spot in my heart for Aetna Insurance Company for teaching me the answer… quite by accident. Aetna had signed up for Xerox sales training and I flew off to pilot the training in their...
Thank Goodness It’s… Wednesday?
As a kid, I remember looking forward to Fridays. Although you had to work your way through the day, you knew that, at the end of that day, the weekend would begin! I think I probably had a kind of pep in my step, since I knew that fun was only hours away. ...
To be clear, asking for directions has never been my strong suit. This could be the result of my male upbringing, my male stubbornness, my male pride… or perhaps, my wife! With the emergence of any number of navigators available to us all now, from time-to-time, we...
Motion Is Lotion
Although I liked playing in pools, I never took swimming all that seriously until I entered my 30’s. At that point, I fell in love with swimming long distances, and did just that week after week, month after month, and year after year. I never swam less than a mile...
Not Only Do Opposites Attract…
… They Must Attract I’ve always loved the game of basketball. I played the game at a pretty high level as a kid, coached kids when I got older, and even played in a handful of adult leagues. Strangely enough, it was the last league I played in that made me a more...
Don’t Give Up On The Obvious
I always get a kick out of watching my wife go about looking for lost items. To her credit, like most of us, she always starts in the most obvious places. If it’s lost keys, she looks in her purse. If it’s a lost cell phone, she’ll look on her desk. If it’s lost...
The Dreaded Monotone Face
I’ve been noticing a new, rather disturbing phenomena that seems to be settling in on many of my virtual conversations. The sound is good, the camera is sharp, the connection seems adequate, and the lighting is generally fine. In our race to master this unique form...
When Questions Become Conversations
It seems basic to be told, taught, and monitored to ask questions when we communicate with clients. I can’t imagine anyone who has been trained to sell who has not been taught this lesson… and taught this lesson multiple times. Well, I’m here to tell you it’s...
Backed Into A Confrontation Corner
About nine years ago, I wrote a four-part BLArticle® miniseries dedicated to dealing with how to handle difficult behavior without direct confrontations. There are a handful of ways to professionally avoid confrontations… but that doesn’t mean there’s never a...
The Agony of Default
default: a selection made usually automatically or without active consideration. I think we all have a love/hate relationship with the default settings within our computers. In theory, these settings are designed to make our lives easier, and to help us do our jobs...
The Danger Is At The End – Not The Beginning
A few years ago, I was invited to go on a Segway tour of Washington, D.C. Having never been on a Segway before, I was a bit anxious, but I didn’t really have a choice. I had auctioned off the ten-person tour for a charity, and part of the package was for me to...
Moving On – Surviving Workplace Abuse
It’s a common experience. You get a job that seems to promise great things. You work for a manager who seems to have your best interest at heart. You work with a team of like-minded individuals, and they all seem to be people you can really bond with. It seems...
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 Day that isn’t positive? Christmas is a wonderful holiday, but not everyone celebrates Christmas. The same could be said for Kwanzaa, Bodhi Day, Hanukah,...
The Bully In The Brain
“You’re just not good enough.” Have you ever heard those words rattling around in your brain? Perhaps a better question would be this: Has anyone not heard those words rattling around in his or her brain? It’s the same voice that challenges our expertise and...
Planting a Seed for Commitment
Many years ago, I remember watching an old Woody Allen move called “Annie Hall.” It wasn’t my favorite movie, but there was one particular scene I really connected with. Woody Allen was on a first date with Diane Keaton, and he was nervous about the first kiss that...
That’s EnterTrainment™!
Now, more than ever, it’s important to not just speak, but speak well, and that often means incorporating an element of entertainment. After all, when our communications are not face-to-face, it’s a whole lot more difficult to hold the attention of those we are...
“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!