Posted on December 8, 2008
I speak at conferences for a living, usually in a suit and tie. There's no excuse for a crumpled suit or shirt. Whether I'm on a ten day, seven city jag — or driving across town — I need to look my best to impress. Over the last few years, I've come up with three …
Posted on December 4, 2008
Larry Hardnett takes his community values to work. He cleans cars for a living. His small business sets up shop on corporate parking lots, serving time starved workers. He doesn't jockey for tips, instead he asks for turkeys to help the less fortunate. He lives in the greater West Palm Beach area, where I …
Posted on December 3, 2008
Mr. Stanley Marcus once told me, "Everybody is generous during good times, but only generous people give during hard times." True words, indeed. Today I gave a talk at an Easter Seals event in Palm Beach Florida. The fundraiser was aimed at local business leaders, and my task was to connect giving with good …
Posted on December 2, 2008
When times get tough, the average person becomes afraid, defensive and tactical. This is no way to succeed in business either in the short, medium or long haul. I speak at over a dozen sales conferences every year, it's my fave audience to talk to (as a life long sales pro). I've done sales conferences …
Posted on December 1, 2008
For many of us, closing deals after Thanksgiving is a real turkey. This is especially true during these hard times. No one wants to commit, spend money or sign new deals right now. Yet, many of us need to either meet 2008 goals, or create a pipeline for 2009. What to do? Anything but discounting. …
Posted on November 26, 2008
Over the next few years, your relationships with suppliers and vendors will get pretty tough. (Actually, I've learned that they should actually be called partners, because they make our success possible.) This terrible economy will cause many companies to adopt a what-can-you-do-about-price attitude with anyone asking for money, including long time partners. If you …
Posted on November 25, 2008
I had a feature in today's New York Times! (The Chatterer's Guide To Easing Anxiety) The point of the essay is that purpose solves suffering, so live on purpose. When you see suffering in others as they are attempting to complete a task — ask them about their purpose. Purpose is a cure for …
Posted on November 24, 2008
Investor's Business Daily ran a story today, featuring Saving The World at Work! Harnessing The Power of One It's the story of Don Ostler at Green Mountain Coffee Roasters. The point of the story is the larger point of my book: Anybody can change the world at work. It's good for your company, It's good …
Posted on November 20, 2008
The stock market’s current turmoil feels like a nasty flu: Fevers, breaking fevers, moment of euphoria as health returns, followed by setbacks. When I visit the home page on Yahoo!, my eyes can’t avoid the color of the stock market numbers below the news box. Sometimes they are slightly red. No sweat. Many times, there’s …
Posted on November 19, 2008
Innovation is a function of chemistry, motivation and necessity. The best way to cultivate the right chemistry is through idea and knowledge sharing. I read today that brand super-power Procter and Gamble has teamed up with Google, to kindle innovation the old fashion way: A corporate work study program. This is brilliant. Take …
