Trust is an essential part of strong leadership. Developing it requires time, patience–and coaching. Do you trust the people who report to you? While every leader faces this question, too often the question is framed within the context of right vs. wrong. That is, do you trust your employees to make honest and ethical decisions? [...]
Tag Archives | questions
3 Sales Mistakes to Avoid
A new report identifies what sales teams get wrong to lose a sale. Make sure you’re not making these goofs. I recently received a report on why companies lose in the selling process. The folks from AskForensics Knowledgebase did an extensive series of interviews dissecting why buyers did not buy from certain companies. The results [...]
Get Over It: Life Isn’t Fair
Squabbling over ‘fairness’ is a loser’s game. There’s a smarter way to fight back when the deck is stacked against you. “You don’t understand; these guys don’t play fair.” I heard this recently while on a coaching call with a construction firm trying to negotiate a seven-figure deal. I’ve heard versions of it countless times [...]
Weed Out Wannabes; Not Everyone Can Cut It At A Start-up
Nine ways to know if the job seeker you’re talking to has the personality, risk profile, and skill set for an entrepreneurial venture. They smile, they laugh on cue, and they have a rehearsed response for every conventional interview question. They profess to be entrepreneurs, but are they actually wantrapreneurs? A wantrepreneur is a well-intentioned [...]
New-Hire Training: 5 Foolproof Steps
Here’s how I make sure my employees are ready to help our customers. Bringing on new hires can be frustrating, for business owners and customers alike. As business owners, we have a tendency to rush the training process because we either believe a new hire should be able to do things innately (as we do), [...]
Workplace Feedback: 8 Essential Questions
Get better at handling feedback from those around you–and using it to make your company a greater success. When you are on the job, feedback comes in a wide range of forms–from quarterly business reviews and annual evaluations to flaming emails, recognition certificates and snarky side comments. Critiques may come from co-workers, subordinates, or customers. [...]
What’s Going On In Your Customer’s Head?
Use these nine techniques to account for how your customer’s brain could be wired, and seal the deal. Since you’re a reader of Inc., I think it’s safe to assume that you and I have something in common: We both need to sell. You probably have your favorite sales techniques, and heaven knows there are [...]
3 Tactics to Become a Better Salesperson
The secret to successful selling? Don’t sell right away. If you’re in a position to “sell” at your company (and no matter what you do for your company, you should be), then you know it’s not always easy to get the ear of the prospect you’re trying to sell to. The worst thing you can [...]
Boards: The Right Person To Lead One
The best chairman or chairwoman is a mentor, sounding board, and listener. If you’re constructing an advisory board for your business, you need to be clear about its role and judicious in the choice and range of directors. But there’s no decision more important than who leads your meetings. This can’t be you. Why not? [...]
You Say You Want to Grow Your Company?
Don’t run like crazy just to stay in the same spot. Instead, stop, think, and focus. Four reasons why. Most companies I know have been running pretty hard lately. And, like the White Rabbit in Alice in Wonderland, many feel that the faster they go, the behinder they get. Especially after the last few years, [...]
