How often have you approached the end of your workday feeling as if you accomplished next to nothing because you spent the entire day in back-to-back meetings? Walked out of an unproductive meeting wishing you could get the past hour back? Or cringed as you glanced at an over-scheduled calendar bloated with meetings? According to…
This time of year, there are holiday marketing campaigns everywhere. Whether the campaigns are as simple as dressing up a company’s logo or manage to go viral, smart business owners want to take advantage of the spending season and find ways to market to enthusiastic customers. Late November and December alone drive an astounding 30%…
Closing the deal. There’s no place in the sales process that is more upfront and personal. So much pressure. A lot is riding on getting agreement. And even the best sales professionals can misstep. Here are six closing principles to help you Close Deals Faster. Closing Principle #1: You cannot close until the buyer is…
No matter what industry you work in, there are certain fundamental principles that hold true if you want to excel as an entrepreneur. As the CEO of a global entrepreneurship training organization and direct selling company, and a lifelong entrepreneur and enthusiastic networker, I know the pitfalls that can prevent even the most committed businesspeople…
(This article is adapted from an article by Amanda Zantal-Wiener that appeared on Hubspot.) Active listening, also called Reflective Listening, benefits both parties in a conversation. It helps to insure that the speaker is actually being heard. But it also is good for the listener, as it allows you to put distractions and preemptive judgments…
Here at BNI, the world’s largest networking organization, we’ve got news for you: desperation is not referable. When people demonstrate certain behaviors as part of their networking efforts, it’s a tell-tale sign of desperation. Here are four types of behaviors that desperate networkers exhibit: 1. The Card Dealer This is probably the most common form…
As young professionals, you hear all the time that you must network to find internships, jobs and mentoring relationships. Yet, many of you don’t know how to connect effectively with the business leaders who can help you advance professionally. Many of these leaders are willing to share insights, but few young professionals know how to…
You’re probably familiar with the concept of SMART goals. SMART is commonly defined as Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Time-bound. Organizations use these goals with two primary aims in mind. When addressing each aspect of the initials in SMART goals, the anticipated result is a clearly defined direction for the team, and a well-set timeline…
The average annual household income in the United States is $56,516. For the top 5 percent of households, it’s $159,619 and for the 1 percenters, it’s $380,354. Wouldn’t it be nice if all your team members aspired to be 5 percenters or better? We call them High Fivers, and we have a system to help…
Over the years, we’ve seen lots of discussions around best practices in how to engage audiences of different generations. But what isn’t always discussed is the actual content you create before your presentation. Baby Boomers are delaying retirement and remaining in the workforce. Millennials are entering and coming of age. And Gen Xers, those poor slackers,…
