If yours is a commodity industry—And let’s face it, so many are these days—how can you turn your business into an art? The world is in need of people who are operating not just with the bottom line in mind, but with real craftsmanship. People who are not just “trying to get it done” but …
Turning Your Business into an Art: From Commodity to Classic Read More »
PAY IT FORWARD…JUST NOT SO FAST. Last week, a colleague whom I think of (or thought of) as being bright, reliable and trustworthy forwarded a significant private email on to a third party. The colleague (we’ll call him Joe) and I had been exchanging emails, discussing a client and how best Joe might position things. …
There’s a common belief in the consultants’ and speakers’ world that you “need to write a book.” What’s disconcerting, though, is that many of my colleagues believe (and have actually said to me), “The book you write doesn’t even have to be all that good. No one reads it anyway. You just need it for credibility.” Unfortunately, this philosophy is …
Don’t Bury Your Heart or Your Quality – Stan Slap’s Extraordinary Book Read More »
What you’re after is to change the look behind the other person’s eyes.” – Jerry Zaks, Broadway director If you’re not familiar with Jerry Zaks, let’s just say he is to Broadway what Steven Spielberg is to films. Over the course of his career, he’s won numerous awards including four Tony Awards — the equivalent …
Communicating & Connecting – Broadway Tips for Slam-Dunk Communication Skills Read More »
Obscene? Me!? You want my company to be obscene? Well…yes. Let’s look at the etymology of the word. Obscene comes from two Greek works: “ob” meaning “from”; and “skene” meaning “tent or covered place”—in this case, stage. Greek theater—the Hollywood of 2,500 years ago—was intense, powerful and bloody, involving battles, murders and infidelity. Sound familiar? …
Given the pace of life and business, it’s easy to get caught up in the details, duties, data and deadlines of your day without a sense for the reason behind all these actions–what I call your Throughline™. And when you do this for too long, you can start to feel disconnected. Reconnecting with the purpose …
The Throughline – Effective Management & Leadership Read More »
Great business experiences (and reputations) are the result of many factors, one of which is doing more than expected. This month I visited La Fenice—the famous theater in Venice which burned to the ground twice over the past two centuries (once in 1836 and again in 1996). Both times, it was rebuilt. The extraordinary thing …
Many of you have heard me speak about Velcro Communication™, the concept being that the more hooks and loops you have in common with another person, the stronger the bond. What’s a hook or loop? Anything outside the business domain that might be of mutual interest to a colleague, prospect, client, or customer such as …
Velcro Communication™ – Connecting with Clients, Customers, Colleagues, Prospects Read More »
I recently received an email blast from a sales professional. Let’s call him Colin Jones. He was at a presentation I gave and had asked for my business card after the event. Colin’s email blast (which I’d never signed up for) went out to a very large group of people, but it was not sent …
When we go to a play or movie, we are hoping for an experience that is exciting, fun, entertaining, emotionally powerful, thrilling, and filled with adventure. We want to release ourselves into an imaginary world and leave behind our own. In order for this transformation to take place, however, what is happening on stage or screen must be …
