Dr. Gary S. Goodman Email Alerts

McCourtonomics - Coming to a Professional Sports Team Near You!

[Business] Los Angeles Dodgers owners Frank and Jamie McCourt are smarty pants, but they should take a tip from colleges if they want to consistently field a championship team and keep raking in the profits. They purchased the Dodgers with leverage, meaning they invested very little of their own cash and took on a lot of debt to control the team. Using their know-how from a past biz, they raised the cost of parking and nearly everything else at the Stadium.



How Can We Stay Positive After Repeated Failures?

[Self-Improvement:Positive-Attitude] Have you ever wondered what separates the winners from losers in life? It isn't that winners lose less often. Babe Ruth held a record for being struck out the most times as well as a record for hitting most home runs. You might say he was the biggest winner and the biggest loser, simultaneously. Obviously, to accomplish both, he couldn't let his euphoria become too extreme or his disappointments grow too severe. Like a warrior, he had to heal his wounds quickly, take victories in stride, and battle on. In a word, Ruth and all winners, world-beaters, record breakers, must become impeccable, says this best-selling author, top motivational speaker, and international TV and radio commentator.



Salespeople Should Negotiate the Biggest Guaranteed Salary They Can Get!

[Business:Negotiation] A mere 90 days ago, I published an article touting the glories of being paid on a straight commission basis, if you are a salesperson. But now, the world has changed, based on plummeting home values, worldwide recession, and a tanking stock market. Money is tight. Access to credit, by businesses and by individuals is being restricted by miserly lending practices. Even bailout funds, issued by the government and backed by taxpayers, are being hoarded.



Writer's Block is a Voluntary Disablement

[Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] Recently, one of my readers asked me to elaborate on an idea I shared that maintains writer's block is a voluntary, self-induced condition. Here are the five points I made. If your output has diminished or stopped, I hope this material helps you to produce again.



An Open Letter to Ned Colletti Re - Negotiating Manny's Deal

[Business:Negotiation] (In a matter of days, Dodgers GM Ned Colletti is expected to barter with Scott Boras, to retain the services of his client, Manny Ramirez.) Ned, if you really want Manny, you're going to need some creativity in your negotiation strategy. Here are a few tips from the textbooks, and beyond, according to this top negotiation speaker and consultant.



Do Happy Negotiators Make Better Negotiators?

[Business:Negotiation] People who know themselves, have clear and sound goals, and are fundamentally at ease, comfortable in their skin so to speak, make the best negotiators. This flies in the face of our stereotype of the best bargainers; those sly, slick, and secretive souls that we may expect to meet at car dealerships or at opposing tables in a courtroom, says this top negotiation consultant and professional keynote speaker.



When the Angels Sign Manny, Dodger Fans Will See Red & Wear It, Too!

[Recreation-and-Sports:Baseball] Don't worry about Manny Rodriguez leaving LA. "He has just started putting his name on the map!" says this professional keynote speaker, best-selling author, and sales and negotiation consultant.



Positive Beats Negative 2 to 1

[Self-Improvement:Positive-Attitude] A few weeks ago, I performed an experiment, almost by accident. I wrote a negative sounding article and editorially, I delivered what I promised, along with solid content. But I wasn't quite happy with the piece given its downcast spin, so I wrote another, more upbeat version. I won't say the content was exactly the same, because there were key differences, especially in elaborating certain supports for my thesis. Both articles were published on the same day by the same ezine. Guess what?



Invest in Customer Relationships - They're the Only Things That Endure!

[Business:Customer-Service] Don't skip lunch! That's partly what I'm going to tell you, but it has nothing to do with nutrition. Lunch could be just the thing you need to grow your business, that is, if you don't dine alone and you make it a point to invite your clients and prospects to break bread with you, advises this top keynote speaker, best-selling author, and popular radio and TV commentator.



Sales Managers - Forget Efficiency, Focus Instead on Effectiveness!

[Business:Sales-Management] Peter F. Drucker never revealed in his books certain things he told us in class. For example, some Europeans are tremendous alcohol consumers, and they regularly get drunk on Sunday, and are hung-over by Monday morning. But they're wonderful workers, even when drunk or disabled. So, instead of insisting they arrive on the job 100% non-inebriated, their managers take the more sober approach of cutting them some slack. If the boozers are on time and do their work well, managers look the other way.



Five Questions to Ask Before Attending Your High School Reunion

[Arts-and-Entertainment:Humor] I was just about to remit my check to attend my high school reunion, when I stopped myself. Suddenly, a number of questions cascaded through my mind that you might want to consider before you agree to go, says this way-too-young-to-be-that-old author.



That Perfect Summer When Manny Was a Dodger

[Recreation-and-Sports:Baseball] Nostalgia isn't what it used to be, so true. Yet one can't help recalling with a grin and a sigh how transforming The Might Manny's presence was when he was wearing the Blue Bandanna at Chavez Ravine. Young players suddenly caught on. A veteran, like Jeff Kent, earned his last hurrah at 40, connecting with his bat better than he had done all season; heck for two or more seasons. Manager Joe Torre had real, performing ballplayers to guide, who played as a team, battling back to pull out victories against all odds.



Tale of the Two Joes

[Recreation-and-Sports:Baseball] You've heard of the "Curse of the Bambino," that winning drought that Boston brought upon itself after trading Babe Ruth to the Yanks. 2008 could be the first season when the New York Yankees suffer "The Curse of the Torreno," according to this top speaker, seminar leader, and sales and customer service guru.



5 Essential Ingredients That Make Straight Commission Compensation Appealing

[Business:Sales] In a recent piece I outlined 5 tip-offs that reveal when straight commission jobs are rip-offs, or at least "opportunities" you should decline. But that article left me feeling I created a vacuum. I didn't disclose the five ingredients we should look for, so here they are.



Are Sales Suffering Because Rejection by Email Feels Better?

[Business:Sales] Today, the rejection-avoidance medium extraordinaire is email. By sending electronic messages, we can almost completely take the sting out of being brusquely pushed aside by sales prospects. But is email as effective as selling in person and over the phone? Is there a way to minimize rejection while maximizing sales?



Five Tip-Offs That Commission Sales Jobs Are Rip-Offs

[Business:Sales] On a conceptual level, I support merit pay, at least as a portion of overall compensation. But as a bill-paying person, I also realize that a situation has to be nearly ideal for 100% merit pay to be attractive. Here are five tip-offs that certain straight commission "opportunities" are rip-offs, says this professional sales and customer service speaker, best-selling author, and management consultant.



Welcome to Your Glorious Portfolio Career!

[Business:Careers-Employment] My college Sociology teacher predicted that the average person to my right and left would engage in four or five careers in his lifetime. A radical thought, but it seems Dr. Quinn was prophetic. What he didn't predict, however, is that some of us would enjoy as many as four or five occupations, SIMULTANEOUSLY. But that is precisely what "Portfolio Careerists" are doing. Risking the smear that "Jacks of all trades are masters of none," PCs are finding ways to practice law, do some real estate transactions, consult, publish, and accept speaking engagements, not only in the same lifetime, but in the compass of a few weeks or months, as this multi-faceted author personally attests.



Mid-Season Trades Heat-Up Major League Baseball

[Recreation-and-Sports:Baseball] There are lots of suggestions for making Major League Baseball more exciting to watch. Many of them have to do with speeding up the game's pace. I'm not sure that's the answer. But I can say the recent big-name trades that have occurred at mid-season are doing the trick for me.



At the 2008 All-Star Break, I Should Be Happy

[Recreation-and-Sports:Baseball] Three of my four teams are in first place in their divisions on this morning of the 2008 All-Star Game. The Angels are a respectable 6 games up in the A.L. West. The Cubs lead the N.L Central by 4.5 games, and the White Sox lead the A.L. Central by a game and a half. Even the Dodgers are only a game behind the Diamondbacks in the N.L. West. For the first time in memory, all of my teams could make it to the post-season and we could even see an El-Train World Series featuring the Cubs and Sox. So, I'm happy, right? Sort of.



Spike Your Phone Team's Performance With a Script Change!

[Business:Sales-Teleselling] As you may know, I speak and write extensively about telephone scripting, whether it's in cold calling, appointment setting, prospecting, inside sales, customer service, or technical support. Every help desk, telemarketing, and sales manager knows.



You Don't Have to Be Excellent on the Phone to Succeed!

[Business:Sales-Teleselling] If you're an achieving type of person, you probably relish the idea of being the best at what you do. But pursuing excellence in telephone selling, cold calling, prospecting, and appointment setting is unnecessary. It can actually promote failure.



5 Elements of a Perfect Telephone Script

[Business:Sales-Teleselling] I launched my very successful training and consulting business a number of years ago. Focusing on college sponsorships at first, I thought through very carefully what it would take to devise a script that: (1) Stodgy university personnel would be persuaded by; (2) That would operate stealthily; and of course, (3) One that would produce wonderful results: lots of college bookings of my seminars. My script nearly achieved "perfect" results, but how? I crafted it based on these five, fundamental postulates, says this top professional speaker, telemarketing and customer service guru, and frequent radio and TV expert guest.



How to Get Free Publicity in the Mainstream Media

[Business:PR] Unlike what we've been taught to think about journalists, fearless Clark Kents and Lois Lanes are not sleuthing the streets for scoops and breaking stories. What they are doing, as a general practice, is sitting on their bottoms or strolling a few feet to the fax machine, screening inbound news releases put out by swarms of publicists that are hoping to nuance the public's trust and create demand for products and services. Here's how to get their attention, especially if they have every reason to ignore you because you aren't a lucrative advertiser, says this best-selling author, top professional speaker, and frequent expert commentator on TV and radio.



How to Break Into the Professional Speaking Business

[Writing-and-Speaking:Public-Speaking] Though I refer to myself as a sales, customer service, and telemarketing consultant, I make much of my living as a professional speaker. From time to time I'm asked: "How can I break into the world of professional speaking?" Here is one of my extended replies to that question, according to this best-selling author, noted seminar leader, and TV and radio commentator.



Five Earmarks of a True Expert & Genuine Leader

[Self-Improvement:Leadership] I just read a fun first-person account of the folks that navigated Venice, Italy's Grand and lesser canals in of all things, a kayak. They bought the watercraft on eBay for under $200 and folded it into a sixty pound checked airline bag. Does their novel feat make them "leaders" in a certain sense? To be perceived as a leader, do you need to be considered an expert, and how do you become one? Let's look at what they did and then assess their accomplishment using five criteria that distinguish true experts and leaders in a field from the run of the mill.



Use A Telephone Script That Highlights Your Strengths!

[Business:Sales-Teleselling] When we talk about using scripts, we're aspiring to reach a degree of UNIFORMITY in text, tone, and timing, and the typical goal set by managers is that everyone will be doing everything the same way, garnering the same great results all around. All that manager has to do is walk through the call center, and like a symphony conductor, he'll detect who is sticking to the score and who is striking false notes. But there are alternatives, if we're sophisticated in our scripting and management strategies. Literally, we can let a thousands presentations "bloom," enabling each telephone rep to do his or her own thing with the full blessing of management, advises this top speaker and trainer, best-selling author, TV and radio commentator, and creator of the innovative PhoneMasters Training Program.



Five Great Ways To Merchandise Your Ezine Articles

[Writing-and-Speaking:Article-Marketing] You may be one of the folks online that just can't help yourself. You write article after article, post them at an ezine or in a blog, and do no more with them, minimizing their value. Here are five easy uses to which you can put your articles that can bring a big payoff to you, according to this top speaker, best-selling author, and popular Tv and radio commentator.



Today, There Are No Meaningful Differences Between Conventional And Self-Publishing

[Writing-and-Speaking:Publishing] "The Tom Sawyer Model" of business relations is gaining momentum in the book publishing industry. Once respectable publishers are insisting authors whitewash their fences and pay them for the privilege. Today, there really isn't a "choice" that authors have, to use conventional publishers or to self-publish. TODAY, IT IS ALL SELF-PUBLISHING, says this top speaker, seminar producer, and best-selling author of 12 books and several audio and video training programs.



Motivate Yourself to Greatness By Cherishing Negative Role Models

[Self-Improvement:Success] There are a zillion expressions that size-up the motivation challenge, and many of them say exactly the same thing. They range from the brutally blunt to the academic. Among them are these two...



Yes, I Am Trying to Sell You Something And I'm Proud of It!

[Business:Sales-Teleselling] If you follow proven sales practices, which include opening conversations well, probing for needs and the qualifications to buy, describing your products and services enticingly, asking for the deal more than once when necessary, and deflecting, delaying, and fully answering objections, while using them as closing devices, believe me, you'll sound exactly like a salesperson. And that is precisely what you are paid for in the same way that doctors, lawyers, and other professionals are paid, says this top speaker, best-selling author, international consultant, and popular TV and radio expert commentator.



Beware of the Tom Sawyer Model of Employment

[Business:Careers-Employment] From what I'm observing, it seems more job seekers are being required to buy their way into occupations. Instead of being welcomed with first-class, company paid training and related subsidies, more industries are turning to what I see as the Tom Sawyer Model of Employment, something you should avoid falling for says this best-selling author, international consultant, California attorney and real estate broker.



Road-Test All Telephone Sales Applicants by Telephone

[Business:Sales-Teleselling] You might think selling by phone is a challenge. You face a lot of rejection, and if you do business-to-business calling, my specialty, you need to confront and conquer secretarial screening and voice mail, before you can even earn a shot at wooing your ultimate buyer. But the selling part, if not easy, is manageable, if you know what you're doing and your have hammered out your value proposition and a great script.



How Can You Develop Telemarketing Pro's in Four Hours or Less?

[Business:Sales-Teleselling] Sometimes it amazes me when I think back to my earliest telephone selling days at Time-Life Books. Like most starving students, I was squeaking by, lucky to pick up odd jobs here and there when I spotted a flyer in a guy's hand at the college job placement office. "WANTED: BRIGHT, ARTICULATE STUDENTS!" it bellowed. "That's me!" I announced from over the guy's right shoulder. "Are you really interested in bright, articulate students? Well, I fit that description."



Rigged Customer Satisfaction Awards Replace Genuine Service

[Business:Customer-Service] The simple truth is a neutron bomb has hit most American customer service units. The walls are still standing, but legions of customer helpers have been annihilated. In light dramatic service cutbacks, and the substitution of self-service for the real thing, how is it that companies can get away with claiming "We're Number One in Customer Satisfaction!"?



How to Become The Very Worst Salesperson in the World

[Business:Sales] I was mulling over my give and take with some prospects yesterday, critiquing my sales techniques, when I heard two voices in my head. "What if you're not such a great salesman?" "It might be slightly embarrassing. I am an acknowledged sales expert and I've been selling pretty well for decades."



How to Coach The Sweet & Sour Sales Rep

[Business:Sales-Teleselling] From all appearances coaching salespeople is pretty straightforward. Observe your reps in action. Then, tell them what they're doing right and doing wrong. Sign-off with a pep talk, and when their sales falter, begin the process again. But it's more complicated than that.



Thanks, But I'd Rather Reach Out & Sell Someone

[Business:Sales-Teleselling] You know airlines are desperate when they replay the TV ad showing a boss distributing boarding envelopes to his minions as effortlessly as dealing a deck of playing cards. He mutters something to the effect that they should get out there to speak to their customers. The implication is clear: When your business really needs sales or to retain clients, there is no better way to do so than by getting on planes, securing rental cars, burning fossil fuels, spending impulsively on open-ended, unrestricted tickets, and ...



Every Business Should Unleash the Power of The "Green Machine"

[Business:Sales-Teleselling] While many notable onlookers attribute Detroit's decline to being insulated, arrogant, and slow to adapt, having been in the car business right out of college, I see their problems differently. To me, car retailers are hopelessly stuck in a business model that depends on doing business by car. They haven't fully grasped the implications of the Internet, and still insist on seeing prospects face to face.



How Green is Your Telephone?

[Communications] In business, pressing the flesh, meeting people face-to-face, and commuting long distances, especially by car and jet, all once mundane activities are now having global consequences. Economists are hard at work calculating the carbon footprints left by casual car trips to supermarkets. Environmentalists are fuming over a recent commercial flight that carried only five passengers from the States to London, saying the trip was "criminal" based on its deposits of ice crystals in the atmosphere and unabashed fuel guzzling. Which leads us to the all important question: How can we make our companies "greener," both by lessening harmful environmental impacts and by ringing the cash register? The answer is as close as your desk and your purse or pocket. It's that technology that is now more than 100 years young: the telephone, says this top speaker, international consultant, best-selling author, and popular radio and TV commentator.



A Great Telemarketing Script is a Money Machine

[Business:Sales-Teleselling] There is a good reason a productive telemarketing or customer service script has been called, a "money machine." It manufactures money on a consistent and reliable basis, providing it is professionally produced, tested, refined, introduced, and managed, says this professional speaker, best-selling author, and creator of the popular programs, THE NEW TELEMARKETING and THE LAW OF LARGE NUMBERS: HOW TO MAKE SUCCESS INEVITABLE.



How Can I Convince My Sales Reps to Use Scripts?

[Business:Sales-Teleselling] I live within a few hundred yards of a legend in the advertising copywriting world. This gent wrote the famous TV commercial: "This is your brain...And this is your brain on drugs." The camera flashes to a frying egg. The same sort of economy and punch need to be written into phone scripts.



Improvise Your Way to a Great Telemarketing Script!

[Business:Sales-Teleselling] Some people bristle at the idea of using a call guide that they believe will inevitably make them sound, pardon the pun, phony. If you're one of these folks, I have an alternative for you, which blends the best of both worlds.



The Role of Scripting in Telemarketing

[Business:Sales-Teleselling] A script is to telemarketing what an extemporaneous speech is to a public speaker. The key points and flow of reasoning are in front of the performer, but he is free to highlight, to amplify, or to minimize certain points to adapt to his specific audience.



Welcome Back to The Hard Sell!

[Business:Sales-Teleselling] You have mouths to feed, bills to pay, and time is running short. (1) You can pick up a book about selling the nice, slow, easy, and agreeably consultative way; or (2) You can buy a text on mastering the hard sell. The first tome will win friends and admirers. You'll love yourself for seeming so easygoing. The second text will win you sales. Yes, there may be some nasty fallout.



Don't Let Your Sales Prospects Sell You Their Cynicism!

[Business:Sales-Management] "I'm sorry," my prospect whispered hoarsely, "but I guess I'm in a cynical mood." He didn't need to tell me. As he strode down the surrealistically dark corridor to greet me, I could detect something was askew. His gait, the slightly off-center ambling of a once proud but now humbled individual, spoke volumes about how beaten up he had become over the years. Backing up a few days to when I had requested our meeting over the phone, he sounded as if he was teetering on the edge of an abyss.



Five Ways to Make Cold Calls Fun

[Business:Sales-Teleselling] Way too many articles dealing with cold calling touch on the negative aspects of it: handling rejection, getting through secretarial screening and voice mail, and finding the right decision makers. While I've developed great tools for accomplishing these tasks, I try to remind my trainees and clients to have fun when they're reaching out to sell someone.



Five Reasons to Reach Out & Sell Someone in 2008

[Business:Sales-Teleselling] Doing business by phone, which includes prospecting for new business, performing customer service and tech support, setting appointments, interpersonal networking and closing deals, has never been a better idea or a cheaper medium to use. Fuel costs are soaring, making personal meetings, whether we fly or drive to them, more expensive. When we do get together in meetings, egos clash, time is wasted, and meetings seem to beget even more meetings, without great results.



Professional Speakers Know Low Aim Is Better Than No Aim

[Writing-and-Speaking:Public-Speaking] I was just reading about a professional speaker whose forte is reaching out and inspiring young people. That's not easy to do. Facing the typical teenage cynicism and distrust of authorities, even those who speak well and use lots of teen-friendly anecdotes aren't assured of success.



Please Say No!

[Business:Sales-Teleselling] I'm a salesman. I sell professional services to corporations and to other organizations that are seeking consulting, training, and management guidance.



Bailouts - Today It's Financials - Tomorrow, Airlines

[Business:Customer-Service] With escalating fuel prices, a recession descending on us of yet unknown proportions, and who knows what other ills to come, he airline industry is bracing for more shocks. How is it responding? It is cutting back on customer service, scrambling to find ways to generate revenue; the wrong strategy, one that will "ground" its best customers, says this top speaker, management consultant, and best-selling author of MONITORING, MEASURING & MANAGING CUSTOMER SERVICE.



Would You at Least Ask Them?

[Business:Customer-Service] I was doing everything I could to dart across the San Fernando Valley to get to my favorite breakfast joint on time. They have an 11:00 cutoff. If you come late, you'll miss an unusually tasty Mexican Scramble, a mixture of moist tortilla chips, cheddar cheese, scrambled eggs, fried onions and red and green bell peppers. I've never tasted anything quite like it.



Success & The Law of Large Numbers

[Self-Improvement:Success] How can you guarantee you'll become successful? Apply The Law of Large Numbers, says this professional speaker, best-selling author, and creator of numerous audio and video self-improvement programs.



How Many Copies of Your Book Are You Going to Buy?

[Writing-and-Speaking:Book-Marketing] When you hear a publisher asking you how many copies of your book you're going to buy, or an Internet radio station offering to give you your own show for a small production fee, you are really hearing the leper's bell-a signal that a looter is in your midst. Guard your purse, accordingly, warns this professional speaker, best-selling author, and popular radio and TV expert commentator.



He May Be Dead, But He's Still Our Guest

[Business:Customer-Service] A top consultant, radio and TV commentator, and professional speaker asks: When is it time to "just say no" to a client's requests for uncompensated goodies? When can we know for sure that there is no future with an account that may have at one time delivered a steady stream of profits?



Self-Publishing - How to Avoid Alien Abduction

[Writing-and-Speaking:Book-Marketing] Some wise, devil may care individual once said, "A full life entails thousands of mistakes. "Try telling that to the anal retentive types you're bound to encounter in so many occupations, and especially in book publishing. If you seek to get a book published you can't let yourself be daunted by these uptight beings that fear making mistakes more than anything else.



You Hate Me, You Really, Really Do!

[Writing-and-Speaking] I was speaking to a zesty MBA student the other day about the odds against something or other and she snapped back: "I love doing what people tell me I can't do!" I admire that attitude. And we should bring it to publishing, says this best-selling author of 12 books and several successful audio and video programs.



We Respond in Six Months (Are They Kidding)?

[Writing-and-Speaking] I was just leafing through the 2008 edition of the reference book, The Best of the Magazine Markets for Writers. If you write articles with any frequency, you might want to have a look at it. A number of the listed publications pay by the word for what they acquire, and while it can add up if you have a number of outlets on the string, it won't make you rich. Still, it's nice getting little checks, say for $100 each in the mail on a quarterly basis, as I do from some magazines to which I contribute. You'll find this book eye opening in some unexpected ways, says this professional speaker, international consultant, and frequent expert commentator on radio and TV.



Borrow Heavily When You're Young

[Finance:Personal-Finance] In this Unofficial Time of National Contrition, ushered in by the sub-prime mortgage crisis and real estate meltdown, many pundits in the press and commentators from the financial industry are flogging consumers for their free-spending, credit indulgent ways. "Shame on you for spending beyond your means!" has been the rebuke. But this professional speaker, top consultant, and frequent commentator on TV and radio offers a contrary view.



I Should Have Spent More Time at The Office!

[Home-and-Family:Retirement] When you reach AARP age, 50 and up, the Social Security Administration sends you annual forms recapping your accumulated contributions to the fund. Based on these figures, the notice tells you how little you'll get if you retire at 62 or later. It's shocking. A baby-boomer, who started paying into Social Security when he was in his middle teens, and contributing every year since, could retire at 62, and get the grand sum of $986 per month. That might be enough to pay his utilities and insurance. How is the rest of the nut going to be cracked? The simple answer is by working until he drops, says this professional speaker, best-selling author, and popular radio and TV commentator.



Like Sinatra, Telemarketing Keeps Ringing Cash Registers!

[Business:Sales-Teleselling] In a jab at today's music industry and its lack of bankable talents, a recent article noted how Frank Sinatra's renditions, many of them from the 1950's and 1960's, keep ringing cash registers while sales of new musical acts are making a thud. Sinatra isn't "back." He, like many other quality contributors, never went away, or at least he never went completely out of fashion. The same can be said about telemarketing, says this professional speaker best-selling author, and popular radio and TV commentator.



ESP - An Underestimated Benefit of Great Martial Arts Training

[Recreation-and-Sports:Martial-Arts] Yesterday, just as my expectant wife, our 12 month old and I were about to turn into the parking lot of our favorite specialty market, my bad-guy radar instantly took over and made me steer clear of the area. One of the most underestimated benefits of great martial arts training is that it gives you a sixth sense, a kind of ESP or precognitive ability to spot and skirt danger before it threatens you, personally. In typical dojo training, too much attention is devoted to fighting your way out of dangerous circumstances. By the time you're besieged, you could be so compromised that find it's too late to stage a successful defense or counterattack, says this professional speaker, best-selling author, and Black Belt in Kenpo Karate.



Seven Freaky Sales Prospects

[Business:Sales-Management] You've heard that the customer is always right, haven't you? It's true, but the operative word in that sentence isn't "right." It's "customer." People that are on the books with us now, spinning off profits; they're the ones who are right. Mere prospects are not customers, yet.



Today's Conservation Choice is to Squeeze or to Be Squeezed

[News-and-Society:Pure-Opinion] The idea of doubling the EPA's gas mileage requirements is becoming an election year issue. When we double our gas mileage what is to prevent OPEC, Russia and other big oil producers from doubling the price of a barrel of oil, to say $200? Absolutely nothing, and you can be assured they will, wiping out the gains we have made, says this top speaker, best-selling author and TV and radio commentator.



What is The Industry Standard When Negotiating Sales Commissions?

[Business:Negotiation] One of my readers, a commission salesman, sent me a question the other day that I've been asked several times: What percentage is the industry standard when it comes to negotiating sales commissions? I'll share with you my response to him, and I hope it gives you some guidance as you negotiate compensation.



The Telemarketing Prayer

[Business:Sales-Teleselling] You can be the most experienced and best-trained salesperson in the world and still deliver flat, lifeless presentations, while the rookie next to you could sound inspired and break all sales records using a fraction of your skills. Have you ever wondered why you can descend into a slump while they're soaring, defying gravity? Could it be a matter of hope and faith? Are they asking for and receiving help?



Ask The Right People!

[Business:Sales-Teleselling] Ask and you will receive, says the Bible in an often quoted passage from Matthew. This is sage advice, and every successful salesperson follows it in the form of asking for the sale, also known as closing. But relatively few salespeople invest enough time in determining exactly WHOM to ask. If we're to update and sharpen Matthew's wisdom as it pertains to selling, it might read this way: ASK THE RIGHT PEOPLE AND YOU WILL RECEIVE, says this top speaker, best-selling author, and creator of THE NEW TELEMARKETING AUDIO SEMINAR and THE LAW OF LARGE NUMBERS: HOW TO MAKE SUCCESS INEVITABLE, published by Nightingale-Conant.



What Closing Ratio Can You Expect in Outbound Telemarketing?

[Business:Sales-Teleselling] Twice this week I've been asked what closing ratio can we expect to get when we do outbound telemarketing. So, I thought I'd share my reply with you, because it departs from conventional wisdom. There are ten variable that you should consider right away, says this top speaker, best-selling author, and creator of THE NEW TELEMARKETING AUDIO SEMINAR and Nightingale-Conant's popular program, THE LAW OF LARGE NUMBERS: HOW TO MAKE SUCCESS INEVITABLE.



Tired of Rejection? Promote Acceptance!

[Business:Sales-Management] Rejection can drill you down, nick you with a thousand paper cuts, make you cry uncle, and hide under the sheets. How come? Most of us have been programmed by family, friends, teachers, and bosses to crave approval and when it isn't forthcoming, or we're zapped by the thunderbolts of disapproval we turn tail and run. But it doesn't have to be this way. I'm not going to tell you to toughen up, to eat rejection for breakfast or to count the "no's" you receive on the inevitable path to the glorious yeses. I'm going to entreat you to deal with rejection the only right and proper way, says this top speaker, international consultant and coach, and best-selling author of THE LAW OF LARGE NUMBERS: HOW TO MAKE SUCCESS INEVITABLE, published by Nightingale-Conant.



You Always Get a Second Chance to Make a Good First Impression!

[Self-Improvement:Success] I just banged-out some fresh promotional copy for my popular audio seminar: THE NEW TELEMARKETING. Without hesitating, I sent it to two universities, my literary agent, and to the producers of my audio programs. I like the copy very much.



Do Martial Arts Schools Create Followers or Leaders?

[Recreation-and-Sports:Martial-Arts] In previous articles I've asked if dojos are cults. I've questioned the reasonableness of permitting instructors to inflict injuries on students. I have also asked if we would be served better by eliminating the belt system of promotion in the martial arts. All of these are somewhat iconoclastic questions. Yet I'm going to ask another, here, that may be the most "outside the box" and tradition-busting, yet, says this top speaker, TV and radio commentator, and Black Belt in Kenpo Karate.



A Telephone Script Can't Be Too Simple

[Business:Sales-Teleselling] You've heard the esteemed sales adage: KEEP IT SIMPLE, STUPID. Abbreviated, it is called the KISS method of selling. The only thing that's methodical about it is the fact that you should abide by this principle repeatedly, habitually, reflexively. And that means you should eschew, avoid, and disavow all things COMPLICATED. Leave subtlety for academics and retirees to debate.



Seven Ways to Become a Winner in the Recession

[Self-Improvement:Success] The Fed just cut interest rates by three-quarters of a point in an "emergency" move to stave off an even more widespread economic crisis. The world now believes the U.S. is either in or headed directly toward a recession, which optimists might think of as "wrong-way growth." Instead of caving in to what will undoubtedly be an avalanche of bad news, it's time to think about getting as much from this downturn as we can. Here are seven tips for becoming a winner in the recession, according to this top keynote speaker, best-selling author, and international consultant and performance coach.



It's Not Working - I Give-Up!

[Health-and-Fitness:Weight-Loss] I've been dieting and doing a special exercise regime and there is a guy who lives behind my eyeballs who expects to see instant results. When he doesn't see his ideal staring back at him in the mirror, instantly, he gets introverted and negative. "Where are my results?" "What have I been sacrificing, for?" "It's not working-I give-up!" That last statement is the improvement-killer. You have to beware of it, because you're going to hear it if you suffer from low frustration tolerance or exaggerated expectations, says this top speaker, TV and radio commentator.



The Winner's Time Management Playbook

[Self-Improvement:Time-Management] You can read a ton of articles about time management, and most of the will say the same things. Make lists. Multi-task, if you can. Get things accomplished during "down-time." Bring a book to read when you're stuck in line at the Department of Motor Vehicles.



Is it Embarrassing When Top Salespeople Earn More Than Sales Managers?

[Business:Sales-Management] What if there were lotteries that nobody won? Or, slot machines that never hit the jackpot? Consider Blackjack hands where drawing 21, paid zip? You'd probably cry, "Foul!" along with most of the world. After all, what good is it to come out on top if there's no prize? Could anything be worse? In the sales world, the answer is "Yes," says this top speaker, best-selling author, and creator of the internationally acclaimed seminar, MONITORING, MEASURING & MANAGING HUMAN FACTORS IN SELLING.



You Deserve to Succeed!

[Self-Improvement:Success] When I'm doing "all basics," a series of martial arts strikes and kicks while on the move, some interesting insights pop into mind. One of them came to me this morning, and I thought I'd share it with you. "No One Has a Superior Right to Succeed than You." The instant these words formed, I knew my unconscious had struck a bedrock truth, says this top conference and convention speaker, best-selling author, and popular expert commentator on radio and TV.



Look for The Three C's in Choosing Where to Live & Invest

[Real-Estate] "California's booming real estate values" is a phrase you haven't seen much during the last year and a half. But you'll see and hear it again-I promise you. I'm not a prophet by any means, or a real estate developer. But as I look at the purple mountains forming a beautiful backdrop to another unremarkably remarkable sunset, I know why, says this top speaker, best-selling author, and TV and radio expert commentator.



Three Reasons You Should Say "No" To That Survey

[Business:Customer-Service] There are three reasons you should politely decline if people are asking you to participate in a survey: Your view will probably not be represented in the questions, at all. I received a phone survey that asked me if a repair person was "neat," which is not nearly at the top of my priorities. He didn't repair the item as he should have done, but I wasn't asked about whether the main purpose of his visit was fulfilled.



Ten Ways to Conquer Your Fear of Failure

[Self-Improvement:Success] Sometimes we feel so emotionally brittle that any setback, disappointment, or reversal can seem capable of tipping us over the edge and into despair. At other times, we don a devil may care attitude, and boldly move in the direction of our dreams, parrying and deflecting the flak that gets in our way.



Work The Law of Large Numbers But Remember It Only Takes One to Succeed!

[Self-Improvement:Success] The Law of Large Numbers is a pivotal success secret inasmuch as it says: (1) Do enough of anything and you'll succeed; (2) Do more and you'll prosper, and outdo even that amount and (3) You'll become a legend. We've seen how this operates in all walks of life. Having said this let me temper The Law of Large Numbers with this admonition: IT ONLY TAKES ONE TO SUCCEED!



Chemistry Can Make All the Difference in Choosing A Decent Boss

[Business:Careers-Employment] It was the summer of my high school graduation and I needed a job, and fast. I hiked up to the Sunset Strip and started knocking on doors, asking retailers if they were looking for a clerk or a salesperson.



Where Will Tomorrow's Above-Average Investment Returns Come From?

[Investing] A number of years back, a broker bought me a bond that yielded over 14%. I sold it before its maturity date, making a tidy profit on it. Had I held on instead of selling, I would have lost a significant amount of my principal.



The Recession of 2008 Will Make Consultants & Coaches Wheelbarrows of Dough

[Business:Consulting] It was more than a decade ago, and I was visiting a franchisee of a well known, publicly traded executive search company. Through an odd confluence of factors, I was pitching the president of the Los Angeles branch, who asked me, more or less, "Why are we having this meeting?"



Cold Calling Tip - Pursue Your Prospects Until the End!

[Business:Sales-Teleselling] Once I'm convinced my prospect: (1) Has a need; (2) It's important to him to fulfill it; (3) He has the authority and budgetary clout to fulfill it; and (4) He's open to receiving my help; then I'll dog him until I have a deal or he starts blocking my calls and emails. This especially applies if he is in the sales game.



Improve Customer Retention by Abolishing 90% of Your Service Policies

[Business:Customer-Service] There is a memorable moment in a Woody Allen movie when a guy pompously tries impressing his date by quoting Marshall McLuhan, the media guru. Out of nowhere, McLuhan himself springs forth and says: "Young man, I'm Marshall McLuhan and you don't know the first thing about my ideas!" Devilishly, Woody Allen looks into the camera and asks: "Wouldn't it be great if real life worked like this?" Sometimes it does, especially in unmasking silly and ostentatious policies that diminish the positive perception people have of the customer service they're receiving.



Never, Ever Mess with a Safeway School Graduate!

[Business:Customer-Service] Last night I needed to pick up a few groceries and at the last minute, before leaving the house, I remembered something that I would usually forget. I needed to return two items to the store for credit.



5 Success Secrets Professional Speakers Know

[Writing-and-Speaking:Public-Speaking] A moment ago I was thinking about how much we could do, learn, accomplish and succeed if we only lost our self-consciousness. The great composer Aaron Copland said creativity might be super-consciousness or even sub-consciousness, but it is never self-consciousness. Apparently, we have to forego focusing on ourselves to create anything of lasting value.



It's Time to End the Witch Hunt of Major League Ballplayers

[News-and-Society:Pure-Opinion] Let's grow up and face facts. Competitors will try to get an edge in any way they can, and that includes drug use and experimentation with strength-building and pain deadening potions. What really matters is how that plays out on the field. If it enhances the enjoyment of sports for fans, who cares if the most magnificent home runs hit by Barry Bonds, Sammy Sosa, or Mark McGuire were made possible by aspirin, "The Cream," or in Mr. Palmeiro's case, by Viagra?



Negotiate Meeting Times The Efficient Way

[Business:Negotiation] When someone asks you to call him back, he wants a call back and not an email, instead, right? But what if I instructed you to violate his request by emailing him? That wouldn't make any sense, would it?



5 Traps to Avoid in Preparing for Negotiations

[Business:Negotiation] The most irksome, nasty, peevish, and stingy negotiator in creation resides between your two ears. It's you, and of course, it's me, too. We are our own worst enemies in a negotiation because we fall into five traps:



Negotiation Sails Smoothly When You Cast Bread Crumbs on the Water

[Business:Negotiation] Some people foster the idea that expert negotiators are visibly strategic, uptight, and miserly souls who relish "beating" their counterparts at the bargaining table. The more lopsided the deal they can engineer, the better. Of course, there are some folks that fit this description, but most smooth professionals seldom do. They know when it pays to appear generous, says this top speaker, corporate consultant, and teacher of "Best Practices in Negotiation" at U.C. Berkeley Extension.



It Pays to Track Your Car's Value Very Carefully!

[Automotive] At 21, I learned a ton about the car business by working as an account executive for a Beverly Hills, California leasing company. While some things have changed over the years, especially the relative popularity of leasing versus buying, most things haven't.



Beware of Article Marketing's Worst Business Proposition

[Writing-and-Speaking:Article-Marketing] Article marketing involves a very simple exchange of value: writers compose articles that they submit to ezines and to other web based publications; and those ezines publish the articles, listing them with search engines, while providing readers and publicity to the writers. Ezines receive much of their compensation from running Google ads. But what if a writer submits nothing, no articles?



Five Reasons 2008 Will Be a Great Year for Telemarketers

[Business:Sales-Teleselling] About ten years ago, things couldn't have looked worse for telemarketers and others who make their living by dialing and smiling. Congress was about to pass legislation enabling tens of millions of Americans to opt out of receiving unsolicited sales calls at home. The Internet was in its infancy, but it promised a more antiseptic way of marketing; indeed, a method to get people to discover you, instead of reaching out to sell them.



How Can You Tell When You Are a True Martial Artist?

[Recreation-and-Sports:Martial-Arts] How can you tell when you're a true martial artist? I raise this because I'm increasingly convinced seeking the approval and endorsement of outside authorities, while commonplace and customary, is something that leads us away from self-discovery and true wisdom, says this top speaker, best-selling author, and Black Belt in Kenpo Karate.



The Case of The Stolen Dojo

[Recreation-and-Sports:Martial-Arts] Dojos that have been training students for 35 years aren't supposed to simply vanish. But this one did, leaving only a hand-scrawled note in the window, saying the school had been "stolen," according to this top speaker, popular TV and radio commentator, and Black Belt in Kenpo Karate.



Should Martial Arts Instructors Be Allowed to Injure Students?

[Recreation-and-Sports:Martial-Arts] It would seem self-defeating for an instructor and especially for the head of a martial arts school to purposely injure those that are paying the rent, preventing them from training. However this happens far more often than is reported, for at least five reasons, says this top speaker, international consultant, and Black Belt in Kenpo Karate.



Can Your Sensei Be Trusted?

[Recreation-and-Sports:Martial-Arts] I was training at the Brown Belt level at a dojo when the Sensei of the school leaped onto the mat to teach a one of my peers a sparring "lesson." In a rapid flurry of kicks and strikes the student was buckled to his knees, and a moment later, he tipped over, blood gushing from his chin. I volunteered to drive him to the hospital, where his facial lacerations required several sutures. To this day, I'm not clear about the precise nature of the "lesson" that the Sensei was trying to deliver, says this top speaker, TV and radio commentator, and Black Belt in Kenpo Karate.



Can Joe Torre Catapult the Dismal Dodgers into the Postseason?

[Recreation-and-Sports:Baseball] The biggest acquisition of the off-season so far for the Los Angeles Dodgers hasn't been getting Andruw Jones from the Atlanta Braves, impressive as he could turn out to be. Jones, as you know, is a perennial Gold Glove outfielder, and though his home run production was relatively low last season, it would have put him at the top of the Dodger charts. The biggest find of the off-season was incoming Manager Joe Torre, who may end up being the greatest bargain, as well, "flies notwithstanding," says this top conference, convention, and sales meeting speaker and popular TV and radio expert commentator.



Five of the Worst Imaginable Reasons to Become A Writer

[Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] I've become a writer, I suppose, especially if the measuring stick consists of output or even readership. But, why did I do it? And is there any escaping from it? I thought I'd help others to avoid making this career mistake by providing 5 of the worst imaginable reasons to become a writer, says this best-selling author, top speaker, and popular TV and radio commentator.



Are You Truly Poor, or Simply Broke?

[Self-Improvement:Success] Legendary Hollywood producer Mike Todd once quipped, "I've been broke many times, but I've never been poor." It's one of my favorite quotes, because it fits so many of us. During college and graduate school, which seemed to last forever, I was usually without a lot of disposable income.



Customer Service Tip - Don't Hire Smooth Talkers!

[Business:Customer-Service] Think back to all of the TECHNICIANS you have called on throughout the years. This includes plumbers, computer software and hardware gurus, car mechanics, electricians, tree trimmers, carpenters, washer and dryer specialists, and other folks with fix-it capabilities. Which ones were the most competent and the least competent?



Beware of the Hypnotists & Black Magicians in Your Midst

[Self-Improvement:Positive-Attitude] Lately, I've been doing a lot of research into CULTS and into the HYPNOSIS they, and many, many others use on their fellow men and women every day of the year. To me, their manipulations go well beyond cute parlor tricks, or even the intention to sell us products and services we don't need. They strike at the heart of our freedom. Here's what you can do to counter the hypnotists and black magicians in your midst, according to this top speaker, best-selling author, and popular TV and radio commentator.



What if We Eliminated The Belt System in Martial Arts?

[Recreation-and-Sports:Martial-Arts] Are you in the martial arts training field or in the "belt business?" And what would happen if you decided to eliminate the various belt ranks, which range in most cases from white to black? Would you go broke, or thrive?



Can Businesses Discriminate Against Certain Customers?

[Business:Customer-Service] Can private establishments discriminate against certain customers and get away with it? Very often they can.



How Much is "Enough" Martial Arts Training?

[Recreation-and-Sports:Martial-Arts] "How much is enough martial arts training?" is a highly individualized question, and it should remain that way. I'd be cautious about dojos that hold forth the idea that they should determine when you've had enough, or that formal training should last a lifetime. In our commercial times, sadly, what most of them are really saying is their incomes from trainees should last forever, long after the students have achieved optimal value for themselves, says this top speaker, international consultant, and black belt in kenpo karate.



Is Your Dojo a Cult?

[Recreation-and-Sports:Martial-Arts] When we mention the word, "cult," many visions come to mind. There's Jim Jones, charismatic leader of a religious group in Guyana who was photographed while inducing his entranced followers to famously, "Drink the Kool-Aid," which had been spiked with poison.



Spotlight on Scripting - Can You Write a Great Tone Guide for Me?

[Business:Sales-Teleselling] The major reason canned scripts fail is that they contain only words, a Text. To bring a script to life we need to orchestrate Three T's: our Text, Tone and Timing. When you ask someone to write a script for you, make sure he includes a great tone guide, as well, advises this top trainer, international consultant, and best-selling author of The New Telemarketing Audioseminar and several best-selling telemarketing books.



Hey Mitchell Commission Fans - Go Stick Your Asterisks!

[Recreation-and-Sports:Baseball] Based on the Mitchell Commission's revelations, more than 90 ballplayers, including pitching aces Roger Clemens and Andy Pettite, are presently implicated in having used performance enhancing drugs. Does this fact mean their achievements will also bear the stigma of an asterisk next to them? Will all records be subject to revocation or redefinition? When is this silliness going to stop?



How Clever Companies Bill You Double or More by Using Just One Word

[Business:Customer-Service] Most businesses seek some sort of advantage so they can justify charging premium prices. I encountered a company today that tried to DOUBLE its billable rate by invoking just one word, and I'm sure its people get away with this ruse all the time.



Customer Satisfaction Survey Needs an Overhaul

[Business:Customer-Service] This morning, I received an automated survey call from a major appliance manufacturer. Earlier in the week, its service people had been to my home to repair a leaking washer. This was their seventh trip this year. The first question was: "Did the technician treat your home and appliance with care?" It should have been, "Did the technician fix your problem?"



We're Number Two in Customer Satisfaction!

[Business:Customer-Service] Finishing second in most contests has been likened to eating pancakes without syrup and kissing your sibling, which may be sweet, but not sweet enough. Yet there's actually a lot to be said for finishing second in customer satisfaction contests, though we seldom hear runners-up touting this feat.



We're Number One in Self-Service!

[Business:Customer-Service] Welcome to the Modern Company, where we do everything the modern way, including training customers to serve themselves. We believe these ten truths to be self-evident...



Baseball - Why Not Cancel Every Game Except The Yanks Versus the Red Sox?

[Recreation-and-Sports:Baseball] Every other team, apart from the Red Sox and Yanks should be demoted to the minors, where they belong. They might be allowed to play exhibitions against each other, and the very best might qualify to play the two star teams, but only on occasion, where all in attendance know the outcome, yet still cheer their hearts out in the remote hope their amateurs can beat the pro's, says this top speaker, sales and negotiation guru, and TV commentator.



The Utter Truth About Telemarketing Scripts

[Business:Sales-Teleselling] Scripts and telemarketing go together like Mother and apple pie. Well, not exactly. We LIKE Mom and apple pie! But we love to hate telemarketing and those that do it, especially the ones that struggle through their poorly crafted presentations. I'm here to tell you that scripts (and telemarketers that use them) get a bad rap.



Smashing The Myth of the "Internal Customer"

[Business:Customer-Service] Much has been written in recent years about the need to service INTERNAL as well as external customers. I'm here to tell you this is a major error in thinking, and a waste of a company's time. Internal customers are a fabrication. They don't exist because they don't PAY VALUE for services.



You're a Real Writer When Not-Writing is Not an Option

[Writing-and-Speaking] When can you tell that you're a REAL writer instead of being a mere aspirant? Here's one major clue, says this top speaker, best-selling author, and TV commentator.



Let's Do "Whatever it Takes" Marketing

[Business:Sales-Teleselling] The entire idea of claiming one marketing medium is supreme is like saying my big brother can beat up yours. It's a goof, and the key is to use the medium or media that will secure the results you need, says this top speaker, international consultant, and best-selling author. For instance, let's say you need to get your message in front of a highly fortified CEO...



It's Time to Price Telemarketing Services by Results!

[Business:Sales-Teleselling] Try asking a call center or a telemarketing services agency if they'll price their services based on what you're really seeking, such as appointments. Will they deliver a solid, qualified appointment with a key executive in a targeted industry for $50 or $100, or even $500 or $1,000?



Why Today's Terrible Telemarketers Are Forcing Me to Make Calls, Myself!

[Business:Sales-Teleselling] On one level you can't imagine how disappointed I was with the telemarketing pilot program I purchased from an experienced firm. I got ZERO appointments. On another level, I'm thrilled that they're as bad and incredibly deficient as I found them, because I am going to compete against them, knowing my firm will do a lot better. Apart from the fact that I am the best-selling author of such telemarketing classics as REACH OUT & SELL SOMEONE and YOU CAN SELL ANYTHING BY TELEPHONE, I am also the best telemarketer I've ever known, and I've known and worked with thousands, says this top speaker, international consultant, and CNBC expert commentator.



Major League Baseball - Too Many "Champs" and Too Few Real Winners

[Recreation-and-Sports:Baseball] Many moons ago, in Major League Baseball, there were only two prizes awarded along with one grand prize. The National League and the American League awarded pennants to the teams with the most wins, and then those teams played each other in a series of seven games with one emerging as the World Champion. Only if there was a tie between two teams as the season ended, was there a playoff game to determine the pennant winner. Now, as you know, there are three times as many prizes, totaling nine, in all. With three divisions in each league, there are six division champs, two wild card teams, and one World Champion left standing after all of the eliminations.



Our Customer Service Sucks and We Know It!

[Business:Customer-Service] Increasingly, companies are growing unapologetic for offering sub-standard, and even punishing customer service. Airlines, especially, are throwing in the towel, and I don't mean that refreshing steamed mendicant we used to be gently handed in business class.



Dogged Determination Isn't Taught in Business School!

[Business:Entrepreneurialism] They don't teach dogged determination in business school, but I think this quality is probably more important in making people successful and in changing the world than any other, says this top speaker, international consultant, and former Peter F. Drucker MBA student. But Drucker, to my knowledge, never built a business from scratch.



Negotiating Like a Child Works!

[Business:Negotiation] Whining, throwing tantrums, refusing to play nicely with others and pouting are generally considered to have no proper place in business. But that doesn't mean they aren't engaged in quite successfully in the 8-5 world. Take the example of one bad boy I encountered at a software company. He wanted his own large, private space away from others. But instead of earning the proverbial corner office through years of toil he decided on a short cut, recalls this top negotiation speaker, international consultant, and best-selling author.



Negotiation Tip - Offer Something Free to You, But Valuable to Them!

[Business:Negotiation] There is a lot of room for creativity in negotiating, but few folks pay attention to the possibilities. If you do, you can make what would have been a busted deal a great one, says this top negotiation speaker, best-selling author, and international negotiation consultant.



Five Reasons This Is a Great Time to Lease a Car!

[Automotive] Now that Thanksgiving is over, oil is at record highs, the financial and stock markets are reeling, and Christmas is approaching, auto manufacturers are starting to panic. And that's great news for consumers, making this one of the best of all possible times to lease a new vehicle, says this top negotiation consultant, best-selling author, and CNBC expert commentator.



Best Practices in Negotiation #5 - Use Meta-Communication to Counter Crafty Ploys

[Business:Negotiation] I was negotiating a significant consulting contract with a very straight-laced Midwestern natural resources corporation. My counterpart, a fellow who seemed to handle himself very well, was not at all cooperating with me to seal a deal, so instead of walking away from our negotiations, I simply said: "You're following an interesting negotiation strategy here, but I'm sensing it's not a good fit.



The Shrug is One of The "Best Practices in Negotiation"

[Business:Negotiation] Somebody makes you an offer that is so low, such a shock, and so upsetting that you don't know where to begin to respond. Or, a person makes a perfectly suitable first offer, which is in the range of acceptability, given what you've plotted in advance. These seem to be dramatically disparate scenarios that would evoke entirely different responses from you, correct?



With Any Luck the Recession Will Destroy Homes with "Integrity" and Cars with "Road Manners"

[Real-Estate:Homes] The late Theodore Levitt of Harvard said a certain amount of "fluff" is necessary to sell anything. Thankfully, hard times thin this stuff substantially, says this top speaker, sales and negotiation consultant, and CNBC expert commentator.



Are The Cards Running Cold In Your Life? Use Casino Savvy!

[Arts-and-Entertainment:Casino-Gambling] Casinos are high tech palaces of pleasure, offering games of chance that have been scientifically proven to favor the house. Whey then, do these bastions of business know-how still rely upon instincts, a sixth-sense, and their guts when making personnel changes?



Exercise May Be the Key to Maintaining a Positive Mental Attitude

[Self-Improvement:Positive-Attitude] Starting out modestly, we'd stroll downhill from our forested perch, so slowly that local dogs wouldn't even bother sniffing us as we descended. Upon reaching the flats, I'd shuffle my feet at a slightly quicker pace in an impression of a geriatric jogger.



5 Elements That Make A Business an Exciting Place to Work

[Business:Careers-Employment] Periodically, it pays to ask yourself is there is a sufficient E.Q. at your workplace: An Excitement Quotient. If it is lacking and cannot be cured, it may be time to move on. Here are five elements that can make a business exciting and successful, according to this professional speaker, international consultant, and CNBC expert commentator.



Exactly How Smart Are You? And Does it Matter?

[Self-Improvement:Positive-Attitude] I'm a fairly competitive guy so when one of my salespeople challenged me to literally match wits with him, I rose to the bait. "What's your I.Q.?" "I dunno." "No, really, what is it-Have you ever been tested?" "In school I took some exams and they said I was a classic underachiever, so I suppose they wouldn't bother saying that to a dunce." "You should have it tested."



Reconsidering the Profit Motive in University Continuing Education

[Reference-and-Education:College-University] When I conducted my first continuing education seminar through Cal State Los Angeles, we had a magnificent crowd show up. I think the grand total, including those I solicited personally, came to 6 or 7 people. And our session was a smash hit. Okay, something's wrong with this picture-is that what you're thinking? How can a turnout of six or seven be considered even a marginal success? The concept that course enrollments correlate with course quality is fundamentally flawed and it's hurting university continuing education, says this top speaker, international consultant, and CNBC expert commentator.



#3 of 101 Best Practices in Negotiation

[Business:Negotiation] I just finished conducting my "Best Practices in Negotiation?" seminar at UC Berkeley, and we found a lot of appreciation and even some sighs of relief when discussing #3 of the 101 Best Practices in Negotiation: "Always leave yourself an OUT!" says this top speaker, international consultant, and CNBC expert commentator.



Great Sales Scripts-- "How Do You Like to Buy?"

[Business:Sales-Teleselling] My late professor, the distinguished Father of Modern Management Theory, Peter F. Drucker, was fond of saying: "Learn how people like to buy." This is sage advice. What Drucker didn't tell us is HOW, EXACTLY, CAN WE LEARN HOW FOLKS LIKE TO BUY? My take: Simply ask them, and this can be done as a very effective opener in a phone conversation, says this top speaker, international sales, negotiation, and telemarketing consultant, and best-selling author of several popular audio and video programs including, THE NEW TELEMARKETING and THE LAW OF LARGE NUMBERS.



#2 of 101 Best Practices in Negotiation

[Business:Negotiation] I just finished conducting my "Best Practices in Negotiation?" seminar at UC Berkeley, and we found support for the #2 Best Practice in Negotiation: "If you make a concession, get a concession in return," says this top speaker, international consultant, and CNBC expert commentator.



Customers Beware - Retailers' Receipts Are Printed With Disappearing Ink!

[Business:Customer-Service] I'm holding in my hand a restaurant receipt from five weeks ago. I can barely make out the name of the place, and the charges and total tab are faded beyond recognition. It almost seems as if the receipt was printed with disappearing ink, you know, that fascinating stuff kids used to buy from magic shops to play tricks on their friends and family. Except this time, the trick is being played, deliberately or unwittingly, on millions of consumers, says the President of Customersatisfaction.com, a CNMB expert commentator, international speaker, and best-selling author of MONITORING, MEASURING & MANAGING CUSTOMER SERVICE.



Win-Win Negotiations Can Make You A Sore Loser!

[Business:Negotiation] Every now and then, a reasonably prominent or especially vocal person has a high-profile catharsis, a moment of revelation in which he pops-off and tells it like it is. A few weeks ago, for instance, I debated a fellow on CNBC and he said he was fed-up with the rhetoric used by companies to make it seem their customers are part of a big, happy family.



Managers - Think Like A Catcher!

[Business:Sales-Management] It's easy to think of catchers as the samurai of baseball. They don armor before going into combat and they withstand a pummeling by opponent after opponent, without expressing a hint of discomfort.



Can't Get Customer Satisfaction? Punish B for the Sins of A!

[Business:Customer-Service] I've had a terrible time getting my new washer-dryer repaired under warranty by a major retailer. It has broken three or four times during the year, and there seems to be a persistent electrical problem. One would think they'd swap machines, to spare themselves from continuously dispatching fixers to my home, and to retain me as a customer.



The A-Rod Saga Makes a 1st Class Negotiation Case

[Business:Negotiation] If you're a baseball fan, or simply a negotiation fan, you can't help but pay attention to the contract saga of that multi-multi-multi-millionaire, Alex Rodriguez. For years, he has been the highest paid player on any team in Major League Baseball, having inked a deal with the Texas Rangers that promised to pay him more than $250 million dollars over 10 years.



Surprise - You're On A Recorded Line, Too!

[Business:Customer-Service] When you hear that nearly universal announcement at the beginning of conversations, "This call may be recorded or monitored," you need to know several things, including the fact that if they are recording you, YOU CAN RECORD THEM, TOO! Telling CSR's you're doing it will definitely enhance your customer experience.



Foreclosures Can't Be Allowed to Reach a Tipping Point

[Real-Estate:Foreclosures] For some time the press has been predicting that cash-strapped homeowners would abandon their abodes as their adjustable mortgages were suddenly recalculated to reflect their true costs, and not the introductory teaser rates. But you have to wonder exactly when a trickle becomes a torrent, when the social sanctions associated with losing one's home, with giving-up on one's debt obligation, morphs from being barely permissible, to acceptable, to trendy and ultimately, it seems "only natural." When that occurs, do otherwise sensible, reliable debtors become flaky, if only because it seems permissible and acceptable?



Smart Negotiators Negotiate the Ground Rules of Negotiations

[Business:Negotiation] One of the most critical, and under-negotiated aspects of negotiating is HOW we're going to conduct ourselves during the process. This includes everything from where we'll sit down to chat, if we're meeting face-to-face, how long our session or sessions will run, the number and duration of breaks, and the people involved in the negotiations and their authority to green-light deals.



#1 of 101 Best Practices in Negotiation

[Business:Negotiation] The seller has agreed to sit down with the buyer, the owner of an adjoining property, face-to-face without the intercession of Realtors. If they can reach agreement, a hefty sales commission of about $50,000 can be saved, making the deal more cost effective for both parties.



What's Your True Goal - Appointments or Sales?

[Business:Sales-Teleselling] You're a manager or a business owner and you want to increase the sales your reps make by appointment. That's a no-brainer, right? Set more appointments, they'll talk to more folks, and The Law of Large Numbers will do the rest. They'll close more deals, and what can be simpler than that? It isn't that simple; it's simply wrong, says this top speaker, international sales, negotiation, and service consultant, and best-selling author of 12 books and the popular audio seminars, THE NEW TELEMARKETING and THE LAW OF LARGE NUMBERS.



Cold Calling - The Value of An Appointment According to a "Pro"

[Business:Sales-Teleselling] In at least one of my best-selling books, possibly in YOU CAN SELL ANYTHING BY TELEPHONE, I declared, "There is nothing as easy to do over the phone as setting an appointment." It's far harder, for instance, to actually open and to close a deal on a single call, which is the way I cut my teeth in selling for Time-Life Books. Getting people to reach for a charge card at the end of an outbound cold call that you initiated is a lot more challenging that asking for 15 minutes of someone's time. But if you chat with some so-called telemarketing "specialists," for-hire call centers that specialize in lead generation and appointment setting, they'd have you believe establishing a meeting is the power-lifting of dialing and smiling, says this top speaker, international consultant, and author of 12 books and the popular audio seminars, THE NEW TELEMARKETING and THE LAW OF LARGE NUMBERS.



The Recession of 2008 Will Challenge Indifferent Customer Service

[Business:Customer-Service] Hard times will change indifferent customer service into something much more attentive, predicts this top speaker, best-selling author, and CNBC expert commentator. I had a college Economics professor who used to announce, with his most solemn German accent, "An occasional recession is a good thing. It creates a shakeout in the economy, and weak firms disappear, as they should."



Is Your Company Learning FAST Enough?

[Business] Every few years yet another soldier emerges, blistered, tattered, and paranoid, from the underbrush on an island in the Pacific, only to be informed that World War II ended more than 60 years ago. Here, he has been waging battles against enemies that have been friends for more than a half-century. The picture in his head has been hopelessly out of whack with the "reality" of the surrounding world, but without information, how could he know that? "Make sure you're in a position to learn as fast as possible!" urges this top speaker, international consultant, and CNBC expert commentator.



Customer Service Calls For More Than Single-Handed Help

[Business:Customer-Service] You've heard about doing a job single-handedly, which I've always taken to mean you do it by yourself. There are lots of jobs like this. You can drive a cab, sell magazines from a stall or serve lattes from a kiosk.



5 Tips When Negotiating For Yourself

[Business:Negotiation] In a recent article I mentioned that there are five obstacles to negotiating on your own behalf. We're inclined to get too emotional and to react to offers personally instead of professionally. Add to this the fact that we're more likely to spoil the deal with impatience, a lack of objectivity, and inexperience in negotiation encounters, and you bring to life that adage about lawyers that represent themselves in court.



Cold Calling Tip - Make Your Script As Humble As Possible!

[Business:Sales-Teleselling] Sometimes it pays to sound as if you don't know what you're doing, you're in over your head, and to come across as an utter screw-up. If you're a humble salesperson, especially over the phone, miracles happen, says this top speaker, international sales and negotiation consultant, best-selling author, and CNBC expert commentator.



5 Reasons Negotiating on Your Own Behalf is Tricky

[Business:Negotiation] You've probably heard the adage, "The lawyer who represents himself has a fool for a client." The idea behind that chestnut is the fact that when we represent ourselves in a courtroom or in any negotiation, we're hobbled by at least five things, explains this top speaker, negotiation consultant, best-selling author, and CNBC expert commentator.



I'm Rich!

[Self-Improvement:Positive-Attitude] Oil gushed from the downtrodden farmer's earth and he cried out, "I'm rich!" Instantly, he recognized that his life would be forever changed. Most people wait to see the oil or the money in the bank, before they make this declaration for themselves. But they shouldn't hesitate to realize their wealth. Saying, "I'm rich!" every morning and every evening produces wonderful effects in our lives, and palpable benefits that we can "cash-in" in the here and now, says this top speaker, international sales, customer service & negotiation consultant, and expert commentator on CNBC.



Road Warriors Should Negotiate Higher Compensation!

[Business:Negotiation] If you're seeking a job with a major consulting company, or you're going to sell for a living or manage a national or international division of a corporation, it isn't rare to see that one of the requirements of earning the post is your willingness to travel "50%" or "75%" of the time. This means, literally, you'll be living out of a suitcase. You must ask yourself, "What is it worth to me, denominated in dollars," to forego these pleasures of the rooted life?



Welcome to Time-Life's Fantastic 4-Hour Sales Training Program!

[Business:Sales-Teleselling] Far too much time is wasted in conventional sales training programs, whether the objective is to produce a telephone seller or a field sales agent. Much of this waste occurs because no one has synthesized the process into a predictable, reliable package, says this top speaker, international consultant and trainer, and best-selling author of 12 books and the popular audio seminars, THE NEW TELEMARKETING and THE LAW OF LARGE NUMBERS.



Five False "Truisms" in Negotiation

[Business:Negotiation] I continuously make an extensive study of the negotiation literature to prepare and update my "Best Practices in Negotiation" seminars that I conduct around the world. As you might expect there is a lot of consistency among the authors, consultants, professional negotiators, and coaches that weigh in on this topic. But I've noticed that some of these common practices are certainly not "Best Practices." In fact, I believe they are questionable generalizations that you need to scrutinize very carefully before following their advice.



Negotiate With Yourself Before Negotiations Begin!

[Business:Negotiation] Negotiation begins sooner than we think, and usually it begins with ourselves. You need to do 5 preparatory things before you meet with another party, advises this top speaker, international consultant, and CNBC expert commentator.



CRM's Dirty Little Secret

[Business:Customer-Service] Recently, I contacted a car consortium that has been servicing my vehicles for about 10 years. They've leased me a Volvo and a Porsche during that time, but, because of flawed sales and service practices, they've missed out on leasing me a number of other cars.



Negotiating Our Battles On The Cheap is A Bad Deal For Everyone

[Business:Negotiation] According to The Economist, a British publication, "At 4% of GDP America's defense spending is low by historical standards." It was 9% during Vietnam and 14% during Korea. Here' are 5 reasons battling on the cheap is a bad bargain for everyone, whether you support or abhor the war in Iraq, according to this top speaker, best-selling author, and popular TV and radio commentator.



Every Entrepreneur Should Cut His Teeth on Commission Selling

[Business:Sales] Do you have what it takes to succeed in your own business? There's one sure way to tell, and you don't have to get an MBA in entrepreneurship to find out.



Negotiation Tactic - Tell Them, "I'll Buy It!"

[Business:Negotiation] If you're trying to sell something major, such as a house or a classic car or a big contract, what's your number one worry? Your number one worry is that you won't find a buyer. You'll invest in advertising, carefully setting a price, and possibly hiring agents and brokers to assist in the marketing, and after all is said and done, you won't get an offer.



5 Reasons Most Scripts Suck

[Business:Sales-Teleselling] There is a perennial objection trainees raise against using scripts when cold calling, prospecting, setting appointments, and doing customer service, technical support, and telephone sales. They say - "I don't want to sound phony!" Fair enough, no one does. But why is it that there is the very real tendency to sound canned, un-fresh, contrived, and artificial when using scripts? There are 5 reasons that pertain to the scripts, themselves...



Customer Service Reps Need Negotiation Training

[Business:Customer-Service] Most of us negotiate every day, if only when influencing our kids to finish their homework or to come in for dinner on time, when encouraging our co-workers to do their fair share of the heavy lifting, and when scheduling that washer repair appointment at a time when we can actually be at home to meet the technician. But some occupations negotiate more than others. Attorneys are constantly negotiating and salespeople too. And we know dental hygienists are always trying to get us to floss. "But what about customer service reps?" asks this top speaker and sales, customer service, and negotiation consultant.



The Script That Made 100 Million Customers Sing!

[Business:Sales-Teleselling] When I was in college I had this daydream about coining a word that would be completely new. Later, when I would see it in print, hear it in conversations, and especially when a dictionary picked it up, I could boast, "Hey, I invented that!"



Attention Road Warriors - It Pays to Fly In & Out The Same Day!

[Business:Management] Take it from someone who has spent a good amount of his adult working life on the road: After the novelty wears off, it's not fun living out of a suitcase. So, I've resolved to fly in and out of a client's town the same day as my scheduled keynote speech, seminar, or consulting engagement. "Isn't this a hassle?" you might wonder. Of course, but the alternatives are much worse.



When Selling by Phone, Target Big Spenders!

[Business:Sales-Teleselling] Approximately 12 percent of all prospects love to buy. As consumers, they can't wait to load up their new charge cards with heavy debt, because the thrill of buying is so intoxicating to them. And if they're in business, they get equal glee from emptying their employers' treasuries. In the sales field, we call these folks, "Walk-Ins." All you have to do is knock on their door or phone them, and they'll put out the welcome mat. On the other side of the ledger, you'll find about 20% of all buyers. They are tightwads, hating to part with a buck. They hide behind electronic and human sentries, and hem and haw and try to whittle back your margins until they're paper-thin. Selling spendthrifts is cheap, fast and easy. Selling penny-pinching tightwads is costly, slow, and hard. If we're involved in telephone prospecting, cold calling, appointment setting, and just plain old selling by telephone, I think our fortunes are served better by endeavoring to sell "a lot to the few" instead of "a little to the many," says this top trainer, keynote speaker, and international sales and telemarketing consultant.



Is Privacy Becoming a Mere Illusion?

[Computers-and-Technology] Google just acquired Jaiku, a company that broadcasts information regarding what you're listening to, and can announce even where you are, in real time to Google. Enabling your friends, family, and presumably billions of strangers to learn, from moment to moment, what's going on in your head and your life.



Innovations - The Cold Calling Dashboard

[Business:Sales-Teleselling] Before cold calling became driven by technology and reps' eyes got glued to computer screens, we used a device at Time-Life Books that was absolutely state of the art, and I've never seen it anywhere else, until I inaugurated it at my clients' sites. It is a cold-calling "dashboard." The dashboard was not only ahead of its time - it still is, according to this top speaker, TV and radio commentator, and best-selling author of 12 books, including YOU CAN SELL ANYTHING BY TELEPHONE!, REACH OUT & SELL SOMEONE(R), and the popular audio seminars, THE NEW TELEMARKETING and THE LAW OF LARGE NUMBERS.



Avoiding Rejection Is A Waste of Time

[Business:Sales-Teleselling] Do you know what a neurosis is? It is the habit of overreacting to a certain kind of event, or trigger. Classic example: You accidentally grab a hot pot on the stove, burning your fingers. The pain is instantly imprinted in your brain, and as a result, you not only exercise caution when approaching hot stoves in the future, which is a suitable response, but you stop cooking, altogether. That last part, the cessation of what is a productive and even necessary activity simply because you associate it most recently with pain, is a neurotic reaction. The same concept applies to selling and experiencing rejection, according to this top speaker, best-selling author, and TV and radio expert commentator.



Commission Earning Salespeople Give Better Service

[Business:Sales] Are today's lazy, unmotivated, no-pressure car dealers providing a service to anyone based on their ineffectiveness? No way. I believe today's car customers are served much better by hungry, commission driven car dealers for 5 reasons.



5 Tips for Polishing Your Script

[Business:Sales-Teleselling] There are two kinds of folks who sell by telephone: (1) Those that deliberately use scripts and respect their functionality, and (2) Those that use scripts, but unconsciously. They are unaware of the fact that we unknowingly repeat phrases and terms that seem to be working for us when setting appointments, qualifying prospects, and closing sales by phone. This article is dedicated to the first group, to those of you who purposely employ a script and who are relentlessly pursuing ways to perfect it. Here are five overarching tips that should serve you well in polishing your selling scripts, according to this top trainer, keynote speaker, and best-selling author of such telemarking classics as: YOU CAN SELL ANYTHING BY TELEPHONE! and REACH OUT & SELL SOMEONE (R), and the popular audio seminars, THE NEW TELEMARKETING and THE LAW OF LARGE NUMBERS.



What Kind of Person Makes The Best Telephone Sales Agent?

[Business:Sales-Teleselling] Mark L. was an aspiring TV actor who just started getting good parts on daytime soap operas. Bob H. was solid student, serious, but I could make him laugh. And when I prodded him to do more than his usual best, especially during contests, he dug down deeper and came up with pure gold. Randy T. spent a good deal of time under the hood of his car, his face obscured by the rising smoke of a joint. And Bunny, ah yes, Bunny, was a bunny, cozying her way to one positive reception after the next. All of these unique characters, and many, many more were my top salespeople at Time-Life, recalls this top speaker, best-selling author, crackerjack trainer, and TV and radio expert commentator.



Sales Smarts 101 - Call Back All Hot Prospects Immediately!

[Business:Sales] There is an auto consortium that offers some of the classiest names in any showroom: Porsche, Mercedes, Jaguar, and Rolls-Royce among them. It can also boast a very poor batting average when it comes to earning my business, despite the fact that it is the closest venue in which to have my cars serviced. But this natural advantage is something the collective dealerships constantly fritter away.



Choose A More Productive Way to Procrastinate!

[Self-Improvement:Success] I'm fairly confident that procrastination, the tendency to put off doing important things, is universal. If Margaret Mead, the famed anthropologist, had sought out data confirming this trait, she would have found plenty, even among remote tribal communities. Happily, there is a better way of overcoming the temptation to procrastinate than by engaging in compulsive list making and self-downing, says this top speaker, best-selling author, and TV and radio commentator.



Scripts Are Essential, But You Need The Three T's to Bring Them to Life

[Business:Sales-Teleselling] There is always the question sellers ask when presented with a script, "Will this work?" but an even more pertinent one is, "Will it work for me?" And the answer is always the same: Unless you're an alien from a distant galaxy, of course it will work for you! But this isn't the whole story, as you might imagine. As a trainer, manager, and consultant I've seen that scripts are only part of the answer. They're helpful and even necessary ingredients of success, but we need more to succeed. Specifically, we need DIRECTION in bringing them to life. And this is where "The Three T's" come into play, says this top speaker, seminar presenter, and best-selling author of 12 books and the popular audio seminars, THE NEW TELEMARKETING and THE LAW OF LARGE NUMBERS.



The First Call of the Day May Be Your Best!

[Business:Sales-Teleselling] Don't waste your time by discounting those initial cold calls. They may be the best of the day! As winter approaches you'll see lots of commuters warming-up their cars before leaving for work.



5 Signs Your Articles Are Paying Off

[Writing-and-Speaking:Article-Marketing] In a perfect world authors wouldn't stop to judge the merit of their articles. We'd invest the same amount of time and effort in producing more. But we're somewhat flawed, hopelessly seeking gratification and a sense of where we stand with respect to the quality of our work. Here are five criteria that may help you to be a more effective critic of your own articles, according to this top speaker, professional writer, and frequent expert commentator on TV and radio.



10 Reasons The Donut Diet is One You Can Stick To!

[Health-and-Fitness:Weight-Loss] I had one donut for breakfast with a few cups of home brewed Starbucks coffee, and two more for dinner, accompanied by a glass of cabernet sauvignon, as I sat riveted to a Stephen King thriller on DVD. Between meals, without fanfare or whining, I took a refreshing two-mile stroll at the Venice Boardwalk. And I expect to drop some pounds, firm-up and feel satisfied eating more or less this way for as long as I wish. Admittedly, this is an odd way to get fit, don't you think? But it has a great chance of accomplishing its goal for ten reasons, says this top consultant, best-selling author, and popular TV and radio expert commentator.



Don't Let Data Drift Afflict Your Biography & Resume

[Business:Resumes-Cover-Letters] One of the things we should be cautioned against contributing to, as we write our professional biographies and resumes, is what I call "Data Drift." It is the tendency to: (1) Make these marketing documents longer than they should be; (2) To put far too much detail into them; and (3) To burden them with facts or opinions that might turn off our potential clients, says this top international consultant, best-selling author, and TV and radio commentator.



Cold Calling Is for Winners, Not Whiners

[Business:Sales-Teleselling] Peter F. Drucker, management sage and my late professor, said: We don't succeed in areas we don't respect. Clearly, this pertains to dialing for dollars, don't you think? How many among us truly admire and respect cold calling?



The Inexperienced Writer's Guide to Ezine Article Publishing

[Writing-and-Speaking:Article-Marketing] You'd like to join the article marketing game and get some name recognition, ego gratification, and occasional clicks. But you've never written before, and you're not sure you have much to say. What can you do? Specifically, how can you sound impressive and impart minimal content? Here are five tips you can use right away:, according to this top speaker, TV and radio expert commentator, and best-selling author of 12 books and the popular Nightingale-Conant audio seminar, THE LAW OF LARGE NUMBERS: HOW TO MAKE SUCCESS INEVITABLE.



Customer Service is FREE!

[Business:Customer-Service] A few years ago, Philip Crosby wrote a best-selling book, QUALITY IS FREE. Countering the perception that producing flawless products is costly, Crosby demonstrates that the savings achieved, especially in manufacturing, by doing something right the first time, and by avoiding recalls and repairs, is an effort that more than pays for itself. In the same spirit, I'm here to shout from the rooftops that CUSTOMER SERVICE IS FREE...



Don't You Ever Call Me Again!

[Business:Sales-Teleselling] It was a Friday morning and I was already looking forward to the weekend, despite the fact that I sold for Time-Life on Saturday mornings, too, from 9-1. As usual, I was moving down my list if prospects when I saw a fellow's name, nothing odd about it. I dialed and smiled, and began my pitch.



Two Simple Steps to Earning a Sale That The World Forgot

[Business:Sales] Recently, I ran an ad for a web developer to critique and offer a plan to improve my web site. I was deluged with responses, both from the United States as well as from China and India.



How to Be a Heartwarming Cold Caller

[Business:Sales-Teleselling] I managed a fellow by the name of Ben at Time-Life Books, and this fellow was special and very much worth remembering and emulating, recalls this top speaker, international sales and service consultant, TV and radio expert commentator...



Lessons in Entrepreneurship - How to Justify an Outright Ripoff

[Business:Entrepreneurialism] You're about to rip-off someone else's business concept or fashion line-up or method for making billions and billions of burgers. You'll become a rich entrepreneur in the process. But how can you justify it to the world, with a smile? This top speaker, best-selling author, and radio TV commentator tells you how to get away with it.



The Blessings in A Little Cold

[Self-Improvement:Positive-Attitude] This Fall and Winter, millions will be afflicted by allergies, common colds, and the flu. There's nothing new about this, but if we can make something constructive out of our misery, we might be just a little better off, says this top speaker, international sales and service consultant...



How Cold Calling Builds Careers & Profits

[Business:Sales-Teleselling] From a first sale at Time-Life to becoming a best-selling author, consultant, and expert TV and radio commentator, this writer chronicles how modest cold calls can launch careers and build profits.



Quality Isn't an Option

[Self-Improvement:Success] Of course, by tomorrow morning that set of sheets, pillows and bolsters will be askew, and will probably stay that way for the day, or longer. But for now, the entire ensemble is at blissful repose, as I am. Robert Pirsig, who wrote a national best-seller in ZEN & THE ART OF MOTORCYCLE MAINTENANCE is one of the unheralded fathers of the quality movement that swept America in the 80's and 90's. His contribution wasn't offered up to big corporations and to countries as were those made by quality gurus Peter F. Drucker and W, Edwards Deming. Pirsig created quality revolutions in one reader at a time, and he still does. I commend his book to one and all, says this top speaker, best-selling author, TV and radio expert commentator, and international sales and service consultant



Lessons in Entrepreneurship - How to Steal a Business

[Business:Entrepreneurialism] While there are successful lawsuits that can be brought against those that steal copyrights, trademarks, patents and the trade dress, i.e. the look, feel, color scheme, graphics, logos, and other proprietary aspects of businesses, the IDEA of a business cannot be kept completely exclusive.



5 Tips to Overcome Your Fear of Commission Selling

[Business:Sales-Teleselling] I just got this great question from a reader and I thought you might benefit from our dialogue regarding the fear of commission-only selling. Hello Gary, I've been reading some of your articles related to cold calling in the web. I'm starting a sales position for 2 companies from my own home. Cold calling businesses... But it is scary...



7 Things to Beware of In a Sales Job Offer

[Business:Sales-Teleselling] In a separate article I mentioned that often it pays off handsomely if you accept a commission-only sales job. Typically, if you're willing to work hard and accept some risks, the rewards can be outstanding.



You Can Still Sell Anything By Telephone!

[Business:Sales-Teleselling] Butcher, baker, or software maker, we're well into the new millennium and I'm here to tell you that you can STILL sell anything by telephone. This seemed like a preposterous boast on my part when I titled my best-selling book, You Can Sell Anything By Telephone!



You Should Say YES To That Commission-Only Job Offer!

[Business:Sales-Teleselling] Most people in America work on the clock. They earn money by the hour, day, week, month, or year. And that's comforting, because their bills come in hourly, daily, weekly monthly, and yearly. There's predictability and reliability to it. So, along comes a commission-only job offer, especially in selling, and how do these folks react? They're scared, as one of my readers told me in a recent email. This is an absolutely normal reaction. But it shouldn't be the final one, says this top speaker, best-selling author, and international sales and service consultant.



Five Ways to Inject Urgency Into Your Cold Calls

[Business:Sales-Teleselling] In theory, consultative selling, the idea of getting customers to close themselves based on answering clever questions, should be a world-beater, a sure winner. But would you believe me if I told you it is NOT helpful and actually counterproductive in telephone selling?



5 Worst Cold Calling Tips of All Time

[Business:Sales-Teleselling] There are always a few very nice, but literally misguided souls in my telephone sales workshops, cold calling seminars, prospecting programs, and telemarketing training sessions. They preface their questions with these words...



The Million Dollar Cold Call

[Business:Sales-Teleselling] People seem to get a thrill turning up their noses at folks who sell by telephone for a living. But let me say, if they're well trained and compensated properly, they're worth their weight in gold, says this top speaker, international consultant, inventor of THE NEW TELEMARKETING, and best-selling author of 12 books, including such classics as YOU CAN SELL ANYTHING BY TELEPHONE! and REACH OUT & SELL SOMEONE (R).



Let's Buy The Chicago White Sox!

[Recreation-and-Sports:Baseball] Just when you think Major League Baseball is getting smarter, that's its teams' managements are becoming more sophisticated and enlightened, one of them becomes so blissfully boneheaded that you feel you're watching sandlot play and the year is 1899.



Call The Job What You Will, Just Keep Cold Calling!

[Business:Sales-Teleselling] It's not uncommon to contact a company and to ask a sales manager, "Do you do any cold calling there?" and to have the person flatly reply "No," when this is exactly what he and his minions are doing.



How to Warm-Up Cold Calls & Chilly Emails

[Business:Sales-Teleselling] I've been doing a telephone marketing campaign to promote a series of seminars that I'll be presenting in the next several months at various universities. To bolster registrations in my Best Practices in Negotiation, Managing Client Relations, and Building Your Professional Practice seminars, I've been phoning into various practitioners' offices.



Zen & The Art of Cold Calling

[Business:Sales-Teleselling] If you want to make cold calling a peak experience instead of a trek into the emotional depths, there are five things to consider says this top speaker, international sales and customer satisfaction consultant, and best selling author of 12 books and the popular audio seminars, THE NEW TELEMARKETING and THE LAW OF LARGE NUMBERS: HOW TO MAKE SUCCESS INEVITABLE.



Cold Calling - Your First Lesson in Warrior Training

[Business:Sales-Teleselling] I've studied Zen, Eastern philosophy, and the martial arts for many years. But some of the best lessons in warriorship come from cold calling. Carlos Castaneda says warrior training should - "Start with a single act that has to be deliberate, precise, and sustained. If that act is repeated long enough, one acquires a sense of unbending INTENT, which can be applied to anything else. If that is accomplished the road is clear. One thing will lead to another until the warrior realizes his full potential." If you take a phone call as your "single act," and you repeat it, you'll perfect it, and you'll succeed. Sticking with this act, you develop "unbending intent."



Loyal Customers Try to Keep You in Business

[Business:Customer-Service] I was reading an interesting story about a small town resident who made a special trip to buy some finished lumber from a local hardware store, to use in a room addition. The lumber, by far wasn't the best quality. The hardware store didn't have convenient parking. The hardware store's prices were substantially higher than the Home Depot's. And the hardware store couldn't offer the do-it-yourselfer any easy financing. Still, the gentleman awarded the local merchant his business, and his reason?



5 Secrets of No-Pressure Cold Calling

[Business:Sales-Teleselling] People are afraid to cold call for a number of reasons. For one thing, they fear rejection. Also, they're concerned they'll sound foolish, or they'll be laughed or screamed at, or hung-up on. All of these cold calling events contribute to a feeling of high pressure on the caller, who in turn, pressures prospects, causing unnecessary failure and bruised feelings. What if you could cold call in utter calmness, as you might imagine the way a Zen master brings a cool cup of water from a well to his lips? Wouldn't that be nifty? Here are five tips for accomplishing this no-pressure state of mind, which will result in greater task satisfaction and produce more sales, as well according to this top speaker, CNBC expert commentator, and best-selling author of 12 books and the audio seminars, THE NEW TELEMARKETING and THE LAW OF LARGE NUMBERS: HOW TO MAKE SUCCESS INEVITABLE.



"Always Talk To Strangers!" Cold Calling Coach Advises

[Business:Sales-Teleselling] If you've been in and around selling for any length of time you've heard, and perhaps repeated several excuses for not cold calling: "It"s hard!" "It doesn't work!" "Prospects hate it!" "It's a time-waster!" "I'm better at closing deals than at opening them!" These rationalizations are foolish at best. Seasoned professionals know that cold calling is really easy and incredibly straightforward, it works beautifully, those who buy forget they bought via a cold call, it saves time, and opening deals is just as critical to sales success as closing them.



Sales Gems - Ask For The Sale at Least Once Before You Leave!

[Business:Sales] As a sales and customer satisfaction consultant I study the current practices of my clients, and in many cases, they're quite good and I pick-up on new concepts and techniques that work. One of my clients is the head of his own office automation company, and one day, I was watching him train a new batch of salespeople, and he cast a number of gems their way, one of which I'll share with you.



In Cooling Economies Cold Calling is King

[Business:Sales-Teleselling] More than one financial wizard has remarked that the U.S. economy is heading toward recession. Job creation has slipped from years of consecutive advances, the housing and mortgage lending balloons have burst, and the days of easy selling are coming to an end. In a word, I'm thrilled. Not for those who will suffer job losses or crunched-down wages and benefits and the other typical pains of economic contraction.



Cold Calling is Easy!

[Business:Sales-Teleselling] There is this knuckleheaded idea that cold calling is difficult. What makes it so? Is it the fact that you're sitting in an air-conditioned office or spare room, where you control 100% of the atmospherics?



Chicago White Sox - From First to Worst in Less Than 24 Months

[Recreation-and-Sports:Baseball] It's hard to believe that the Chicago White Sox were the 2005 World Champions, topping all other clubs in the majors. Today, as I gazed at the standings, less than two full seasons later, they're in dead last in the Central Division, beneath the perennially poor performers, the Kansas City Royals. The good news is that the Sox are a mere four games out of fourth place. They still have a fighting chance to stave off the shame of becoming cellar dwellers during the off-season. But they're not fighting, observes this top speaker, best-selling author, and creator of the popular Nightingale-Conant motivational program, THE LAW OF LARGE NUMBERS: HOW TO MAKE SUCCESS INEVITABLE.



First-Class Cold Calling Gets First-Class Results!

[Business:Sales-Teleselling] One of my client's reps sold an investment to a major bank, earning himself a ONE MILLION DOLLAR COMMISSION. He is a first-class cold caller, according to this top speaker, CNBC expert commentator, and best-selling author of 12 books including such classics as YOU CAN SELL ANYTHING BY TELEPHONE! and REACH OUT & SELL SOMEONE, along with the popular Nightingale-Conant audio seminar, THE LAW OF LARGE NUMBERS: HOW TO MAKE SUCCESS INEVITABLE.



How to Keep Cold Calling Companies Honest

[Business:Sales-Teleselling] Experience tells me clients as well as the conventional salespeople they employ are so intimidated by cold calling that they'll pay anyone nearly anything under any circumstances if they can avoid making their own calls.



How to Attract Clients to Your Professional Practice

[Business:Solo-Professionals] I was just perusing some of the recent articles posted at an ezine site when I came across the title - "What to Look For in A Good DUI Attorney." DUI means "driving under the influence," as you may know, and if you're nabbed doing this, getting competent counsel is certainly advisable.



5 Ways Ezines Cure Writers' Block

[Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] Imagine being a firefighter and one day, despite all of your training and years of experience, you simply seize up, can't slide down the proverbial pole and hop onto the wailing truck. Or, you sell insurance, and the day comes when you suddenly find yourself at a complete loss to explain the terms of a car policy, though you've done it hundreds of times and the coverage is stated clearly before you, in black and white. Your lips might move, but no sounds come out.



Negotiating With Book Publishers - Retaining Creative Control

[Business:Negotiation] I was watching the Charlie Rose show online, paying particular attention to interviews with Stanley Tucci and Steve Buscemi. You've seen both onscreen in scores of roles. They're fine character actors, as well as writers and people who are simply creative in all major areas of film-craft. Rose asked Tucci how he likes to work with film financiers, especially those who ante-up for small, quirky productions, and his answer was incredibly succinct and insightful: "You just have to find the person who is going to give you the money and leave you alone." This might mean high wealth individuals, bankers, or other sources. Of course, the trick is the second part of his comment, negotiating with someone who will leave you alone, enabling you to retain creative control and to bring your vision to life. I've found the same challenge in book publishing, says this top speaker, best-selling author, creator of the "Best Practices in Negotiation" seminar at UC Berkeley, and international consultant.



5 Reasons to Write For Free

[Writing-and-Speaking] I've published 1,215 articles without being paid a dime. It's not a record. At an Ezine sites where my work appears, there is another writer who is by far the leader, with more than 11,000 submissions to his credit. Aren't I investing a lot of time, and foregoing substantial money, while enriching publishers who sell Google advertising based on my effort? Isn't it also true that many of my direct competitors are advertising next to my articles and near my byline? By "giving away" some of my most contemporary ideas I'm giving-up potential book, tape and speaking revenue. Why would buyers pay money for ideas they can get for free? The essence of professionalism is being paid real money for your efforts. So, if you're giving them away, your skills, your talent, and your time, they must be worthless, right? At various points in my life these questions would have driven me to distraction. But my view has changed. There are five benefits for writers in not being officially compensated. says this top speaker, TV commentator, and best-selling author of 12 books and the popular Nightingale-Conant audio seminar, THE LAW OF LARGE NUMBERS: HOW TO MAKE SUCCESS INEVITABLE.



Professional Advancement is A Two-Way Street

[Business:Ethics] After being friends with someone for about three years, the day came when I needed some advice from him pertaining to where I might take my media career, a topic he's intimately familiar with because he's in the business. I phoned him and what surprised me was how easily he dismissed the subject of my inquiry, and turned the tables. He said, without a trace of regret or reluctance, "I can't help you, but if there's anything you can do for me, don't hesitate to call!" Thinking this self-centeredness was attributable to his being in show business, I was surprised even more when the same tack was taken by a fellow I knew in the Midwest, only a few weeks later. Did the ethic of "one hand washes the other," of reciprocity leave the business environment around the time "Elvis left the theater?"



Always Cold Call!

[Business:Sales-Teleselling] Wimps, bozos, geeks, nerds and punks, never cold call. It's not in them. They're gutless, clueless, and cowardly. They, like their fear-of-public-speaking cohorts, will do anything instead of having a show-down with a take-no-prisoners-prospect in real-time. They'll procrastinate. They'll make excuses. They'll worm and weasel their way to one rationalization after another. "Cold calling doesn't work!" "Cold calling is obsolete!" "Cold calling is for the desperate!" "Cold calling is inefficient!" Wrong, wrong, wrong, and wrong again! Cold calling is the fastest path to a "yes" known to humankind.



Let's Put an End to Service "Schizophrenia"

[Business:Customer-Service] Contemporary customer service makes most people, for lack of a better term, schizophrenic. Literally, we're of two minds about it, making the quality of service in our culture spotty, and a hit and miss proposition, at best. One the one hand, we're consumers. So, we want the most attentive, personalized, caring and efficient treatment possible. Then, we put on our business hats and everything changes. We become like that Batman character, Two-Face, memorably portrayed by Tommy Lee Jones, becoming misers, carefully rationing the amount of service we'll dole out to OUR customers and clients, says this CNBC commentator, top speaker, and best-selling author of 12 books, including MONITORING, MEASURING & MANAGING CUSTOMER SERVICE.



Entrepreneurship 101 - It's Better to be A Be a "Presentist" Than a Futurist

[Business:Entrepreneurialism] My professor, the late and great management guru, Peter F. Drucker, often said: "We can't see the future. The best we can do is to see the present, especially what others haven't noticed about it, and then to take action." One of my favorite examples of Drucker's wisdom relates to Dr. Paul Ehrlich, best-selling author of THE POPULATION BOMB, which caused quite a stir a few decades ago. Ehrlich's premise was at then-current rates of production and consumption the world would run out of food, triggering massive starvation and global unrest. It was inevitable, Ehrlich maintained, and his intellectual forbear, Thomas Malthus was correct: we'd simply have too many mouths to feed. Both gentlemen were wrong. If you bet on that future, you would have been a loser, says this CNBC commentator, top speaker, and best-selling author of 12 books and the popular Nightingale-Conant audio program, THE LAW OF LARGE NUMBERS: HOW TO MAKE SUCCESS INEVITABLE.



Consumers - How to Escalate Your Complaint & Win

[Business:Customer-Service] Escalation has been a term in currency within customer service units for many years. It is the process of moving a client's inbound call or complaint up from one level of support, or discretion, to the next. Typically, at Level One, which is where most of us dial-in, unless we're corporate buyers who are sent to a special cue, CSR's cannot give us anything except excuses. At Level Two, it's an entirely different story, says this CNBC expert commentator, top speaker, and best-selling author of 12 books, including MONITORING, MEASURING & MANAGING CUSTOMER SERVICE.



Prepare Yourselves - There Are Few Easy Sales in Tough Times!

[Business:Sales] As the economy grows tougher, and it will, we're going to witness a resurgence of petal-to-the-metal selling techniques. These are the essentials of traditional selling, and it's very, very possible, even if you're an experienced seller with five or more years under your belt, that you're clueless about these methods. You never had to learn them or deploy them.



Here's Proof - It's Never Too Late To Call Inactive Accounts!

[Business:Sales-Management] I received a phone message from my insurance agent, yesterday. It was a bit of a surprise that he was saying hello. My policy had lapsed and been replaced by two more policies many years ago. And the last time we chatted, I was childless, and now the eldest is 17 and on the way to being a high school senior. I called him back, we had a pleasant chat. He's doing more or less the same-old, but I needed to update him that I graduated from law school, became a licensed attorney, earned my MBA, am a regular on a TV channel he watches, published 12 books, and a few other details. After hearing all about what he missed in my life he didn't hesitate to tell me he has some exciting new financial products I might be interested in! I have to tip my hat to him, says this top speaker, best-selling author, and CNBC expert commentator.



Customer Service - Want a Quick Response? Call Into Sales, Not Support

[Business:Customer-Service] My DSL unit is buggy, and I've contacted A T & T about it, several times. Mostly, my calls are connected to offshore units that have no authority to send me a replacement modem. If I want that, they say, I need to contact the "Product Center," which puts me into cue for 20 minutes and then drops my call with a recording that flatly says I'll have to call back in non-peak hours. So, the tack of doing it the official way, by calling support just doesn't work, and it wastes time.



Negotiating Secrets - How To Self-Publish & Use Traditional Book Publishers

[Business:Negotiation] One of my readers emailed me this question, which is important to every novelist and non-fiction writer and intellectual property negotiator: "I was wondering if I should pursue traditional publishers or if self publishing really is the way to go?" The answer is BOTH, plus there is a THIRD even more lucrative option, says this top speaker, best-selling author, and negotiation pro.



Are Your Martial Arts Lessons Carrying Over Into Your World?

[Recreation-and-Sports:Martial-Arts] One of the main reasons folks are attracted to the martial arts is the implied or stated benefit of becoming stronger, more confident, and tougher. In many dojos, without question, you'll achieve these goals. When you step onto the mat you'll spar with fewer fears and butterflies, be able to withstand kicks and strikes, and authoritatively pay them back in kind. "But when you put on your street gear, and especially those business or work outfits, do you step down from being a king of the mat to a doormat?" asks this top speaker, CNBC commenttaor, and black belt in kenpo karate.



A Liberal Education is The Best Defense Against Cults

[Self-Improvement] The other day as I was looking at collegiate web sites, I happened upon Occidental College's home page. Its stated aim, which I paraphrase here, is to help students to: (1) Think critically; (2) Express themselves clearly; and (3) Seek out multiple viewpoints. While I would add a few things to this list, including an appreciation of the arts, I believe it sums up what a well rounded citizen should do, not only to achieve a meaningful life, but to make a contribution and to perpetuate democratic values.



Kicking Versus Kissing

[Recreation-and-Sports:Martial-Arts] Imagine encountering a martial artist who has practiced a certain move, such as a snap kick, a million or more times. It's powerful and more explosive and devastating than any other snap kick in the world. His mastery has become the stuff of legend, so much so that students seek him out. They, too, wish to have such a strong snap kick, but also they bring him their problems dealing with life, in general. "Can this master help them?" asks this top speaker, best-selling author, and black belt in kenpo karate.



Good Customer Service Equals Technical Competence Plus Human Relations Skills

[Business:Customer-Service] Being in a service economy means at least 70% of us are directly, inextricably, and completely engaged for our livings in delivering customer service - literally - a service to customers. (But if you ask most people "Are you in customer service?" they'll say no, thinking you're referring to a specific department or to a narrow business function.) Even if we're employed in the "goods" sector, in manufacturing, we're still tethered to customer service. Savvy economists point out - "There is no such thing as a commodity" a never changing product or raw material, which has no service dimension attached to it.



Heroes In Business Answer The Phone

[Business:Customer-Service] I may not be able to post this article online because my DSL line is acting batty. It drops connections every few minutes, frustrating the completion of even the shortest of tasks. I called AT&T to repair it. First, I reached their offshore call center, which shuttled me to three people. Finally, they concurred I have a hardware problem, that my modem needs to be replaced. But that's the equipment department they said, and they're only open narrow weekday hours. Fine, I phoned them on Monday, spoke to two more people there, was put on hold for twenty minutes, and then I heard an announcement that said I need to call back during non-peak hours. Then, I was purposely disconnected. I say purposely, because the design of the conversation is such that they're hanging-up NOW, and they're utterly remorseless about it. The modem probably costs all of five bucks, if that, presuming it's made in China.



Can A Dojo's Leader Be Replaced?

[Recreation-and-Sports:Martial-Arts] What happens when the Sensei or Sifu of your martial arts dojo goes batty, or simply loses the respect of his senior students, or he neglects their training, gets sick, moves away, phones-it-in, disappears altogether, or dies? Can he be replaced, and if so, by whom?



Megan's Great at Selling-Too Bad She Hates It!

[Business:Sales-Management] A few years back I wrote a best-selling book: SELLING SKILLS FOR THE NON-SALESPERSON: FOR PEOPLE WHO HATE TO SELL BUT LOVE TO SUCCEED. It is addressed to the great majority of folks that need to be persuasive, but who lack training, and of course who have titles other than "salesperson." That's a lot of people. I've had quite a bit of experience in training them, too. What I've always found especially interesting is the fact that many non-sellers, once trained, are just as effective, if not more so that their "official" counterparts-the ones with the loftier titles and the bigger paychecks. Still, despite outward success, non-sellers struggle, says this CNBC expert commentator, top speaker, and international consultant.



Customer Relations - Real People Inside!

[Business:Customer-Service] Do you remember those stickers that said, "Intel Inside", that were attached to so many personal computers and that appeared in zillions of ads? It was a very clever attempt at branding something that wasn't visible to a customer, but which was nonetheless important to the functioning of the product, the processor. Manufacturers that could claim their PC's were powered by Intel injected credibility into their otherwise drab and lesser known names on the computer boxes. Equally important, over time, Intel could release increasingly powerful processors and it would give buyers an enticement to upgrade, which stimulated sales throughout the entire supply chain. I'm not here to tell you one chip is better than another, because that may not be the case. But Intel showed us that there is a perception of value that can be built by touting the innards of a product.



Corporate Loyalty - Will You Still Need Me, Will You Still Feed Me, When I'm 64?

[Business] Decency is quickly departing from many American corporations, at least when it comes to how they handle their employees and customers. The kinder, gentler environment that President #41, George Herbert Walker Bush spoke of, remains a distant dream. It has been supplanted by a meaner, harsher reality during the reigns of his successors, #42, Bill Clinton, and #43, George W. Bush. Downsizing, off-shoring, world-sourcing, and other practices of the modern corporation have made temps of CSR's who would much rather enjoy the benefits of permanent employment. Today, it would only be a fool who would expect to invest an entire career at a single enterprise, where a generation ago, this expectation was fostered by a sizable number of employers and employees, alike. I see a connection between diminished corporate loyalty, loosened ties between job givers and job takers, and the plummeting of customer satisfaction, says this top speaker, CNBC expert commentator, and best-selling author of 12 books, including MONITORING, MEASURING & MANAGING CUSTOMER SERVICE.



4 Words to the Wise - "Fail Again - Fail Better!"

[Self-Improvement:Success] You've heard, of course, that a word to the wise is sufficient. In my case, I need a few more. I ran across a short string of four words that I like very much, and I think they contain quite a mighty success secret, worth sharing. Samuel Beckett is quoted as having said: "Fail again. Fail better." Why would we try to fail again? This seems irrational, when it's success we're after.



CorporateSpeak - Your Business is Important To Us, and Other Orwellianisms

[Business:Customer-Service] If you take a close look at corporate rhetoric these days you can easily conclude that we live in an Orwellian time when it comes to customer treatment. You remember George Orwell, author of "1984," a cautionary tale about a totalitarian society where great banners and giant flat-screen TV's were everywhere, touting expressions such as: WAR IS PEACE! HATE IS LOVE! Today's corporations are beaming out similar oxymoron's.



Customer Service - If You Don't Ask, You Don't Get!

[Business:Customer-Service] I contacted a credit card issuer because I had paid off a balance yet the following month my statement showed a finance charge. After wading through the voice prompts a CSR came on the line. "Why am I seeing a finance charge?" I asked with uncharacteristic gentleness. I suspected I might owe the fee, after all, but I wasn't at all sure of it. She explained there are "carry-over charges" that aren't completely retired by a prior payment. If that's so, I thought, these mystery charges could go on without end. How can we know we've totally and completely paid off a card's balance? I shared that concern with her and she agreed it seemed a little strange.



Are Customers Partly Responsible For Lousy Service?

[Business:Customer-Service] It's easy to blame customers for their misfortunes, and companies try this ruse all the time. Bought something that didn't work as advertised? It's your fault. If you knew what you were doing you wouldn't have purchased it in the first place. Did the product injure you? You misused it. You failed to follow directions. You were careless. Want your money back? You just have a bad case of sour grapes, buyer's remorse. You never intended to honor your commitment, anyway.



Cutting Back on Service? Customers Find Ways to Get Even!

[Business:Customer-Service] This decade started out as the era of the customer. It was a WIN + WIN vision. We create value for customers, and they pay us value in return, in the form of profits. But every party has a pooper, and along came CRM, Customer Relationship Management, and a new WIN-LOSE philosophy. Customers were not to be uniformly cherished, revered, and respected, anymore, unless they were in the 20% that presumably provides 80% of one's profits. "The customer is always right" became "Guilty until proven innocent." Today, if you are tagged as a client who needs too much hand-holding, you are thrown off the train, as SPRINT just did to 1,000 customers that called in for support too often. That carrier simply cut them loose, and effectively said find another vendor, go away, you're worthless to us. But you know what? Customers are pesky. You can toss them out, but they won't go gently.



Consumers Beware - 2 Subtle Scams - Fitness & Frequent Flyer Programs

[Business:Customer-Service] Wouldn't it be nice to be in a business where you could get someone's money but only have to deliver the service they paid for when you felt like it? Wouldn't it be great to hook people into subscribing to something that you haven't yet delivered, get them to invest a certain amount, but then before delivering being able to raise the price as high as you wish? Wouldn't it be amazing to sell a service, make it very difficult for the client to receive it, and have the client give-up, forfeiting his benefits while actually blaming himself for what you did?



Will Men Destroy Great Service In The Name of CRM?

[Business:Customer-Service] If men are populating service in greater numbers, or setting the tone of the field through writing and training, how will this affect the type of treatment being dispensed? Will it become less patient, less empathic, and more adversarial?



Blame it On Rio - Reconsider the Value of Delivering International Speeches & Seminars

[Writing-and-Speaking] In a prior article, I mentioned it is very costly to deliver a paid, professional speech or seminar at a distant international venue. You have prep time, visas to apply and wait for, travel to arrange, currency and payment collection issues, language barriers, and days on airplanes en route. Still, after having recently done a first-class program in Brazil, which I had a chance to videotape for release later as a product, I was pleased and said the experience was well worth it.



Customer Service - Good Things Come to Those Who Wait!

[Business:Customer-Service] This concept seems clear until you go to a restaurant as I did this afternoon for a little ravioli and minestrone soup. I've been a customer for about 20 years, and by now, the only face that hasn't changed is Tony's, the owner.



Customer Loyalty Is Not For Sale!

[Business:Customer-Service] Customer incentives tend to create a certain amount of repeat business and brand preference. But these outcomes, valuable as they can be to all parties, are utterly temporary and are not to be confused with LOYALTY. In fact, I contend that THE LESS WE GIVE TO CUSTOMERS by way of extrinsic, cash-types of awards, THE MORE LOYAL THEY'LL BE, says this top speaker, CNBC commentator, and best-selling author of 12 books, including MONITORING, MEASURIING & MANAGING CUSTOMER SERVICE.



Client Relations In A Post-Loyalty Era

[Business:Customer-Service] I believe we'll look back on frequency marketing schemes, whether they're offered by your airline, dry cleaner, favorite Italian restaurant, or hair stylist, as wasteful and ultimately, as dysfunctional. For instance, I only eat at a certain restaurant when it offers double or triple points, redeemable for free food. Certainly, they expected me to continue to patronize the place, but find a reason to do it more, if I stood to gain. But like the experimental mouse that will stop pulling the level when its rewards stop, I'm behaving exactly as I've been programmed to do.



Want Faster Service? Just Show Up at Their Door!

[Business:Customer-Service] It can be super-frustrating and time consuming to set appointments with busy professionals by phone, and when you get through and obtain one, frequently you have to wait weeks to be seen. I have a better way, and it may work for you, as well, says this top speaker, CNBC expert customer service commentator, and best-selling author of 12 books, including MONITORING, MEASURING & MANAGING CUSTOMER SERVICE.



Client Relations - Tell Us You're Completely Satisfied - Or Else!

[Business:Customer-Service] Customers don't want to be put on the spot, compelled to disclose their attitudes and feelings. Under compulsion, what we say is highly suspect, anyway, and it isn't much good in giving guidance to companies regarding their performance. If companies are after "the truth" they only need to monitor the nonverbal behavior of clients. I walked back into the rental agency to make this point. "If you want to know if were satisfied, look at our faces." I pointed to a fellow to my left, obviously perturbed. "He's not happy, now look at me." "I'm fairly happy; do you see the difference?" asked this top speaker, CNBC expert commentator, and best selling author of 12 books, including MONITORING, MEASURING & MANAGING CUSTOMER SERVICE.



The Power of Positive Reading

[Book-Reviews:Self-Help] Today, I reached for a little book in my library that I purchased at a second-hand store about a dozen years ago. This volume is a first edition of Norman Vincent Peale's classic, "The Power of Positive Thinking." I can't tell you how rewarding it is. In it you'll find the genesis of many of today's self-help nostrums. There are secrets of achieving self-confidence, restoring your flagging energy, and achieving inner peace, and if you apply them exactly as suggested, they'll probably work very well. What I'm struck by as much as the content is the tone of the book, which is consistently polite and respectful.



Forgetting About Time Is The Secret to Living Richly

[Self-Improvement:Success] If you called me or passed me on the street and asked me what day of the week it is, I'd probably pause for a few seconds that would feel like an eternity, before answering. Frankly, I can go for days at a time not realizing if it's Monday or Thursday. I don't have a hump day, as so many workers call Wednesday. Seldom do I sigh with relief and say, "Thank heaven, today's Friday!" I don't grow uptight as Sunday night gently ushers itself in, while solemnly dreading the Monday to come. None of these days have their customary, widespread cultural significance because I report to myself. My time is my own, literally, and to me, this is the secret to living richly, says this top speaker, CNBC expert commentator, and best-selling author of 12 books and the popular Nightingale-Conant audio program: THE LAW OF LARGE NUMBERS: HOW TO MAKE SUCCESS INEVITABLE.