I once asked a renowned marriage counselor what he would tell people that would help people more than anything else. What he said surprised me. He said something like this, "We are not responsible for each others feelings. We choose our feelings." He continued, "Most...
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Influence your own feelings with actions
Here is a quote from Stephen Covey (Author of the Seven Habits of Highly Effective People) that I think many business people in relationships could benefit from: “My wife and I just don't have the same feelings for each other we used to have. I guess I just don't love...
A few B2B Sales and influence tips
a. Start higher than you think you need. Don't be afraid to reach out to a CEO, a superintendent, a mayor, city manager etc. They may kick you to someone else in the organization which is great. Influence flows downhill. b. Treat gatekeepers (and everyone) like gold....
Foundational influence principle – Listen more than you speak.
You don't need to talk a lot. You need to listen more. It doesn't matter if you are trying to sell, negotiate, parent, or counsel someone. You will have more influence if you seek to understand BEFORE you try to be understood. That's just the way it is.
How I Got in Front of a High Level Decision Maker in New York (idea for getting your entrepreneurial idea in front of the right people)
As entrepreneurs, it is important for us to make connections. Often times these connections are heavily guarded. In other words, anyone can approach an organization; not everyone can get in. One of the first steps in business-to-business sales or entrepreneurship...
Thankful
Sometimes we want to think that we did things all ourselves, that somehow our genius made us who we are - that we are self-created. But this is simply not the case. I want to first and foremost thank my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and give all glory to Him. I pray I...
Love is the answer
This is going to be a short blog post, but it is maybe the most important post I could make. Love is the most powerful principle. And I am not talking about romantic love. I am talking about deliberate, conscious, choices to really care, to act, to love. This choice...
The World is Upside Down
Some want to treat the senator, or the congressman or the CEO like royalty, but treat the janitor or the secretary like a nobody. This is a form of snobbery. Remember, principles govern the consequences of our choices. We have two choices when we encounter a...
Say it like it is
Many years ago, I worked with a company that had hundreds of items for sale on a website. My job was to answer the phone and help sell the products to the people calling in. One day, someone called in and said, "I'm thinking about buying this (one particular...
Gossip and Principles
I am impressed by something I think Stephen Covey spoke about. It was about gossip. Why do people gossip? It is almost always because they don't feel good about themselves and gossip gives them a temporary relief (almost like a painkiller does - fixes the pain briefly...