A recent study by a psychologist at the University of Arizona found that people who spend more of their day having deep, heart felt discussions and who spend less time engaging in small talk seem to be happier. Or, simply put, the folks who choose idle banter over in-depth conversations are found to be less…
“I know that you believe that you understood what you think I said, but I am not sure you realize that what you heard is not what I meant.” – Robert McCloskey, US State Department spokesman Being understood by your customer may be the most important aspect of selling. If they don’t get what you…
We all know charisma is important, but few of us know how to be charismatic. Many people think it’s something you’re born with and that it’s impossible to learn. While some people’s personalities may be more naturally charismatic, there are some simple tricks to increase your charisma quotient: Be kind. People are drawn to those…
Since its invention, we have been enamored with the photograph. Why do we respond so strongly to images? And how has this penchant for images been changing the social media landscape. Photography allows us to capture life’s most important events. We can immortalize famous moments in history, beloved relatives, young children before they grow up,…
We all know charisma is important, but few of us know how to be charismatic. Many people think it’s something you’re born with and that it’s impossible to learn. While some people’s personalities may be more naturally charismatic, there are some simple tricks to increase your charisma quotient: Be kind. People are drawn to those…
The concept of personal space affects nearly every facet of our daily lives. It determines how close we stand to strangers in an elevator, and how long we linger in an embrace with a friend. Personal space is the immediate area surrounding you that you recognize as “your” space. It violates social norms if someone…
In the last entry, we talked about how to deal with introverts. Knowing how to customize your own behavior to make others feel more comfortable may seem like a no-brainer, and it can help if you are aware if the other person is an introvert or an extrovert. Extroverts dominate society. The adjectives to describe…
A recent article titled “The Busy Trap” by New York Times columnist Tim Kreider got me thinking about the busyness in my own life and the current state of what I call “new age marketing.” This is a powerful article and it sadly describes my own busyness. Yet, I was not always this busy. I…
Bad news isn’t wine. It does not improve with age. Sometimes in sales, you have to give bad news to customers. While this is never easy, a little preparation goes a long way to helping you get the job done. Start by gathering all the facts and preparing yourself emotionally. Put yourself in the customer’s…
Many salespeople will tell you that texting is rising in popularity. We now have evidence. “According to a study by Pew, 83 percent of American adults own cell phones and 73 percent of them send and receive text messages. Pew surveyed more than 2,200 people and asked those who text to cite their preferred way…