Following last week’s post about finding and attracting clients, the question has surfaced: What personal attributes are critical to implementing an effective client pursuit plan? Sure, you have to be a good communicator, build relationships, organize your activities and have a good attitude…but what do you need to do to play in the big leagues?
Longtime readers of my blog know there’s one element that’s central to every post I write: being human at work. It seems obvious, but sometimes we forget that core common denominator in everything that’s important. And that’s why my blog is about “leading as a human being rather than a human doing.” Recently, I’ve had
We’ve been to the same furniture store four times and still haven’t bought a couch. Every visit we leave feeling overwhelmed with our choices. As the salesperson learns more about us, she presents more options—bedding, curtains and pillows to match! In her passion to present everything we might need, she’s driving us further and further
After going through six miscarriages, we’d agreed that we should choose our new baby’s name based on what it meant, not what it sounded like. So when we arrived at the hospital six months ago, we were in full agreement that if our baby was a girl, her name would be Matilda Mae (Matilda meaning
I have a confession: I’m fascinated with talk radio. (And apparently, I’m not the only one.) I’m particularly devoted to two shows: “The World Next Week,” by the Council on Foreign Relations, and “The John Williams Show” on our local CBS radio affiliate. They’re “appointment radio/podcasts” for me because they consistently inspire, energize and educate.
Last week, my wife and I became concerned about a rash that had developed on the head and neck of our newborn baby. Worried that it was an allergic reaction, my wife called the after-hours nurses’ hotline to present the problem. The nurse began by determining the urgency by asking life-or-death questions. Next, the nurse
Last week I talked about three of the people who have inspired me recently. Every week we can find these moments of inspiration, both large and small, if we’re willing to look for them. Who moved you this week? Who made you sit up taller, think more clearly or engage more deeply? Here are three
Who moved you this week? Who made you sit up taller, think more clearly or engage more deeply? Here are three lessons of inspiration I learned this week. 1. Being flawed is being human. In telling me about his journey of accepting being flawed and broken, Dave talked about his desire to be perfect and
Lunch this week with a potential client – first time we’d met. Conversation starts out a bit awkward and choppy. So we make small talk about the weather and family. How can I get this one-hour conversation to the point where he wants to meet again, I think to myself. I ask a question about
As a leader, there will be times when you’ll need to change someone’s behavior or mindset. If you’re like most of us, your instinct will be to put your powers of persuasion to work, to come up with all the best arguments to sway the person. Persuasion, which relies on logic and wit, is an
Matt Norman is president of Norman & Associates, which offers Dale Carnegie Training in the North Central US. Dale Carnegie Training is a global organization ...READ MORE