I work closely with a company that designs and manufactures expensive boats. One of their long-time customers, a large boat dealer, asked for a meeting with them to discuss boat design improvements they believe are needed to sell more boats. The dealer has a long pattern of harsh criticism and negativity. At the same time,
Last week I sat in an audience judging seven new business pitches from local entrepreneurs. With some combination of anxiety and excitement, each entrepreneur made their case in less than five minutes, hoping to get the audience to understand and buy in to a concept they’ve spent substantial time developing. Which entrepreneur got the most
In April, we succeeded in getting our client’s attention, creating interest, and building the belief that our project would make an impact. But COVID made a lot of other things seem more urgent to them, and interest in our project stalled out. The question for us was, should we all just go into a holding
So there my colleague and I were, listening to the needs of a client. Like doctors, we internally formulated our diagnosis as we learned about our patient’s symptoms and situation. The more we heard, the surer we were of what the patient needed. In fact, we were certain that we could help. And not only
How do you sell (or outreach, fundraise, negotiate, network, interview, or gain buy-in) when the people you’re trying to reach are remote and afraid? Being socially distanced can prove to be challenging but also full of opportunity for new growth and outreach. Giving in to fear and isolating yourself beyond necessary means will only lead
This post was originally published on Nov. 5th, 2014. It was modified and reposted on Aug. 26th, 2019. The leader of a business association once took me out to lunch to recruit me for membership. He had his work cut out for him. I had two legitimate hesitations in joining: First, I’m uncomfortable adding another
Once upon a time, there was a guy who would find any excuse to hang out in our office. It wasn’t creepy hanging out. He always had a legitimate reason for being there, despite not working for the company. Perhaps he’d be dropping off a book for someone, or coming in for a meeting, or
It’s not easy to get others to want to work with you. In fact, it’s harder than you might think. Plenty of people have to work with you for a variety of reasons — you’re on the same team, they need your support, you’re selling what they need. So they’re going to be cordial, tolerant,
My first “real” job was working the floor at our local Musicland store. When the store closed each day, we’d lower the metal gate to the inside of the Eden Prairie shopping mall. One of my managers, Jeff, would always start the store closing rituals the same way: He’d play Van Halen music super loud.
How would you describe your dream client relationship? I’m fortunate to have one right now, so I know exactly what it looks like for me: The client and I genuinely ask how the other is doing—because we care. We open up to each other about work goals and challenges. He invites me into his planning
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