Imagine having to stand in front of your shareholders and say: “Last year we lost $3.77 billion.” That was the situation Warren Buffett faced after Berkshire Hathaway’s difficult 2001. I first heard this story from Robert Cialdini in 2004, when he spoke at several State Auto agency partner meetings. He used Buffett’s situation to illustrate […]

I recently read a LinkedIn post where the author shared a fascinating study about music in a wine shop. Simply changing the background music dramatically shifted whether customers bought French or German wine. Then someone commented: “What kind of music should I play in my toy store?” I understood the question. But I also think […]

Growth is hard because it almost always involves pain. Think about children. Sometimes they wake up in the middle of the night crying because of growing pains. They don’t understand that their bones are stretching, their bodies are changing, but they know they’re experiencing pain. The same is true throughout life. When I competed in […]

Father’s Day was Sunday, a time when many families celebrated the men who helped raise them. For some people, however, Father’s Day is complicated. Over the years, I’ve learned that even referring to God as “Father” can be difficult for some people because their experience with their earthly father was painful. Some never knew their […]

Salespeople often ask me, “What’s the most powerful principle of influence when it comes to sales?” While every sales situation is different, I believe the principle of consistency is often the most powerful influence principle in the sales process. Why? Because the best salespeople talk less. That may sound strange, especially if your experience with sales involves […]