By Hall of Fame Speaker Connie Podesta The reality is? It’s not about anyone else. It’s not about your parents. Or your boss. Or your coworker. Or your childhood. It’s not about bad breaks, lack of luck, or whatever the heck the Joneses are up to. Your reality is up to one person and one person alone: YOU. Big question. As a former therapist and a keynote speaker who works with human beings all over the globe, I can tell you it’s a rare thing to find someone who asks, “Connie, what am I doing that is sabotaging my success?” That’s usually a step six conversation – right? A smarter Read More
Quit Allowing People to Sabotage You
Quit Allowing People to Sabotage You
By Hall of Fame Speaker Connie Podesta Nothing throws a wrench in a meeting like the sneers of passive-aggressive people. Sitting there, arms folded, huffing and puffing. But they never really say what’s bugging them. Ugh! The next move is yours, and it’s pretty clear-cut. If you don’t shut down that sabotaging behavior now, you’re basically giving them a free pass to be rude. They are getting away with it, and you’re letting them. The only solution is to take a stand—and take action. I know what you’re thinking now: “But Connie, I don’t like conflict.” I get it. Most people don’t. Read More
Quit Manipulating the People in Your Life
Quit Manipulating the People in Your Life
By Hall of Fame Speaker Connie Podesta “Me? Manipulative?! No way.” Before you assume this article is NOT about you, keep reading. We enter many of our conversations with desired outcomes. We want to get the project approved. Or land the big client. Or convince the rest of the family to choose the movie we want to see. Whatever it is, we infuse emotions as a tool to “manage” the course of our conversations. Many times, passion and enthusiasm can pave the road to positive results. But what happens if those conversation-managing emotions take a darker turn? I’m talking about Read More
Quit Allowing Yourself to Be Manipulated
Quit Allowing Yourself to Be Manipulated
By Hall of Fame Keynote Speaker Connie Podesta Oh, this topic is a doozy, but it’s universal. Everyone on the planet has come into contact with people who use manipulative emotions like hurt and anger to get their own way. Sometimes it’s obvious. Other times, interactions leave us blindsided by feelings of guilt or fear. No doubt about it, manipulative behavior can be powerful. It’s also a skill that gets tested and perfected from a very young age. I call it the “birth of a jerk” phase. Sounds harsh but stay with me here. Somewhere around three or four years old, kids begin testing Read More
Got Conflict? Start Using Assertive Communications
Got Conflict? Start Using Assertive Communications
by Connie Podesta, Hall of Fame Speaker In many of my keynote messages, I share with my audiences some facts about the psychology of human behavior—insights into why we do what we do, say what we say, and react the way we react. That’s handy information, because very few of us are flying solo through this world. We’re all interconnected. At work. At home. In our communities. If we want to get along and work effectively with other people (loved ones, friends, colleagues or neighbors), we need to learn how to be excellent communicators. Especially when we face conflict. And, quite frankly, Read More
Quit SELLING from a Place of Desperation Rather Than Success
Quit SELLING from a Place of Desperation Rather Than Success
By Sales Keynote Speaker and Human Behavior Expert Connie Podesta Bottom line? People want to buy from salespeople who project confidence, not desperation. In the video below, I share two personal stories of my experience as a new speaker. The first, an occasion where I acted completely out of desperation and literally ended up spending more to get myself to the multi-day event than I made. The other was when I ignored the completely blank you’ve-got-no-bookings calendar in front of me and answered an event manager’s question to whether I was available in July with two very strong Read More
Quit Underestimating Word of Mouth Marketing
Quit Underestimating Word of Mouth Marketing
By Sales Keynote Speaker and Human Behavior Expert Connie Podesta Word of mouth marketing is EVERYTHING. Why? Because it’s personal. It’s another human being putting their stamp of approval and trustworthiness on what you do – and then sharing why you’re the person to call with someone else! That’s powerful, especially in today’s world. It is true for almost every industry – doctors, lawyers, restaurants, salons, spas, real estate agents – you name it. It’s exceptionally important for salespeople. Many get into the mindset that they are in the business of whatever their product Read More
Connie Podesta: One of the Top 41 Motivational Sales Speakers
Connie Podesta: One of the Top 41 Motivational Sales Speakers
A huge thank you to Michele McGovern, and the team at ResourcefulSelling.com for the nod in this year's list of the Top 42 Motivational Speakers Who Can Energize Any Sales Team. What an honor to be in such illustrious company! I love sales and salespeople. Delivering the tools and insights that can help them not only increase production but develop strong, amazing long-term customer relationships that turn into customers for life is a passion. https://www.resourcefulselling.com/motivational-speakers/ Kudos to your team for your thoughtful research and article! It's an honor to serve Read More
Quit Pressuring People to Buy
Quit Pressuring People to Buy
By Connie Podesta The world has changed. The way consumers buy has changed. That old school, “There are ONLY TWO left” tactics are out. The truth is consumers have OPTIONS now. There’s hardly anything that we can’t purchase online. So, the high-pressure, gimmicky, push people to purchase sales delivery will get you exactly the opposite results than what you want. I’m reminded of how many times I’ve gone into a car dealership only to have someone try the, “I’ve got to speak to my sales manager” routine. Now, when I want to purchase a car, I go straight to the manager and tell them I Read More
Quit Listening to Employee Complaints
Quit Listening to Employee Complaints
by Leadership Keynote Speaker Connie Podesta Here’s a question for you. What are three words that make managers want to run the other way? Open Door Policy. The original intent of an “Open Door Policy” was to create a communication mechanism to ensure that employees would feel free to honestly discuss key issues without fear of retribution or, even worse, losing their jobs. In other words, not only would a leader’s door be open but, hopefully, so would their mind. However, over time that concept has expanded and become an excuse for some employees to also feel free to complain. About Read More