By Sales Keynote Speaker Connie Podesta Want to close more deals? First – know your audience. Buyers usually fall into two categories: Relators and Bottom Liners. The Relators are the warm and fuzzy people. The ones who want to get to know you. Ask about your family. Launch into relationship building. Connect. The Bottom Liners? Want facts. Figures. Graphs. Price. Delivery time. Data. They also have zero interest in being your friend and small talk sends them right through the roof. Here’s the deal: As salespeople, we fall into those two groups too. More than that, we tend to sell Read More
Sales Pitfalls: When the Ego Goes Unchecked
By Sales Keynote Speaker and Human Behavior Expert Connie Podesta When it comes to top salespeople, ego comes with the territory. That bullet-proof attitude of self-assured confidence is what allows them to step out of the crowd and into the spotlight. It gives them the charisma to persuade and influence. It fuels their drive to close the deal and be the best. It’s also what can stop them in their tracks. I’ll give you a personal example. Years ago, I was working to land a keynote speaking engagement with a blue-chip company that I REALLY wanted on my client list. I knew, without a Read More
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
Quit Trying to Make Everyone Happy
Leadership Lessons for Today’s World By Leadership Keynote Speaker Connie Podesta When did it become our job to make other people happy? Our kids? Our partners? The people on our team who follow our lead? Isn’t it about all we can do on most days just to make ourselves happy? Somewhere along the way, managers have been told by well-meaning people (and probably a few motivational speakers) that one of their priorities is to make sure all of their employees are happy. WRONG! Psychologically, it is IMPOSSIBLE to make someone else happy. I know you know that. You’ve certainly tried hard Read More
Quit Being Afraid to Fire People!
It’s Time for a Change of Perspective By Keynote Speaker and Leadership Expert Connie Podesta I totally get it! Psychologically, for most people, firing someone is one of the hardest things about being a leader. They obsess over it, lose sleep over it, and even get physically sick over it! Most of all they feel guilty –really guilty—about it. The question is: why do they take on what isn’t theirs to take on? The answer: because they feel responsible for “causing” another person to lose their job. So let’s get rid of the guilt and look at firing from an entirely different Read More
Quit Avoiding Documentation
The Proof-Gathering Side of Leadership In courtrooms, decisions are made based on actual proof. Hard evidence. Indisputable facts. The same principle should apply to leaders who determine the next career steps for their employees. The key word there is “should.” Unfortunately, it often doesn’t happen that way. I know that firsthand from my years of experience in HR. Leaders would show up to my office with an urgent request to fire a trouble-making employee, and I was more than happy to assist with that process. But when I asked for a copy of the file that documented the poor Read More
Quit Unknowingly Penalizing Top Performers
It Could Cost You Top Talent by Leadership Keynote Speaker Connie Podesta Throw out that statement and prepare for some serious pushback. I know because I’ve done it. And the response is…well, passionate. And a bit defensive. “No way! I reward them and recognize them every chance I get! They’re my rock stars!” “Are you kidding me? I worship my top performers! They carry the weight for the whole team!” “I would NEVER do anything to undermine them! They always go above and beyond.” Here’s the thing: Leaders wouldn’t intentionally penalize their top performers, but it might be Read More
Customer Service Problem? Maybe Not!
Quit Ignoring Unacceptable Behaviors and Attitudes by Leadership Keynote Speaker Connie Podesta Consider this scenario. When the report says customer satisfaction is way down, the manager wants to get to the bottom of it. The questions are fast and furious. Have the salespeople fallen down on the job? What’s the standard script for the customer service staff when calls come in? Are the clients becoming pickier because of the tough economy? Perhaps a competitor is starting to offer better products and features, so we are no longer measuring up. In the business world, there are Read More
Quit Leading Everyone the Same
Avoiding the Leadership “Golden Rule” Trap by Leadership Keynote Speaker Connie Podesta Even those who appear to be remarkably humble and self-aware can fall for this one. As children, most of us were taught “the golden rule”: we should treat others the way we want to be treated. Definitely, a great mantra for life. The world needs more kindness and consideration. No arguments there. But as leaders, this deeply ingrained belief could be inadvertently reducing our effectiveness. Think about that for a moment. If we treat all of our team members the way we want to be treated, we Read More
Quit Defining Leadership the Same Old Way
Describing Leaders: In Charge? Or Influential? by Leadership Keynote Speaker Connie Podesta If you asked 20 people to describe the characteristics of a powerful leader today, you’d probably get 20 different answers. So how can we effectively and concisely describe the essence of a successful leader in our current business environment—with the backdrop of global competition, splintering markets, and whiplash-inducing advances in technology? One word: influence. While great leaders years ago were often seen as being in charge, great leaders today are considered Read More