If the thought of managing former peers, friends or those who are older than you causes some anxiety, you can reduce your worry by establishing some ground rules while earning…
Planes, Cars and Cathedrals
Leadership insights from turnaround pro, president and chief executive of Ford Motor Company, Alan R. Mulally. Tell me about the first time you started managing somebody. I was an engineer at…
Ask & You Shall Receive
An Accenture survey of more than 3 400 business professionals in 29 countries found that fewer than half of all respondents are satisfied with their current jobs. They attributed their discontent to a variety of issues, ranging from…
Delve Deeper into Clients’ Psyches to Become a Master of Persuasion
The conversations sales people have with customers are quite complex. They consist of verbal and non-verbal messages that are sent consciously and subconsciously. Successful customer communications are the foundation of…
Sales Compensation Using the Equilateral Triangle Method
There are few more critical decisions that business leaders make than how they compensate their sales organisation. Unfortunately, many look at this issue from a single vantage point. How much do we want our sellers to earn…
Strategic Account Management for Loyalty & Profit Growth
The single most predictive indicator of future growth is the level of attachment that your best customers have towards your business. As part of an overall account management strategy most companies will be able to segment…
How to Actually Achieve the Vision?
Once the leader has nailed down the vision and announced it to the troops, he or she needs to quickly follow with the strategies for how that vision is to be accomplished. Objectives In developing the strategies, it…
Are You a Hard-To-Read Boss?
When it comes to bosses, over the decades I have worked for/observed a whole bunch. I think the hard-to-read bosses are the most troublesome. They come in three varieties: Only Positive. You know you aren’t perfect,…
Getting the Most Out of Group-Think
If you’re looking to come up with a creative solution to a business problem, chances are you get your team together for a brainstorming session. After all, isn’t intellectual capital one of a business’s…
Pitch Perfect
Vital Stats Name: Michael van Straaten, 57 Designation: CEO, Verimark Sales Organisation & Distribution: Products are still marketed through DRTV, but can be purchased in the stores of most of the…