The Big Picture of Selling

I remember competing at the University of Chicago in our conference championship track meet one dreary winter. I had finished my race and was sitting on the sidelines to watch the 60 meter dash. It was cold. Indoor track season in the north is bitter and frigid. The gun went off with six sprinters coming out of the blocks. Then it happened. A loud “pop” sound. A sprinter pulled his hamstring. He was on the sidelines in agony.

He was a well-conditioned athlete ready to race. In colder conditions, sprinters need to do extra warm-up to properly prepare the muscles for competition. Otherwise, painful consequences, such as hamstring pulls, are typical. Read more

Confusing Guitars With Guitarists.

I was relaxing one evening and watching a Bon Jovi concert on TV. The guitar solo Richie Sambora suddenly unleashed had the audience mesmerized. He is a master guitarist. He has mastered his trade through countless hours of practice, exploration and most of all, passion.

There are a lot of people who admire how Richie Sambora plays. He played a Fender guitar which many would buy at the nearest Guitar World. Or you could get his original guitar at Rock Star Guitar, a website of original artists’ guitars. People buy the guitar to identify with the great guitarist they uphold.

It even bleeds over into an illusion – “If I buy this guitar, it makes me a great guitarist.” Now that may be more subconscious than apparent for the average person. My question is why spend hundreds of dollars on a Richie Sambora guitar? Why not take the money and invest it into expert guitar lessons? Read more

The First Thing Is Loyalty

Last week I shared what defines a friendship in the truest test of the word. If I could sum it up in one word, it would be LOYALTY. The first thing I look for in a relationship is loyalty. It is the proof of trust. The second thing is … loyalty.

I love the game of business. I guess the biggest reason is because I get to find out if people are for real. Do they believe in what they are pursuing or selling? Do they hold on when adversity hits? Loyalty is a diamond in a rough. As speed has forced higher pressure on all of us, business has become more of a crucible. The urgency to make money, keep a job, keep a customer and make decisions tests our mettle. Read more

3 Tests of A Friendship

I have been thinking about relationships lately and how they work. We all need them. Friendships build us up, sharpen who we are and bring great joy to us. Living in isolation only allows us to go unchecked in our flawed behaviors.

Unfortunately, our society has become increasingly isolated in many ways. While our activity has increased, it has only contributed to distraction rather than focus. It’s a very hard battle. We are pulled by our demands for attention. Yet, the very thing that matters in life is often neglected – people.

Without people, we are not going to get very far in life. I have realized in my own life and business how important friends are. I do not use the term lightly, however. In actuality, we all have only a very few true friends. Here are what friends do: Read more