I was recently in an important meeting with a potential business partner discussing sales training when suddenly from behind me I heard, “Excuse me.” I looked over my shoulder and there stood a seven or eight year-old boy who had just ridden up on his bike. He then proceeded to ask us if we had seen the movie Alien Vs. Predator and I told him that I had. Next he pulled an Alien action figure out of his backpack and made a short “pitch” at selling me it for fifteen bucks. continue reading...

I was recently talking with a guy that I do sales training for and a great topic of discussion came up. This man owns a company with a very large sales force and he is constantly complaining about his employees’ lack of gratitude for him and what he has given them. With all the sacrifices he makes for them, he believes that they at least owe him that. In response to this, I told him that he needed to remember that a gift that is given with expectation of something in return is not a gift, it’s a trade. continue reading...