Although all my posts are important, this one may very well be more importanter than all the others combined. Yes, I know I said, “more importanter.” Do I have your attention?

For those of you pressed for time, I will cut to the chase. Get this and get it good: If you want to succeed in this business or any other business, it is more important than ever to “use” your friends. “Two heads (set of eyes) are better than one.”

By “friends” I mean mentor, coach, reliable source or any other name you choose to use. I was reminded of this on two occasions just last week. Read the rest of this entry »

Years ago, I wrote a book titled “Become the Exception.”  I thought I might highlight the first four chapters of the book which featured the four myths associated with the selling profession, according to me.

Myth Number One:  Selling is a numbers game.

You’ve all heard it before.  Make enough calls and ring enough doorbells and you will eventually sell something.  This accurately defines the old numbers game.  It might have resulted in a few sales back then, but I think that way of going to market has become outdated. It has become a myth.  Selling is Read the rest of this entry »

Let’s turn the clock back to when we were ten-years old.  If you asked the majority of men today how they met their first girlfriend, they would typically share a similar story.

In most cases, a young boy is introduced to his first girlfriend in the 5th grade at the age of ten.  The reason I know this is because that’s the age we realize that women exist.  Until that point, it was all about basketball, football and baseball. (I’m generalizing.) Read the rest of this entry »

I have been writing articles like this for what seems like an eternity. In fact, I think I have penned close to 3000 articles since I began writing for TRO. If nothing else, you know by now that I look at marketing and sales from a different angle. One thing I can say for certain. The older I get, which means the more experienced I get, the easier it gets.

I have found along the way that sometimes we insist on shooting ourselves in the foot.  We complicate Read the rest of this entry »

People often ask me where I get my ideas from for future articles. After penning over 2500 articles, I too find myself scratching my head at times. The answer, however, is quite simple. I live my life while paying attention to my surroundings. Life itself is a constant saga (article) unfolding as the days, weeks, months and years expeditiously fly by.

Strangely enough, today’s reminder comes to you via the Clark Gym’s Sauna Box in Cooperstown, NY. I recently found myself chatting with a man who Read the rest of this entry »

I was reminded again this week of the power of the sincere compliment. The scene this time was a small country restaurant in Richfield Springs, New York. This is a lazy little upstate town situated on Route 20 between Syracuse and Albany. I call it a restaurant but the term coffee dive might do it more poetic justice.  It is a small “joint” that serves breakfast. Got the picture? Read the rest of this entry »

I woke today with my mind in full gear. This sign of mental activity caught my attention. Although I cannot explain why, I decided to take what was spinning in my head and turn it into today’s article submission. I may seem to be meandering. Here goes.

The first thought that shot through my mind when I opened my eyes was, “I’m not dead yet.” I looked straight up and saw the ceiling before peering out the window to see what appeared to be a sun trying to brighten up the day. “Mike.”, I said to myself. “It seems you have been given another opportunity to do some good today. What are you planning on doing?” Read the rest of this entry »

Years ago, the founder and former CEO of Scandinavian Airlines, Jan Carlson, wrote a book titled Moments of Truth. The message reminded the reader that during the course of any one day, there were hundreds of occurrences where a customer is given an opportunity to make an opinion both good and bad about a service provider.

Similar to this truism, I have come to identify specific areas where a person is given reasons to begin questioning a service provider. I refer to these tell-tale signs as “red flags.” Read the rest of this entry »

I recently woke from what I considered at the time to be a nightmare. Don’t you love it once you realize that the turmoil you are facing was just a dream?  Mine nighttime experiences seem very real and at times, filled with creative nuances that confuse me as the day later unfolds.

I won’t bore you with the specifics, but I will share enough information to help support today’s message. Read the rest of this entry »

This may sound at first like a foolish question. Of course, you are ready to make more money. But it is not a foolish question. In fact, it is a question worth asking again and again. The truth is that most “travel professionals” do not want to make more money. I know this to be a fact because if they did, they would be making more money.

There is a wise old phrase that reminds us “talk is cheap.” Another cogent reminder suggests, “After all is said and done, more is said than done.”

Let’s cut to the chase and get a few facts straight. First, you can make as much money as you like in the travel business. You can double your current income in the coming year. Yes, you can. Read the rest of this entry »

For those who might be unfamiliar with America’s pastime, the position closest to the first baseman in the game of baseball is the second baseman. The defensive distance between these two players is usually no more than 30 feet. Furthermore, the game itself consists of throwing, running, catching, and hitting. One is usually gifted a baseball glove at age 5. This is normally when youngsters are introduced to the game Read the rest of this entry »

In the ever-evolving world of travel and tourism, it’s crucial that we never become too complacent or overconfident in the relationships we’ve built with our cherished customers. As the old saying goes, “It’s a jungle out there,” and the rules of the game are constantly changing.

Just as the well-established D’Arcy Advertising Agency learned the hard way when they lost the prestigious Mars account after 70 years of service, we must always remain vigilant and proactive in nurturing and strengthening our client relationships.

The message is clear: there are no guarantees Read the rest of this entry »

A recent article in INC Magazine promised to introduce the two words that the author considered the secret to future sales success. This immediately caught my attention, as I found myself searching for the “magic pill.”

When I began my selling career back in the late 70’s, a popular sales dictum relied heavily on making “cold calls.” This occurred when a salesperson popped into an enterprise unannounced hoping to gain a minute or two of meaningful face time. Believe it or not, this maneuver proved effective on more than a few occasions. This stunt, as a general rule, does not work today Read the rest of this entry »

Today’s article is coming to you from 31,000 feet above the ground. I am comfortably seated in an aisle seat in row 31 on an American Airlines flight en route to Philadelphia. Tomorrow I have the privilege of giving a Keynote Speech to a group of medical device sales reps. My title is GOING FROM GOOD TO GREAT. Although I have been delivering talks like this for nearly 40 years, I find myself preparing my opening remarks and following suggestions as if it were my first public appearance. I suppose the hidden message here is to never rest on your laurels Read the rest of this entry »

In 1982, I remember asking myself two questions before stepping up to the microphone, “What difference are you going to make? How are you going to improve upon the silence? 42 years later, I am still asking myself these same two questions.

In a few weeks, I will be presenting at an annual sales meeting consisting of medical device sales professionals. You can be sure that these two questions will be fresh on my mind.

And the fact of the matter is that every sales professional who is reading my column today (can be, and perhaps should be) asking yourself these same two questions Read the rest of this entry »

Two weeks ago, reminded you how important it was to differentiate yourself from your competition. In an effort to clarify my point, I referenced Seth Godin’s book titled The Purple Cow. 

Today I would like to expand on this topic by breaking down the word PURPLE.

Passionate. There are two schools of thought here. Some say that you do not need to be passionate about your work to get the job done. I agree. I am not passionate about mowing my lawn yet Read the rest of this entry »

As I often do, when I find myself in need of a little reading material, I open up a cabinet over my desk and grab the closest book that catches my eye. I have no intention of rereading the book itself, but to turn a few pages and focus on the highlighted passages earmarked from my initial reading.

On this particular day, I picked up The Purple Cow by Seth Godin. I was immediately reminded of the necessity in today’s competitive environment to properly differentiate yourself from the myriad of choices today’s buyer has at their fingertips Read the rest of this entry »

Before elaborating on this most important topic, I would like to get something straight right from the git-go. If you are currently playing a role in the travel industry, you are probably up to your eyeballs in competitive situations along with a whole boatload of problems, issues, decisions, and challenges that affect your future well-being. Summing up this conundrum in a single word, I welcome you to the zany world of entrepreneurship Read the rest of this entry »

I was recently reminded of this sage advice when I came across a travel-related Facebook post while doing some research for an upcoming presentation. This particular “poster” was venting to some degree relaying to anybody who would listen (read) how unfair life was as she muddled through this particular situation from hell with the client from hell. That was two “hells” in the same sentence so no wonder this post caught my attention Read the rest of this entry »

Every book ever written on sales has a detailed chapter outlining the steps and apparent benefits of “closing the sale.” Ever sales manager promoted to the corner office reminds his team that they need to “close” more sales before the quarter’s figures are tallied.

Next to overcoming objections and up selling, closing is a very popular topic in the world of sales these days. But, could there be a better way? I believe there is. The answer? Opening Sales Read the rest of this entry »

I was recently reminded how a true professional can really make a difference. Last month, while driving on the highway, I found myself flirting with disaster. Not knowing a worn ball bearing from a left-handed steering strut, I wasn’t sure what was happening when my steering wheel started to shimmy. My car suddenly veered to the left and the steering wheel was shaking wildly Read the rest of this entry »