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Thanks to Ye Olde Google Alerts, I stumbled across an article written by Matt Sussman discussing tomorrow’s NCAA showdown between Oregon and Miami of Ohio (my alma matter). I wont quote the whole article, but I about laughed myself out of my desk chair when I read this section: For a school stowed away in Southeast Ohio’s armpit, Miami sure has a lot of famous graduates: Woody Hayes, Weeb…

Read part 1 here! Read part 2 here! Read part 3 here! Mmm…Chocolate Frank Mars was a candy salesman. But he needed something new. Something nobody had ever tasted before. At the time (1923), the chocolate malted milk was the most popular drink in the nation. So he wondered, “Why not put that flavor into a candy bar?” Then he did something no other candy maker ever attempted: he…

People want to do business with (and be around) other people who have their own philosophy. Their own unique approach. To business. To life. A way to treat customers. Online and off. How they roll. Alone and in front of others. Your own philosophy = approachable. For the past seven years, I’ve been perfecting mine. If this is your first time here, it goes a little something like this:…

“Writing is the basis of all wealth.” Those words were first taught to me by my friend/mentor, Jeffrey Gitomer. And while you can take that statement into many directions, today our focus will be on journaling. Journaling is your friend. Journaling is your resource. Journaling is your ticket to success. According to a 2007 report from QuintCareers, journaling possesses near-unlimited power. It can lead to: o Increased awareness, sharper…

(Read part one of this series here!) Sometimes all you need is one good hour. To get to know someone. To catch up with someone. To stay in touch with someone. A month ago, I got a surprising email from a woman named Lena West. Lena lives in New York, which explains why I was so surprised. See, she invited me to have lunch with her. A VIRTUAL lunch….

Studies show. Research proves. Scientists say. Psychologists report. Experts believe. THEY say. There’s an old story that says. I’ve heard from a lot of people say. Most people agree. It is said that. Critics say. Statistics show. Somebody once said. The reviews say. No. No, no, no! None of that is good enough. Not in a conversation. Not in a speech. Not in an article. Not in a blog…

The other day I (thought) I was having an epiphany: “If you have to tell people you are, you aren’t.” BRILLIANT! I was all excited to write about it, blog it, and eventually take credit for that statement as my own original thought. But. The Google informs me that Margaret Thatcher first uttered that quotation like, 50 years ago. Damn it. MINI-LESSON LEARNED: Every time you think you’ve said…

Soon.

Two words ain’t much. But sometimes it’s just what you need to hear: 1. Next Time. When you (or someone else) messes up, don’t dwell on the mistake for more than a few minutes. Sure, it’s easy to exclaim, “You putz! What the hell were you thinking?” But a better approach would be to say, “Next time, don’t talk on your cell phone while driving.” “Next time” is solution…

The first words out of your mouth frame the entire customer experience. Consider these two facts: 1. According to The Wall Street Journal from February 17th, 2006, you have less than five seconds to make a first impression. 2. According to a 2007 report on www.hotelexecutive.com, your greeting influences the customer’s perception more than any other act of engagement. That’s how powerful your first words are. With that in…