A success strategy from Nobel Prize winner Albert Schweitzer

“There is no expedient to which a man will not resort, to avoid the real labour of thinking.” Sir Joshua Reynolds. Reynold’s quotation underpins why I regularly suggest that you reflect (ie. take time to think) in the ‘How to apply’ section of many of my posts.

Albert Schweitzer echos Reynold’s sentiments with an answer to a question posed to him in 1952. He was asked: “What’s wrong with men today?” he replied: “Men simply don’t think”.

The ‘how to apply’ for this post: Aim in 2013 to regularly take time to reflect and think on the important matters in your business life. Schedule time in your Outlook calendar (eg. send an Invitation to yourself) to reflect and think on a specific matter. Even just 20 minutes of concentrated thinking/reflecting can be valuable.

 

 

An example of playing the victim from Craig Thomson

Craig Thomson was again the victim in his press conference yesterday with his, “I have done no wrong-doing” comment (Below is a link to a Daily Telegraph, Honestly believing that he is a victim article with my body language and speech analysis of Thomson’s May 2012 Federal Parliament address.) Also below is yesterday’s press conference clip.Continue reading

A powerful habit of highly productive people

As you may know Stephen Covey passed on this year. Covey’s book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People (The Business Library 1990) made a big impact on me when it was first released. Particularly at this time the Seventh Habit in the book – Sharpen the Saw – is relevant in my business. It might be relevant in your business/work too.Continue reading

My top, three sales ideas/techniques

1. Allow the customer to speak 70% (or more) of the total interaction time. To begin using this technique, at the end of an upcoming sales interaction, rate your listening versus speaking percentage. For example, 40% listening/60% speaking.Continue reading

A way to reduce management speak

“Here’s the thing . . . blah, blah, blah . . . here’s the thing . . .  blah  blah blah . . . here’s the thing.” Recently I sat in a workshop where the workshop leader interjected the “Here’s the thing” phrase every 30-45 seconds.Continue reading

How to cultivate and project gravitas

Recently a participant who had attended one of my in-house ‘Delivering memorable spoken messages’ programmes said, “A hot topic for me is ‘Gravitas’”. That is, skill in being able, when appropriate, to project a serious demeanor.Continue reading