Not that you asked, but I have some things to say.

A simple question, but powerful when properly applied. I have seen companies that have existing brand recognition within a specific market. I have seen these companies, and have worked/networked/not worked with some of their sales folk. I have, too often, seen them present their, and I stress their , snapshot of what and who their company is. I've had the opportunity to sit in on meetings with other sales reps, and when they start anywhere than where the customer is in their perception, you get a few reactions from the client.....1) Boring , I am pretty well versed with who you are. 2) Bullshit , nothing you are saying rings true with my perceptions 3) Boring , I don't know who you are and I don't care about any of this stuff you think is an actual introduction.....and maybe a 4) Wow , I only cared about 10% of what you told me...let's go back to that. Show up and throw up, beginning corporate history on Powerpoint slide three, list of clients....SNOOZE. Every c...

I have been asked to speak to high-school students about the Internet. The idea is to begin planting seeds in these young minds... on technology and how it relates to the business world. The desire from the teacher is to start with a 'general understanding' approach, show them how it relates to the business world, and then give them a block of time to come up with some form of business idea that will be Internet based. I, again, cannot stress the sad state of affairs our education system must be in, if educators are looking to me as anything but a bad influence. Maybe I'm being overly self-deprecating. Maybe they are desperate. Either way I'm honored. Oh, and by the way, I'm using a hamster to explain the internet. I'll be calling him 'Surfy". Now when I say 'Internet" I'm not talking about the applications that run over the Internet, the web-sites that are accessible over the Internet, Social Media empowered by the Internet, or any...

Music Row, Prince's Chicken, the Ryman, Fan Fair (yes I still call it that)...just a few of Nashville's unique offerings. Add the tech-start up environment, the healthcare industry, a grand infrastructure for new HQs and Data Centers, and some fine universities....we've sort of got it going on here in Nashville. GQ, Esquire, Saveur, Forbes (just to name a few) have extolled the beauties of Nashville and we've been dubbed 'the new It city'....we have also garnered a few haters (The Atlantic, a few blogs, etc) either denying our 'It' status, or spewing vitriol about the detestability of an 'It' city even existing....we've got it. When the love comes forth you are doing something good.....when the haters start in, you are doing something great. But....we have something here that I've heard is rather unique. Nashville, being a city of transplants, has the ability to look at itself with many eyes...through the migrated lenses of our tran...

OK....first, I'll have to admit that 4 out of 10 people that I speak to about "Goal Club" seem to hear "Gold Club", and then the stripper jokes commence....while this speaks volumes, it has nothing to do with what I want to talk about here. I have a group of 10 or so friends, networking pals, that have allowed me to speak to them on a process to set goals. It's a process that was introduced to me over a decade ago, by a leader that I respect immensely.  In a nutshell, it is a way to take a wish, and turn it into a goal (most people think they have goals, when they actually have wishes, goals have requirements). The process then takes those goals and adds a few steps that will best ensure the accomplishments of these goals. Seems simple, but in the decade or so I've been doing it as a pupil, I've yet to truly master it. I'm not sure anyone has. I believe that's the beauty of the process, that the desire and process of making yourself bette...

I'm sure this translates to many occupations other than sales, so view this through whatever personal lens you may. A problem, a negotiation, a need arises. There are multiple ways to approach said situation. Have you ever been overwhelmed with the angles and facets that are at your disposal? Have you ever seen a beginning and an end, and then in between lay a forest of options at which to hack and hew and saw? Think of a circular room with a dozen or so doors, only half of which will lead you to where you need to go. Now pick a door. Oh, and one of the doors has a big alligator behind it....and he's hungry. So as you work your way through a tough situation, there is that moment where you reach a singularity. Maybe it's a great win-win situation, and the corks start popping. But....sometimes it's just not. Sometimes you hit a point where a line is drawn, and 1) That line could be the spot where two parties accept a bit of give and take, and shake hands. They s...

This weekend I attended the 2013 Sales Kick Off (SKO) for my company. It was a great event, dare I say extravaganza. In this post I won't really discuss the SKO specifics, but more about the inflection and resulting motivation it imbued. At SKO, my company announced the 2012 President's Club winners at a lovely dinner on the first night there. Our President of Sales gave a brief summary of every winning rep, and a snapshot of the successes they had that led them to win the honor of this trip. It was inspiring. I have attended many President's Clubs with my previous employer, enough to instill an understanding that my ability to claim true success meant going to "Club". Since joining my new company, my sales have been less than stellar so far. I am building, and expect 2013 to be the year of change. Back to the Future. As they read off the winners I had a mix of emotions....reflection on my past successes, an odd acceptance of my current situation of "...

I have avoided taking on a managerial role, since the early 2000's. I tried it, and it wasn't exactly for me. That could change, as I grow older, but for now I believe I will remain the reluctant leader....the Sergeant in the trenches, a guide on the side. I filled out a questionnaire recently on best practices of leaders, when you aren't in a direct managerial/leadership role. It was difficult to sum up the hundreds of ways leadership happens. But the questionnaire asked to summarize and list three things that make the biggest impact. Today, I'll focus on just one... Community. Every year I pick some form of community involvement...something I can throw myself behind or into as a way to give back to the community that I am a part of. I've spread myself thin in the past, so this year I have picked just two. One is related to a more altruistic charity, the other is more of a way to give back to the Nashville Technology/Business community. This isn't that impo...