When I think about every great achievement I’ve been fortunate to experience I realize that there is always one, and usually many more, relationships involved.  Someone helped me, introduced me, taught me, mentored me or just shared an idea with me.  I truly believe that relationships are the determining factor in our ability to achieve great things.  Here is a television interview I had recently where I share my ideas about expanding our sphere of contribution and building more powerful relationships.

While working with an organization’s board of directors recently we discussed the components of great leadership. Many ideas were expressed and it was an amazing experience discovering the differences and the commonalities between everyone’s views. In the end three traits stood out.

True story: Early in the Minnesota Twins 2009 exhibition season, Twins manager Ron Gardenhire discovered a note on his desk from Justin Morneau, his star first baseman. It read: “Gardy: I forgot to run sprints after the workouts yesterday; I am fining myself.” Next to the note was a hundred-dollar bill.

Was Justin Morneau accountable because he was a superstar, or was he a superstar because he was accountable?

A very successful sales professional I know once told me that nothing happens until a sale is made.  Until a book is sold the book stores cannot afford employees, the printing companies cannot print anything, writers do not need to write, paper mills are quiet, trucking companies sit idle, and loggers aren’t needed to harvest any trees.  It all starts with the sale. The oldest profession in the world really is sales.  Someone had to sell Eve on the idea of trying that apple!  Whether you sell products and services, your ideas, or your self, proven skills and techniques are…

Every day we are faced with major decisions and large issues.  Some of our decisions involve large sums of money and effect people in a profound way.  We worry, fret, or lose sleep, which can adversely affect our health in dealing with these big decisions and issues. Effective business professionals must be able to stay focused but maintain a wide field of vision.  In addition to the major issues, there are seemingly small activities that can yield great results. Here are seven little things that you can do to make a big impact on your business. 1.  Say “Thank You”…

1.    Stay in touch 2.    Say Thank you 3.    Ask for referrals 4.    Discover if they have new needs 5.    Show them you care about them as people, not just clients Two questions for you: 1.    When was the last time you spoke with all of your clients? 2.    How have your clients’ needs evolved over the past 24 months? One thing for you to do: 1.    Create a brief three-question survey that you can use with your old clients to discover any new or changed needs they may have.  Now call them! Sample questions I really like.  You can…

I was in New York City speaking at the annual AFLAC meeting.  All of the top producers were there, and they were eager to learn and grow.  The meeting was held at the Marriott Marquis, which is located in Time Square.  Having a little extra time on my hands I went out for a walk. The first store I came across was an electronics store.  The window was filled with every imaginable cell phone, digital camera, video camera, and MP3 player.  Each piece of electronics was state-of-the-art in design, features and miniaturization.  The signage in the window promised great prices,…

What an interesting question.  How long would your list of things to do be if you were answering the above question?  Do you have seven things you want to do, seventeen things, twenty-seven things, or more? Many companies never take on projects because they fear failure.  New marketing campaigns get pushed aside, sales promotions are ignored, re-distribution of work loads aren’t tried, and more just because someone, somewhere is afraid to fail. Two guys named Steve, with only about $2000.00 between them, founded Apple Computer in a garage.  If they had more money to lose, would they have taken the…

My phone rings all the time with people looking for help in building their business.  They want to sell more, be more profitable, and find more satisfaction in their life.  Usually I share experiences from over 30 years of business building.  They seem amazed when the ideas I use with them turn into bottom line profits.  I’ve come to expect exceptional results, as techniques proven over time are the best way to build a solid foundation for forward growth. For a change I thought it might be fun to talk about how to destroy a business rather than build one. …

It’s 9:00 in the morning. Do you know where your strategic plan is? Most busy business professionals have a legal pad with a list of things to do that is a mile long. The majority of those activities are reactive items that came about because of the action, or inaction, of someone else. They are constantly trying to put out one fire after another. Three years go by, and they wonder why they haven’t seen significant growth in their business and more free time to enjoy life. The reason so many business people fall into this trap is because they…