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The First 5 Minutes: How to Stop Sounding Like a Vendor

By / / Brand & Reputation, Buying, Communication, Sales Skills, Uncategorized

In 30 seconds

The Problem: Most salespeople sabotage their credibility in the first five minutes. They over-apologise, fill time with aimless small talk, or launch straight into a pitch deck. The moment they do, they signal “vendor” rather than “trusted advisor” and lose the peer dynamic before the conversation even starts.

The Shift: The way you open a meeting sets the entire tone of the relationship. Advisors diagnose; vendors present. Your body language, your language, and your agenda-setting either earn you a seat at the table or confirm you were never meant to have one.

The Solution: Own the room from minute one. Replace apologies with anticipation, pivot small talk purposefully, frame the meeting as mutual exploration, and check for shifted priorities before diving in. Peer dynamics are not granted, they are established, and the first 300 seconds are yours to claim.

 

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Why Your Reputation IS Other People’s Business AND How Not To Care

By / / Attitudes & Behaviours, Brand & Reputation, Emotional Intelligence, Life Skills

In 30 seconds

Reese Witherspoon’s call to ignore others’ opinions promises freedom, but in business, reputation, shaped by what’s said when you leave the room, drives success. Harvard Business Review (2023) notes 70% of hiring decisions hinge on perception, underscoring our need to engage proactively. Yet, total detachment risks isolation. Emotional intelligence (EQ) bridges this gap: self-regulation and empathy foster trust while preserving identity. As an HSP, I use “caring detachment” to connect, collaborate, and lead, owning my emotions despite people-pleasing tendencies. It’s messy but manageable with reflection and boundaries. How do you balance freedom and reputation? Share your insights.

In 2 …

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Digital Stagecraft: Engage, Communicate & Sell Better in the Digital Age

By / / AI & Data, Brand & Reputation, Sales Presentation & Grooming, Soft skills

In 30 seconds

With Gartner predicting in the near future that 80% of B2B sales interactions between suppliers and buyers will occur in digital channels, reflecting a substantial move towards digital-first engagement, Digital Stagecraft is an essential skill set combined with critical soft skills we need to master if we want to sell effectively in a hybrid world. Digital Stagecraft, a term I developed to describe this vital skill set, is about commanding your online and virtual presence with finesse—grabbing attention with polished pitches, building trust through clear messaging, and converting interest into action with seamless virtual tours or demos. …

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social selling

How Prepared Are B2B Sales Teams for Social Selling?

By / / Blog, Brand & Reputation, Business Growth, Networking, Sales Results, Sales Skills, Selling Better, Social Media, Social Sales, Soft skills

In 30 seconds

B2B sales teams are adopting social selling, but many remain in the early stages of mastering it. Direct phone prospecting still plays a role, particularly for high-value and complex sales, but it must now complement the digitally driven strategies of social selling. The future of sales lies in blending the relationship-building power of social selling with the personal touch of phone calls, creating a seamless approach that adapts to the needs of modern prospects. By doing so, sales teams can work smarter, not harder, to achieve lasting success.

In 2 minutes

Social Selling—the process of using social media platforms to …

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Is Your Customer Always Right?

By / / Attitudes & Behaviours, Blog, Brand & Reputation, Customer experience, Customer Service, Customer-centric, Prospecting

In 30 seconds

The quote “the customer is always right” emerged in the early 20th century, sparking debate on its application. Harry Gordon Selfridge, founder of Selfridge’s Department Store, famously said, “The customer is always right in matters of taste,” highlighting the subjective nature of taste. Conversely, César Ritz advocated for immediate resolution of customer complaints, no questions asked. Today, this motto remains contentious, especially in balancing customer satisfaction with employee well-being. Sales teams face challenges like defining “right” in the digital age, leveraging customer data, and guiding customers ethically, even if that means contradicting them. Ultimately, the focus should be …

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Short-Term Gains, Long-Term Pains

By / / Blog, Brand & Reputation, Business Growth, Case study, Customer-centric, Ethics & Values, Human-centred, Sales Growth, Success, Sustainability & Environment, Trust

In 30 seconds

Focusing solely on short-term results like Boeing did, prioritising profits over safety, led to disastrous quality issues and accidents. This highlights a broader problem: prioritising sales figures over people’s well-being can erode trust and damage reputation in any industry, not just aviation. The same happens when organisations drive sales teams solely based on numbers, quantity, and financial outcomes. While it can lead to the desired short-term results, it puts the business at risk in the long-term:  Erosion of quality, safety, reliability, trust, and reputation.

In 1.5 minutes

We frequently talk here about the risks of focusing on …

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The Stuff No One Teaches You About Human Engagement

By / / Attitudes & Behaviours, Blog, Brand & Reputation, Communication, Education in Sales, Human-centred, Life Skills, Presentation & Grooming, Sales Presentation & Grooming, Self Promotion, Uncategorized, Wellbeing

In 30 seconds

We all need to know how to engage, relate, and persuade people. It’s part of life. So, how do we learn to make memorable introductions, deliver compelling presentations, effectively position ourselves for career promotions, and navigate our way through a myriad of human relationships without falling to pieces? When it comes to presenting and engaging with others, a lack of skills can fill people with fear, especially when you’ve never been taught how to manage yourself in these situations. I see this all the time. As one MBA student told me recently on a Narrative, Presence and Presentation …

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No More Games - Fostering Healthy Relationships

No More Games: Fostering Healthy Relationships

By / / Blog, Brand & Reputation, Common Ground, Ethics & Values, Human-centred, Sales Relationships

No more games*! Now more one-upmanship! No more outfoxing, outsmarting or outwitting others at their expense!

Instead, what about playing it straight and acting with honesty, integrity, and transparency?

What about prioritising and fostering healthy relationships in business and life?

In this pandemic VUCA** riddled world, many people already have a lot on their minds, assessing risk and worrying about their future. Being in a constant state of wariness is exhausting.

Finding someone you can trust and rely upon to do a good job, someone who wants to work with you, has your back, and understands and respects you in this turbulent sea of …

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The Race to Zero

By / / Attitudes & Behaviours, Blog, Brand & Reputation, Decarbonising, Environment & Sustainability, Innovation, Marketing, Sales Trends, Sustainability & Environment

In Sales Trend 4 of the Barrett 12 Sales Trends Report for 2022 guest author Ben Peacock from Republic of Everyone explains what brands are doing to lower their climate impact and why it’s crucial that they do so.

By guest author Ben Peacock – Founder, Republic of Everyone

You might be too young to remember, but sometime in 2009 Cascade launched a beer called Cascade Green.

The bottle was green, the billboards were green, made of real plants growing where usually only ads would be, the beer was green – 100% carbon neutral – and it …

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