This didn’t happen in my time …

By / / Attitudes & Behaviours, Ethics & Values, Life Skills, Opportunity, Optimism, Selling Better, Success

Today it happens it is the same
to be decent or a traitor
To be an ignorant, wise, a pickpocket,
a generous person or a swindler
All is the same, nothing is better
They are the same, a fool
and a professor
There are no failing grades or hierarchy,
the immoral people have caught up with us.
If one lives in deceit
and another, in their ambition, steals.
It’s the same if it’s a priest,
a mattress maker, a king of clubs,
a rascal or a stowaway.

Currently this seems to be the world we live in, and everywhere we turn, …

This didn’t happen in my time … Read Post »

Why Purposeful Optimism is great for business

By / / Attitudes & Behaviours, Communication, Innovation, Life Skills, Opportunity, Optimism, Resilience

I want you to imagine that you are a 24 year old graduate going for job interviews. In this instance, you are being interviewed by a multinational who takes you to the next stage- completing a range of psychometric assessments followed by an interview with a psychologist. Imagine if you will, that this psychologist starts his interview with you by saying you are ‘too optimistic’, that you are a ‘Pollyanna’, that ‘you are unrealistic in seeing the world in such as positive light’, claiming there is something really wrong with you.

How would you feel? Well, this scenario happened to me …

Why Purposeful Optimism is great for business Read Post »

What are YOU doing to create space for opportunities?

By / / Attitudes & Behaviours, Life Skills, Opportunity, Optimism

In recent months, I have deliberately chosen to start each week by writing down this statement:

‘Be open to great opportunities’

This statement appears at the top of my To Do list book that I take with me everywhere.

It is handwritten and highlighted with yellow highlighter.

I have chosen to do this for several reasons:

  • It keeps me focused on moving forward and being open to new ideas, new ways of doing things, new people and markets, new opportunities with new and existing clients, and so on
  • It stops me from falling into ‘group think’ and being drawn into unproductive spaces, and negative and ‘fake …

    • What are YOU doing to create space for opportunities? Read Post »

    Want to find & own uncontested markets? Try Blue Ocean Strategy

    By / / Business Acumen, Competition, Entrepreneurship, Innovation, Opportunity, Sales Driven Organisations, Sales Results, Sales Strategy, Strategy, Success

    In today’s cluttered business landscape and global marketplace, finding uncontested markets to sell into and own, free of competition, at least for the foreseeable future, is getting harder, and harder and harder.

    Developing innovative ideas that turn into something new, unique and viable, are not easy to copy, and deliver revenue and healthy margins is equally tough.

    Rethinking our marketplaces, our traditional customers and non-customers, and how we sell and deliver real value to them, that they are prepared to pay for, well that’s another difficult challenge too.

    Most businesses these days find that they are increasingly competing head to …

    Want to find & own uncontested markets? Try Blue Ocean Strategy Read Post »

    Should clients pay for tender and RFP submissions?

    By / / Attitudes & Behaviours, Ethics & Values, Opportunity, Procurement, Uncategorized

    In principle, and ideally in practice, yes they should.

    Why?

    Because there is a lot of time, effort, money and IP that goes into preparing a tender or RFP (request for proposal). This also includes RFIs (request for information).

    The companies requesting these tenders, RFPs and RFIs are freely benefiting from the expertise of suppliers if they are requesting highly detailed responses and expecting to pay nothing for this information. With the advent of software these companies can easily compare offerings and strip mine the IP to serve themselves at the suppliers’ expense. Basically they are getting knowledge and expertise for free and …

    Should clients pay for tender and RFP submissions? Read Post »

    The Optimistic Sales Professional

    By / / Attitudes & Behaviours, Emotional Intelligence, Life Skills, Mindful selling, Opportunity, Optimism, Resilience, Sales Essentials, Self Development, Success

    Sales is a demanding profession. Top performers know that to sustain a high level of performance, they need to keep fit and well – both physically and psychologically. And there’s a body of research showing that keeping an optimistic outlook and having the physical energy to meet the demands of working in sales are critical to a salesperson’s effectiveness, success and overall well-being. Something many of us know intuitively, but good to have it validated.

    Managing and overcoming setbacks is key to succeeding in anything. In sales we are tested every day. Without a sense of optimism it would make getting …

    The Optimistic Sales Professional Read Post »

    The Power of Optimism and Opportunity for Sales & Business

    By / / Attitudes & Behaviours, Opportunity, Sales Culture, Sales Leadership

    Bob Safian, Editor in Chief of Fast Company, said: “…Uncertainty reigns as rapid change disrupts expectations and social norms. Global leadership is fractured and economic conditions fluctuate widely. Specters loom, from climate change to cyberterrorism. The relentless pace can make you want to curl up in a corner, wary of what might come next. Or you can stare unblinkingly at this time of chaos and dig into the difficult work of building a better tomorrow.”

    What do you see?

    What will you choose?

    It all starts with opportunity and optimism[1].

    Opportunity is a time or set of circumstances that makes it possible …

    The Power of Optimism and Opportunity for Sales & Business Read Post »

    Sales Trend 1 – The Selling Better Manifesto

    By / / 12 Sales Trends Pages Category, Attitudes & Behaviours, Brand & Reputation, Education in Sales, Environment & Sustainability, Ethics & Values, Innovation, Mindful selling, Opportunity, Sales Pioneer, Sales Trends, Success, Uncategorized, Wellbeing

    Sales Trend 1 of the Barrett 12 Sales Trends for 2018 Report is our Selling Better Manifesto. It talks about the Selling Better Movement and it explains why we have started it.

    We have created The Selling Better Movement with the hope it will help people understand that there’s a better way of doing business.

    A way in which we can all be prosperous.

    The Selling Better Movement is an ethical and human-centred selling ethos underpinned by a practical selling philosophy.

    The modern business landscape offers a world of possibility. More and more people are stepping out to unearth …

    Sales Trend 1 – The Selling Better Manifesto Read Post »

    Why you shouldn’t respond to every RFP and tender

    By / / Attitudes & Behaviours, Opportunity, Procurement

    Do you have clear criteria to assess the relevance and risk of every tender or RFP (request for proposal) that comes into your business?

    Do you know how much it will cost you in terms of your time, effort, people resources and money to respond to a tender or RFP?

    Do you know what the probability of you winning a tender or RFP is?

    If you cannot answer these questions with hard facts and information you are likely to be putting your business at risk when it comes to responding to tenders and RFPs. And that’s even before you have won the deal.

    Here …

    Why you shouldn’t respond to every RFP and tender Read Post »

    Scroll to Top