In today's high-stakes business games, not all errors are forgiven and forgotten, of course. Some may even cost a person his or her job. But in many cases, by taking responsibility and by solving the problem, you may navigate the troubled waters with little if any negative effect on your career. To deny responsibility - to reflexively say, "That's not my fault!" - is almost guaranteed to infuriate everybody.
- Emily Post's The Etiquette Advantage in Business
Topics: Business Skills, Confidence, Respect, Culture, Communication, Etiquette, Growth
What is the key to your success? Maybe just a little more training. Maybe a slightly better method of planning. Maybe just overcoming one tiny bad habit. Maybe all of these and more. Each change alone may be almost inconsequential, but when added up, a host of small changes can lead to incredible results!
Topics: Business Skills, Goals, Growth
Here's the big secret: The three ways to make the sale or to successfully close the negotiation are:No matter how powerful your computer is, what the range of your cell phone is, or how clever your tracking system is, you still have just one way to get the order or close the deal: Ask whether your counterpart will agree to the current terms. If you have trouble asking for commitments, address that issue. Being able to clearly state your need helps in every negotiation and in every other phase of life.
-Michael C. Donaldson, Negotiating for Dummies
Topics: Communication, Sales and Selling, Negotiation
Don't assume anything. Just because something worked before doesn't mean it's working now. You can't rely on what once was. You have to deal with the here and now.
- Tabatha Coffey, Own It!
We all know what everyone says about assumptions (or, at least, I assume we do). And yet we still find ourselves in disbelief when a common procedure suddenly fails on us. Even worse, we often don't realize it has failed because we are assuming that something that has worked that long will surely follow its own inertia and work forever. How very wrong we are.
Topics: Being Attentive, Quality Assurance, Analysis, Innovation
If everybody is thinking alike, then somebody isn't thinking.
- General George S. Patton, Jr.
Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect.
- Mark Twain
Topics: Innovation, Communication, Leadership and Management
A commercial product, technology or service should never be sold on price alone. The seller who touts a cheaper price alone as a reason to buy will not last long. There is always someone willing or able to sell more cheaply.