1: What’s the secret to a happy marriage?

Want to be thought of as more creative and effective at work?

Would you like to be less vulnerable to anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder?

Research shows there’s a simple way to increase the likelihood of these outcomes.

How? Simply increase the ratio of positive to negative emotions in your life.

“A myriad of studies show that having more positive emotions, … continue reading

1: What if you could feel better anytime, anyplace, no matter what?

And not only that, but you could also live ten years longer.

Sounds good, right?

How do you do this? The answer is found in an unexpected place,  Jane McGonigal writes in her book SuperBetter: The Power of Living Gamefully.

Chances are, if you are a gamer, you know about power-ups.

“They’re the bonus items that … continue reading

“One of my clients had candles spread all over her house, in every room,” Diane Button, an end-of-life doula, writes in her book What Matters Most: Lessons the Dying Teach Us About Living.

“They were on nightstands and dressers, surrounding her bathtub, and even along the walkway of the woodsy entrance into her house,” Diane notes.

“There were dozens of them, and they were beautiful, but not one … continue reading

1: What’s the difference between a fact and a story?

A fact is, “The queen died and the king died,” Dan Pink writes in his book A Whole New Mind.

A story is, “The queen died and the king died of a broken heart.”

This week, we’ve been exploring the power of telling customer stories with contrast. Now, take a closer look at what makes these stories compelling.… continue reading

1: “Picture a room with about 10 people from Ford sitting around a table,” Erik Peterson and Tim Riesterer write in their book Conversations That Win the Complex Sale.

In front of the room, a salesperson stands with two flip charts.

“After several months of unsuccessfully trying to sell a laser device to Ford’s plant managers, this salesperson knew that she needed to change her approach,” Erik and Tim … continue reading

1: Sure. Not getting and keeping your prospect’s attention is a deal killer.

But there’s something worse.

Denial.

“Your prospect’s denial that they have a problem that needs solving in the first place,” Erik Peterson and Tim Riesterer write in their book Conversations That Win the Complex Sale.

“All other challenges pale in comparison to this one,” the authors say.

When you are able to solve a problem the … continue reading

1: “Imagine that you are a prospect,” Erik Peterson and Tim Riesterer write in their powerful book Conversations That Win the Complex Sale.

Now, perhaps you are not a software engineer in real life, but play along.

You are on a Zoom call.  The face of a software salesperson fills your computer screen.

She says, “What if you never had to teach another programmer another programming language?”

(Pause)

“And, … continue reading

1: Looking for lighthearted conversation?

You’re unlikely to find it if you visit the Button family on New Year’s Eve.

“Our oldest daughter, Carly, is getting her doctorate in counseling psychology and is a fan of stoicism and existential psychology,” Diane Button writes in her book What Matters Most: Lessons the Dying Teach Us About Living.

“Her passion inevitably leads us to deep conversations about the meaning and purpose … continue reading

1: Imagine you are a salesperson. You and your prospect are sitting in a conference room.

You are competing with several large, well-known competitors. By comparison, your company is considered “small” and not substantial.

You take out a piece of paper.

You write down the following numbers:

28

500

8,000

85

11/65

Then, you say:

“28. . . That’s the number of years that our company’s been in business.

“500. … continue reading

1: It’s Wednesday. “You park your car at your home airport. You get on a plane for a business trip,” Erik Peterson and Tim Riesterer write in their book Conversations That Win the Complex Sale.

Two days later, you fly home. But what happens if you haven’t written down your parking space?

You can’t remember where you parked your car.

“Why not?” Erik and Tim ask. “You parked there … continue reading