This is a three part question. First: Do you fear the leaders of your organization? Do you tremble when you get called to the office, knowing that most interactions are going to be confrontational? Do you think those leaders were put in their position of power because they are good at heavy handed commanding? Second: Do you Read More…
Category: Personal development
What is your job?
Is your job a marathon, ala one person putting long distance effort forward to achieve? Or is your job a 100 meter sprint? One person bursting forth like Usain Bolt to set new records? Or is your job a team effort with many matches, ala the World Cup? Or is your job a single game Read More…
The importance of seeing sunk costs
As Seth Godin has reminded us, the value of your eclipse sunglasses as of today is zero. Not almost zero. Absolutely zero. Sunk costs, in economic terms, is money that was spent in the past on projects/people/systems/software/materials/etc. that are no longer needed or have much faster/better/cheaper alternatives on the marketplace. It is money that was spent Read More…
Keeping up on your connections
Your digital rolodex is full of people that may one day change your life, add value to your world, or at the very least stand up for you when needed. They are your investors, but with emotions and support rather than money. So how do you keep them in your orbit? Simply connecting on LinkedIn does Read More…
The ifs and the thens
IF … … your top account closes … your three leading brands move to another distributor. … your top import portfolio goes out of business. … your top salespeople or managers quit. … a recession hits and everybody suddenly buys less wine. … you get fired, or leave a job where you are not Read More…
The best thing about having a vision
Do you have a vision for your job? The ideal combination of customers, sales, and workflow that you can achieve? The ultimate situation you’d like to find yourself in twelve months from now? What is your ideal job vision? The best things about having a vision is that it’s contagious. When you have a vision and discuss it Read More…
Shooting straight
You can read endless customer management articles through Harvard Business Review. You can watch endless TED talks on motivation and how to motivate others. You can go to school for years to learn about sales techniques and buyer motivations. But in the end nothing is better than simply being a straight shooter. Tell it like Read More…
Turn off the dopamine loop
Remember the phrase “You’ve got mail?” It was one of the earliest internet dopamine loops created. America Online and their AOL mail service (remember when everybody had an AOL address?) programmed people to get a dose of excitement and anticipation every time they heard “You’ve got mail” in that manly authoritative voice. It triggered an Read More…
Where is the loyalty?
Is your customer’s loyalty with the brand? If so, you need to keep that loyalty carefully groomed, make sure they have knowledge and access to the gems within the brand, and make sure the brand reaches out to your customer on a regular basis. Is your customer’s loyalty to the importer or distributor? If so, you need to keep that Read More…
How did you get hired?
When you got your wine job, how did you get hired? Odds are good it wasn’t just your interview going well. Odds are good it wasn’t just the piece of paper you carefully organized to highlight your awesomeness. Odds are good it wasn’t just your enthusiasm for fermented grape juice. You got hired because of Read More…
Monday Challenge: Smarter, Faster, Better
This week’s Monday Challenge is as easy as can be. Buy a copy of Smarter, Faster, Better by Charles Duhigg and read it. This book is transformative, and every chapter has incredible relevance to all aspects of our industry. Broken into eight concepts that are discussed with surprising facts and entertaining stories to back up Read More…
When you’re down
It’s been a soft week of sales. Every sales pitch you’ve made lately falls flat. Your boss is not impressed with your work. You’re behind on your bills, and see dark clouds on the financial horizon. You question your choice of career and the future you have in it. Your confidence level has plummeted. You Read More…
Monday Challenge: Q1 is in the books … what did you accomplish?
Welcome to the Monday Challenge. This one deserves some of your time today, time that is focused and without distraction (close the computer, put the phone into airplane mode, get away from social media and the web). What did you accomplish in Q1 of 2017? I’m not talking about sales numbers, brand distribution, points of Read More…
Monday Challenge: Values Assesment
This week’s Monday Challenge is a doozy. It’s not quick, it’s not painless, and it’s not easy. Time to assess the values you hold versus the life you are living. It’s a myth that career paths travel in straight lines. Holes are in the road, diversions are necessary, and many people have experienced years or Read More…
Your to do list is too long
If you’re like most people (including me) you like to list what has to get done in a day. Your to do list might be in a planner, on an index card, in a Google Tasks file, in your head, or just scribbled on a Post it note. It probably starts with the obvious, dives Read More…