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Trust is a Process, not a Pitch
One of the many distortions inside organizations under pressure is the way trust gets compressed into a moment. Somewhere along the way, leaders begin to believe that trust lives inside the sales conversation itself… inside the presentation, the proposal, the pitch. If the story is compelling enough, if the value is articulated clearly enough, if…
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When Love Becomes a Business Strategy
In 2002, long before empathy and authenticity became boardroom buzzwords, Tim Sanders wrote a small but subversive book called Love Is the Killer App: How to Win Business and Influence Friends. His thesis was radical for its time: Love is the selfless promotion of the growth of the other. He called people who practiced this…
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The Referral Process Starts Way Before the Client Buys Anything
Most people think referrals are the cherry on top of a great client experience — something you ask for once the deal is done and the client is satisfied. But referrals don’t begin after the sale. They begin way before the client buys anything — in the very first moments of getting to know you.…
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What Opal Lee Teaches Us About Legacy, Leverage, and Strategic Attraction
On June 17, 2021, President Joe Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act into law, making June 19 a federal holiday. Cameras flashed, pens clicked, and history was made. But here’s the truth: that day wasn’t just about legislation. It was about a woman named Opal Lee—and her decades-long commitment to a vision that…
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Free must always be perceived as valuable to your customers
I say “yes” to tons of free stuff, because I consider it research in my area of expertise. I want to look at what other service professionals are doing. What types of content are they using to generate leads? What’s their call to action at the end of the lead generation piece? Is the piece…

