While presenting on Zoom to those facing the challenges of cancer, I realized the character traits and activities that help them will help you bounce back from these tough times. I became aware of these thoughts and actions in my life as I survived multiple battles with cancer, a divorce, the death of a spouse and sibling, and career changes. I wan…

Stories capture your customer’s attention. They help them understand the message and remember it. Stories cause people to believe or agree and to care.They also inspire your audience and motivate them to act.

All companies want to achieve a competitive advantage, but most of their methods provide short lived success at best. Listen and learn how you can achieve a sustainable competitive advantage with customers that are raving fans. This strategy doesn’t depend on constantly upgrading technology or marketing deals. Toyota and American Manufacturers for …

Most people today are experience seekers. They are on social media, participate in some type of sports activity, perhaps used a virtual reality device, or participated in some other interactive experience. In 2019, we are in the experience economy and evolving to a transformation economy. So, your typical buyer doesn’t want to be talked to. He or s…

In this season of parties and gift giving, it is so easy to make a mistake that you will long regret. When you cross ethical lines, your reputation can be ruined, and your credibility shaken. It can also have legal consequences for you and your company. In this podcast, we gathered examples of the most common social and ethical issues and provided …

Today's buyer 2.0 is bombarded with over 3,000 marketing messages in various mediums every day. Much of the information in those messages is conflicting and contradictory. So, it’s a challenge to sort out the facts from the hype. Therefore, trust now represents over 40% of the selling process model. Listen and learn the top ten ways you can build t…

The problem discussed in today’s podcast will not surprise you, but the strategies and tips will help you conquer your prospecting phobia and achieve predictable and profitable results. It’s true most salespeople just don’t like prospecting, but they do know that it is part of their job and it is necessary to develop new customers. Without prospect…

Disengaged employees are the #1 threat to your business. Research by Gallup shows that only 30% of employees are actively engaged in their work. 50% are not engaged and 20 % are actively disengaged. Your long-term success depends on highly engaged employees who are connected to the mission and purpose of their work.…

Good salespeople have become skilled at asking questions to guide the prospect to their solution. But they may be losing deals that could have been made or they are closing a deal that is less than it could be.

A successful and sustainable implementation of Lean depends upon getting the buy-in of everyone and changing from individuals seeking stardom into a group of connected members seeking team success. Just as a constellation is composed of many stars creating an identifiable pattern of a figure or object, a great team is a tribe of connected sharing p…

I recently attended a Continuous Improvement seminar. Over-and-over again I heard company owners and managers complain that they had a great start and enjoyed some success in implementing Lean but then they got stuck. The excitement eroded, and everyday business got in the way.

Today, many companies are unknowingly leaking their profits out in a tangled web of office processes. That is because most business processes have just evolved over time as the company grew. The processes for the non-manufacturing activities are quite different from those related to producing a product. The need to create long-term strategies for m…

Hi, it’s Phyllis Mikolaitis continuing my discussion on Lean and Continuous Improvement. Today I want to discuss how getting the selling and buying processes in step can increase your close ratio and your revenue.

When most people think of LEAN and Six Sigma, they think of manufacturing, engineers, scientists, and software developers using the tools and processes to improve workflow and cut costs. However, today many customer service departments, sales and marketin

Great ideas for improvement and savings in your company come from where the action is taking place, not from reading and analyzing reports in the office. Yes, reports and textbooks are important for concepts and case studies. But, only by walking the floor in the factory or office of your company will you gain insights into your processes and get i…

Teams are more creative and achieve higher levels of production and quality than any single person. Companies that empower their teams achieve the desired level of success in implementing and sustaining Lean. Employees are not widgets. They are items in the value stream to be eliminated. Their brains, their passion, and their creativity need to be …

Today I am excited to continue my talk on successfully developing a Lean culture that will provide sustainable success. Toyota and other Japanese firms have been successful in developing a Lean culture and In Western industry, we manage for results. We are focused on making the numbers. But, Toyota has sustained success because it focuses on improv…

Hi, it’s Phyllis Mikolaitis, welcome back to our bi-monthly podcast. Today I am excited to talk to you about how a LEAN strategy and People Centered Leadership can create an environment where your business and your employees flourish and your customers are delighted.

Storytelling as a Business Strategy is emerging as an essential skill for both leaders and salespeople in companies of any size. Today every company needs to create a strategy or a path to follow and share their brand story in multiple channels. It’s the only way to build a sustainable business for the future.…

Focus can make the difference between winning and losing. Many people in sports call it being in the zone. This is especially evident when they are in events like the Olympics or the final moments of a critical game.

Coaching is the most critical element in sustaining the positive impact of training. It is also vital in helping employees to know what is expected, inspiring them, providing recognition, and showing appreciation for their achievements.

If you want to be engaging and keep your audience from rolling their eyes or checking their email while telling your business story listen to this podcast. In it we discuss how to capture your listener’s attention and package your great ideas so they are memorable. It includes an outline and guidelines to help you create concise compelling business…

Today I am happy to talk to you about three ways to improve your resilience and your success rate. With today’s tips you can also form a new habit that will help you improve happiness and well being in other areas of your life.

I am excited to talk to you about the magical impact of happiness on your business, job and your life. There is a lot of information available about positive psychology but the principles for applying it and the results are still not widely known.

Perception is a lens that we look through to interpret reality. If you can alter your prospect's lens, you can change how they view reality. Changing the mindset of your prospect is a key to persuading them to make a purchase or adopting your ideas.

My daughter Linda and I celebrated her birthday at a Darius Rucker Concert near my home at the beach in Delaware. While at the concert, it struck me how much a great entertainer is similar to someone making a great speech or presentation. Rucker engaged and inspired the audience. Let’s take a look at the similarities that lead to success such as he…

You got up this morning cheerful, pumped up and ready to make calls and close sales. But when you got out there, your calls went to voice mail, the prospect said no or hung up, your customers were staring at their smart phones in the elevator, the receptionist is now gone and the automatic voice asks you for the extension number you want, the perso…

Several of the well-known sales training programs recommend you sell by providing insights to your customer. Sales reps who are successful selling using insights, connect emotionally with their prospects. Not only do they bring the prospect important ideas but they connect to their heart and show how they can justify the solution with their mind. Y…

Prospects often have difficulty connecting the dots between your product or service and their needs. They don’t see the big picture so they focus on price comparisons. Today’s podcast focuses on the different types of stories you can tell at each step in the process. Using these types of stories will increase your prospect’s perception of your trus…

With so many marketing messages and competitive vendors, you want to present your solution in a unique way that captures the interest of the prospect and persuades them to do business with you. A “vision” story can be just the thing that sets you apart and can be a fascinating gift to your prospect. If you start with a great opening, it creates the…

Exhibiting presence is about how you perceive yourself, not about how other people perceive you. In this state and mindset, your body communicates a positive power message to your brain which communicates persuasive messages of trustworthiness to your listeners.

Missing elements can create a gap in your customer connection. You want your listener to emotionally connect and to remember you and your product or service. To increase your opportunity to make the sale don’t leave out these 5 important elements in your story.

Tips on avoiding mistakes when using storytelling in your sales cycle.

How to capture the listener when you start telling your story.

Tips on getting started with storytelling and using video to send your stories out to the world.