Teamwork Begins with Humility

I’ve been thinking a lot about sales skills lately. There’s no question that the art of selling has changed in recent years. Gone are the days of high pressure selling, driven by the thrill of the chase. Effective selling today is built on strong customer relationships and a foundation of trust; a true customer/vendor partnership.  

World class marathon runners know that it is much more important to finish strong than to start strong. In fact, a pace difference of just five or 10 seconds per mile in the first half of a marathon can make the difference between hanging on and falling apart in the second half. Most runners feel compelled, even against their better judgment, to keep up with the pack, ignoring their own target pace. Running too fast at the beginning of a race, regardless of the distance, tires the body and burns excessive fuel early on that would be better utilized later in the race.

As we near the end of another year, the big challenge for us as leaders is to finish strong. If you are looking at your feet, you may see your Red Sox; but if you look to the sky, you may soar like a Cardinal. Let me explain.

Learning to deliver a new training program can be daunting for even the most seasoned trainers. So, recently we decided to try something new and rather intriguing. With the move into our wonderful new office space just outside Toronto, we decided it would be a great idea to invite clients to attend a complimentary train-the-trainer at our new location. We were so thrilled with the response that we immediately scheduled a second session… and a third (in Los Angeles, to test the waters there)… and then a fourth. Sessions number two and three are happening this week; one at our HQ and the other in Los Angeles. Both are fully booked!

One of the most popular downloads at eaglesflight.com over the recent weeks has been our discussion paper on succession planning. The reason for this high interest in the subject of succession planning is pretty obvious. As the economy recovers, the war for talent is heating up again; but now, after a number of recessionary years, even more baby boomers are moving out of leadership positions and into retirement.