How to Work From Home: Tips I’ve Learned Over 20 Years

(Reading Time: 7 minutes)

I first started working from home in 1997.  I definitely didn’t pioneer the concept, but I was perhaps an early adopter.  And I’ve had plenty of time to get things right and wrong.

In the name of showing up for others during this tricky time, the following are seven tips I recommend to someone who’s new to working from home.

Continue reading “How to Work From Home: Tips I’ve Learned Over 20 Years”

Selling the C-Suite: The “Four Knows”

(Reading Time: 4 minutes)In a prior post, Why You Can’t Sell to the C-Suite, I shared my experience of being a sales target during my recent tenure as a CMO.

The quick summary: I received over twenty-five unsolicited contacts per week – over one thousand in a year. Of these, about 98% didn’t work. Today, I want to discuss the approaches that did work.

Selling the C Suite Winning LosingI need to first make clear, in boldface: I am not a sales expert. My intent here is to offer some perspective from “the other side of the desk,” based on my own experience and that of other executives with whom I’ve discussed this topic. I expect that readers will have additional insights to share, and I invite you to do so in a comment below.

Let’s start by reviewing, as we apparently must, the table-stakes: Continue reading “Selling the C-Suite: The “Four Knows””

The Power of NO

Power of No Brand Strategy

(Reading Time: 3 minutes)There’s been a lot written about the “Power of YES” – the belief that life is best experienced through an attitude of affirmation.  And I agree with that, in most instances.  But I’m an equally firm believer in the Power of NO.

Stephen Covey

The Power of NO is really a matter of focus.  Stephen Covey crystallized the concept for me when I first read The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People nearly 20 years ago.  Mr. Covey wrote: Continue reading “The Power of NO”