Donna elbowed me halfway through mass on Sunday night. She was already thinking about her commute on Monday morning. The nudge was a reminder that she wanted to get to Arlee’s before it closed at 6 PM. Arlee’s makes this healthy green concoction that Donna drinks on the train ride into NYC. Immediately after communion, weCONTINUE READING

Mike the juggler

Lesson # 8 – Learned from the Juggler in the Park

Last week Dee and I celebrated our 10-year anniversary together. We spent the day in Philadelphia—the city where we first met. While strolling through Rittenhouse Square Park, we had a memorable encounter with a man who inspired lesson #8. It’s a simple lesson in finding the strength to push through the obstacles that life throwsCONTINUE READING

Vice Cream Dan

Lesson # 7—Learned from the Vice Cream guy

We’ve all heard some version of the adage “Tomorrow is not promised to anyone.” It’s our reminder to live in the moment. Easy to say, hard to practice. What if you were told “You didn’t have many tomorrows left?” What would you do differently? How would you change? Chris and I recently met someone whoCONTINUE READING

Man in t-shirt

Lesson # 6—Learned from the young man in front of me getting coffee

It was Dee’s turn to write the next post in our 25 Lessons series, but she’s in China this week. So I’m taking #6 off her plate—with a simple one that everyone should learn from. I went from selling staffing services for my family’s business in my 20s to an entirely different stratosphere in myCONTINUE READING

WW2 veterans

Lesson #5—Learned from Uncle Mike

Whenever I talk about or teach sales, I try to reshape the often-negative perception people have of our profession. I may share stories that link selling to something purposeful. Usually, I start a discussion by saying Selling is to Serve—a virtue I learned from my upbringing. I talked with my great-uncle Mike recently—a loyal husband,CONTINUE READING

Rohan

Lesson #4—Learned from the “Ordinary” Guy at the Party

I get pitched by new companies all the time. It’s one of the best parts of my job. I know there is a lot riding on a meeting with a large enterprise like American Express. However, the pressure to impress often causes people to do or say things that turn a buyer off. Highlighting credentialsCONTINUE READING

Person walking down a street

Lesson # 2 — Learned from the Man in the Express Checkout Lane

Lesson # 2 — Learned from the Man in the Express Checkout Lane I’ve become pretty good at running in high heels since I took the job at American Express. Around 5:30, you’ll find me sprinting from my last meeting of the day to catch the PATH downstairs in our building. Soon I’ll be able to jumpCONTINUE READING

Man shining shoes

Lesson # 1—Learned from the Best Shoe Shine in Texas

So, you want to learn to how to sell. You don’t need to spend a lot of money or sit in a classroom to learn the basics of sales—great lessons are all around us. My wife Donna (Dee) and I keep notebooks of lessons learned from everyday encounters by extraordinary people—just like this one. LessonCONTINUE READING