Resiliency is the ability to bounce back, adapt to adversity and roll with the punches. Resilience gives us the flexibility to restore ourselves, and our lives, after difficulty, trauma and loss, and it is a quality in high demand during these rapidly changing times, especially in sales.

When the choice is to feed your family or break the rules, your decision isn’t tough. Who could blame Jean Valjean in Les Miserables for his choice to feed his family? We even applaud Robin Hood for stealing. But when you are the boss and you have to decide whether to fire employees or fudge numbers so you can keep them on board, the decision might be more difficult. Being ethical has a higher cost in hard times than in good times, which makes being ethical difficult in our current economic climate. But, even good times can encourage bad behavior as one might get a sense of invincibility when the money is rolling in.

Throughout the business community, ambitious individuals who work in highly competitive environments know the impression they give in their business communications often makes the difference between career failure and success.

One of the most old-fashioned and overrated pieces of advice for any influencer is to “be passionate” about your cause. Some consider it the answer to all influence challenges, as if passion is 90% of successful persuasion. If that were true, everyone would get what they want by showing some passion. But they do, and they don’t get what they want.

When interviewed about business casual attire, employees confirm that they consider it a perk that they don?t want to give up. It?s no surprise that employees prefer to dress down, just as young children prefer to eat pizzas, hamburgers and candy bars, rather than carrots and broccoli. But parents who let their children eat what they want are not doing them a favor, and indulgent companies that institute a business casual policy because employees demand it may not be doing their staff a favor.

What’s in it for me? This common phrase exemplifies the reality of how people are primarily focused on the things that matter most to them. This is well depicted in the story of a young car salesman who enthusiastically shared with his 75-year-old female prospect the feature of how the new model SUV’s spare tire bin was designed to double as a beer cooler; perfect for tailgating,

Research on successful “underdog” influencers shows that virtually all of them recruited a team of people — with specific qualities — to help them move their cause or idea forward.

There are few offenses in business worse than challenging the validity of the near sacred “elevator speech,” the one-minute message verbalizing the unique qualities of what a salesperson does or sells.

At the risk of placing substance over style, all leaders must understand this simple truth: style does matter. It is not about matching your belt to your shoes or accessorizing appropriately for the occasion, but rather understanding the way you go about leading.

Every child loves stories. They so excite the imagination that they can’t get enough of them. How many times does a child ask for The Little Engine That Could? Stories are the way to captivate children and ignite their curiosity.