When short (and “professional”) isn’t necessarily sweet

This post is part of our Weekly Tips series.

Last week’s post on the perils of the “assumptive close” got me thinking about a real-life example of how a financial advisor’s robotic (and safe) cold call killed my trust and lost my business. Consider this another cautionary tale that’s not meant only for more traditional salespeople. I bet if you look hard enough, you’ll find yourself in the example no matter your role, if only a little … a little too risk-averse, a little too “professional,” a little too brief.

Does this make your “S” look big? (Part 2)

This post is part of our Weekly Tips series.

Last week I focused on one of the greatest opportunities for us all to improve our trustworthiness: getting off our “S” (self-orientation). I wrote about Level 1 troubleshooting, which zeros in on the fundamentals (things like being curious, generous, and truly committed to doing right by them). This week we go deeper with Level 2 to deal with the sneaky parts.