by Shawn Westfall | Feb 21, 2012 | Improvisation
This month’s improv tip is from Shawn Westfall, BossaNova’s Improv Guru:
The characters sitting at the center of our favorite sitcoms, shows, movies, plays, novels, short stories and improv scenes all have one thing in common: they want something.In most cases, they want something desperately. Indeed, that often is what informs the plots of the stories or scenes they are in. Hamlet wants revenge. Will he get it? Willy Loman in Death of a Salesman wants the respect he feels he so clearly deserves, something he feels he’s devoted his life to. Does he get it, in the end? That old “pretentious” actor cliché– the one that has him or her stopping a scene to ask “what’s my motivation?”—is actually useful information for the actor to know, another way of trying to discover what his or her character wants. And anyone who’s ever been part of a production knows that what a character wants in the play isn’t always clear, that what he or she says she wants may have little to do with what he or she actually wants.
by Andrea Howe | Jan 24, 2012 | Trusted advisorship
I give presentations for a living. I teach people how to build trust with others, to make lasting connections, to sell business, to create professional intimacy. My job requires me to interact with strangers a lot. And to be effective I have to model all the interpersonal skills I espouse, all the time. So you’ll appreciate the irony when I say I really hate meeting new people.
by Andrea Howe | Dec 21, 2011 | Improvisation
Everyone wants a standing ovation. Try this with your team–it’s a great way to (re)define who you are as we move into the new year.
by Andrea Howe | Dec 5, 2011 | Client relationships, Trusted advisorship
Charlie Green and I were recently interviewed by Matt Homann of LexThink and
the [non]billable hour blog on the subject of trust and the legal profession. Among other things, Matt wanted to know how lawyers can deal with difficult clients (is firing inevitable) and how to embrace non-traditional pricing models.
by Andrea Howe | Dec 2, 2011 | Real people
John Dunn has worn many hats in his 25 years as a professional including consultant, change management expert, bed and breakfast owner, and most recently, screenwriter. Find out how John used the principles of trust-building to create a wildly successful business venture—strategies anyone can use to win business while making a difference for a community.
by Andrea Howe | Nov 29, 2011 | Consulting, Sales and BD Mastery
It was a little over 15 years ago when I landed my first big meeting with a very big prospect. I cold-called him via FAX (hey, it was the early 90s). He was a government executive whose name appeared on book covers and in lights at conferences. I was 26 years old, working for an IT consulting firm with a substantial government practice. I wasn’t a business developer; I was just an eager consultant—a newbie—with an idea.
by Andrea Howe | Nov 25, 2011 | Sales and BD Mastery
Anthony Iannarino, creator of
The Sales Blog, recently reviewed our new book,
The Trusted Advisor Fieldbook: A Comprehensive Toolkit for Leading with Trust. Anthony is a thoughtful subject matter expert on what he calls “the new art of sales and sales management.” We’re pleased to introduce Anthony to you, if you haven’t met him already.
by Andrea Howe | Nov 23, 2011 | Real people, Trusted advisorship
Our Story Time series brings you real, personal examples from business life that shed light on specific ways to lead with trust. Our last story told of the upside of
being willing to walk away. Principle pays off in today’s story.
by Andrea Howe | Nov 22, 2011 | Consulting, Trusted advisorship
Charlie Green and I recently recorded a podcast interview with Mike McLaughlin on the subject of trust and professional services. We covered a lot of ground in 16 minutes, including the one piece of advice we’d each give consultants about building trust with clients.
by Andrea Howe | Nov 21, 2011 | Trusted advisorship
We’re excited about the early success of
The Trusted Advisor Fieldbook: A Comprehensive Toolkit for Leading with Trust. It’s gotten a #4 ranking on The Washington Post Book World paperback bestseller list, a five-star Amazon review, and a growing list of
features and media mentions.
