It comes down to keeping things simple and doing the next right thing.

I believe that the way you act during times like these is remembered and rewarded (or not) when things get better. Your prospects and customers are paying attention right now.

What a time to spend in a deeply reflective state, wondering about what your future will look like, and how much of your past behaviors you want to bring with you.

So the key, as usual, is to set some boundaries along with some attainable objectives to keep things moving in a positive direction. All you can do is all you can do.

Am I telling you to get off social media? Of course not. I am, however, challenging you to question the frequency and the time you spend on those sites. Is it really as important as your calendar and your usage stats are suggesting it is? Probably not, which is the first sign that there might be an issue…

When it feels like it’s hitting the proverbial fan, you need to circle the wagons and identify what’s really important. You need to PARE things down.

Selling is not rocket science. If you want to grow your business, predictably, you need to diligently and deliberately engage in activities that will drive that growth. Non-essential meetings, social media, and most email doesn't really do that for you.

I see something happening all too often with my clients. Your intentions are good, but it drives me nuts, and you need to stop it.

The stories that we tell ourselves are the most powerful. People, by and large, believe that they get what they pay for: that's the placebo effect. Are you using it to your advantage?

The Elevator Pitch, the 30 Second Personal Commercial, your Sales Story... They're all variations on the same theme. If you had a minute or so with one person and had a chance to tell them what you do or what you sell, could you?

Growing a business requires a pragmatic approach. Ask the right questions, even if they're the tough ones.

In sales, ego is your enemy. The way to combat it is not by backing down, but rather by stepping up.

If you're doing everything right, and the dominoes just aren't falling yet, then keep your chin up, put your head down, and keep going.

When’s the last time you calculated your customer GPA?

What’s stopping you from picking up the phone?

Do you ever consider your own buying decisions and processes? How do they relate to your prospects’ decision-making processes? What do you need to overcome that you may not realize you aren’t even addressing?

I hear a lot of salespeople talking about the "good conversations" they have with prospects and customers. Here's my problem: most of those “good conversations” don't go anywhere, because the seller doesn't do anything with them.

What are the good attributes of salespeople like that? In an era where everybody is your friend because of social media, and we're all kinder, gentler sellers, can we take anything positive away from the 'old school' sales guy?

I didn’t eat for almost half the week (on purpose!), and I learned more than I bargained for.

When you lower your price, you’ve failed to create enough value to justify the original quote.