Posts by Will Adams
Ditch the Script!
Working in the sales industry, there’s one request that comes through more loudly and more clearly than anything else: scripts. “Can I get a script for cold calling?” “I really liked that presentation. Can I get your script?” “What script did you use to make that sale?” And I get it. It’s not easy initiating…
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A Process for Learning from Failure
For the past year and a half, my brother and I have been working on a SaaS startup company. As part of that process, like for pretty much any business owner, we have to go in and make presentations to prospects. I recently lined up someone who I thought was a tremendous prospect. I went…
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Just Breathe
In the course of our day, we often get spun up, anxious, or nervous about something. Maybe it’s the pre-presentation jitters or asking-for-the-sale shakes. Maybe it’s your first big group presentation, or your first time in front of a large audience. Your nerves go into overdrive, and you unknowingly slip into reaction mode with very…
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Choose Happiness
We all want to be happy. But we don’t always know how to get there. Ultimately, there are two paths: We can let life happen and hope that all the circumstances of our lives come together in just the right way. The other option is to take active steps to pursue happiness, in whatever situation…
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How to Invest Time in Your Team
You might be looking at your business’s team and wondering where to invest your time—how to identify the people you should be spending the most time on. As a head football coach managing a wide range of personalities, talents, and people, Ohio State’s Urban Meyer developed what he calls the 10-80-10 Principle, described in his…
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Earn Your Disappointment
I didn’t make the cut. During my junior year in high school, I tried out for the varsity basketball team. Now don’t get me wrong—I put on a respectable showing during tryouts. But you know what? It wasn’t enough. I was the last cut made. I fell one spot short of making the team. And…
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Rules for Receiving Feedback
“You don’t listen!” “You don’t have to pretend like you know all the answer.” “One day your mouth is going to get you in a lot of trouble.” “When I talk to you, you act disinterested.” “You need to learn more about your audience before you start making suggestions on their behalf.” “Put a smile…
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When Should You Pick Up the Phone?
Professionally, email has become many people’s favorite way of communicating—myself included. But it raises the question, when should you pick up the phone and call someone instead of just sending them an email? I would argue that in most situations, email is the more convenient choice; however, I’ve come to learn that on some occasions,…
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Avoid These Deal-Killing Phrases
Even the slightest mistake in word choice can turn a prospect or client off. The words we choose can make or break a deal, which means we spend a lot of time thinking about the words we use to pitch our services. No matter how hard we try to weed out the blatantly negative or…
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Be Authentically You
Many business owners struggle with questions about how to approach and conduct meetings with potential customers. What should they wear? What tools should they use? When I hear these concerns, my first response is this: take a deep breath and relax. Get out of your head, and into your heart. Truth and authenticity cannot be…
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