I must admit - when I first read Jeb’s article I had to suspend my judgement until I got further along in his piece. And then I understood the merits. Too often, I’ve been “the nice guy” and ended up feeling taken advantage of and the relationship goes south. Be patient and read. Here’s the big take-away for me "In sales negotiations, you cannot lose sight of the lifetime value of the relationships you’ve developed and nurtured." In other words, relationships matter and must be protected.” And that’s a two way street. Enjoy Jeb’s article! 

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Make no mistake: everyone is in sales. Whether it is your official role or you're a manager trying to sell an idea to a team; whether you’re a city official seeking a vote on a bond measure or a college student trying t get a great date for the football game—WE ALL SELL. This article first appeared in Jeb Blount’s web site Sales Gravy and I was also interviewed by him. Rejection requires resiliency as does acceptance because you’ll need energy—the hallmark of resilience— to achieve an outcome. Jeb has a new book "INKED: The Ultimate Guide to Powerful Closing and Sales Negotiation Tactics that Unlock YES and Seal the Deal" on sale today. To get a signed copy visit his site Sales Gravy or to buy on Amazon visit Amazon.com. 

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Resiliency is not a one-time skill to be pulled out in times of crisis. Many of you know I coined the word presilience ™ for preemptive resilience. In short, resilience is a life skill that can and must be developed and nurtured beginning with our children. I asked colleagues Karin Hurt and David Dye, owners of Let’s Grow Leaders, to write how lessons with children can be applied to adults. They have also created a wonderful resiliency book for children. Consider getting it if you have youngsters in your life. 

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There's a global sense of the world being fractured, torn asunder by terrorist, competing interests, religious rivalries, politics and huge economic disparity. But we have our own sphere of influence, where we can impact the lives of those around us: family, business, and community. A cornerstone of impact and the staying power of resiliency is fairness. 

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