Steve Montague

Our top 25 recommended books for sales, management, business, self-help and more.

All too frequently, salespeople schedule appointments... and then forget about them until the day before the scheduled dates. Do you? Is preparation a last-minute activity often consisting of nothing more than a quick review of the notes from the original phone conversations when the appointments were scheduled... and perhaps a review of the prospects' web sites, advertising, or marketing materials?

Even though salespeople often believe that prospects will need time to think a decision over, the reality is that (most of the time) they don't. A "think it over" is nine out of ten times just a polite way of saying "no." Unfortunately, the salesperson believes that the prospect needs time to decide, accepts the "think it over", and leaves thinking, "I got one!"

Is there any advantage to following conventional wisdom? Or, by doing so, will you only be following rules made by other people? Rules that may no longer be appropriate... and may actually work against you.

All too frequently, salespeople schedule appointments... and then forget about them until the day before the scheduled dates. Do you?

How does a screenwriter create one movie that’s a box office blockbuster and another that’s a flop? How does a playwright write one play that runs continuously for years and another that opens and closes in the same night? How does an author write one novel that’s a number one best seller for 26 weeks straight and another that never makes the best-seller list?

Goal setting is nothing new. Many people set goals on a regular basis. The challenge is getting them to stick. Have you ever noticed how many people invest in gym memberships in January? What typically happens by February? That's right, they stop going. What happened? The intention was there.

We accept that everything is constantly changing. Yet, many people refuse to accept that premise in one crucial area of their lives -- their attitudes about themselves and their abilities. Have you ever thought something like, "I know I could get so much more accomplished if I could only get organized and stay focused on one thing at a time ... but, I'll never get organized; that's just the way I am?"

Prepare a digital version of your 30-Second Commercial … and include that text in your LinkedIn profile.

A Monkey’s Paw is a simple seafaring contraption that’s built around a little rubber ball. That little ball is connected to a long piece of tough string, which is tied to the huge, heavy rope. Instead of trying to throw that massive rope down to the guy who’s standing on the pier, you throw the little rubber ball. He catches it, and then he can pull the ball, the string, and the heavy rope to the dock. Maybe it once had something to do with a monkey. Who knows?