It was time for my weekly meeting with our EVP of Sales. Our VP of Sales had been recently let go, and it was time for me to report directly on the progress of my sales team. I’ll never forget the curve-ball he threw at me towards the end of our meeting. He said, “Dainon…I…
What is one characteristic or behavior that sets apart CEOs from everybody else? CEOs read 4 to 5 books a month! On the flip side, the average person is only reading 2 to 3 books a year. What a stark difference. Imagine, if you learned one new skill, or generated at least one new idea…
I’ve never hunted with the intent to kill wild game, but I have hunted for prospects with the intent of selling SaaS! “Always Do Your Best. What You Plant Now, Will Harvest Later.” – Og Mandino Recently, a friend of mine was dropped off on a remote island in Alaska with a permit…
Stephen R. Covey said, “Most people do not listen with the intent to understand; they listen with the intent to reply.” (The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People) Why is that? Why is it easier to listen with the intent to reply, than it is to try and understand what is really behind the words…
I’m not going to discuss the 7 Figure deals I have closed and won, nor am I going to discuss other big successes in my career. Rather, I want to share how I lost a $Million Dollar (+) deal early in my career. Because, most often we learn the most in our struggles and failures….
How many opportunities do we miss out on in life, simply because we don’t ask? Maya Angelou said, “ask for what you want and be prepared to get it.” One of the biggest reasons we fail to ask others for help is the fear of becoming a burden on someone else. Another reason we…
I’ve had the pleasure over my career to consult with, and sell to, the C-Suite at some of North America’s most respected companies and brands. How did I do it? I personalized my outreaches. Recently, a Chief Marketing Officer responded to one of my personalized outreaches with the following email. She said, “if it’s…
I learned an invaluable lesson from my CEO, on a sunny day, with a box of Lucky Charms. Actually, 2 boxes of Lucky Charms. What can be so special about Lucky Charms, other than the fact that they are “magically delicious?” First I’ll share with you the story, then the lesson. I had put…
We’ve all heard the phrase, “cocoa is for closers.” But is that all that these cocoa worthy people do all day, close deals? If it was, then we should label them as order takers. However, I know that there is a lot more that goes into what makes these individuals successful. Here are 3. …
I get bombarded by both SPAM and Personalized Sales emails all day long. It’s quite funny to me, how often I get some absolutely terrible email subject lines in my inbox. Here are 5 of them: “Your thoughts Dainon” – My thoughts what? Is this a question? Have we spoke before? Obviously not. Delete….