High-Potential Relationships Are The Real Currency Of Business.

It's not only what you know. It's who you know. And more importantly, who knows you. Too often, when I first start coaching high-performing executives, they wonder why they are not moving up as fast as their colleagues.

They observe key influencers in their organization, but they don't reach out and engage them. They might even be in meetings with these influencers, they might even talk to them — but when the meeting is over, they're a past memory.

It's frustrating. They work hard and they deliver the goods every day — but for some reason, they are not invited to the inner circle. The worst part? Colleagues who rarely do anything of substance, have express access to the inner circle. It's so unfair.

So how do you break into the inner circles of business? How do you get key influencers to notice you, respect you, and invite you to their table? It comes down to three simple and effective steps:

1. Be Visible.

Don't hide in the shadows and don't lurk in the corners of the room. Sit your butt right down next to them (if possible) and introduce yourself. Ask questions during the meeting — don't feel as if you can't. Make the question powerful and allow informative branching to other opportunities. Take notes, sit up, and pay attention to everything going on around you. Show them your best.

2. Be Assertive.

Make your presence know — talk to them about what they CARE about. Show them you know all about it and you have a few ideas on how you can solve their problem. Tell them about your accomplishments — BRAG — don't hold back. Be proud of your track record and let them know about it.

3. Be Persistent.

At the end of the meeting, try to engage them and see if they'd like to catch lunch or coffee so you can talk more. Try to bump into them in the hallway and introduce yourself again. No one ever hates enthusiasm. If you go about it in the right way and are empathetic of their feelings, you can easily make this a win-win for all concerned.

These techniques might seem scary at first — but if you do them in the right order — magic will happen. If you are still wary, you might need a coach.

P.S. Many years ago, I was hired at a company to launch a new site and product. My first day, my new boss and I were walking to a meeting with the development staff and we were passing the new CMO (who was also hired a few weeks before). We all stopped and my boss introduced me to the new CMO. Many people would have shaken hands, engaged in 30 seconds of small-talk, and moved on. I took the opportunity to inquire about the CMO's first few weeks and then I asked him if I could run the initial site layouts to get his feedback. He was pleased to be involved and asked his assistant to set up a meeting. From that point on, we were great friends and we worked closely on a number of projects. It's that easy.

Top 10 Most Read Articles In 2014.

Every year, I go back and track my website analytics to uncover what articles really resonated with my readers. Here are my top ten for 2014 to get you ready for 2015!

1. The Most Important Thing You Should Do In The Shower.

Acknowledge and feel gratitude for all the special things in your life.

2. How To Network Like A Pro.

Last night, I was invited to attend a gala event at the prominent investment firm in NYC. Here are some key techniques that I used to make the night a fruitful and productive one.

3. Build The Best Standing Desk For Your Office.

Lately, I’ve been reading about the healthy aspects of standing desks and learned about all the attributes of standing: better posture, more active, easy to reach items, etc.

4. Be Like Jack LaLanne.

I grew up with Jack LaLanne. I used to watch him every morning on TV. Jack taught me a lot of things about life — especially to stay positive all the time.

5. How To Eliminate Guilt About Not Doing Everything.

Some Shiny Objects are good. Some are bad. Let’s talk about the BAD Shiny Objects.

6. Be A Better Leader – 30 Leadership Hacks For Managers.

Here are my top 30 hacks to make you a better leader.

7. Top Five Regrets of the Dying.

When dying patients were questioned about any regrets they had or anything they would do differently, common themes surfaced again and again. Here are the most common five.

8. Five Tips To Fix A Bad Relationship With Your Boss.

You're getting the feeling your relationship has soured with your boss. How do you repair it?

9. Hitting A Wall In Your Career? You Need A Breakthrough.

It's tough today. It’s hard when everything is coming at you. Hard to think. Hard to act. Hard to react. As they always say — the first step is always the hardest.

10a. You’re Not Charging Enough For Your Services - Part One

10b. How To Charge More For Your Services. - Part Two

I received a huge response from readers who requested a number of techniques to help them raise their pricing. It became a two-part article. Enjoy!

If you truly want to change your life, career, or business this year. Check out my complimentary Test Drive.

Why Your Career Is Flat — And What You Can Do About It.

"You are either getting better or you are getting worse. You never stay the same." - Jim Harbaugh Welcome to 2013 and I thought I would start with a cold, hard quote. It says it all.

If your business or career isn't getting better  — it's getting worse. Like I've said so many times before, you are either going up or down, your business/career is never flat. Why do I say this?

If you look at your performance, history, or success, look at it as an absolute. You are either going up or down. Many of us get caught in flat-land — where losers go to die. If you live in flat-land long enough, you will either be out of business or out of a job. And that's a fact.

You don't have to be crazy about it — but you do need to keep your eye on the ball at regular intervals during the year.

Since it's the beginning of 2013, take a measure of where you are right now. Look at:

• Your income/revenue - is it growing? Look back 5-7 years and see where the trend-line is.
• Your relationships - are you meeting new people? Are you growing your circle of friends?
• Your knowledge - are you getting smarter? Are you learning more?
• Your happiness - are you excited to go to work every day? If not, what can you CHANGE?

Because — if it's not getting better, it's getting worse.

And you have to start making changes . . . TODAY.

Why Is Everyone Acting Like A Child Today?

It's getting worse. I'm hearing it from both my business and corporate clients. There's a clear delineation between how people interact and how they run their business.

Look — I coach CEO's, CMO's, SVP's, Executives, Attorneys, Doctors, Wall Street Financiers, Business Owners, etc. So I've seen it all.

Has this ever happened to you?

• You've gone on 7-10 interviews and are ready for an offer and then suddenly they say the position is on-hold or gone.
• You've presented in front of a client multiple times and it's a done deal — then they disappear.
• Prospects show extreme interest then they don't return your calls and emails.
• Your client disappears for weeks on end then it's hurry-up, hurry-up.
• Clients who hold back payments for completed service for weeks/months or they debate the fee even though they agreed to it prior to the engagement.
• You meet someone and they show EXTREME interest in your product/service, but when you call them to confirm your lunch/coffee, they act like they don't even know you OR they never answer the phone.
• They're your friend and close client one day — and the next, they're questioning every price and moving on to another service provider.

Guess what? Here's the reason — let me break it down for you:

• 40% of the people you work with act like ADULTS.
• 30% of the people you work with act like TEENS.
• 30% of the people you work with act like CHILDREN.

What do I mean?

ADULTS - The 40%

These are the acquaintances, prospects, and clients who act NORMALLY. They are responsible, they follow up on their promises, they return phone calls and emails on time, they pay on-time, and are generally easy to navigate and get along with. They're reasonable and are satisfied with the product/service delivered.

These are the keepers — treat them like GOLD.

TEENS - The 30%

These are the acquaintances, prospects, and clients who act like TEENS. They are fine most of the time and are easy to do business with, but there are times when they act irrationally. For no good reason. They get emotional, they shut down, they bite back.

It's usually for a good reason — their business is hurting, they just lost a key team member or client, or the industry is changing. Unfortunately, they take it out on YOU. It's not fair, but that's business.

Most of the time — they just need a shoulder to cry on or just someone to listen to them. Be there for them and they will be your client for life. Be flexible, modify your offering, help them get through this bump in their career or business.

CHILDREN - The 30%

These are the acquaintances, prospects, and clients who act IRRATIONALLY all the time or from the outset of your relationship. You've probably run into these people — they treat you like SHIT. They don't care if their behavior impacts your business. They see you are calling and emailing — they won't give you the benefit of a simple phone call.

These acquaintances, prospects, and clients need a firm slap in the face. At the end of the day, you really have nothing to lose. You need to get their attention in a very calculated way. Here are some suggestions:

• Stop playing nice - shut them down. Be cordial and professional, but when you call them say, "I get the feeling you might be too busy to return my calls and I understand that. Unfortunately, this will be my last communication with you. Good luck with your endeavors and I hope you have a great 2012." When you step back, they usually follow and call you.
• Escalate the interaction. Stop by their office (especially if they owe you money) and ask to see them. Say, "Hey, I was just in the neighborhood and thought I would stop by." Get in their face — smile and engage them.
• Appeal to their nobler motives (this usually doesn't work with children). Call them and let them know you've been trying to contact them for weeks or months. Say you've tried to be professional — but your just going to have to let them go. But before you hang up, give them some bait, "I had a really good prospect, report, idea, connection for you — oh well."

The most important behavior is to escalate the interaction in some way. This economy has sent a lot of people into a scarcity/cocoon mode. They don't want to make decisions (even though they know they have to), they don't want to spend money (even though it's imperative they do), and they display aberrant behavior that burns bridges constantly.

They think they can get by with this behavior — but it's just slowly digging a deep hole for them.

So when you run into an adult — cherish them! A teen — ask questions, listen, and help them through this bump. Children — escalate the interaction — you have nothing to lose.

I'd love to hear your experiences and if you have a different percentage breakdown — LET ME KNOW!