Before I start any meeting I ask myself this key question: Why am I meeting? If I'm having lunch with someone I've done business with and the purpose is simply a relaxing hour, I don't worry too much what gets accomplished. However, on most occasions I have a specific reason for meeting, or I don't have a meeting.

I was in a meeting with a colleague who was reviewing “Tom’s” work as a website development person. Just as the meeting started Tom turned his attention to his smart phone, and then looked up. I was hoping he turned off the device. Instead twice more Tom took his attention from our meeting and shifted it to his electronic device. I was already a little irritated going into the meeting because we were behind schedule, and I was concerned about how we were going to get everything done in a timely manner.

At times some have asked how to become an established leader in a volunteer organization. My short answer is that you become an effective leader by becoming an effective follower.  Spiritually, we should know this is accurate. Unless you obediently follow the precepts in scripture, you cannot be an effective leader in the church. Jesus said, “But you are not to be like that. Instead, the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who rules like the one who serves.” (Luke 22:6, NIV) 

One of the key responsibilities of a CEO is to keep the sales group and production people from killing each other.  The sales group wants to promise everything to everybody at the lowest possible price to drive up sales numbers without considering the effect on the rest of the business. This oversight particularly impacts production who must keep the promises made by a salesman.

At the same time that production people don’t want to adjust schedules to accommodate customers, they are also reluctant to look at cost saving methods to lower price and cringe every time sales people promise another price reduction. 

I’ve written articles on sale success before. I thought it was time to cover some basic steps that are critical for anyone connecting with customers. Actually the steps are important for more than anyone in sales because we’re constantly selling ourselves to our employer or others.

1.  Become an expert about your product.

If you are unable to answer basic questions, the customer will quickly lose confidence that you know what you’re talking about. Without their confidence, you will not gain the trust necessary to make a sale.