Is Your Circle of Safety too Small? As a workplace safety keynote speaker, I often share with my audiences that I did not “come up” in industry in the typical manner. I like to speak on safety because I worked in steel mills, construction and manufacturing. In fact, not long ago, I was introduced to a manufacturing group by the CEO who called me “the working guy’s best friend.”...
Recently, as I was presenting workplace safety to an organization in my capacity as a Workplace Safety Speaker, a comment was submitted to me by the COO that I wanted to share with you. “Mike, I really want you to hammer these guys in your Safety in the Workplace talk. Last year, between Thanksgiving and Christmas, a few of our guys decided to have an unauthorized party in the...
As a Negotiation Skills Keynote Speaker in my keynote and break-out session talks for Pharma Companies on sales and negotiation skills, I ask the question: is negotiation really selling or is selling really negotiation? Whether we are selling or negotiating, we know that listening skills are crucial, but are there other things the two have in common? Sales & Negotiation Skills In a recent article for the Harvard Law...
Don’t Take This Personally, Take This Very Personally My decision to work as a safety meeting speaker didn’t start because I was reading a book on safety one day. My role as a safety meeting speaker started many years ago when one of my buddies on the job was badly injured. In fact, he could have lost his life. My first jobs weren’t in a stuffy office but in...
As a pharmaceutical change management keynote speaker, I have been speaking to pharmaceutical sales reps for quite a long time. The most important thing I want to impress on sales reps is that pharmaceutical change is a constant. Truthfully, it is how we make money as an industry. Who is Forcing Change? In my keynote talks to the pharmaceutical industry I remind everyone that pharma is built on change....
What Resistance are You Trying to Overcome? In my work as a sales and negotiation skills speaker, I tell my audiences that before anyone sits down with a client to negotiate a sale, chances are that 70 percent of the research has already been done. More Than “Getting to Yes” The popular thinking in sales used to be that the “sales guy” needed to come up with a great...
Warm Towels and Change As a Change Management Speaker, I recently speaking on fearing change and emotions of change, I went over the stress that COVID has caused us and its relationship to change. According to the CDC “The COVID-19 pandemic has had a major effect on our lives. All of our lives. Most of us are facing challenges that can be stressful, overwhelming, and cause strong emotions.” The...
When Did We All Learn to Panic? As a change motivational speaker and change management speaker, I must obviously be aware of the present business climate, with research into trends and projections into the future. However, in speaking on negotiating change both in-person and virtually, I try to be a student of history. Much of the panic over change might be ascribed to social media or 24/7 cable news, but...
Want to Get to “Yes?” Don’t Forget to Say “No.” My specialty as a real estate negotiation skills speaker, allows me to speak virtually and in-person with realtors on the art of negotiation throughout the country. In my talks on real estate negotiation a question that frequently comes up is about getting to “Yes” in a real estate transaction. Try Saying “No.” Remember that old negotiating saying about not...
Are You Listening or Leaping? In my area of expertise, being a negotiation and listening listening skills motivational keynote speaker, I often ask my in-person or virtual attendees if, during a negotiation, they listen or leap? I am usually met with head scratching. Negotiation and listening skills are inter-twined. As a keynote speaker and consultant on negotiation skills, I have sat through hundreds, if not thousands of negotiations. Needing...
Want to be a Superior Realtor? Learn Negotiation Skills In my work as a negotiation skills training speaker to real estate agents, I am often asked why negotiation skills are so important? My response is that when realtors learn negotiating skills it is one of the best ways that they can differentiate themselves. Real Estate Negotiation I recently came across an excellent piece in the prestigious Harvard Business School online...
8 Scary Reasons Jobsites Don’t Work As a keynote speaker and a consultant on hiring the best person, let me begin with a controversial statement: in my opinion most of the job search websites are not worth the digital keystrokes they are built on. When I as a change management speaker give a personal or in-person keynote address on hiring the best person, I am amazed, but not surprised...
How Many Days Has It Been for You? My work as a Workplace Safety Speaker has taken me to many manufacturing, trucking and construction companies. Recently, the president of a company invited me to see the operation before I delivered a safety speech. Before I ever thought about becoming a keynote speaker on safety, I worked in construction, manufacturing, and transportation, so it always feels good to “come back...
All That Stinks Here Isn’t Cheese As a negotiation skills keynote speaker and breakout speaker who speaks nationwide on negotiation, I will admit two things upfront: I actually used the expression “all that stinks here isn’t cheese,” with a cheese-making ingredient client, and that I don’t know anything about cheesemaking. Well, Excuuuse Me As to the expression, it led to me helping the sales manager at the ingredient company...
Negotiation Skills Speaker Learning effective negotiation skills isn’t a talent reserved for an elite few. As a negotiation skills speaker, I often remind those who attend my negotiation skills keynote addresses and workshops, that 70 percent of the sale is made before you get there.“Well then, Mike, what is the other 30 percent?” It’s You! The unknown factor in any negotiation, especially for people in sales and marketing, is...
As a change management speaker, my keynote talks on change management often remind me of sports, especially Track & Field. So, I am sure this will lead to your first question: “Why does a change management motivational speech remind you of an event like a 440-relay?” To understand Track & Field, you have to understand that when it comes to a relay race, the runners, across the board, are...
As a change management speaker and change management breakout session speaker my greatest passion is to help organizations manage change, and respond to change in challenging times. I think we would all agree that as a society, in the past decade, nothing has changed us as much as COVID. Clearly, we can always point to the rise of Facebook users, YouTube uploads, the appearance of Bitcoin, the increase in...
My passion as a workplace safety speaker has led me all across America to deliver keynote addresses and break-out training sessions as a keynote speaker and breakout speaker on safety to construction companies, food processing, pharmaceutical companies, manufacturing, trucking companies and similar organizations. I have seen the results of what happens when safety is ignored. As a workplace safety speaker, I frequently like to ask the question you see...
As a motivational safety speaker, there’s always one wise-guy in the audience who says: “I always hear you guys talking about safety first. So, what’s second, beer?” It’s always good for a laugh. The dismissive answer is: “Why, are you buying?” The subject is anything but lighthearted. In fact, when I as a safety speaker give my safety keynote speeches, I’m aware that in a year, workers might walk...
As a safety speaker who speaks on workplace safety, I consider my mission not only important, but lifesaving. Do you have a workplace safety mindset? Do you encourage a workplace safety mindset in your team members? We’re All Adults Here The last thing I want to do is to “gross anyone out,” but as a workplace safety speaker who started his career on the manufacturing floor, I was witness...