Brian’s employer hit him with a double whammy: the company reorganized AND relocated. Brian didn’t fit into the new picture. He prepared his résumé and began networking. Since he didn’t want to limit his options, this is what he wrote on his résumé: "Seeking a senior management position with a fast-growing company where I can use my proven management skills to further the growth of the company."

In today’s marketplace, offering discounts seems to be the number one technique people are using to try and get business.  Management has bought into the age-old argument that the only reason their salespeople can’t sell more is because their price is too high.  It’s time to put this to rest.  This argument of cutting prices actually reveals the lack of selling skills by the salespeople who are using it.  It also indicates a management team failing to provide necessary strategic planning and direction for the company.

I recently heard a presentation by Jim Carroll, a Canadian futurist, made to a group of business people from the technology sector. He affirmed what we all know – that things are evolving at a rapid pace. For example:

When I was in graduate school, and was doing one of my unpaid practicums at Northern Illinois University’s Counseling Services, I had a conversation one afternoon with a wise colleague, an older gentleman who looked like Chester Cheetah but strutted like Miles Davis.

This is Part II of What’s Empathy Got to Do with It?  See Part I here.

It's easy to hide behind online social networking. Develop your face-to-face networking skills and you'll stand out above the folks bent over their keyboards hoping that telling the world what they're having for dinner in 140 characters or less will improve cash flow.