1) Could you describe what you do and how you earn your living Tim?

As a professional speaker and trainer for over 35 years my mission is to help organizations profitably increase there sales effectiveness and improve their management focus, direction and performance. As a best selling author my purpose is to share ideas, concepts and techniques with my readers that will help them improve their personal life, relationships, and career and business success.


2) How did you become an expert on management and sales?

Spent years on the street selling advertising, and a variety of other products and services. Have read hundreds of books on these subjects and each year invest 10% of my income on personal and career development. As an executive, manager and business owner, I have managed employees in companies that range in sales from 10 million to over 1 billion dollars a year.

3) What can you do for a company that is considering a motivational speaker or trainer for their employees?

Empower their employees to take full responsibility for their own motivation and performance. Give them proven techniques and ideas that will help them achieve success for themselves as well as their employers. Effective motivation is inside-out not outside-in, therefore it is important to look in the mirror for your success and not point your finger elsewhere.


4) What has been your most challenging moment in business, and how did you deal with it?

Facing 3 recessions when employee training is always the first thing cut out of most budgets. I drew a line in the sand and basically said to myself - either practice what you preach or you don't have the right to preach it anymore.

5) What are some of your best tips for dealing with employees?

You get the behavior you reward. All behavior is the reward of a direct or indirect reward system or process.

-Drive decision making further down the ladder. Let people close to the issues and problems make the decisions.

-Don’t shoot the messenger. Don’t punish employees who deliver bad, yet realistic news.

-Empower your employees. Give them the authority to use resources and make decisions.

-Give authority with responsibility. Giving responsibility without authority is de-motivating.

-Culture is top-down. Culture is created by senior management and carried out by employees.

-Be an encourager. Giving thoughtful, frequent, positive appreciation is a critical key to effective motivation.

-Inspect what you expect. If you are not inspecting what you expect - it isn't happening.

-Communicate with integrity. Life is perceptual. All messages can be misinterpreted.

-Embrace change. Change is constant. Use it, plan for it and make it your partner.

-Lead by example. Learn to live by the rules you set for others. No exceptions.

-Give positive feedback. People need to be validated and perform better when they are.

-Coach daily. Take the time to catch people doing things right and wrong. Then coach them.

-Invest in training. The only way to improve skills and attitudes is with consistent and appropriate training. Invest in it regularly. Training is not a cost but a necessity for on-going improvement.

-Trust your employees. If you don’t trust them, they won’t trust you.

-Make decisions. Don’t worry about whether they are right. Just make them turn out right.

-Sell change effectively. People don’t like change - it is filled with uncertainty. Sell it creatively.

-If you have a problem look up the ladder for the cause and down the ladder for the solution not the other way around.

-Give negative feedback. Negative feedback should not punish but change behavior.

-You are responsible to your employees not for them.

-Create a positive motivational climate. You can’t motivate anyone. Motivation is internal and individual.

-Keep an open mind. Let go of your personal perceptions, prejudices, judgments and opinions. Be willing to change and grow.

-Avoid procrastination. Learn to do things now. Learn to act. Don’t wait for perfect circumstances.

-Encourage risk taking. Reward risk takers.

-Don’t punish mistakes or failure. As long as people learn from their mistakes they can grow and improve.

-Keep your eye on the ball. There are just a few critical success areas. What are they for your business?

-Develop yourself. Read, learn, study and be willing to continue your ongoing development.

-People skills are everything. The biggest reason poor managers fail is poor people skills.

-Delegate. Be willing to trust your employees. Let go of the need to control everything.

-Reward performance not tenure. Rewards should be pegged to improved performance only.

-Foster an atmosphere of creativity. Your organization has creative people. Let them use it.

6) Do you think great managers are born or can they be taught to be great managers?

No one is born with talent. Pilots need to learn to fly, doctors need to learn medicine, brick layers need to learn how to lay bricks and managers need to learn how to manage. Unfortunately most managers today wing their management decisions, actions and behaviors.

7) What do participants of your sales and management boot camps gain from the experience?

Graduates from my Boot Camps understand the skills and attitudes required for success and how to apply them to have sustained continuous success. Most sales and management training today is only about techniques, strategies and tools. A person's self-image is the most important element in any successful career. My Boot Camps blend both the psychological principles needed for success as well as the concepts, techniques and tools required. People who complete my Boot Camps sell more and manage better.