TSG Speakers Bureau Blog

Michael Port on “The New Art of Selling” with Donny Deutsch

July 2, 2008 – 5:14 pm
Sales and marketing guru Michael Port was a featured guest on the July 1 episode of The Big Idea with Donny Deutsch (on CNBC), focused on "The New Art of Selling." Through his first two books, Book Yourself Solid and Beyond Booked Solid, and numerous keynote speaking engagements, Michael has shown thousands of readers and audience members how to discover and set their business foundation, build trust with their target audience, and earn credibility within their marketplace - all with an emphasis on "smarter marketing." In his next book, The Contrarian Effect, due out in September, he takes aim exclusively at sales - "the most vital function in any business" - and shows us how to leverage the power of collaboration, build credibility through honest conversations, relate and listen to customers rather than just sell to them, realize that customers are smarter than most salespeople give them credit for, and attract them ...

Posted in Book Review, Sales Management, Speaker News, Uncategorized | No Comments »

TSG Speakers Bureau Blog Featured at Sales Management 2.0

June 28, 2008 – 7:06 pm
We're very appreciative of Brad Trnavsky at Sales Management 2.0 featuring our recent review of Pete Luongo's 10 Truths About Leadership book (see "Pete Luongo Presents 10 Simple Truths About Leadership") in this week's Carnival of Sales & Management Success. Brad has assembled links to lots of interesting blog posts, such as: "Promoting Employee Engagement in the Workplace" "Avoiding Uncomfortable Discussions with Your Prospects and Clients" "When to Delegate" "Why Everyone Should Experience a Sales Job" And many more - a total of 26 posts! If you're involved in sales or sales management, please visit and check out some of the insightful content. a2a_linkname="TSG Speakers Bureau Blog Featured at Sales Management 2.0";a2a_linkurl="http://www.thespeakersgroup.com/blog/34/tsg-speakers-bureau-blog-featured-at-sales-management-20";

Posted in Book Review, Organizational Excellence, Sales Management, Suggested Links | No Comments »

Pete Luongo Presents 10 Simple Truths About Leadership

June 26, 2008 – 9:42 am
Representing the leading thinkers in sales, marketing, management, etc. for speaking engagements is, in some ways, like having a life-long pass to the world's best business school. "Best practices" teaching from the likes of Marcus Buckingham, Pat Lencioni, Kevin and Jackie Freiberg, Keith Ferrazzi, Ken Blanchard, and many more is constantly flowing through our office. Most recently, I've learned some brilliantly simple lessons from Pete Luongo, former President and CEO of The Berry Company and author of 10 Truths About Leadership. Published last summer, 10 Truths is a little book packed with lessons Pete learned during his 33-year career at The Berry Company (and the great teacher called "life") such as: "The people who care about us the most are those who stand shoulder to shoulder with us during our most difficult times." "Finding and keeping good people must be the number one priority for all organizations!" "Rules are for the weak. Uncompromised Standards ...

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Patrick Lencioni Keynotes SHRM 2008 Annual Conference

June 24, 2008 – 2:25 pm
Did you see Patrick Lencioni at the SHRM Annual Conference this week? Pat delivered the morning keynote on Monday, June 23. Pat is the author of six nationally recognized books - most recently, The Three Signs of a Miserable Job, in which he takes on his most universal and human topic to date: the misery of work. Within this fable, Pat presents managers and employees alike with a revolutionary yet simple model for making any job more rewarding and fulfilling. A relevant message, needless to say! He was cited as one of the most in-demand business ...

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12 Questions to Ask When Booking Your Next Speaker

June 17, 2008 – 9:48 am
The speaker evaluation process can be tiring and overwhelming, so having a checklist by your side at all times is one way to make sure you stay on track. Below is a list of 12 questions that will help you select the right speaker, eliminate surprises, and maximize the value of the engagement: Does the speaker customize his/her presentation? If so, to what degree? Is the speaker entertaining as well as informative? Does the speaker use only clean and appropriate humor? Is the speaker accessible to attendees before and after the event? Does the speaker "hard sell" products from the platform? Is the speaker's office responsive to requests for information? Is the speaker easy to get along with? Is the speaker's fee negotiable? If yes, what value could I offer in exchange for a fee reduction? (i.e., Can I provide the speaker any of the following: master video of the session, attendee list, testimonial letter, referrals, extra nights' accommodations, ...

Posted in Motivational Speakers, Planner Tips | No Comments »