Consider This

Robert Stevenson’s Thoughts on the Pursuit of Excellence


The Art of Conversation

March 16, 2024

by Robert Stevenson

The art of being a great conversationalist has a lot more to do with listening than speaking. Remember, you already know about yourself, so talking about you will seldom gain you anything. The secret to being a fantastic conversationalist is to remember: “It's not about what you say, but how many times you can say 'uh-huh' and 'oh, really?'” Now, that may sound silly, but it really makes a lot of sense. If you can get them talking and keep them talking, you will be noted as the great conversationalist even though you will have said very little. So, saying, “uh-huh” and “oh, really,” will keep that conversation moving along. I heard it once said: "To be a great conversationalist, listen twice as much as you speak, and then you'll be heard twice as much as you listen." I really like that quote.



Employee Turnover

March 9, 2024

by Robert Stevenson

I don’t understand why companies don’t do more to retain talented employees. According to Gallup, the expense of replacing an employee can vary significantly, spanning from one-half to two times the employee's annual salary. This range accounts for various factors contributing to turnover costs, such as recruitment expenses, training costs, lost productivity during the transition period, and potential impacts on team morale and productivity. That is a lot of money to walk out your door all because you did a lousy job making them want to stay.



The Destructive Power of “Sometimes”

March 2, 2024

by Robert Stevenson

Using "sometimes" to qualify actions can indeed undermine one's professional reputation and career. This simple word introduces doubt and inconsistency, while eroding trust and confidence in an individual's capabilities and character. OUCH!



Chalk Up a "6"

March 19, 2023

by Robert Stevenson

Andrew Carnegie hired Charles M. Schwab to run US Steel in 1921 and paid him $1 million per year. That was $3,000 per day, when people who made $50 per week, were considered well off. He was not hired because he knew more about steel than anyone else. Carnegie hired him because he was a genius at dealing with people. There was a book written about Mr. Schwab back in 1912 entitled Succeeding with What You Have. I would like to pull a short excerpt from the book that gives a great example of how Mr. Schwab was able to motivate his people to accomplish more without threats, condemnation, fear, criticism, intimidation, or pressure.



Attention Getter

March 12, 2023

by Robert Stevenson

I recently did a program on How to GRAB the Attention of Clients and Prospects. Here are a few points from that talk. According to the top advertising agencies in the world you’ve got 3 seconds to grab their attention. You scroll through your… Emails, Facebook feed, Today’s news, Tweets, Pins, Ads, Pics, and Videos … drowning in a sea of soundbites and thumbnails and headline after headline, page after page of information and ideas, until… suddenly, YOU stop scrolling. WHY! You hit that headline, that image, that quote that really speaks to YOU. You’re drawn into this piece of content and before you know it, you've consumed an entire email, article, blog, or post.



Words Make a Difference

March 27, 2022

by Robert Stevenson

Highly successful people know, that before speaking, they need to consider the purpose behind their words. A little thought before we speak will make our words have more meaning and be more effective. I don’t care what your objective is … to help, persuade, inspire, teach, or sell … whatever your intentions are, choose your words wisely. Here are 6 words/phrases you should avoid saying. They detract from your ability to make a point, your desire to continue a productive dialogue or they may simply offend the listener. 



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