The Key to Being Successful With Humans

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There’s a hard truth that you may recoil at. I’m not endorsing it, just explaining it. Consider this descriptive, not prescriptive.

Understanding this principle and learning how to act accordingly will change everything for you and change the results you’re trying to achieve.

You see, 95% of people are thinking about one primary thing as they go through their lives:

Is this good for me, or is this bad for me?

Anyone appointed to a new supervisory role is surrounded by people asking this question. People around you care about themselves, not about you. Focus on how you’re going to help them win, not how they’re going to help you win.

Every ad watched on Youtube, is screened by people asking that simple question.

That’s why I hate it when salespeople start with, “I’d love to show you,” or “I’d love to meet with you.” Of course they’d love it. If you meet with them, they might get paid. This is just a dumb way to approach people. Focus on what the customer would love and you’ll be much more successful.

Always think in these terms: HOW IS THIS A WIN FOR THE PERSON I’M SPEAKING WITH?

When you’re in a performance evaluation, people must know and believe that you’re doing the evaluation because it’s in their best interest.

When you’re presenting your vision for the organization, people are wondering if this vision will be good for them, or bad for them.

When you meet someone new, show interest in them and their interests. Stop talking. Start asking instead. Find out about them. Be sincere.

When you leave that conversation, you may have said nothing about yourself, and the other person will think to themselves, “What a wonderful conversationalist!”

One of the deepest needs of people is to be accepted for whatever it is that they’re offering the world. Show them that acceptance, and they’ll be interested in hearing what you have to say too.

“You can get everything in life you want if you will just help enough other people get what they want.”

-Zig Ziglar

Getting ahead is about getting started,

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Written by Trevor Throness
Trevor is a veteran coach, keynote speaker, and the author of the book “The Power of People Skills” released by Career Press NY in 2017. He’s also written for or been featured in places like Forbes, Inc, The NY Post, The Globe and Mail, Entrepreneur, CEO Magazine, and numerous podcasts and interviews.

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The PLI program was invaluable to our network.
The range of topics delivered, the open dialogue, experience, and examples that PLI brought to each session were outstanding and provided a path for our Franchisees and Managers to look at leadership, coaching, and connecting with their teams in a new light. Many have implemented these strategies in their bakeries and have seen immediate results.
Michelle C.
COBS Bread
Highly recommend to help your team move forward
We have locations around BC and Alberta, so getting people on the same page can be very difficult... Until now. Our entire management team and location managers take the same great courses and then meet monthly online with our coach to apply it to our situation. People are engaged, the courses are excellent, we love our coach, and we are all learning together!
Jason Fawcett
President, Kelson Group
The result has been a transformation of our culture. 
We decided to implement PLI's strategies across the country in over 150 locations and over 3500 employees.  The result has been a transformation of our culture.  People's lives have been positively impacted - professionally and personally.  Morale is high and sales and profits are up as a result.
Daryl Verbeek
Daryl Verbeek
We’ve learned how to fix ongoing personnel issues once and for all
The roadmap laid out set our business up to quintuple in sales.  We've learned how to fix ongoing personnel issues once and for all, attract top talent, and spend our time focused on results, not internal staffing problems.  I highly recommend PLI to you - it's worked for us!
John DeJong
Satisfied Client
I had no idea that running a business could be this fun!
In less than 18 months of working with Trevor, he has transformed my business from being average to exceptional, where mediocrity is not acceptable, where being great is standard.  Working with PLI has allowed me to realize my dream of not simply owning a job, but owning a business.
Justin Bontkes
Principal, Caliber Projects
Our culture has taken major steps forward this year
Our culture has taken major steps forward this year with Trevor’s help.  He is funny, relatable, and his tools are very very practical and have helped us focus and upgrade our teams throughout our retail network. Trevor recently spoke to an employee group, and one person remarked, “I could listen to Trevor all day.”   We would highly recommend Trevor.
Stan Pridham
Founder, KMS Tools
The results have been remarkable
At first, we resisted, “This just won’t work with a law firm.” But we persisted and the results have been remarkable: our client base and profits have steadily improved, and staff engagement and morale is the healthiest its ever been.
Doug Lester
Partner, RDM Lawyers
Helped our fast-growing business become what it is today
I've experienced PLI's approach first hand and it's been crucial to sustaining our growth.  I can't imagine a business that wouldn't benefit greatly from his help.
Brian Antenbring
Founder, TEEMA
Provided practical ways to make positive changes
Trevor was incredibly well-received by the entire organization. He was able to articulate people issues that many of our franchisees were experiencing and provided them with practical ways to make positive changes. We have implemented the Star Chart tool across the organization and see it as vital to building happy, effective teams.
Aaron Gillespie
President, COBS Bread
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