Ohio Valley Region – Design Build Institute of America

Pamela Meyer is the author of “Liespotting: Proven Techniques to Detect Deception.”
SmartBrief Senior Editor Mary Ellen Slayter recently spoke with her
about the story behind the book and how what she learned can help
business leaders do their jobs more effectively.

What inspired you to write the book?

• I couldn’t believe that this well-developed science
  — this huge body of research on what deceptive people do with their
  posture, their eyes, their breathing rate , their language structure —
  had not hit the mainstream. And I wanted to shine a light on it.

• We have a deception epidemic gaining ground in our society, and
  we can each do our part to keep it at bay. You have probably already
  heard at least 25 lies already today. We don’t expect CEOs or public
  officials to tell us the truth, our TV networks lean blue or red, we
  were barely outraged by Bernie Madoff, our political campaigns are
  shouting matches between adversaries screaming “Liar Liar!” –instead of
  discussions of the issues.

READ MORE

We all like to
think that we are good people to work for (well, most of us do), but is
it true? I have been hearing from a lot of people about bad bosses
lately – maybe it’s the economy – and one thing I noticed is that few
bad bosses actually see themselves that way.

So, which witch are you? The good, or the bad?

Here’s how to tell:

1. You don’t micromanage:
There are few things more frustrating than the boss who not only is not
happy with your work, but tells you how to do it to boot! Great bosses
trust that the people they hire are smart enough to do their job, even
if you might do it differently.

2. You know how to have fun:
People work for all sorts of reasons, pay is just one. We work to learn
new things, meet people, sharpen skills, get ahead, and yes, socialize
and try to have a good time. The best bosses temper work with fun,
knowing that the latter reinforces the former.

READ MORE

By Geoffrey James

SCENARIO: A VP of Sales thinks he know all about
selling and insists on getting involved in every major opportunity.
Unfortunately, he lacks sales skills. He pushes when the prospect needs
time, gives pitches that include his vacation pictures, and so forth.
You have a big opportunity developing and don’t want him to screw it
up.  Here are your choices:

• STRATEGY #1: Warn the Prospect. Since you know the
  VP will get involved, best to give the customer a heads-up and make sure
  they’re ready for some shenanigans.  Meanwhile, continue to move the
  sale forward.  With any luck, the prospect will find the situation
  amusing.
• STRATEGY #2: Downplay the Opportunity. Put the
  opportunity in stealth mode for as long as possible.  Find ways to
  secure internal resources without giving the VP a warning that a big
  deal is pending.  Only involve the VP at the very end of the sales cycle
  when he can’t do much damage.
• STRATEGY #3: Re-educate your Boss. He didn’t get to
  be vice president because he’s stupid, so it’s up to you to explain how
  he can best help the sales process.  Provide him a clear agenda of how
  you’re pursuing the sale and ask for help in areas where he won’t make
  problems and waves.

READ MORE to take the quiz and find the the best choice.