I OFTEN SHARE THAT it takes a sales village to win and retain business. It also takes a sales village to write and publish a book. I’ve been very blessed to be surrounded by some great “villagers.”
As you’ll learn through the various stories shared in this book, Varsity Spirit was and is still a part of my village. They gave me my first opportunities in sales and sales leadership, which launched me into my current career of teaching and speaking about sales and sales leadership. Thank you.
An important person in the SalesLeadership village is Julie Points. She is my right arm, wing woman, and sales development manager. We call her the “super glue” of SalesLeadership because of her incredible organization and dedication to helping everyone succeed, from our consultants to our clients.
To my many colleagues at Women Sales Pros, thank you for being a part of my village. Jill Konrath started this group years ago, and many of us are graduates of Jill’s “kick butt” program. My first book, Emotional Intelligence For Sales Success, would not have happened without her encouragement. (Okay . . . and hard push.) The success of that book led to the writing of this book. This generous group of speakers, trainers, and consultants provided me with insight, support, and many moments of laughter. Nancy Bleeke and Lynn Hidy, thanks for reviewing book chapters and shining a light on gaps in content or thoughts.
Thanks to the HarperCollins team for believing in this topic. I recognize that publishers are approached by hundreds of authors each year and am grateful your team believed in this topic. I look forward to our continuing partnership and spreading the good word of emotional intelligence and sales leadership.
The earliest members of my village were the many great teachers that influenced me early in life. Sister Emma, Sister Nancy, Jan Gruber, and Martin Wedeking taught and modeled attributes of faith, honesty, perseverance, compassion, discipline, and generosity. Those teachings continue to guide me today.
My wonderful husband, Jim, is a key member of the village. He’s my biggest cheerleader, never complains about a sometimes-crazy work or travel schedule. He is one of the good guys.