Bud Bilanich | The Common Sense Guy

It All Starts With Sales

There was an article the Wall Street Journal this week entitled Sales Know-How Is Only a Footnote For Most MBA Programs.  Ronald Alsop, the author, began the article by saying "a company's sales force is its lifeblood.  But you'd never know it by looking at the typical MBA curriculum". 

But this is changing.  The article went on to say "the sales function seems to be slowly gaining more respect, as few major schools, including Stanford, MIT, and the University of North Carolina have created MBA level sales courses".  Northwestern and Harvard have offered sales management courses for some time.

I found this to be interesting, as anyone who is an entrepreneur will tell you, you can't make any money until you sell something...

Become Fully Engaged

I've had a lot of positive feedback on this month's e newsletter, Becoming Fully Engaged: Defining Your Purpose, so I am posting it here. 

I hope you enjoy this post.  If you are not already a subscriber to my newsletter, you can subscribe by going to my website www.BudBilanich.com.

I'll see you around the web, and at Alex's Lemonade Stand...

Bud

Avoiding the Ugly American Syndrome

There was an article in the Wall Street Journal on Tuesday, April 11 entitled Teaching Americans to Behave Abroad.  Keith Reinhard, heads up a group called Business for Diplomatic Action, a non profit that tries to get US companies to work to improve the reputation of the US in the world.  Mr. Reinhard was quoted in the article as saying "we (Americans) are broadly seen throughout the world as an arrogant people, totally self absorbed and loud".

A sidebar to the article listed advice for Americans traveling abroad...

Giorgio Armani on Business Attire

Today's Wall Street Journal had an interview with Giorgio Armani.  Mr Armani is a rarity on the world of fashion -- he is the head designer of Armani as well as its CEO. 

A side bar to the article entitled 5 Tips from Georgio Armani on What a Businessman Should Wear...

Origin of The Common Sense Guy

Ralph Waldo Emerson is one of my favorites.  His quote, Nothing so astonishes men as common sense and plain dealing was the catalyst for me becoming The Common Sense Guy.

Emerson was great friends with Henry David Thoreau.  In this post, I’d like to share some of their thoughts on self reliance, courtesy of the Executive Leadership newsletter…

Leadership Lessons from the Rugby Pitch

I interviewed Mike Tolkin on my internet radio show on Tuesday.  Mike is the coach of the New York Athletic Club rugby side – the reigning US National Champions.  When I asked Mike his secret for building a championship team in a period of four short years, he had some interesting things to say about leadership and teamwork…

Napoleon on Project Management

I was given a great book the other day: Napoleon on Project Management.  I read it over the weekend.  Jerry Manas, the author has some very interesting things to say about how Napoleon conducted his campaigns and what modern day business leaders can learn from him.

Two Very Important Words

I watched the NCAA men's and women's basketball Final Four semi final games this weekend.  In case you took a trip to Pluto over the weekend, UCLA beat LSU, and Florida beat George Mason in the men's tournament.  Duke best LSU, and Maryland beat North Carolina in the women's tournament.  UCLA and Florida play for the men's championship tonight.  Maryland and Duke play for the women's championship tomorrow.

After the Florida, George Mason game, CBS showed scenes from each team's locker room.  As you'd expect the Florida locker room was an excited, jubilant place.  The George Mason locker room was very subdued.

I thought George Mason Coach, Jim Larranaga was eloquent in his talk to his players...