Alan Fairweather

Sell Don't Tell

"Everyone lives by selling something" - Robert Louis Stevenson I'll always remember the first sales course I ever attended and the definition of selling that was drummed into my brain. "Selling is the art of creating a desire in the mind of a ... Read >

Motivation Means Presence Not Presents

Let me ask you a quick question; do you have any children? I don't have any children, however, I appreciate the challenges that parents face and I'm most reluctant to tell anyone how to bring up their children. Whether you do or don't have children,... Read >

The Truth About Staff Who Can't Perform

Let me tell you a quick story. When I started my first job as an apprentice engineer, I quickly realised that some of my fellow apprentices shouldn't be in the job. They just didn't have the aptitude or ability for engineering. Back in those days, ... Read >

2 Ways to Deal With Difficult Staff

Let me ask you a simple question; do you have any 'difficult' people on your team? One of the subjects managers ask me to speak about more than any other is: 'How to Deal with Difficult Staff.' As we all know; dealing with the good guys is no probl... Read >

How to Feel Even More Self-Motivated

I have a confession to make; I, on occasion, have felt a little de-motivated. Yes, me, the 'Motivation Doctor,' feels a bit lacking in motivation from time to time, just like everybody else. I've talked in the past about how to develop your Brain a... Read >

2 Sure-Fire Tips for Self Motivation

Let me tell you a quick story. When I started my business in 1993, I faced all the challenges experienced by most new business start-ups. I also had to deal with the all the negative situations; the people who said - "The Speaking and Training busines... Read >

The One Thing You Need to Know about Team Motivation

Let me ask you a simple question. Do you, as a manager, want a highly motivated team who don't take time off work, who achieve their goals and objectives, and don't stress you out in the process? I'm sure the answer is - Yes! However, you're no doubt ... Read >

Do You Have The Likeability Factor?

Why do you think Barack Obama overwhelmingly won the US Presidential Election? Perhaps it was because of his policies for change, or even the amount of money invested in his campaign. Or perhaps it was his ability to eloquently express the hopes, answers ... Read >

The Truth about Managing and Coaching

Let me ask you a simple question - what is the difference between a manager and a coach? I like to watch football on TV (or soccer, as my American friends call it) and for years, in the UK; we have always described the person in charge of the team as t... Read >

How to Hold Motivational Meetings

How many times have you phoned someone to be told, "They're in a meeting!?" At least 60 per cent of manager's time is spent in meetings. Research in one large organisation discovered that the figure could be as high as 90 per cent. And another survey... Read >

Keep it Simple Speaking

6 tips for success Don't you just love Microsoft PowerPoint when you're making a presentation? All the different templates you can use, the colours, the different text, the graphics, the photographs, the special effects, the flashing lights and the ... Read >

Keep it Simple Feedback

When was the last time you gave a member of your team some feedback? The feedback I'm talking about here isn't some sort of formalised appraisal that takes place with your team members every month, or every six months or once a year. I'm talking about... Read >

Spend Some Quality Time

Let me tell you a quick story; my friend Brian works in sales for the UK division of an international company. Every month he sits down with his regional manager for a 'review' of his sales to date. This consists of the manager examining all the poten... Read >

How to be a Powerful Persuader

I'll always remember the first sales course I ever attended and the definition of selling that was drummed into my brain. "Selling is the art of creating a desire in the mind of a buyer and satisfying that desire so that buyer and seller benefit." ... Read >

Smile and live longer

What if I told you that smiling and being agreeable influences the length of your life in a positive way. On the other hand, being grumpy increases the likelihood of a violent death, heart disease, cancer etc. This is according to a recent report in A... Read >