Is your customer leaving while you're working? If so, they're probably doing it with a friendly smile and you might be inclined to say, "ok, bye." STOP. Get ...

Old TV shows used to start with “How was work today, honey?” when the breadwinner returned home for dinner and the dutiful spouse had their drink ready resem...

It shows as fixed. You believe it to be fixed. Don’t say it’s fixed. Customers want you to, you want to. Don’t do it. It’s not fixed IF: the issue comes back...

“Creative” – the word is universally considered a virtue or compliment. “You were so creative.”   “What a creative concept!” “Use your creativity and come up...

On occasion you may have an opportunity to meet with people in positions of “power”. Perhaps in an interview, or you may meet a business leader, or celebrity...

They’re not upset because you’re not trying, they’re upset because they don’t realize how much you are trying. There’s something fundamentally wrong when you...

If you’re in the service business, you know the “U” word very well. It’s urgent I get my car from the valet NOW. It’s urgent my brother get this medicine, do...

This is the only easy answer you should give: “It’s not that simple.” Most people want easy answers. They prefer you to simplify decisions and give them a cl...

“We don’t have the budget.” “It’s going to have to wait until the new fiscal year.” “We’re not at the stage where we can afford that.” You’ll eventually hear...

No one likes to hear “I told you so”. By the time you’re saying it, it’s too late. It’s ok that you arrive at a conclusion before someone else. They’re not r...

Not sure which phrase will upset a business owner? Don’t worry… “I got it handled, boss. Don’t worry.” “We’re on top of it, nothing to worry about.” The more...

The most important skill in specialized, technical jobs is often non-technical. It’s communication. Either the critical importance of getting someone to comm...

You don’t know when the recipient will get your message. If they get it tomorrow, you may find that your deadline gets missed. When using asynchronous proces...

One of the more frustrating parts of the IT profession is project “duration”. Unlike pizza delivery where expectation (regardless of traffic, customer demand...

Ask your newest hire to be on guard for this expression: “I was told…” – this expression is POISON for your business! It’s relatively harmless, right? Someon...

“Urgent” tech support needs have gone from the occasional hysterical employee to a widespread plague that’s thrashing already-reduced IT departments.  This h...

Executive summary: This is why people shoot the messenger – the messenger isn’t positioning the problem well. If you’ve ever gotten upset with a computer sup...

Editor’s note: we had such good response to this that we’ve updated it with some more tips & suggestions to help you with those “doorway moments” Ever had th...

While you’re working behind the scenes making things perfect for your network, your customer may be hearing nothing. Things should not be so quiet that they ...

Dr Kimble: “I didn’t kill my wife!” Inspector: “I don’t care.” In the film The Fugitive, Harrison Ford’s character feels strongly about his innocence. So muc...