Easily Forgotten

Posted on September 12, 2025 by directimpact
2,977 people died on 9/11 at the World Trade Center, Pentagon and Shanksville, PA. On this 24th anniversary, I will never forget this attack on our democracy, the people who died and the way our country came together to protect our freedom.
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Flying Solo

Posted on August 29, 2025 by directimpact
I went solo on a sales call this morning and want to mention a couple things. #1- In my experience, customer support still reigns as the top reason prospects start to look around. Your stellar support needs to be mentioned during every call. Secondly, I feel it is a good practice to send along the Gong/AI notes to the prospect after the call. It shows that you deeply care about listening to their needs and you give the prospect a chance to add anything that may have forgotten about during the call.
Final thoughts- We rise to the level of our training. I need to improve each day because the rent is due each day.
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Good Enough

Posted on August 22, 2025 by directimpact
Good afternoon,
I am excited when companies look to open up new markets! For example, one organization is now exploring the Chamber market and taking market share away from the major player. Their first public exposure to the Chamber market occurred at the Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives/ ACCE event in Philly this past July. To respect you people must first notice you; you can’t earn admiration from the sidelines.
The keynote speaker at the ACCE was Steve Lerch, a former Google executive, now speaking on Innovation. He shared how Kodak and the Taxi industries had systems that were just Good Enough. Instagram and Uber destroyed their businesses because they did not change. I feel this is how we will grab a decent share of the chamber market. The current market leader has a system that has been barely good enough and has not changed in a number of years. Chamber Executives were excited to hear about us! These executives were not just looking for a New system, but the Next system. Next in terms of future looking!
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Give People Credit

Posted on August 1, 2025 by directimpact

When somebody shares a good idea with you, share it with your team. Giving them credit really builds everyone’s morale!

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Old Architecture

Posted on July 25, 2025 by directimpact
Hello,
I am in Philly at the ACCE annual conference. We are looking to grab some share of the chamber market. My biggest observation is that Philly has some old architecture and many Chamber prospects are tired of settling for a competitor’s old architecture. If we can work out profitable pricing, we can be a major player in this space.
The most impressive piece of architecture in Philly is their City Hall. Simply amazing! Still the largest municipal building in the country.
Finally, my wife Teri is with me on this trip to help learn more about the chamber market and bring in more business. She wanted me to share this quote from Ben Franklin who moved to Philly when he was 17. “Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.”
Thanks,
RJ
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Leverage Out of Office Contacts

Posted on July 18, 2025 by directimpact
Just a reminder today to leverage contacts in auto reply messages. My favorite auto replies are those communicating out of office or on vacation. Most leave a contact person and I call them right away. For example, Hey, I received your name from Pete’s auto reply and I am calling to see if you can share information on ABC’s AMS plans. If I get a voice mail, I send an email and the subject line reads Received Your Name from Pete.
As the saying goes, Don’t be afraid to go out on a limb- that’s where the fruit is.
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People Buy from People they Like

Posted on July 11, 2025 by directimpact
Good afternoon,
Start thinking about all the major things you have bought over the years. For me it is a house, car, financial advice, A/C systems, roofing etc. I can still picture the person who sold me these items. Why? Because I liked them! We connected emotionally and then I used some of my rational brain. Many experts say the rational brain is only responsible for 5% to 10% of our decision making. People Buy from People they Like.
10 Things People Learn Too Late- Warren Buffet
Everything is temporary.
Family matters more than friends.
Others treat you the way you treat yourself.
Beneath anger there’s always fear.
Happiness is a choice and requires hard work.
The biggest risk is not taking any risk.
You played it too safe.
Life isn’t fair.
A lifetime isn’t as long as you think.
Things don’t matter so much.
RJ’s Add to Warren Buffet list
In God I trust and I follow up with everyone else.
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Happy 4th!

Posted on July 4, 2025 by directimpact
On this July 4th, I will leave you with a quote from Harry Truman. It gets me going as a citizen and salesperson. “America was not built on fear, American was built on courage, on imagination and an unbeatable determination to do the job at hand.”  We live in the greatest country in the world. May God continue to Bless America!
Happy 4th!
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AI versus Authentic Human Connection

Posted on June 27, 2025 by directimpact

Good afternoon,

Today, I just want to encourage everyone to be their genuine self. Your authenticity will earn you and the business more money. Oscar Wilde said, “Be yourself; Everyone else is already taken.” The pressure to be somebody else is much more prevalent today with the emergence of AI. Use AI as a tool not your voice.

Here are some points from Jeb Stuart’s Podcast called, Can AI Really Replace Salespeople?

The One Thing AI Can Never Do:

This is where the magic happens, and it’s where your competitive edge lies.

AI can write emails. It can analyze data. It can even fake phone calls (poorly). But it cannot engage in real-time, empathetic, synchronous conversation with another human being.

It can’t read micro-expressions during a video call. It can’t pick up on the subtle hesitation in someone’s voice that signals an unspoken objection. It can’t pivot in real-time when the conversation takes an unexpected turn.

Most importantly, it can’t build the kind of authentic human connection that makes people want to buy from you instead of your competitor.

If you’re a salesperson:

  • Learn to use AI as your research assistant and writing coach, not your replacement.
  • Never let AI write emails or make calls on your behalf. People will know, and they’ll hate it.
  • Double down on developing your conversation skills, empathy, and relationship-building abilities.
  • Remember the Golden Rule: Never trust, always verify. AI will lie to you, so double check everything.
“The authentic self is the soul made visible.” Sarah Ban Breathnach.
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Secret Recipe

Posted on June 20, 2025 by directimpact

We just completed our AMS Fest Chicago event and shared with prospects and partners our recipe for membership success. It was arguably the most people we have ever had attend our sessions at AMS Fest.

A recipe is a story that ends with a good meal or our case successful membership management. Most of the prospects left our presentation hungry to explore more menu items with their associations. Our chefs look forward to sharing more of our secret ingredients to help our clients and prospects grow and serve their members.

The follow up on this event will be easy. Everyone will remember the chef’s outfits. Isn’t that what we all are working toward? Making are interactions with customers and prospects memorable!

Bon Appetite,

RJ



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