On this episode of Maximizing Opportunity, Brian and Derek discuss the importance of Contrast.  Brian starts with a story about a 3.2 magnitude earthquake that struck LaGrange, IL back on November 4th, 2013 at 12:35pm. The importance? It’s not what anyone expected! This is contrast… this is one SquarePlanet’s core beliefs. Derek explains how SquarePlanet does things to stand out above everyone else, like dressing up like pirates, sending hand-written thank you notes, t-shirts—essentially caring. They pose the question, ‘Why would you want to look like everyone else?’

The gang was lucky enough to be able to sit down (in studio) with Tony Lenhart , Sales Drummer for Sales Empowerment Group (Photos Below). Tony speaks to how sales people and organizations alike can find their personal voice, and how to utilize peoples unique attributes. Making personal connections is important, so Tony stands out by finding common interests with people–like his passion for drumming, golf and long walks on the beach. Authenticity is a huge takeaway. All too often, Tony catches people after they have tried to adapt too much, and get caught in a lie—all in an attempt to falsely connect. Together, Brian and Tony explore the idea of ‘contrast through similarity’ and it’s affect on large companies. Wrapping up the interview: a story of a drive through lunch sales pitch and a 92 year old mother. Tony can be found on LinkedIn and you can read his blog here.

The review for this episode is interestingly enough, another podcast: Breaking Down Your Business with Brad Farris and Jill Salzman. Brian was fortunate enough (because he’s bold) to be a guest on the show and has been raving about it ever since. Brad is the founder of EnMast, and Jill the founder of The Founding Moms™ and a former Guest Pirate. Together they produce the greatest podcast in the world! A hilarious and fantastic show focused on solving business problems and giving grand advice. You can subscribe to the podcast on iTunes or visit their website to listen!

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