This is the topic of a keynote I will be giving in a few weeks - in the words of AI 'In this fast paced world ...'. I would love to get a picture of what AI tools you have started to use and how are you using them to support your business - specifically in Sales and Marketing? I know there are so many options that it can be overwhelming - are you still taking tentative steps and asking AI to help with your writing, content creation, social captions? Are you using GPT's? Writing your own GPT's? Setting up workflows specific for your business? Or something else altogether? There is no right or wrong answer - we are all in this together and AI is not going away - so how are you making it work for you ... and your business? Thanks so much for your help - happy for you to message me direct if you are not sure how to articulate your answer here.

"I don't have all the answers." That's how I start every presentation. Have done for 30 + years. Here's the backstory: When I did my first seminar after selling my business, I noticed something: too many speakers had an "I know it all" style. Great content. But the delivery felt... off. So I thought: How can I be strong but also disarming? I landed on this opening: "Hello, my name's Peter Thomson. I'm delighted to share tried and tested ideas with you today. But before we start, there's one thing I need to tell you: I don't have all the answers." People told me it made them relax. It felt honest. Authentic. Years later, I learned WHY it worked: Professor Robert Cialdini (Influence: Science and Practice) identified it as a persuasion principle: admit a failing. The idea: Tell people what you CAN'T do before you tell them what you CAN do. Not weakness. Authenticity + authority. Your challenge: Think about your next presentation, pitch, or client conversation. What's ONE thing you could admit upfront that would make you more relatable? Drop it in the comments

You might be losing sales in the first 60 seconds. The problem: After rapport building, people either: 1. Talk about themselves 2. Ask about the client Both wrong. The principle: Ted Nicholas: "The headline is 75% of the buying decision." Your opening IS your headline. The formula: "As I understand it, the purpose of our meeting is to: 1. Understand where you are now 2. Understand where you want to get to 3. See how we can get there faster together Have I got that about right?" Why it works: ✅ Positions you as professional ✅ Shows you listen ✅ Not too certain, too soon ✅ Elegant and disarming Your turn: Share YOUR opening below (or draft one using this formula). I'll comment on everyone who shares.

Hi - I wondered on your thoughts on this - I went to unsubscribe from an email list just now - I am just overwhelmed with emails and have a cull each Friday morning for 5 or so minutes to manage my inbox. Can you guess what I just did when I was offered this when I hit the unsubscribe button? Any one else come across this - using this?

Here's something that could change how you handle every client conversation from now on. I often ask people in my training sessions this question: "What is it that wealthy taxi drivers do that less wealthy taxi drivers forget to do?" I get all sorts of answers. Charge higher fares. Build rapport. Get bigger tips. All reasonable guesses. But none of them are right. The answer is so simple it's almost annoying: Wealthy taxi drivers always book the return journey. Think about it. When a taxi driver drops you at a restaurant, the wealthy ones don't just drive off and hope you'll remember to call them later. They say: "What time do you think you'll finish your meal? I'll come and pick you up. If you're running early, give me a call. If you're a bit late, let me know and I can fit in another fare. But I WILL be here for you at the agreed time." And when they turn up exactly as promised? You use them again. And again. And you tell your friends about them. Now here's the thing... How many of us are doing this in our own businesses? Be honest. How often do you finish a call with a prospect, agree to send a proposal, and then... just send it? No follow-up booked. No next step scheduled. Just hoping they'll get back to you. And then you wait. And chase. And wait some more. Every time you chase a client, you damage your positioning. You go from being an authority they want to work with to someone who needs their business. Here's the fix: Never end a client interaction without having the next one scheduled. It's that simple. - After a discovery call → Book the proposal review BEFORE you hang up - Sending a proposal? → The follow-up meeting should already be in both diaries - Finished delivering work? → Book the review call - Project complete? → Schedule the check-in - When you do this, there's no ambiguity. No awkward chasing. No wondering what happens next. You're providing certainty. And certainty is worth paying for. Here's your challenge: Think about your last 3 client interactions. Did you book the return journey?