Mark Matteson

My oldest son Colin has been playing professional basketball since he graduated from University of Fairbanks, Alaska in 2009. First he played in Cottbus, Germany and led his team to the championship. Next it was off to Darwin, Australia where he averaged 27 points per game including three 42 point games (hitting 10 three pointers […]

My mother was the queen of the thank you note. She wrote hand written letters and notes every day of her life. She had a desk just for that purpose. They always made me smile. She understood a simple secret. “I was thinking of you…” Everyone she met said the same thing, “She sure is […]

See if you can guess who said these words. I was 13 years old when he delivered this talk in Dayton, Ohio. I pulled excerpts from his last speech and rewrote them in OTHER WORDS….my own. “Attaining a goal, you have got to pay a price for anything worthwhile and success is paying the price. […]

For as long as I can remember, I have hunted for great information, the causes of success. In 1992 I took my young family to Disneyland. We stopped at a funky little beach front thrift store in San Clemente. I found an odd little cassette of some guy named Jim Rohn for the drive to […]

“Shortly after the close of the Civil War, a black man entered a fashionable Church in Richmond, VA, one Sunday morning at the beginning of a communion service. When the time came, he walked down the aisle and knelt at the altar. A rustle of shock and anger swept through the congregation. A distinguished gentleman […]

Oh! The Places You’ll Go!
by Dr. Seuss Congratulations!
 Today is your day.
You’re off to Great Places!
You’re off and away! You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes.
You can steer yourself any direction you choose.
You’re on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the guy who’ll decide where to […]

I was working with a terrific group of people this week in Lynchburg, VA. A small company, less than 50 people. It’s an ESOP company. They are all owners. Employee Stock Option Program is a clever concept. What a great way to attract and retain the best people. After surveying the employees, conducting a tailored […]

His name is Joe Girard. He was born in the ghettos of Detroit. He started out as a shoeshine boy, then newspaper delivery boy, then assembling stoves. He eventually began building homes. That business failed. His father told him he would never amount to anything. At thirty five, he was married, had two kids and […]

Many years ago I came across the concept of “Getting Bigger than Your Job.” It’s a simple concept really. The theory is no one gets promoted per say, they just get bigger than their job. Are you frustrated because no one appreciates all your efforts? Have you been passed over for promotion? Do you feel […]

Do you remember the movie “Field of Dreams?” “Shoeless Joe Jackson” whispers to Kevin Costner, “If you build it, they will come!” This father and son movie was about faith, hope and redemption. Eleven Christmas’s ago, my family and I were staying at the Four Seasons in Seattle for two days during the holidays, a […]

Do you want to make a point that sticks in the mind of the prospect? Tell a story. A sad story, a funny story, a good story. I like stories that make me laugh, cry or think. I like 1st and 3rd stories best. Here is one you might like: An Italian businessman from Milan […]

In 1980 I attended my first Bruce Springsteen concert. I was forever changed. When I think of WHY I have felt connected to Bruce Springsteen’s music since then, the answer is simple. At that age and stage in my life, I wanted to break out! I want to take off. Bruce gave me permission with […]

In a recent tele-coaching session with an east coast contractor, I was reminded of a simple idea I stumbled upon 25 years ago when I was a technician and first learning how to sell. I had just changed a compressor and the customer was complaining about the cost of the compressor change. I smiled. The […]

Some of us are warnings, some of us are examples. Everyone is always glad to see you; some when you arrive, others when you leave. Sounds a little like something Mark Twain would have written. I was reading some of Samuel Clemens again recently at the library located at the Stehekin Valley Ranch last weekend. […]

It was a beautiful sunny day in Seattle, the third week in March 2003. I was headed to Starbucks attached to the local grocery store. March Madness and Girl Scout Cookies were everywhere. I was thinking about the days activities ahead. Two young Girl Scout merchants, 11 year olds and their moms where just setting […]

It was the fall of 2000. I had been in Dallas, Texas for four days conducting seminars with a fine group of successful contractors. Sales training. We covered all aspects of the sales cycle: suspects, prospects, qualifying, writing proposals, asking for the sale and following up. I had come back with a slight southern drawl. […]

It was the summer of 1992, my Dad and I were playing a game of cribbage. He was stealing points from me (his way of ‘Teaching’ me the game) when he grimaced. I thought it was a pang of conscious about cheating at cards. I was wrong. He took his shoes off and started rubbing […]

It was 1990. My new job was to sell Commercial Service Agreements. It was a fine company. They were growing. They wanted to expand their Service Base. I had a territory that no one wanted. It was the farthest away from the office. “There is no business there!” was all I heard from everyone when […]