
Last month, I shared how we’ve begun archiving past newsletters and I shared what I was seeing in the market.
Wow, what a difference a month makes, including the tough week we all had! I think I’ve washed my hands more in the last couple of weeks than the last couple of years! And boy are we all immersed in Social Distancing, ha? Prudent, yet challenging to accept as our new norm to be sure.
Be strong, stay healthy, and keep looking for the silver lining – while grounded for a few weeks, I went to my daughter’s soccer game and my son’s lacrosse game last week – the last one for a while as their school is shut down and going remote for a couple of weeks.
Here are five things I’m doubling down on or doing differently: 1. Invest in Your Most Valuable Business Relationships. I made a list of my top 15-30 most valuable and relevant business relationships, I am calling each to simply ask, “how are you doing, what are you seeing, and how can I help?” 2. If You Can’t Meet In Person, Connect In-Person, Virtually. I’ve bought an upgraded webcam, new lighting, cleaned up my office, and I’m asking my previously scheduled face visits to likewise, turn on their webcams, and let’s see each other virtually. Social Distancing doesn’t have to become Social Isolation! 3. Use Your Excess Capacity to Learn and Grow. Last week, I attended two webinars, hosted two podcasts, was a guest on two podcasts, wrote an in-depth article, and read an interesting article each day – from Behavior-Intent Gap by Angela Duckworth to Korn Ferry’s Leading Through and Beyond COVID-19. Amazing the extra time, I’ve found if I’m not flying to multiple cities, planning or tackling other logistics. Clients and prospects are also more available as they’re working from home or are otherwise grounded. 4. Pivot Your Value-Add. I’ve been excited to work with the Vanderbilt Owen Graduate School of Management on our upcoming Strategy Visualization course. So when they called to tell me that the entire school is on lockdown for a couple of weeks, it was time to get creative. Delighted that we’ve decided to deliver the same April 15-16 course now virtually. The content and the presenter is the same; adapt to a new format. 5. Find Ways to Disengage. A friend of mine has given up his cell phone for the past two years! When I asked him why, he said too many around him had become all consumed with digital and were missing the world (and each other) all around them! We’re inundated with COVID-19 news, updates, reports, etc. How can you find ways to disengage from all this emotional and digital overload? I would love to see what you’re doing more of? Read the rest of the newsletter in our archives.
Hang in there. This too shall pass. Nour
p.s.
Here is the fun video about Motorcycle Airbag Vests and cleaning out old ideas to make space for new ways of thinking…

In Case You Missed It – Nour on Sales Growth Online
If you missed my interactive online roundtable last Friday, 3/13, we had a great turnout. I dedicated a 1/3 of the session on COVID-19 and how to get creative, scrappy, and move with speed and agility in your relationship-centric problem solving during this period of perceived storm.
BTW, we’ve also scheduled our next two, so mark your calendar and hope you’ll plan to join us:
- Friday, April 24th, 3 PM ET – Elisa Pratt and I will tackle the fundamental needs for Associations to Evolve Their Business Models
- Friday, May 8th, 3 PM ET – Lin Wilson and I will tackle Strategy Visualization to Bridge Strategy Formulation to Execution
Learn More and Register to join us!
Upcoming Learning and Growth Opportunity

April 15-16 VIRTUAL Strategy Visualization Course at Vanderbilt Owen Graduate School of Management
When life hands you a lemon, you create lemonade! Since Vanderbilt in Nashville, TN area is locked down, we’re taking our fabulous Strategy Visualization course online!!Our Creative Director, Lin Wilson, will join me as we cover recent insights on strategy formulation (where and how to compete), combined with Simple-Easy-Fast visual storytelling. If you’re making others spend way too many cycles to understand your vision, initiative, or strategic path forward, you can’t possibly expect them to get or follow you. This course is ideal for any strategic thinker, those who own major initiatives and actually have to produce results from their ideas, and others who need buy-in from a broad-based audience. Learn more and register HERE.
LEARN MORE AND REGISTER TO JOIN US
