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By the time someone graduates from college, they’ve completed seventeen years of formal education. But during that time, they probably didn’t attend a single class on selling and they haven’t been taught the first thing about how to raise a child—which ironically, are two of the most important functions adults will be asked to perform in their lifetime.
My hope is that future generations will see this book as a collection of truths about effective communication and strengthening relationships, as these concepts will be just as relevant and applicable 100 years from now as they are today. That alone would be a remarkable accomplishment.
Let’s call everything else a bonus.
“This Might be My Best Sales Book”
I never intended to become a sales trainer. If someone told me back in high school or college that I would end up publishing six books on anything, I would have said they were crazy. Then, I developed Question Based Selling, and for the last 20+ years, I have had the privilege of training some of the most sophisticated sales organizations all over the world. Life is funny.
Similarly, before my wife Laura and I had two daughters, I didn’t have a great deal of perspective regarding what parenting might be like, either. Truthfully, nothing can adequately prepare you for the awesome responsibility of raising a child.
The Lamaze classes we attended while my wife was pregnant only taught us how to pop ‘em out. “Does this ‘thing’ come with an owner’s manual?”, I remember asking, just after the doctor spanked my newborn for the very first time. As you know, there is no instruction manual for how to raise a child. For most parents, it’s trial by fire.
Somewhere along the way, my professional responsibilities intersected with those of being a parent, and it turns out that the job function of a sales trainer and the role of a parent have a lot in common. Consequently, I have learned a lot about parenting by teaching people how to sell. I have also learned a great deal about selling through my experiences of learning how to become an effective parent.
At some point, the bigger-picture question needs to be asked: Will your parenting skills yield desirable long-term results in the way your children choose to conduct themselves, or are you just a combatant in the ongoing battle to make it through the day?
Table of Contents
Chapter 1: The Psychology of Questions vs. Statements
Chapter 2: Train Up and Child
Chapter 3: The Art of Interpersonal Negotiation
Chapter 4: Delivering Bad News Gracefully
Chapter 5: The Balancing Act of Discipline
Chapter 6: Gold Medals™ & German Shepherds™
Chapter 7: Mismatching™: A Contradiction in Terms
Chapter 8: A Short Course in Listening
Chapter 9: Conversational Dynamics™
Chapter 10: Mastering the Question Based Parent Philosophy
QBP Study Guide
This book has evolved into a mission field, enabling me to share proven communication techniques that will have an immediate positive impact on your family dynamic. More importantly, the concepts explained herein will likely change the way your family chooses to interact with you.
I am the proud father of two impressive daughters, Sarah & Mary Claire. While my natural sense of pride would like to think they are the beneficiaries of good genes, it should be noted that children are incapable of parenting themselves. Therefore, some credit must be attributed to the environment in which they were raised, as well as the guidance they received along the way.
Have we done everything right as parents? The answer to that question is a resounding, “No.” Trust me when I tell you that we’ve encountered our fair share of bumps in the road. Fortunately, I believe that many of the lessons one learns from the school of hard knocks ultimately make us better people, and also better parents. The lessons learned have also made The Question-Based Parent a better book.
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