The dialogue about certification started in March of 2007. Kestutis Cvetokas, (second from the right) general manager of Versse (www.versse.lt), had ordered and read the SST book and conveyed an interest in SST certification for his firm. We exchanged numerous e-mails, conducted many Skype phone conferences and agreed to proceed.

The first step was for me to visit Vilnius, Lithuania's beautiful capital, and to conduct SST training for Kestutis and his partners at Versse in July 2008. Step two was for them to practice and master delivering SST training. This included translating training materials into Lithuanian, which was ably done by Versse partner, Jurate Balciunaite (first on the left). A Lithuanian publisher, Rgrupe, translated and published SST in Lithuanian.

The third step was for me to observe Versse deliver a SST program, which I did the first week of December 2008. They assembled a diverse training group of salespeople and managers coming from pharmaceuticals, insurance, windows and doors, dairy products, software, and HR outsourcing. They did a great job; the model was enthusiastically embraced by the participants; and I was happy to lead a champagne toast, as captured in the above photograph, while presenting the certification diploma. I look forward to many years of collaboration and thoughtful exchanges about personality, selling, and sales leadership with my new partners at Versse.

Pagarbia

Ever wonder about Santa Claus' personality type? Me either, until I was scratching around for a newsletter topic that would be both holiday cheery and instructive.

Let's say you have reflected on the previous year and nothing in your behavior stands out as being particularly "nice." What if all the "naughty" things you have done have actually been recorded through improved technology and reported to the North Pole?

Naturally, you are concerned with how this will factor into gifts left under the tree, year-end bonuses, or the like. Fearing the humiliation of charcoal, you realize that you have to set upon an urgent SST strategy to persuade the jolly old one to come through for you.

One of our newsletter readers posed the following question after reading the November issue of the SST Newsletter:

Q: "I read with interest your analysis of presidential personalities in 'SST Correctly Predicts Presidential Outcome.' I especially can relate to your assessment of McCain after the debate -- in particular, that spent feeling after dealing with people and the need to recharge in solitude. I know that when I'm stressed I, too, tend to withdraw, rather than work a room. I just have to ask: Is there any hope for Introverts like me in the world of business?"