January 8th, 2010
Want to know how to make 2010 your best year ever?
Stop Killing Your Sales!
The Top 10 Sales Killers
Any veteran in business can tell you a story about the one that got away. Veterans who are successful in business today learned valuable lessons from those situations and, hopefully, never repeated them. As challenging as the business of selling might be for some, losing sales is unbelievably easy. Learn from the mistakes of others so you won’t have many of the sad stories to tell.
Sales Killer #1 – Unprofessional appearance. If you want people to listen to you and heed your advice regarding your product or service, you have to come across both in appearance and demeanor as a professional expert. This means that you are appropriately groomed. You walk with confidence. People will buy from you based more on your conviction and enthusiasm for your product than they will your product knowledge.
Sales Killer #2 – Talking too much. When you’re talking, you’re telling. When you ask questions to get clients talking about their needs, you’re selling. You’re finding out what they want to own. Only then can you guide them to the right product or service.
Sales Killer #3 – Your vocabulary. Words create pictures in our minds. Certain words that are inherent to selling turn people off. For example, I caution people in business to avoid using the word “contract” when handling the details of a large ticket sale. We all know that contracts are legally binding documents and require legal efforts to get out of them. If appropriate, call your contract an “agreement,” “form,” or “paperwork.” The mental image is less threatening. Think about the words you use and replace any negative word-picture images with gentler, more positive ones.
Sales Killer #4 – Not investing time in building rapport. Good rapport builds trust. No one will want to make a purchase from someone they don’t like and trust. Don’t just jump right into a presentation on your product. Get to know your client a bit.
Sales Killer #5 – Lack of a qualification system. A certain percentage of the people you talk with will not be good candidates for your product or service. If they don’t have the need or the money for your product or service, there is no sale. Your challenge is to figure this out as early in your communication with them as possible. Come up with at least 3 or 4 questions the answers to which will tell you if they’re qualified to own your offering.
Sales Killer #6 – Not knowing when to stop presenting and close the sale. Too many salespeople think they have to tell potential clients everything they know about the product. Even after a client has indicated that the product is right for them, the salesperson keeps talking. Doing so could easily turn the client off about working with you and cost you the sale.
Sales Killer #7 – Ego. Selling is a service business. You must set aside your wants and needs to serve the wants and needs of others. Get the dollar signs out of your eyes when you’re with clients. If they suspect you’re pushing the sale because of what’s in it for you instead of what’s in their best interests, they’ll find another company to do business with.
Sales Killer #8 – Not knowing how to close. In many cases, all you have to do is ask a direct question in order to close a sale.
“If I have the red one you mentioned, do you want to take it with you today or shall I ship it to you?”
“Will you be making your purchase today by cash, check or credit card?”
Sales Killer #9 – Not paying attention to details. If you skim over details or shortcut your presentation because you’ve done it so many times that you’re bored with it, you’ll lose sales. Remember, every presentation is new to your client. So give it with enthusiasm and without shortcuts unless your client indicates that certain details you would normally cover aren’t of interest to them. This carries over to your paperwork and ability to handle a computer (if your orders are entered that way). Any missing information can cause clients to quickly lose faith in their decision and walk away.
Sales Killer #10 – Poor fulfillment. This ties into paying attention to details. If you or your company does not have the practices and policies in place to properly fulfill the expectations of your clients, you will find yourself working harder and harder to get new business. Invest some time and effort in laying out procedures that can be standardized and followed by everyone who works with you. Salespeople should not promise anything above or beyond the company standard. Everyone should be expected to meet or exceed it.
If you want 2010 to be more successful than 2009, you need to think differently, plan differently, and act differently.
Wishing you greatness,
Tom Hopkins
Posted in Articles | Comments Off
January 5th, 2010
People who have achieved their goals knew what they wanted in the first place. They decided what to go after, and they went after it. One of the most compelling reasons why people do not get what they want is that they never decided what they wanted! They never defined the desires of their hearts in complete detail.
Why don’t you know what you want? Why isn’t it spelled out in detail in your mind? Most likely, it is because you have lost touch with the desires of your heart. You were probably taught that you couldn’t have whatever you wanted. You were probably taught that it was more important to do what made other people happy. Seeking your happiness was considered selfish, so you learned not to define your happiness. Now, you find yourself completely unaware of what your preferences are, how you really want to live your life, and what your goals are for your life.
Take back your life! Start honoring your preferences, no matter how small they seem. Even if you don’t know what you prefer, pretend you do, and make a decision. You’ll be more keenly aware of whether that decision made you happy or not and you will learn your preferences!
Commit to this new belief: You deserve to have everything exactly the way you want it. Make it a priority to begin to know your wants and desires. Start simple by making a list of things you want to do and things you want to have. Keep writing until you find some of your core values, such as wanting to have loving relationships, to make a difference in your world or to be financially secure.
Think of what you love to do with your time. Write down several things that you love to do, and then make a list of all the ways you can think of to be making a living doing those things. Create a detailed description of the vision you have for your ideal life. Don’t limit yourself. Dream as big as you possibly can from your perspective right now.
In detail, what is going on in the financial area of your life? How much money do you make? How much do you have in savings and investments? What about your real estate? What kind of house or houses do you own? Create detailed visions of all the major areas of your life, your ideal career, your recreation time, your ideal body and physical health, your relationships with family and friends, your spiritual life, and the community in which you live. Create and write down your ideal vision for each area and review it on a daily basis.
All you have to do at this point is clarify your vision to yourself. Don’t worry about how it will happen right now. Once you have a clear picture of what you want going through your mind, the steps and opportunities to get it will appear. When you have completed your ideal vision of your life, share it with a supportive friend. Don’t let anyone talk you out of it! More than likely, they want the same thing for themselves but believe it’s impossible. Deciding what you want is the first step to getting what you want. Don’t put off creating your vision!
1. What do you want? (target)
2. Where are you now?
3. What steps are needed to get you there? (goals)
4. Why now?
5. Who will I have to be to get there?
6. When get there…then what?
7. What do I want to keep the same (in my life)?
I know, these questions may seem simplistic at first, but as a good friend of mine, T. Harv Ever says, “Most people don’t get what they want, because they don’t know what they want.” This first question is probably the most powerful, if answered correctly.
To answer the first and third question I recommend the SMARTER goal method. This takes the SMART goal method and adds a twist.
Specific – A specific goal has a much greater chance of being accomplished than a general goal. To set a specific goal you must answer the six “W” questions:
• Who: Who is involved?
• What: What do I want to accomplish?
• Where: Identify a location.
• When: Establish a time frame.
• Which: Identify requirements and constraints.
• Why: Specific reasons, purpose or benefits of accomplishing the goal.
Measurable – Establish concrete criteria for measuring progress toward the attainment of each goal you set. When you measure your progress, you stay on track, reach your target dates, and experience the exhilaration of achievement that spurs you on to continued effort required to reach your goal.
To determine if your goal is measurable, ask questions such as……How much? How many? How will I know when it is accomplished?
Attainable – When you identify goals that are most important to you, you begin to figure out ways you can make them come true. You develop the attitudes, abilities, skills, and financial capacity to reach them. You begin seeing previously overlooked opportunities to bring yourself closer to the achievement of your goals.
You can attain most any goal you set when you plan your steps wisely and establish a time frame that allows you to carry out those steps. Goals that may have seemed far away and out of reach eventually move closer and become attainable, not because your goals shrink, but because you grow and expand to match them. When you list your goals you build your self-image. You see yourself as worthy of these goals, and develop the traits and personality that allow you to possess them.
Realistic – To be realistic, a goal must represent an objective toward which you are both willing and able to work. A goal can be both high and realistic; you are the only one who can decide just how high your goal should be. But be sure that every goal represents substantial progress. A high goal is frequently easier to reach than a low one because a low goal exerts low motivational force. Some of the hardest jobs you ever accomplished actually seem easy simply because they were a labor of love.
Your goal is probably realistic if you truly believe that it can be accomplished. Additional ways to know if your goal is realistic is to determine if you have accomplished anything similar in the past or ask yourself what conditions would have to exist to accomplish this goal.
Tangible – A goal is tangible when you can experience it with one of the senses, that is, taste, touch, smell, sight or hearing. When your goal is tangible, or when you tie an tangible goal to a intangible goal, you have a better chance of making it specific and measurable and thus attainable.
Intangible goals are your goals for the internal changes required to reach more tangible goals. They are the personality characteristics and the behavior patterns you must develop to pave the way to success in your career or for reaching some other long-term goal. Since intangible goals are vital for improving your effectiveness, give close attention to tangible ways for measuring them.
Evaluate – Your goals are not set in stone and will change from time to time. Constant evaluation of your goals is essential to reaching your goals. Change factors must be taken into consideration during your evaluation. Factors such as change in volunteer status, change in family or job responsibilities, or change in available resources may affect your stated goals.
Re-do – After a careful evaluation then you should re-do the goals that need changing and continue the SMARTER goal setting process.
Goal development and goal setting is process that changes and needs evaluation. The process of developing, initiating and following through on the SMARTER goals setting model is cyclical and should be continually worked on. As a sectional staff member, your personal and organizational goals should be examined critically at least once a year.
You’ll notice that I classify “what you want” as the target and your action steps as your goal. Here’s why. You desire, what you want to change is a fix point, that is a target. In order to get there you must take action, and most likely massive action.
So, how to hold yourself accountable for these actions? That’s where the goals come in. The goals are the actions you take in order to progress towards your target. For example, if you wanted to release 10 lbs of fat (that would be your target) your goal would be to reduce your caloric intake by 500 calories per day and increase your output (exercise) by 500 calories per day.
As long as you hit your goals, your target automatically gets closer to you. DO you see the power in this?
By using these 7 mental strength questions and by applying the SMARTER target process you’ll be able to make magnificent changes in any part of your life.
Tags: employees, motivate employees, motivating, motivation, relationships
Posted in Articles | Comments Off
December 7th, 2009
Do-it-yourself web marketing options are cutting into the ad industry’s bottom line.
The fact that there is a huge gap between the percentage of time consumers spend online (it’s high) and the amount of money major marketers spend advertising online (it’s relatively low) drives executives at Facebook, Yahoo, AOL, the New York Times and every ad-supported startup out there completely nuts.
At conferences and panels, these web execs like to blame the problem on poorly educated advertisers.
We need to do a better job explaining how the internet works, they’ll say. Online ads aren’t interruptive or engaging enough, they’ll suppose. In both cases, they’re right. But only partly. A huge–$65 billion huge–part of the online advertising problem is that web marketers know exactly how the web works and how to engage its users–on their own.
These big companies know that using popular platforms like Facebook, YouTube, MySpace and yes, the internet itself, they can market their products without paying for any advertising at all.
To this point, it’s worth reading CEO of Media research and advisory firm Outsell Anthea Stratigos’s Q&A with Forbes.
In it, she tells Forbes that over the last eight years, companies have shifted $65 billion in annual spending away from traditional advertising channels and spent it on “page content, Web analytics, search engine optimization and site design.”
$65 billion is a huge number. Here’s how Anthea put it in context for Forbes:
To scale that, compare the total U.S. TV and cable advertising revenue for 2009, which is about $66 billion. The marketing dollars companies now spend on their own sites is equivalent to all TV ad revenue for the year. Eight years ago we said that the Global 2000 would be the dot-coms of tomorrow. That’s what’s playing out.
She says the shift is why she agrees with Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer’s assement that global advertising isn’t just in a recession but has been “reset” at a lower level.
“Advertising which has left the news industries is not going to come back in its same shape or form.”
Tags: co-marketing, online, online marketing
Posted in Articles | Comments Off
November 16th, 2009
Attracting proactive people isn’t easy, but it’s well worth the effort.
Every entrepreneur wants a talented, ambitious team. But finding, hiring and managing standout employees can be quite a challenge.
When Kevin Schaff started Thought Equity Motion six years ago, the idea was to sell pre-produced commercials made from stock video.
As the business evolved, however, it became clear that the emerging market opportunity was actually in licensing online video. Schaff, 35, decided to refocus the company on becoming the world’s largest repository of real time search, preview and online delivery for motion-based content. The industry “was fragmented,” says Schaff, who is also the company’s CEO. “We wanted to pull it all together.”
Today, Denver-based Thought Equity Motion works with content partners and clients including Paramount, National Geographic, the NCAA, Saturday Night Live, 30 Rock, and Mad Men. “You can’t watch T.V. for 30 minutes and not see our product,” Schaff says. The company’s sales exceed $15 million a year.
Does he ever wish he could hit the fast forward button during job interviews to see which applicants would be the best employees? “Oh yeah,” he says. “People are by far the most expensive mistake we make.”
Entrepreneurs Still Struggle With Hiring
Small businesses need ambitious employees who can take initiative to get the job done. And small employers now have an opportunity to upgrade their workforce since the number of available job candidates has grown.
There’s evidence that small employers are putting more emphasis on soft skills: 50 percent of small business owners in an October Intuit Payroll survey say they would rather hire a flexible “people person” or a “jack of all trades” instead of a highly-specialized “creative genius” or “math whiz.”
The recession also has employees rethinking what they want in a job. An August CareerBuilder report found nearly 60 percent of workers surveyed were interested to work for a small business, and 20 percent of workers laid off from fulltime jobs over the last year had found jobs at small businesses.
These numbers are compelling for two reasons, says Jason Ferrara, CareerBuilder’s vice president of corporate marketing. First, they show the relevance of small businesses in a poor economy. Second, they say something about job seekers. “Not everyone wants to work for a large, multi-national company,” Ferrara says.
The good news? Small employers have a very large, interested applicant pool at their fingertips. The bad news? Small business hiring is up only 1.9 percent so far this year while salaries are down 6.5 percent, according to data from online small business payroll company SurePayroll. Many small businesses have trimmed workweeks to avoid layoffs–something that’s not always a great selling point with the most sought-after applicants. “What we’re seeing right now is a very strong level of underemployment,” says SurePayroll President Michael Alter.
Ferrara still sees small employers struggling to define their “employment brand,” or the company’s purpose and the type of workers it needs, while grappling with a resume deluge. When small companies do pinpoint the very best applicants, they can fall short in selling them on future opportunities for advancement. “Large companies do a better job at this,” Ferrara says. “As an entrepreneur, you’re more concerned about communicating the financial [aspects] of the company.”
Attracting the Best and Brightest
Kara Goldin, founder and CEO of Hint, a San Francisco company that produces a line of naturally sweetened water products, says finding referrals is the ticket to attracting the best people in the recession. “If there’s a reference from somebody in the beverage industry who has worked with this person–or even a grocery chain that has worked with this person–it definitely helps,” says Goldin, whose company generates more than $1 million in sales annually.
Applicants have approached Hint with a great resume in hand, but Goldin, 42, still wants to know they’ve done their research. She remembers being impressed when Hint current head of sales contacted the company to say it was on his short list of desirable employers, and went on to explain why. “He’s terrific, and he could have gone to a lot of [companies],” she says. “He was really selling us on why he loved the product, and what he said made a ton of sense to us.”
Thought Equity has pulled its employees into the recruitment process by paying them a bonus for referring talented applicants who get hired. Encouraging employees to recruit their new coworkers has been very effective, says Schaff, who estimates 90 percent of the company’s new hires are coming to the company via referral.
The company still receives about 100 resumes every day–mainly from younger applicants. Jobs in technology and development can still be very tough to fill. The company must also constantly re-recruit its best employees as competitors try to upgrade their workforces. “Good people are always being recruited, and you always have to focus on making sure that you can retain them,” Schaff says.
Ultimately, attracting talented, self-directed employees requires great positioning, great messaging and a great understanding of what they want in a job. Financial incentives don’t hurt, either: Hint offers its 25 employees equity in the company, something Goldin sees as a big motivator for the most talented, ambitious employees.
Alter predicts Main Street’s recovery will be slow as small business owners get their existing employees back up to full employment plus overtime before they start hiring new people. Still, he’s encouraged that small business wages have been declining at a shallower pace in recent months. “This tells me that we’re hitting bottom, and as we start to hit bottom we will recover,” he says. “I just don’t see a big, robust recovery.”
Strong recovery or not, Goldin plans to increase Hint’s headcount in 2010. “As we open with stores across the country, we’ll definitely need salespeople to manage those accounts,” she says.
Exceptional talent is out there, provided entrepreneurs can sell them on the opportunity and turn them loose on the job. Says Ferrara: “You should be hiring people who are smarter than you.”
Chris Penttila is a freelance journalist whose work has also appeared in The Costco Connection, Oregon Business magazine, QSR Magazine, TheStreet.com and other publications. She lives in the Chapel Hill, NC, area and covers workplace issues on her blog, Workplacediva.blogspot.com.
Tags: employee rewards, employees, motivate, motivate employees
Posted in Articles | Comments Off
October 24th, 2009
One of the keys to success is to have successful relationships. We are not islands and we don’t get to the top by ourselves. And one of the key ways to grow successful in our relationships is to be “life-giving” people to others. Every person we meet, we either give life to or take life from. You know what I mean. There are people who encourage you and when you are done being with them you feel built up. Then there are others who you feel torn down by. Successful people are people who have mastered the art of building others up.
One of the ways we build people up is to praise them. There is power in praising people! Something begins to happen in them, in you, and in your relationship when you praise someone. Remember a time when someone told you something about yourself in a praising manner? It was great, wasn’t it? You probably liked that person more after they praised you, didn’t you?
Now I am not talking about praising people for the sake of praising people. I am talking about honestly looking for and praising positive character traits and actions of others around you. Don’t lie to people. If they have done something wrong, correct it, but when they do something right, praise it!
With that said, here are benefits of and ways to start praising people.
Benefits
- Your relationship grows. Life is about relationships. Family relationships, friends and co-workers. When we begin to praise people for their positive aspects, our relationships grow. It puts them, and us, on the fast track.
- Your leadership and influence grows. Who is going to have greater leadership and influence capacity in the lives of their followers, the one who tears down or the one who builds up?
- Stronger relationships and loyalty. When the person is appreciated and praised, they become fiercely loyal, because they know that you care for them, love them, and appreciate them. This will take you to success.
- Happier, more fulfilled people. I truly believe it is our job to build others up, and that they need it. It is a good thing to invest in the lives of others by praising and encouraging them. Even if we never get anything in return, it is the right thing to do to build up other people. Someone else will always come along to tear them down; the successful person will instill in them the power of praise!
Some Ways to Praise
Character traits
Is there someone you know who is joyful? Hard-working? Honest? Then let them know how much you appreciate that in them. You can do it with a word or a card, or a phone call. Say something like this, “You know, Tom, I think it is great that you are such a hard worker. It seems like you are always the first one here and the last one to leave. You really set a good example and I want you to know how much I appreciate that.” Simple!
Action
Same idea as above. “Sue, I don’t know if anybody else has told you this, but your work on the Johnson account was excellent. You have a wonderful ability to communicate the vision of the project, and that helps all the rest of us out in our roles and tasks. Thanks for that. It is greatly appreciated.”
Other ways you can show praise and appreciation is with a card, a gift or time off from work.
Make it your goal to praise at least five people a day. If you can, praise 10 people a day. Or perhaps you can try to praise everyone you come in contact with. It just takes discipline and a little work.
Any way you cut it, though, there is power in praising people. First for them, then for you!
Made for Success Quote and Commentary
“There are four ways, and only four ways, in which we have contact with the world. We are evaluated and classified by these four contacts: what we do, how we look, what we say and how we say it.” —Dale Carnegie
Chris’s Commentary:
The way you are perceived can be a complex matter, but in essence it really boils down to these four areas. For that, we can be thankful because we can set our sights to make changes in these areas so as to more effectively lead and influence others. As we make gains in these areas, we will see our ability to help others increase dramatically and that, in turn, will be of ultimate benefit to us! Have you given thought to how you may be perceived in what you do, how you look, what you say, and how you say it?
Action Point:
Focus in on one of these areas today and write down three things you can do to make a bold change or improvement in that area. Then pick one and do it TODAY!
Posted in Articles | Comments Off
October 20th, 2009
Have you always wanted to become more assertive – to speak up for yourself, express your feelings freely, say no when you want to and stop being a people-pleaser? If so, what has prevented you from doing so?
One obstacle many people have to behaving assertively is their beliefs about the acceptable ways to interact with other people. These thoughts become habitual and are strengthened by repeated patterns of thinking and the impact of past experiences. We tend to assume these beliefs are accurate, seldom stopping to question their validity.
When you develop positive beliefs about being assertive, you are more likely to engage in assertive behavior and to continue acting assertively in the face of criticism and resistance from others. You are less likely to feel guilty after you have expressed your feelings and opinions or asked for your needs to be met.
Assertive communication is direct (clear, concise and to the point), while the others are indirect (hinting, mixed messages and avoiding the point). Assertive behavior helps communication, while aggressive, passive and passive-aggressive behavior hinders it.
Being assertive means expressing ourselves without hinting, playing games, blaming, or hoping the other person reads our mind. We ask for what we want. We state it clearly and concisely. We say it in a respectful way. We know we can deal with the consequences of our statements, whatever they may turn out to be.
We learn our style of communication from the people around us and how they interact with each other. If a passive parent or an aggressive parent raised us, those are the styles that are most familiar to us and that we are most likely to duplicate. So, just as we learned how to be aggressive, passive or passive-aggressive in the past, we can learn to communicate assertively now.
There are many scenarios that could have encouraged someone to be non-assertive. Some of us were punished when we spoke out so we learned to be passive and quiet. Other people were given messages about expressing themselves, such as “children are to be seen and not heard” or “don’t cry or I’ll give you something to cry about.” As a result they concluded that others did not want to hear what they had to say or how they felt. Still others were taught that it was conceited to put themselves first, so they learned to be people-pleasers.
On the other end of the continuum, people were taught that the only way to get their needs met or to get attention was to compete and be “better” than the other person. They learned how to be aggressive and to win.
It is important to identify what our blocks are to being assertive, so that in addition to learning practical skills on how to communicate assertively, we can also work at clearing away any obstacles to initiating and maintaining these new behaviors.
Take a moment to reflect. How did you personally learn to be non-assertive? What were some of your life experiences which emphasized your passivity, aggression or other non-assertive behavior?
Do any of these beliefs about communicating assertively sound familiar?
• It’s selfish
• Others will think I am arrogant and conceited
• I will hurt the other person’s feelings
• The other person will get angry
• I need to appear stronger than them
• Other’s needs come first
• It’s rude
• I will get in trouble
What are three negative beliefs you personally have about being assertive and that keep you non-assertive?
One very common belief that is an obstacle to behaving assertively is that others will think that we are being selfish. Taking care of our own needs and expressing ourselves does not mean that we are being selfish. For many people the word “selfish” has a very negative connotation. I like to say we are being “self-full”. Our needs and other people’s needs do not have to be mutually exclusive. Just because we make choices for ourselves does not mean that we will always choose to ignore others and not do anything for them. But when we do consider others, we will do it from a place of choice rather than a place of “have to” or fear.
Also, when we make choices for others we may be taking away the opportunity for them to make choices for themselves. So instead of thinking of being assertive as being selfish, think of it as respecting our rights and the rights of others to make personal choices for ourselves.
Others may be surprised and comment negatively on our assertiveness, but that does not mean we acted inappropriately. Sometimes people don’t like other people who are assertive. They may think an assertive person is “full of themselves” and doesn’t care about other people. This can often be because the recipient of the assertive behavior is not getting what they want. They can’t manipulate the other person. The assertive person is standing up to them and that doesn’t work for them.
How someone responds to our assertiveness is his or her choice. We are not responsible for someone else’s feelings, actions or decisions.
If they do not like your behavior it is up to them to be assertive with us as well and let us know. Or they need to find some other way to get their needs met. Assertiveness allows flexibility and space for negotiation.
Self-esteem and assertiveness are directly related. If we don’t feel good about ourselves and believe in ourselves, we are more likely to look externally for answers and motivation. If we don’t trust ourselves, we are less likely to be assertive and express our feelings, needs and wants. We are more likely to try to manipulate and control the situation so that the outcome is predictable and something we can cope with. We are less likely to take risks where we don’t know the outcome, because we won’t trust that we can handle it.
Therefore, improving your self-esteem will help you to be more assertive. Similarly, the positive outcomes from taking the risk to act assertively will help to boost your belief in yourself and boost your self-esteem.
Overall, thinking positively about being assertive makes it easier to actually be assertive. We can increase our ability to communicate in an assertive manner by replacing our non-assertive messages (self-talk) with messages that support assertive behavior, such as:
• I have the right to be assertive
• I deserve to make choices that support me
• All my feelings are valid
• I have the right to say no
• I do no have to offer excuses for my choices or behaviors
• I have the right to ask to have my needs met
What are three positive beliefs that would support you being assertive? Look back at the three negative beliefs you listed above for ideas. Try changing them into positive statements.
It takes time and practice to change our communication style and become more assertive. By recognizing which of our old beliefs keep us non-assertive, challenging them and then replacing them with new beliefs that support us being assertive, we can increase the likelihood of us initiating and maintaining a new assertive and confident style of communication.
Posted in Articles | Comments Off
September 29th, 2009
Throughout history, most of the great achievements and incredible comebacks have been the result of an individual whose motivation to persevere was influenced by a coach or mentor. In science, art, politics, sports and business, there is a common thread of having been coached among those who achieve greatness. A coach doesn’t need to be a professional consultant or counselor. He or she could be someone within your organization or industry, or it could be someone from your personal life whom you respect or admire.
A study was undertaken on the Hawaiian island of Kauai by two researchers named Emily Werner and Ruth Smith. This study, which followed more than 450 people from childhood through their adult lives, was an attempt to learn why some people are motivated to overcome severe disadvantages while others from the same background seem to have been overwhelmed by their problems. This research continued for an incredible length of time: 40 years, to be exact.
According to the research, one of the most interesting qualities of these motivated individuals is their ability to recognize potential sources of support in other people, to look beyond the walls of their homes to find relatives, friends, teachers or other role models who can provide help. This very important finding illustrates the benefits of forming mentor relationships to encourage achievement.
Choosing a coach or mentor is like having an additional correctional device to keep you on target. An analogy of this premise comes from aerospace technology. Years ago, the military used inertial guidance systems on missiles. Unfortunately, once the course of an inertially guided missile is set, it proceeds along that path with no capability for adjustments. It’s like a bullet fired from a rifle. Even when the aim is good at the outset, if the target moves unexpectedly once the projectile is in flight, the shot is going to miss. And if there’s one thing you can count on in life, it’s that the target is going to be moving! In the Gulf War of 1992, the Patriot missile that defended Israel and Saudi Arabia was introduced. Unlike previous defenses, this system had an advanced self-adjusting navigation system that continuously monitored the missile’s trajectory as well as the path of its swiftly moving target. The Patriot was able to make whatever corrections were necessary, regardless of changes in the position or speed of its objective.
A highly motivated person uses a coach or mentor in the same way when he or she has targeted a worthwhile goal. A coach or mentor can assist you in making adjustments and navigating through difficult times.
Finding coaches and mentors is an important mission, and you will no doubt have several over the course of your life. It is critical that you choose them wisely. Your mentor is someone to whom you’ll be committing a great deal of time and attention, and who ideally will take a very focused interest in you as well.
Tags: motivate, motivate donors, motivate employees, motivation, motivational, motivational programs
Posted in Articles | Comments Off
September 27th, 2009
Emplicity an Irvine human resources outsourcing service, gives its employee of the month something more than a plaque. It’s the use of an E-class Mercedes Benz with “Employee of the Month” on the side.
Here’s the first winner Lorraine Ontiveros, 23, with her company-supplied ride:
 Lorraine Ontiveros The company calls its employee recognition “Driving to Success” and has employees vote on their peer who best exemplifies the chosen theme for the month.
Ontiveros was the landslide winner in July for the theme: “positive attitude.”
“The first time I drove the car, people were waving, giving me a thumbs up and even taking pictures of the car and it was a bit distracting, in a good way,” Ontiveros says.”It kinda felt like I had the paparazzi following me.”
In August she passed the keys to Jennifer Meehan, who fellow employees decided best exemplifies “excellent teamwork.”
 Vic Tanon, Emplicity founder Emplicity founder Vic Tanon says he’s always trying to figure out how to reward and incentivize employees, which isn’t that easy in a recession.
“We have a lot of Gen Y employees who want recognition in different ways,” he says. “We wanted to make a loud statement when recognizing our employees and felt that a nice ride would give people something they could proudly take home and show to mom and dad and to their friends.”
Emplicity is a 14-year-old professional employer organization plus outsourced human resources service. It has 35 employees and offices in Irvine, San Francisco, Sacramento, San Antonio and Los Angeles.
The monthly award also helps emphasize core company values, Tanon says. Each month’s theme is one value re-enforced on a daily basis.
Employee recognition is a communication tool that reinforces and rewards the actions and behaviors you most want to see people repeat, says Susan Heathfield at About.com.
Her “Five Most Important Tips for Effective Recognition” include:
- Establish criteria for what performance or contribution constitutes rewardable behavior or actions.
- All employees must be eligible for the recognition.
- The recognition must supply the employer and employee with specific information about what behaviors or actions are being rewarded and recognized.
- The recognition should occur as close to the performance of the actions as possible, so the recognition reinforces behavior the employer wants to encourage.
- Don’t want to design a process in which managers select the people to receive recognition.
Tags: awards, employee rewards, employees, incentive programs, rewards
Posted in Articles | Comments Off
September 20th, 2009
Difficult financial times often inspire hopeople to become more extraordinary. Challenge and adversity can push people toward their own greatness. It can launch you on a deeper personal journey toward happiness, fulfillment, and a life of meaning. As you explore ways to gather strength and improve self-esteem, remember, it is not so much about what you have but who you are. May these tips inspire you. May you go from strength to strength and be a source of strength to others.
Broke Is Not Broken
Being broke is not the same as being broken, losing money is not the same as being lost, and finding your balance is not something you can do on a balance sheet.
Having Less Doesn’t Mean You Are Less
Don’t confuse having less with being less, having more with being more, or what you have with who you are.
Savor Life and Slow Down
When you’re in a hurry, go slowly. The faster you go in life the sooner it is a blur.
Prayer Creates a New Path
Prayer creates a path where there is none and turns your stumbling blocks into building blocks.
Courage Is Not Absence of Fear
Put your faith, and not your fears, in charge. Courage isn’t the absence of fears but how you wrestle with them.
Embrace the Future
If you’re busy hugging the past, you can’t embrace the future. Don’t let the past kidnap your future.
Change Is the Only Constant
This too shall pass. Change is the only constant. In order to take a breath, you must release your breath.
Make a Difference
Do what you can, but never forget that letting go is very different from giving up. Of all the things you can make in life, remember you make all the difference in your life.
Embrace Happiness
Tough times don’t require you to be tough on yourself. Find the courage to embrace happiness.
You Are Great
Things don’t have to be good for you to be great.
Tags: inspire employees
Posted in Articles | Comments Off
September 11th, 2009
It has been estimated that we each have upwards of 50,000 thoughts per day. How many of yours are negative? Sometimes you have to do a mental spring-cleaning to get rid of those negative thoughts that have become ingrained attitudes. Stopping self-destructive thoughts is like stopping any other bad habit—it takes time and effort.
Among the most effective ways to do this are visualization and affirmations. Affirmations are positive statements about yourself that you repeat over and over in your head until they are programmed into your subconscious.
Visualization is mentally picturing yourself the way you want to be. You’ve heard the old saying, “I’ll believe it when I see it.” Well, the reverse is also true: “I’ll see it when I believe it!” Affirmations and visualizations may not feel true at first—they may not even be true! However, they can become so.
Consider what happens when you tell yourself repeatedly, “I’m lousy at remembering names.” There will never be any improvement there. Therefore, if you catch yourself saying it, stop and immediately say, “I’m good at remembering names.”
Consider the effect of telling yourself, “I’m feeling pretty good today.” “I can lose 10 pounds.” Or, “I am good at getting people to see things my way.” Anything you say to yourself repeatedly will actually influence your reality.
Writing down your affirmations and putting them in some handy place—above your desk, on your bathroom mirror, on the dashboard of your car—will help keep them in mind as well as in sight. Use affirmations and visualizations to project what success will feel and look like. Imagine, in as much detail as you possibly can, how you feel as the boss singles you out for exceeding your quota, or how the audience hangs on your every word during your speech, or how your confident presence causes heads to turn everywhere you go.
To enhance your charisma and persuasion (while making others feel good about themselves), you can apply the very same techniques by turning them outward. Begin thinking positive affirmations about people you work and live with.
For example, “Bob seems much calmer and patient of late. I wonder what has changed in him.” During your next interaction with Bob, you will most likely remember your positive thought about him and start your conversation with, “Bob, I’ve noticed a change in you. You seem really kind and patient while counseling your new employees recently and I admire that. How did you acquire this wonderful characteristic?”
Bob would likely respond with a smile and a story about a book he found, a consultant he hired or a seminar he attended. Regardless of his reply, you have sincerely complimented another person, put out a positive thought and begun a new habit of approaching others using “appreciative inquiry”—finding the good in another person or situation first, instead of finding fault or flaws.
Criticizing is easy, and sometimes becomes habit, but retraining your mind to find the positive attributes in yourself and others will win you friends, increase your income and make you feel better about being a better you
Posted in Articles | Comments Off
|
