July 1st, 2010
There is a quote from Abraham Lincoln that aptly sums up why rapport as a strategy fails. Lincoln said, “If you would win a man to your cause, first convince him that you are his sincere friend.” Rapport is designed not to develop trusting relationships, but rather to influence behavior. Rapport in its purest form is manipulative. People who feel manipulated will be distrustful of your motivations, no matter how pure, and will never feel connected to you. Connecting, on the other hand, is designed to win others over through a focus on their needs. The most effective strategy for winning others over (convincing them that you are their friend) is to start and end by helping them get what they want.
The most insatiable human desire, our deepest craving, is the desire to feel valued, appreciated, and important. The key to connecting and winning others over is, therefore, extremely simple: make them feel important. The real secret to making others feel important is something you have at your disposal right now. It’s listening. Listening is powerful. Quite simply, the more you listen, the more connected others will feel to you. When you listen, you make people feel important, respected, and heard.
Unfortunately, no one is really listening. I realize that is a harsh and general indictment of virtually everyone, but it is true. Why? Because we would rather think about and talk about ourselves, our wants and needs, our accomplishments, and our problems. This is easy to observe. Just go to a networking event, business meeting, or sales call. If people aren’t talking over each other in their eagerness to express their own self-important point of view, they are waiting impatiently for the other person to stop talking so they can start. The vast majority of people, especially salespeople, never make the effort to sincerely listen to others. People don’t like to listen because listening doesn’t make them feel important. Much of the time when they are not talking they are thinking about what they are going to say next, feeling, as most of us do, superior to those around them. Trust me, you are your own favorite person. It is not your fault; it is part of being human, but it is a fact and it is a roadblock to building connections with others—especially in business.
There is real power in understanding this concept and using it to your advantage to build connections. The desire to feel important, valued, and appreciated is more insatiable than any other human craving. Just like you, when people talk about themselves and someone listens, it makes them feel important. Although truly listening to another person requires self-discipline, selflessness, practice and patience, it is not complicated or complex. That is the beauty of connecting. Unlike the complexity of rapport, connecting requires only that you listen to your prospect, customer, client, boss, or peer.
Tags: appreciate, appreciated, donor incentives, incentive programs, motivation
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May 20th, 2010
Want to make more money, share the wealth. Share your time, your experience and yourself freely with others. We are all here to be part of a big family learning, giving and experiencing a fruitful life. We need to stop looking at the success of others as something that is preventing us from obtaining our goals. Some of us sit in front of the television watching reality T.V. watching others amass wealth and popularity and don’t take the tips we learn and put them into action. It is ACTION that is the key to success. Study how these people achieved their success. Watch them interact with others, how they deliver their product or service. Most importantly how do they interact with others? Long gone are the days when hard work was almost automatically rewarded and tenure was the key to retirement. It is now more than ever all about strategic action from the first day on the job.
How do you strategically plan for a promotion and added opportunities without loosing my own identity? You ask others to evaluate your performance, your delivery and your presence. It may be tough but you will learn that there is more to the image you see in the mirror. Ask your family to be brutally honest because they will provide you the balance you need between co-workers, superiors and how others that have known you for years may see you. You may have changed more positively or need to change to keep up with the times. Ask yourself when the last time was that you attended a class, read an industry article and participated in a company team building event. Mash all together and stir with your own identity.
People are always asking themselves “what have you done for me lately”, where is my incentive to a mentor or promote this person? Being a giver will place you in the forefront of their minds when opportunities present themselves. Always be asking for more information creating learning opportunities for yourself. In doing so, you will also hear about business developments and changes within the organization sometimes before others do. Why because most people like being a resource, givers. While they are giving be sure to return the favor with helpful information that you have learned and ideas to help them succeed.
- Create your plan. Make an effort every week to connect with someone outside of your business unit.
- Be the one to invite others to lunch or coffee. Be the one to start conversations because those who do the invitating are complimenting the other. You are demonstrating that you are interested in them and you will be remembered for it.
- Invite others within your business unit to coffee or to lunch. Nuture your relationships just like you would your house plant. Feed and water often!
- Don’t be shy. Share your success and give credit to all that helped you achieve it.
- Remember if you don’t ask, you don’t get. Ask for opportunities to attended classes or participate in presentations that are given by other business units.
- Dress to impress. We have all heard that if you want the corner office job, you need to dress like you already have it. Keep up with style trends. Keep your shoes clean and in good shape.
- Exercise and sleep well so that you can be at your very best. Being sharp and responsive will not only make you look like you are an active participant it will make you stay young.
- Love thy self and value what you have to offer. Value your life and be grateful for all that you have. If you value yourself, others will too.
Your incentive is the reward of achievement.
Love thy self and value what you have to offer. Value your life and be grateful for all that you have. If you value yourself, others will too.
Your incentive is the reward of achievement. Love thy self and value what you have to offer. Value your life and be grateful for all that you have. If you value yourself, others will too!
Tags: awards, corporate incentives, donor incentives, motivation, reward
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September 2nd, 2009
With fall quickly approaching it is time to put your marketing strategies to work and increase the nation’s blood supply. Many families are now approaching back to school mode getting into the swing of squeezing as much into their days as possible. The lazy dog days of summer will soon be over for another year. Unfortunately, donor availability becomes more difficult at the same time that the need usually increases.
This has been one of the most difficult summers to collect blood in its history, with supplies dipping to critical levels. It is imperative that donors give blood as fall progresses to help make up for low donation number over the summer.
How can your blood center increase in blood donations?
- The first task, revive up your recruiters and blood drive coordinators with great enthusiasm.
- Create a fall season kick off with music, food and blood donatioon incentives making it fun for the whole family.
- Recognize the efforts of the team over the summer with pictures and lots of laughs.
- Agree on a fall season mascot and fall mission statement.
- Arm everyone with cameras asking them to capture pictures from their favorite upcoming blood drive event or observed kind actions from a team member.
- Have everyone participate in every aspect of this season’s marketing plan.
- Ask donors to provide you with their top 3 reasons for donating blood and post it in your center and on flyers.
- Ask donors and employees if they would like to be part of your recruiting team. Furnish special t-shirts to be worn on Fridays and send them out to run errands or to the mall. They will be seen by everyone in your committee. Reward them with movie tickets or gift cards for their efforts.
- Maximize your center’s website with interactive games, trivia contests, cooking tips and invitations to attend seminars.
- Don’t forget the kids; make sure there is lots of entertainment at blood drives and in your center while they wait for mom or dad. The experience can be a bit unnerving for kid.
- Create a partnership with an animal donation center for a blood for all donation drive. Look around, people take their pets every place.
Additionally, insert body language and vocal phrasing, both of which, if used correctly, can be highly effective and calming during the right time. Train each center employee to be a marketing representative calling on local businesses to explain and promote the benefits of blood donations, sharing real life stories. Join community business associations and networking clubs to promote awareness.
Remember to regularly thank donors and provide blood donation incentives that demonstrate gratitude and will have them donating blood again.
Tags: blood donor incentives, donor incentives, donor rewards, rewards
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September 1st, 2009
From a donor’s perspective, the donation center’s recruiters are the most important individuals. The cause wields an enormous power however it is the influence of the coordinator that gets them to roll up their sleeves. These recruiters instill the need and provide motivational inspiration. During September, donation centers nationwide prepare for blood drives and local recruiting campaigns to fulfill the nation’s blood supply. With fires, hurricanes and other emergencies there is always an urgent need for blood donations and super star donor recruiters.
Talented recruiters make it all seem like second nature. They provide helpful information about the process, the benefits to others and focus on the desired outcome. We know, just as they do, that it is not easy day in and day out. Center managers must train and motivate other recruiters to become talented recruiters. The following are a few points that may assist you as you work with your center’s recruiters and donors:
- Ask yourself what creates success in your center?
- Ask your star performers and donors what increases their interest in the blood donation process.
- Observe your best recruiters from a far, how are they greeting donors, what are they saying on the telephone and how do they thank donors?
- Look around, do you have an inviting center with lots of inspirational posters and calming environment?
- Listen to specifics that are expressed by your employees, they can share front-line customer information and trends.
- Are appointments easily scheduled?
- What type of rewards do your offer to your recruiters? Are your incentives their choice or your choice of incentives?
- Are your donors wearing their blood donation t-shirts when they come in or are they desiring something different from your donor incentive program?
- Is your website attractive and updated regularly? Do you blog at least once a week?
- Do you have an assigned individual that assists you with your Search Engine Optimization (SEO)?
Recruiting can be complicated, the donor wants to learn about the process, wishes for someone to calm their nerves and know that their small sacrifice will be for the good of humanity. Each prospective donor’s experience should be considered totally personalized. The purpose of each experience being one of discovery and confidence in the overall process. Let your donors know that your center sincerely appreciates their donation and invite them to share their ideas with you as you work to help others.
Tags: blood donor incentives, donor incentives
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May 17th, 2009
Have you ever found yourself angry with people you care about and didn’t seem able to stop yourself? Do people who love you tell you that you have anger management issues? Have you lost some important relationships or created problems for yourself at work because you couldn’t seem to control your angry behavior?
If this describes you, then you need to regain control and stop yourself from hurting others. The first thing to do is to recognize that you are choosing your anger. What? Choosing my anger? Why in the world would I do that? Well, there are several reasons people may choose anger. Let’s see which one best describes you.
Some people use anger to intimidate others and subsequently get what they want. In this way, the angry person is able to control the behavior of others.
Some people use their anger as a way of getting attention. If a person needs attention, it doesn’t always matter whether that attention is positive or negative, as long as someone is noticing him or her.
Anger can also be used as a tactic to avoid responsibility. If a person doesn’t want to do something, anger can be a valid way to get out of it.
Similar to wanting attention, sometimes people are feeling small and insignificant and anger works to pump themselves up or provide courage to do something scary.
And others use it as an emotional release, much the same way a pressure cooker lets off steam. Anger has energy. When someone is experiencing things that are frustrating, he or she may not be dealing with his or her anger. Instead of processing it, cognitively restructuring some belief systems or working out the energy physically, anger can provide a much needed release valve.
Do you recognize yourself in any of those scenarios? When you lose your temper, which one of these reasons best identifies what you are trying to accomplish? Perhaps you have yet another reason. One thing I know for sure is that you always behave in your best attempt to get something you want. Your behavior is never random and it never “just happens” to you.
It’s a very subtle difference but an important one nonetheless. All behavior is proactive. You do not choose a behavior because of something that occurred outside of you. For example, I can remember asking my youngest son to clean his room. He said he would do it later—only later never came. So, I patiently asked him a second time. Again, he said he’d do it later. This went on for most of the day. Finally, in exasperation, I lost my temper with him and yelled at him about cleaning his room.
The question is why did I get angry? Most people would say I got angry because my son wouldn’t do what I asked. However, the real reason is that I used my anger as my best attempt to get my son to clean his room. (Just for the record, it didn’t work very well.)
Why am I making this seemingly insignificant distinction? Because once you become conscious of the reasons you are choosing your behavior, then you can consciously choose to do something more responsible and more effective.
More responsible means you are getting your needs met without interfering with other people meeting theirs. Effective means it actually works to get you what you really want.
When you use anger, it is not responsible because anger almost always interferes with the other person getting his or her needs met. You definitely have not only the right, but also the responsibility to get your needs met but not at the expense of someone else.
Underlying most reasons for choosing anger, you are probably attempting to improve an important relationship in your life. Anger will never work to do that. You may get the initial satisfaction of getting the other person to do your bidding, but you have damaged something in the relationship.
You must make a proactive plan about what you are going to do instead of using anger. It should be something that has at least an equal chance of getting you what you want while supporting others in their process of getting their own needs met.
Tags: donor incentives, incentive, recogntion, reward
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January 26th, 2009
Being the Best In Every Area
What is character? Your character is the degree to which you live your life consistent with high, life-enhancing values. A person who lacks character is one who compromises on higher order values in favor of lower order expedience, or who has no values at all. Your adherence to what you believe to be right and true is the real measure of the person you have become to this moment.
Define What “Excellence” Means to You
Let us say that one of your values is “excellence.” Your definition of excellence could be, “Excellence means that I set the highest standards for myself in everything I do. I do my very best in every situation and under all circumstances. I constantly strive to be better in my work, and as a person in my relationships. I recognize that excellence is a life-long journey and I work every day to become better and better in everything I do.”
Organize Your Actions
With a definition like this, you have a clear organizing principle for your actions. You have set a standard by which you can evaluate your behavior. You have created a framework within which you can make decisions. You have a measuring rod against which you can compare yourself in everything you do. You can continually grade your activities in terms of “more” or “less.” You have a clear target to aim at and organize your work around.
Decide What You Want for Your Family
It’s the same with each of your other values. If your value is your family, you could define this as, “The needs of my family take precedence over all other concerns. Whenever I have to choose between the happiness, health and well being of a member of my family, and any other interest, my family will always come first.”
Keep Focused
From that moment onward, it becomes easier for you to choose. Your family comes first. Until you have fully satisfied the needs of your family, no other time requirement will side track you into a lower value activity.
Shape Your Own Character
The wonderful thing about values clarification is that it enables you to take charge of developing and shaping your own character. When your values and goals, your inner life and your outer life, are in complete alignment, you feel terrific about yourself. You enjoy high self-esteem. Your self-confidence soars.
When you achieve complete congruence between your values and your goals, like a hand in a glove, you feel strong, happy, healthy and fully integrated as a person. You develop a kind of courage that makes you completely unafraid to make decisions and take action. Your whole life improves when you begin living your life by the values that you most admire.
Action Exercises
Here are two things you can do to put this ideas into action immediately.
First, create a clear, written description of your values and what they mean to you. From that point on, resolve to live consistent with your own definition.
Tags: customer retention, donor incentives
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January 14th, 2009
Change Your Beliefs. It is up to you to do the work of changing your beliefs. And when you do you will be opening up new worlds – literally! Win the thought battle, which will help you keep negative beliefs out and positive beliefs and thoughts in. Feed your mind with information that will change your belief. But also ask yourself if you are doing that with belief. The truth is that you have an amazing mind with a capacity for learning that is beyond your comprehension. You must believe this. And when you do, you will be unlocking the potential of your mind!
Get the Right Knowledge. Words–if they are not true–are meaningless. I hear children say, “I read it in a book.” But is it true? Just because someone says it or writes it, doesn’t mean it is true. As learners, we want to get the right knowledge, not just information or opinions. It is our job to seek out information and knowledge and then test it and run it through our minds to see if it is true, and if it can be rightfully applied to our lives in order to make them better and help us succeed. We need to weigh and measure what we learn in order to gain the right knowledge. And when we do, we will be unlocking the potential of our mind!
Become Passionate about Learning. This will take some work, but the only way to do it is to begin learning about things that have an immediate impact in your life. When you learn about a new financial concept that helps you earn money or get out of debt, that will get you fired up. When you learn about a way to communicate that helps you sell more product, that will energize you. When you learn about how to interact with your family in a healthy way and your relationships get better, that will inspire you! Become passionate about learning. And when you do, you will be unlocking the potential of your mind!
Discipline Yourself Through the Hard Work of Study. Learning will take work. Until someone comes up with modules that can plug into your mind and give you instant access to knowledge, you are on your own, and that takes work. The process of learning is a long one. Yes, we can speed it up, but it is still a process of reading, listening, reviewing, repetition, applying the knowledge, experiencing the outcomes, readjusting, etc. Simply put, that takes time. Slowly but surely, when you discipline yourself, you gain knowledge and learn. And when you do, you will be unlocking the potential of your mind!
Learning is possible, no matter what your age. You are never too young or too old. Your mind was created to learn and has a huge capacity to do so. This week, make a commitment to unlock the potential of your mind!
Leadership/Management
The challenge of leadership is to be strong, but not rude; be kind, but not weak; be bold, but not a bully; be thoughtful, but not lazy; be humble, but not timid; be proud, but not arrogant; have humor, but without folly.
We must learn to help those who deserve it, not just those who need it. Life responds to deserve not need.
My mentor said, “Let’s go do it”, not “You go do it”. How powerful when someone says, “Let’s!”
Good people are found not changed. Recently I read a headline that said, “We don’t teach people to be nice. We simply hire nice people.” Wow! What a clever short cut.
Managers help people see themselves as they are; Leaders help people to see themselves better than they are.
Learn to help people with more than just their jobs: help them with their lives.
Tags: donor incentives
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January 12th, 2009
Over the years I’ve heard many people make the comment that they no longer read the newspaper. They say there’s too much bad news and not enough good news. For that reason, I was impressed when UPI and AP both carried heartwarming stories about two unusual people who graduated from college.
The Associated Press told the story of Dung Nguyen. When she arrived in the United States from Viet Nam she could speak only one word of English. Eight years later she graduated as valedictorian of her high school class in Pensacola, Florida. Her accomplishments were so remarkable that the President phoned to congratulate her. She was thrilled by his call but she was even more thrilled by the opportunity America had given her.
United Press International told a quite different but equally exciting and encouraging story about Geraldine Lawhorn. Geraldine was one of the older graduates of her class from Northeastern Illinois University. The unusual thing about Geraldine is the fact that she is blind and deaf. In fact, she was only the sixth deaf and blind person to graduate from college. When Geraldine was asked about her remarkable achievements, she replied, “We all have the same goals, but we have to go on different roads.” Truer words were never spoken. Setting your goals is a very personal thing and what works for you might not necessarily work for somebody else. But there is one principle that worked for Dung Nguyen and Geraldine Lawhorn that will work for you or anybody else. They didn’t give up. Both women looked at their obstacles and saw challenges and opportunities. The exciting thing about their stories is that by following their examples, you, too, can be AT THE TOP!
Tags: donor incentives
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January 12th, 2009
Here is a statistic you’ll find interesting. I know, I know, 23% of all statistics are made up on the spot. But follow me on this one.
According to statistical research conducted on the National Football League (NFL), what percentage of teams who score first win the game?
My guess was 50%. We’ve all read about quarterbacks who have led their teams from behind to win the game. We’ve heard sportscasters discuss how many points are scored in the last two minutes of the half or at the end of the game. So, I thought about 50% was accurate.
Wrong! The statistics claim that 75% of the time a team scores first, they win the game! (No, of course I can’t verify this. I heard it while driving to Zig’s office one morning. But, the guys at ESPN Radio wouldn’t lie to me…) I’m thinking, if teams score early in the game, like say in the first quarter, then they are more likely to achieve their objectives.
So, if that stat is true, how can we as salespeople apply it to our profession? How can we apply it to the New Year? How can we get off to a fast start in the first quarter? How can we get off to a fast start so that we, too, can achieve our objectives?
Here are a couple of ways.
1. Resolve NOT to set resolutions, but set GOALS! Goals. You know, goals…those things salespeople don’t want to set because it means we have to be accountable. Most of us are given our quota during January. You may call it budget, objectives, key result areas. But whatever you call it, it is your target for the coming sales year. Oftentimes salespeople look at it as a distant target, something we have 12 months to achieve, so we can take our time attacking it. START NOW! If you start off fast in the first quarter, perhaps the rest of the year becomes easier! Perhaps you increase your chances of winning the game! Zig has a great way to set goals. His 7-step Goal Formula is a winner and it will help you become a winner, also.
2. Check your BEHAVIOR against your GOALS. What a great way to give yourself a “check-up from the neck up!” Each and every day, check your behavior against the goals you have set. If your behavior is not contributing to your succeeding in reaching your goals, then you need to adjust your behavior. You don’t adjust the goal, you adjust your behavior. If you are spending too long at lunch, then adjust that behavior. If you are caught up in office talk (like, say, discussing that 75% of teams that score first in the NFL win the game), remove yourself from that time-waster by changing your behavior.
3. ACTIVITY drives accomplishment. Become a sales activity-driven professional. Of course, you must choose the right activities. You can’t confuse activity with productivity. The activities you choose must be contributing to the accomplishment of your goals. However, salespeople have a tendency to become less active after a sale is made. They tend to put their career on “cruise control.” Cruise control can make you comfortable, but it will never make you successful! Choose the right activities.
Tags: donor incentives, increase sales
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January 4th, 2009
Dad is famous for a lot of great quotes. Somehow, he has the “knack” for saying really big things in really simple ways that are easy to remember. One of my favorite quotes from Dad is this one:
“You are who you are and what you are because of what has gone into your mind. You can change who you are and what you are by changing what goes into your mind.” Zig Ziglar
In other words, what you put into your mind impacts everything you do! The chain of events works like this:
What goes into your mind determines your thoughts.
Your thoughts determine the words that you speak.
The words that you speak determine your actions.
Your actions determine your habits.
Your habits determine your character.
Your character determines your destiny.
Dad boils all of this down into the Be, Do, and Have philosophy. You gotta Be before you can Do, and you gotta Do before you can Have. The Be part starts with what you put into your mind. Until you BEcome the right kind of person, DOing the right things consistently will be very difficult, and HAVING any type of consistent, long-term success will be nearly impossible.
Whatever you want to accomplish starts with what you put into your mind. Simple, I know. Might as well put the pure stuff in if you want to get pure stuff out.
Tags: co-marketing, customer incentives, donor incentives, motivate
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