By D. Waitley
Are you aware of how the FBI trains its agents to spot counterfeit bills? The FBI schools agents by training them to see all of the characteristics of bills printed by the U.S. Treasury—they deal only with genuine money. An FBI agent learns to recognize authentic ones, fives, tens, twenties, fifties and hundred dollar notes until his or her appraisal of them becomes second nature. An agent studies a bill, both sides of it, until he or she learns every feature that makes it genuine legal tender.
That way, when FBI agents see counterfeit bills, they immediately recognize them as such. Their minds aren’t cluttered with what “might be wrong” or “what usually is left off” or “mistakes that are commonly made.” They know what they’re looking for. They are specialists in the real thing. False bills seem glaringly obvious to them.
If you allow yourself to think about the penalties of failure or all the things that could go wrong, you’re far more likely to infuse your performance with those penalties and mistakes. Continually tell yourself what to do. Don’t concentrate on what not to do.
The mind has a fascinating capability. What you think about most is generally what you do most readily. A mistake most people make is to set goals in negative terms. A tennis player may set a goal of not double-faulting a certain number of times during a match. An employee may set a goal of not being late so often. Goals to lose weight, not talk so loud and fast, and not get upset so often are goals framed in negative terms. We need to stay away from negative goal setting.
Understand this about the mind: A fear is a goal in reverse. The mind can’t focus on the reverse of an idea. The term double fault reminds the tennis player of the condition he or she wants to avoid. Being late reminds the employee of the problem, not the solution. When we think we need to lose weight, our minds store the self-image of being overweight. We need the image of the desired weight we want to attain, not the pounds of fat we want to discard. It is extremely difficult, if not impossible, to concentrate on not being upset.
It’s the same thing as saying, “Don’t make mistakes.” Or worse yet, to a tight rope walker, with no net, “Windy day, don’t fall!” The mind always moves you toward your current dominant thought.
We should say, “First serve in,” for the tennis player. “I’m a punctual, on-time person.” …. “I’m reaching my desired weight.” …. “I speak slowly, clearly and confidently.” …. “I remain calm and relaxed under pressure.” These are all positive goal statements, images of achievement, that pull us in the direction of the desired behavior rather than away from the undesired habit.
This week, stop looking at your life through the rearview mirror; instead, focus on where you want to go!
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Wanna raise your percentage of sales success? Change your prospect.
By J. Gitomer
Where are you on the percentage scale of sales?
How many out of ten can you close?
Well, Mr. or Mrs. Sales-Big-Shot, forget your percentage. It ain’t all that good anyway. If you want to raise it by 50% - you heard me, FIFTY percent - just change the TYPE of sale you’re making.
Huh?
The type of sale you make has more to do with why you’re making it, and who you’re making it with, than your fancy, manipulative, pushy closing techniques.
The old sales adage goes, all things being equal, people want to do business with their friends. And to that I respond: All things being not quite so equal, people STILL want to do business with their friends.
Well, let’s look behind that adage.
What are the “types” of sales call you can make? Last week I listed them and gave some insight as to why. This week I’m giving you the insight and the reality.
THE Lowest percentage: Cold call. Face it, the cold call is diminishing. Voicemail and security have taken away all the fun. Successful penetration is sporadic and there are MUCH better avenues of approach. PLUS, cold calling pisses people off.
Low percentage: Appointed sales call from a cold call. If you are lucky (or good) enough to have made an appointment someplace, this is okay, but still a low percentage based on the lack of qualification as to need. Hard work needed: There’s no real formula for cold call success, but you can be smart about it - calling at the right times, a bit of pre-call research, and a ton of personal preparation in both sales training and category selection.
Fair percentage: A response from an ad, or direct mail, or an unsolicited email campaign. Better than a cold call, but not by much. Most of these inquiries are about “how much?”
Semi-good percentage: Appointed sales call from a networking event or trade show. At least there has been some contact. You have a name, a card, and a person somewhat willing to take your call and make an appointment. Hard work needed: A networking plan and a 30-second personal commercial to qualify the prospect faster. Then there is the networking itself. Invest the time and work the plan. It will pay HUGE financial and personal dividends.
Pretty good percentage: A social media inquiry. A report card on your presence, or lack there of. These people are saying, “I follow you, and like what you have to say, and want to know more. This is the new cold call, you just haven’t figured it out yet.
Pretty good percentage: A web inquiry. Someone asking for more info from your website either on a web-call or a direct call is also a report card. It says your site is both interesting and navigable.
Pretty good percentage: An email blast to your existing customers. These are people who have already purchased. You have already established value and built confidence – maybe even some trust.
Good percentage: Proactive call from a prospect. Knows of you, interested, and wants more help. Can you convert?
Real good percentage: A referral from another customer. Should be a sale every time.
Real good percentage: An unsolicited referral. Hard work needed to get them: easy to convert once they call.
Highest percentage: Sale or reorder from a present customer they know you, like you, trust you believe in you and have confidence you’ll deliver. Hard work needed: Service between the sale. Stay in front of with value. Develop a relationship. Build trust through performance. Help them build their business. REALITY: None of this occurs making a cold call and running to the next.
Where are you on the percentage scale of sales?
How many out of ten can you close?
Well, Mr. or Mrs. Sales-Big-Shot, forget your percentage. It ain’t all that good anyway. If you want to raise it by 50% - you heard me, FIFTY percent - just change the TYPE of sale you’re making.
Huh?
The type of sale you make has more to do with why you’re making it, and who you’re making it with, than your fancy, manipulative, pushy closing techniques.
The old sales adage goes, all things being equal, people want to do business with their friends. And to that I respond: All things being not quite so equal, people STILL want to do business with their friends.
Well, let’s look behind that adage.
What are the “types” of sales call you can make? Last week I listed them and gave some insight as to why. This week I’m giving you the insight and the reality.
THE Lowest percentage: Cold call. Face it, the cold call is diminishing. Voicemail and security have taken away all the fun. Successful penetration is sporadic and there are MUCH better avenues of approach. PLUS, cold calling pisses people off.
Low percentage: Appointed sales call from a cold call. If you are lucky (or good) enough to have made an appointment someplace, this is okay, but still a low percentage based on the lack of qualification as to need. Hard work needed: There’s no real formula for cold call success, but you can be smart about it - calling at the right times, a bit of pre-call research, and a ton of personal preparation in both sales training and category selection.
Fair percentage: A response from an ad, or direct mail, or an unsolicited email campaign. Better than a cold call, but not by much. Most of these inquiries are about “how much?”
Semi-good percentage: Appointed sales call from a networking event or trade show. At least there has been some contact. You have a name, a card, and a person somewhat willing to take your call and make an appointment. Hard work needed: A networking plan and a 30-second personal commercial to qualify the prospect faster. Then there is the networking itself. Invest the time and work the plan. It will pay HUGE financial and personal dividends.
Pretty good percentage: A social media inquiry. A report card on your presence, or lack there of. These people are saying, “I follow you, and like what you have to say, and want to know more. This is the new cold call, you just haven’t figured it out yet.
Pretty good percentage: A web inquiry. Someone asking for more info from your website either on a web-call or a direct call is also a report card. It says your site is both interesting and navigable.
Pretty good percentage: An email blast to your existing customers. These are people who have already purchased. You have already established value and built confidence – maybe even some trust.
Good percentage: Proactive call from a prospect. Knows of you, interested, and wants more help. Can you convert?
Real good percentage: A referral from another customer. Should be a sale every time.
Real good percentage: An unsolicited referral. Hard work needed to get them: easy to convert once they call.
Highest percentage: Sale or reorder from a present customer they know you, like you, trust you believe in you and have confidence you’ll deliver. Hard work needed: Service between the sale. Stay in front of with value. Develop a relationship. Build trust through performance. Help them build their business. REALITY: None of this occurs making a cold call and running to the next.
Monday, August 23, 2010
How to self Motivate!
How to Self-Motivate
Here are seven Self-Motivator reminders for you to review on a regular basis. by Brian Tracy
Get Serious. Make a decision to go all the way to the top. Up to now, you've thought about it. Up to now, it's passed your mind. Many of you made the decision, and you've made up your mind to go all the way to the top, and your lives have taken off. It's the most extraordinary thing. Like in the shadow going up the dark side of the hill until the moment you decide that "By gum, I'm going to be the best at what I do. I'm going to be in the top 10 percent." And suddenly you rose into the sunshine, and your life is forever after different—wonderful. Get serious. Don't fool around anymore.
Identify Your Limiting Step to Sales Success. What's your limiting step? What's the one skill area that's holding you back? What's the skill? What's the quality? What's the action? Ask other people. Find out what you need to become good at. Sometimes it may be only one skill. If you became really, really good on the telephone, you could maybe double your prospecting effectiveness and double your sales. If you became very, very good at getting the order at the end from qualified prospects, you could double your sales. If you became very, very good at managing your time really, really well, you may be able to double your face time and double your income. Find out what's holding you back. What is the critical limiting step that's determining your success today?
Get Around the Right People. Who are the right people? The right people are the people in this room. Get around winners. Get around positive people. Get around people with goals and plans, people who are going somewhere with their lives and have high aspirations. Get around eagles. As Zig Ziglar says, "You can't scratch with the turkeys if you want to fly with the eagles." And get away from negative people. Get away from toxic people that complain and whine and moan all the time. Who needs them? Life is too short.
Take Excellent Care of Your Health. Take excellent care of your physical health. That means good diet, good exercise. Everybody knows they should eat better foods, get regular exercise and especially lots of rest. That's very important. If you're going to work hard five days a week, go to bed early five days a week. Get a good night's sleep. Be fully rested, and tonight get really rested.
Positive Visualization. See yourself as the very best in your field. Remember, all improvement in your life begins with an improvement in your mental pictures. Visualize yourself, see yourself as the best continually. You are the best. Isn't that right? So therefore, see yourself as the best.
Positive Self-Talk. Talk to yourself positively all the time. Control your inner dialogue. And what do you say to yourself? Say, "I'm the best." Say it. Say I'm the best. I like myself. I can do it. I love my work. Yes, that's how you talk to yourself. And the more you say it to yourself, someone may say, "Well, what if you say those things to yourself and you don't believe them. Isn't that lying to yourself?" No, that's not lying to yourself. It's telling the truth in advance. Because it doesn't matter where you're coming from; all that matters is where you're going. Talk to yourself the way you want to be, not the way you just happen to be at this moment. Remember, you may have gotten where you are today largely by accident. But where you're going in the future is purely by design.
Positive Action. Get going. Move fast. Develop a sense of urgency. A sense of urgency is the one thing that you can develop that will separate you from everyone else in your field. Develop a bias for action. When you get a good idea, do it now. Only 2 percent of people in our society have a bias for action. And if you're already in the top 10 percent, you can move yourself in the top 2 percent by resolving that whenever you have an idea or something, do it now. And the faster you move, the better you get. And the better you get, the more you like yourself. And the more you like yourself, the higher your self-esteem. And the higher your self-esteem, the greater your self-discipline. And the more you persist, you ultimately become unstoppable!
Write these down and think about them EVERY day. This will nudge you to stay on course.
Here are seven Self-Motivator reminders for you to review on a regular basis. by Brian Tracy
Get Serious. Make a decision to go all the way to the top. Up to now, you've thought about it. Up to now, it's passed your mind. Many of you made the decision, and you've made up your mind to go all the way to the top, and your lives have taken off. It's the most extraordinary thing. Like in the shadow going up the dark side of the hill until the moment you decide that "By gum, I'm going to be the best at what I do. I'm going to be in the top 10 percent." And suddenly you rose into the sunshine, and your life is forever after different—wonderful. Get serious. Don't fool around anymore.
Identify Your Limiting Step to Sales Success. What's your limiting step? What's the one skill area that's holding you back? What's the skill? What's the quality? What's the action? Ask other people. Find out what you need to become good at. Sometimes it may be only one skill. If you became really, really good on the telephone, you could maybe double your prospecting effectiveness and double your sales. If you became very, very good at getting the order at the end from qualified prospects, you could double your sales. If you became very, very good at managing your time really, really well, you may be able to double your face time and double your income. Find out what's holding you back. What is the critical limiting step that's determining your success today?
Get Around the Right People. Who are the right people? The right people are the people in this room. Get around winners. Get around positive people. Get around people with goals and plans, people who are going somewhere with their lives and have high aspirations. Get around eagles. As Zig Ziglar says, "You can't scratch with the turkeys if you want to fly with the eagles." And get away from negative people. Get away from toxic people that complain and whine and moan all the time. Who needs them? Life is too short.
Take Excellent Care of Your Health. Take excellent care of your physical health. That means good diet, good exercise. Everybody knows they should eat better foods, get regular exercise and especially lots of rest. That's very important. If you're going to work hard five days a week, go to bed early five days a week. Get a good night's sleep. Be fully rested, and tonight get really rested.
Positive Visualization. See yourself as the very best in your field. Remember, all improvement in your life begins with an improvement in your mental pictures. Visualize yourself, see yourself as the best continually. You are the best. Isn't that right? So therefore, see yourself as the best.
Positive Self-Talk. Talk to yourself positively all the time. Control your inner dialogue. And what do you say to yourself? Say, "I'm the best." Say it. Say I'm the best. I like myself. I can do it. I love my work. Yes, that's how you talk to yourself. And the more you say it to yourself, someone may say, "Well, what if you say those things to yourself and you don't believe them. Isn't that lying to yourself?" No, that's not lying to yourself. It's telling the truth in advance. Because it doesn't matter where you're coming from; all that matters is where you're going. Talk to yourself the way you want to be, not the way you just happen to be at this moment. Remember, you may have gotten where you are today largely by accident. But where you're going in the future is purely by design.
Positive Action. Get going. Move fast. Develop a sense of urgency. A sense of urgency is the one thing that you can develop that will separate you from everyone else in your field. Develop a bias for action. When you get a good idea, do it now. Only 2 percent of people in our society have a bias for action. And if you're already in the top 10 percent, you can move yourself in the top 2 percent by resolving that whenever you have an idea or something, do it now. And the faster you move, the better you get. And the better you get, the more you like yourself. And the more you like yourself, the higher your self-esteem. And the higher your self-esteem, the greater your self-discipline. And the more you persist, you ultimately become unstoppable!
Write these down and think about them EVERY day. This will nudge you to stay on course.
Reaping a Multiple Reward by Jim Rohn
For every disciplined effort, there are multiple rewards. That's one of life's great arrangements. In fact, it's an extension of the biblical law that says that if you sow well, you will reap well.
Here's a unique part of the Law of Sowing and Reaping. Not only does it suggest that we'll all reap what we've sown, it also suggests that we'll reap much more. Life is full of laws that both govern and explain behaviors, but this may well be the major law we need to understand: For every disciplined effort, there are multiple rewards.
What a concept! If you render unique service, your reward will be multiplied. If you're fair and honest and patient with others, your reward will be multiplied. If you give more than you expect to receive, your reward is more than you expect. But remember: the key word here, as you might well imagine, is discipline.
Everything of value requires care, attention, and discipline. Our thoughts require discipline. We must consistently determine our inner boundaries and our codes of conduct, or our thoughts will be confused. And if our thoughts are confused, we will become hopelessly lost in the maze of life. Confused thoughts produce confused results.
Remember the law: "For every disciplined effort, there are multiple rewards." Learn the discipline of writing a card or a letter to a friend. Learn the discipline of paying your bills on time, arriving to appointments on time, or using your time more effectively. Learn the discipline of paying attention, or paying your taxes or paying yourself. Learn the discipline of having regular meetings with your associates, or your spouse, or your child, or your parent. Learn the discipline of learning all you can learn, of teaching all you can teach, of reading all you can read.
For each discipline, multiple rewards. For each book, new knowledge. For each success, new ambition. For each challenge, new understanding. For each failure, new determination. Life is like that. Even the bad experiences of life provide their own special contribution. But a word of caution here for those who neglect the need for care and attention to life's disciplines: Everything has its price. Everything affects everything else. Neglect discipline, and there will be a price to pay. All things of value can be taken for granted with the passing of time.
That's what we call the Law of Familiarity. Without the discipline of paying constant, daily attention, we take things for granted. Be serious. Life's not a practice session.
If you're often inclined to toss your clothes onto the chair rather than hanging them in the closet, be careful. It could suggest a lack of discipline. And remember, a lack of discipline in the small areas of life can cost you heavily in the more important areas of life. You cannot clean up your company until you learn the discipline of cleaning your own garage. You cannot be impatient with your children and be patient with your distributors or your employees. You cannot inspire others to sell more when that goal is inconsistent with your own conduct. You cannot admonish others to read good books when you don't have a library card.
Think about your life at this moment. What areas need attention right now? Perhaps you've had a disagreement with someone you love or someone who loves you, and your anger won't allow you to speak to that person. Wouldn't this be an ideal time to examine your need for a new discipline? Perhaps you're on the brink of giving up, or starting over, or starting out. And the only missing ingredient to your incredible success story in the future is a new and self-imposed discipline that will make you try harder and work more intensely than you ever thought you could.
The most valuable form of discipline is the one that you impose upon yourself. Don't wait for things to deteriorate so drastically that someone else must impose discipline in your life. Wouldn't that be tragic? How could you possibly explain the fact that someone else thought more of you than you thought of yourself? That they forced you to get up early and get out into the marketplace when you would have been content to let success go to someone else who cared more about themselves.
Your life, my life, the life of each one of us is going to serve as either a warning or an example. A warning of the consequences of neglect, self-pity, lack of direction and ambition... or an example of talent put to use, of discipline self-imposed, and of objectives clearly perceived and intensely pursued
Here's a unique part of the Law of Sowing and Reaping. Not only does it suggest that we'll all reap what we've sown, it also suggests that we'll reap much more. Life is full of laws that both govern and explain behaviors, but this may well be the major law we need to understand: For every disciplined effort, there are multiple rewards.
What a concept! If you render unique service, your reward will be multiplied. If you're fair and honest and patient with others, your reward will be multiplied. If you give more than you expect to receive, your reward is more than you expect. But remember: the key word here, as you might well imagine, is discipline.
Everything of value requires care, attention, and discipline. Our thoughts require discipline. We must consistently determine our inner boundaries and our codes of conduct, or our thoughts will be confused. And if our thoughts are confused, we will become hopelessly lost in the maze of life. Confused thoughts produce confused results.
Remember the law: "For every disciplined effort, there are multiple rewards." Learn the discipline of writing a card or a letter to a friend. Learn the discipline of paying your bills on time, arriving to appointments on time, or using your time more effectively. Learn the discipline of paying attention, or paying your taxes or paying yourself. Learn the discipline of having regular meetings with your associates, or your spouse, or your child, or your parent. Learn the discipline of learning all you can learn, of teaching all you can teach, of reading all you can read.
For each discipline, multiple rewards. For each book, new knowledge. For each success, new ambition. For each challenge, new understanding. For each failure, new determination. Life is like that. Even the bad experiences of life provide their own special contribution. But a word of caution here for those who neglect the need for care and attention to life's disciplines: Everything has its price. Everything affects everything else. Neglect discipline, and there will be a price to pay. All things of value can be taken for granted with the passing of time.
That's what we call the Law of Familiarity. Without the discipline of paying constant, daily attention, we take things for granted. Be serious. Life's not a practice session.
If you're often inclined to toss your clothes onto the chair rather than hanging them in the closet, be careful. It could suggest a lack of discipline. And remember, a lack of discipline in the small areas of life can cost you heavily in the more important areas of life. You cannot clean up your company until you learn the discipline of cleaning your own garage. You cannot be impatient with your children and be patient with your distributors or your employees. You cannot inspire others to sell more when that goal is inconsistent with your own conduct. You cannot admonish others to read good books when you don't have a library card.
Think about your life at this moment. What areas need attention right now? Perhaps you've had a disagreement with someone you love or someone who loves you, and your anger won't allow you to speak to that person. Wouldn't this be an ideal time to examine your need for a new discipline? Perhaps you're on the brink of giving up, or starting over, or starting out. And the only missing ingredient to your incredible success story in the future is a new and self-imposed discipline that will make you try harder and work more intensely than you ever thought you could.
The most valuable form of discipline is the one that you impose upon yourself. Don't wait for things to deteriorate so drastically that someone else must impose discipline in your life. Wouldn't that be tragic? How could you possibly explain the fact that someone else thought more of you than you thought of yourself? That they forced you to get up early and get out into the marketplace when you would have been content to let success go to someone else who cared more about themselves.
Your life, my life, the life of each one of us is going to serve as either a warning or an example. A warning of the consequences of neglect, self-pity, lack of direction and ambition... or an example of talent put to use, of discipline self-imposed, and of objectives clearly perceived and intensely pursued
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Emails and More Emails
Remember the days when we actually posted a letter via ‘snail mail’? Those days are long gone and speed of communication is the new king. Sitting in the court of this new kingdom is email. It has revolutionised communication, making it simpler and faster for businesses to communicate.
The average email user in business spends 2 hours plus a day dealing with email. So clearly we need to find ways of cutting down on email traffic and managing it more efficiently.
1) Bing! … the noise alert ‘you have mail’ has to be the greatest killer of productivity and concentration. Get rid of the email alert and focus on one task at a time, especially when it requires thought and innovation. Check your emails at specific times throughout the day to enhance productivity and output. For example, only check emails at the start of your day, just before lunch and at the end of the day. One in five people fall into the category of ‘email’ dependant’ and compulsively check email and panic when they can’t get access.
2) If you’re still not sure what to do after 2 emails revert to a really old fashioned way of communicating and pick up the phone and call the recipient and work out what needs to be done. Better still, if they work in the cubicle next to you, get out of your chair and go
and see them face to face.
3) Don’t use email as a medium to shy away from face to face confrontation. Email is best suited to simple communications, such as scheduling meetings and circulating minutes or updates. It isn’t a substitute for face-to-face or phone communications.
4) Needlessly long distribution lists are a major cause of email log jam. It may seem convenient for circulating a document to glean input from multiple people, but it can spark off an email frenzy that you will find hard to cope with.
5) Because email is quick and viewed as a less formal medium than letters or memos, people can be careless in their eagerness to reply. When a friend or colleague writes something about someone or something and accidentally copies in the entire distribution list - at the very least this will provide embarrassment; and at the worst jeopardise your career. As a simple rule, if you are going to send an emotional or ‘angry email’, write it, store it in your draft folder, read it again a few hours later and then re evaluate how you feel. Email may be convenient, but it’s also easy to misinterpret, lacking the visual clues or changes in tonality of face-to-face communication.
There’s no doubt that email can be a scourge on productivity and an added source of stress. Used inappropriately, it can even cause embarrassment and elicit unintended responses. But follow a few simple rules and apply a bit of self-discipline, and email can live up to its promise of being a fast and efficient communications tool.
That’s it for now – gotta go – more emails to send!!
The average email user in business spends 2 hours plus a day dealing with email. So clearly we need to find ways of cutting down on email traffic and managing it more efficiently.
1) Bing! … the noise alert ‘you have mail’ has to be the greatest killer of productivity and concentration. Get rid of the email alert and focus on one task at a time, especially when it requires thought and innovation. Check your emails at specific times throughout the day to enhance productivity and output. For example, only check emails at the start of your day, just before lunch and at the end of the day. One in five people fall into the category of ‘email’ dependant’ and compulsively check email and panic when they can’t get access.
2) If you’re still not sure what to do after 2 emails revert to a really old fashioned way of communicating and pick up the phone and call the recipient and work out what needs to be done. Better still, if they work in the cubicle next to you, get out of your chair and go
and see them face to face.
3) Don’t use email as a medium to shy away from face to face confrontation. Email is best suited to simple communications, such as scheduling meetings and circulating minutes or updates. It isn’t a substitute for face-to-face or phone communications.
4) Needlessly long distribution lists are a major cause of email log jam. It may seem convenient for circulating a document to glean input from multiple people, but it can spark off an email frenzy that you will find hard to cope with.
5) Because email is quick and viewed as a less formal medium than letters or memos, people can be careless in their eagerness to reply. When a friend or colleague writes something about someone or something and accidentally copies in the entire distribution list - at the very least this will provide embarrassment; and at the worst jeopardise your career. As a simple rule, if you are going to send an emotional or ‘angry email’, write it, store it in your draft folder, read it again a few hours later and then re evaluate how you feel. Email may be convenient, but it’s also easy to misinterpret, lacking the visual clues or changes in tonality of face-to-face communication.
There’s no doubt that email can be a scourge on productivity and an added source of stress. Used inappropriately, it can even cause embarrassment and elicit unintended responses. But follow a few simple rules and apply a bit of self-discipline, and email can live up to its promise of being a fast and efficient communications tool.
That’s it for now – gotta go – more emails to send!!
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Communication—A Leader's Key to Success by John C. Maxwell
For my whole life, I have opened my car door by inserting a metal key into a physical lock. Now, I can unlock the doors and start the car at the push of a button. It seems like magic to me, but it's actually a simple application of science.
Keyless entry and keyless ignition are made possible when a transmitter within your key fob communicates with a radio receiver inside the car. Two conditions are necessary for this communication to take place: 1) the transmitter must be set to the same frequency as the receiver, and 2) the transmitter must send a uniquely coded message which the receiver has been programmed in advance to recognize.
Communication acts as a leader's "keyless entry" into relationships. It can open the mind of an employer, the wallet of investors, and the hearts of loved ones. Talented communicators seem magical when they weave their words together. However, much like the concept of keyless entry, great communication depends on two simple skills—context and delivery. Context attunes a leader to the same frequency as his or her audience. Delivery allows a leader to phrase messages in a language the audience can understand.
As we explore context and delivery, we'll draw upon Steven K. Scott's book The Richest Man Who Ever Lived. In the book, Scott offers commentary on the words of King Solomon, the wealthiest man in history. Renowned for his wisdom, Solomon's writings are filled with advice about effective communication.
Context
Listen before Speaking
"He that answers a matter before he hears it, it is folly and shame unto him." —Proverbs 18:13
Earn the right to be heard by listening to others. Seek to understand a situation before making judgments about it. As the Greek philosopher Epictetus observed, "We have two ears and one mouth so that we can listen twice as much as we speak."
Understand Human Nature
"Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing." —Proverbs 12:18
Words are powerful, and they can build up or tear down those who hear them. Regardless of your audience or avenue of communication, the following principles enable you to communicate constructively.
People are insecure. Leaders can bestow confidence by demonstrating their trust and belief in a person's abilities.
People want to feel special. Leaders win a loyal following when they are generous with compliments and acts of appreciation.
People are looking for a better future. Leaders inspire through an optimistic outlook and words of hope.
People are selfish. Leaders learn to motivate when they begin speaking to the needs of their people.
Be Emotionally Aware
"Like one who takes away a garment on a cold day… is one who sings songs to a heavy heart." —Proverbs 25:20
Communicating within context involves taking the emotional temperature of others. Pay attention to facial expressions, voice inflection and posture. They give clues to a person's mood and attitude.
Delivery
Adopt an Appropriate Tone
"A soft answer turns away wrath but grievous words stir up anger." —Proverbs 15:1
When you're emotionally aware, you're halfway to effective communication, but you still have to deliver your words appropriately. Many times it's not what you say, but how you say it. Adopt a fitting tone to address the emotional state of those around you, and your words will have their desired effect.
Speak Persuasively
"The heart of the wise teaches his mouth and adds persuasiveness to his lips." —Proverbs 16:23
The National Storytelling Festival, held in Jonesborough, Tennessee, features some of America's most captivating communicators. Listen for a while, and you'll discover traits that allow them to persuade listeners to take interest in the stories they tell.
Enthusiasm. The storytellers obviously enjoy what they are doing, expressing themselves with joy and vitality.
Animation. The presentations are marked by lively facial expressions and gestures.
Audience Participation. Almost every storyteller involves the audience in some way, asking listeners to sing, clap, repeat phrases, or do sign language.
Spontaneity. None of the storytellers have notes. The festival is truly an oral event. Storytellers don't read their stories; they tell them, which allows for eye contact.
Be Honest
"He who conceals his hatred has lying lips, and whoever spreads slander is a fool." —Proverbs 10:18
In an effort to persuade, leaders may be tempted to cross the line into manipulation. When doing so, facts may be fabricated or spun deceptively. Lies add complexity to life since the liar has to operate under the guise of falsehood. Eventually, lies are brought to light and undermine credibility. Leaders protect their character by using discretion in their language. They speak truthfully—even when honesty is costly.
Summary
Poor communication is the No. 1 culprit of failed relationships—in business and at home. Since relationships are the foundation of success, leaders would be wise to invest in the communication skills of context and delivery. Master them, and you'll more easily gain favor, more readily make friends, and more effectively motivate others.
Keyless entry and keyless ignition are made possible when a transmitter within your key fob communicates with a radio receiver inside the car. Two conditions are necessary for this communication to take place: 1) the transmitter must be set to the same frequency as the receiver, and 2) the transmitter must send a uniquely coded message which the receiver has been programmed in advance to recognize.
Communication acts as a leader's "keyless entry" into relationships. It can open the mind of an employer, the wallet of investors, and the hearts of loved ones. Talented communicators seem magical when they weave their words together. However, much like the concept of keyless entry, great communication depends on two simple skills—context and delivery. Context attunes a leader to the same frequency as his or her audience. Delivery allows a leader to phrase messages in a language the audience can understand.
As we explore context and delivery, we'll draw upon Steven K. Scott's book The Richest Man Who Ever Lived. In the book, Scott offers commentary on the words of King Solomon, the wealthiest man in history. Renowned for his wisdom, Solomon's writings are filled with advice about effective communication.
Context
Listen before Speaking
"He that answers a matter before he hears it, it is folly and shame unto him." —Proverbs 18:13
Earn the right to be heard by listening to others. Seek to understand a situation before making judgments about it. As the Greek philosopher Epictetus observed, "We have two ears and one mouth so that we can listen twice as much as we speak."
Understand Human Nature
"Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing." —Proverbs 12:18
Words are powerful, and they can build up or tear down those who hear them. Regardless of your audience or avenue of communication, the following principles enable you to communicate constructively.
People are insecure. Leaders can bestow confidence by demonstrating their trust and belief in a person's abilities.
People want to feel special. Leaders win a loyal following when they are generous with compliments and acts of appreciation.
People are looking for a better future. Leaders inspire through an optimistic outlook and words of hope.
People are selfish. Leaders learn to motivate when they begin speaking to the needs of their people.
Be Emotionally Aware
"Like one who takes away a garment on a cold day… is one who sings songs to a heavy heart." —Proverbs 25:20
Communicating within context involves taking the emotional temperature of others. Pay attention to facial expressions, voice inflection and posture. They give clues to a person's mood and attitude.
Delivery
Adopt an Appropriate Tone
"A soft answer turns away wrath but grievous words stir up anger." —Proverbs 15:1
When you're emotionally aware, you're halfway to effective communication, but you still have to deliver your words appropriately. Many times it's not what you say, but how you say it. Adopt a fitting tone to address the emotional state of those around you, and your words will have their desired effect.
Speak Persuasively
"The heart of the wise teaches his mouth and adds persuasiveness to his lips." —Proverbs 16:23
The National Storytelling Festival, held in Jonesborough, Tennessee, features some of America's most captivating communicators. Listen for a while, and you'll discover traits that allow them to persuade listeners to take interest in the stories they tell.
Enthusiasm. The storytellers obviously enjoy what they are doing, expressing themselves with joy and vitality.
Animation. The presentations are marked by lively facial expressions and gestures.
Audience Participation. Almost every storyteller involves the audience in some way, asking listeners to sing, clap, repeat phrases, or do sign language.
Spontaneity. None of the storytellers have notes. The festival is truly an oral event. Storytellers don't read their stories; they tell them, which allows for eye contact.
Be Honest
"He who conceals his hatred has lying lips, and whoever spreads slander is a fool." —Proverbs 10:18
In an effort to persuade, leaders may be tempted to cross the line into manipulation. When doing so, facts may be fabricated or spun deceptively. Lies add complexity to life since the liar has to operate under the guise of falsehood. Eventually, lies are brought to light and undermine credibility. Leaders protect their character by using discretion in their language. They speak truthfully—even when honesty is costly.
Summary
Poor communication is the No. 1 culprit of failed relationships—in business and at home. Since relationships are the foundation of success, leaders would be wise to invest in the communication skills of context and delivery. Master them, and you'll more easily gain favor, more readily make friends, and more effectively motivate others.
Thursday, June 3, 2010
3 TIPS to Increase Sales!
How To Increase Sales?
• Provide team training. This is a management task, but one that can really improve your company’s overall performance. Does the team know they are even a team? Are they aware of company sales goals or objectives? Are they even aware of the types of products you sell or services you offer? Do they know what your highest margin product or service is? Do you?
The point is, you can’t create leverage or any kind of synergy unless your team knows where they are and where they need to go. Either you need to provide direction – or they will provide direction for you. Start now to develop true team direction and leadership in your organization. It will pay off in a major way sooner than you may expect.
• Stop discounting. This is another strategy that has a profound impact on profit. When you stop discounting, you literally stop giving money away. Think of it this way: if you constantly discount, why even bother having a retail price? Not only does discounting cost you money, it gives your customers the general impression your “normal” prices are a rip-off. The flip-side of this, especially if you are in a “discounting” oriented business, is to add-on value instead. In some instances, you may be able to raise your price, add value for very little cost out-of-pocket and enormously leverage profits. In the end, it’s all about perceived value for your customer.
• Down-sell. Finally, you may have heard of up-selling and cross-selling, but down-selling might be a new one for you. What exactly does this mean? Basically, no customer leaves your premises without buying something. If you know a customer can’t afford a higher priced item, show that item to the customer first, then offer the lower priced item as an alternative.
• Provide team training. This is a management task, but one that can really improve your company’s overall performance. Does the team know they are even a team? Are they aware of company sales goals or objectives? Are they even aware of the types of products you sell or services you offer? Do they know what your highest margin product or service is? Do you?
The point is, you can’t create leverage or any kind of synergy unless your team knows where they are and where they need to go. Either you need to provide direction – or they will provide direction for you. Start now to develop true team direction and leadership in your organization. It will pay off in a major way sooner than you may expect.
• Stop discounting. This is another strategy that has a profound impact on profit. When you stop discounting, you literally stop giving money away. Think of it this way: if you constantly discount, why even bother having a retail price? Not only does discounting cost you money, it gives your customers the general impression your “normal” prices are a rip-off. The flip-side of this, especially if you are in a “discounting” oriented business, is to add-on value instead. In some instances, you may be able to raise your price, add value for very little cost out-of-pocket and enormously leverage profits. In the end, it’s all about perceived value for your customer.
• Down-sell. Finally, you may have heard of up-selling and cross-selling, but down-selling might be a new one for you. What exactly does this mean? Basically, no customer leaves your premises without buying something. If you know a customer can’t afford a higher priced item, show that item to the customer first, then offer the lower priced item as an alternative.
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