Everybody lies! (Here's what to do about it)

That’s right - everybody lies.  In fact, if you never lied, you would find it very hard to function in society.  Of course, I am talking about “white lies” - the little things we say to make people feel better. For example:

• “Your table will be ready in 5 minutes” (The statement has no basis in accuracy – it just sounds a lot better than a waiter saying you'll have to wait 15 minutes, and is intended to make you feel comfortable about waiting)
• “I’ll start working on that today” (Really?  Or are they just saying that to reassure you that you are being taken care of?)
• “Thank you. What a wonderful present” (We have all been taught that it is polite to say this – no matter what you honestly think of the gift)
• “No – of course you don’t look fat in that dress” (Everyone knows there is only ever one “right answer” to this question!)

However, at the other end of the lying spectrum are the things people say to deliberately deceive others.  When these lies are exposed (and that is the key) – trust gets eroded and ultimately destroyed.

• “The dog ate my homework” / “I’ve never been in trouble with the law” / “This mess is the other party’s fault”  (Excuses invented to “avoid pain” – blaming something or someone else, because they fear punishment or loss of reputation)
• “Buy now before we run out of stock” / “I was asked to turn pro, but decided to build a career instead” / “Purchase this program now, and you too can become a millionaire”  (Persuasive stories told to “make a gain” – to impress someone, make a sale, or influence them to take the desired action)

Sadly, we see far too many examples of these lies and deceptions; in the news media, in politics, and in business communications.

To protect yourself from being deceived – you must “shine a spotlight” on any statements that you believe to be false (or where someone appears to be stretching the truth too far).  Very few lies can stand up to the scrutiny of these 3 approaches:

1. Separate fact from opinion

• “How do you know that this is true?”
• “What evidence do you have for this claim – can I see it?”
• “Are there any studies that claim the opposite?”
• “Who else besides you shares this opinion?”
• “What is the counter argument?”

2. Slow things down

• “Can you repeat what you just said – and give me more details this time?”
• “I’m going to sleep on this before I make a decision”

3. Simplify

• “I will not sign this proposal until I fully understand it”
• "Explain it again - this time as if I knew nothing about this subject?"
• “Can you reword this in simpler terms that a teenager could understand?”

Ignorance is not bliss.  Remember to use the spotlight approach, and as per the song from the rock band ‘The Who’, you “Won’t get fooled again!”

Stephen Lynch 

Chief Operating Officer - Global Operations 
RESULTS.com

Article Source: Results.com

 

Greg Longstaff
Business Development Consultant
Franchise Network Specialist
greg@salesmarket.co.nz
+64 9.307.7860

The Art of Asking Questions

How well do you ask questions? From my experience, most managers don't think about this issue. After all, you don't usually find "the ability to ask questions" on any list of managerial competencies; nor is it an explicit part of the curriculum of business schools or executive educationprograms. But asking questions effectively is a major underlying part of a manager's job — which suggests that it might be worth giving this skill a little more focus.

We've all experienced times when we've failed at being good questioners, perhaps without realizing it. For example, not long ago I sat in on a meeting where a project team was reviewing its progress with a senior executive sponsor. During the presentation it was clear from his body language that the executive was uncomfortable with the direction that the team was taking. As a result, without any real questioning of the team, he deferred approval of the next steps until he could have a further discussion with the team leader. When he met with the team leader later, he ripped into him for allowing the team to go off-course. Eventually the team leader was able to explain the thinking behind the plan, convinced the executive that they would indeed achieve their objectives, and was given the go-ahead to proceed. But in the meantime the team had lost its momentum (and a week of productivity), and began to focus more on pleasing the sponsor rather than doing the project in the best way.

This is not an isolated incident. Many managers don't know how to probe the thought process of their subordinates, colleagues, and bosses — and instead make assumptions about the basis of their actions. And when those assumptions are wrong, all sorts of dysfunctional patterns can be created. In a financial services firm, for example, a major product upgrade was delayed by months because the product and IT managers had different assumptions about what was to be delivered by when, and kept blaming each other for delays. When a third party finally helped them to ask the right questions, they were able to come up with a plan that satisfied both, and quickly produced incremental revenue for the product.

There are three areas where improved "questioning" can strengthen managerial effectiveness; and it might be worth considering how you can improve your skills in each one.

First is the ability to ask questions about yourself. All of us fall into unproductive habits, sometimes unconsciously. Good managers therefore are always asking themselves and others about what they could do better or differently. Finding the right time and approach for asking these questions in a way that invites constructive and candid responses is critical.

Second is the ability to ask questions about plans and projects. The examples mentioned above both fall into this category. The challenge with questioning projects is to do so in a way that not only advances the work, but that also builds relationships and helps the people involved to learn and develop. This doesn't mean that your questions can't be tough and direct, but the probing needs to be in the spirit of accelerating progress, illuminating unconscious assumptions and solving problems. This is in contrast to some managers who (perhaps out of their own insecurity) ask review questions either to prove that they are the smartest one in the room, or to make someone squirm. On the other hand, many of the best managers I've seen have an uncanny ability to engage in Socratic dialogue that helps people reach their own conclusions about what can be done to improve a plan or project, which of course leads to much more ownership and learning.

Finally, practice asking questions about the organization. Although usually unspoken, managers have an obligation to always look for ways that the organization as a whole can function more effectively. To do this, they need to ask questions about practices, processes, and structures: Why do we do things this way? Is there a better approach? Asking these questions in a way that does not trigger defensiveness and that is seen as constructive is an important skill for managers.

Most of us never think about how to frame our questions. Giving this process some explicit thought however might not only make you a better manager; it might also help others improve their inquiry skills as well.

Have you seen good and bad examples of how to ask questions? What's your own self-assessment? Are you asking yourself the right questions?

Article Source: Ron Ashkenas


Greg Longstaff
Business Development Consultant
Franchise Network Specialist
greg@salesmarket.co.nz
+64 9.307.7860

A picture really does paint a thousand words

Do you have a mega or a meagre memory? 

 I have just finished a brief two hour programme with an eleven year old boy.

His mother asked me to show Trevor how to use his memory better, with a view

to him doing better at tests in school.

We began with a list of twenty unrelated words which I asked him to try to

remember and write down a few minutes later. The average score for this quick

memory test is between 2 and 5 out of 20. Trevor scored 3. The frst time I did it,

I scored 2! I then learnt the first steps of how to use my memory properly and

within an hour I scored 20/20.

After showing young Trevor this trick, we moved on to creating a mental

shopping list in a supermarket. In fact, within ten minutes he easily retained (and

could recall a week later) two lists, each including five items. The following week

in the second of our one hour sessions, Trevor created a list of all the parts he

would need to put together a worm farm. This is a project he has coming up at

school soon and he will now be able to reel off everthing he needs to collect and

take along with no trouble at all. As you can imagine, both Trevor and his mum

Elayne are extremely happy with the results and amazed to see what Trevor's

mind and memory are capable of.       

I first began to learn how to use my memory from a set of Kevin Trudeau tapes I

bought back in the mid 90's called 'Mega Memory' and from learning and

practising other techniques ever since, I have managed to turn it into a powerful

business and personal tool.

    A picture paints a thousand words 

 

    In my experience working with people's confidence and self image/ belief, I have

    noticed that most human mind's don't think in words but in pictures. We then

    convert those pictures into words and languages in order to speed up

    communication. Memory works much more efficiently when we create and play 

    mental videos of the things we want to remember.

 
    Here are the five things you need to have in your mental video for maximum
    retention/recall:

    1. Colour

    2. Movement/ Action 

    3. Vivid activation of at least one of the senses. Touch, sight, sound, smell and 

        taste

    4. Emotion. Fear/ desire etc

    5. Ridiculous association. Incredible, funny, fantastic and amazing things that

        your mind creates but would never actually happen

    Why Air New Zealand Link staff don't think

 

    For almost ten years I have worked with the new cabin staff of Air New Zealand

    Link during their three week induction course. My session is just one afternoon at

    the end of those three weeks, during which time I show them how to memorise

    their PA's (public address). Once they have mastered this, just like young Trevor,

    I regularly see their confidence and self belief growing right before my eyes.

    Initially, many of these new recruits seem rather daunted by the task ahead.

    Hardly surprising when you consider that study after study says that most

    people's biggest fear in life is speaking in public. All that fades into insignificance

    when they learn the trick to using their memory. 'The human brain thinks in
    pictures, not in words'.

    During the session, these words, handed to them on a page:

    "Please ensure hand luggage is safely stowed either in the overhead locker, or 

    beneath your seat. A reminder that all electronic equipment must be switched off

    for take off and landing. Please fasten your seat belts, check that your tray table

    is folded away and your seat back is in the upright position."

    Becomes a series of bullet point images which I ask them to draw:

    The bullet points act as visual triggers for the mental video clip they create. In

    the space of three hours, the majority of them go from self consciously reading

    just the first three lines of a script which they need to refer to while presenting

    to their peers, to doing it using a group of only five pictures drawn next to their

    bullet points, and finally to reciting entire, lengthy PA's with no safety net at

    all, completely from their memory. They don't need to think about the words,

    they just need to remember the pictures, and their subconscious takes over and

    does the rest.

    I should say that James Hamilton of Air Nelson and his team do a fantastic job

    of choosing and training the people I get to work with, which certainly makes my

    job that much easier, more enjoyable and fun.

 

Article Source: www.paulkernot.com

Stealing Business From the Competition

If you place prospecting calls (hopefully Smart Calls) you probably often hear, "I already buy from X-Company," or, "We’re happy with who we’re using."


I know, at this point you feel like saying,


"X Company! What a bunch of losers. How can you be so dumb?"


Almost as bad–and what many salespeople actually do–is data-dumping a pitch explaining why your company is better. It’s confrontational, and only causes the prospect to harden his defenses. 
Another strategy is to simply make a quick exit. Which might not be bad, depending upon your industry, and the quality and quantity of names you have to work on. Many stockbrokers take this route. After all, repeatedly running into a brick wall, rebounding off, reloading and ramming into it again isn’t the most efficient use of time if you have stacks of other leads staring you in the eye. Plus it hurts after a while.


But if your prospect pool is relatively finite, you can’t afford to burn through names. You need to take the next step.


Get Them Talking Your best approach is to engage the prospect in a two-way conversation. You see, prospects often say "I’m happy with my supplier," because it’s an easy way to get rid of a salesperson. It’s instinctive. It’s easy. Jumping into a pitch at this point not only falls on deaf ears, it’s unwise because you don’t yet know anything about them.


Engaging them in conversation, however, gets them involved, and gives you material you can work with.


A suggested route is to learn why they selected their present vendor. Once you know what influenced that behavior, you have insight into what to say so they’ll consider you.


But DO NOT say, "Why did you choose them?"


The reason is that "Why?" puts them on the defensive. It forces them to justify their selection. And it can be interpreted as an attack of their reasoning. You might as well poke them in the ribs with a sharp stick and then try to sell to them.


Saying, "Oh I’m sorry to hear that," or, "Any particular reason you use them?" has the same effect.


Instead, you want to ask questions that open them up, build rapport, and ease into a conversation about how they chose their supplier, again avoiding the stern "Why?" word.


For example,


"What influenced the decision to select them?"


"What prompted the decision to go with them?"


Notice that the last two questions take the emphasis off the person, and place it instead on the decision. It’s non adversarial, and is a soft way to get them talking.


By the way, I don’t favor the oft-recommended "What do you like best about them?" Some might argue it gives you insight into what they want in a vendor. I maintain it asks them to reinforce their decision to pick their existing vendor–the exact opposite of what we truly want to accomplish.


The Competitions’ Weaknesses What you should do now is ask questions designed to extract information not only on what his needs are, but also to point out your strengths and the competitors’ weaknesses.


For example, if you know X Company has poor quality–allowing them to charge that lower price–instead of blatantly slamming X’s workmanship, you’d ask a question to shed light on it:


"How often do you have customers return for service because of defective parts?"


"What do you do in situations when the units overheat?"


Now it’s not YOU disparaging the competition; they’re doing it for you. More importantly, they’re reliving their negative experiences as they explain them. Delicious.


I don’t want to paint too rosy of a picture here. Despite your best efforts, in most cases the prospect still won’t budge. Then your best tactic is to keep the door open for the future. After all, we’ve all had those written-off, discarded prospects who surprised us with a phone call announcing,


"You called us a couple of months ago, and we’d like to do business with you."


Here are additional questions that can make that happen more often.


"Do you have a backup supplier?"


"What type of contingency do you have in place if something were to happen where you needed something in an emergency?"


"If anything were to happen with your existing supplier, could I be on the list of people you would consider?"


Or tell them,


"Please put my name and number in your vendor’s file. If anything happens where they can’t provide you something when you need it, would you please give me a call.


Selling against someone’s existing vendor can be difficult–if you make it that way. Instead, get them talking, and you might find out exactly what you need to do to get your foot in the door.

Article Source: Art Sobczak - Business By Phone


Greg Longstaff
Business Development Consultant
Franchise Network Specialist
greg@salesmarket.co.nz
+64 021.677.992

In Pictures: 16 Ways 9/11 Changed The Way We Do Business

The world changed when those buildings fell—the way we work, get around, communicate, dream. And then, slowly but surely, it was back to the business of making a living. Some of the changes would prove ephemeral, others permanent.

We asked an array of professionals—from manufacturers to marketing consultants, from Arkansas to Minnesota—to identify the tangible consequences 9/11 had on the world of business. We weren’t looking for broad, sweeping statements about the impact of the terrorist attacks (you’ll have had your fill of such fulmination by the time you read this). Instead, we pushed for specific observations regarding the areas these people know best.
Gallery: Big Achievers Share The Greatest Risks They Ever Took
Gallery: 20 Businesses You Can Start Tomorrow
11 images Gallery: Ten Horrible Reasons To Get Rich

Not all the news is bad. Some of it—such as the growth in employee assistance programs and a renewed healthy regard for rainy-day funds—is rather encouraging. In some cases, our subjects offered tangible guidance on navigating the post-9/11 economy.

Taken together, the collection of responses provides rich perspective on commerce in the aftermath of that tragic day a decade ago.

Have your own perspective to share? Please comment on this post.

It Has Helped Us Compete

Rich Carrigan, Chief Executive, United Displaycraft, Chicago, Il., maker of point of purchase displays

As a domestic manufacturer, who also imports from China, 9/11 has actually helped us to be more competitive.  Starting in roughly 2003, new regulations went into place regarding how containers are checked as they arrive at our shores. Result: The cost of shipping a container has gone up, and the time (which was getting shorter) has also gone up. That’s bad if you are a pure importer, but good for us since we still make roughly 80% of our product here in Chicago.

Employee Assistance Programs Have Expanded

Burton Goldfield, President and Chief Executive, TriNet, San Leandro, Calif., provider of HR solutions for small businesses

On the human relations front, Employee Assistance Programs have seen a resurgence. Services include assessments, short-term face-to-face counseling and doctor referrals. EAPs are available 24/7 via a hotline and most often work on a one-on-one basis. EAPs offer guidance on a range of other issues, including health and nutrition, substance abuse/addiction, relationships, emotional well-being, legal and financial issues, personal growth, physical fitness, pregnancy, personal safety, and stress/anger management. As a result of 9/11, they’ve adapted to include critical incidence response that allows service to hundreds at a time after a major event. The power of this shift is dramatic. EAPs are free, completely confidential and available not only to the employee but to their families as well. Some advice: If your company offers an EAP, don’t be afraid to remind employees that it’s there.

It Reminded Us That Doing Well Also Means Doing Good

Paul Jankowski, Owner, Access Brand Strategies, Brentwood, Tenn., a marketing consultancy

On September 11, 2001, our country acted like a family. Since then we’ve had our corporate scandals, foreign wars and political infighting. However, the positive effects can be felt 10 years later through a discernible rise in corporate community involvement. Companies are encouraging employees to contribute time to causes that are important to them. Just one of many examples: Ronald Shaich, Executive Chairman of Panera Bread, who said “bring your humanity to work.”  His vision was to directly impact the one in four children in the US struggling with hunger (beyond the $150 million Panera donates to various causes). The goal: to develop a sustainable, pay-what-you-can community cafe concept called Panera Cares. It now operates in Clayton, Mo., Dearborn, Mich., and Portland, Ore.


It Gave A Wake-Up Call To Entrepreneurs

Martin Zwilling, Founder & Chief Executive, Startup Professionals, Phoenix, Ariz., mentor and advisor to startups
Gallery: Big Achievers Share The Greatest Risks They Ever Took
Gallery: 20 Businesses You Can Start Tomorrow
11 images Gallery: Ten Horrible Reasons To Get Rich

Even for professionals who didn’t lose family, friends and co-workers on September 11, 2001, that day prompted soul-searching about the value of sticking with high-paying, seemingly secure jobs, compared to following their dream and being more in control of their own destiny. The result was an immediate surge in entrepreneurship and startups across the country. Of course, most found out that startups are tough, so we haven’t seen any improvement in the failure rate, which still seems to indicate that 50% are gone within the first five years. Despite the challenges, I see an increased respect for the role of the entrepreneur in our culture, one that has put entrepreneurs almost on a pedestal, as the pioneers of change in the world, up from second-class citizens who couldn’t qualify for high-paying roles in corporate America. Maybe 9/11 was the wake-up call we needed to get American business thinking back to its roots.

It Confirmed That Cash Is King

Gene Marks, President, The Marks Group, Bala Cynwyd, Pa., a technology consulting firm

When the World Trade Towers fell, they took the world economy with them. How did I survive when customers went into hiding? Luckily—very luckily—I had some cash in the bank. I could pay my bills, keep things running, and ride out the aftermath. The truth is that even the powerful American machine can be brought to a standstill with a single incident in a single city. Which is why I’m keeping more cash on hand than ever before–even if it’s earning a little less interest these days. And I’m not the only one.

It Re-energized The Energy Debate (Sort Of)

Glen Tullman, Chief Executive, Allscripts, Chicago, IL, maker of software for the health-care industry.

Since 9/11 we’ve made air travel, our office buildings and our ports less susceptible to those who may bring us harm. But there’s hard medicine we’ve yet to take: using less oil and getting more energy from sources we can control. A larger gasoline tax–say, establishing a inflation-adjusted price floor of $4 at the pump–would help. The average price of a gallon of gas was $1.66 on September 11, 2001; it’s nearly $4 now. Certainty of high gas prices will spur investment in technologies that subvert oil as a fuel. Yet most financiers won’t bet big on solar energy, biofuel or wind farms—that’s because they know that the minute any green-energy project puts a dent in demand for oil as an energy source, the price of crude will zoom straight back downward again and drive up demand.  Big government is good at few things, but providing bedrock reassurance to innovators is one of them. Measures like a gas tax would work best if they were part of a national energy plan that Americans could understand. Washington hasn’t given us one.Yet.

We Got Back To Basics

Marc Compeau, Director, Reh Center for Entrepreneurship, Clarkson University, Potsdam, NY

Work, family and fun have long fought for space on life’s goal lists. The 9/11 aftermath brought some rebalancing—and an urge for simplicity. Upstate New York has seen a rebirth of many downtowns, filled with energetic and innovative entrepreneurs comforted by the notion that no terrorist cares about downtown Saratoga Springs. “We have seen many more visitors who don’t just wish they could live a simpler life, but actually open a store front and make a go of it,” says Erin Draper, Director of the Adirondack Business Center in Saranac Lake, NY. “The migration of urban entrepreneurs has really transformed many of the small towns we work with.” Susan Hirschfeld, a fashion consultant for several major retailers, is one of those who sought simple. “I was always running, so tired all the time but never taking a break long enough to realize it,” she says. So Hirschfeld moved to Lake Placid, NY, where she launched her own line of snowboard clothing, Hardway Apparel: “I don’t have anywhere near the disposable income I had but I have traded that cash for peace,” she adds. “Life is so simple–and so fulfilling.”


Even The Brave Are More Risk-Averse

Steve Berglas, Founder, EgoDoc, Ltd., Pacific Palisades, CA, coaching services for successful entrepreneurs and executives

Gallery: Big Achievers Share The Greatest Risks They Ever Took
Gallery: 20 Businesses You Can Start Tomorrow
11 images Gallery: Ten Horrible Reasons To Get Rich

The business builders I coach now are much more risk-averse relative to those I worked with pre- 9/11. I see neither idealism nor passion in these people, just a CYA (“cover your ass”) attitude. The most salient symptom, not surprisingly, is hoarding wealth. Entrepreneurs were once noteworthy for their need to promote social change. Now many spend a lot more time with their estate-planning attorneys. (See also, 10 Horrible Reasons To Get Rich.)

Fulfilling Orders Got Even More Expensive

Abhijeet Purkayastha, President, The Grippster Company and Tejada Leather, Fayetteville, Ark., manufacturers of home-safety products and leather goods

We are a small company that makes products in India and ships to clients globally. Post 9/11, there has been a lot more regulation enforced by Customs and Border Protection. We have to ship fully loaded containers, so if we can’t fill one, we share it with another company; that lack of control introduces risk, especially as federal agents have ramped up their search efforts. Even if there are ultimately no problems with the contents, we have to swallow the related surcharges for searches. Also, our shipments have to arrive within a specific delivery window, or we get penalized by the retailer, which can charge between 20% and 35% of the purchase order. Before 9/11, Customs would set aside two or three of our shipments a year, out of three to six shipments a month. Post- 9/11, the searches are occurring a lot more.

It Demonstrated That The Best Brands Are Bulletproof

Les Berglass, Chief Executive, Berglass+Associates, New York, NY, an executive search firm

About 70% of the executives we place are relocations. Most people don’t like to move. The 9/11 attacks made recruiting to New York City even more difficult–people were actually afraid to come here. That fear dissipated in less than a year. In fact, in the past ten years there’s been a “rebirth” of Manhattan, from the High Line to Harlem.

It Pounded Nails Into The Venture Capital Coffin

Dileep Rao, Ph.D., President, InterFinance Corporation, Golden Valley, Minn., a small business finance consultant

Venture capitalists were already nursing a massive hangover from the dotcom collapse when the terrorists struck. For most, the aughts were a lost decade. (For more, see 18 Zombie Venture Capital Firms.) Cheap debt filled the void–until that bubble burst. Now the trend is toward asset-based lending–as in, lending against assets such as accounts receivable. (For more on this, and other forms of alternative financing, read Where To Find Capital Now.) For more on availability of credit, and on the small business landscape in general, check out the State Of Small Business.


We’ve Become More Exposed

Dan Schawbel, Managing Partner, Millennial Branding, Boston, a marketing consultancy

Increased security measures taken at airports, combined with the emergence of technologies like Skype and social networking, have made us rely less on being physically present and forced us to rethink the way we interact professionally. This shift has had consequences on how we cultivate our personal brands. We’ve become more exposed; first impressions are made online, before clasping a hand.
Gallery: Big Achievers Share The Greatest Risks They Ever Took
Gallery: 20 Businesses You Can Start Tomorrow
11 images Gallery: Ten Horrible Reasons To Get Rich

It’s The Same Old Song

Kern Lewis, President, GrowthFocus, Castro Valley, Calif., a marketing consultant for small businesses and start-up ventures

In terms of how we market products and services, fundamentally little has changed. Buyers may have temporarily taken a more cautious approach to life, and marketers reacted to that with a shift in positioning and product innovation. And there certainly was, and still is, a knee-jerk tendency to drape much of what we do in good ol’ red, white and blue. But I’d chalk that up to a greater force: the eternal impulse to feed—and profit from—whatever cultural trends are attracting dollars at a given time and place.

It Created A Barrier To Innovation

Rebecca O. Bagley, President and CEO, NorTech, Cleveland, OH, a  regional technology-based economic development organization

Policies created because of 9/11 added significant challenges to get even the most educated immigrants to America. This stance will have a negative economic impact. Immigrants are vital to the U.S. economy, especially with regard to entrepreneurship. Immigrants are nine times more likely to be self-employed compared to native-born Americans, according to the Migration Institute. We’re not just talking about traditional industries: Many of our best scientists and engineers are immigrants. The National Venture Capital Association estimates that, since 1990, venture-backed firms owned by immigrants have created more than 400,000 jobs and represent a combined market capitalization of roughly $500 billion. (For more see Best Cities For Minority Entrepreneurs.)

We Prepare For Anything

Celeste Gudas, Founder and Chief Executive, 24 Seven, New York, NY, a  talent-recruiting firm for the fashion, media and marketing industries

We launched our company in 2000 in the south end of Manhattan’s SoHo neighborhood. When the Trade Towers fell, we were forced to evacuate our offices and not return for three weeks, forcing us to run operations remotely. We now have systems and processes to keep our 200 recruiters and our hundreds of freelancers connected, informed and able to work regardless of location. For instance, our payroll system is now active in three different offices, so in the event of an emergency or closure, we can continue to pay our employees and freelancers. We also implemented a three-tiered level of data recovery—local tapes, off-site tapes and storing all information in the cloud—to ensure that we’re up and running as soon as possible after an emergency. (Cost: just $100 a month.) Recent events, such as the East Coast earthquake and hurricane threats, continue to remind us that disasters can happen anywhere, 24-7.


It Distracted Us From The Real Problem

Brett Nelson, Executive Editor, Forbes

Humans want what they want when they want it. That blind, bones-deep desire for immediate gratification drives us to great achievement. (In this sense Gordon Gekko got it right: Greed is good.) But unchecked, that desire also creates asset bubbles, from real estate to technology stocks. It is why Bernie Madoff managed to destroy $18 billion in wealth; why our Social Security program is in jeopardy of insolvency; and why, with each passing day, China and our other lenders control more and more of our destiny.
Gallery: Big Achievers Share The Greatest Risks They Ever Took
Gallery: 20 Businesses You Can Start Tomorrow
11 images Gallery: Ten Horrible Reasons To Get Rich

The events of September 11, ghastly as they were, weren’t enough to dull that desire, to reconfigure our primordial coding. Chris Carey, owner of an eponymous consultancy to small businesses and a very perspicacious fellow, put it this way recently:

“The terrorist attacks created a common bond for us. We had a common enemy, we presented a common front against terror, we were collectively going to kick some butt for our loss. This feeling of camaraderie and common purpose spilled over into business. It gave us a common language and rallying point. We were all working together to defeat a foe, and we were bonded by our cause.

“I don’t know whether it was the recession, or just time, but the opportunity seems lost.  The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have gone on too long.  We didn’t experience the sense of closure we had hoped for in the capture of Saddam Hussein and the killing of Osama bin Laden.  Our government is fractured, our economy in shambles, thousands of our children have been killed in places most Americans couldn’t find on a map, and too many of us are unemployed.

“We missed an opportunity which could have drawn us together.  The power of the moment was lost and we are left with long lines at the airport and politicians squabbling over who gets to speak at the memorial event.”

I hope we’ve learned something more. I do.

Article Source: www.forbes.com






Greg Longstaff
Business Development Consultant
Franchise Network Specialist
greg@salesmarket.co.nz
+64 9.307.7860

Find the Reason for the Delay

Here’s a situation I heard several times while reviewing recordings from salespeople.

Prospect: "We’re not ready yet. Give me a call back later in the quarter."

Sales Rep: "Umm, how about the beginning of June?"

Prospect: "Sure."

Here’s another.

Prospect: "We’re still giving it some consideration. Just not ready yet."

Sales Rep: "OK, how about if I call you back in a couple of months?"

Prospect: That’s fine.

One more:

Prospect: "Not a good time for it now. Maybe later."

Sales Rep: "Well, how about I check back with you at the end of the summer?"

Prospect: "OK."

Notice the trend? What’s happening here?

The salesperson is in no better of a position after the call than he was before it. Actually, he is worse off, since he has now scheduled a follow-up call to a person who may never buy anything. This is why some salespeople are always busy, but never show any real results. And it compounds over time.

In each situation, the salesperson validated the delay by suggesting a call back time, instead of focusing on the reason for any interest, and the delay.

Two Rules

Fellow salesperson, I implore you to follow two basic premises:

1. If you’re ultimately going to get a "no," it’s much better to hear it today than six weeks, six months, or six calls from now.

2. If you’re placing a follow-up call, know why.

Consider that if you allow someone to put you off, and you ultimately hear a "no" on the very next call (if you’re lucky), you likely didn’t just waste that one additional call. Think of how many attempts it might have taken to finally reach them. To illustrate the magnitude of this problem over time, multiply that number by the number of times you let some people put you off. Then multiply that by the number of times this happens to you per week. Mind boggling!

Recommendations

OK, so what should you do?

Again, let’s find out why they say what they do. Don’t dwell on the "when" of a call back; instead focus on WHY they feel a call back would even be necessary.

Let’s take each of the aforementioned examples and provide better responses.

Prospect: "We’re not ready yet. Give me a call back later in the quarter."

Sales Rep: "I’ll be happy to give you a call back. What will make that a better time for you? What will have to happen for you to move on it?"

Prospect: "We’re still giving it some consideration. Just not there yet."

Sales Rep: "I see. What is it that you are considering?"

One more:

Prospect: "Not a good time for it now. Maybe later."

Sales Rep: "Hmm, what would make later a better time?"

Notice, again, that we’re trying to understand the reason for the delay. And we’re using their terms whenever possible.

And don’t think that this approach is pushy; it’s simply direct. If there is a future event that would make later a better time for them, so be it. Let’s just find out what it is.


Article Source:  Art Sobczak

Greg Longstaff
Business Development Consultant
Franchise Network Specialist
greg@salesmarket.co.nz
+64 9.307.7860

The Seven Pitfalls of Business Failure And How to Avoid Them

1. You start your business for the wrong reasons.
Would the sole reason you would be starting your own business be that you would want to make a lot
of money? Do you think that if you had your own business that you'd have more time with your family?
Or maybe that you wouldn't have to answer to anyone else? If so, you'd better think again.

On the other hand, if you start your business for these reasons, you'll have a better chance at
entrepreneurial success:

You have a passion and love for what you'll be doing, and strongly believe -- based on
educated study and investigation -- that your product or service would fulfill a real need in the
marketplace.


You are physically fit and possess the needed mental stamina to withstand potential
challenges. Often overlooked, less-than-robust health has been responsible for more than a
few bankruptcies.

You have drive, determination, patience and a positive attitude. When others throw in the
towel, you are more determined than ever.

Failures don't defeat you. You learn from your mistakes, and use these lessons to succeed
the next time around. Head, SBA economist, noted that studies of successful business owners
showed they attributed much of their success to "building on earlier failures;" on using failures
as a "learning process."

You thrive on independence, and are skilled at taking charge when a creative or intelligent
solution is needed. This is especially important when under strict time constraints.

You like -- if not love -- your fellow man, and show this in your honesty, integrity, and
interactions with others. You get along with and can deal with all different types of individuals.

2. Poor Management
many a report on business failures cites poor management as the number one reason for failure.
New business owners frequently lack relevant business and management expertise in areas such as
finance, purchasing, selling, production, and hiring and managing employees. Unless they recognize
what they don't do well, and seek help, business owners may soon face disaster. They must also be
educated and alert to fraud, and put into place measures to avoid it.

Neglect of a business can also be its downfall. Care must be taken to regularly study, organize, plan
and control all activities of its operations. This includes the continuing study of market research and
customer data, an area which may be more prone to disregard once a business has been established.

A successful manager is also a good leader who creates a work climate that encourages productivity.
He or she has a skill at hiring competent people, training them and is able to delegate. A good leader
is also skilled at strategic thinking, able to make a vision a reality, and able to confront change, make
transitions, and envision new possibilities for the future.

3. Insufficient Capital
A common fatal mistake for many failed businesses is having insufficient operating funds. Business
owners underestimate how much money is needed and they are forced to close before they even
have had a fair chance to succeed. They also may have an unrealistic expectation of incoming
revenues from sales.

It is imperative to ascertain how much money your business will require; not only the costs of starting,
but the costs of staying in business. It is important to take into consideration that many businesses
take a year or two to get going. This means you will need enough funds to cover all costs until sales
can eventually pay for these costs.

4. Location, Location, Location
Your college professor was right -- location is critical to the success of your business. Whereas a good
location may enable a struggling business to ultimately survive and thrive, a bad location could spell
disaster to even the best-managed enterprise.

Some factors to consider:

Where your customers are

Traffic, accessibility, parking and lighting

Location of competitors

Condition and safety of building

Local incentive programs for business start-ups in specific targeted areas

The history, community flavor and receptiveness to a new business at a prospective site

5. Lack of Planning
Anyone who has ever been in charge of a successful major event knows that were it not for their
careful, methodical, strategic planning -- and hard work -- success would not have followed. The same
could be said of most business successes.

It is critical for all businesses to have a business plan. Many small businesses fail because of
fundamental shortcomings in their business planning. It must be realistic and based on accurate,
current information and educated projections for the future.

Components may include:

Description of the business, vision, goals, and keys to success

Work force needs

Potential problems and solutions

Financial: capital equipment and supply list, balance sheet, income statement and cash flow
analysis, sales and expense forecast

Analysis of competition

Marketing, advertising and promotional activities

Budgeting and managing company growth

In addition, most bankers request a business plan if you are seeking to secure addition capital for your
company.

6. Overexpansion
A leading cause of business failure, overexpansion often happens when business owners confuse
success with how fast they can expand their business. A focus on slow and steady growth is optimum.
Many a bankruptcy has been caused by rapidly expanding companies.

At the same time, you do not want to repress growth. Once you have an established solid customer
base and a good cash flow, let your success help you set the right measured pace. Some indications
that an expansion may be warranted include the inability to fill customer needs in a timely basis, and
employees having difficulty keeping up with production demands.

If expansion is warranted after careful review, research and analysis, identify what and who you need
to add in order for your business to grow. Then with the right systems and people in place, you can
focus on the growth of your business, not on doing everything in it yourself.

7. No Website
Simply put, if you have a business today, you need a website. Period.

In the U.S. alone, the number of internet users (about 70 percent of the population) and e-commerce
sales (about 70 billion in 2004, according to the Census Bureau) continue to rise and are expected to
increase with each passing year. In 2004, the U.S. led the world in internet usage.

At the very least, every business should have a professional looking and well-designed website that
enables users to easily find out about their business and how to avail themselves of their products
and services. Later, additional ways to generate revenue on the website can be added; i.e., selling ad
space, drop-shipping products, or recommending affiliate products.

Remember, if you don't have a website, you'll most likely be losing business to those that do. And
make sure that website makes your business look good, not bad -- you want to increase revenues, not
decrease them.

When it comes to the success of any new business, you -- the business owner -- are ultimately
the "secret" to your success. For many successful business owners, failure was never an option.
Armed with drive, determination, and a positive mindset, these individuals view any setback as only
an opportunity to learn and grow. Most self-made millionaires possess average intelligence. What
sets them apart is their openness to new knowledge and their willingness to learn whatever it takes to
succeed.

Article Source: Written by Patricia Schaefer  www.businessknowhow.com

Sweat the small stuff to improve job satisfaction

Many of us spend more time at work than we do with our families.  Even when we are at home, we’re often thinking about work issues, or working remotely using technology.  Job satisfaction surveys indicate that even in times of high unemployment (where you might think people would be grateful just to have a job), up to a third of those employed report being unfulfilled at work and would willingly jump ship to another firm if they could. What can we do as leaders to create a more fulfilling work environment for our people? Sweat the small stuff. As leaders, we know the importance of focusing on the big picture.  We choose our key strategic priorities, break them down into individual projects, and make sure our key performance indicators are moving in the right direction.  Business execution is all about working on the right things – the big stuff. However, when it comes to job satisfaction, it is the little things that matter.  It is the recurring daily hassles and frustrations that chisel away at your people’s motivation: The machine that doesn’t work; the bug in the software; the flickering light bulb.  Surprisingly, it is the little things that are out of our control that frustrate us the most. Keep your ears open for the little hassles and niggles that your staff complain about.  Don’t brush them off - fix them.  Sometimes the simplest improvement can have a huge positive psychological impact.  It doesn’t have to cost much either.  I was amazed at how grateful our people were when all I did was install new paper towel dispensers in the restrooms at one of our offices.  Seeing progress being made every day is a key motivator. What little thing could you fix in your work environment this week that would address a daily frustration for your people? A Sense of Achievement. Similarly, people report higher job satisfaction when they feel like they are achieving something every day.  It’s all about visible progress.   At the beginning of every day ask your people, “What is the #1 thing you are going to achieve today?”   Don’t let people get away with saying something general like, “I’m going to work on project X”.  Specificity has power.  If your people are working on a large project, get them to specify what piece of that project they can get done by the end of the day. The best way to eat an elephant is one bite at a time.  Get everyone to name that bite they are going to cut off, chew down, and swallow today.  Write it down.  Check it off when it is done.  Make sure your people finish every day with a sense of achievement. What is the #1 priority that you will get done today?

Do you need help setting a winning strategy? Check out our new webinar - The Missing 98%

Stephen Lynch Chief Operating Officer - Global Operations - RESULTS.com Liked this Business growth tip? Send to a Friend RESULTS.com can transform your business  Connect with us

Article Source: Results.com

Greg Longstaff
Business Development Consultant
Franchise Network Specialist
greg@salesmarket.co.nz
+64 9.307.7860

Getting more customers to say "YES''

One of the biggest barriers to achieving a successful sale, and getting the potential customer to say "yes" is the sales person or even business owner, who doesn't actually consider themselves to be 'in sales'. This is particularly prevalent in the professions, with companies such as dentists, accountants and lawyers.

If you are not selling. how do you expect your business to make money? If you don't make a sale, you aren't making money and if you aren't making money then unfortunately, eventually, your business will fail!

'Selling' seems to get a bad rap, and is sometimes viewed as a not altogether 'honourable' thing to do, with salespeople viewed as being pretty close to con artists! The image of a salesman trying to bully a potential customer into buying something he/she doesn't really want is a familiar one.

But this isn't selling!

Selling is about solutions

Selling isn't about conning people, it's about helping them. And it shouldn't be about ticks in a box, numbers on a chart or counting items sold; it's about finding out what your customer wants, then developing your product and/or service to meet that need or solve their problems.

The better you are at doing that, the more successful you will be at selling.

It's also worth noting that any marketing you are doing, whether its email newsletters, expos, tweeting or updating your Facebook status to name but a few, isn't actually selling. These are marketing tactics to help you achieve the sale; they bring potential customers to you - then it's your job to convert that interest into a sale.

Do you know if your tactics are working for you? Does the marketing you do actually increase your bottom line? If your marketing doesn't ultimately result in increased sales, then consider reviewing what you're doing and trying something else.

Ask yourself just how much focus your business puts into sales. Who is selling and what are you doing to encourage and make it easy for people to buy from you? Don't keep yourself busy with witty tweets or chirpy, chatty newsletters if they don't ultimately help to solve your customers' problems or result in a sale.

Selling is just one half of a critical business equation

A successful sale is a 'win-win' exchange. You feel good because you've made a sale, and the customer feels good because you've solved his/her problem. They will leave your business satisfied, will tell their friends and are likely to come back again.

Selling is actually one half of a 2-way exchange process - you are selling, and the customer is buying. Your potential customer wants what you can offer them - and it's worth more to them than the money in their pocket.

Issue Twenty-Six (April 2011) of Mymarketingexpert showed you how to create and follow a clearly defined, step-by-step sales process. This issue will take a closer look at the other side of the exchange - the buying process. This shows you how to identify and understand your customer, and the steps they go through before, during and after they make a purchase. By doing this, you can tailor your sales process to match your customer's buying process - and increase the chances of them saying "yes" to what you are offering.

Remember selling isn't about forcing a product or service on a potential customer that they don't particularly want. It's about best meeting their needs and solving their problems - and the better you understand these needs and provide solutions to the problems, the more likely it is that the customer will say "yes" and you will complete the sale.

Article Source: Mymarketingexpert

Greg Longstaff
Business Development Consultant
Franchise Network Specialist
greg@salesmarket.co.nz
+64 9.307.7860