Casual Articles - Business

Warning - Pay Attention To Early Signals
I’ll bet every one of you has at least one customer you wish you didn’t have. Right? If so, when did this customer tell you he was going to be like the way he is? Yep, you guessed it – early in the game.One of the mistakes salespeople make is that they fail to accurately observe early prospect and client signals. These signals are dead give-aways as to how these people will behave as the relationship unfolds. For example: if you have a prospect who does not return your phone calls during the selling stage, do not be surprised if he fails to return your calls after he has bought from you. If they are slow pay in the early part of the relationship, they will be slow pay as long as you let them.Early signals can be ‘early warning signs’ th

that many sales managers have misconceptions about delegating, thinking that handing a task over to someone else means completely letting go of control. But giving others a share in the responsibility extends influence and creates commitment to the cause. Control isn’t lost; you’re just letting go of the burden of doing everything yourself.

7. TAKE A BODY INVENTORY

Are you sleeping well? How are you eating? What's your energy level? If these are not up to par, get a professional evaluation and take the steps that will restore your well-being and help you think clearly.

8. TELL THE TRUTH

Sometimes our energy flags when we’re into a pattern of pleasing others or living according to standards that are not our own. Notice where you're being less than forthright and get clear about your motives.

9. KEEP IT SIMPLE

Stem the panic by reminding yourself that in any given moment there is only one person to talk to, one breath to take, one thing to be done.

MANAGING YOUR PRIORITIES CHALLENGE: GIVE IT AWAY

Declare your intention to give things away.

Rich Career, Poor Career
What makes for a rich career? It is more than just the salary and benefits. A rich career is one that suits your talents and provides an opportunity to make a meaningful contribution, as well as one that provides the right compensation.A rich career is one that has a rich return on investment. What is career ROI? It is more than a paycheck and healthcare benefits. Your career ROI is the entire package of what you receive in return for the investment of your energy, time, and talent in a career and an organization.Career ROI can include monetary compensation and the typical benefits package. It can also include less tangible, indirect benefits, such as the opportunity to be involved in a professional association, cred

I just got off the phone with Susan. She is a well-meaning, big-hearted, caring, effective and creative sales manager. Susan is also exhausted.

Her day is packed with conflicting priorities, all demanding her time. She goes out on calls with her sales team, trying to motivate and develop them; she deals with endless phone calls and e-mails and interruptions; she fights fires; launches new products; participates in cross-functional team meetings; and mediates conflicts in schedules and resources. Susan also tries to have a full life outside work, which means dealing with the family commitments, volunteering, and bookclub.

To Susan, every task is a priority, and she can’t keep them in sequence and in place. She feels her life is an exercise in herding cats, and we all know how easily cats pay attention and stay in line. Susan is far from alone. The relationship between knowing what needs to be done and actually accomplishing the tasks (either by yourself or through delegating the work to others) can be rocky. Add to this a number of ways we can sabotage ourselves -- including acting as a “lone ranger”, always saying yes, and focusing on secondary goals -- and we can quickly get into cat-herding territory.

I’ve been in this quandary myself and I have found that it is possible to manage priorities and maintain sanity. However, it takes commitment and focus, and the willingness to change some ways of operating. Below are nine strategies that can help. Any one of them could be a perfect fit or utter hogwash depending on your circumstances. These strategies are not intended as a one-size-fits-all recipe for managing your priorities, but simple wake-up calls to alert you to possibilities.

1. TAKE TIME TO THINK BEFORE SAYING YES

If you feel overwhelmed, buy yourself some time when you are asked to add another piece of work to your list of priorities. Don’t say yes to anything until you’ve thought it over and analyzed how you can fit a new task or project into your schedule.

2. DEVELOP AN APPROACH FOR DEALING WITH INTERRUPTIONS

SET UP TIME for routine tasks

· Try to arrange routine times for jobs such as going through the mail, talking with your staff, and answering phone calls and e-mail.

· Fix definite times when you would not like to be disturbed, and let your staff and colleagues know that you will only be available for genuine emergencies during those hours.

· Plan a certain time to discuss routine matters with your staff and colleagues. By planning discussions, you avoid interrupting each other.

SET UP A PLAN for unexpected visitors

· Establish at the start why they have come to see you.

· Stand when they enter the room, so that they also remain standing.

· Avoid engaging in small talk.

· If it's necessary to deal with them, suggest a later meeting, at your convenience. If possible, hold the meeting in their office, and set time limits for your discussion.

· If you really can’t get them out of your office, leave the office yourself.

3. SET HEALTHY, FLEXIBLE BOUNDARIES

You don’t need to give in to whatever shows up in the moment. Get used to asking yourself, ‘Am I the right person for this job?’ If the answer is no, state it directly. Previous commitments are a valid reason for saying no.

4. LEARN MORE

To manage your workload, you need information about how to accomplish a particular task and where that task fits into your network of priorities. By clarifying what’s expected, you can work more efficiently.

5. ASK FOR HELP

It can be hard to admit that you need help, but you’re in the best position to know when you can’t realistically accomplish everything. By asking for help, you show your willingness to give your best effort and your desire to fulfill all of your commitments. Consider all the alternatives, request a meeting with the appropriate people, explain the situation, and discuss possible solutions. Even if you are not completely comfortable with this route, you put yourself in a better position when you voice your concerns.

6. GIVE IT AWAY

Whenever delegating a task to someone else is the best solution to an overload, it’s important to hand off the task effectively. You need to give the person enough information to perform the task according to expectations.

I’ve noticed that many sales managers have misconceptions about delegating, thinking that handing a task over to someone else means completely letting go of control. But giving others a share in the responsibility extends influence and creates commitment to the cause. Control isn’t lost; you’re just letting go of the burden of doing everything yourself.

7. TAKE A BODY INVENTORY

8. TELL THE TRUTH

9. KEEP IT SIMPLE

Stem the panic by reminding yourself that in any given moment there is only one person to talk to, one breath to take, one thing to be done.

MANAGING YOUR PRIORITIES CHALLENGE: GIVE IT AWAY

Declare your intention to give things away.

Screening Your Employees
Many companies screen the employees before recruiting them. This helps them weed out undesirable candidates at the outset. It also protects them from litigation, regulators and the risk of high turnover. Besides verifying the details on your resume, employers most commonly screen for criminal behavior, drug abuse, regulatory violations, and appearances on a terrorist watch list. They also keep a check on employees’ tax liens, bankruptcy filings, ongoing divorce or custody proceedings, driving violations or bounced checks. Employers are also concerned that someone with monetary problems, health issues or family concerns may not be fully focused on the job. During the screening process, companies gauge a candidate’s temper, social skills, and reaction t

ng acting as a “lone ranger”, always saying yes, and focusing on secondary goals -- and we can quickly get into cat-herding territory.

1. TAKE TIME TO THINK BEFORE SAYING YES

2. DEVELOP AN APPROACH FOR DEALING WITH INTERRUPTIONS

SET UP TIME for routine tasks

· Try to arrange routine times for jobs such as going through the mail, talking with your staff, and answering phone calls and e-mail.

· Fix definite times when you would not like to be disturbed, and let your staff and colleagues know that you will only be available for genuine emergencies during those hours.

· Plan a certain time to discuss routine matters with your staff and colleagues. By planning discussions, you avoid interrupting each other.

SET UP A PLAN for unexpected visitors

· Establish at the start why they have come to see you.

· Stand when they enter the room, so that they also remain standing.

· Avoid engaging in small talk.

· If it's necessary to deal with them, suggest a later meeting, at your convenience. If possible, hold the meeting in their office, and set time limits for your discussion.

· If you really can’t get them out of your office, leave the office yourself.

3. SET HEALTHY, FLEXIBLE BOUNDARIES

4. LEARN MORE

5. ASK FOR HELP

6. GIVE IT AWAY

7. TAKE A BODY INVENTORY

8. TELL THE TRUTH

9. KEEP IT SIMPLE

Stem the panic by reminding yourself that in any given moment there is only one person to talk to, one breath to take, one thing to be done.

MANAGING YOUR PRIORITIES CHALLENGE: GIVE IT AWAY

Declare your intention to give things away.

How To Get In Front Of Your Prospects - The Secret To Getting Meetings
In a fast moving world, there are two key drivers that have skewed the business landscape over the last few years; competition overload and information overload. Both create commercial clutter, which means it’s very hard to get noticed in business today. The surplus society tells you there are too many similar companies with too many similar people, with similar experience and similar qualifications, selling similar products and services to similar clients and customers for similar prices.How do you cut through? If you’re in sales, your fight is on two fronts – expertise and trust. Added together, they make your credibility. When you have credibility, it shouldn’t be too hard to win the business you need to. And you make yourself credible by bu

l, talking with your staff, and answering phone calls and e-mail.

· Fix definite times when you would not like to be disturbed, and let your staff and colleagues know that you will only be available for genuine emergencies during those hours.

· Plan a certain time to discuss routine matters with your staff and colleagues. By planning discussions, you avoid interrupting each other.

SET UP A PLAN for unexpected visitors

· Establish at the start why they have come to see you.

· Stand when they enter the room, so that they also remain standing.

· Avoid engaging in small talk.

· If it's necessary to deal with them, suggest a later meeting, at your convenience. If possible, hold the meeting in their office, and set time limits for your discussion.

· If you really can’t get them out of your office, leave the office yourself.

3. SET HEALTHY, FLEXIBLE BOUNDARIES

4. LEARN MORE

5. ASK FOR HELP

6. GIVE IT AWAY

7. TAKE A BODY INVENTORY

8. TELL THE TRUTH

9. KEEP IT SIMPLE

Stem the panic by reminding yourself that in any given moment there is only one person to talk to, one breath to take, one thing to be done.

MANAGING YOUR PRIORITIES CHALLENGE: GIVE IT AWAY

Declare your intention to give things away.

The Job Application Tango
We do it all the time. When we’re ready for a job change we go online to search for a better job. You go to your favorite job board or employer’s site, find a job that fits you perfectly, and submit your resume and nothing happens.Just a typical online job hunting experience that we’re all used to. You are now in the Bermuda Triangle of job hunting, sending your resume into the unknown digital zone that goes in and never comes back.So, what can you do to improve your odds of receiving that next step of the employer contacting you for the job interview? First, it’s important to understand what’s happening on the employer’s end. Employers nowadays will receive hundreds to thousands of resumes after posting a job in any given week. The

commitments are a valid reason for saying no.

4. LEARN MORE

5. ASK FOR HELP

6. GIVE IT AWAY

7. TAKE A BODY INVENTORY

8. TELL THE TRUTH

9. KEEP IT SIMPLE

Stem the panic by reminding yourself that in any given moment there is only one person to talk to, one breath to take, one thing to be done.

MANAGING YOUR PRIORITIES CHALLENGE: GIVE IT AWAY

Declare your intention to give things away.

Scrooged - A Dickens of a Way to Manage Change!
Managing change in our lives and in our businesses is vital in the modern environments in which we live. There is much to learn from that old and cantankerous Dickens character, Mr Ebenezer Scrooge himself...The truth is, although he had an outward persona of grumpiness, deep down somewhere there was a man with a heart, seeing his life drift away from him.We all do this to some extent - to hide away our true selves behind a veil of something we are more comfortable with. Sometimes we appear intimidating, cruel or even harsh. We avoid the intimacy we really seek, because of past experiences.For old Scrooge, this became clear with the visit of the three ghosts, as well as what I find the most scary

7. TAKE A BODY INVENTORY

8. TELL THE TRUTH

9. KEEP IT SIMPLE

Stem the panic by reminding yourself that in any given moment there is only one person to talk to, one breath to take, one thing to be done.

MANAGING YOUR PRIORITIES CHALLENGE: GIVE IT AWAY

Declare your intention to give things away. Then actively look for a daily opportunity to delegate good (not grunt) work, asking yourself this question: If I delegate this item to one of my staff, will the time spent up front providing guidance and support pay off later in productivity gains, smoother functioning of the group, or in better use of my time?

If the answer is ‘yes,’ delegate it. If it is ‘no,’ keep it. If you delegate it, provide ongoing support, spell out clear expectations, and give the freedom to do the job. That means no hovering.

Then, congratulate yourself on gaining more time.

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Great looking and promotional brochures create a compelling image of your company, its' products and services. Whatever your promotional need be, the brochure format is the best answer to your needs. Brochures prove to be extremely versatile in content and use. You could hand them out at trade shows or provide them to your sales reps as selling aids. Whatever the mode of distribution of your brochure be, it's printing has to be constant and attractive to gain the attention of the reader.

We have developed a set of rules regarding forecasting that we apply in writing business plans. We share them with you in this article in the hope that you will find these rules worthy of adopting in your efforts to write business plans as well. Part 1 of 2.

Not only does a Mastermind group support you with encouragement - you will receive different ideas that have worked with other business people, you'll develop strategic partners and even get sales faster.

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