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Month: February 2019

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Best Practices Culture Growth Human Resources Management Personal Development

The Boss and The Seven Dwarves

Ever noticed how people tend to take the same seats in recurring meetings? Ever wondered about why people sit where they do?

In recent years, psychologists and consultants have begun to unravel the mysteries of meeting seating, and, according to BusinessWeek, they have determined that where you sit can both influence and reflect where you stand in your organization.

It all starts with the boss, who more often than not will take a seat at the end of an oblong or rectangular table, back to the wall and facing the door to spot new arrivals.

Things get more complicated after that. Sharon Livingston, who has a PhD in Psychology and is founder of the Livingston Group for Marketing, borrows from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs to characterize the traits of people based on their seat at the table.

See if you recognize yourself or your colleagues in Livingston’s thumbnail sketches:

Bashful

May try to hide in the middle of the group. May avoid eye contact, look down, bow their head a little bit. May actually blush when spoken to. Does best in a focused and structured environment where the task at hand is clear.

Doc

Usually sits opposite the leader. Tries to take over leadership. Announces his expertise very early in the meeting. Makes decisions quickly.

Dopey

May try to hide in the middle. May try to crack a self deprecatory joke. Looks interested but only speaks when called upon. Often parrots the expert.

Grumpy

Tends to sit opposite the leader. May sit with arms crossed backed away from table. Looks annoyed, mild sneer, raised eyebrowIs negatively critical or judgmental of whatever is being tested as well as other group members’ ideas.

Happy

Takes seat to the leader’s right if it is available. Generally agrees with the leader. Frequently tries to catch leader’s eye, and tries to maintain eye contact with leader. Smiles a lot at everyone, particularly the leader.

Sleepy

Tries to hide in the middle. Sits back from the tableIs unresponsive. Eyes actually start to close.

Sneezy

Often sits to the moderator’s left. Might look sick – red nose and eyes, droopy. Lets group know how bad he feels. Interrupts with complaints about environment — too hot, too cold, too drafty.

Using these characteristics, managers can try rearranging the seating to better their chances of influencing people, according to BusinessWeek. For instance, potential foes should be seated to the manager’s right, while potential brownnosers might be more frank if split and seated across from each other.

Livingston suggests you may want to consider removing traditionally confrontational seats from the table. “If the table seats 10 and only eight show up, eliminate the two chairs at the end of the table,” she wrote in a recent article. “Interestingly, the shape of the table doesn’t seem to matter in the issue of leadership tension. Whether rectangular, boat-shaped, U-shaped, or round, a confrontational chair still exists opposite the moderator.”

Categories
Best Practices Entrepreneurship Investing Management Marketing Negotiations Sales Skills Women In Business

Negotiator – How To Be Smarter About Risk Assessment

“To abate risks better, deal with those that pose the greatest threat to your goals first.” -Greg Williams, The Master Negotiator & Body Language Expert

What do you consider when thinking of risk assessment? Do you think about the impact that your past will have on it? Do you consider the same about the person you’ll be negotiating against? There is a multitude of things to consider. Doing so before the negotiation will make you a smarter negotiator. Before your next negotiation, mull over the following insights when pondering how to be smarter about risk assessment.

Gains versus Losses:

Sometimes, people become caught up in the moment. They forget to weigh their potential gains against their potential losses. Losing track of such mindfulness can leave you wondering why you engaged in such folly, once you’ve returned to a clear state of mind.

When assessing risk, know what you’re assessing as it relates to your larger goal. Don’t place yourself in a position where you make a tradeoff or offer, get it, and then discover that there’s an unintended cost for the acquisition. If a request is too costly, it may behoove you not to enter the bidding. A risk matrix can assist in that avoidance.

Risk Matrix:

You can use a risk matrix chart to assess the probability of an outcome in a negotiation. That will help you uncover any hidden risks that you may not have considered. Based on what you know of the other negotiator, you can assess the probability of how he’ll act/react to certain offers and counteroffers. Thus, you might have your offers and potential counteroffers plotted on one scale and markers denoting the probability that he’ll respond in a certain way on the other (e.g. strong possibility, likely, maybe, low probability, not likely). Then, weight each category (e.g. 85-100%, 65-85%, 45-65%, 25-45%, 0-25%, respectively). Of course, your risk matrix will only be valid to the degree your assessment of the other negotiator is accurate. If it’s not you’ll have garbage in, garbage out.

Ploys:

  • Lead/Led – Ask the other negotiator for his thoughts and inputs on matters that you’re unsure about his thoughts. By obtaining his thoughts you’ll gain insight into how he’s thinking. The bonus of that will be of him having the appearance that he’s leading the negotiation. That will also assist your efforts in decreasing the risk that the negotiation might go into unseen and unsuspected areas.

 

  • Offers – Don’t make offers that would demean or insight the other negotiator. You don’t have to tread so gently that he begins to press you on issues. instead, find the balance between the point of leading and following and know when to commit to either.

 

  • Anger – When thinking of the strategies you’ll employ in the negotiation be leery of using anger. There are potential hidden risks involved when you anger someone. They can become unpredictable, which means not only would you demean the validity of your risk matrix, you might do irrevocable harm to the negotiation.

 

Suffice it to say, the fewer variables you can account for when negotiating the stronger your negotiation position will be. That will lead you to be smarter about risk assessment … and everything will be right with the world.

Remember, you’re always negotiating!

After reading this article, what are you thinking? I’d really like to know. Reach me at Greg@TheMasterNegotiator.com 

To receive Greg’s free “Negotiation Tip of the Week” and the “Sunday Negotiation Insight” click here http://www.TheMasterNegotiator.com/greg-williams/

#Risk #RiskAssessment #Negotiate #Negotiations #bodylanguage #Negotiator #Business #Management #SmallBusiness #Money #Negotiating #combat #negotiatingwithabully #bully #bullies #bullying #PersonalDevelopment #HandlingObjections #HowToNegotiateBetter #CSuite #TheMasterNegotiator #psychology #NegotiationPsychology

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Best Practices Entrepreneurship Management Personal Development

How Coaching Helps Handle Challenges at Work and With Others in Your Life

One of the reasons people come to a coach is because they lose perspective.

As they’re attempting to move forward, particularly into a new realm – new career, new relationship, new living arrangement, they feel challenged, stressed and often forget what worked for them in the past. Or, they think they have to do something new.

Here’s a little story from a supervision session I had with one of my coach clients. She works with her clients to help them with diet and exercise and makes health recommendations about wellness and supplements.

As were talking – it was a phone session – I heard her sniffing and clearing her throat. I interrupted the discussion we were having on the use of paradoxical interventions. [Will explain that in another tip, you’ll love it.]

Sharon: How are you feeling?

Amy: OK.  Just have a bad cold. [I hear her sigh] Annoying

Sharon: That’s crummy.  What are you doing for it?

Amy: Not much

Sharon: Not much?  You’re not taking anything?

Amy: I just got involved in other things and have been so tired.

Sharon: But isn’t that what you do with your clients, make recommendations for things they could use?

Amy: Well, yeah . .

Sharon: So, what might you recommend to one of your clients who had similar symptoms

She’s silent for a minute:

Amy: Well . . . There are a number of things. (She seems to be thinking and then I hear what sounds like opening a cabinet door.)

Amy: Lysine – 4-5000 mg; Vitamin C 2000 mg a few times a day for the first couple of days and then back to 1-2,000 for the duration of the cold; they can also use Olive Leaf; zinc; garlic . . . . drink lots of water.  And of course get plenty of rest.

Sharon: But you’re not doing the same for yourself?

Amy:  Uh . . . I have been drinking tea with lemon and honey…. [She hesitates]  It’s what my mother used to give me. I miss her.  When I was little, I’d get into her bed, she’d bring up a tray with a pretty cup of tea and some toast.  She’d tell me stories, cuddle me . . . She’s so far away now.

Sharon: Hmmmm.  So what have you done in the past as an adult when you’ve gotten a cold
that works for you?

Amy: [Laughing ]. I do really well with Lysine and Zinc and a garlic extract called Allicin.

Sharon: Do you have any?

Amy: Mmm hmmm.

Sharon: So . . .

Amy: Right?  OK.  I’ll get on my routine.  Thanks.

The next time we spoke and she reported she was feeling a lot better, I asked her a little more about how she reacted to her cold challenge. I wanted to know what tripped her up in following her own advice.

What she said was interesting

Amy: I hate getting sick.  When I do I feel like I let down my clients by being a bad role model. It’s actually kind of depressing. I’m not supposed to get sick.  Made me feel down and then I didn’t feel motivated to do anything.  It’s good we talked and you reminded me of what I know.  When I’m disappointed in myself, I tend not to take the best care of myself, even though I tell my clients how important it is to treat themselves well when they don’t feel well.

Sharon: How might you intervene with yourself when that happens.

Amy:I guess the first thing is be aware that I’m feeling blue.  Then I have a choice. Take better care of myself or just feel bad. I can remind myself of my favorite remedies, and make sure I have some on hand and prescribe caring to myself as if I were my own client.

Sharon: Good!  And maybe call Mom and get some virtual Tea, honey and Lemon over the phone?

Amy: [giggles] Yes.  That would be great.  I hate to tell her I don’t feel well, because she worries. But it would really help to get some special Mom TLC.

There’s considerable research on how challenges create stress and stress impairs our ability to know what we know.

Under stress, our brains and body are hard wired to react to the emotional aspects of the situation.  It’s part of the fight or flight instinct.  We can’t as readily consider the facts.

That’s why it’s important to remind ourselves that we do have internal resources that have worked in the past; to open our mental cabinet, see the choices we’ve previously used well, and consider which of those to call into action.

In addition, what worked with one challenge might have relevance for another. Think about the example above with Amy.  Another challenge she might have is in a relationship with a colleague at work.

There was a misunderstanding. Amy’s feelings are hurt.  She’s been thrown into an emotional field that makes it hard for her to remember how she and her colleague work well together.

She needs to stop, acknowledge to herself that she’s upset and stressed and then remind herself of what’s worked positively with with her coworker in the past. It would also be helpful to consider what created the uncomfortable communication.

What happened that led to the upset?

How might she avoid that in the future, creating a better work space for both of them?

Key takeaways:

  • Under challenge we experience stress which makes it hard to focus on the facts.
  • Take the time to remind yourself of what’s worked previously.
  • Which steps can you borrow from your previous successes and apply to this situation?
  • Assess the triggers that precipitated the challenge and consider how you might avoid them moving forward.

Make sense?

Next tip coming tomorrow

Thinking about getting certified as a Professional Coach? Want to talk about it? Or any questions you have about professional coaching? Let’s talk and see whether or not it makes sense for you to become a certified professional coach.

Click below

To Learn About Our Upcoming Fast Track Certification Workshop This March in New York City

The cost of $75 for the 30 minute consultation can be applied to the TLC Professional Coach Training program if you decide to join.Warmest regards,

Sharon 🙂

Dr. Sharon Livingston

Categories
Best Practices Entrepreneurship Industries Management Personal Development Technology

Artificial Intelligence: Disruption or Opportunity?

Artificial intelligence (AI), one of twenty core technologies I identified back in 1983 as the drivers of exponential economic value creation, has worked its way into our lives. From Amazon’s Alexa and Facebook’s M to Google’s Now and Apple’s Siri, AI is always growing — so keeping a closer eye on future developments, amazing opportunities, and predictable problems is imperative.

IBM’s Watson is a good example of a fast-developing AI system. Watson is a cognitive computer that learns over time. This cognitive AI technology can process information much more like a smart human than a smart computer. IBM Watson first shot to fame back in 2011 by beating two of Jeopardy’s greatest champions on TV. Thanks to its three unique capabilities — natural language processing; hypothesis generation and evaluation; and dynamic learning — cognitive computing is being applied in an ever-growing list of fields.

Today, cognitive computing is used in a wide variety of applications, including health care, travel, and weather forecasting. When IBM acquired The Weather Company, journalists were quick to voice their amusement. However, IBM soon had the last laugh when people learned that the Weather Company’s cloud-based service could handle over 26 million inquiries every day on the organization’s website and mobile app, all while learning from the daily changes in weather and from the questions being asked. The data gleaned from the fourth most-used mobile app would whet the appetite of the permanently ravenous IBM Watson and enable IBM to increase the level of analytics for its business clients.

Weather is responsible for business losses to the tune of $500 billion a year. Pharmaceutical companies rely on accurate forecasts to predict a rise in the need for allergy medication. Farmers’ livelihoods often depend on the weather as well, not only impacting where crops can be successfully grown but also where the harvest should be sold. Consider the news that IBM followed its Weather Company purchase by snapping up Merge Healthcare Inc. for a cool $1 billion in order to integrate its imaging management platform into Watson, and the dynamic future of AI becomes more than evident.

The accounting industry can benefit from this technology, as well. When I was the keynote speaker at KPMG’s annual partner meeting, I suggested that the company consider partnering with IBM to have Watson learn all of the global accounting regulations so that they could transform their practice and gain a huge advantage. After doing their own research on the subject, the KPMG team proceeded to form an alliance with IBM’s Watson unit to develop high-tech tools for auditing, as well as for KPMG’s other lines of business.

Thanks to the cloud and the virtualization of services, no one has  to own the tools in order to have access to them, allowing even smaller firms to gain an advantage in this space. Success all comes back to us humans and how creatively we use the new tools.

IBM’s Watson, along with advanced AI and analytics from Google, Facebook, and others, will gain cognitive insights mined from the ever-growing mountains of data generated by the Internet of Things (IoT) to revolutionize every industry.

Advanced AI is promising almost limitless possibilities that will enable businesses in every field to make better decisions in far less time. But at what price? Many believe the technology will lead directly to massive job cuts throughout multiple industries. and suggest that this technology is making much of the human race redundant.

It is crucial to recognize how the technological landscape is evolving before our eyes during this digital transformation. Yes, it is true that hundreds of traditional jobs are disappearing, but it’s also important to realize the wealth of new roles and employment opportunities arriving that are needed to help us progress further.

The rise of the machines started with the elimination of repetitive tasks, such as those in the manufacturing environment, and it is now moving more into white-collar jobs. The key for us is not to react to change, but to get ahead of it by paying attention to what I call the “Hard Trends” — the facts that are shaping the future — so that we can all anticipate the problems and new opportunities ahead of us. We would do well to capitalize on the areas that computers have great difficulty understanding, including collaboration, communication, problem solving, and much more. To stay ahead of the curve, we will all need to learn new things on an ongoing basis, as well as unlearn the old ways that are now holding us back. Remember, we live in a human world where relationships are all-important.

We need to be aware of the new tools available to us, and then creatively apply them to transform the impossible into the possible. By acquiring new knowledge, developing creativity and problem-solving skills, and honing our interpersonal, social, and communication skills, we can all thrive in a world of transformational change.

Are you reacting to change or paying attention to the Hard Trend facts that are shaping the future?

If you want to anticipate the problems and opportunities ahead of you, pick up a copy of my latest book, The Anticipatory Organization.

Categories
Best Practices Culture Entrepreneurship Health and Wellness Human Resources Management

Begin with the End in Mind

Goals

As I was learning about psychology, research, and training, I read Stephen Covey’s highly successful bestseller, “7 Habits of Highly Effective People.”

What he said made so much sense to me.  It was inspiring and challenging.  And it helped me understand the importance of goals. I wanted to talk with him, learn more from him. But, I didn’t know him.  I had no contacts connected to him.  What to do . . .

I’d learned that working with corporate clients was a way to learn from them as well as help them with their projects. What if I could do that here too?

I created an experiment.  The goal was finding a way to actually work with Dr. Covey.

I’m sure you know what must have happened or I wouldn’t be telling this story.

After 6 months of reaching out to his admin on a consistent schedule, I finally got to speak with Dr. Covey.  It was so exciting. My heart was pounding at first. Really?  I was actually speaking with one of my idols.

He calmed me down with his soothing voice and we had a great talk. One result was an in-depth research project where I interviewed his clients and prospects on his Brand in comparison to that of none other than – Tony Robbins. Stephen Covey was often compared to Tony Robbins.  Yet, the two were viewed as opposites in many ways. Both were well regarded, but spoke to different audiences who had their own unique needs for inspiration and growth.

More importantly, I accomplished my goal of working with Dr. Covey and putting into action what I learned.  I now train coaches on the specifics of helping their clients clarify their goal and creating a plan to get there.  And I received a wonderful testimonial.  So exciting, rewarding and satisfying . . .

“I was totally impressed by both the character and competence of Dr. Livingston.  Her ability to draw people out in unique and creative ways and apply the gathered data to complicated analyses made my experience working with her highly memorable and rewarding.”  
Stephen Covey. NY Time Best Selling Author. 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

Back to you.

What do you hope to accomplish with a potential career change to Coaching? How might that bring you more satisfaction in your life?

A great coach helps clients stay on track to their goal in a timely manner and be accountable. We train you to do that with others as well as help you do that for yourself.

Thinking about getting certified as a Professional Coach? Want to talk about it? Or any questions you have about professional coaching? Let’s talk and see whether or not it makes sense for you to become a certified professional coach.

To Learn About Our Upcoming Fast Track Certification Workshop This March in New York City

The cost of $75 for the 30 minute consultation can be applied to the TLC Professional Coach Training program if you decide to join.

Next tip will be along tomorrow.

Warmest regards,

Sharon 🙂

Dr. Sharon Livingston

www.DrSharonLivingston.com

603 505 5000 cell

DrSharonLivingston@Gmail.com

Categories
Best Practices Growth Personal Development

Relying on Technology Stifles Our Cognitive Ability

Before we had smartphones attached to our hands, we were forced to use our heads to solve problems. In order to find a solution, we had to give our undivided attention to a lecture, presentation, or written instructions. Our brains actually needed to function!

We had to analyze and extract the principles behind examples attained from real-life experiences, teachers, and textbooks. Since we knew we couldn’t possibly remember each and every example, we had to retain the principles so we could apply them to relevant situations in the future. We’d need to reflect on that list of principles to learn how they could be applied to a brand-new problem. These principles would be used like tools—they’d be adjusted to solve problems and overcome obstacles that we experienced.

Constant Access at Our Fingertips

But why go through the trouble of remembering and recalling if you could have instant access to any example on YouTube or Google? So much for doing all the work yourself. RIP MacGyver!

A few of our friends have thousands of books on their e-readers. We ask them, “Why do you have all those books when you know you will never read them?” They respond, “Just having them makes me feel like I have sort of read them. I have access to them and that’s a step closer to reading them!” So much for feeling responsible to read the books you bought.

It’s peculiar that so many people are worried about robots taking their jobs when they already think their “job” is simply to find examples, and copy & paste. That doesn’t require any human problem solving. Just oversimplify an issue, copy a tried-and-true solution, and apply a one-size-fits-all “answer”. Don’t robots do that already?

You might just ask, “Like what? Like what? Like what?” instead of solving the challenge using principles, you demand an exact example you can cut and paste. If only somebody, like your boss, could just tell you. It’s so easy to not have to figure it all out yourself! It’s so much easier to not need to recall things! And why even bother when it’s all attached to your hand?

That’s just the problem, isn’t it? Tech-native people are born with a crutch—one that can threaten their memory and cognitive ability. The areas of the brain we depended on are being utilized less and less often. As we become more reliant on technology, we depend less on our own brains.

Learning from Stories

Marilyn Barefoot, our company namesake and friend, wrote a well-researched and compelling piece on this very subject. She warns how reliance on technology can make us more easily distracted, hurt our attention span, reduce our social interaction, and, to put it bluntly, get us addicted.

Marilyn is an expert when it comes to brainstorming and stories as a method of learning. In another one of her posts, “Your Brain on Stories”, she looks at how research has actually measured those areas of our brains that are activated and chemically rewarded when we listen to stories. It’s captivating! And it gives us hope.

When people listen to stories, they learn. When you create a scene from what’s in your mind, you pull the moods, colors, and props from your own memory and imagination. Then you attach this creation to the story. Since you participate in the story’s reception, you’re invested in it. Now you’re more likely to reflect upon the story’s demonstrated principles right when you need them.

Learning Empirically Through a Business Audiobook

This is the type of learning experience we’re going for in our Audio Theater Business Book. We took The Barefoot Spirit, our NYT Bestseller, and had it theatrically reenacted for you, not just read to you. It’s a collection of short stories where professional actors play out each character. We’ve also added sound effects and an original music score. Our goal is to engage your imagination in a real-life adventure that entertains, and demonstrates business principles that have withstood the test of time. That way they will be ready for you to recall and apply to your business and your own life.

We think dramatic business storytelling might just be what you need to step away from the technical crutch at your fingertips. It’s an effective way to stay entertained while using your brain!

For more, read on: http://c-suitenetworkadvisors.com/advisor/michael-houlihan-and-bonnie-harvey/

Categories
Best Practices Growth Human Resources Management Personal Development Women In Business

How to Listen to Engage in a Win-Win Business Relationship

Listen, listen, listen and then reflect

One of the best secrets of great coaching [and all good relationships for that matter] is the ability to listen attentively. You demonstrate to your client that you are engaged and responsive while avoiding expressing your opinion or giving advice or instructing.

We call this Active Listening.  (Some call it Reflective Listening…)

I personally prefer Active Listening because it suggests involvement and engagement with your client. You’re not just a sounding board who repeats the others words [Reflective Listening] but you’re fully present, responding authentically to what you hear and see and sense.

Active Listening creates a safe environment that allows the client to go deeper, and often come to new realizations. It’s the basis for connection, trust and respect.

Further, when you as coach Actively Listen your clients get to hear their words and tone as you mirror them.  It’s almost like being an outside observer. This perspective helps them to have compassion for themselves and often helps them begin their own problem solving of challenges and paths to their desired goals.

There’s also a major benefit to the coach, particularly for those who are starting out.

Many new coaches and managers feel compelled to provide an answer or give direction.  They think they have to do the heavy lifting telling the client what to do next, or sharing how they did it themselves, or coming up with a brilliant solution for a tough problem.

Listening in an engaged manner keeps the focus outside onto the client.  There’s no need to provide a solution.  All you have to do is be there in real time and play back what you experienced to spark their creative thinking.

Here’s an example.

Lisa rushes into her friend Jodie’s office, closes the door and begins:

Lisa: I’m sorry to dump this on you, but I had a fight with my sister and we haven’t spoken since. I’m upset and don’t know who to talk to.

Jodie: I’m right here.  Go ahead.

Lisa: Well, we were arguing about what to do for our parents’ anniversary. I’m still so angry.

Jodie: You SOUND angry.  Tell me more.

Lisa: Yes, she just makes me so angry. She assumed I would help her plan this elaborate party—I don’t have time! It’s like she couldn’t see things from my perspective at all.

Jodie: She really upset you by not taking you into account?

Lisa: Frustrated. Angry. Maybe a bit guilty that she had all these plans and I was the one holding them back. Finally, I told her to do it without me. But that’s not right either.

Jodie: Sounds really upsetting.  And as if her plans are your problem.

Lisa:  Right?  Now I’m the bad one and I hate that.

Jodie:  It feels bad being the bad one.  So sorry.

Lisa: Yes, Exactly. So frustrating and I do want to be part of it but I’m so overwhelmed with things right now.

Jodie: It sounds overwhelming!

Lisa:  Thanks for listening, I just needed to vent. I’m already beginning to think of how I can talk to her.

Jodie:  That’s great. If you want to tell me more about it . . .

Lisa:   [Sigh] I think I’ve got this.  I do love her and my folks.  Just hate feeling like I’m being pushed around and invisible in what I need.

Jodie: [Smiles] I see you.  I think you’ve got this too.

Lisa:  Yeah, I’m going to call her and see how we can work it out.

Jodie:  Sounds like a plan.  Keep me posted?

Lisa:   Sure.  Thanks so much for listening!

Can you see how this engaged listening environment gave Lisa just the help she needed to express her feelings and thoughts, relax and be accepting of herself so she could rethink what happened and solve her own problem?  That’s a major benefit of the Active Listening technique.

Thinking about getting certified as a Professional Coach? Want to talk about it? Or any questions you have about professional coaching? Let’s talk and see whether or not it makes sense for you to become a certified professional coach.

To Learn About Our Upcoming Fast Track Certification Workshop This March in New York City

The cost of $75 for the 30 minute consultation can be applied to the TLC Professional Coach Training program if you decide to join.

Tip 3 will be along tomorrow.

Warmest regards,

Sharon 🙂

Dr. Sharon Livingston

www.DrSharonLivingston.com

603 505 5000 cell

DrSharonLivingston@Gmail.com

Categories
Best Practices Personal Development Sales

The Importance of Perspective in Sales

Part One of a Five Part Series.

You may have heard the similar terms perspective selling, insight selling, challenger selling etc. and wondered what the big deal is. Are these passing fad or enduring principle restated? Good news: while the promotional buzz is relatively recent, they all trace back to some solid behavioral and decision science.

The bad news: insight/perspective selling is not simple “selling by telling”. Unsurprisingly, the magic pitch (aka the value message that turns prospects into pliant buyers) is dead. It’s been dead in consumer sales for a long time. And having been consumers, business buyers have lost their tolerance for pitches, even magic ones.

Each of the terms represent a similar idea. I mostly use us the word perspective, but I’ll sprinkle synonyms in.

What is it?

The Miller Heiman Group has one of the better definitions I’ve seen:

Perspective is knowledge or insight that expands a customer’s understanding of one or more business issues. When a seller provides perspective, they apply insights and expertise which increase customer perceived value.

What’s so great about it?

The whole point of selling with perspective breaking into the circle of trust.

According to CSO Insights 2018 Buyer Preference Study, business buyers view vendor salespeople as one of their least preferred sources of information. Salespeople ranked ninth out of ten information sources mentioned by buyers, ahead of only professional trade associations. Ouch.

The news gets worse. Because buyers don’t think sellers add value, buyers don’t engage sellers until they’ve identified their own needs and narrowed down to a self-prescribed solution. Then, when presented with a predefined solution, vendors (predictably) find it hard to differentiate themselves or to exceed expectations. Thus, sellers reinforce their initial impression of buyers, and a cycle is formed.

In short, once the customer has pegged you as an unremarkable seller, you are stuck in a no-value feedback loop that’s difficult to escape. Your goal should be never to enter this cycle.

Happily, buyers are willing promote sellers to “trusted advisor” status, especially when decisions are risky, complex, or unfamiliar. Sellers must simply add value to the buyer’s decision process…from the first contact, and every contact. That means providing valuable insights: selling with perspective.

What Perspective Does For a Customer…

Essentially, a trusted advisor produces new value in a customer’s buying process. This can include introducing new decision criteria, new ways of looking at a situation, or introducing new outcomes. Generally, new criteria and points of view are impactful when they enable or assure outcomes.

There is strong neuroscience and psychology research behind perspective selling. Since customers buy outcomes (not products or services), perspective is the art of opening a prospect’s eyes to new possible outcomes. Perspective triggers the mental process of visualizing outcomes. Visualizations can be spurred in the customer’s mind when sellers:

  1. Ask well-crafted questions which guide the prospect to see their situation in a new way and ultimately to identify (then value) new outcomes.
  2. Tell them something they don’t know – the specific technique proposed by The Challenger Sale. Half of Challenger sellers are low performers because they miss a key factor. The challenge statement only spurs the visualization process when the seller has established credibility. Some use “sales-ready value statements”, “value messaging”, and the like to describe such “perspective telling”.
  3. Tell stories which engage the buyer’s imagination to visualize an outcome for themselves. The human brain responds powerfully to story-telling; stories engage a visualization process, and telling stories about applicable outcomes is a great way to provide perspective. Recently, storytelling is achieving big buzz in the sales world. It’s a great neuroscience-based addition to a seller’s perspective selling arsenal.

Sellers should always combine the last two with the first. Telling a story or making a value claim may “expand a customer’s understanding”, but only questions confirm whether/how firmly any new perspective took hold.

Perspective selling harnesses the most compelling buying behavior: getting prospects to see desirable outcomes for themselves. Getting the most out of perspective selling means selling to full value, which I’ll discuss in part five of this series.

What perspective takes.

In order to consistently provide perspective, sellers need to predict outcomes likely to be customer-valued. Then, they engage in conversation which gets customers to visualize an outcome. Producing valued perspectives requires three types of acumen:

  1. Business Acumen. In order to expose new outcomes to a prospect, you need general business knowledge to predict outcomes. With business acumen, a seller can create new value. In my next article, I’ll cover this in more depth.
  2. Customer understanding. Sellers not only need to have insight into the customer’s business, they need to master the decision dynamic at a customer. Part three of this series will expand on this.
  3. Solution Expertise. Finally, sellers need to understand not just their product or services features and benefits. Perspective requires that sellers translate features and benefits to outcomes. In part four of this series, I’ll cover solution expertise in more detail.

It’s simple to learn, a lifetime to master.

To really master insight and perspective, you need to understand the building blocks. When you look at perspective selling within the framework of providing customer-perceived value, your ability to provide deeply insightful perspectives will increase.

Comment below, or contact me directly to share your perspectives on this article.

To your success!

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Best Practices Entrepreneurship Human Resources Management Marketing Negotiations Sales Skills Women In Business

Do You Know What Really Makes You Happy?

“Happiness is your state of mind that only exists when you think it does.” -Greg Williams, The Master Negotiator & Body Language Expert

One day you’re up. The next day you’re down, and so the yo-yo goes. Maybe the ups and downs are not daily, but it occurs to a degree in everyone’s life. Do you know the frequency of your ups and downs? Do you know what really makes you happy?

There’s a reason you should take account of your happiness quotient. It’s the doorway to accomplishing greater achievements. It’s also the doorway that leads to the perception of you leading a better life.

Consider the following insights to note your degree of happiness, what sparks it, and what might cause it to decline.

Self-Psychology:

Know the triggers that lead to happiness and unhappiness. Those two boundaries will be your guardrails that trip your inner silent alarm. Even if you encounter an abundance of happiness, sensitize yourself to how it occurred. You can use those stimuli to acquire greater happiness. That will serve as a motivator to spur you to higher heights. The point is, know what motivates you to stride forward faster and you’ll be more aware of how to do so.

Happiness:

Everyone has a slightly different definition of happiness. To understand the impact that happiness has on you, define what it means to you. Not doing so subjects you to the whims of life’s occurrences. You’ll relinquish control to those dictates and they, not you, will determine when you’re happy and when you’re not.

Unhappiness:

In my writings, presentations, and trainings, I’ve suggested to people worldwide that they note what makes them unhappy. Some have responded by saying, “why would I focus on negativity – that’ll only serve to make me unhappier”. Think about that for a moment. If you didn’t know what a hot stove felt like, you’d be more likely to touch it and get burned. How many times would you want that to occur? The point is, yin and yang are the boundaries of happiness. And unhappiness is the yin in that equation. The more you’re aware of what makes you unhappy, the more clarity you’ll have about how to avoid it.

Friends:

There are some things that we’re more passionate about than others; longtime friends can fall into that category. While some longtime friends can provide a form of happiness, you should be aware of the impact they have on other aspects of your life. In some cases, their views and opinions may no longer support the goals you’re seeking to achieve. If that’s the case, know the value that they add to your happiness quotient. You don’t have to discard them, just appreciate them for the value they add to your life from a different perspective.

What does this have to do with negotiations?

The degree of happiness you experience when negotiating will impact your degree of engagement. Happiness is an unseen ally that’ll allow you to think more clearly from which greater ideas will flow. It will also serve as the tool that unlocks your ability to make better offers and counteroffers.

The more you’re aware of what ignites your degrees of happiness when you’re negotiating and how to temper unhappiness, the better you’ll be when negotiating … and everything will be right with the world.

Remember, you’re always negotiating! 

After reading this article, what are you thinking? I’d really like to know. Reach me at Greg@TheMasterNegotiator.com

To receive Greg’s free “Negotiation Tip of the Week” and the “Sunday Negotiation Insight” click here http://www.themasternegotiator.com/greg-williams/

#Happy#Success #Emotion #Business #Progress #SmallBusiness #Negotiation #NegotiatingWithABully #Power #Perception #emotionalcontrol #relationships #HowToNegotiateBetter #CSuite #TheMasterNegotiator #ControlEmotions

Categories
Best Practices Growth Personal Development

The 1st Line of Your Blog: Your 2nd Chance to Grab the Reader’s Attention

If you pull them past the headline line, make sure you keep them.

80-90% of your readers won’t go beyond the subject line. However, I suspect that their eyes may stray to the first line that follows. If you write a good one, you have another chance to get someone to read your email.

Sample Headlines and Follow-ups

Your Headlines Can Save You or Sink You

Here are 10 great ways to write headlines that zing.

Your Doctor Says: “Lose Weight or Die.”

Resist the urge to run home and bury your fear with food.

Noise Pollution is Making You Sick

Turn off the sounds that kill.

From Problem to Solution

In these pairs, the headline presents the problem, and the next line demonstrates that by reading the blog, you can find solutions.

This is a very popular approach for solution-based blog. However, the first line is important for any kind of story.

Shock-Value Headlines and Follow-ups

I Grew Up in a Satanic Cult

I ran for my life when I was sixteen.

Below are some examples from old issues of True Confessions magazine. This magazine is worth studying, not because you want to write those kinds of stories but because they know how to ramp up the dramatic value of headlines and following lines that get read.

When a Girl Goes to Prison

What really happens on the inside.

Search and Rescue

I saved a life and found love.

Your slightly less lurid pairing might read:

I Was 30 Days Away from Bankruptcy

I had given up all hope.

He Asked, “Why Should I Hire You?”

I had 10 seconds to come up with an answer.

Location Is Everything

This is especially true when you’re writing a blog post. Position the first line so that it falls ABOVE whatever graphic you use. That way, it’s a continuation of the headline.

If you’re writing for a publication where you don’t have that kind of design control, you can keep the headline and first line together by making the line a subhead.

For example, you could do this:

I Was 30 Days Away from Bankruptcy:

I Had Given Up All Hope

I’ve changed the former first line to upper and lower-case and deleted the period.  The character count is 29 for this revised title. Given that 55% of people read blogs on their phone, keep your titles at no more than 34 characters and spaces.

Be Creative

Experiment. It’s always important to check your statistics and to study the comments you get on blogs. It’s unlikely that someone will tell you, “I loved your title and first line,” but if they leave a comment, these elements pulled them in enough to read further.

And that’s what you want.

Pat Iyer started blogging in 2009; since then she was written over a thousand blog posts. She is one of the original 100 C Suite Network Advisors. Connect with her at patiyer.com.