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Month: October 2019

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

“Avoid Danger In Negotiations – How To Control Conversations Better” – Negotiation Tip of the Week

 

“To avoid danger, control the conversations that lead to it. And, to do that, know how to control conversations.” -Greg Williams, The Master Negotiator & Body Language Expert (Click to Tweet)

 

 

Click here to get the book!

“Avoid Danger In Negotiations – How To Control Conversations Better”

 

Two agents were working undercover as they discussed an update with their informant. They were seated in a recessed area in an attempt to keep their conversation private and to avoid danger. They wanted to control the environment as much as possible. Suddenly, a panhandler walked over and aggressively began to ask for money. One agent said pleasantly, no. But the person persisted by asking, why not? The agent said, no, again. Still, the person continued their plea for money. Finally, the agent growled as he said in a loud voice, I said no! Stunned, the beggar turned and quickly walked away.

Potential danger always surrounds you, even during negotiations (you’re always negotiating). In some cases, you avoid it by staying outside of its bounds. At other times, you prevent it by the way you control conversations in an environment.

When the agents turned their attention back to their update, the informant asked, did you think that person was dangerous? The agent said, no. That beggar didn’t accept my answer the first few times. So, I had to alter the delivery of my words. By changing the tone of my reply and sounding more hostile, the panhandler sensed my, no, response as being more definitive. That’s why he walked away at that point.

Consider the following techniques to increase your control as you negotiate with those that might attempt to be defiant or with those that you’d like to control better.

 

Block and Bridge

Block and bridge is one way to alter the flow of a conversation. You’d implement its use as a conversation began to head in an unwanted direction – one that you feared would cause you to lose control of the discussion or interaction. You might also consider employing it when you wanted to enhance the flow of a conversation.

To invoke its use, when someone began making statements that you disagreed with, or citing accounts not aligned with where you wanted to take the conversation, block their comments. As an example, you can say, you have a point (block), and the outcome was less than expected (bridge). I suggest we take the following approach. It’s known to have better results.

The manner you block someone’s comments depends on the severity of the situation. If it’s one that might escalate to a high degree of irritation, you might consider blocking the other person’s statements with a harsh tone and words. If that’s not required, consider being milder in your intonation and demeanor.

 

Answering Questions With Questions

Answering questions with questions is an excellent way to gather more information than you give. It also allows you to control a conversation. Because the person asking questions is controlling the flow of the discussion. And that occurs as long as the other party is answering questions.

To implement this strategy, ask a question in response to one that’s asked of you. Do this instead of answering the initial query. Thus, instead of providing an answer to that question, you’d respond with one of your own.

As an example, if someone says, do I have to take this course of action? Your response might be, what do you think will happen if you don’t take this course of action? You’ve not answered the question. And if you get a response, you’ve gained more insight into the individual’s thoughts. Along with a possible solution to a situation if you choose to implement that person’s response.

 

Listening To What’s Not Said

Many people consider themselves good communicators because they pay attention to what someone says. In reality, you can be a better communicator and control conversations better by observing what’s someone doesn’t say.

As an example, if someone said, I didn’t do what you said I did. You might consider a person’s answer to mean, I didn’t do what you said I did. Yes, I did it, but not the way you stated it.

By listening for what’s not said, and the response of how something’s said, you’ll gain better insight and control of someone’s statements. You’ll also know more about how that person is communicating. And that will be worth its weight in gold.

 

Reflection  

In every environment, and every negotiation you’re in, think about how you’ll control that environment. In particular, consider how you’ll avoid dangerous situations, what form of control you’ll use, and where that might take you in your encounter. Because the better you control conversations, the more power and control you’ll have in every negotiation and situation that you’re in … and everything will be right with the world.

 

Remember, you’re always negotiating!

 

Listen to Greg’s podcast at https://anchor.fm/themasternegotiator

 

After reading this article, what are you thinking? I’d 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/

 

#Danger #Negotiations #Control #Conversations #NegotiationStrategies #NegotiationProcess #NegotiationSkillsTraining #NegotiationExamples #NegotiationTypes #ReadingBodyLanguage #BodyLanguage #Nonverbal #Negotiate #Business #SmallBusiness #Negotiation #Negotiator #NegotiatingWithABully #Power #Perception #emotionalcontrol #relationships #BodyLanguageExpert #HowToNegotiateBetter #CSuite #TheMasterNegotiator #ControlEmotions #GregWilliams #success #negotiation examples #Negotiation strategies #negotiation process #negotiation skills training #negotiation types #negotiation psychology #Howtowinmore #self-improvement #howtodealwithdifficultpeople #Self-development #Howtocontrolanegotiation #howtobesuccessful #HowToImproveyourself

 

 

 

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Best Practices Investing Marketing Personal Development Sales

“Sales Isn’t Brain Surgery”…Or Is It?

While a sales career doesn’t require the extensive education and licensing as a surgical career, a great sales professional shares some similar traits.

My wife is a surgeon…she performs advanced procedures through tiny incisions, accomplishing radical changes in her patients’ bodies and lives through tiny keyhole-sized openings.  I’m in awe of what she can do, and its impact.  I’m crazy proud of her and what she does and try every day to rise to her elite level in my very different field.

A truly great – buyer-focused — sales professional will find several similarities.  Top tier salespeople actually perform non-contact brain surgery. mandate

Big Impacts Through a Narrow Field of View

While I don’t save lives for a living, what I do is still pretty cool. I am an expert on customer value…something that exists only inside the customer; specifically, in a customer/client’s mind. I help salespeople open their clients’ minds to previously unconsidered – yet strongly appreciated — outcomes.

Like a minimally-invasive surgeon operating through a ‘scope, salespeople only have a tunnel-vision view into what’s going on in a customer’s mind.  My specialty is teaching sales professionals how to affect customer’s minds, businesses, and lives through that small window between seller and customer’s mind.

The Role of Generalist Expertise and Acumen

Surgeon and sales consultants are both more effective when we are genuine experts in the whole patient/client.  One of us learned anatomy, biochemistry, and physiology to help understand what a patient’s symptoms and labs really mean. The other of us learned economics, earned a top business degree, has managed a P&L, and grown successful ground-breaking businesses…and has been involved in failure or two. My value to my clients is the ability to interpret my clients’ symptoms through a deep/wide business acumen.

Likewise, customer-centric selling requires that sellers provide valued consultant-like insights for their prospects and customers.  A salesperson can’t provide insight/perspective into something they don’t understand.  I’m passionate about providing sales forces next-level business acumen, so they can position themselves ahead of their competitors.

Domain Expertise and Situational Mastery

My wife is an expert in one area of the body, and various ways to fix things when that part of the body is injured or diseased.  When she’s operating through a ‘scope, she knows exactly what all that confusing jumble of stuff is, where she needs to cut, and what she needs to preserve.  She knows what’s coming next, and what lies beneath the part she’s working on, just out of sight.  When things don’t look “textbook”, she’s either seen that anomaly before or can confidently deal with it.  Each operation is individualized to the patient, not the other way around.

I do the same thing, with organizations, not organisms.

Value-focused organizations put their salespeople in a position to either be expert, to anticipate, to accommodate, and/or to seamlessly call in needed expertise as-needed, when-needed.  Facilitating a buying process the customer is usually inexperienced in, helping them through the tough parts by virtue of the sales person’s experience in that domain.

Another thing:  great salespeople don’t blindly shove canned (even brilliantly persona-tailored, technologically sharpened) value messages into every patient’s — oops, prospect’s — brain.  I teach clients to apply value messages surgically:  confirming first whether application caused any value to form between the prospect’s ears, and then what kind and how much.

Closing is Only the End of the Beginning. Focus on Outcomes

My wife’s complication rates and patient outcomes are far superior to peer and industry averages.  This isn’t just because of her technique in the OR, but about her mastery of patient counseling, recovery, and post-op care, and how she develops an exceptionally de-siloed care pathway…focused on patient success.  She knows what world-class looks like and helps those around the patient deliver the care that ensures great outcomes.

I help my clients think not just until the close, but to plan seamlessly to customer success.  I harp on the mantra that there is no after-sale care, but between-sales care.

Customer-focused sellers know that signing the contract is the moment when the pressure to perform starts for your customer. There are several good ways to handle the transition and a bunch of wrong ones. If your business involves repeat-, cross-, or upselling, a world-class approach to implementation and outcome assurance is your only option.

Passion for the Profession

I don’t get called in for emergency life-saving surgery in the middle of the night, but we both love what we do for our respective patients/clients.

I want my clients to learn to walk, then run without me over their shoulder. This doesn’t happen by pushing them out on their own too soon…but it also means aggressive support in the early going so that they leave the hospital, umm…engagement, prepared for their own development.

Unlike a surgeon like my wife, my ideal client is one who is doing OK, but knows they could be doing better.  Are you and your salespeople treating opportunities like everyday complex selling situations, when you know in your heart that what you sell could be elevated to mission-critical for your customers?  Perhaps we need to set a time for a consultation.

To Your Success!

Categories
Growth Personal Development

Why Training is a “Must Have,” not a “Nice to Have”

Most business leaders know that effective training builds more consistent performance among employees, improves customer service, reduces the amount of time that managers spend training new employees, and provides other benefits that impact the bottom line.

But do those same businesspeople also understand just how much a company’s overall profitability will grow when a comprehensive program of training is put into action? In many cases, they don’t. Here’s a case study that gives some food for thought for companies that would like to quickly realize significant improvements in their bottom line.

Case Study: A Restaurant Chain You Know

Several years ago, a major national restaurant chain hired Tortal Training to perform a comprehensive analysis of their training programs for new hires and front-line employees. Before working with Tortal, most training there was being delivered by restaurant managers who had to take time away from their other duties to conduct one-on-one training or run training classes.

Tortal designed and implemented a comprehensive eLearning program. One year after the program began, profits had already increased in dramatic ways:

  • At restaurants where 80% of employees had completed the eLearning training, overall business had increased by 4%.
  • At restaurants where 50% or fewer of the employees had completed the training, business had increased too, but by 1.4%.

Now let’s crunch some numbers. Each of those restaurants does about $2 million of business every year. So using that as a baseline, we see that restaurants that had generated 4% more business had made $16,000 more in just one year. In contrast, the restaurants that had achieved 1.4% growth had generated $2,800 in more business.

If you roll out those numbers further, you will see that over a five-year period, the restaurants that trained 80% of their employees would see an increase of $80,000 in new business, compared to $14,000 in companies that had trained 50% of their workers. But in reality, the revised training would generate even a bigger ROI, because:

  • Business growth is cumulative. Even if a business grows at a rate of 4% every year, that percentage is built on a bigger profit base. So even if the growth rate holds steady, the number of new dollars earned each year will increase.
  • More efficient operations lead to greater profits and growth.In a restaurant setting, managers who are freed from training responsibilities can invest more of their time running their restaurants. The same principle applies in most businesses. And as we know, better-trained employees are more efficient, sell more, and generate increased profits.
  • Retention rates among well-trained employees have been proven to be higher than for employees who are not well-trained.And as every company executive knows, the cost of hiring and training new employees is very high.

Training is a “Must Have,” not a “Nice to Have”

How much would your company’s profits increase if you were able to increase your annual business by 2%, 4%, 6% or more, and then keep building on those gains? If you don’t crunch the numbers, you could underestimate just how big the impact will be on your bottom line. But after you take out a pencil and paper and add things up, you will see that better training has the power to dramatically increase profits in both the short and long term.

Categories
Entrepreneurship Human Resources Management Negotiations Sales Skills Women In Business

“How To Use Someone’s Prejudices To Your Advantage” – Negotiation Insight

“Someone’s prejudices can be harmful or beneficial. The perspective depends on who’s making the assessment.” -Greg Williams, The Master Negotiator & Body Language Expert (Click to Tweet)

 

Click here to get the book!

“How To Use Someone’s Prejudices To Your Advantage”

As a couple entered a restaurant, the hostess muttered to no one in particular – they must be confused. They appear to be destitute. To annoy the maître d’, she seated the couple in a prominent space. She wanted to use his prejudices against him and to her advantage. They had a long-running feud. And this was her way of irritating him.

When the maître d’ observed where the couple was sitting, he looked skyward and said, help me, lord. He hurried to the hostess and asked in a very sharp tone, why did you seat those people in that area? You know I don’t like individuals that appear out of place. They’ll detract from the ambiance and ruin the aura of the environment! The hostess smirked and said, you’re right – I did know that. She had just taken an opportunity to needle the maître d’ and use his prejudices to her advantage.

 

The previous story is an example of how someone’s prejudices can be used to your advantage. Doing so can stretch across different environments and occur in many settings. Think of the following when considering how you’ll advantage your position by using someone’s prejudices in your interactions with them.

 

Gender Consideration:

When taking into account the role someone’s gender may play in addressing their preferences, don’t allow that to be a significant factor. Instead, place a greater emphasis on the situation and the personality type of the individual. Some people may respond to situational exchanges that mimic the opposite sex of their gender. To possess a mindset of, she’s just a woman – she wouldn’t do that, can place you in a disadvantaged position.

 

Identifying Sources of Prejudices:

Before considering how you can use someone’s prejudices to your advantage, you must know what they value and why. Without this insight, you’ll never know which of their biases will be of most benefit to you. To gain insight:

  • Play the part – This means appearing as others in the environment to fit into your target’s perception of what’s normal – If you look out of place, you might incur their raft. And this would place you at a disadvantage. The more you appear like someone and their environment, the more they’ll see themselves in you.

 

When would you want to use someone’s prejudices to your advantage?

There can be a host of reasons that warrant using someone’s biases against them to increase your position.

  • Compliance – In some cases, you may want an individual to comply with your commands or desires. You may be in a position where force could be used to accomplish that. But that should not be your first action. Force can sometimes lead to the escalation of a situation, which in turn could lead to a loss of control.

 

  • Crisis – In crises, not only should you consider using someone’s prejudices against them, depending on the direness of the crisis, this ploy may be the best tool to use.

 

  • Guilt/shame – Someone’s prejudices can be used to create a sense of shame or guilt because the individual has strayed outside the bounds of his norms. By persuading the individual to view himself differently, you begin to influence his thought process, which can lead to you controlling his mind and thoughts.

 

  • Gather information – If you seek to gain information about the target’s associates, you can affirm his prejudices. He’ll view you as being like himself and his associates, which will usually free someone’s tongue to wag with hordes of insights and information.

 

  • Create an ally/turn against others – This is another case where appearing to be like your target can attract an intense affinity for you from him. Once a strong bond exists, the possibility will occur to turn this person against those that confront you. If you are outnumbered, creating a divide in this manner can enhance your odds.

 

Reflection:

Prejudices are inherent in everyone. Thus, they’ll be times when you can take advantage of their predispositions to increase your position. Knowing when and how to do so will give you a huge advantage when dealing with people … and everything will be right with the world.

 

Remember, you’re always negotiating!

 

Listen to Greg’s podcast at https://anchor.fm/themasternegotiator

 

After reading this article, what are you thinking? I’d 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/

 

 

# Use, Someone, Prejudices, Advantage #Negotiate #Business #SmallBusiness #Negotiation #Negotiator #NegotiatingWithABully #Power #Perception #emotionalcontrol #relationships #BodyLanguageExpert #HowToNegotiateBetter #CSuite #TheMasterNegotiator #ControlEmotions #GregWilliams #success #negotiation examples #Negotiation strategies #negotiation process #negotiation skills training #negotiation types #negotiation psychology #Howtowinmore #self-improvement #howtodealwithdifficultpeople #Self-development #Howtocontrolanegotiation #howtobesuccessful #HowToImproveyourself

 

Categories
Best Practices Growth Management Personal Development Technology

Today’s CIO: The Chief Innovation Officer

Today’s world of business is not just changing—it’s transforming. The difference is that change is doing something in an incrementally different way, while transformation is doing something so drastically different that it becomes a qualitative shift. The fact that we began watching movies on VHS tapes that we’d have to rewind, then moved to DVDs that we didn’t have to rewind, followed by Blu-ray discs for enhanced quality—that’s a change. But going from discs of any kind to a multitude of streaming services that we can watch both on our smart TVs and our mobile devices, bringing not only our movie collections but television and Internet videos with us wherever we go? That’s a transformation.

As we all know, technology made this transformation possible. I’ve spoken to CIOs who are not only using software as a service (SaaS), but who are implementing hardware as a service, connectivity as a service, collaboration as a service, and security as a service. The real excitement was around implementing everything as a service (XaaS). Clearly, IT is quickly becoming an integrated collection of intelligent services that are on-demand, on the move, and on any device.

The visual, social, virtual, and mobile transformations are creating a new golden era of technology-enabled innovation, and the CIO needs to be leading the charge.

So what has enabled the business environment to go from merely changing to transforming? It has to do with the three change accelerators I often reference in my writing: advances in computing power, bandwidth, and storage. I have tracked their exponential trajectory for years, and they have entered a new phase that has transformed every business process.

Based on technology-enabled Hard Trends that are already in place, how we sell, market, communicate, collaborate, innovate, train, and educate will continue to transform. If you don’t anticipate the disruption that comes with this transformation, someone else will. And with all the business processes technology is transforming, nothing is transforming more than the role of the CIO.


The New Role of the CIO

The CIO’s role was traditionally in managing information, IT systems, and cost management, but it has now transformed to be one of creating new competitive advantage, new products, and new services. The CEO was the innovator, but many of today’s CEOs and their C-suite counterparts are unaware of what is technologically possible now or in the future. However, the CIO does have interest, access, and the understanding of that type of information and knowledge, which is why the CIO position needs to transform into the Chief Innovation Officer.

Of course, not all CIOs will embrace their new role. As our environment transforms, human nature is to stagnate, as we are drawn to comfort. Many will be far too busy doing what they have always done, and many will spend a lot of time protecting and defending the status quo solely because they’re familiar with it. We know how it works and we have an investment in it that has made a lot of money for us and gotten us to where we are today. Therefore, the mindset is that we have to protect and defend it in any way we can.

An additional burden the CIO has is the nature of their work itself. They have to maintain the existing system to make sure it’s working in order to keep the organization running smoothly during the transforming period. But if all you’re doing is maintaining what’s already there, then you hold a legacy role and your relevance is decreasing every day. So while you do have to maintain your current and past systems, you also have to spend some time truly innovating, as innovation is increasingly technology-driven and the CIO is in a perfect position to be the driver of it.

Ultimately, it’s about increasing your professional and personal relevance, paying close attention to the Hard Trends transforming your industry and becoming more anticipatory as to what digital disruptions are heading your way and causing disruption before someone else disrupts you and your organization. For example, the old way was about technology centricity; the new way is about technology-empowered business strategies. The old way was information management; the new way is information intelligence. The old way was IT systems management; the new way is platforms that enable new value chains. The old way was cost management; the new way is business transformation and rapid growth.

The ability to innovate has never been easier and has never happened faster. In today’s transformational business landscape, you must anticipate disruption and change, turning it into opportunity and advantage. If you don’t change the focus of your CIO role, someone else will.

Categories
Entrepreneurship Human Resources Management Negotiations Sales Women In Business

“Negotiator – Is There Hidden Power In The Inferiority Myth” – Negotiation Tip of the Week

 

“Inferiority is a myth that can enslave your mind. But only if you allow it to do so.” -Greg Williams, The Master Negotiator & Body Language Expert (Click to Tweet)

 

Click here to get the book!

 

“Negotiator – Is There Hidden Power In The Inferiority Myth”

 

Is there a hidden power in the inferiority myth? In its purest form, it’s nothing more than a belief or disbelief that people accept or reject. The illusion exists in its ability to manipulate the thoughts of others for good or bad. Therefore, you should assess whether myths are good or bad, by the way, you and others view them. After all, they shape people’s perspectives and opinions.

You’re continuously negotiating in all of your environments. And, as a negotiator, you should use every asset that’s available to enhance your efforts. The inferiority myth is one tool you can use to do that.

The following are ways to use inferiority myths.

  • Embolden others to feel good about themselves (e.g., I don’t think you’re inferior to anyone.)

 

  • As a source of neutrality (e.g., I always found everyone in your group/area to be open, honest, and easy to deal with. And I know dealing with you will be the same way.)

 

  • Perpetrate a stereotype that reflects the negative thoughts others have of an individual or group and cast yourself on the opposite side of that paradigm – This says, I respect you. We’re looking at this from the same perspective. I’m on your side (This is the good cop in the good cop, bad cop, scenario.)

 

  • Use to cast others as being inferior to you – Note: it takes a particular mindset to accept this pronouncement. Therefore, you should be mindful of whom you attempt to project this. Some people will perceive such sentiments as being derogatory. And this my insight them to become rigid, which may lead to confrontation or hostilities.

 

  • Use to cast yourself as being inferior to others – While most individuals seek to project strength, to appear in control, there are times when a demur posture can be beneficial. Casting yourself as being inferior can help that façade. Once again, be mindful of whom you project that image. While it will allow you to maintain a better position with some people, it can be to your detriment with others.

 

  • Use to cast your target’s group as being inferior to him (e.g., Why are you with them? You’re so much better than they are.) While this may work to separate individuals in a group from the group, it may backfire (i.e., He’s like my brother. And I’m just like him and proud of it!). So be cautious about with whom you attempt this.

 

  • Project yourself as a victim of perceived inferiority to the person you’re engaged with (e.g., Are you saying that I’m inferior to you? Why would you think that and why would you feel that way?) This can be the prelude to you feigning heightened aggression or agitation. You’d use this strategy with someone respectful of your authority who you want to restrain mentally. If you attempt to implement this with more strident individuals, you run the risk of encouraging them to become obstinate. So, be cautious. You don’t want to inflame anyone’s ire. That can lead to increased tensions.

 

As in every situation you encounter, you’re negotiating. Thus, as a negotiator, you’re always setting expectations. Some people will attempt to live up to them, while others will strive to live down to them. Hence, you must be sure you set the correct expectation based on the outcome you seek.

To set better expectations based on the inferiority myth, consider the source of power confronting you. If it’s potential trouble, you may suggest that the source’s ability is inferior. If that force is more amenable to follow your commands, indicate that everyone is on the right path (e.g., people that work together create more significant outcomes).

The point is, when employing the inferiority myth, make sure it serves the overall outcome you’re attempting to achieve. Anything less will put your efforts in jeopardy. That will cause unwanted anxiety and stress, which can add to a situation’s decline. Using myths correctly can be a valuable aid, but only if you use them properly. Once you do, you’ll be able to subdue challenges that, in the past, may have gotten out of hand … and everything will be right with the world.

 

Remember, you’re always negotiating!

 

Listen to Greg’s podcast at https://anchor.fm/themasternegotiator

 

After reading this article, what are you thinking? I’d 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/

 

 

#Power #InferiorityMyth #NegotiationStrategies #NegotiationProcess #NegotiationSkillsTraining #NegotiationExamples #NegotiationTypes #ReadingBodyLanguage #BodyLanguage #Nonverbal #Negotiate #Business #SmallBusiness #Negotiation #Negotiator #NegotiatingWithABully #Power #Perception #emotionalcontrol #relationships #BodyLanguageExpert #HowToNegotiateBetter #CSuite #TheMasterNegotiator #ControlEmotions #GregWilliams #success #negotiation examples #Negotiation strategies #negotiation process #negotiation skills training #negotiation types #negotiation psychology #Howtowinmore #self-improvement #howtodealwithdifficultpeople #Self-development #Howtocontrolanegotiation #howtobesuccessful #HowToImproveyourself

 

 

 

Categories
Entrepreneurship Management Negotiations Sales Skills Women In Business

“How to Stop Biases From Turning Into Abuse” – Negotiation Insight

“Abuse stems from biases. And prejudice is the stem from which it grows.” -Greg Williams, The Master Negotiator & Body Language Expert (Click to Tweet)

 

Click here to get the book!

“How to Stop Biases From Turning Into Abuse”

 

Every time he wore a red tie, she felt her feelings change towards him. At first, he didn’t notice when the changes occurred. Then, over time, he sensed the difference in her actions. Her disposition wasn’t unpleasant – she was not as approachable as she was usually. In return, he responded to her change by not being as agreeable to her. Neither of these individuals realized it, but they were interacting with each other based on the biases they possessed.

When people engage others, their biases drive the interaction. Thus, you should always be mindful of how you act based on the environment, those in it, and the thoughts you have about both. You should make the same assessment from the other person’s viewpoint too. If you’re not aware of the effect that has on you or them, you can become the target for abuse or an abuser.

To stop biases from turning into abuse, consider these factors:

  • How might specific triggers cause you to become irrational, and what exactly might you do in such a state?
  • What thoughts are driving you to view your current situation in a particular manner, and could it lead to hostilities?
  • Are you conflating past occurrences with the present one? If so, why?
  • What powers are you conceding by not controlling thoughts that could lead to you committing negative actions?
  • What are your thoughts and beliefs about the people in the environment, and do they stem from hidden prejudices you possess or those with whom you associate?
  • What actions are others in the environment engaged in that might cause you to have disdain for them?
  • How might you treat someone if you have contempt for them based on the beliefs that you share with others that dislike the same people?
  • Are you attempting to impress others by acting a particular way in your present environment?

The point of the questions above is to make you think. And to hopefully do so before a situation driven by your own or someone else’s biases cause you or others to become abusive. In times of heightened tension, regardless of its cause, if you don’t apply a brake to your automatic thought process, that process could lead to unwanted outcomes.

So, before entering into a situation that might escalate due to unseen or unspoken biases, consider how you might guard against them and how you might control an environment should they occur. The better prepared you are to deal with challenges that can escalate and become uncontrollable, the better you’ll be at spotting and containing those possibilities. That will put you in better control of yourself, others, and the environments you’re in … and everything will be right with the world.

 

What does this have to do with negotiations?

 

Every negotiator brings biases into a negotiation. They may originate from thoughts about certain ethnicities and how they respond or act with people from other backgrounds. They can also stem from sexual orientation, gender difference, or a host of mitigating thoughts. Some may derive from misguided beliefs that others possess that a negotiator may admire or aspire to emulate.

Regardless of there source(s), biases can negatively impact a negotiation. Therein lies the reason negotiators must be mindful of the prejudices that may exist in a situation. If one is not observant and doesn’t have a plan to deal with it, the unprepared negotiator can find himself dealing with dire occurrences. In reality, those acts may be red herrings intended to thwart your efforts by demeaning you. A deeper intent may be to push you away from the negotiation so that someone of more liking can get engaged.

Never underestimate the power and destruction that biases can have on an interaction. They can quietly erode your power and sap your mental energy. If you neglect such a force, you may be doing so at your delayed peril.

 

Remember, you’re always negotiating!

 

Listen to Greg’s podcast at https://anchor.fm/themasternegotiator

 

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

 

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Categories
Best Practices Growth Leadership Personal Development

Avoiding Corporate Survival Strategies Will Keep the Ball Rolling in Your Direction Subtitle: GET REMEDIAL!

Has this happened to you before? After a few meetings with a big company, there’s suddenly someone new in the room, and they completely take over—erasing all progress and putting everyone back at square one. They say, “I’m not convinced we should do this!” and then try to shoot down the proposal for the rest of the meeting. What does this mean? They weren’t prepared for the meeting and are attempting to use a “smokescreen” tactic.

Or, after a year of back-and-forth with everyone you’ve been working with, you reach a new group that will actually use your solution! But guess what? They’re unprepared. They don’t know why they’re having the meeting, and they don’t even know who you are. For them, it’s time to start all over. Their bosses haven’t briefed them on the reason, the history, or even the authorization to move forward. Or even worse—they were briefed, but they didn’t read the correspondence! Why wouldn’t they read it? Because they’re so overwhelmed, and these things can fall through the cracks. Usually, communication is minimal and last minute.

Different Strokes

Entrepreneurs need to be “hustlative”. They need to be thoroughly briefed. They need a consistent and comprehensive view at all times. Their paycheck depends on it—their future isn’t guaranteed. They have to see the big picture in order to succeed. They must know the whens and the whys.

One of the benefits of working for a big organization is financial security. These employees work under less pressure and don’t expect “urgency” to ever come up in conversation. They get paid no matter what happens to your project—unless they lose their job! So is it any surprise that Job Security is Priority #1? Any threat must be challenged. Any assumption that they aren’t performing must be crushed. All the politics—it’s the nature of the beast. Interestingly, there exists a support group for this method of thinking that begins with the division of labor and specialty associations and ends with competitive inter-organizational salaries. Employees at big companies usually only specialize in one job area and might look at everything else through that one narrow lens. Their biggest concern is, “Will this make my job easier?” instead of “How will this improve the bottom line of the company?” Specialty work can insulate and isolate employees away from the sales process.

Think about the fact that these employees could just be doing their time at this big company only to get resumé experience to help move their career along. Or they could be moved to another position within the same big company. But where does that leave you, the entrepreneur that depends on the big company’s blessing? Yep—start from scratch, even if you’ve been doing this for a year already. There likely won’t be any continuity or urgency on their part.

Navigating Blockages

This same corporate blockage can wear many masks, but the bottom line is always this—as an entrepreneurial outsider trying to accomplish something at a large company, you must be proactive when it comes to briefing, even if you feel like it’s redundant. This must happen before every single meeting.

While we were building a major brand, we worked with so many large, sluggish companies. Some were large corporations, and others were governmental. More than once, we had to do the other guy’s job while being careful not to frustrate them. Then we had to thank them before recommending them to their bosses. Crazy, right? But it’s all about getting the job done.

Use these tips to help you get through corporate blockage:

  1. After you’ve gotten the authority to move toward a solution and are handed to the first executive, confirm (in writing) that you have clear permission to do so. Explain, again, how this solution will affect the bottom line, and provide a decision-making deadline that will help the company maximize its benefits. This will be important down the line when all the executives start playing ‘musical chairs’.
  2. After you’ve been passed off to the manager or division chief, brief them in writing again before any physical meetings. Make sure to CC the higher-ups—be clear that this isn’t coming from out of the blue. Keep all correspondence on the same email thread or use Google Docs.
  3. Once you finally meet with the division chief, say thank you, sum up the action items, and send another email in that same thread with the following steps and deadline details.
  4. Before meeting with the next group, find out who will be in the meeting, and, you guessed it—send them the email thread with your agenda, explanations, and possible outcomes. Do this twice: Once in advance, and again right before the meeting. And present your agenda during the meeting itself. Try to stay in control and make sure everyone’s on the same page and understands the milestones. Don’t forget to introduce yourself and to say your ‘thank you’s! Don’t spend too much time explaining why you’re having the meeting or bringing someone up to speed.
  5. Once the meeting is over, summarize everything via email, including deadlines and yet another round of thank yous. Everyone will see that their bosses are CC’d and that you’re promoting their jobs. At the end of the day—that’s how you make progress.
  6. Repeat steps 2 through 5.
  7. Repeat ad nauseam!

Final thoughts

This might all remind you of Scott Adams’s “Dilbert” comic strip. You can throw your hands up and have a good laugh, or you can be productive and successfully navigate corporate blockage. Don’t forget—you’re the outsider here. Everyone else can easily pause or cancel your project. The more you know about what motivates them and the more you show your support, the better. You’re at their mercy! Show them how your ideas will make their jobs easier, even if it will save their company millions in the process! With each new person you meet, start from scratch. You can’t assume that everyone has already been briefed. Write everything down, keep it all on the same email thread, and pray! Corporate blockage (which we sometimes call ‘corporate constipation’ because everything’s stuck) will break down eventually, and with due diligence, persistence, and briefing, things will move smoothly again!

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

 

 

 

 

Categories
Marketing Personal Development

In your clients own words

NYC Branded Lifestyle Portraits Speaker Consultant Lou Diamond working on computer

Stop talking and let those you serve speak on your behalf.

So, I have this problem where I like to talk a lot, especially about the work I do with speakers, authors, and other expert-based businesses.

I get very excited, the sweat starts going, the cursing gets ramped up and my hands start to flail around like they have a mind of their own.

I sometimes have to catch myself, but never do. 

It’s because I love talking about visual storytelling and lifestyle portraiture – it’s in my blood and wholeheartedly believe every word I say. 

Although I understand that sharing this level of passion for the services I provide my clients is important, I also understand that my words alone are not enough to pique people’s interest in hiring me for my specialized help.

They need to hear from people who’ve experienced the process. 

They need to hear from people who were in their shoes and have come out on the other side much better off for the experience working with you.

For many years, I was under the impression that the work I created with clients speaks for itself.

Guess what?

It doesn’t.

Although a picture is worth a thousand words, it never opens its mouth to share them. 

That’s why I provide space for my clients to do so…

…and so should you!

Whether in written, audio-only or in video format, sharing your client’s thoughts on how you helped them with some aspect of their business is an extremely effective way for you to gain the attention of those who need you most. 

In addition to it representing social proof, these testimonials provide your audience an opportunity to put themselves in the shoes of the person whose life and business has improved as a direct result of your products, services, and specialized attention. 

This helps create a direct connection between you and your audience, which goes a long way to developing a deeper connection and trust. 

Once you gain their trust, that’s when these audience members become paid clients who buy your book, attend your workshops and sign up for your online training programs. 

BEFORE YOU SOLICIT OLD CLIENTS FOR TESTIMONIALS…

Keep one important point in mind:

These testimonials are not for you. 

They’re for those who read them so they can understand how you solve people’s points of friction in their businesses and lives.

Please don’t simply ask them to write a sentence or two about how amazing you are! 

This isn’t enough. 

What your audience wants to know is why the experience was amazing. And it’s your job to guide your clients when they’re crafting these testimonials to do just that.

GIVE THEM TESTIMONIAL QUESTIONS

When I first started sending out a list of questions to my clients, I felt very uncomfortable about it. I felt that it was a burden.

But then I started reading the testimonials I received and realized that this exactly what was needed in order to paint the full picture of the experience. 

In addition, I received a few thank you’s from those who leveraged the questions to create the testimonial because it made their lives easier.

They didn’t need to guesstimate what I wanted them to talk about – they simply answered the questions, combined them into several paragraphs and posted it to my LinkedIn page.

Done.

FORMAT FOR CREATING TESTIMONIAL QUESTIONS

Everyone has their own way of communicating and sensibilities, so, rather than talk about how you word your questions, I feel it’s more valuable to talk about the types of questions that need to appear in your testimonial request.

Remember, it’s not a blurb of how amazing you are.

It’s a story that shares the value of how you positively affected someone’s life and business. 

Here’s how you can set up that story.

TESTIMONIAL QUESTION 1 – WHERE WERE YOU IN YOUR BUSINESS THAT YOU NEEDED TO CONTACT ME?

This is an extremely important question for your clients to answer. This is the entry point for those reading to start relating themselves to this person. 

This question fleshes out your testimonial clients initial points of friction that necessitated them booking a call with you.  Either the reader has the exact same friction in their life, or they can relate to it.

And this is exactly what you want. 

You want the reader to compare themselves to your testimonial client. While this question elicits an answer that’s all about their pain, there’s a happy ending to this story. 

Allow readers to envision themselves experiencing that same happy ending. 

TESTIMONIAL QUESTION 2 – DESCRIBE THE EXPERIENCE

Allow your testimonial client to share all of the juicy goodness that represents working with you.

Now this could actually be fleshed out through a series of questions that each focus on one particular aspect of your service, depending on how you structure your service offerings.

Make sure to allow your testimonial clients to highlight specific aspects of their experience through the questions you offer.

For example, don’t assume they will talk about how the on-boarding process set them up for success if you don’t specifically ask them to talk about it. 

Remember, you have options if an answer isn’t forthcoming or shaped in the way that you want.

One, you can ask them to elaborate on what they’ve written or two, you can strike it from the testimonial altogether.

But don’t assume anything.

TESTIMONIAL QUESTION 3 – WHAT VALUE DID YOU RECEIVE FROM THE WORK WE DID TOGETHER?

Value has many meanings.

If you don’t offer questions that lead your testimonial clients down a path that describes the value you want prospects to know about, you’re running the risk of having them leave the good stuff out.

Questions that touch not only the quality of deliverables, but the empowerment that they feel now that they’re on the other side of working with you are also essential to offer. 

Remember – people don’t make buying decisions based on what they think – they base it on how they feel. If you create testimonials that touch on both, then you’re creating powerful marketing assets that get attention.

So, that’s pretty much it.

All you need are three types of questions and that will tell an effective story on your behalf. 

At the end of the day, these testimonials validate you in a way that you simply cannot do for yourself. 

It takes a little extra work and prodding of your past clients.

But, when potential clients consume these testimonials, the juice is worth the squeeze.

And, oh by the way, they’ll put a smile on your face, too, 🙂

 

John DeMato is a NYC branded lifestyle portrait photographer and storytelling strategist who serves speakers, authors, coaches and high-level entrepreneurs across the country. His 50+ page e-book, S.H.A.R.E. M.A.G.I.C.A.L. I.D.E.A.S., lays out the how, what and why behind creating a memorable and referable online presence – sign up to get your FREE copy today.

Categories
Best Practices Entrepreneurship Health and Wellness Industries Technology

The Cybersecurity of Healthcare

Prior to 1992, the thought of cyberwar, cybersecurity and hacking was predominantly constrained to Hollywood fantasy. Fast-forward to present times, when connectivity is commonplace, and the level of data breaches and hacking has become horrifyingly real.

The reality is that every day, our data is used or even copied, often without us knowing. As a generation that willfully inputs their information on multiple websites, we seem to concern ourselves less with the concept of cybersecurity until disaster strikes.

Trust Must Be Earned

In contrast to not fully considering the importance of cybersecurity, we greatly consider our trust in a company with our data, like our bank, our hospital, our insurance companies, our primary retailer or even the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). We’re quick to assume that if they ask for our sensitive information, they must be taking security measures to prevent that data from being leaked into the wrong hands.

We can never be too sure that a company or even the whole industry is up to the cybersecurity standards that must be utilized in today’s ever-changing digital world. Shockingly, one large industry that suffers financially from data breaches and hacking is the healthcare industry.

Generally, one would think that healthcare and all the sensitive data involved should be buttoned up pretty tightly, but it is quite the contrary. The overall cost of a healthcare breach is about $408 per patient record, not including the loss of business, productivity, and reputation of the entity involved.

Annually, the healthcare industry sees $5 billion in costs to correct data breaches, hacking and all-around poor cybersecurity measures. In addition to the cost to find a solution to these errors, healthcare entities are being fined by the Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights, sometimes as much as $28 million annually.

Why So Costly?

The steepness of these fines is the result of a lack of preventative measures. The severity of a data breach in the healthcare industry is immense, where once the damage is done, it is essentially permanent. So, who is responsible once a patient’s records have been breached, and what are the repercussions of this? Financial penalties are prevalent; however, what about breached trust? Is there permanent damage between the patient and the entity?

If a customer goes to a local store and the customer’s data is stolen, the trust the customer had is almost instantly gone, like in Target’s hacking issue, where customers ultimately boycotted shopping there as a result.

Now imagine going to your doctor about personal medical issues, only to be contacted later in the week about how all your personal information is in someone else’s hands now. You would feel incredibly violated and likely wonder if even your doctor was the reason it got out.

Hacking a School

Hackers traditionally target industries with a lot of data and very little security. School districts are examples of this in recent years, the reason being the lack of funds and tight budgets they have to spend on internal cybersecurity.

In contrast, the healthcare industry has a much larger budget in all capacities, making it questionable as to why they seem to be behind the ball. How can a hospital better anticipate what’s to come by realizing the Hard Trend of cyberattacks and pre-solve problems before they occur?

Finding a Solution in Anticipation

A cyber-risk assessment is an option, with many hospitals using a more cost-effective outside vendor to do the job. Preventing cybercrimes is a 24-hour-a-day venture with criminals pinging systems thousands of times a day, so it would greatly benefit healthcare entities to outsource this responsibility to a company with the capacity to monitor security around the clock.

As an entrepreneur, it is safe to assume that cyberattacks on sensitive data hubs in healthcare are a Hard Trend, with the cybersecurity market for healthcare being a burgeoning one with a greater purpose. But if cybersecurity is not your passion, cyber insurance is another option, where covered entities must conduct a thorough assessment of the threats and vulnerabilities, implement reduction measures, and ensure that any vendor or organization handling private health information is security compliant.

Both criminally savvy individuals and the rapid advancement of digital technology are Hard Trends; therefore, healthcare companies and outside entrepreneurs alike should pre-solve future problems before they become disastrous and use their anticipatory mindsets to help move the healthcare industry safely forward.

If you would like a free perimeter test to check for vulnerabilities in your cybersecurity defense system, please contact us. We have identified best-in-class cyber testing companies that will provide the results of their tests and recommend immediate actions that can be taken to stop any uncovered leaks in your system. 

Ask for your free perimeter test at: https://www.burrus.com/contact-us/