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Month: May 2020

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Marketing Personal Development

5 Reasons “Webinars Won’t Work For Me”

We’re just coming off yesterdays’ High Fee Webinars masterclass.

If you missed it, the limited-time replay is waiting for you here.

Over the years, I’ve heard all kinds of misguided excuses why webinars “won’t work” for some experts.

Here are the myths and truths behind five reasons consultants, experts, speakers, and coaches shy away from webinars – but should embrace them:

1. I don’t have my marketing house in order: What people don’t realize is that a well-designed, high-converting webinar IS a self-contained marketing vehicle. You don’t need a fancy website. You don’t need a slick sales page, you don’t need anything other than a sharply focused webinar that solves a specific problem for a specific set of people, and then a compelling offer to help them.

2. I don’t know what I’d teach that others would want to learn: That is easily figure-out-able. Using some basic internet research and doing a “listening campaign” in the specific online groups, forums, and communities, where your target market hangs out, will give you a ton of intelligence on what the hot button topics, key questions, and big problem areas are. Build your webinar around THOSE, and you win.

3. I don’t have a big list: Of course you don’t – and that’s one of the problems that a well-designed webinar can solve. Webinars are the #1 list-building and lead generation tool. I didn’t have a big list when I started doing webinars, either – in fact; webinars GREW my list by about 250%. Side note: “big” doesn’t mean a whole lot if they’re the wrong people. I’d rather have 100 super-relevant leads in my database from a webinar than 10,000 random emails of strangers.

4. I’m not ready/ good enough / smart enough: Don’t worry – there are plenty of idiots doing webinars and making a killing :o) Seriously, this is called the “impostor” syndrome, and all the wrong people have it. The problem is, the intelligent, caring, helpful experts are filled with doubt — and the shysters, phonies, and goofballs are filled with confidence. We need to switch that around. The fact is, you’ll always deliver the MOST value with what comes easily to you but is difficult for others. Just because YOU know it, don’t assume it’s common knowledge. Most likely, it is not.

5. I don’t know where to begin with the tech: Doing a webinar today is much easier and streamlined than it was even a few years ago. You don’t need to be a propeller-head geek to get all the moving parts working. Using simple online tools to create your landing pages, slides, your webinar platform itself, and your email series, this is within reach for most experts whether they have a virtual assistant or not. Some folks do it themselves. Others delegate the tech to a VA or someone on their team. Bottom line: Do not let the tech stop you from using one of the most powerful marketing tools in your toolkit.

To get the full scoop on how to develop, deliver, and monetize a high-fee webinar, watch this replay right now.

The replay could transform your business and your revenue for the rest of 2020 and beyond with more leads, better prospects, and bigger sales – NOT in spite of the current crisis – but BECAUSE of it. Don’t miss out. Grab the replay right here >>>

Are you already getting paid well for coaching, 1-1 consulting, or mentoring? Great! Then these high-fee webinar strategies are even closer than you think to skyrocket your income. Let’s make that happen for you, shall we? The link to do so is right here.

Categories
Negotiations Operations Sales Skills Women In Business

“This Is Why You Should Be Aware Of Anxiety Signs” – Negotiation Insight

 

“Anxiety can be food for motivation. It can also be the liquor of despair.” -Greg Williams, The Master Negotiator & Body Language Expert  (Click to Tweet)

Click to get the book!

 

 

“This Is Why You Should Be Aware Of Anxiety Signs”

 

“People don’t realize; they’re always negotiating.”

 

He yelled at the top of his voice, “I’m not going to take this anymore!” To which the other negotiators that were at the table looked in amazement and said, “gosh, all we said was, good morning.” That’s a little tongue-in-cheek. But I point it out to highlight what can occur when anxiety besets you in your negotiation.

Since you’re always negotiating, anxiety affects the interactions you have with other people. And that’s the reason you should be aware of the signs that indicate the rise of uneasiness in you and others. It can create a mindset that undermines the activities you and they engage in, which can lead to diminished outcomes, leading to a state of depression. And you don’t want that to happen to you, do you?

The following are signs that signal anxiety and what you can do to beat-back its attempts to wreak havoc on your opportunities.

 

Anxiety Challenges

Yes, it’s true. Anxiety can fuel your efforts. But too much tension is like being overly caffeinated. It can be the cause of your lack of proper functioning. You may have heard about performance anxiety. It relates to worrying about whether you’ll be able to perform so much that your performance becomes hampered.

Suffice it to say, when you sense the signs of anxiety, initiate controlling factors to reckon with it. That will allow your early warning system to gear up to determine how you’ll respond to what you’re experiencing. It’ll also put you in a heightened state of preparedness to control the direction you’ll take anxiety in, and not the uncontrolled path that it might take you.

 

Mental Anxiety

  • The psychological, mental manipulation that occurs in the mind of someone experiencing anxiety can lead that person to misperceive the intent of other people. And that can lead to a lack of trust, which can lead that individual into believing he doesn’t fit into some environments. That perception can destroy relationships, which might decrease future opportunities.

 

  • Misperception of reality can be a side effect of mental anxiety. That condition can cause the person afflicted by it to imagine an unrealistic perspective of what’s occurring in his environment.

 

  • Stress and mental anxiety are associates that feed one another. That’s to say, fear, a stimulant of anxiety, feeds nervousness. And that fuel feeds stress. Thus, another benefit of controlling anxiety is the benefit that stems from less pressure, less strain, and less tension.

 

Sleep Problems

How do you feel when you’re sleep-deprived, groggy, irritable, short-tempered, tired? Do you consider how that will affect that day’s activities? Sleep deprivation can be the cause of negative thought processes. It can also enhance the degree of angst you experience, which is another reason you must be vigilant of the signs that announce anxiety’s arrival. Thus, forsaking good sleep habits exposes you to more stress, which leads to more anxiety.

 

Concentration Difficulties

“I can’t focus! And that’s bothering me.” Many people have spoken those words. Those that did were expressing their bouts with concentration. I’m sure you’ve made such comments. Because a lack of focus has most likely happened to you more than once in your life. Slow cognitive abilities, due to a lack of concentration, can be a sign that anxiety is belaboring you. It can also be the driver that takes you deeper into a state of fear, dread, and despair.

When you experience a lack of concentration, examine the signs that led to it. Thoughts to consider are, did it occur due to sleep deprivation, an overload of activities, the feeling you don’t measure up in your environment. You can’t solve a problem if you don’t know the source of it. Thus, identifying its source gives you insight into what to address. That alone should begin to decrease your lack of focus because you’ll have the awareness needed to correct the situation.

 

Excessive Worrying

He told his 45-year-old daughter that she should address a different course of action to remain safe. She rebuffed him by stating that she’d exercise caution. But that didn’t decrease the dread he felt for her safety. She attempted to reassure him again with her statement. But it only added to his anxiety because he could not stop the strangling thoughts that stifled his mind. One thing led to another, and father and daughter agreed to decrease the conversations they had with each other. The thought being, if the father didn’t know about his daughter’s activities, he wouldn’t worry about her because he’d be unaware of what she was doing.

Do you find yourself obsessing over aspects of your life, due to events that you can’t control? When do you feel besieged by problems? Do you note when it occurs, versus when it doesn’t? It’s essential to make and be aware of that assessment. Because, as already stated, by identifying when any form of negativity occurs, you have a better chance to address it before it becomes more uncontrollable. Be kind to your mind. Note the signs that indicate excessive worrying. Release the unnecessary pressures that build on you. To lead a more fulfilled life, remove the mental weights that weigh you down.

 

Reflection

When addressing signs of anxiety, first, recognize those signs exist. Then, you can begin to address them. And, to alter your perspective of something you see as overwhelming, consider looking at its less significant parts versus its whole.

Addressing smaller segments of a challenge allows you to see yourself making progress. That should motivate you to tackle the next aspect of it. The implementation of this tactic will lower your anxiety, which should allow you to drive forward faster with a less cluttered mind. 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 “Negotiation Insight” click here https://www.themasternegotiator.com/greg-williams/

 

Categories
Negotiations Sales Women In Business

“How To Avoid Risky Anchoring Mistakes In A Negotiation” – Negotiation Tip of the Week

“To prevent mistakes from slowing your negotiation, place your anchors carefully.” -Greg Williams, The Master Negotiator & Body Language Expert (Click to Tweet)     Click to get the book!

 

“How To Avoid Risky Anchoring Mistakes In A Negotiation”

 

 

“People don’t realize; they’re always negotiating!”

 

He entered the negotiation and informed the other negotiator that his best offer was $10,000. The other negotiator said, “sorry, the asking price is $75,000 – we’re too far apart to continue unless you’d like to make a reasonable offer.”

With that, both negotiators had anchored the negotiation. And one of them wondered to himself if he’d made a mistake. He questioned whether he’d just placed himself in a position to swim in quicksand. Continue, and you’ll find out why he had that thought.

 

How Anchoring Works

Anchoring is a negotiation maneuver that negotiators use to set the expectations of the other party. That’s its sole purpose – to set guidelines in which aspects of the negotiation will occur. By establishing those standards, negotiators create boundaries in which the negotiators will haggle.

 

What Makes Anchoring Risky

Some negotiators are not aware of what they should offer, how to make counteroffers, or how to position themselves. And since they’re not sure of what they might encounter from the other negotiator, that negotiator doesn’t know which tactics to employ. That uncertainty sets him up to become maneuvered. And anchoring is the factor that determines the degree that he might become maneuvered.

When a negotiator invokes anchoring, he sets a proverbial marker in place. And that marker establishes a boundary. While it can be artificial, for the time it exists, it defines an aspect in which the negotiation will occur. And not until one of the negotiators makes an offer are new boundaries set. But the interaction that goes into reframing those boundaries is what can determine the flow and outcome of the negotiation. Thus, negotiators must always be cautious about the anchoring techniques they use in their attempt to control the interaction and actions of the other negotiator.

In the opening dialogue between our negotiators, one made the initial offer of $10,000. The statement, “we’re too far apart to continue unless you’d like to make a reasonable offer,” rebuked him. Embedded in that response was, your offer is ridiculously out of bounds, get serious. The statement also risked initiating bruised feelings, which can have negative implications for the negotiation going forward.

Suffice it to say. Anchoring occurs naturally as the result of the offers exchanged between negotiators. But the way someone makes an offer determines how well the negotiators will engage one another. Do that incorrectly, and a mistake will occur that will impact the outcome of the negotiation.

 

Anchoring Quicksand

The challenge that makes anchoring dicey is the boundaries it sets and the emotions it can evoke. There are many nonverbal signals conveyed in the offer made to anchor the opposing negotiator. Some messages can create the impression that a negotiator lacks seriousness or one in which he feels the other negotiator views him as being ‘less than’ capable of ‘playing’ in an environment. He might imply that as stating, that he’s not ready for the big leagues – come back when that changes. From there, bruised feelings must be attended, which incorporates an entirely new set of challenges.

The other challenge with anchoring is, if your initial request is too high, you run the risk of not getting an offer. If it’s perceived to be too low, others may question the validity of your offer’s value, or you may leave an opportunity on the table. In both situations, you’ve harmed your negotiation efforts. Thus, before extending an offer, be mindful of the position the offer will place you in as you engage the other negotiator. Because, even if you back away from your initial anchor offer, which is what occurs in most negotiations, you’ll have to do so in a manner that doesn’t place you in an unfavorable position from which to continue your efforts.

 

Anchoring Attempts To Be Mindful Of

  • Concealed – I’m going to be fair with you. Will you do the same for me? An attempt to anchor one negotiator to the perspective of fairness became initiated. Since no one defined ‘fair,’ a concealed message resided in it. While the request can convey sentiments of being open-minded, it can also transmit other thoughts. When a negotiator makes a statement about being fair or any nebulous appeal, question the exact meaning they’re applying to their request. In so doing, you’ll have a greater understanding of what that person is requesting and to what degree you can agree to it.

 

  • Backdoor – This type of anchoring ploy is employed when a deal is close at hand, and one of the negotiators makes a statement such as, “I just remembered, I’m not allowed to exceed the limit of your offer. I need the authorization from my superior to meet your request. And that might take days, weeks, or months.”

An emotional game has occurred in that situation. One negotiator thought the deal was in the process of being consummated and whoosh, it disappeared before his very eyes. That can be the mental shove that causes that negotiator to make concessions to avoid the timeframe it would take to get the deal approved. If you’re the negotiator that’s being maneuvered by this ploy, don’t make an initial concession. Probe by asking questions about how the other negotiator forgot his limit, why you should believe that he’d have authority to conclude an agreed-upon outcome, etc. You need to put that person on the spot to prevent him from using the same tactic again. Plus, you must display through your actions that you will not blindly accept an excuse that may be flimsy or a tactic he’s using.

 

Reflection

Mistakes naturally occur in negotiations due to anchoring misperceptions and their application. To reduce the conflicts that such mistakes can have in your negotiation, consider how you’ll use anchoring and the possible impact it’ll have throughout the talks. Yes, negotiators make mistakes in their negotiations, but anchoring doesn’t have to be one of them. By controlling how you employ anchoring, you’ll enhance your negotiation efforts. 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 “Negotiation Insight” click here https://www.themasternegotiator.com/greg-williams/

 

 

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Categories
Economics Growth Leadership Personal Development

Why do you think pilots train with simulators?

The answer to this question is so simple but true. Pilots train on simulators so they can make mistakes in a risk-free environment and not die.

I believe it is the same for Business Leaders. Our simulations use an engaging board-based format to simulate a company that participants are required to manage and operate as a team. Participants increase their business acumen by experiencing business flow, functional interrelationships, and how making a decision in one area has a ripple effect across the entire business—which eventually impacts the bottom line.

During the simulation, participants are challenged by realistic scenarios that require them to evaluate business situations, apply sound decision-making, analyze the results, and learn from the conclusions drawn.

Click HERE to learn more. We would love to help

Categories
Best Practices Entrepreneurship Leadership Personal Development

9 Reasons Good People Fail

I was browsing through my ebook edition of Napoleon Hill’s Think and Grow Rich and this particular passage jumped out at me.

I thought you should see it.

Let me know what you think.

9 Reasons People Fail

1. Lack of well‐defined purpose in life. There is no hope of success for the person who does not have a central purpose, or definite goal at which to aim. Ninety‐eight out of every hundred of those whom I have analyzed had no such aim. Perhaps this was the major cause of their failure.

2. Lack of ambition to aim above mediocrity. We offer no hope for the person who is so indifferent as not to want to get ahead in life, and who is not willing to pay the price.

3. Lack of self‐discipline. Discipline comes through self‐control. This means that one must control all negative qualities. Before you can control conditions, you must first control yourself. Self‐mastery is the hardest job you will ever tackle. If you do not conquer self, you will be conquered by self. You may see at one and the same time both your best friend and your greatest enemy, by stepping in front of a mirror.

4. Procrastination. This is one of the most common causes of failure. “Old Man Procrastination” stands within the shadow of every human being, waiting his opportunity to spoil one’s chances of success. Most of us go through life as failures, because we are waiting for the “time to be right” to start doing something worthwhile. Do not wait. The time will never be “just right.” Start where you stand, and work with whatever tools you may have at your command, and better tools will be found as you go along.

5. Lack of persistence. Most of us are good “starters” but poor “finishers” of everything we begin, moreover, people are prone to give up at the first signs of defeat. There is no substitute of persistence. The person, who makes persistence his watchword, discovers that “Old Man Failure” finally becomes tired, and makes his departure. Failure cannot cope with persistence.

6. Negative personality. There is no hope of success for the person who repels people through a negative personality. Success comes through the application of power, and power is attained through the cooperative efforts of other people. A negative personality will not induce cooperation.

7. Lack of a well‐defined power of decision. Men who succeed reach decisions promptly, and change them, if at all, very slowly. Men who fail to reach decisions, if at all, very slowly, and change them frequently, and quickly. Indecision and procrastination are twin brothers. Where one is found, the other may usually be found also. Kill off this pair before they completely “hog‐tie” you to the treadmill of failure.

8. Over‐caution. The person who takes no chances generally has to take whatever is left when others are through choosing. Over‐caution is as bad as under‐caution. Both are extremes to be guarded against. Life itself is filled with the element of chance.

9. Wrong selection of associates in business. This is one of the most common causes of failure in business. In marketing personal services, one should use great care to select an employer who will be an inspiration, and who is, himself, intelligent and successful. We emulate those with whom we associate most closely. Pick an employer who is worth emulating.

Have you read Think and Grow Rich? If not, grab a copy and read it. If yes, read it again.

Categories
Best Practices Economics Growth Leadership Personal Development

Learn about your customer’s business

Some of the best sales professionals I ever met demonstrate a strong combination a business acumen and influencing capabilities.

For the business acumen part, I asked a Senior Partner at one of my clients how did he learn about the industry, and his answer was – “With a Business Simulation Experience”. Through an Industry Business Simulation, participants:
• Understand the interdependencies in the industry ecosystem and how key players create value and influence one another
• Inhabit the executive mindset, understand industry terminology and how the industry sector business is run
• Articulate the key strategic priorities, financial levers, and challenges facing the industry
• Identify the critical decisions made on a day-to-day basis, the inputs, outputs, impacts & implications of those decisions, and how market changes implicate decision making
• Engage in informed discussions about the industry with a true appreciation of the business and a point of view on how and why market trends impact the industry sector ecosystem
• Develop an action plan to apply the knowledge and capabilities back on the job and drive results

Click HERE to learn more

Categories
Economics Growth Personal Development

Want to Win in Business? Test your Strategic choices with a Simulation

My former employer, BTS pioneered the use of business simulations for strategy alignment since the company was founded in 1986. Since then, they have developed more than half a million leaders in this space. They have built hundreds of simulation and experiential learning solutions for virtually all industries, which means that we have deep and varied industry expertise across our 1,000 full-time professionals.

Some of our current clients include: IBM, Microsoft, GE, Salesforce, SAP, Citi, Fidelity, JP Morgan, Unilever, LG, Coca-Cola, and others.

Why all this background? As a Hero Club Member, I would love to share this content with fellow members. Winning in Business is a powerful, flexible, 3- to 4-hour digital solution that puts users in the driver’s seat of a virtual company. In the simulation, users compete to construct and run the most profitable and sustainable company in an evolving marketplace. Over the course of 3 simulated years, users must plan for and respond to a variety of events and external pressures.

Click HERE to learn more and get a free demo of this amazing business simulation.

Categories
Growth Investing Personal Development

The Sweet Spot of Pricing

Expectation bias is a term used in behavioral economics; the academic field that covers how we as humans make our decisions, and in particular, how we make our purchase decisions. Expectation bias is a human trait and something that is innate within all of us. I have it. You have it, and most importantly, all your customers have it, too. Expectation bias works in a couple of ways; here is how.

If the price the buyer is presented with, at the point of purchase, is (substantially) higher than the buyer initially expected, then no purchase will occur. Conversely, if the price is (much) lower than the buyer initially expected, then the buyer will have doubts as to whether the product or service will provide sufficient benefit to justify the (low) price. This means that setting the right price for your product(s) or service(s) is a balancing act; not too high and not too low, but just right. It is important to hit the “sweet spot” with your pricing strategy. These price points where the price is deemed to be too high or too low is based on every individual buyers’ circumstances; everything from access to sufficient funds to prior experience with the brand (as a purchaser and user), to how badly the buyer desires your product(s) or service(s). However, since many of today’s buyers have shared experiences, have similar circumstances, and are influenced by the same type of sources of influence, then there will be a price point where most buyers will congregate around—that is the “sweet spot” that you are aiming for. This is the price where the maximum number of potential buyers say that the price itself becomes a message of adequate quality and/or benefit to the buyer, and the minimum number of buyers say that the price is too high. This is the price that will generate the highest sales volume for you. 

The price we pay for a product or service will also affect the benefit we expect to receive from the product or service; if the price is low, then we do not expect such a high-quality product or service and we will view the product or service has having little potential benefit; if the price is high, we automatically expect a very high-quality product or service as well as numerous benefits attached to that product or service. Although, the benefit we expect is often firmly established in our heads, but does not always match the reality of the product or service in question. A common experiment within behavioral economics is to have consumers that are in some kind of pain purchase pain medication. The effectiveness of the pain medication they purchase is then directly correlated to the price that these people pay. Or to summarize this type of behavioral experiment: a 5-cent aspirin is not nearly as effective as a 50-cent aspirin, as the 5-cent aspirin would be seen as having inferior quality and effectiveness compared to the 50-cent aspirin. Similar experiments have been done with wine; researchers put individuals in an MRI machine and examined how the brain’s pleasure center lights up, or not, based on what the subjects were told about the price of each bottle of wine that they sampled. They were served two different kinds of wine. One was a $6-bottle of wine and the other a $60-bottle of wine. When the subjects drank the $6-bottle of wine and were then told that it was a $6-bottle of wine, the brain’s pleasure centers did not light up. On the other hand, when they were told the wine they had just drunk was a $60-bottle of wine, the brain’s pleasure center lit up consistently! Conversely, when subjects drank from a $60-bottle of wine and were then told that it was a $6-bottle of wine, no pleasure was registered. Overall, the conclusions taken from these experiments is that the benefits we receive from a product or a service are directly correlated to the price that we paid for it. 

Companies who sell a product or service where the resulting benefit cannot, with 100% certainty, be measured, can then leverage expectation bias to gain much higher sales, often at higher prices at the same time as their customers’ satisfaction level is increased. (If you think about it, there are many products or services where the benefit the buyer gets cannot be directly measured.) In order to achieve this multipronged goal, it becomes paramount for you to be able to fully understand the willingness to pay among your buyers in a specific market. This can be done through price-specific, online market research that specifically measures the monetary value customers associate with your company’s product(s) or service(s). In such market research, respondents during an online survey will be asked a series of questions that, when the answers are subjected to statistical analysis, will accurately provide you with important and highly relevant information pertaining to what your buyers are willing to pay for your product or service, within a specified market that your business is engaged in. 

This, however, is just the first step. A very important step none the less. 

To further understand how it is possible to increase your sales at higher prices, the willingness to pay measurement must in turn be segmented. In great detail. What this means is that the willingness to pay data from respondents with the same preferences for your product or service features, benefits, or even marketing message preferences are grouped together and then willingness to pay for each (segmented) group is analyzed and contrasted with the other groups from the survey. The results taken from this in-depth analysis will mean that your business will be further enlightened and will better understand what features, functions, and benefits that generates a higher willingness to pay compared to other features, functions and benefits that your business offers. Also, you will see what specific marketing messages and sales channels will drive a higher willingness to pay for your product or service. These results will also show you what kind of buyer and what circumstance around them will affect their willingness to pay, which they take into consideration before potentially purchasing your product or service. As a further example, think about how a different circumstance may affect willingness to pay, consider a commodity like gas, for instance. If your gas tank is nearly empty and you are on the way to the hospital with your sick child, your willingness to pay to fill up with gas is likely higher than if you were visiting your in-laws, with a fully-healthy family!

So, in closing, in-depth understanding of a market’s willingness to pay and being segmented both by-product or service features and also taking into account the unique variables attached to each buyers’ profiles will enables your business to target potential buyers better, to optimize your market strategy better and to get your pricing strategy better, so that you hit the “sweet spot” for yourself and your customers. Having done all this, it will all lead to your ability to increase sales at higher prices for your products and services. 

Per Sjöfors
Founder
Sjofors & Partners
www.sjofors.com

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

“Do You Know Why Anxiety Signs Signal Direct Danger” – Negotiation Insight

“Anxiety can lead to danger. And like EXIT is within anxiety, exiting anxiety is how to avoid danger.” -Greg Williams, The Master Negotiator & Body Language Expert (Click to Tweet)

 

Click to get the book!

 

“Do You Know Why Anxiety Signs Signal Direct Danger”

 

No matter your environment, your mental strength, or discipline, pay attention to your anxiety levels – because they can debilitate you! Anxiety can turn a happy person into one haunted by despair.

Make no mistake; anxiety is serious and something of which to be mindful. The following are signs that you should be aware of and why it matters to your wellbeing. Please do not go sheepishly into the night, thinking you’re immune from anxiety. Heed these warnings!

 

Signs of Anxiety

Frequent sighing – Frequently sighing can be the announcer of anxiety’s arrival. When you find yourself committing this act, note it. And identify why it’s occurring.

Feeling besieged – When you feel the walls closing in, that can be the sensation of a smothering environment. It can also be another sign that you’re sensing or experiencing anxiety.

Frequent disputes with others, for whatever reasons, but in particular, because they don’t view things the way you do, can lead to or instigate anxiety. Be aware when you’re in such environments.

Perceived time pressures – When you feel the pressures of addressing activities building on you, realize where such pressures may lead. And understand, by thinking about all of those activities, you’re adding to, not deleting from, your stress quotient.

The anticipation of coming events – Smart people prepare for the future. They do so by engaging in actions today that’ll get them closer to tomorrow’s goals. And sometimes, when smart people think about activities they’ll have to participate in, they become stressed from the anticipation of those events.

When I was a child, my grandmother told me not to borrow trouble. Which meant, prepare for the future, but don’t let thoughts of your inadequacies trouble you in the present time. When you control your mind, you control your thoughts. I never forgot my grandmother’s sage advice. I offer it to you for your guidance.

 

Why It’s Important To Control Anxiety

Anxiety leads to mental anguish, which alters your perspective about people. That can lead to a lack of tolerance for those that you might otherwise admire.

It’s a gateway to depression, which can decrease your mental abilities per how you interpret situations around you and your circumstances.

It decreases your degree of patience with yourself and others.

Mental exhaustion can come from anxiety.

And it can induce an altered perspective of reality, which can deter you from addressing your goals and team activities.

 

Ways To Combat Anxiety

Precursor

Be prepared to confront anxiety by thinking how you’ll offset it when it occurs. Which means you must identify it the moment it happens. Then note where it’s leading you. To do that, observe your emotional and physical feelings. You may experience a sense of quickened emotions, due to the perception of activities colliding that need your attention. You may even note your anxiety in your pace of speech, stammering, or in the way you’re breathing. All are signs to observe because they’re signals that you’re walking into a darkened state indicating the possibility of mental debilitation.

 

Control

To combat anxiety, think about what you can control. If aspects creating the stress stems from activities you can’t control, accept that fact, if only for the moment. Do other things to take your mind off what’s creating anxiety – play games – watch a movie – meditate – do something to relieve the pressure that’s building inside of you. The point is, don’t allow stress to enter your domain because you’re concerned about activities you can’t control.

 

Sources of Input

Be aware of the source of your information and the credibility you lend to it. Some people view sources as being highly valid, while others may see them as peddling fake news. Thus, if surrounding individuals hold contrary opinions to yours, your interactions with them may lead to heighten differences of beliefs. And that can serve as a point of escalation that leads to more anxiety within you. Therefore, to better control yourself, control the environment you’re in, and what you allow that environment to implant in your mind.

 

Think Through It

Think about the lessons you’ll learn and how those insights will be beneficial to you in the future. Imagine being on the other side of what’s causing your anxiety. It can be challenging to imagine happy times when you’re in the throes of despair. But like the current situation that may be causing you angst, this too will pass.

 

Have Fun

When you’re in a state of stress, thinking about having fun can be the furthest thought in your mind. But that’s what you should consider doing. Having fun, laughing, thinking positive thoughts, will lift the angst of anxiety off you. Even if it only does so for the moments you’re engaged in those happy activities, the bombardment occurring against your mind will decrease. And that will allow you a respite from the anxiety that’s bombarding you.

Reflection

Sometimes uncertainty spreads faster than reality, which can increase your degree of stress that leads to danger. Whether you’re in a negotiation or thinking about one, anxiety will hurt you mentally by overburdening your mind. And that additional tax can lead to more stress, which will cause you not to think clearly. And doing that could lead to disastrous results, no matter what activity you’re engaging.

Thus, always strive to reduce anxiety as soon as you recognize its signs. Doing so will allow you to avoid danger. 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 “Negotiation Insight” click here https://www.themasternegotiator.com/greg-williams/

 

 

Categories
Entrepreneurship Management Negotiations Operations Sales Skills Women In Business

“Negotiator – Do Not Be Fooled By These Amazing Mind Games” – Negotiation Tip of the Week

“Mind games can lead you astray if you don’t control the games your mind plays.” -Greg Williams, The Master Negotiator & Body Language Expert (Click to Tweet)

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Negotiator – Do Not Be Fooled By These Amazing Mind Games”

 

When do you fall prey to a negotiator’s mind game? An associate wanted to invest in computer software that would enhance his small business operation. He did his research and found a service to purchase. When he saw the offer, it said, “save $30 off of the yearly subscription.” The price was $159. He got busy and forgot to make the purchase. When he went back the following week, the cost was $189. And it had a red slash through a price indicating, “normally $229.”

What happened? A mind game, known as negotiation jujitsu, had just been perpetrated on the associate. It’s a maneuver a negotiator uses to alter the perceived value of an item to increase your desire to have it.

Some people are motivated by gain. But more people are driven by the fear of losing something. So, when a negotiator attempts to use one of the following tactics against you, understand what he’s doing. And don’t be fooled by the mind games he employs to manipulate your mind.

 

Authority Figure

If a negotiator knows you follow a particular authority figure, he may attempt to sway your perspective by invoking that figure. The effort might go something like, “you know that Mr. X uses this product, right? So, if it’s good enough for him, I’m sure you’ll agree that it’s right for you, right?”

While he may place his suggestions in the form of questions, he may also state them as facts, depending on which way he believes you’ll become swayed the most. The point is, you must prepare yourself for either. By doing so, you’ll insulate yourself better to combat this ploy.

 

Vanity

“Oh, my goodness! You look great in that. I can see heads turning to look at you. You’ll be the envy of your peers!” This ploy attempts to stoke your vanity. And, it’s usually successful when employed against someone seeking to have his ego stroked.

Everyone likes to receive compliments. What you must weigh is the sincerity of the praise. Since there’s no inherent cash value applied to vanity, only allow it to factor into your decision proposition when it adds value to the outcome. Otherwise, keep it in check when making your decisions.

 

Simple Mind Games

Scarcity – only a few left – someone just ordered the last one, but since you’re here, you can have it.

 

Last One – we just sold the last one – wait a minute, let me check in the back – I remember seeing one some time ago – hopefully it’s still there.

 

Ending Soon – The sale will end soon – if I were you, I’d get it now and take advantage of the lower price.

The examples just mentioned are the simplest of mind games intended to make you take quick action. And yet, they can be very effective against those that are not savvy about such tactics. Even more insidious is the close tie that scarcity has with the ‘last one’ ploy of an item. When someone attempts to use such tricks against you, disconnect your heart from your decision, and instead, use your head. And don’t allow yourself to be moved to action if it’s not right for you.

 

Timing of Offers

Offers have more potency depending on the occurrences surrounding them. Thus, you should always consider the timing of a negotiator’s offer. Because, in some cases, the timing factor can appear enhanced for bogus reasons.

As an example, if a seller of real estate indicated that he had to liquidate a property, due to financial hardships, potential buyers might assemble thinking they were in for a bargain. In this case, the reasoning tied to the timing of the offer is the seller’s financial hardship. Then, when the buyers begin competing against one another, for what may have been a bargain, some might get caught up in the process. And that might be the catalyst that causes them to exceed the cost of what they initially envisioned as a fantastic opportunity.

When contemplating the timing of an offer, consider the reason given for it, and the possible frenzy that it might create. While the timing of some proposals may be valid, per a negotiator’s claims, it’s also a tactic that savvy negotiators use for manipulation. By being observant of the possible intent of an offer’s timing, you can subvert the possibility of it manipulating you. And that will place you in a better position from which to negotiate, or not.

 

Negotiating Against Yourself

The seller said, “if that’s your best offer, I’ll consider it. But other offers will probably be better.” Okay, I’ll increase my offer, was the buyer’s response. Several things occurred in this exchange.

Number one, the buyer was negotiating against himself. That means he didn’t ask about the other offers before he increased his. Never increase an offer without really knowing who’s opposing you. And identify why you should raise it, if at all, based on what others are doing.

That leads to point number two. The seller said, “other offers will ‘probably’ be better.” The emphasis being ‘probably.’

When someone makes an assertion placed in the form of a probability, pause – always listen intently to the words one uses when they make an offer. In this case, the seller was implying that an occurrence might ensue, but what he was also relating was that it might not happen.

When you hear language that’s not absolute, question the probability of its occurrence. Also, inquire about the likelihood that others will make a higher offer, the timeframe in which they might do so, and why they might do so. Plus, ask about the probability of the other negotiator accepting your offer if you increase it.

Always make the other negotiator work for what he receives. He’ll have greater respect for you and your abilities when he senses he’s earned what he obtained. One way to do that is through the questions you ask. That will also inform him that you’re not someone that can be moved mindlessly towards a direction that suits his needs.

 

Reflection

The best defense against someone’s attempts to use mind games against you is to understand their intent. Since good negotiators involve your emotions in a negotiation psychologically, you must be prepared to protect your feelings. Because, if you allow your emotional mind to control your actions instead of your head, you may lose the negotiation. But if you use your head to control your emotions, you’ll come out ahead. 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 “Negotiation Insight” click here https://www.themasternegotiator.com/greg-williams/

 

 

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