C-Suite Network™

Menu
Search
Close this search box.

Category: Entrepreneurship

Categories
Body Language Entrepreneurship Human Resources Investing Management Marketing Negotiations Sales Skills Women In Business

“Negotiator Do You Know How To Combat And Use Manipulation” – Negotiation Tip of the Week

“There’s nothing wrong with manipulation, as long as you’re the one controlling it.” -Greg Williams, The Master Negotiator & Body Language Expert (Click to Tweet)  Click here to get the book

“Negotiator Do You Know How To Combat And Use Manipulation”

 

Warning: The following information will enhance your awareness of how to manipulate people. The intent is not to provide you with details for that purpose. Instead, the resulting ideas aim to allow you to protect yourself from those that would use manipulation tactics against you.

Recognizing the forces of manipulation is a necessity when dealing with people. Because, while you’re intentionally or unintentionally manipulating others, other people are manipulating you. The latter leads to the mood you adopt when interacting with people, the impact that it’ll have on future interactions with your allies and those that oppose you, and the shifting path that it might lead to per your future. Thus, you should always be mindful of the effects that manipulation will have on everyone in an environment – because future situations will be altered based on the reshaping of your current circumstances.

The following are ways to recognize when manipulation is prevalent, along with how to use and combat it.

 

  • Addressing Manipulation

 

  • Recognizing mindset – Before you can contest anything, you must be aware of what you’re confronting. You should be mindful of the potency of someone’s attempt at manipulation (i.e., weak, non-threatening, substantial, imminent threat, etc.) to assess the force you’ll need to combat it. While making that assessment, consider your current mindset, those of your challengers, and where your mental perspective will be after your response. By doing that, you’ll be adopting a long-game strategy, which will hopefully allow you to avert knee-jerk reactions to situations. Because, the latter can leave you in a position of re-action, versus being proactive and causing others to respond to your stimuli.

 

  • Priming mindset – To assist in your efforts of making others reactive to your stimuli, consider how you can shape their opinions and perspectives before they have substantial interactions with you. You can accomplish this by

 

  • being viewed as challenging the opposition that opposes your target audience

 

  • the alignments you have with other thought leaders of their ilk – those that they respect and aspire to be like

 

  • being perceived as a supporter of the efforts of those whose alignments you seek

 

The arching point is, you have to control your message and persona to be effective when combating manipulation or being manipulative.

 

  • Forms of Manipulation

 

  • Silent
    • Silent treatment – Recall the last time someone gave you the silent treatment. If it was someone of significance in your life, you probably experienced some form of dread. You may have wondered what you’d done, what might occur next, and what action you should be prepared to adopt. For sure, you went into thought mode. And that’s the effect that giving someone the silent treatment can have on your target. It can put them into a state of uncertainty. But, be aware that such treatment can also force your subject into the opposing camp to seek comfort from such treatment. So be attentive to when and how you use it.

 

  • Body language gestures that can enhance the projection of silent manipulation

 

  1. demeanor – calm acting in upsetting situations (e.g., either you or they get riled up, while the other party is calm and detached, leaving the other exasperated)
  2. display – displaying inappropriate or untimely smiles, smirks, frowns, etc., to convey a sense of foreboding or intimidation
  3. spatial – occupying someone’s personal space to make them experience uneasiness

 

  • Social proof – Seek to have positive aspects about yourself, your position, and your perspective in environments that your target frequents. That will shape how they perceive you and your actions, which is to imply that they’ll be more amenable to following your leads.

 

  • Guilt – Seek to make the subject feel guilty. Accomplish this by having your target’s peers side with your opinions. The silent message becomes something must be wrong with you (i.e., the target). Only the uninformed have such beliefs.

 

 

  • Verbal

 

  • Flattery – When people sense sincere flattery from you for them, it creates an attraction in you from them. To enhance your manipulation efforts, compliment others for an achievement or accomplishment that they’ve made and do so in the manner that suits their personality. While some individuals seek praise in front of others, some prefer more subtle acknowledgments. Know the form that best fits the target you’re bestowing adoration upon to maximize its effect.

 

  • Coercion – When you’re in a position of authority or supremacy over someone, it can be easy to coerce them to bend to your will. The challenge becomes, if you make someone engage in actions by that means, they may hold grudges against you, and seek ways to ‘even the score’ at a later date. Thus, you will have created a future problem for yourself. If you feel compelled to coerce someone into acts that they’d rather avoid, understand the potential ramifications of your actions.

 

  • Recognizing And Using Silent Forms of Manipulation

 

  • Gradual movements – Move gradually; it attracts less attention. It’s easy to become susceptible to being manipulated. That’s especially true when it occurs over an extended interval of time. During such times of the manipulation’s effects, you and your environment become normalized. That means you accept what transpires in your environment as being ordinary. You perceive manipulative occurrences as being non-threatening. Thus, you become numb to the travails that manipulation may thrust upon you, while you sit calmly and not adopt actions to protect yourself.

 

  • Employment – To combat the protracted form of this manipulation, be observant about the day-to-day occurrence that suggests you alter your opinion about a matter. And if you wish to use this form against others, distract them from paying attention, while you employ your manipulative actions.

 

Reflection

To combat any form of manipulation, you have to be aware of its presence, the structure it exists in, and the intent that it makes to alter the current situation or environment. By identifying those factors, you’ll have a better position to manage the environment you’re in and use the effects of manipulation to your advantage.

Keep in mind that people don’t like the sensation of being manipulated if it’s to their detriment – but they don’t mind when it’s to their advantage. Thus, to enhance your efforts to manipulate others, have them perceive your actions as being favorable to them. Do that while being mindful to ward-off the efforts of those that would manipulate you to your disadvantage. 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 https://www.themasternegotiator.com/greg-williams/

 

 

#Manipulation #Combat #csuitenetwork #thoughtcouncil #Bodylanguage #readingbodylanguage #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

 

 

 

Categories
Entrepreneurship Management Personal Development

10 Tips for a Startup Without Any Money Subtitle: The pros of being broke, but with a great idea

Yes, you need a bit of money to get started, but if you take advantage of a few of these suggestions, you can seriously reduce what you need. Each one of these worked for us.

  1. Start in your garage. Or in the guest bedroom, or even in your laundry room, like we did. Pick somewhere that doesn’t require a rent payment!
  2. Have your family help. Retired aunts, uncles, and grandparents would love the chance to make a difference in your life, and they could be thrilled to be a part of the “family business”. Who knows? They could end up being a lot more for your startup than just a pair of hands. They could also give you their objective opinion and insight. Bonnie’s mother thought up the term “Barefoot Bubbly”.
  3. Take advantage of someone else’s extra inventory. Think of a way to repurpose or sell unsold items. Once you do, you’ll find that sales will cure what ails you.
  4. Outsource everything—just not quality. When you outsource, you typically only pay when the product is produced—and produced to your specifications. Oversight is essential. The little money you do have is much better spent here than on a production facility.
  5. Utilize “Worthy Cause Marketing” to promote your goods or services. Search for the right nonprofit that echoes both your core values and your demographic—they will have a moral reason to buy your product if you support a worthy cause. Use your distribution channels to promote their cause, and in return, they’ll help you promote your products.
  6. Trade any goods and services you have for those that you need. Many startups usually prefer this option to spending money, especially in their early days. So find other startup businesses that you can trade with!
  7. Develop strategic partnerships with suppliers. Their business grows when you become a bigger customer. By extending your terms and offering discounts, they help you grow. The moment you know you won’t be able to pay on time, call them. Provide a workable payment plan to show that they can trust you.
  8. Offer discounts for large or cash purchases. This can put you way ahead of your bills. If your buyers put your products out at a discount and advertise, they’ll sell faster—and they’ll quickly recover warehouse space.
  9. Sell your product internationally. Most overseas sales are cash transactions based on a valid bill of lading through a letter of credit. It’s almost like an escrow account—you get paid once they take possession.
  10. Create just-in-time inventory. This refers to a product that’s created right in time for the sale, instead of sitting in a warehouse until it’s ready to move. You would ideally get the purchase order first. But if that isn’t practical, you can work with minimal inventory necessary to satisfy your customers, as long as you assume reasonable growth that can be reassessed every month.

These are just a few money-saving tips that Barefoot Wine relied on in order to survive and grow in our early days. Having less money forced us to think resourcefully—just one of the advantages that comes along with being broke with a great idea.

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

 

 

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

“What Is The Hidden Value Of More Civility, Pleasure?“ – Negotiation Insight

 

“What Is The Hidden Value Of More Civility, Pleasure?”

– Negotiation Insight

“What a time to be alive”, he thought. “I’m their leader, and they love me!” And yet, he had just defamed someone – a person that had recently died who’d given much of his adult life to serving others. The leader had a problem with civility. The problem was, he didn’t see the value in being civil. Nor did he understand that it transmits a sense of induced pleasure.

Do you know the value of civility? Are you aware of when and how to use it to induce the improvement you seek in others? If you think you’re not in search of some form of enhancement when you’re civil, this article may be eye-opening for you.

People tend to be more civil during certain times of the year or when they’re in particular environments. As an example, the public, in general, inclines to be more courteous and are in a state of merriment during the end-of-year holidays. They wish one another a Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwanzaa, Feliz Navidad, and a host of other greetings to display their civility and good wishes to humankind. What happens to that civility during the rest of the year, and why does it seem to wain after the end-of-year holidays? Here are some helpful thoughts to ponder when thinking about the value of civility and how you can use it to improve situations.

Know when civility might work, and when it might not work

In general, it’s nice to be kind to others. Because in return, they’ll be helpful to you. And there’s a psychological sense of pleasure instilled in a continuing exchange of civility. But some people take civility as a sign that others won’t fight back. We saw that manifest itself in Europe in the 1930s when one world leader sought to appease another. The appeaser thought he’d avoided future conflict. Later, the world discovered that those actions only fed the fervent fever of a man that would take the world to war.

When you seek to improve any situation, weigh the value that civility will have on the outcome. You might also assess what the lack of civility will cast. To enhance your assessment, know the character of the person with whom you’re evaluating. While some will respond favorably, others won’t. For those that won’t, let your lack of civility be your guide.

What causes one to dismiss civility’s value?

Some individuals possess a bullying mindset. They’re the ones that have gotten their gains by lying, cheating, and browbeating others. Thus, they’re accustomed to using the same bullying tactics that have gotten them to where they are. Because their value perspective is to belittle others to make them submit to their will, as alluded to earlier, they use the strategies that have worked for them in the past. That mindset and actions make such individuals easier to spot. Thus, they expose their future actions by the deeds they’ve engaged in in the past, along with how they engaged in those deeds. So, be mindful of someone’s track record when assessing the probability of using civility to induce a pleasant action. That means, when a person shows you his true self, believe him. Otherwise stated, what you see is what you’ll get.

Timing

As stated earlier, people are more amenable to being civil, depending on the environment and on certain occasions. And that’s where your opportunity may lie to influence them. If you’re aware of a person’s personality type and the times they’re open to being civil, choose a time and environment that’ll aid your efforts the most. The converse is true too. Meaning, if a situation is unconducive for civility and it serves your purpose, use that as an opportunity to influence your subject. As with most things in life, timing is everything. Thus, it impacts the probability of success or failure. So, use timing and the environments you’re in wisely.

Reflection:

There’re hidden pleasures in being civil. It’s shown through the dispositions displayed by those whose moods are enhanced as they engage with others. You can also see it displayed in the demeanor of those impacted by it when it’s absent. If you seek improvement in your environments, weigh the factor that civility might have to assist your efforts. It could be the extra weight that enhances your improvement efforts. And be mindful of how you apply civility based on your subject’s mindset. While it works to put some individuals in a more pleasant state, some will see it as an opening to mock or demean you. So, know when to be civil, in what situations to apply it, and with whom to extend it. Once you cover those bases, you’ll have a heightened chance of making others and yourself become improved. 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/

#Value #Pleasure #Civility #Bully #Bullying #Negotiate #Business #SmallBusiness #Negotiation #Negotiator #NegotiatingWithABully #Power #Perception #emotionalcontrol #relationships #BodyLanguageExpert #HowToNegotiateBetter #CSuite #TheMasterNegotiator #ControlEmotions #GregWilliams #success #negotiationexamples #Negotiationstrategies #negotiationprocess #negotiationskillstraining #negotiationtypes #negotiationpsychology #Howtowinmore #self-improvement #howtodealwithdifficultpeople #Self-development #TheMasterNegotiator #Howtocontrolanegotiation #howtobesuccessful #HowToImproveyourself

 

Categories
Entrepreneurship Leadership Personal Development

5 No-Nonsense Action Steps to Help You Achieve Success

What you may have learned about success when you were growing up was probably wrong if it was taught by someone who had never actually achieved any real success of their own. The fact is, you often have to fail your way into learning to be successful.

Limiting beliefs around success can get in your way for far too long. It’s time to take 100 percent responsibility for your success and make a strong commitment to making things happen in a big way.

You can choose winning over losing. You can choose to succeed even when you fail by learning from the experience. You can choose to learn from your mistakes and move on. You can choose to win by grabbing hold of success from this day forward and never letting go. We should always be true to the best within ourselves!

Success Is Easy Affirmation (say it, believe it, and own it): “Success comes easy to me because I have a new reality around success to believe in from this day forward.”

Now take these five steps to start wrapping your mind around the idea of success:

Study the strengths and habits of other highly successful peo­ple, and learn how to create a success-driven, ambitious mind­set. Successful people are simply those who have successful habits. Whether we like it or not, a big part of what we do in life is governed by habits. They can lead us to think and feel in certain patterns; they can also make us feel ambitious and motivated to succeed. Successful people know nothing can take the place of persistence and determination, so they make a habit of never quitting until they get results. The world’s greatest achievers are those who have the willpower to stay focused on their goals and consistent in their efforts.

Learn how to create a new reality — that success is easy for you to achieve. A dream without action is a world of make-believe. Success can be easy unless you choose to make it hard. Don’t believe the myth that success comes from hard work alone. After all, without motivation, you can’t get anything done. And even if you have all the motivation in the world, you need the ambition to achieve a worthy goal.

Repeat the word “success” frequently with complete faith and conviction; believe it to be true. What you learned about success growing up probably wasn’t true if it was taught by someone who never actually achieved it. Limiting beliefs and words around success can get in our way for far too long. It’s time to take 100 percent responsibility for your success and make a strong commitment to making things happen in a big way!

Pay close attention to the words you speak every day, and choose empowering words from this day forward. Not only do your words affect your success opportunities, but they impact how others perceive and relate to you as well. Instead of framing your words into limiting “can-nots,” turn them into non-limiting words to empower more success.

Get off your ASS and really go for it! You can choose winning over losing. You can choose to succeed even when you fail. You can choose to learn from your mistakes and move on. You can choose to win by grabbing hold of success from this day forward and never letting go. You should always be true to the best within yourself. Don’t ever give up on the shameless pursuit of success. Period!

Categories
Entrepreneurship Human Resources Management Marketing Negotiations Sales Skills Women In Business

“Powerful Persuasion How To Boost And Increase Negotiations” – Negotiation Tip of the Week

“To increase your negotiation outcomes, increase your skills of persuasion.” -Greg Williams, The Master Negotiator & Body Language Expert.

 

“Powerful Persuasion How To Boost And Increase Negotiations”

 

No matter her persuasion efforts, nothing seemed to increase her negotiation position. And the negotiations had extended over numerous sessions. She thought, if we don’t close this deal, we could be out of business. The negotiation was that dire! It had to bear fruit.

When was the last time you found yourself in a dire negotiation – one where everything was on the line? If you’re past your teenage years, more than likely, you’ve had such experiences. During such times, did you consider the impact that persuasion had on the negotiation and its outcome? Did you even think of the persuasion techniques you’d use before, during, and after your exchange of positions with others? You should have – because doing that would have altered the course and outcome of the negotiation.

The following are better ways to use persuasive techniques and how to implement them to enhance your negotiation efforts.

 

Shape The Mind – Mold The Perception:

Most people are persuaded to conformity by group thinking, acting, and adherence to what they listen to, and by those that they view as authority figures. Thus, to shape the mind of those that you wish to become your followers, you must mold their perception. The stimulation of that source may occur from figures seen on TV, heard on the radio or podcasts. They may even arise from those whose writing they observe in magazines and articles that they deem as possessing relevant content about insights that interest them. And that’s where your opportunity to mold their perception lies. You must be seen and heard in the mediums through which your targets have their perspectives molded.

The point is, to increase your chances of influencing the thoughts and actions of others, they must perceive you as someone with authority. They must view you as a person that possesses respected dominance in a domain that’s relevant to them. That perception will allow the recipient of your actions to become swayed by your suggestions, demands, or edicts.

So, what steps should you consider to shape the mind and mold the perception of those you wish to persuade?

  1. Casting Friend/Foe – Before your initial encounter with your target, determine if they should fear or like you. The cliché that comes to mind is, “It’s better to be feared than loved.” And that’s true in some cases.
  2. Once you’ve determined the demeanor to cast, assess the leaders in your target’s spectrum that will be most influenced by it, and gear your efforts at controlling those leaders. The linking of your persona to those already known as influencers by your target will eventually convey a sense of, they’re on board, and I’m just like them – so I should be too.
  3. Project and play your role in the venues in which your actions influence others. The goal is to allow them to ingrain in their minds who you are and what you’re willing to do to acquire the outcome you seek.

 

Reward – Congruency:

Consistency is the glue that holds your persona together. Thus, you must be mindful of projecting a consistent character, no matter the environment. If you’re generally amenable in some situations on some days and more demure during others, you’ll be sending an incongruent message. Even if you extend an agreeable attitude to those that accept your influence and chastise those that don’t, you’ll emit the signal of rewarding those that adhere to your wishes and punishing those that dismiss it.

The point is, you should reward those that accept your leadership and seek ways to disfavor those that challenge it. The amount of discord you allow is something you’ll have to address based on the degree of tolerance you have for non-conformity. And, the overarching message is, you’ll become rewarded by being consistent. So, be consistent in how you present yourself.

 

Conformity – Using Social Pressure:

Social pressure influences people. The factor that you should consider is, what form of social pressure you’ll use to control those that you wish to curry favor with, and what elements you’ll use to dissuade those that oppose you. You might:

  1. Praise those that seek recognition in forums that would allow your target to experience the highest degree of pride.
  2. Demean and denigrate those that oppose you in mediums that will have the most effect. To enhance this process, seek some from their clan to use as examples. If admonished forcefully, it’ll set a precedent that others will not want to incur.
  3. Leave an open path that dissenters can use to move towards you. And create a pit of hell for those that would continuously defy you. The more you can control the impact that others experience from social pressure, the more control you’ll have over them.
  4. Use your target influencers as your unwitting allies. Do that by exploiting their weaknesses as leverage points to entice or dissuade your target from adopting positions based on those that they see their influencers taking.

 

Nurture Continuing Compliance:

Once your target acquiesces to your demands, concessions, and desires, inspire them to continue their allegiance. You can accomplish that by doling out favors or granting requests that are slightly outside of what’s normal (do this with allies to display the extension of your generosity for those that follow your edicts). The fact is, once you’ve sought and acquired someone’s adherence to your demands, seduce them to promote their continued loyalty. It’s easier for them to meet your future requests – the more they meet your current ones. Because psychologically speaking, people naturally seek consistency. And that’s the reason you must encourage continuing compliance with your requests.

 

Reflection:

In all of your negotiations, there’s a power factor that sways the entities involved to move in one direction versus another. To be more powerful, you must increase your abilities of persuasion. Consider implementing the thoughts mentioned, how you’ll apply them, along with when you’ll achieve them. That will give you an increase in your advantage. 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 https://www.themasternegotiator.com/greg-williams/

 

 

#Persuasion #Increase #csuitenetwork #thoughtcouncil #Bodylanguage #readingbodylanguage #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

 

Categories
Best Practices Culture Entrepreneurship Industries Management Personal Development Technology

Combat Unpredictable Change with Anticipation

It is often assumed that people don’t like change, when in reality humans are born to instinctively love change. It’s why we take vacations and crave travel, because we want and need change. We must get out of our usual surroundings and witness something new in order to regain focus and refresh our perspectives. In this case, change is a choice, so we like it.

But there is also a negative side to change: when the change affects you personally, unpleasantly, and unknowingly. However, most of the changes that come “out of nowhere” are actually very visible months or even years before they officially hit. For example, people get burglar alarms usually after being robbed. We all tend to react to change and put out fires more than we anticipate what will happen based on the direction in which change is heading.

It’s time to become more anticipatory so you can see change coming and pre-solve problems associated with it before they occur. Only after becoming anticipatory will you be able to use change as an opportunity for growth rather than a crisis to be managed.

How to Be Anticipatory

There are two types of change that you can use to see the future accurately: cyclical change and linear change.

You’re in the midst of cyclical change every day: weather cycles, biological cycles, and even business cycles. In the United States, you know exactly when the next presidential election will be, when the next full moon will be, plus many other key things that cycle with time. You know that if the stock market goes up, it will eventually go down. Cycles are everywhere, and to be aware of them is to be anticipatory.

The second is linear change, and once this type of change hits, things will never go back to the way they once were. For example, once you get a smartphone, you’re never going back to a flip phone. Once the people in China park their bicycles and get a car, they will not go back to the bicycle as their primary form of transportation. Linear change is a one-way street with many predictable consequences.

When you look around and determine what cycles you experience in your business as well as what linear changes have been happening, you can turn the predictable changes into an advantage, which is the key to becoming anticipatory, turning much of today’s uncertainty into certainty.

These certainties fall into two methodologies I’ve discussed at length in the past: Hard Trends and Soft Trends. A Hard Trend is a projection based on measurable, tangible, and fully predictable facts. A Soft Trend is a trend that “might” happen, meaning that you can change or influence a Soft Trend.

The fact that Baby Boomers will age is a Hard Trend: it will happen, and is a future fact. However, the fact that over the past ten years fewer people have been becoming doctors, resulting in a shortage of doctors to treat aging Baby Boomers, is a Soft Trend: it’s something we can choose to address or ignore. It’s a future maybe. The ability to differentiate between the two will enable your organization to transform its culture into one that profits from change, uncertainty, and burgeoning trends.

Change the View

To get your employees at all levels to embrace change, you have to give them the confidence that certainty brings by having them identify the Hard Trends that will happen. Start by encouraging them to do the following:

  • Make a list of all the Hard Trends that are taking place in your industry, so you know what you can be certain about.
  • Make a list of all the Soft Trends taking place in your industry, so you can see what you can change or influence.
  • Have them answer this question: What do I know will happen in the next few weeks, months, and years, and how can I innovate to take advantage of what I now know for certain about the future?

Also, let your employees know this certainty: their roles will change over the next five years. Tell them, “You can either allow yourself to become less relevant or even obsolete, or you can see where your career is going and get the training and tools you need to become increasingly relevant and thrive.”

Finally, realize that how you view the future shapes how you act today, and how you act today shapes your future. Anticipation based on the Hard Trends and the certainties that are before you is key to seeing the predictable future and pre-solving problems before they ever occur. This allows your employees to embrace the changes before them. Remember, the good old days are not behind us. They’re ahead of us, and it’s up to you to make them happen.

Categories
Best Practices Culture Entrepreneurship Industries Management Skills Technology

Becoming an Anticipatory Leader™: The Missing Competency

We are all good at reacting and responding – a knee-jerk reaction, so to speak. Even organizations large and small have learned how to be lean and agile while executing a strategy at a high level. But despite these skills, General Motors still declared bankruptcy, Blockbuster closed its last store, and the record industry succumbed to Spotify, all despite their leaders and workers being responsive and agile and executing well. To thrive in this new age of hyper-technological disruption and change, it is imperative to learn a new competency: Becoming Anticipatory.

That may sound impossible, but it’s not. It is actually quite simple when you know where and how to look, and when you and your employees master this skill, you’ll be able to create what I call an Anticipatory Organization™.

A Proven Methodology

Based on three decades of research and applying the principles I’ve developed to organizations worldwide, I have a proven methodology for separating what I call Hard Trends from Soft Trends. Over the years, I’ve written about this extensively in several best-selling books, including my latest New York Times bestseller, The Anticipatory Organization, and hundreds of articles and blogs.

A Hard Trend is a projection based on measurable, tangible, and fully predictable facts, events, or objects. It’s something that will happen: a future fact that cannot be changed. In contrast, a Soft Trend is a projection based on statistics that have the appearance of being tangible, fully predictable facts. It’s something that might happen: a future maybe. Note that Hard Trends can be identified before they impact you, your business, and your customers. Soft Trends can be changed, which means they provide a powerful vehicle to capitalize on and influence the future with.

This distinction completely changes how individuals and organizations view and plan for the future. Understanding the difference between Hard and Soft Trends allows us to know which parts of the future we can be right about. When you learn how to analyze trends in this way, you can accurately predict future disruptions, identify and solve problems before they happen, and practice what I call “everyday innovation.” This enables you to solve challenges and problems faster and see the opportunities that were impossible just a few years before. In other words, you become anticipatory rather than reactionary.

Employees of an Anticipatory Organization understand that those who can see the future most accurately will have the biggest advantage. They know that you cannot change the past, but you can shape the future based on the actions you take in the present. As such, they actively embrace the fact that many future disruptions, problems, and game-changing opportunities are predictable and represent unprecedented ways to gain an advantage. They know that it’s better to solve predictable problems before they happen, and that future problems often represent the biggest opportunities. Above all else, they are confident and empowered by having a shared view of the future based on Hard Trends and what I call the “Science of Certainty.”

What is the “Science of Certainty”?

Once you can separate Hard Trends from Soft Trends and differentiate between the things that will happen from the things that might happen, you can accurately define the certainties going forward. We know that the newest iPhone will always have faster processing chips than its predecessor, we know that after 3G and 4G will come 5G and so on, and we know that we are putting more and more in the cloud with no end in sight.

Outside of technological examples, we know that Baby Boomers are not going to get younger, we know that governments worldwide are going to continue to issue future regulations, and we know the cycles of nature, like summer following winter.

There is so much we can see that it’s absolutely possible to create certainties using the Hard Trend/Soft Trend model I’ve developed. But why is this so important to business? Strategy based on certainty (on Hard Trends) has low risk, while strategy based on uncertainty (on Soft Trends) has high risk. With certainty, you have the confidence to say “yes” and move forward. But with uncertainty, you tend to get stuck in neutral.  

To succeed in business now and in the future, being lean and agile and executing well are no longer enough. You must anticipate the future. I see this as being the most important missing competency that we’ve seen in decades.

Ask yourself: 

How much time do I spend trying to keep up while putting out fires, managing crises, and reacting to change? Are these activities helping me to get ahead? Learning to be anticipatory will change that and allow you to successfully shape your future.

Join me live on December 17th at 10am PST / 1pm EST

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

“How To Combat The Problem Of Blind Loyalty” – Negotiation Insight

“People demanding 100% loyalty want to blind you. Never be blinded by someone else’s light, less you taunt darkness.” -Greg Williams, The Master Negotiator & Body Language Expert (Click here to Tweet)

 

 

Click here to get the book!

“How To Combat The Problem Of Blind Loyalty”

Are you loyal? More importantly, will you be loyal to only me? Those questions were asked of someone with power by a person with more power. The response was, I’m devoted to the oath I took when I became a member of this organization. The implication was, I won’t be loyal to an individual – I’ll be dutiful to the institution. The person making that statement was fired shortly after that. The person asking the questions was the one that initiated the firing. And he would later demand that others be loyal to him too. He’d created a problem – one of perception. Later, it would ensnare several individuals under his charge. And his demand for loyalty would eventually be exposed as his means to deal in more nefarious behavior. Houston, we have a problem!

Loyalty is good in most cases. But, when those in power demand blind loyalty, people with power can stray from a righteous path. And problems can exist in any environment when there’s too much blind obedience. When that occurs, as someone in a position of authority or one challenged by those insisting that you have blind obedience to them, you must be prepared to combat unchecked loyalty. To allow it to roam free could be akin to walking blindly down a dangerous path that leads to misfortune. Don’t fall prey to the allure of blind loyalty. Here’s how to combat it.

 

Blind Loyalties:

Challenges

Unbridled allegiances can lead to unchecked power. And unlimited power can lead to unrealized potential. Because those with leadership abilities will never have the opportunity to rise to their full potential, less they pose threats to the leader. So, they become checked out of fear of the leader’s retribution. And that permeates the myth that adherence is better for those that submit to it.

 

Reckless Endowment

Power is an aphrodisiac. Another concern that institutions should have is what becomes of a leader’s power when he has too much of it. Best case scenario, he uses that power for the improvement of those that he represents – in most cases, that’s not been what history has proven. Instead, a leader with too much power has feathered his nest and those that remain most loyal to him. And that creates an infectious environment amongst those that continuously strive to be the leader’s favorite. That occurs, while the inner backstabbing slowly erodes and robs the life’s blood of the future from the institution. Be mindful of those with too much power and how they use it. It can be the source of good times or those that lead to destruction. The weight is the balance of when either occurs and the length of time it lasts.

 

Stifles Imagination

Concentrated power can stifle creativity. When a select few hold power, those with that power seek less input from outside sources. They know what the best thoughts are – because they believe their opinions are best for the masses. And when it comes to planning, they only consider their plans. Thus, they don’t seek out or welcome additional information from anyone outside of their circle. They don’t want any info competing against theirs that’s out of alignment with their strategy. There’s a high cost to pay for a lack of diverse input. And usually, those lower in the ranks of an organization are the ones to bear the burden of that cost.

 

Confronting Requesters of Blind Loyalty

Everything is a negotiation. And if you neglect that thought, you forego powers that you might otherwise realize. If you’re to maintain blind loyalty to anyone, it should be to yourself. That’s not to say that you shouldn’t be loyal to a cause, a purpose, an institution, or even a person. It’s to say, before committing to someone’s behest for loyalty, understand what it means. Understand where your commitment might lead you and what it’ll mean for your future. If you follow anyone’s mandates without questioning, you could end up at a dead-end street with nowhere to go except backward. That means you and those that you should have been supporting will have lost valuable time and your sense of purpose. And wasted time is time never regained. Always think before you commit to anything or anyone’s request.

 

Reflection

The general that wisely chooses the field of battle wins before the fighting starts. Thus, always be aware of the mindset of those that demand complete loyalty. In so doing, they seek to consume concentrated power within a small container – themselves. And when it comes to absolute power, absolute power rules without leaving a void for dissension. Without discord, no organization can sustain itself. While chaos can reign inside of dissent, the delicate balance lies in getting benefits from disputes versus suppressing the growth that could otherwise blossom. Thus, curtail the chaos. It will lead to confusion, which will lead to disruption. And yes, the powers to be may check disorder for a while, but eventually, it will happen. It has done so throughout history’s rule in corporations, communities, and countries. And when it does so, it has been the beginning that’s lead to the unraveling of the entities that were once powerful.

Never trust blindly those that seek 100% loyalty. If you do, it could be to your jeopardy. Even when asked to do so, you may close one eye but don’t close both. Keep an eye open so you can see the light that might allow the perception of a more realistic reality … 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/

 

 

#Problem #Loyalty #Combat #Negotiate #Business #SmallBusiness #Negotiation #Negotiator #NegotiatingWithABully #Power #Perception #emotionalcontrol #relationships #BodyLanguageExpert #HowToNegotiateBetter #CSuite #TheMasterNegotiator #ControlEmotions #GregWilliams #success #negotiationexamples #Negotiationstrategies #negotiationprocess #negotiationskillstraining #negotiationtypes #negotiationpsychology #Howtowinmore #self-improvement #howtodealwithdifficultpeople #Self-development #TheMasterNegotiator #Howtocontrolanegotiation #howtobesuccessful #HowToImproveyourself

 

 

Categories
Best Practices Entrepreneurship Investing Management Marketing Personal Development Sales

Using Value Networks to Grow Your Business

 

The craft of sales is one of increasing the overlap between what outcomes a customer desires for themselves, and what outcomes the seller’s offer can deliver.

Increasing that overlap requires the seller to:

  1. Conduct insightful discovery into the customer’s business and personal situation to increase the range of desired outcomes.
  2. Identifying an exhaustive list of seller’s capabilities, then translating those into customer business outcomes.
  3. Articulate unmet value gaps to product/service innovators, who develop high-impact differentiation.

Most commercially available sales training addresses the first item. Almost all leave the second item up to an internal product training function. By “leaving it to the product trainer”, I mean ignore completely. No good framework to fill this gap has been introduced.

Introducing the Value Network.

The Value Network is a great tool.  It:

  • Captures deal-winning gold from top sellers for use by the whole team
  • Helps everyone in B2B sales teams sell more widely and deeply
  • Ramps new sellers up more rapidly
  • Guides more impactful executive conversations
  • Shapes more impactful marketing
  • Informs superior new product idea generation
  • Helps non-sales, but still customer-facing roles uncover new value.
  • Serves as a central point of truth for competitive positioning.
  • It is easy to learn and intuitive to use.

…so why don’t you know what a Value Network is?

A value network diagrams all of the possible customer outcomes your differentiation can drive for a customer. The diagram at the top of this article is a partial value network: it illustrates the client outcomes from adopting the kind of value-focused culture I propose in my upcoming book, Radical Value.

Building A Value Network

Start by describing an area of differentiation. In the example above, I promote building a company culture focused on value to the customer (yes this is different from many organizations, surprisingly.  Companies focus their cultures on lots of other things when value is what they should use as the hub around which everything else rotates).

From that differentiation (drawn above in a rectangle), describe all of the customer outcomes that result…and the outcomes those outcomes deliver, and so on. Draw those customer outcomes in ovals with arrows representing cause/effect (you’ll notice a few bidirectional arrows on this diagram, which shows mutual reinforcement loops) The resulting network represents all of the potential value your differentiation could deliver to a customer.

In the current vernacular, these might be called themes for value messages.  That is, they could be likely hypotheses that one could deliver to a prospect (or use as a justification for a meeting) – but then validate through dialogue.

For this article, I’ve outlined in blue where the use of a value network fits in a value-focused culture.  It enables or drives more insightful business discussions: by not just salespeople, but every person who comes in contact with your customer.  It clarifies innovation in business cases. It

Next Step:  Make Each Outcome Personal.

To keep the diagram above clean, I didn’t perform this step, but here’s what to do next.  Next to each oval, list the customer personas most likely to desire that outcome.  Here’s an example in closeup from a different value network:

Notice that Facilities is likely to find value in both of these outcomes, but affected department managers are only likely to care about one of the two.  This targeting analysis guides meeting plans, sales conversations, account-based marketing content, product innovation, and more. It also helps guide executive selling efforts by identifying executive-worthy conversations.

Making the Complex Simple

Building customer-perceived value is the selling behavior that most affects customer buying decisions.  Value is defined as the desirability of customer outcomes and is built off of differentiation. A Value Network is a tool that articulates all of the possible business outcomes your offer could produce for a customer.

Depending on what it is your company sells (product, service or solution), being able to efficiently identify all customer impacts is where the great sales conversation training (the one you’ve probably already invested in) begins. In my work with hundreds of B2B companies, I can confidently tell you that there is room for improvement in refining your “product” (which includes service) training. Value Networks can help everyone involved craft a simple set of training, content, and other materials guaranteed to improve the quality of your customer conversations, supporting higher win rates at more mutually-beneficial prices.

Here’s An Exercise For You to Apply This Article

The diagram at the top of this article was purposely left incomplete. Extend it using the bullet point statements under the section titled “Introducing the Value Network” plus any others you can think of. Now, study the bigger Value Network and consider what each of these outcomes means to you in your role: both professionally and personally. What would developing a company-wide focus on customer value do for you and your organization?

Comment below, or contact me if you’d like to learn more about this simple, powerful tool.  Or get on the waiting list for my upcoming book, where I’ll go into even more detail on how-to and use of Value Networks.

To Your Success!

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

“Negotiation Crisis Intervention Behind The Scenes Trust Fear Factor” – Negotiation Tip of the Week

 

“A crisis is easily averted when you negotiate in a way that prevents it.” -Greg Williams, The Master Negotiator & Body Language Expert (Click to Tweet)

 

Click here to get the book

 

 

“Negotiation Crisis Intervention Behind The Scenes Trust Fear Factor”

 

The opening scenes in his mind were calm and serene. The next thing he knew, silent alarms were summoning his attention. Instantly, he experienced fear. He instinctively knew that would be a factor in what was to come. And he wasn’t sure if that stemmed from his perception of a crisis in the making or the intervention that would be required to squelch it. Regardless, he knew trust would play a factor in the outcome – a negotiated outcome that he’d engage in whose result he could not gauge.

When you’re involved in any activity, you’re negotiating. That’s especially important to remember when you’re confronting crises or events that might be leading towards one. You should adhere to the following factors to enhance your chances of addressing challenging situations successfully.

 

Influence Factors:

 

Fight for power

Crises usually occur when there’s an unequal balance of power. Thus, struggles arise between forces to bring power back to the point of equilibrium. Then, harmony resides. But it only does so for the time it takes one side to become dissatisfied with the power-sharing arrangement. And that leads to another round of fractions between those that share the balance of power. Therefore, always be mindful of where your involvement finds you in the struggle for power. Therein will lie your opportunity to avert or incite a crisis. The action you take depends on what side of the equation you’re on – seeking more power or not willing to relinquish it.

Trust

Question: To what degree does trust become a factor in the influencing process during a crisis intervention? Answer: An entity seeking to create an agreeable and bonding resolution must first establish that foundation on trust – stated more succinctly, it’s everything. And, if trust teeters on uncertainty or there’s mistrust, the pillar to maintain a good relationship between opposing parties will stay in jeopardy. And that will hamper the cohesiveness of long-term agreements. Suffice it to say, trust when possible, but be keenly aware when you’ve extended it past its expiration. Sometimes, influencing a situation means pushing back on those that are not trustworthy.

Fear

Fear can be a powerful tool in a pre-crisis environment and during crisis intervention. It can be used as leverage to manipulate an opponent’s action to move in a more positive direction. It can also be used to entice your members to stay aligned with your cause (e.g., if they win, all of you will be worse off). You should also be cautious as to how you wield the tool of fear. Do that by having a calculated expectation of the outcome it might produce on your target. If the target responds in unexpected manners, and you didn’t consider them, you run the risk of losing control of the situation. And that could leave you impotent to address other aspects of the engagement. Therefore, when considering the implication and implementation that fear’s usage will have on a situation, the word to exercise is caution.

 

Scenes

When considering the role influence will have when you’re negotiating in a crisis or intervention, think of the situation in stages. Break the interactions you’ll have with the opposing party into segments. Assess how you’ll act and react in a particular phase. And assess how the opposite side might respond to your positioning – determine what mannerisms they might adopt and how you might react to that, too. Your goal is to break the pieces of the engagement into manageable segments. That effort is geared to give you the most significant opportunity to move the talks in the direction that’s most favorable for the parties involved.

 

Bonding Questions

As most astute people are aware, trust and fear play a vital role in the bonding process. Thus, both of those factors are potent forces. To add to your powers, ponder how you’ll bond with other parties by considering the following questions.

  1. Should you bond with the other party?
  2. What ramifications might come about as the result of your bonding with some members that oppose you versus others in the opposition’s fold?
  3. Can the bonding process with certain sects further your goals faster than with others?
  4. When is the best time to engage in the bonding process?
  5. How will you measure the effectiveness of your relationships?
  6. Should someone of stature precede you to set the stage to enhance your bonding efforts?
  7. At what point might you break a bond to make a point?

Those questions, along with others you think of, are crucial queries to ask yourself. The answers will allow you to develop a cohesive strategy that can be used to further your activities, engagements, and goals.

 

Negotiation Strategies

Depending on the severity of the crisis you’re dealing with and the stage that it’s in, you might want to adopt the following negotiation strategies to improve your plight.

 

Block and Bridge

This is a tactic that allows you to promote your message and position while diluting the other party’s efforts to enhance his own. It’s accomplished by acknowledging the other party’s perspective but not allowing it to be fully heard or seen. Thus, if someone were to say, “we’ve been making these demands for the …”. You might cut them off after they said, ‘the,’ and say, “We understand time has passed. There have been mitigating circumstances that have prevented us from adopting a policy/plan, etc.”

By engaging in this manner, you will have stopped his efforts to project his position in the public domain. Instead, you would have promoted your point as the dominant thought that others should lend their attention. Block and bridge is an excellent way to steal the spotlight and allow it to shine brighter upon your plans for improvement.

 

Pincer Move

A pincer move, in a negotiation, is used to convey the message that you have the opposition surrounded by those possessing differing opinions than his. The implication being, succumb to the superior force – me/us that confronts you.

Marshall as many opinions and allies as you can that are aligned with your message, to refute those of the other side to implement the strategy. And be sure that none in your camp are shills posing as your supporters when, in reality, they’re inside your encampment as spies for the other side. You want the opposing party to feel isolated and devoid of hope in the quest for their plans. That will serve several purposes. One, it will sow doubt about how much longer they should continue down their current path. Two, it will create fractures within their ranks. And three, it will dilute their strength, which will make them a less potent foe.

Feigning

Many years ago, Muhammad Ali fought George Foreman. Foreman was known for his power, not his stamina. Ali realized that he could not go toe-to-toe with Foreman less he heightened the chance of being knocked out. So, Ali adopted the rope-a-dope, a strategy meant to allow Foreman to wear himself out by pounding away at Ali. Ali’s ploy was to draw Foreman into thinking Ali was ‘out of gas.’ And the deception worked for Ali, who went on to win the fight. Later, someone stated that underestimating Ali was the mistake of a lifetime.

In any negotiation, sometimes, your efforts can be enhanced if the opposition is unsure of your strategy – it’s even better if they think you have no plan. Thus, when dealing with a crisis, release information strategically about your position. To the degree you can, don’t place it in mediums that you can’t control. And when other sources attempt to reposition you, be quick to thwart their efforts. Adopt the persona that’s best per how you wish others to perceive you, your team, your efforts. And, like Ali, you can pretend acceptance of one position while holding in reserve the one you wish to implement.

Reflection

There are many factors that you should consider before, during, and after a crisis. The way you handle each phase will determine what occurs next. Thus, you must be aware of where your rhetoric and actions will take you per the procedures and posture you adopt in one stage and the impact it’ll have upon the next. By implementing the insights mentioned, you increase your odds of addressing crises better. That will place you in a more harmonious and prosperous environment. 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 https://www.themasternegotiator.com/greg-williams/

 

 

#Crisis #Intervention #Scenes #Trust #Fear #Factor #Negotiations #NegotiationStrategies #NegotiationProcess #NegotiationSkillsTraining #NegotiationExamples #NegotiationTypes #ReadingBodyLanguage #BodyLanguage #Nonverbal #Negotiate #Business #SmallBusiness #Negotiation #Negotiator #NegotiatingWithABully #Power #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