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Category: Marketing

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Entrepreneurship Human Resources Management Marketing Negotiations Women In Business

What’s Behind the Curtain?

“In life, sometimes it appears that we’re controlled by invisible forces. Understand those forces and you’ll have greater control of your life.” -Greg Williams, The Master Negotiator & Body Language Expert

What’s behind the curtain of your life? Are you aware of what motivates your actions and why you interact with others in the manner you do? I ask because, the more we know what moves us, the more we’ll know about where and when to move. That insight becomes our source of motivation and our sense of inspiration; it will become the driving force that drives us to become more of a force than we are.

As you engage in your daily activities, take note of why you do some of the things you do; note especially those activities that are misaligned with what you should be doing. If something is pulling you off-track, you should be mentally aware of why it’s doing so. Not until you’re mentally aware of it, can it be altered. You should also know, we are driven by our subliminal thoughts; they override our conscious thoughts. That means, when you’re unsure as to why you engage in something, it’s your subconscious mind that’s driving you.

Going forward, acknowledge and be grateful for what you have, and really appreciate it. Reflect on what you value and how it came to be; the spillover benefit will come in the form of the endorphins that’ll occur. They’ll make you feel happier about life, improve your psyche, and motivate you to achieve more in your life.  That, in turn, will lead to even greater happiness and success … and everything will be right with the world.

What does this have to do with negotiations?

Sometimes, we don’t appreciate what we’ve achieved in a negotiation. Nor do we appreciate the skills that we’ve accumulated that has allowed us to obtain the gains we’ve made. If you understand what’s behind your thought process (i.e. it’s makeup), you’ll be in greater touch with the feelings you have. That, in turn, should allow you to focus on what you’ve achieved in the negotiation and what’s important about those achievements. If you don’t want to lose them, protect them. That may mean exiting the negotiation at that time.

You may have a myriad of negotiation tactics and strategies that you employ at the precise moment that such is required. Remember where that knowledge came from. Recalling the sources of your thoughts will allow you to return to those sources for the purpose of refreshment and enhancement. That’s why it’s important to understand what’s behind the curtain of your life, of your mind. Those sources are direct links to what you’ve become, and from which your negotiation skills have grown.

Remember, you’re always negotiating.

What are you thinking? I’d really like to know. Reach me at Greg@TheMasterNegotiator.com

To receive Greg’s free 5-minute video on reading body language or to sign up for the “Negotiation Tip of the Week” and the “Sunday Negotiation Insight” click here http://www.themasternegotiator.com/greg-williams/

#HowToNegotiateBetter #CSuite #TheMasterNegotiator #ControlEmotions #Psychology #Perception #rejection #leadership #HowToImproveyourself

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Leadership Marketing Personal Development

Startup Brand Builders Must Not Underestimate the Retail Sales Process

Too many brands make the mistake of over-simplifying the sales process. We’ve seen some brands state in their sales section, “Will sell at retail.” Yeah, sure—good luck!

Our society constantly misjudges the sales process. This “shopper’s” perception has no place in any business plan. What kills most brands is the lack of adequate sales, so how could anybody expect to build a consumer packaged goods (CPG) brand without respecting the sales process?

It’s easy to see how this simplified view of sales begins. As you shop, you stroll down the aisle of your hardware, drug, or grocery store, looking at the branded CPGs stacked up, lined up, and replenished. This looks easy—an automatic, programmed system. You can get your product there with no trouble, and be front and center! Right?

Many startup companies emphasize administration, raising capital, and production. Wrong! Their focus should be on sales—because that’s everyone’s Achilles’ heel. A sales strategy cannot be separated from a brand-building strategy. In the CPG arena, true brand-building success is in sales, especially in the critical first stages.

Many CPG brand builders successfully secure financing, and it boggles our minds! Their investors should be concerned about precisely where and how their money will return to them. After all, it’s from the customer! But, this route is complex and convoluted in most cases. It is reliant on the brand-builder’s success in accessing the market, and carefully implementing a sustainability strategy.

Having been through it all, we are astonished that this piece of any business plan can be summed up with, “Will sell at retail.” It’s like the advocates and their backers think this product is so incredible, so revolutionary, and at such a value that retailers will blindly purchase it, promote it, and keep it stocked. Sure, maybe one day—once it’s a household name, has immediate recognition, and represents a large percentage of the retailer’s profit. But until then, no way! Not for starters. You’ll have to earn your spot on that shelf.

Maybe you’ll catch a lucky break and get your product into Target or Walmart. But without continued sales, your product will be discontinued. This will stain your brand as you expand. Buyers will ask, “Wasn’t your product kicked out of Target?”

We always look for the sales plan first when looking at a business plan for a CPG brand. Is it sustainable? Affordable? Practical? Still, we are stunned by the lack of specifics and the naïve overgeneralizations.

We think a good CPG sales plan should include how the market will be accessed and why, how expansion will be supported by cash flow (not just relying on outside funding), and how preliminary sales will be serviced. We want to see a comprehensive breakdown of the cost of sales. This can only happen once you understand and respect the distribution channel, and what everyone in that channel wants in order to advance your brand. How will the brand be built at each level? Neglect at any point can ruin your brand.

Sure, your new product is amazing. Sure, it’s in demand. Sure, it’s revolutionary. But is it for sale? And is it constantly on the shelf?

For more, read on: http://csnetworkadvis.staging.wpengine.com/advisor/michael-houlihan-and-bonnie-harvey/

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Best Practices Entrepreneurship Health and Wellness Human Resources Management Marketing Technology

The Millennial Attention Gap

Maybe my favorite generation is the millennials. I love their insights and ability to change quickly … and they can also learn from generations before them. So, I was excited when I recently watched the movie, The Intern, about a Baby Boomer going to work for a young, hip start-up company. This company was very successful, full of bright ideas and innovative ways to succeed. Initially, they looked as though they thrived in chaos, when in fact, they were suffering from the very methods that made them successful.

While the movie was a light-hearted comedy about an older generation fitting into a Millennial mindset, I couldn’t help but notice the number of mistakes the young professionals made because of information overload, a barrage of interruptions, and an obsessive need to multitask leading to a frantically fast paced life. They worked together for hours on end yet knew little about each other. They celebrated professional success while suffering personal losses in relationships at home.

The movie was fiction. The situation was reality.

Millennials weren’t the age of technological discoveries. They were born into the technological age we created. They never knew life before the internet, texting, streaming and social media. Before most of them could walk, they could operate an iPhone. Many of them watched their first programs streaming from their parents’ devices while sitting in a restaurant for dinner. As the Millennials grew up, they formed new languages ripe with acronyms as they felt there was no time, or need, to write in full, complete sentences.  Now that this generation has aged and entered the workplace, they struggle to turn their attention from devices and into real relationships that communicate openly, thoroughly and effectively.

At one point in the movie, a younger employee approached the Baby Boomer to ask for relationship advice. He admitted to having messed up with his girlfriend, and he failed to see how his attempts to mend the relationship were unsuccessful. He said he sent a “ton of text messages” – to which she never responded – and a “super long email” laced with acronyms and emojis. At which point the Baby Boomer simply suggested that he talk to her face-to-face. Guess what? The advice worked.

Now let’s hop over to real life.

How often do you, or Millennials in your life, attempt to communicate with others in this fashion? With phones buzzing, emails flying, and alerts binging, it’s no wonder we miss the connection. What if we encouraged Millennials to pay attention to relationships, not technology, and to address others in a real-time conversation, saving time and confusion from back and forth digital dialogue. Imagine the time we could save if we would focus on our relationships and began paying attention to what matters most.

Another hysterical scene in the movie came when the young CEO inadvertently sent her mom an email not intended for her to read. Watching these characters go to great lengths to undo a digital mistake made was a riot! I couldn’t help but consider the number of times we have all been guilty of hitting ‘send’ on a message not intended for the receiver, and the following countless hours/days/weeks/months/years we spent trying to recover from our lack of attention to detail. The Millennial boss was moving at such a fast rate of speed, dealing with one distraction after another, she almost risked a vital relationship in her life as a result. Ever been guilty of doing the same?

We have an opportunity to lead by example for Millennials and other future generations. We can show them how to slow down and pay attention to details. We can demonstrate how to step away from gadgets and build relational bridges with peers, employees, spouses and friends. Our time spent before the digital age could enlighten them on advantages that came with it.

Can you become like the Baby Boomer in the movie? Can you mentor young professionals and encourage them to invest in sincere relationships – getting to know each other on a deeper level? Can you lead by example by focusing on one task at a time, saying ‘no’ to distractions that lead to mistakes? Will you demonstrate what it means to stop living a ‘crazy busy’ life and start paying attention to what matters most?

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Accounting Best Practices Body Language Entrepreneurship Human Resources Management Marketing Negotiations News and Politics Women In Business

Do You Know How to Negotiate With a Bully?

“When negotiating with a bully, assume nothing and question everything.” -Greg Williams, The Master Negotiator & Body Language Expert

Negotiating with a bully, or anyone that acts in an obstinate manner can be a difficult proposition. Such encounters can leave you haggard, bewildered, and in a sense of bedazzlement. Stated simply, it can leave you emotionally drained. But, if you know how to negotiate with a bully, you don’t have to risk jeopardizing your sanity or peaceful state of mind.

When you find yourself negotiating with a bully, consider employing the following strategies to lessen his impact.

1. First, identify why the bully feels he can bully you. There’s something that he’s perceived about your demeanor that marks you as a target. Once you discover that, you can alter your demeanor to appear more formidable. Just an FYI, you should alter his perspective of you prior to entering into the negotiation.

2. Understand his source of power. A bully’s mindset is one of picking on people that he perceives to be weaker than himself. His perception stems from his support system (i.e. those that back him), along with his perspective of what he’s achieved versus what he perceives you to possess (e.g. he has friends in higher places, more money, greater status, etc.) To combat his perception, create the persona of someone that’s also connected. You can do this by emulating the bully’s support system.

3. Appear fearless when such is required. A bully will ‘push your buttons’ to discover ways to manipulate you. Everyone is familiar with the schoolyard bully. He picks on the kids that won’t stand up to him. When they do, he usually moves to a target that is less challenging. When dealing with a bully in a negotiation, you have to be defiant when defiance is called for. Remember, the bully will only push you to the point that you allow him and, he’ll continue to push as long as you allow him. Unfortunately, history has taught us this lesson time and time again when dealing with tyrants; tyrants are nothing more than bullies with a bigger platform.

4. Observe body language – In particular, look for nonverbal signs of submission and those that are out of sync with his verbiage (e.g. bully leaning away from you when making a demand – potential sign of him retreating and testing your resolve, softening his demeanor when he senses that you’re displaying backbone, making request with ending statement sounding like a question). Such observations will give you greater insight into what his next action(s) might be and his psyche.

5. Consider how you can have embedded commands in your offers, suggestion, and/or concessions. As an example, observe the statement in bold in the first paragraph of this article. It states, ‘you know how to negotiate with a bully’. Such subliminal messaging may not be observed by the conscious mind, but they will be perceived at a subconscious level. Therein is where it can have an influence on the other negotiator. To combine the effects, lace several subliminal messages together. Use them as needed and apply them judiciously.

While negotiating with a bully can be trying, if you employ some of the suggestions mentioned above, you can decrease the bully’s effectiveness. In so doing you’ll make yourself less desirable from being targeted for bullying by the bully … and everything will be right with the world.

Remember, you’re always negotiating.

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

To receive Greg’s free 5-minute video on reading body language or to sign up for the “Negotiation Tip of the Week” and the “Sunday Negotiation Insight” click here http://www.themasternegotiator.com/greg-williams/

#NegotiatingWithABully #Bullying #Bully #negotiations #HowToNegotiateBetter #CSuite #TheMasterNegotiator #psychology

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Marketing Operations Personal Development

Seven Ways to Build Online Customer Trust

How do you build a relationship of trust with your customers? It’s easiest when you can connect with them in person – you can read their expressions as you interact and more easily understand their needs and their perspective. Even in phone conversations, the customer’s tone of voice can help you ascertain their feelings. But what about building trust in an online business?

Building trust online is different. Not necessarily more difficult, but there are certain things to consider when building an online business. There are companies that have mastered the art of building trust online and have the reputation and accolades to prove it. Some of these, such as Apple and Sephora, are ranked at the top for both their traditional and online customer service, while others, including Zappos and Amazon, originated online and built trust through smart practices to rise to the top. Here are some basic ways to build customer trust online:

1. Keep it simple. Put yourself in the customer’s shoes and go through the motions of navigating your website and placing an order. Is the website easy to understand and simple to navigate?

2. Be accessible. People do business with people. Offer multiple channels through which a customer can reach you for support or questions – a call center, email, texting, Facebook, Twitter, etc.

3. Post contact information prominently. Put it on every page of your website. Make it easy for a customer to call, email, or connect with you instantly.

4. Keep telephone hold times to a minimum. Customers who have to wait on hold get frustrated and feel as if the company doesn’t care enough to staff properly. You might want to make use of technology that can let the customer know how long the wait will be and give the option of an automatic call-back.

5. Respond quickly on social channels. When a customer contacts you through social media, you should respond within minutes – not hours or days. Continuously monitor your social media channels.

6. Share testimonials from happy customers. This social proof from others will help build trust and increase potential customers’ confidence in doing business with you.

7. Ask your customers to post online reviews. Encourage reviews from not only those who have had a great customer experience throughout, but also any customers who may have had a problem and were satisfied with your handling of the issue.

Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, award-winning keynote speaker, and New York Times bestselling business author. For information, contact 314-692-2200 or www.hyken.com. For information on The Customer Focus™ customer service training programs, go to www.thecustomerfocus.com. Follow on Twitter: @Hyken

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Marketing Personal Development Technology

Why You Shouldn’t Be Aiming for Viral Marketing

Viral marketing seems like the business success a marketer can strive for–your message is out there, and everyone is sharing it. What could be better? Well, a lot, actually, because going viral says a lot about how many people see your message, but not a whole lot about how many people are buying your product.

Some of you might remember the feel-good stories or days gone by, such as Blendtec, that great blender whose messages went viral when they pulverized an iPod with that powerful little motor. And that viral marketing definitely led to sales–huge increases, in fact. So, why am I so down on viral marketing? A few reasons:

  • You’re not so unique. Nowadays, there is way more content vying for attention. The possibility of any marketer breaking through the way Blendtec did is much less than it was.

 

  • Facebook makes it hard. Facebook used to show any content–now it suppresses marketing content in the free feed to make you pay them for ads.

 

  • You’re not looking for everyone. This is probably the most important reason. If you’re Coca-Cola, then maybe viral is great, because your target market is anyone with a neck. But you’re probably not.

But the biggest reason that viral marketing doesn’t work, is that even if it goes viral, it doesn’t persuade anyone to buy. The best thing about those old Blendtec videos were that they showed off their differentiation. If it can obliterate an iPod, you can bet it won’t leave any lumps in your smoothies. But most viral attempts focus solely on sharing and reach and not at all on persuading all those people that they reach.

Focus on reaching the right people instead of all the people. Maybe that finally give you the boost in sales you really need.

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Accounting Best Practices Entrepreneurship Health and Wellness Human Resources Industries Management Marketing Skills Women In Business

Tips for Performing Under Pressure: The Resilient Mind

Over the past 35 years, I have worked with many high-achieving professionals – athletes, actors, dancers, speakers, and business leaders in a variety of fields. One of the common denominators that is true across the board, is as soon as we raise the stakes of the game and more is demanded of us, new skills and new perspectives are required.

It’s interesting to note that emotions are processed in the brain as predictions based on our past history. In other words, if we had a bad experience at an earlier time in our lives, our brain remembers that experience and expects the same result in the future. This is why telling ourselves to “just get over it,” doesn’t always work.

At the time of this writing, the Winter Olympics are just ending. What can we learn from these athletes about performing under pressure? A number of them have come back from heartbreaking defeats and devastating injuries. How do they work with their minds to overrule the brain’s natural tendency to avoid pain and danger?

There are many factors that go into that answer, but again, to play at a very high level, new skills and perspectives are required. We can summarize the needed qualities in one word: “Resiliency.” Some people are more naturally resilient than others. But resiliency can be learned and nurtured from a very early age.

Let’s look at three essential qualities of a resilient mind:

1. Attitude – Resilient people look back at difficult experiences as challenges to invent a new future. They see solutions, strength and inspiration. So, one’s attitude can mitigate the brain’s natural tendency to see the world as an unfriendly place. By changing your attitude, you are actually building new neural pathways, which now means you are writing a new story.

2. Positive Self-Image – Resilient people are constantly evaluating themselves from a NON-JUDGMENTAL perspective. What worked, what didn’t work? They are willing to make course corrections based on their objective analysis.

3. Sense of Purpose – in order to subject ourselves to the high demands and challenges that “going for it” requires, we need to have a powerful reason. Simon Sinek, in his Ted talk, called it “Your Why.”

When your attitude, your self-image and your purpose are in alignment, you have the magic ingredients to forge a new future. Even though your mind “remembers” past negative experiences, you are not destined to repeat them.

If you find that you “know” this information, but are still not able to let go of situations you feel are still holding you back, I invite you to take the Mastery Under Pressure quiz on your level of peak performance skills at www.masteryunderpressure.net.

And join our Facebook Community at Mastery Under Pressure Community, where you’ll learn more about strengthening those building blocks to greater resiliency and
peak performance.

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Economics Entrepreneurship Human Resources Industries Investing Management Marketing Personal Development

The Long, Hard Road

I recently interviewed Rick Wartzman for my Business Builders Show podcast. Rick is the Director of The KH Moon Center for a Functioning Society at the Drucker Institute, a part of Claremont Graduate University. Rick has written a great book, The End of Loyalty, The Rise and Fall of Good Jobs in America.  This book has 363 pages and 25 pages of citations and sourcing. This is a very well -written, well documented account of the topic of the book. At the beginning of the interview I pointed out that he started the book in 2009 and it was not published until 2017. I asked him why did it take that long? After he made a joke about him being “slow”, he pointed out that it took that long to check on and validate all the information he wrote about in the book. It simply was the long, hard road to get the book done right.

Todays blog from Seth Godin is “Low & Slow (vs.fear)”. He talks about how he rushed the baking of sourdough rye bread. He did not let the dough ferment enough and he turned up the oven, so he could get it done faster so he could meet someone. It did not turn out well. Then he points out a flipside to the story – “Sometimes, we mistakenly believe that we’re building something that takes time, but what we’re really doing is hiding. We stall and digress and cause distractions, not because the work needs us to, but because we’re afraid to ship.”  BTW, remember that Seth Godin has been blogging for I’m not sure how long (a long time) and has not missed a day.

When do we decide to take the long and sometimes difficult road? I see the value in the long view. Just like baking bread correctly, getting a story (your work) right so you can share your insights usually takes time. Be patient. Stay focused. Believe the work you are doing is worthy of the time and effort. So, unless there is an immediate need for speed, consider the long term. Think of the lasting impact your work can have if you take the time to complete all the steps in the process. Those steps will include diligent study, bouncing ideas off family, friends and colleagues and being committed to producing work which will have a positive, lasting impact.

Rick Wartzman, congratulations on taking the time, the long, hard road, to write a terrific book. Seth Godin, slow down and better luck next time with the sourdough rye bread.

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Best Practices Health and Wellness Human Resources Management Marketing Skills Women In Business

Use Project Management Principles to Accomplish More

“The project is 10 months behind, you need to deliver it in two months and raise $10 million dollars. Can you do it?” That’s the questions my boss Phil asked me. This was totally outside the scope of my existing role in the oil industry, but I had developed a reputation as someone who could get things done. Oscillating between excitement and terror that I’d been selected for the challenge, of course I said, ‘YES!”

Admittedly, I didn’t sleep for two months but I did deliver the project, on time, and within the budget with 100% compliance from the stakeholders.  It was one of my career highlights and it reminded me project management principles could be applied to every aspect of your life.

Project management has been around for thousands of years. I’m picturing some fabulous Egyptian leaders standing around debating the process for delivering stone blocks for the pyramids. Can’t you just see that?

Let’s take a look at nine project management principles that will help you in business, and in life.

1. Have a project management mindset. Start with that 30,000-foot view. Evaluate what you need by way of budget, time, milestones and deliverables for every project.

2. Be budget smart.How much time and money does your project require?

3. Timing is everything.Put a timeline in place from start to finish.

4. Put it in writing.Outline your milestones and mission plans and write them down.

5. Organize and order. Create the checklist and timeline for the progression of tasks.

6. List the stakeholders. This helps keep you focused and on task.

7. Appoint a project sponsor. This might be your mentor, your boss, or colleague. This person will assist you progress the project, help handle any challenges you might face, and help you be accountable for deliverables

8. Create a folder for every project with the following structure:

  1. Project chassis (overview)
  2. Budget
  3. Communications
  4. Meeting Notes
  5. Miscellaneous

9. Focus on the outcome. Keeping your eye on the prize helps drive personal energy. Especially when you are in the thick of things, tired, and need to be inspired!

Categories
Best Practices Body Language Entrepreneurship Human Resources Management Marketing Negotiations Skills Women In Business

Do You Know Where to Look to Find Yourself?

“A sense of uncertainty arouses the senses of being lost. Avoid the lost sense of uncertainty by truly knowing yourself.” – Greg Williams, The Master Negotiator & Body Language Expert

As we go through different phases of our life, we seek assurances that we’re within the confines of society’s norms. Then, we use that feedback to adjust our actions and the way we interact with others. At some point, we find the wherewithal within ourselves to venture on a path of life that states, we know what’s best for us. That process may take years and sadly, some never discover it.

Some never discover the fortitude within themselves that states they have something of value that’s needed by others. Some never discover the quality about themselves that states that they possess more insight and knowledge than others give them credit for. Some never discover that they are more of what the world needs more of. The reason they don’t or can’t embrace that reality is that they don’t know where to look to find themselves.

No matter what phase of life you’re in, you have a sense of uniqueness that’s of value to someone. Look deeper into the values of those that need your uniqueness to find more of yourself. No matter what setbacks you may encounter, look deeper into how those setbacks occurred, in order to discover the uniqueness that lies within you. No matter what you encounter, look at those encounters for the value they possess. Look at them as a value-add to your life. Then, and only then, will you find that elusive place where you discover more about who and what you are. That will also be the tipping point when you discover more of what you want to be … and everything will be right with the world.

What does this have to do with negotiations?

In a negotiation, you may be besieged with doubt about the strategy you’re implementing. You may ponder the right course of action to adopt due to unforeseen occurrences in the negotiation. During such times, don’t allow despair to surround you. It will stifle your train of thought. Don’t allow hopelessness to engulf you. It will deter you from moving forward. Don’t let fear deride you, it will make you stop dead in your tracks. Instead, when you find yourself perplexed by the thought of inaction, seek attunement with the inner you. Explore the possibility of why what’s occurring is happening and the meaning of it. Be mindful to give the meaning you assign a positive perspective. That will be the doorway that leads from the disruption of darkness into the light. That will also be the doorway that allows you to find more of yourself.

Remember, you’re always negotiating.

What are you thinking? I’d really like to know. Reach me at Greg@TheMasterNegotiator.com

To receive Greg’s free 5-minute video on reading body language or to sign up for the “Negotiation Tip of the Week” and the “Sunday Negotiation Insight” click here http://www.themasternegotiator.com/greg-williams/

#HowToNegotiateBetter #CSuite #TheMasterNegotiator #ControlEmotions #Psychology #Truth #Perception #rejection #leadership