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Best Practices Human Resources Management Marketing Personal Development Women In Business

How to Win More Negotiations — Focus Your Thoughts


“Be leery of the man that attempts to sell you someone else’s clothes when he himself is unclothed. That’s when he may be engaged in a diversion.”
 –Greg Williams, The Master Negotiator & Body Language Expert, www.TheMasterNegotiator.com

To win more negotiations, you should focus your thoughts. That’s to say, you should be very thoughtful of what you’re thinking during the negotiation, why you have such thoughts, and where those thoughts might lead. To do otherwise could mean you’re led haphazardly towards a negotiation outcome that doesn’t serve your goals of the negotiation. Observe the following to increase the focus of your thoughts in a negotiation.

Breaking News: Do you take note of how and when TV News organizations flash that moniker across/on the screen? At that moment they’re attempting to grab your attention from what you were focusing on and directing it to what they want you to focus on. In most cases, the breaking news is nothing that would really demand you lend your attention to, but they’ve captured your focus, which was their intent. If you raise your awareness to what’s being attempted by such ploys in a negotiation, you’ll focus your thoughts on not losing your focus per what’s important to your negotiation effort.

Be mindful of when timeouts are called: When timeouts are called in a negotiation, note the reason cited for the timeout and assess the reasoning validity. As an example, if you happen to be winning the negotiation or a point in that process, and the opposing negotiator asks to take a break, he could be doing so to slow your momentum, take the time to gather additional insights/thoughts, and/or to refresh himself. All such insights will give you guidance per what may be occurring in his mind, as to the reasoning he called a timeout. Thus, it may or may not behoove you to grant his request, depending on how hard you wish to push at that time and/or what your next move is intended to achieve. The point is, be aware when there’s a shift in the negotiation and what may have occurred to cause it.

Diversions – Sizzlin’ Korean BBQ: Take note of what the opposing negotiator is asking you to focus on. Question yourself, and possibly her, why she’s asking you to lend your attention to the point she’s highlighting. Note the same when you make a point and attempts are made to divert it. Ask yourself, why was my point given less credence? Why doesn’t she want to address my point and what implications does that have?

In a negotiation, the other negotiator may not tell you how to think, but he may attempt to direct your thoughts by suggesting what you should think about. In so doing, he’s controlling you and the negotiation. To the degree that you think of what you’re thinking about, why you have such thoughts and how those thoughts are aligned with the goals you seek for the negotiation, you’ll combat his efforts while promoting the outcome you seek.

By focusing on what you think about and why you have such thoughts, you’ll be in more control of the negotiation, which will allow you to win more negotiations … and everything will be right with the world.

Remember, you’re always negotiating!

 

 

 

Categories
Growth Personal Development Women In Business

Belle’s World – Wealth

Do you consider yourself to be emotionally and financially wealthy?

The world is changing around us on a daily basis.  We have multi-generations in the workforce (more than 2 and about to be 4), technology evolving at exponential speeds and changing paradigms on our purpose driven lifestyles.  One aspect of this is the perception of the impact and importance of pursuing emotional and financial wealth for our journey of life.  Are both achievable and how do individuals gain them?

I consider myself emotionally wealthy beyond measure.  I have a life family of 32 units in addition to the support of my blood family in times of need.  I live a nomadic lifestyle without any ties and yet am able to provide the support my clients need when and where they need it.  I am there to have experiences and memories with those in my life family that truly brighten my life journey.  I wasn’t always living this lifestyle.  It’s taken years of self awareness and years of pursuing only financial wealth to get to me to a place where I can start with emotional wealth and rebuild my financial wealth.  I was a corporate executive for almost 20 years and then spent the last 3 years focusing on me. I left the corporate world and explored the world through people and places.  I’ve been called a rational free spirit by many in my world as I “flit” around the world yet always end up on my feet strong and steady to support myself.  This time around, the life family (my emotional wealth) has been there in spades to support me as I restart building my financial wealth all over again.  I don’t believe that if I only had financial wealth and I was emotionally ruined that it would be as easy to build up my emotional wealth.  Yet, at this juncture the process of building up financial wealth has been easier because of the support system of the life family.

I work with many clients that are wealthy beyond words.  They can spend money and buy multiple houses, go on the best vacations, buy items they want when they want and on and on.  They are successful business people who are strong leaders and will not back down from supporting their people in business.  However, many are emotionally struggling in many different ways.  For some its not being able to have honest conversations with spouses about how they feel in the marriage as time has gone by.  Many of them have lost the intimacy they started out with when they were young but as children, life, and business have come along they have lost it.  Each one of them wants to go in different directions – Some want to be able to open the doors of building those relationships again and some don’t (but they don’t want to hurt the other person either).  The partner relationship is important to them because they feel like they have a companion and it gives an illusion of not being alone.  This is where there is a crack in true emotional wealth as the companion is no longer a true partner but just a facade for the rest of the world.  In many cases, the financial wealth is a deterrent to changing the situation and so the individual believes there is only one choice but to continue to pursue financial wealth as a distraction and not pursue creating emotional wealth which is done through relationships in any form.  With the life span of humans getting longer there are many individuals who are making a choice to live their journey in life giving up who they truly for the golden handcuffs of financial wealth.  Many don’t even realize that their personal struggles and not having the right emotional wealth is actually preventing them from growing further in their financial wealth.

Another phenomenon that I continue to see is happening due to longer lives.  Many successful business folks are realizing that the business environment is changing and what has made them successful may not keep them at the top of their game.  However, they are in their 60’s, 70’s and sometimes 80’s and still have the mental and physical capacity to run businesses.  Many of them are trying to re-asses what is their purpose in life now and how do they want to continue on that journey.  Many don’t want to just retire and go travel the world. They want to run businesses, travel and have a life.  They have the financial means to do it but they don’t know how to find a way to do it with the right support system.  The support system is static and wants them to give up the business and just travel together.  In other instances, the support system is wondering what they have to prove at continuing to work at such a late stage of their life instead of just enjoying life.  Their support system doesn’t understand that they are driven and motivated by keeping their mind active and continuing to create wealth (whether for children, spouse, family or even themselves).  Many boomers were given a path of education, marriage, children, house (build your financial wealth) and enjoy it when you retire.  However, they don’t want to retire because they still have a lot to give.  I work with my clients to give them insights into how they can have the lifestyles they want (emotional wealth) and continue to build upon their financial wealth and make an impact on society.

There are many financially wealthy people who are also emotionally wealthy but they have spent a great deal of time cultivating the right relationships and having honest conversations to be at a point that they can achieve both financial and emotional wealth in their journey of life.   Do you know of individuals who have achieved both and would be willing to chat with me about their journey?  As I continue my work into this dynamic, I am writing a book around the impact and importance of both in our changing world and any input is much appreciated.

Do you know folks who could benefit from having a sounding board as they build up their emotional wealth and continue on their life journey that will provide them and those around them with fulfillment?  Send them over to me to chat about how we can work together to increase their emotional wealth.

 

Do you actively build your emotional wealth in the same manner you build your financial wealth?

Welcome to Belle’s world. Everything in this world is based on a bell curve. Our media concentrates on giving advice to make everyone be a part of the masses.

This is a weekly series of Urvi’s insights on her perception of the world. They say perception is reality and she lives in her own fantasy world. This allows her to delve into the human element of our lives, helping individuals decipher their own souls, to understand, who they are and what they want, in the journey of life.

Belle’s world explores the extremes and goes beyond the surface. Ready to read about some of the “elephants in the room?”

Contact urvi, if you want to build your emotional wealth and enhance your life based on your inner core.  A confidential and non judgement zone that allows you to begin to flourish in life, love, career, wealth – your personal journey.  #thehumanelement

Categories
Growth Personal Development Women In Business

I’m Outta Here

I’m Outta Here…

Why are 2-Million Americans fleeing their jobs each month? This is an alarming fact. Begs the question what are corporate leaders doing to keep them?

A recent study by Accenture reports:

1) They don’t like their boss (31%),

2) A lack of empowerment (31%),

3) Internal politics (35%) and

4) Lack of recognition (43%).

In total, according to Accenture, 40 percent of men and 25 percent of women want to become their own boss. With the highest percentage being GenX’ers. (Ages 32-58).

Understanding the Five Core Values of Generation X

  1. Relationships. Relationships are their greatest fear and their greatest need. They have a deep yearning to know and be known, but they are afraid. They are afraid of letting their real self out for fear of being rejected so they maintain the ideal self, the self that others accept—leading to deadly isolation.
  2. Fun. From computer games to bungee jumping, Xers are into fun. One Xer said: “You think money is the basis for our existence when it’s really much simpler: fun is.” Most Xers work to live. They are waiting for the weekend. (Note: Most ESPN “Extreme Games” feature Xers.)
  3. Experience. Subjective experience validates if something is real and good. They want to enjoy life, make a difference, and do something meaningful besides just punching a clock from 9 to 5.
  4. Freedom. They don’t like to be labeled and put in a box. They want to be seen as unique individuals able to make a valuable contribution to society. They are very creative and independent and struggle with limits and rules. They value flexibility and spontaneity.
  5. Family. If Xers have children, they don’t want to make the same mistakes their parents did. They will spend time with their kids. Xer parents, especially dads, seem to be incredibly committed to their children.

Adapted from A Guide to Understanding Generation X Sub-Cultures by Ken Baugh.

Take your time when planning your exit strategy. Remember, the whole point of having a strategy is so you have a clear game plan. If you rush into it without being clear on every aspect of your strategy, you will most likely find yourself in a risky situation.

Connie Pheiff, Unstoppable Speaker

Do you have questions or comments about the issues in today’s post? Want to know how to apply the strategies, or how to help others with them? If so, contact me at connie@pheiffgroup.com or CLICK HERE to schedule a 20-minute discovery call to discuss with you personally.

 

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Management Marketing Operations Skills Women In Business

They Don’t Appreciate Me

Have you been in environments where you felt you were not appreciated when talking with acquaintances that you’ve known for some time? In such cases, did you question to what degree your enhanced skills, knowledge, insights were not recognized, and thus your acquaintance saw you as possessing the same level of insight/knowledge as in prior years? After all, they know you as the person they’d interacted with 3, 5, 10, etc., years ago. They haven’t updated the new you that you’ve become.

As we go through life, our knowledge increases and thus we morph into a different person. To the degree someone who knew you from your past sees you in that past light, and not for the person that you’ve become, they see you as the person they’ve always known. Thus, in their eyes, you’re the same person.

When you find yourself in a position where you’re not appreciated for whatever advances you’ve made, you can do one of four things:

  1. Stay in the environment and attempt to change it
  2. Leave the environment immediately and move on to greener pastures
  3. Destroy the current environment and remake it to serve your needs
  4. Stay in the environment, not let it impact you and wait for the right opportunity to leave/escape it

In any case, when you feel you’re not appreciated, understand the mindset you possess per why you feel unappreciated and to what degree there’s validity to your emotions. If you assess your feelings are valid, adopt an action and take control of your life.

Life is too short not to be appreciated. Thus, always seek environments in which your contributions are appreciated and you’ll flourish in such environments … and everything will be right with the world.

What does this have to do with negotiations?

The same thing is true in a negotiation as what’s stated above. If the opposing negotiator does not see value in you, your offer, or the value that you bring to the negotiation table, exit the negotiation. The more time you invest in a negotiation that you’re not appreciated, the greater the chance you’ll end up with a bad deal. So, be very aware of the degree you’re being appreciated during the negotiation. Therein will lie the degree of success you might achieve. Once you raise your awareness to such, you’ll gain more from all of your negotiations … and everything will be right with the world.

Remember, you’re always negotiating!

 

 

 

 

Categories
Best Practices Economics Human Resources Industries Investing Management Marketing Skills Women In Business

7 Questions You Can Ask That Will Make You a Better Negotiator

Questions form the foundation for the exchange of information in a negotiation. To the degree you ask better questions, you’ll achieve greater negotiation outcomes. The following are 7 questions you can ask that will make you a better negotiator, and enhance the probability of your negotiation outcomes.

  1. Did you hear what you just said?

This question can be used to draw attention to a point that you wish to highlight. It can also serve as a distraction away from a point that doesn’t serve you.

  1. What’s the best outcome you’d like to see us reach?

This question gets at the heart of what the other negotiator would like   to see as a ‘best outcome’ situation, which gives you insight into his thought process.

  1. What’s most important to you in this negotiation?

Similar to question number 2, you’ll gain insight into the thought process of the other negotiator, which will give you a glimpse of how to negotiate with her. You’ll also get an idea of her priorities.

  1. What concerns do you have about this negotiation, this point, etc.?

This serves as a way to probe deeper into the mindset of the opposing negotiator per what he fears the most about the outcome of the negotiation. Observe his body language. If he says he doesn’t   have any concerns. Note if he sits back or leans forward as he’s speaking. If he leans forward, he’s more likely not to be concerned at that time. If he leans away, that could indicate he does have concerns, he might not want to share them with you at that time.

  1. What can we do to get past this impasse?

By getting his perspective, you gain a sense of how you might unravel the impasse. If you can adopt his suggestions, to the degree they serve you, you’ll be granting him the outcome he wants. That means he’ll buy into it. Remind him that you’re following his suggestions if he balks later.

  1. Why is that so important?

First, be observant of your tone when posing this question. Your tonality might be perceived as the matter being trivial. If it possesses true value to her, you don’t want to give the impression that it’s not a big deal, especially if it is to you. By doing so, she could say, okay, then give it to me. That would leave you in a weakened position.

  1. What can I do to make things right?

Be very cautious when asking this question. You don’t want to open the floodgates by allowing the other  negotiator to ask for the moon and you not be able to grant the request. On the opposing side, once again, you get a sense of what it might take to make it better, which means you can choose to grant some or none of the requests.

As you can see, the questions you pose during a negotiation set the tone and pace of the negotiation. The questions above can be strategically used during a negotiation to direct or redirect the negotiation in a particular direction that serves your purpose. To do so, use the questions in the order that are best suited for your purpose based on when a particular question is needed. If you do this masterfully, you’ll leave the negotiation with more gains than you otherwise might have had … and everything will be right with the world.

 

Remember, you’re always negotiating!

 

 

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Best Practices Growth Human Resources Management Skills Women In Business

The Missing Piece in Mentoring

 

Mentorship, sponsorship, advocacy… call it what you will, but it needs to go beyond the perfunctory semi-annual meeting to discuss career goals. For most people in that kind of relationship, it probably does, but does it extend to seeking, offering or accepting guidance on the way someone speaks? This is a huge factor in developing executive presence. Short of generically suggesting that someone work on his or her communication skills as is commonly referenced on the annual review, leadership communication tends to be a major missing link.

So what are some of the things to look for in the leadership communication skills in your mentee, and how can you help them work on those areas?

Communication Skills to Look For

Let’s start with content. When presenting information to senior leadership, employees frequently tend to provide too much detail – or “get lost in the weeds,” as they say. Recognize that this is often because they want to convey the thoroughness of their efforts and thought processes, and justify any findings or recommendations that they provide. Reassure them that they’ve been given the opportunity to present this work because they already have the benefit of the doubt that they are qualified and capable, and their results are trustworthy, so get to the point.

Sometimes the challenge is not the quantity of the content, but the level of diplomacy that is used – or missed, as the case may be.

On the one hand, maybe they tend to be conflict-averse, getting tongue-tied at the idea of having to confront someone directly. If so, they often need help finding the words to frame critical feedback in a way that doesn’t beat around the bush, but still allows them to prioritize their relationship without upsetting the other person.

On the other hand, they may have a reputation of being excessively blunt, and come across as unnecessarily combative or defensive. They may need help understanding how their choice of words and delivery (see below) are harmful to their short-term discussion goals and long-term career interests. Then, they will also need alternative framing suggestions to help get their point across without alienating people in the process.

Getting more into the delivery, the ability to show poise and “grace under fire” are often demonstrated by how they control the pace of their speech. Does it sound like one giant run-on sentence? When speakers can articulate their thoughts in finite sentences, like when writing, they sound more in control. They “own” their material. Even if they are fast talkers, something as simple as remembering to pause, just for a second after each point, allows the listeners’ brains to catch up with their ears and digest the last point.

Another problem is that modern social patterns have popularized a bad habit known as “up-speak” or “up-talk,” which is where people sound like they’re always asking a question? At the ends of all their phrases and sentences? Even when they’re not? Which gets really annoying, you know?

The irony is that most people don’t realize when they do it – and it is just as prevalent in men as in women, and in Baby Boomers as in Millennials, contrary to popular belief. It doesn’t even sound like they are interested in what they’re saying… and if their own content doesn’t interest them first, why would it interest anyone else?

So if you are mentoring someone, formally or informally, start listening for some of these patterns. Neglecting to address these issues can undermine all the helpful and well-intended guidance you are otherwise offering.

And if you really want to challenge yourself, remember that taking steps to improve the effectiveness of your own leadership communication is mentoring by example.

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Do you have trouble determining which of these patterns or others are negatively influencing someone’s image or reputation? Are you unsure of how to talk to them about it, or how to help them improve? Or do you have other questions or feedback about this issue? If so, contact me at laura@vocalimpactproductions.com or click here to schedule a 20-minute focus call to discuss it with me personally!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Categories
Best Practices Management Marketing Skills Women In Business

Persistence — in Negotiations

Sunday Message of Hope

“Persistence”

How focused and persistent are you about being successful in your life?

A small boy is sent to bed by his father. Five minutes later…. “Da-ad….” “What? “I’m thirsty. Can you bring me a drink of water?” “No. You had your chance. Lights out.” Five minutes later: “Daaaaad..” “WHAT?” “I’m THIRSTY. Can I have a drink of water??” “I told you NO! If you ask again, I’ll have to spank you!!” Five minutes later..

“Daaaa-aaaad…..” “WHAT!” “When you come in to spank me, can you bring a drink of water?”

That story highlights the persistence the little boy had for reaching his goal of getting a glass of water. It also highlights the consequences he was willing to endure (spanking) to get the glass of water. What are you willing to endure?

I suggest, if you’re willing to persevere and apply the degree of dedication that’s needed to succeed, along with applying the correct knowledge to do so, you can achieve almost any goal you set your mind upon. Your success really is up to you. Be it in a negotiation (you’re always negotiating) or other aspects of life, commit to the action needed to reach your goals, no matter what that goal may be. If a goal is worth the outcome, it’s worth the effort required to reach it. If you’re persistent and follow your commitment with action, you’ll be better for it no matter where you end up, because you will have gained insight about your abilities to move towards a goal … and everything will be right with the world.

Remember, you’re always negotiating!  

Categories
Best Practices Growth Management Skills Women In Business

Turning a Faux Pas into a Win

The other day I was doing a training on leadership communication for a large client in the communication technology industry. Among their many products and services are video and teleconferencing tools. In the course of my program, we got to the part about facilitating virtual meetings, and as I clicked to the next slide, I suddenly heard a couple of boos from the crowd. I look up and realized my gaffe: my default visual was an image of people chatting on Skype – a direct competitor.

Now I had a choice to make: I could flush beet-red, babble a string of mortified apologies, and run out of the room in humiliation, or I could turn it around and make it a “teachable moment.” I opted for the latter, and explicitly shared this very choice with the group.

“Actually, I’m glad this happened, because it allows me to demonstrate some additional strategies in leadership communication, rather than just talking about them.”

From there, I walked them through a sequence of steps, both in addressing my personal mistake, and narrating the conscious strategy behind each step I was taking in the process. I share it with you here, so that you can also learn from my mistake, and use the experience to your advantage, as I did.

First, I apologized. I had made an undeniable, objective mistake, and it was my responsibility to own it. My voice stayed even in speed and volume to indicate composure, and model the degree of drama that I believed was warranted by the situation, so they could follow suit.

Second, I briefly explained my original intention behind the mistake, providing just enough information to help them understand what happened and increase empathy. In this case, at the time I selected these images, my focus and biggest challenge was finding appropriate pictures with sufficiently high resolution so I could zoom it on the slide and still have the picture be in sharp focus for the best visual experience, which limited my options based on the images I found on-line.

Third, I offered a solution to the problem, and engaged the audience in helping me to solve it. “Let me offer this to you in return: From here on out, I will replace these two images with your products instead, and have them be the standard images when I present to other companies in the future. How does that sound?” I saw lots of head nods in the audience. Free advertising for them; who wouldn’t appreciate that?

Then I followed up with, “But I’m going to need a little assistance. Since I wasn’t able to find good, high-resolution images of (Product X) online, I need one of you to send me some. Who here will volunteer to send them to me?” Half a dozen hands shot up in the air. Now, not only had I offered an agreeable solution, but I had enrolled the client’s enthusiastic participation in helping me execute the decision. Now we were partners, sharing in the responsibility to achieve the desired outcome.

At the end of the day, one woman said, “I really wanted to see where you were going to go with it once that (competitor) image popped up, but you handled the whole situation perfectly! I’m so glad we got to go through the process with you.”

In the end, what matters most is how you respond in the moment. Keep your composure, acknowledge the error, apologize appropriately, give only as much explanation as is necessary (sometimes none), then offer a remedy and see it through. This enables you to maintain control of the situation and lead by example, which helps you to build (or rebuild) trust, reinforcing your image and reputation as a leader.

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Do you have questions or comments about the issues in today’s post, want to know how to apply them, or how to help others with them? If so, contact me at laura@vocalimpactproductions.com or click here to schedule a 20-minute focus call to discuss them with me personally!

Categories
Growth Personal Development Women In Business

Women Executives, Leaping from C-Suite Executive to Entrepreneur

Have you been thinking about making a leap from C-suite executive to entrepreneur? There are many women executives that are working hard to help make someone else’s dreams a reality. Although many people want to make the change from C-suite to entrepreneur, it’s sometimes a lot easier said than done. Yes, you already have a good, steady job, and feel as though it’s not worth the risk. However, you should ask yourself one question. “Does this feel like the reward I have been longing for?”

Unfortunately, the professional road for women isn’t always easy. Most women have to put in twice the effort. This is especially true for women that are looking to start their own business. As a matter of fact, you may find yourself worrying about that hour of sleep you’ll be losing reading this. Although our road to success is often littered with potholes, that doesn’t mean we can’t switch lanes to avoid them, and be unstoppable together. There are many women that have traveled down this road before you, and there are many women that are willing to give you some much needed advice.

As I mentioned before, making the leap from C-suite to entrepreneur doesn’t always come easy. So any concerns you may have are completely understandable, and normal. However, you have to keep reminding yourself that these fears and hurdles are manageable. Don’t scare yourself out of achieving your goals. There are a lot of excuses that can come between you and your dreams. However, before you overcome your fears, you have to identify them. Some of the most common concerns most aspiring entrepreneurs have include:

  • Fear of losing a steady a paycheck
  • A lack of knowledge and skills
  • The ability to get the job done and succeed
  • And considering all the hard work that women executives put in to be in a high level position, a fear of losing your professional status

Once you have identified your fears, it will be easier for you to push through and overcome them. Yes, it will be a challenge. Yes, there will be hurdles, and no, it won’t always be easy. You will have to work hard and be focused. As women, we’re used to working overtime to reach our goals. Make sure you keep that in mind when you’re having doubts. You are more capable then you think. It takes a lot of hard work and dedication to become a women executive, so there is no question that you can do this. Remember when you succeed you help open a door for another woman striving to reach their goals. This five-step formula will help you conquer your fears so that we can be unstoppable together.

  1. Process

There are a lot of people that think a change implies that you’re trying to fix something that wasn’t doing well. However, the reality is that change represents growth and progression. In fact, you can’t run a long lasting business without making a change here and there. Everything is a process when you’re going from C-suite to entrepreneur. First you have to have a vision, because without a vision you have nothing. Learn how to use your competitive nature to your advantage with promotions and proposals. Your ending goal should always be to turn each client into a lifelong business relationship. Every successful business has a process, and over time you will learn how to create your own system.

  1. Position

Women executives that are leaping into entrepreneurship have to position themselves for success. Positioning yourself the right way can be a game changer. If you stay focused on what is most effective for you, you will learn the fundamentals of becoming an unstoppable DIVA. Learn how to research your market effectively, and get to know your clients a little deeper. Use your credibility as leverage with strategic alliances, and become an expert in your field.

  1. Package

Professional, successful businesses always create nice packaging for their clients. You have to learn how to be crafty and unique with your packaging ideas. You can also use this to practice your competitive edge. You’ll obviously have to create a product or service to market before you can package anything. Both your product and your packaging should be desirable, irresistible, and they should have a high value within your market. You can use platforms like YouTube, TV, radio, and social media to learn all you can about packaging.

  1. Promotion

At this point, you’ll have a clear message that you can introduce to the world and start to become the unstoppable DIVA that you were meant to be. You can use social proof of your credibility to help you become newsworthy. Make sales and promotions clear when you present proposals. Engaging with others will help you, and your business achieve more. You will be unstoppable together.

  1. Performance

Always make sure you have good budgeting and financial planning practices. Implement performance reviews in every aspect of your business as it accelerates. Remember, accountability is everything and without it, your business will start to crumble. Your training should always be ongoing. Learn, engage, and you will always achieve more. If you follow these 5 steps you will become the unstoppable DIVA that you’ve always aspired to become.

 

Be Unstoppable Together,

Connie Pheiff,

Unstoppable DIVA

Do you have questions or comments about the issues in today’s post? Want to know how to apply them, or how to help others with them? If so, contact me at connie@pheiffgroup.com or CLICK HERE to schedule a 20-minute discovery call to discuss with you personally.

Categories
Entrepreneurship Personal Development Women In Business

How Did Eight Senior VPS Perform Against All Odds

Companies large and small have an opportunity to create a culture of success from looking at the lens of the employee.

Case Study

My business success and acumen presented me the opportunity to be the CEO of Girl Scouts. It was a position I will cherish forever. As CEO, my responsibility was to serve our staff, board members, girl and Adult membership. Girl Scouts is an organization to serve every girl everywhere. However, competition was growing fierce and girls were seeking other opportunities ~ opportunities that would compete with the Girl Scout programs.

Stakeholders were concerned with the loss of girl membership and quality of programs. Being the CEO allowed me to use my skill of Emotional Engagement; which means getting people to ‘want’ to do something. People don’t want to be told what to do. People in general ‘want’ to do what is right for the organization.

The culture was clear, the Girl Scout organization has a mission to serve the girls~ it’s not what’s in it for the organization… it’s what we can do for our members.

The outcome of the year was unexpected. As this was the year the Girl Scouts would realign its boundaries. The leadership team was under pressure to perform knowing that at the end of the year each would be re-applying for their position, myself included. That didn’t hold them back. A clear path was set, each were determined to work side-by-side to get the job done.

Creating a culture of Emotional Engagement was the strongest it had been in years. The council ended the year exceeding the membership goal by 86%, the number of Gold Award participants and individual Scout awards increased by 48% and philanthropy giving increased by 42%. The board grew in size while gaining members of influence and staff-rating scores set a record high because of the advocacy, pride, and enjoyment of the job. The organization flourished because the culture of emotional engagement flourished from the Camp Staff to the Board of Directors.

 

Be Unstoppable Together

Connie Pheiff, Unstoppable DIVA

 

Do you have questions or comments about the content in today’s post; want to know how to apply Emotional Engagement in your business, or how to help others grow a successful business? If so, contact me at connie@pheiffgroup.com or <CLICK HERE> to schedule a 20-minute discovery call to discuss with you personally.