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Category: Personal Development

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Plagiarism or Sloppiness: What Happened to Jill Abramson’s Merchants of Truth?

Editor: Fix, Correct, Heal Yourself!

Former New York Times editor Jill Abramson is in the spotlight with her new book Merchants of Truth for all the wrong reasons.

Abramson has been accused of plagiarizing a number of passages in the book from other previously published material. Her initial response was to categorically deny this had happened. However, after reporter Michael Moynihan posted tweets showing several passages from Abramson’s book side-by-side with nearly identical content from other sources, Abramson pulled back, “reviewed the situation,” and is having the errors fixed.

What happened here?

It’s highly doubtful that someone with as long and distinguished a journalistic career as Abramson set out to purposely plagiarize others’ material in her own book. The passages cited are background and context setting material that would not be of issue had they been tagged with footnotes that referenced the original published source. Without the footnotes or references, however, the passages appear to be Abramson’s work when they really are not.

It looks like one of the industry’s best known editors missed the boat when it came to the editing of her own book. The question is how could something like this happen.

The book was published by Simon & Schuster—a well-established publishing house. How did this get through the various editors and reviewers who looked over the manuscript?   Perhaps someone along the way made the presumption that the work of a former New York Times editor didn’t need as much review and editing. Or perhaps someone was trying to save a few dollars by outsourcing this to the least costly resource available. Or trying to move too quickly and got sloppy.

I’ve edited and proofed a number of nonfiction books, some commercially published, some self-published, on a variety of topics. Often, I’m brought in to salvage a book after another editor (possibly offshore) has supposedly reviewed the manuscript, but errors remain. Some of these authors are fairly distinguished, highly educated, experts in their fields. Regardless, their work still needs review and editing.

Some times I find grammatical or punctuation errors. Other times I see repetitive phrases or unclear sentence structure. Still other times, I find problems with narrative flow or continuity.

It’s certainly not unusual for me to find situations like Abramson’s where attribution is missing. I flag these and direct the author to reference the source and add the proper attribution through a footnote or endnote.

That’s what good editors do, but for whatever reason, it didn’t happen here.

There are several lessons here for anyone who produces work to be published:

  • You can’t edit your own work. You can’t possibly get enough distance to read this with an unbiased eye. There isn’t a selfie stick long enough to give you the right perspective on something you create.
  • Don’t be wowed by the pedigree of the author. Everyone needs this kind of review. We are all human. The more prestigious the author, the more important it is that their work be as error-free as possible.
  • You get what you pay for. Yes, you can outsource this function to a cheaper resource, but is it worth it? A good, thorough, knowledgeable editor will cost more, but is more likely to catch errors like this.

Simon & Schuster will fix Abramson’s book in online and future print editions. But the cost to the reputation of both the publisher and the author is significant. After all, this is a book that is subtitled, “The business of news and the fight for facts.” Whoops.

Linda Popky is an award-winning Silicon Valley-based strategic marketing consultant, writer, and editor who helps organizations get heard above the noise. She is the author of Marketing Above the Noise: Achieve Strategic Advantage with Marketing that Matters,  as well as the Executive Director of the Society for the Advancement of Consulting.

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

Do You Hear What I’m Thinking?

“Delivered succinctly, your thoughts are accurately conveyed. Delivered unsuccinctly, and your message can get lost in a morass of confusion”. -Greg Williams, The Master Negotiator & Body Language Expert

How many times do you catch yourself not saying exactly what you’re thinking? You say one thing and the meaning becomes altered by what you emit. Okay, did you catch that? The intent was to state, … by what you omit. Such nuances can leave the receiver of your message confused about its intent. We omit complete thoughts at times because we’re not focused on what we say or write.

The following are two points to consider before communicating with others. They’ll help you communicate more effectively.

Know your environments.

Some people get tongue-tied due to their environment. They experience self-pressure because they want to perform better. That’s usually due to how they think they’ll be perceived versus how they wish it to be. Recognize that something is occurring that makes you feel unsafe in those environments. It may stem from the people in it or the environment itself (i.e. glitzy, downtrodden, etc.).

Prior to your entry, identify how you want to convey your thoughts, what might prevent you from doing so, and what you’ll do to become unstuck if that occurs. Having plans in place to move from one mental environment to another will allow you the mental dexterity to place your mind at ease and focus on the message you want to deliver.

Know your mental peaks.

Everyone has times in the day when they’re more mentally alert. Do you know yours? More importantly, do you know what times are best for the important communications that you’ll have?

When you’re at the ‘top of your game’ note how you got there. Is it something someone says that ignites it? Was it the exercise regimen you engaged in. Was it due to a lack of fatigue? Knowing the answers to these questions and others will allow you to identify when you’ll most likely be at your mental peak. When possible, choose those times to engage in more important communications.

When you communicate, whether in writing or verbal, there’ll be times when you don’t communicate succinctly. The better you become at identifying those times, the more alert you’ll be about their occurrence. That mindfulness should allow you to prepare better for the encounter, which should allow you to communicate better … and everything will be right with the world.

What does this have to do with negotiations? 

Every negotiation involves communications. It’s in the form of what you say and how you say it. Thus, as offers and counteroffers are exchanged, the words used to convey their sentiment impacts the perception of the offer. Therefore, if you don’t represent your thoughts appropriately, you’ll decrease the chance of communicating effectively. That can lead to a hellish negotiation.

In every negotiation, plan what you’ll say and the body language you’ll use when imparting your message (e.g. moving closer when offers are appealing – away when they’re not, hand supporting chin to reflect contemplation, hands pushing away to signal disdain for the offer, etc.). The more aligned your body language is with your message, the more your message will appear believable. Even if your full thought isn’t conveyed, the body language that accompanies it will add an extra dimension to the message.

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 “Negotiation Tip of the Week” and the “Sunday Negotiation Insight” click here http://www.themasternegotiator.com/greg-williams/

#Communication #Success #Emotion #Business #Progress #SmallBusiness #Negotiation #NegotiatingWithABully #Power #Perception #emotionalcontrol #relationships #HowToNegotiateBetter #CSuite #TheMasterNegotiator #ControlEmotions

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

Negotiate More Effectively by Knowing How to Act Better

“Everything in life is an act. And you’re the actor on the stage of your life.” -Greg Williams, The Master Negotiator & Body Language Expert

Do you plan how you’ll #act when you #negotiate? What #role do you decide you’ll play? Knowing the right role to display will allow you to negotiate better. You can’t predict every circumstance you’ll encounter in a negotiation. But the better prepared you are, the better your act will be.

Your act:

Everyone plays a role when negotiating. And, your role should align with how you wish the other negotiator to perceive you; that’s your act. You should not view it as bad or inauthentic; it’s an act. If it’s misaligned, you run the risk of weakening your position. As an example, you shouldn’t become a bully if you’ve been playing the role of someone that’s helpful. That would be a misalignment.

Consider the following and keep in mind that you can morph from one act to another. Just be sure there’s an easily perceived reason for doing so.

Nonchalant

You can adopt this act to project a ‘no-care’ attitude (i.e. if it happens, fine – if it doesn’t, fine). You might employ this demeanor when you wish to confuse the other negotiator about your real interest in what he’s offering. Make sure not to become unmasked by being too deep into the role. Because a fleeting offer may disappear before you can shift acts.

Defiant

“I won’t accept that offer under any circumstances!” Be cautious when adopting this act. It can leave you in a position that’s difficult to retreat from. While this can be a good tactic, if it’s overused and you must concede, you’ll be weaker throughout the rest of the negotiation.

To combat the perception of being in a weaker position, consider feigning momentary hopelessness. It’ll lend credence to your act. But you must attempt to regain your defiant act, be it from a less entrenched position, to regain your position. You’ll only be able to use the hopelessness ploy once, twice if you’re overly convincing. So, be mindful of how and when you employ it. If you do so too early in the negotiation, you’ll lessen its effect later. If you do it too late, you’ll bring additional scrutiny upon your act.

Helpful

Most people like helping people. It’s a characteristic that’s pleasing. It’s also a characteristic that some people despise. Thus, you must know when to be a helpful actor and when to drop the act.

Dominant negotiators, the bullying type, tend not to want help. They already know what’s good for the negotiation. From their perspective, your insights will only hinder the process.

Invoke the helpful act with collaborative negotiator types. They seek input to promote win-win negotiation outcomes. To better effect this act, consider when you’ll lead and when you’ll follow. To follow, ask the other negotiator for her opinion. Then, build on it. To lead, present a non-threatening offer and ask your collaborator what she thinks of it. Build on what she says.

Dominant

Most people don’t like to be dominated; it places too many restrictions on them. Nevertheless, acting dominantly versus someone that’s savvy and in control can have its benefits. The difference lies in whether you’re perceived as being overbearing, strong-willed, or just knowledgeable. To effect this act, attune yourself to the other negotiator’s perception. There can be hidden value in this role. Knowing how to uncover that value makes it more valuable.

The stage you’re in, in the negotiation, should direct how you act. Like a good director, if you time your actions appropriately, your actions will be more believable. That will lead to more winning negotiation outcomes … 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 “Negotiation Tip of the Week” and the “Sunday Negotiation Insight” click here http://www.TheMasterNegotiator.com/greg-williams/

#Act #Negotiations #bodylanguage #Negotiator #Business #Management #SmallBusiness #Money #Negotiating #combat #negotiatingwithabully #bully #bullies #bullying #PersonalDevelopment #HandlingObjections #HowToNegotiateBetter #CSuite #TheMasterNegotiator #psychology #NegotiationPsychology

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Best Practices Entrepreneurship Industries Leadership Marketing Sales Skills

7 Failures of Business Growth

If you want to stand out in today’s marketplace, you must work smarter, not harder. This is easier said than done, however, as despite their best intentions, companies get snarled in the glaring failures that derail business growth and stagnate profits.

In order for you to avoid these failures, you have to be aware of the most common ones and the strategies for combating them. The following will help you turn failure into success.

1. FAILURE TO ANTICIPATE
Most companies react to change as it occurs. You must anticipate and plan for future changes. You can anticipate a great deal in your industry. For example, are automobiles of the future mostly going to be electric instead of gas? Many think so. Could automobiles hover like drones instead of drive on four wheels? Of course!

Instead of being a crisis manager and reacting to change, anticipate changes so you can drive growth from the inside out. Spend one hour a week focusing on predictable opportunities to strategize and become more of an opportunity management organization.

2. FAILURE TO COMMUNICATE
There is a difference between informing and communicating. Informing is one-way and static,  and seldom leads to action. Communicating is two-way and dynamic, and usually leads to action. We have these fantastic Communication Age tools but use them in an Information Age way. If you can’t communicate internally with your staff, how can you communicate externally to customers and shareholders? When you focus on maximizing two-way communication, you can create a Communication Age organization and accelerate positive change.

3. FAILURE TO COLLABORATE
The majority of people tend to cooperate, which is a lower-level function different from collaboration. Even though we often use the word “collaborate,” we frequently really just mean “cooperate.” Cooperation means, “I won’t get in your way if you won’t get in mine.” Such an approach produces results but certainly not outstanding results, because it’s based on a scarcity mentality.

Collaboration is instead based on abundance and gets competitors to work with you rather than against you. It occurs when we put our heads together and ask ourselves, “How can we create a bigger pie for everyone?”

4. FAILURE TO INNOVATE
When asked what their last big innovation was, most companies have to go back five or ten years to cite something meaningful, as the majority of companies innovate once, form a company around the innovation, and then let it ride. They stop innovating and instead spend a great deal of effort asking themselves how they can become more efficient by doing more with less, reducing overhead, and using technology better. You must ask yourself how you can use technology and staff to create new products and services to increase sales all around. Innovation fuels profitability and efficiency.

5. FAILURE TO PRE-SOLVE PROBLEMS
Always remember that a problem isn’t an opportunity in disguise; it is a problem! A problem is only an opportunity before it occurs, and most problems we experience are predictable. If you ask customers what they want and then give it to them, you’re missing the real opportunity. Instead, you need to think at a level higher and ask yourself and your customers, “What problems are we about to have?” Develop new solutions based on those answers and base your product development on your customer’s future problems.

6. FAILURE TO DE-COMMODITIZE
Unfortunately, most companies come up with something new and make it their main product. Other companies copy the product, and then market saturation occurs. Try de-commoditizing your offering by taking your product and putting a service wrapper around it. For example, in the electricity industry, the utility provider cannot increase prices without permission from ratepayers. One electric company bypassed this limitation by creating what it calls “digital electricity.” They sold customers a product that, for a higher cost, prevented any fluctuation of voltage from occurring. Many big companies signed up for this more expensive service, and in the near future, homeowners with streaming devices will have a similar interest. This electric utility took a product and wrapped a service around it in order to de-commoditize.

7. FAILURE TO DIFFERENTIATE
Too many companies become just like everyone else. True strategic planning needs to be more than numbers based; it needs to focus on how you can differentiate your company and products from those of the competition. You differentiate by avoiding all the failure modes we’ve discussed that prevent business growth. You anticipate, communicate, collaborate, innovate, pre-problem solve, and de-commoditize. Become what your competition isn’t in order to differentiate.

BUSINESS SUCCESS IS ON YOUR HORIZON

When you know the failures to avoid and the strategies for combating them, you’ll be well on your way to learning from these failures, rethinking the way business is done, and creating an organization that continues to grow despite external factors.

NEXT STEP: Pick up your copy of The Anticipatory Organization to discover proven strategies to accelerate innovation and shape the future–before someone else does it for you!

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Best Practices Body Language Culture Health and Wellness Human Resources Management Women In Business

What to do When Whatever Can Happen Suddenly Does and Tries to Destroy Your Meeting – Part 2

You’ve just been attacked verbally by a super-irate member of your meeting.  Your heart is pounding.  Your eyes are wide.  The rest of the group is focused on you for help.  What the heck?!  Who signed me up for this???!!!!

Here’s one technique to feel more centered and apart from your own emotional reactions when aggression is expressed.  Experience yourself observing while simultaneously leading.  You can take an emotional step back from involvement in the group by imagining that you’re watching a movie; the story is unfolding before your eyes and you can watch and think about the characters, the plot and the implications from a slightly removed vantage point. We thereby spare ourselves the stress and high emotions that can distort perceptions of the findings as well as jeopardize our ability to lead.

By the way, in marketing research focus groups, this is excellent advice for the observers in the backroom. As we’ve all experienced, it’s often difficult for clients to hear negative and emotionally charged feedback about their brain children. And, who could blame them? Their jobs are on the line.  Their self-esteem about their own creative process which brought the test ideas into being are being challenged and shot down in a moment, while they may have spent months or even years coming to the point where they are brave enough to expose them to their audiences. It’s natural that clients are likely to take any attacks on their products and advertising personally making it difficult to listen with an open mind.

It is therefore a wise idea for clients to have the safety of the movie metaphor. And it works well with the focus group set up. Watching the “movie” through the glass is a logical extension of the physical environment.  The window is like a large screen. The seats are lined up in tiers. It’s dark like a movie theatre. Many facilities even serve popcorn to encourage the sense of more passive viewing and listening.

However, it’s a totally different situation in the front room as the leader. The facilitator might pretend that she/he is the focusing lens of the camera, but… the problem occurs when the monster in the movie slowly turns its head, catches the camera’s eye and focuses his fury right into the audience’s face. We all know how frightening that is when that character seems to come off the big screen and become aware of you as viewer.  Our safe seat in the auditorium is now confronted by the scary beast. An icy chill streaks up our spine. Our hearts begin to race. Our eyes widen. Some will utter a frightened, HUH!! If the change
in the monster’s demeanor and attention comes out of the blue, the intensity of our reactions is greater.

Imagine how much worse that is when an angry group member captures the moderator’s eye and blasts him/her with a tirade of emotion intended for God knows what, his boss,  his father/mother, or anyone else who has made them angry. While we can sit safely in the movie theatre just having our momentary feeling of fright, in the leader’s seat we must have strategies in place for dealing with these people.

Art Shulman, a friend of mine who has attended our training and learned about our Snow White Theory for dealing with the various types of characters in the group, wrote a comic tongue-in-cheek account of his version of The Hulk appearing in one of his sessions.

Here’s a synopsis and a small excerpt.  Thank you Art!:

Apparently, an already transformed, surly, Hulk-like look-a-like known as “Beast” presented himself in one of Art’s groups (or perhaps hypothetical groups). In the go round he growled and snarled at the group and at Art.  Art, silently, but frantically tried to recall all of the interventions he had learned to employ in dealing with difficult people. He jokingly reflects to himself things like:

  • Slip him a Mickey?
  • Pull out a can of Mace?
  • Use the ejector seat?

Then he tells us that he remembered the seating position behavior he learned about for working with difficult respondents. He invites Beast, AKA Grumpy or Hulk who is sitting in the confrontational, counter-leadership position at the end of the table to switch seats with Happy who is sitting in the compliant seat to the leader’s immediate right. He correctly explains that the chair opposite the leader is likely to be taken by a provoking, challenging character. One way to change behavior is to literally change the person’s seat.

In Art’s Group Thriller, he has this Grumpy Beast switch his seat with Happy, the character most likely to support the leader. Then Art announced to the group that the topic of the session was Christmas stockings, where upon our Grumpy Hulk uttered a thunderous rumbling sound like that of a volcano about to erupt, turned to him and the people in the backroom, and in growing ferocity picked up a chair and flung it at the mirror.

Once our imaginary respondent, Beast, released the pent up frustration that had been growing to a breaking point, he was able to express the softer feelings and reasons why.

In Art’s words:

“Then, as we all looked on, Beast sat back down and became tearful,. .’Every December I apply for jobs as Santa Claus. But I’m always rejected once they find out I’m a professional wrestler’

For the rest of the session he was a pussycat, making all sorts of  useful suggestions to increase sales of my client’s product”

* * *

With just a little luck, nothing this extreme will ever happen to you when you’re leading a group or meeting. Yet there is that nagging old Murphy reminding us that anything can and will. The sheer knowledge of this possibility, no matter how rare, keeps us needing to have an approach to handle the most difficult respondents even though most groups are comprised of amiable, cooperative people.

An important intervention for your consideration:

I would like to suggest a little tactic to have in your back pocket that you can rely on if Murphy and The Hulk show up in your meeting and scare you with a roar and the mighty muscle that looks like he can back it up.  It is a very simple technique that diffuses the raw emotion of this grumpy person. And remember, all of us have the capacity for being quite grumpy at times, when provoked.

The unexpected outburst starts. Allow the participant to vent and finish his/her little tirade. You will be feeling the attack and so will the rest of the group. If you are like most people when confronted with such a strong assault your heart is racing and you probably feel a little frightened yourself not unlike the shock I felt when the computer came crashing down on my head out of seemingly nowhere.

Remind yourself to take a breath. It will be over soon.

You can give yourself time to think and recover from your pounding heart and dazed feeling AND at the same time, help this angry person calm down by saying: “I am sorry could you repeat that…I want to be sure I really understood what you said.”

While it may sound counter intuitive to invite this furious fomentation to be unleashed yet again, it actually has the reverse effect.  It is at once both an extraordinarily simple AND extraordinarily powerful intervention.

Here’s why:

– Asking the person to repeat what was just expressed protects you from attempting to engage in a rational conversation with an irrational person (which is kind of like
trying to get your dog to teach you Calculus … you’ll just irritate him and get him to bark louder).

Our job is to keep the group communication constructive, reasonably logical and goal oriented (despite any needs to recognize emotional motivation.) The overly aggressive attacker is not able to contribute to this in their initial state of anger.

– Second, the meaning and intent of the overly aggressive  communication is usually quite clouded by the intensity of his adrenalin. It’s hard to decipher the meaning and
implications out from underneath the intensity of his emotional outburst.

The tone of your voice should communicate genuine interest in hearing the meaning of his/her words. You are asking so that you can help this person better articulate what they are thinking.

Like the Hulk who requires a build up of energy to fuel his fiery temper, the aggressive participant’s raw emotion has been spent. It will take time, energy and a sense of annoyance and irritation to rebuild for there to be another volcanic eruption.  When the participant repeats what was originally spat out in a rage, he/she will now express it far more calmly with far less feeling and agitation. This will give you an opportunity to:

* Recuperate, calm down, collect your thoughts and think of your next question

* Invite the group to react to the content of his message rather than the inappropriate emotion.

Then, in order to further help Grumpy respond in a way which will help him be more cooperative, ask “object oriented[4], easy questions with regard to the content. Examples would be:

– When did this happen?
– Where were you?
– How did you get there?
– Who was there?

People calm down when given the opportunity to answer simple factual question which have definite answers, having nothing to do with their opinions. (The reason is, opinions reside INSIDE a person’s head … they are ideas one has to ‘defend’, whereas facts are things that are usually more objectively verifiable, thus carrying less of a need for personal
defense).

In contrast, asking a very upset person “why?” (to which they may or may not know the answer, and which certainly puts them on the spot to defend their position) may create more anxiety and refuel their upset.

You might also, (at some point after the problem person has re-verbalized their aggression and been helped to calm down with these simple factual questions), acknowledge the problem or concern he has, then repeat it to the person to make sure you (and the rest
of the group) understands the issue.

What works about this approach?

You demonstrated that you have respect for her/him [as well as the others in the group] by accepting his reaction and wanting to hear more.

You remained apparently calm and avoided counter attacking and dismissing him. (That’s hard to do when someone is attacking you. During an aggressive confrontation, it’s natural to want to fight fire with fire.)

You indicated interest in finding out what he is really thinking and validated him by letting him know that you believe there is an important message beyond the fireworks.

You treated the issue as important to her/him, even though it might not be so for others, showing your interest in his and everyone’s reactions.

You demonstrated acceptance of his feelings to make it possible for him to talk without having to use intense emotional outbursts to get your attention.

You used the window of calm after the storm to reestablish your leadership in the group and take control

At the same time, you gave the other group members a moment to catch their breath too and calm down from the onslaught so you could all return to the task at hand.

Incidentally, Art was right about seating position. It’s much easier for an angry meeting participant to assert dominance and attempt to steal the floor if they can make eye contact with the leader. Acknowledging via eye contact invites the other to talk and interact. [You know how they
say to avoid eye contact with a crazy looking person when you’re walking the streets of Manhattan.] So either change his seat or change the balance of power by getting up, moving around the room and making it difficult for him/her to look you in the eye until this person has demonstrated that she/he can be cooperative.

When all else fails, from another fairy tale, keep a pitcher of water handy to melt the wicked witch. [Just kidding of course, but it’s only fair to note that Super-Grumpies come in both genders].

And remember, Murphy’s law is very unlikely to come to pass. Most meetings are comprised of people who want to be there and share their ideas rather than hitting you on the head with a heavy metal black box.

Hmmmm.  Maybe Dennis the flight attendant was the Incredible Hulk?

Wishing you great meetings!

Want to learn more about leading groups?  Contact me http://www.DrSharonLivingsto.com to find out about our upcoming training sessions or email me directly at DrSharonLivingston@gmail.com

[1] Wasn’t sure if he was just annoyed with me for invading his space or if he saw my strange behavior as a function of menopausal madness.  If he had only known the secrets for assuaging potentially aggressive reactions, we might have had a pleasant flight..

[2] After sharing my experience with other QRC’s I heard a story that topped this one.  A moderator was sitting in First Class.  During take off, a bottle of wine flew out of the galley, hit her in the head and knocked her unconscious!  We really have a high risk occupation, friends.

[3]  Grumpy is an icon for one of the 7 characters that show up in any group. Anyone unfamiliar with my metaphor that respondents in a focus group tend to assume the role of one of the seven dwarves from the classic 1800’s tale can visit http://www.snowwhitetheory.com/ for a description of all the postures people take in a group meeting and suggestions for how to handle them

[4] An object oriented question is just a factual question that has an easily identifiable right answer. An opinion might be judged, making the respondent anxious, but factual queries are experienced as safe.

 

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Best Practices Management Personal Development Sales

Help Me…To Help You.

If you’ve ever read an article you liked from me, thank you (whether you hit a “like” button or not). To keep the research-based quality of my articles up, I need something from you.

Here’s the thing:  The time I spend writing is dwarfed by the time I spend reading and studying.  I want to be the person who can consume information and curate key insights for my readers.

One of My Main Resources is You.

Indirectly, at least. I have been called a data hound. Sure, I read a lot of books from authors in the fields of economics, marketing, psychology, leadership, and more. I also consume research, and always have. Research is built when people like you invest your time in a researcher’s data gathering.

A key research source that I use in my articles is CSO Insights.  They are the pre-eminent research house for sales intelligence.

  • They have the world’s foremost authorities on Sales Enablement
  • They conduct the world’s most complete and insightful research on Sales Operations.
  • They have the world’s most sophisticated tracking data into best practices in B2B sales.
  • They are the world’s best resource for benchmarking data. They help you answer questions like “is my attrition rate something I need to do something about?”
  • Their Study of Sales Performance helps leaders know what works and what doesn’t.
  • They study buyers.  Because of CSO Insights, I can keep up-to-date on how buyers want to buy, and what kind of sellers they want to buy from.
  • Their data drives talent and hiring tools to help you hire the right people, and put them in the right roles.
  • They produce the information I use to help clients put the right analytics in place.

In short, these are researchers who build the data you need most in order to do your job.  When people contact me for advice or help, it’s informed by this research, among other things.  I’m grateful for all of those in years past who have contributed their time.

You Need Me on That Wall.

Even if you don’t want to read research yourself, you benefit from it.  When you read my articles, you are consuming this research indirectly. If you find value in what I write, you benefit from CSO Insights’ work product.  For those who have asked me for insights, I have an admission:  it’s not just my brilliance.  My advice relies on people who gather hard information.

Please help me to help you. This year’s Sales Practices study is open, and I respectfully ask your help by participating. Especially if you’re in a leadership role in the sales, sales operations, sales enablement, or corporate management disciplines.  I know that surveys are tiring, but this one’s important..

And I Need You…Your Time, at Least.

For those who wonder if this is going to lead to a sales solicitation, the answer is no.  I will repay your time with mine if you want, though. Use this link and, if you provide your name, I’ll not only send you my personal thanks, I’ll make sure you have access to research reports (if you want them.).  Following up with all of you who respond is becoming a time investment, but I am happy to do it. Of course, you’ll also continue to see the research reflected in my articles.

Thank you, and I look forward to being notified that you helped, when you use this link.

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

Do You Really Want to Get Better?

“Better is, as better is defined. If you want to get better, first define it, then engage it. Learn from it. Then, repeat the process.” -Greg Williams, The Master Negotiator & Body Language Expert

Do you really want to get better? If so, why? If not, why not? Seriously, some people are happy and satisfied with their station in life. They seek to avoid the challenges, tests, and ultimatums that life places before them. So, they sheepishly slink into the confines of what they perceive to be life’s sanctuaries. Thus, they don’t seek higher stations. Hopefully, that’s not you.

Here’s the point, and I don’t mean to be harsh. If you’re not growing in life, you’re dying. You may already be dead, just waiting for a place to happen. Don’t let that be you! As I state to a dear friend of mine in Australia, keep rising.

Plateau:

Some people plateau in life. They don’t realize when it occurs because they’re too busy living life. They drift on the melodies of life, seduced by its melodic tones. Meanwhile, life changes, be it through technology, relationships, etc., and some don’t note it. They run the risk of falling behind because they’re not staying abreast of the times that change brings. Don’t let that happen to you! Change with the times.

Define it:

To get better, you must know what better means. That means, you must define what it means to get better. While you can seek input from others, in the end, you must live the life you choose. Therefore, be mindful when accepting input. Take what you need and leave what you don’t.

Perception:

Okay, you tried to reach a higher point in life, and you failed. First, you didn’t fail. You learned valuable lessons. What were those lessons? If for no other reason, learn from them, so you don’t repeat the worst of them.

Your perception of any aspect determines how you’ll feel about it. If you assign dread to it, you’ll be less likely to engage in it again. That should warrant your attention. Because, if something was calamitous, you can decide to avoid it. Or, you can enhance it by learning from it. The point is, you’ll make that decision anyway. Be aware when it occurs. You’ll be setting your life’s direction.

Once you define what better means and create procedures to achieve your goals, you’ll increase your chances of becoming better … and everything will be right with the world.

What does this have to do with negotiations?

A negotiation is the exchange of thoughts to increase one’s value. Most of the time, that exchange occurs between different entities. But, in all cases, the negotiation process begins with you and your thoughts.

The better you can define what you want from a negotiation, the greater the chance you’ll have of achieving it. Thus, a lack of attention to your thoughts can leave you in a worse place than before the negotiation. I’m sure you would not define that as getting better.

Remember, always note the negotiation you have with yourself. By doing so, you’ll discover what’s important. That alone will put you on a better road to you getting better.

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 “Negotiation Tip of the Week” and the “Sunday Negotiation Insight” click here http://www.themasternegotiator.com/greg-williams/

#Better #Losing #Fear #Progress, Afraid #Success #Emotion #Business #Progress #SmallBusiness #Negotiation #NegotiatingWithABully #Power #Perception #emotionalcontrol #relationships #HowToNegotiateBetter #CSuite #TheMasterNegotiator #ControlEmotions

 

Categories
Best Practices Body Language Culture Health and Wellness Human Resources Management Skills Women In Business

What to do When Whatever Can Happen Suddenly Does and Tries to Destroy Your Meeting – Part I

You know Murphy’s Law – the idea that whatever can happen, will.  Just this very busy, post holiday season I was reminded of a time that Murphy’s Law struck again. Literally!

What reminded me about it was this week’s marathon of groups and still another exciting moment on AA.  [Not alcoholics anonymous, American Airlines.].   My certified, regulation rollie would not fit in the overhead no matter how I tried to squish it, turn it, wheels first, handle first, sideways, upside down, just no way.   Nor would it fit under the supposedly regulation space under the seat in front of me.  [NOT!]  The flight attendant with the frazzled high pitched squeaky voice told me I had to check it.  She also told me I had to take it out to the gate, but of course there was no time to do that.  I wouldn’t get back on the flight.  To the dismay of my fellow passengers lined up behind me and quite a little frantic myself, I hurriedly opened my bag ,wrenched out my boots, my 3 hard cover books including focus group bashing, “How Customers Think”, and an awkwardly shaped dispenser of progesterone cream [how mortifying] – all of which were preventing squishage.  With those items sprawled over my seat and that of my seat mate [who was waiting behind me and who never spoke to me through out the 4 hour flight][1] I was finally able to compress the bag enough that I could jam it into the compartment.  After I stowed my boots, books and embarrassing bio basics, I settled into my seat and couldn’t help but recall another Murphy moment a number of years ago.

I was on another plane.  My fourteen pound Think Pad was on my lap. (Don’t ask me why I had such a heavy laptop. Pretty ridiculous I know. But I like having all the bells and whistles of a desk top in a laptop with a big screen.  Gives me a little extra exercise I guess.) Anyway, Dennis, our very pleasant flight attendant told me he would have to stow it overhead for take off, but would give it back to me once we were allowed to use electronic equipment again. And boy did he ever give it to me.  About 20 minutes into the flight,

I caught his eye and asked if this would be a good time to get my computer. “No problem,” he smiled. Famous last words!

Dennis opened the compartment, grasped the computer and… proceeded to drop it on my head. Major OUCH!!!  I saw stars and heard Tweetie birds singing. It crashed onto the top of my head and then clunked down onto my left thumb on it’s way down to attacking the big toe on my sandaled foot. People around me lurched in their seats. Dennis ran for an ice pack.

It hurt.

Mini concussion?  Compressed vertebrae?  Please, no, I had to write up a top line on the study I had just completed on osteoporosis. Getting off the plane at La Guardia, I found myself somewhat dazed and foggy for the next several hours.  The next day, I went to the doctor and was reassured I’d be fine.

What still amazes me is how I went through that trauma with virtually no residual effects. Once my neck was adjusted in the doctor’s office, the shock passed through my
body. My thinking refocused. With a neck adjustment and a little rest, I was fine the next morning.

It was interesting to observe the reactions of the passengers around me in the plane after the jolt of the mini crisis was over. Everyone kept looking up as if another computer would suddenly take wing, fly out of the overhead and crash down on them. They laughed nervously about it, made jokes, but also kept a watchful eye on the overhead compartments, taking time and attention away from working, reading a book or just relaxing. Murphy was nodding knowingly. I’d been flying for many years and have never before seen anyone accosted by a Kamikaze computer or any other item from the overhead[2]. Nevertheless, the
passengers on the plane had become aware of the possibility that such an event could happen and were therefore on heightened alert, anxious that they seemed to have no safeguard in place.

This incredibly rare experience, which left me feeling like the sky might actually be falling for the rest of the day, reminded me of how we group leaders and facilitators sometimes fear an outburst of Murphy’s Law in our group sessions and need to have precautions in place in the unlikely event that the respondent from Hell (“Super Grumpy”) happens to show up in one of our sessions.

In our training classes, people tell us that they most dread the possibility of an encounter with an irate, attacking participant who shows up without warning. While he is probably not likely to appear very frequently, this most feared individual is the transformed “Incredible Hulk” who threatens to destroy group process by explosively regurgitating his intense relevant or irrelevant rage at the leader and all over the group. (Yes – I’m mixing metaphors … Super Grumpy + Incredible Hulk … but I’m doing it on purpose … you’ll see why.)

It could happen. It’s unlikely to happen. In my own 25+ years of running groups it has happened maybe 10 times. However, the unpleasant experience and idea that this wildly uncontrollable character can sabotage the group, the outcome and the image of the leader to his/her client, can leaves you  looking up at the overhead, wondering when a group member’s accidental or purposeful aggression might erupt in the session and land on his head.

A little stage fright is energizing and keeps us on our toes. On the other hand, anxiety over unpredictable aggression without techniques for dealing with it detracts from our ability to perform at our best.

Let’s think about the Incredible Hulk for a minute. This is a basically good guy who is transformed by an impulsive temper into a giant muscle bound monster of fury. I’m going to digress just a bit to tell a little of his story.

Unless you’re a Hulk aficionado you probably don’t know that Bruce Banner, AKA The Incredible Hulk, was a product of an insanely jealous father who murdered Bruce’s mother in a green-eyed rage over her love for her son.  Bruce father then abandoned him and  continually accused him of being evil and reprehensible for all the bad things that had ever happened.  Poor Bruce stayed sane by diverting his grief, hurt and anger to the study of science. He got his doctorate in nuclear physics and went to work at a nuclear research facility, where in a heroic effort to rescue a friend, he was caught in the heart of a nuclear explosion. He mutated into seven feet, one thousand pounds of unfettered fury – the most powerful creature to walk the earth (aside from my husband Glenn, of course).

The disfiguring transformation was triggered by the build up of intense feelings and stress. When his anger was physically expressed and released during his Hulk conversion he would then transform back to his normal easy-to-get along with persona.  However, this was only after wreaking havoc around him, scaring the living daylights out of everyone in sight and knocking off a few people who got him PO’d.

The point of moving from the Super Grumpy[3] metaphor to the Incredible Hulk is … we can all EMPATHIZE with the Incredible Hulk because we know that underneath the fuming façade is a good soul.  Unfortunately, it’s harder to identify with a Super Grumpy when he shows up in our meetings, threatening to destroy us, the group process and the quest for learning or resolution of problems in our groups.  We can forget, that there is a real person with real needs and perhaps important issues that need to be addressed before we can continue with our agenda.

Strange as it may seem, the best way to deal with an overly aggressive, ‘in-your-face’ aggressor is to dig deep inside yourself to find empathy for their feelings. This, of course, is very easy to say, and quite another thing to accomplish.

In Part II, we’ll review the options. (Note: It’s MUCH more complicated than saying “I feel your pain, brother!” … I mean, the 1960s were over a long time ago!).

In the meantime, think about the challenging people you’ve encountered.  When they gave voice to their anger and annoyance, how did that affect your meeting?  What did you feel?  What did you do?  What did you wish you had done instead in thinking about it later?

To your success!

Warmly,

Sharon J

Categories
Best Practices Growth Skills

Can Your Headline Make Me Eager to Read Your Article?

You can write the best story ever told, but without a good headline, it might not get read. Whether you are doing the writing or one of your staff is, pay attention to headlines.

Experts estimate that 80 to 90 percent of people who read a headline won’t go on to read an article because the headline didn’t grab their attention. How disheartening when you are using company’s resources to create what you think are compelling articles!

That doesn’t mean that you can write a mediocre article and focus solely on a catchy headline. It means that your headline has to provide a compelling reason for the reader to go beyond it.

Here are some do’s and don’ts.

Don’t Use Clickbait

 In general, clickbait refers to content that deliberately misrepresents or over-promises something. It can be used to entice someone to click on a link that will take them to a web site.

When used in headline content, it attempts to induce someone to read the article.

Some examples could include:

  1. “Lose 20 pounds in 4 days ”
  2. “Seven Investments That Can Save You From the Coming Crash”
  3. “How to Keep Your Child From Turning Into a Drug Addict”

They all use exaggeration. The first headline about weight loss is probably not even safe. The next two incite fear and try to make you feel that if you don’t read further, your life is doomed.

Rarely do the articles connected to such headlines deliver on expectations.

Readers will remember a click baiting writer who uses a byline. They won’t click again.

Clickbait isn’t ethical and it doesn’t work.

Promise to Answer a Strong Need

  1.  “How to Make Your Doctor Listen to You”
  2. “7 Questions You Should Always Ask Your Pharmacist”
  3. “Exercise: the Low-Cost Lifesaver”

Follow-Through

Important as your headline is, your article must fulfill its implicit promise about your company’s products or services.

If you write about exercise, present a range of exercise practices so that people of different physical abilities and ages can benefit from them.

Put your own experience into the story. How did you make your company achieve success in solving a problem?

Also remember this: Click through is not the end of the story. Are people commenting on your articles? Do they sign up to receive your blog in their newsfeed? If you have a special offer, do they download it? Positive answers to these questions indicate growing success.

However, you need a compelling headline in order to have a chance at achieving those goals. Practice until you get them right.

Pat Iyer is one of the charter members of the C Suite Network Advisors. As a ghostwriter and editor, she helps her clients shine. Contact her through www.patiyer.com.

Categories
Marketing Personal Development

5 Questions To Qualify Photographers Beyond Their Portfolio And Price Tag

One of the biggest misconceptions about choosing the photographer that’s best for your needs is that you base that decision solely on the photographers price tag and portfolio.

In one sense, this line of thinking makes sense considering the level of work that you want from a photographer must aptly represent the style and presentation you’re looking to get from your image content, while living comfortably within your budget.

But, be warned.

If you do that, you’re setting yourself up to potentially waste your investment of time and money.

How come?

A successful and valuable portrait session is not solely dictated by the skill of the photographer behind the camera and how comfortable you are with paying for this skill.

Yes, these are absolutely important factors to consider, but, the work that they’ve created in the past does not mean they’ll necessarily be able to produce the same results by working with you.

There are many more variables to consider when hiring a photographer that’s right for you.

First, is there a natural rapport and connection between you two? Second, are they ready to help define and support your objectives and goals that you have for your portrait session?

In order to answer these questions, you must do some digging when you have these potential photographers on the phone by asking them the right questions that will clearly illustrate whether or not they are a good fit to work with you.

When you feel energized and confident after getting off the phone with them because you now have a clear understanding of who they are, how they work AND how good they are in producing magazine-quality portraits that present you as the expert you are, you’ll be in a much better place to make your decision.

After all, you don’t just want to hire a button pusher with a fancy camera – it’s essential to work with a collaborator in your success – and that’s what you really need in order to get the image content that’s required for your website, social posts, blog articles, speaker submissions, ads, and everything else associated with marketing your business online and in print.

With that in mind, what are the questions that you need to ask?

I’m glad you inquired, 🙂

Let’s go through some important ones…

How do you make your clients comfortable in front of the camera?

This is huge.

Why?

When you fake it in front of the camera, it will show all over your face.

You want to work with a photographer who has the type of personality that will inspire you to drop your guard, get you out of your head thinking about every perceived blemish on your appearance and into the moment so that your body language and expressions on your face are natural to who you are.

When you’re on the phone with this potential photographer, pay close attention to how they answer this question, and think to yourself whether or not this person will inspire comfort and confidence out of you. Is their voice soothing? Does the tone they use resonate with me? Do they make me laugh? Will I be comfortable being open and honest with him/her during the session?

It doesn’t matter how amazing the photographer’s portfolio is – if you don’t feel comfortable with this person in the same room with you – you’ll never get the photos that your business requires.

How do you direct during a session? Are you quiet or very talkative? Technically driven? How do you do your thing?

This question is along the same lines as the one above, although it allows you to get in the weeds a little bit more with respect to their process, giving you the opportunity to see if their directing style meshes well with your sensibilities.

Do you prefer someone to talk non-stop throughout the session in order for you to stay focused on the present moment? Or, are you super confident in front of the camera, have done this a million times and need minimal direction in order to produce the types of portraits you need to promote yourself?

That needs to be answered by you and you alone.

Once you know what you need in order to maximize the results of the session, ask the photographer how he/she works, and you’ll know immediately whether or not this particular photographer is a good fit for you.

Have you worked with a (your specialization) in the past? How did it go?

One of the primary issues with image content within the speaker, author, coach and high-level entrepreneur communities is that the portraits they post are not quite what they need to truly resonate with their audiences.

Yes, there’s a lot of beautiful work out there, and these thought leaders look as spectacular in their photos as they do when they’re on stage presenting, but, there’s something missing…

…it’s not enough to simply look your best in your images – that’s just a stud in the foundation.

You also need your image content to visually punctuate the sentiments and emotion of every story that you share with your audience in order to truly gain their attention and advocacy.

Remember – the primary goal of leveraging image content is to build connection and rapport with your audience

As a result, you need images that not only flatter and accentuate your appearance, but they also need to clearly illustrate who you are, who you serve, and why you do what you do.  

How do you achieve this?

Don’t just stare into the camera and look pretty!

Create lifestyle portraits that show your audience how you work, how you work with clients (virtually, in person, etc), and how do you brainstorm your thought leadership.

(Side note – it’s also important to present powerful images of you speaking from the stage, but, that’s a separate component that I’ll elaborate on in future articles.)

These types of portraits de-mystify your process, breaks down the fourth wall and allows for your audience to envision what working with you looks like, which goes a long way to establishing trust.

When you pose this question to a potential photographer, it will generate an answer that will let you know whether or not this photographer understands what you need or is just focused on making you look good in front of the camera. 

And believe me, I don’t know one photographer that doesn’t want their clients to look good, 🙂

Do you provide a pre-session strategy call, and if so, what do we go over specifically?

If the answer is no, then this is your cue to politely end the call.

Why?

If you work with a photographer who opts to “wing it,” then they are not going to get you what you need. They are not truly collaborating in your success. How are they supposed to know what you need? Telepathy? Magic?

You’re an established pro and it’s essential that you receive that same level of professionalism and investment from your photographer in order to produce the images are required for your business.

Good photographers who provide excellent results want to know the finer points of what makes you unique and special, and that doesn’t happen without a lengthy conversation.

For example, when I was starting out my photography business, I conducted private portrait session without a call, and the results varied wildly to say the least.

Now, I interview my clients with a slew of questions meant to bring light to their short-term and long range business goals, what offers they plan on enacting within the next year, what books inspire their thought leadership, their tools of their trades, what types of outfits they wear when working alone or are with clients, questions about their personal hobbies and interests, among many other related topics of interest.

These unique tidbits translate directly into image content that we will capture during their sessions, making it a more personalized and optimized experience.

It’s not a nice to have – it’s a prerequisite.

“Talk to me about the image selection process – will you help me, am I at it alone or is it a combination of the two?”

Some clients have expressed to me that in their past portrait sessions, the scariest part was not the session itself, but afterwards, when the photographer would send them a link to a gallery filled to the brim with images and left it up to them to figure out which ones they wanted to purchase.

Um, yeah – that’s overwhelming for many people, and not a lot of fun to work through alone.

With regard to my process, I love sitting down and reviewing every single image I capture with my clients – it’s like Christmas morning and I’m a grandmother watching the joy on their faces as they “unwrap” these portraits one-by-one and see themselves in a way that they’ve never seen before. We talk about how each photo could be best leveraged in their business (social post, website, profile pic, etc), and toss the ones that miss the mark.

My clients appreciate the hand holding, advising and added value to their photo session experience.

Understand what your ideal experience is with respect to selecting images and ask the question to see if the photographer on the phone is prepared to provide you with the help and guidance that you require.

Engaging in a portrait session is an extremely intimate experience, make no mistake about it.

You’re putting yourself under a microscope for several hours, sharing your vulnerabilities with a person photographing them non-stop.

It’s a scary, or, at the very least, time-consuming proposition, but, if you seek to create a memorable and referable online presence, it’s absolutely essential that you get this part right.

By qualifying the people behind the camera before you set one foot in front of the camera, you’re setting yourself up for a wildly successful and beneficial session.

—

John DeMato is a NYC-based lifestyle portrait photographer and content creation expert who serves speakers, authors, coaches and high-level entrepreneurs across the country. He also has a 3x weekly blog that shares a variety of strategies, insights and tactics related to presenting yourself memorably and powerfully through your online presence.