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Category: Personal Development

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Best Practices Entrepreneurship Management Personal Development Women In Business

Conflict is Not a Dirty Word

The very word conflict creates the image of someone yelling and screaming or of the silent cold shoulder approach. The actual definition of conflict is to “come into collision or disagreement; be contradictory, at variance, or in opposition; to clash.” Very few people look forward to conflict and welcome it.

I’d like to offer another perspective. The very nature of organizations creates conflict by virtue of silos where managers are protective of their people and people compete for resources. If we never disagreed and went along with all suggestions – wouldn’t that create havoc in our businesses and our relationships? When should we “mine” for conflict and encourage people to speak their minds?

Imagine yourself sitting in a team meeting. We are discussing the “one thing” we should do to grow our business or reposition ourselves over the next twelve months. Someone throws out an idea and everybody winces. Now what? The idea can immediately be abandoned or a heated discussion with ideas building on ideas can ensue. Chances are that as the meeting comes to a close the conflict would result in a series of alternatives to consider. Isn’t this a better outcome?

Conflict or “good conflict” as I choose to call it, is an opportunity to stretch to the next level. Whether in a business setting or in a personal relationship a disagreement can lead to a deeper understanding of one another, and even if it does involve some risk, it may be very worthwhile to speak the truth as you see it.

One way to make conflict more palatable is to set up some parameters before beginning. Let others know that the purpose for the difficult discussion is to get to the next level. Encourage everyone to speak respectfully to each other. Beginning with the phrase “the truth for me is” is very helpful in setting up the listening as it softens the approach so someone will in fact listen.

Categories
Marketing Personal Development

Three Cheap Ways to Know What Content Your Customers Want

There are time-honored ways of determining customers needs, ranging from surveys to focus groups. And your organization probably has spent years using these and other methods to determine how to deliver want customers want through your products and services. But do you know what content they want?

That question has become critically important with the rise of content marketing. We often know what product features our customers care about, but we aren’t sure of which content subjects will draw them to our products. And the traditional surveys and focus groups won’t answer the question, because they are too expensive to use for this purpose.

Instead, we present three cheap ways to know what your customers are interested in, so you can provide that content to them:

1. Web and other content analytics. Start with the content you already have. Which pages are visited the most? Which lead to conversions? Which emails get opened? Which social shares are clicked? Start with understanding which content is already performing and identify those subjects as ones to tackle more.

2. Search keywords. What are your customers searching for? Yes, look at Google Trends or other keyword tools to find out big trends, but how about your own customers using your site search? Do you know even what those subjects are? You might be surprised that you aren’t covering some of the most important subjects.

3. Social conversations. What are people talking about? Better, what are they complaining about? Those problems are what content marketing can solve. How do you listen to social conversations?

These digital methods of listening to what your customers want are:

  • Cheap
  • Up-to-the-minute
  • Unprompted

That last one is especially important because surveys and focus groups get answers only to the questions that are asked. Knowing what people are thinking about before you ask tells you what they will be searching for–which is how your content marketing attracts.

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Growth Leadership Personal Development

Goal-Setting Is Not the Answer to Leadership Success

Following a recent vacation, I found myself inexplicably stressed out. I tried to figure out what worry was niggling at the back of my mind. Why should I worry? I had just received word that several proposals had been accepted by clients, and that should be cause for elation rather than angst.

Well, with a knotty problem to unravel, I grabbed a pen and paper and started making a list of all the competing priorities I had to contend with. It didn’t take me long to realize what the problem was: I didn’t have a plan. A couple of the proposals that had recently been accepted were for unique projects, the likes of which I had not experienced before. I was subconsciously fretting about how to begin and what steps I’d need to take. I almost laughed out loud at myself. Just the week before, I had been talking with a coaching client about the very same principle. I guess I needed to follow my own advice.

As an executive leader, do you chart the course for and with your team? Getting team members involved in goal-setting and action planning is a great way to boost employee engagement. Get their input, ask their opinions, and clearly communicate every step of the way.

Collaborate with your team to map out a plan for achieving your goals. You might as well budget some time for unexpected delays and interruptions, because they surely are inevitable.

That’s how I handled it. Once I had sketched out a plan, I felt much better. Instead of feeling overwhelmed and under-prepared, I felt a sense of calm and confidence. When you know where you are going and how you are going to get there, you will have that same self-assuredness. Better yet, your team members will have greater confidence in you as a leader.

Nothing beats waking up in the morning and consulting your plan to see what you need to do to get where you want to go. When you and your team are taking action every quarter, month, week, and day toward your goals, you will find that you share a collective sense of certainty and confidence. And I promise you that by planning out your course, you will create greater peace of mind.

CHIME IN HERE:

• How do you get team members engaged in the goal-setting and planning process?

• When do you make time to plan for success with your team?

• Please leave a comment below and share your insights with the community.

For more resources on leadership and employee engagement, be sure to sign up for our monthly Ezine and you will receive our report: “7 of Your Biggest People Problems…Solved.”

You might also like:

Leadership Tips for Giving Feedback to the Under-performer

7 Steps to be a More Effective Leader

Leadership Team Accelerated Results Program

Jennifer Ledet, CSP, is a leadership consultant and professional speaker (with a hint of Cajun flavor) who equips leaders from the boardroom to the mailroom to improve employee engagement, teamwork, and communication.  In her customized programs, leadership retreats, keynote presentations, and breakout sessions, she cuts through the BS and talks through the tough stuff to solve your people problems.

 

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

Nostalgia – Do You Remember The Good Old Days?

“No matter how difficult your current times are, one day, they will become the good old days.” -Greg Williams, The Master Negotiator & Body Language Expert

He was humbled by the weight of his current circumstances. While reflecting on less challenging times, his smile beamed as he said, “those were the good old days.”

No matter the past experiences in your life, you can point to a period that brings fond memories to your mind. You probably consider such memories as, the good old days. Visiting those remembrances conjures images of times gone by. They warm your heart.

When you’re engaged with someone and the conversation heads in an unwanted direction from what you’re striving to achieve, seek to put that person in a state of nostalgia. You have to know what will stimulate them to possess such a state. What follows is how you can achieve that.

If the pace of speech has become somewhat accelerated, slow it down. Slowing down the pace of speech, from one that was previously accelerated, will serve to slow the pace of communications down. Studies suggest that this will cause the person with whom your speaking to think at a slower, more reflective pace. You’ll know to what degree you’ve achieved this state by an unfocused appearance in the eyes of the person you’re speaking to. Once you’ve succeeded at that, talk about the times they were happiest in their life. That will put them into something akin to a trance. From there, as long as they stay in that state, you’ll be able to bond and move them in the direction you wish them to go. That’s to say, as long as they perceive such direction as being beneficial to their wellbeing … and everything will be right with the world.

What does this have to do with negotiations? 

In a negotiation, altering the pace of speech is one way to alter and control the trajectory of the negotiation; invoking fond memories that the other negotiator experienced in the past is another.

Negotiators can get caught up in the moment. Their mind can become bombarded by thoughts of strategies and maneuvers they’ll implement. In such environments, things can become very tense. To diffuse the environment, go nostalgic. Do so by invoking fond memories that occurred in her past. If accomplished successfully, the level of tension will decrease, along with the level of resistance that previously existed in the negotiation. Prior to invoking this state, you should have prepared for the actions you’d engage in going forward. Now would be the time to implement such actions. Tie her current state of emotion to the outcome sought for the negotiation. That will be a powerful ploy!

You’ve more than likely heard that all is fair in love and war. The same is true when negotiating. Thus, when you’re in a tumultuous negotiation, try this tact and observe what occurs. You might be surprised by the reward of a better than expected outcome.

#Nostalgia #GoodOldDays #HowToNegotiateBetter #CSuite #TheMasterNegotiator #ControlEmotions #Psychology #Perception #ControlLife #Control #leadership #HowToImproveyourself #Achievement

Categories
Management Marketing Personal Development Sales

Value Discipline Shapes Best Practices in Product Training

Every Sales professional is familiar with a common first order of business:  getting trained up on the products and services of their organization.

I’ve gone through many of these, and as a product manager long ago, created and delivered product training. I’ve seen good, bad, and everything in between.  Today, I’ve decided to share good:  some best practices.

There are several areas that good…and great product training needs to cover:

The Basics:

Yes every product must include the basic product features, standards, specs…speeds and feeds information. While compulsory, this is the least interesting from a differentiation/value point of view. Which means while it’s interesting to the product people and a few technically-oriented buyers, it’s the least relevant to top-performing sellers.

Common Advantages, AKA Differentiation:

 All product training programs should also include advantages:potential benefits (here, I define benefits as advantages with personal relevance to a specific buying influence).  The job of sales is to provide each member of a B2B group buying decision with an individualized motivation to buy.  Product trainers need to share best practices of which advantages tend to turn into benefits for which personas, but the “boots on the ground” salesperson is responsible for a bespoke fit.

Common Applications, AKA Use Cases:

How is the product/service used by customers?  What problems or issues does it solve for them?  What outcomes does it help them achieve?

How does it make the customer more profitable or more competitive, and how much?

What hidden problems has it solved?.

Typical value maps (graphic representations of related value, personas, etc.)

Competition…Specifically, Value-centered Competitive Analysis

Basic product training usually gives a nod to major competitors.  Competent product training covers comparisons/differences from a specs/performance standpoint.

Best Practices: Value differentials.  Good product training can articulate not just differentials in features and capabilities, but how those advantages turn into benefits.  Great product training equips sellers to understand the customer implications – in financial terms.  A tiny component which reduces the downtime in a major industrial customer’s process can have value thousands of times its price.  Sellers need to know how to walk through that math with a customer…or be susceptible to unwarranted discounting pressure.

I work with some clients on product/marketing/sales alignment, and one of the tools I often uses is called product concept statements (some authors also call them product charter statements).  This is a 1 or 2-sentence statement of the outcome the  product produces for the customer.

Common Buying Personas/Buying Influences

 While I strongly believe that every customer makes every buying decision differently every time, there are almost always some recurring themes, plus a few common variants to buying decisions.  The more product training prepares sellers on what to expect, the better. A best practice in product training is to overview the common personas encountered in a typical sale. For each major market segment, sellers should leave product training knowing:

  • Typical buying ecosystems: personas, and role in the decision.
  • Common buyer Journey overviews
  • High-leverage personas: those who typically have high value-affinity for the product’s unique advantages.
  • Mapping advantages to common personas. Especially important:  how and when to expand the buying ecosystem to capitalize on additional value creation.
  • Creative additions to the buying ecosystem which creative sellers have uncovered, previously discovered unique value propositions/
  • My Value Network tool (contact me, or wait for my upcoming book) helps create and articulate how differentiated features/advantages map to specific, personalized value creation with a variety of personas.

Selling Resources

Playbooks.  In some companies with widely varied products, there can be different selling playbooks in place.  Introduce and overview all you have.

Selling resource libraries and policies.  Where are the brochures and white papers kept, and how do they map to specific portions of buying journeys?  A best practice is to capture common “sticking points” in typical buyer journeys, and to develop content which helps salespeople and customers navigate those sticking points more effectively.  Making it easy for sellers to do this is a hallmark of world class product training.

CRM, and collaboration tools.  Introducing tools for the sales force to become a “group learning organism”, and to disseminate challenges and success throughout the company  is also a best practice.

How does this differ with the product training your sales force receives?  What do you think those differences impact sales performance? What best practices would you like to add to this list?  Post below, or contact me directly.

To Your Success!

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

Don’t Fall Prey To The First Enemy Of Uncertainty

“When it comes to uncertainty, it’s okay to pray about the direction to take. Just be sure not to fall prey to the uncertainty of that direction. Know when to follow and know when to lead.” –Greg Williams, The Master Negotiator & Body Language Expert

As he walked past an unseen man lying on the ground that he could not see, he heard someone exclaim, “he looks like he’s dying!” He thought to himself, “I’m uncertain of what to do. Others seem to be handling this. I’m not going to get involved.” He later discovered that unseen man was his father.

Are you aware of when you fall prey to the first enemy of uncertainty in a negotiation (You’re always negotiating)? Do you know what that is? The first enemy of uncertainty in a negotiation is the emotions, actions, and reactions you engage in, based on what those around you are doing or do. The opening statement highlights that point. The first enemy of uncertainty is doubt.

When you’re in an environment and you’re not sure of what to do, you seek direction from others in the environment; you may do this in a quiet mindset to assuage your mind of the lack of direction it’s offering you. Your uncertainty is the driver that’s not sure of where to go, so you seek the opinions and insights of others to direct you. Thus, by observing their actions or reactions, you gain a sense of what you might do.

There’s nothing inherently wrong with following the lead of the other negotiator; you can obtain great insights from doing so. The challenge lies in when you should lead from the front, lead from behind, or allow him to lead. If you’re in a leadership position up to that point, relinquishing the lead may seem or feel tenuous. You may even feel that your lack of direction is splayed for all to see, which might call your perceived leadership into question. If such is the case, realize that uncertainty has crept into your mind. The way you deal with it will determine the direction you take in the negotiation.  Don’t be mentally constrained by such a thought. Here are a few things to be aware of.

  1. You’re more likely to be influenced into some form of action based on where you see yourself in relation to the other negotiator (i.e. superior, in a controlling position, inferior, etc.)

 

  1. Based on what’s occurred prior to the point of uncertainty, you may be more or less circumspective. Be aware of this because it too will impact your perception and the actions you engage in.

 

  1. While you’re in a stage of mental siege, take note of what the other negotiator is doing. In particular, note the degree that he studies your actions. If he cues off of your actions, he may be wondering about your position or to what degree you’re contemplating his. If you sense the latter, don’t relieve him of his quandary. You can use that time to think about your next move.

Here’s the point. When you’re in a negotiation, at the first sign of uncertainty, stop and think. Don’t be mentally belabored by the perception of pending doom, or the fear of looking stupid. When it comes to uncertainty, we seek the leadership of others to lead us, or we can call upon our prior actions for that purpose. To combat uncertainty, know which source to choose.

When you heighten your sense of awareness about uncertainty, you’ll have greater insight into how to control it. Controlling it will be the key that unlocks the blockade where uncertainty lurks. That will allow you to banish the enemy of uncertainty, which is doubt … and everything will be right with the world.

Remember, you’re always negotiating!

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

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

#Enemy #Uncertainty #Negotiation #HandlingObjections #Negotiator #HowToNegotiateBetter #CSuite #TheMasterNegotiator #psychology #CombatDisinformation

Categories
Marketing Personal Development

Boost Brand-Building Online with Physical Distribution

These days, we spend a lot of money and time on online brand-building. There are tons of marketers online that promise to revamp your sales. They’ll write copy, buy you social media ads, and build you funnels. But who does all this go to? A massive population at the very top of the funnel. You’d be lucky to get 2% buy in. Seems inefficient, doesn’t it?

This could be fine for selling digital products, personal branding, and even personal services, but when it comes to consumer packaged goods (CPG), the effort isn’t nearly as effective as starting with good physical distribution.

Many consumer brand-builders decide to sell their products online, not because they want to, but because they have to. Retailers won’t take them! So, they try to execute the same type of campaigns that seem to be successful for personal brands. If you have a lot of money for TV ads, it may rub off as support for your online efforts. But now you’re breaking the bank, and your ROI is in jeopardy.

On the other hand, online consumer brand promotions that are already in retail can see a handsome ROI, since the consumer has already seen the brand. We notice that, before making their first purchase, consumers will be aware of a brand after several visits to the store. Online promotion can shorten that time by making the consumer more familiar with your brand’s benefits and features by offering incentives or by providing third-party endorsements. But it must be at retail first!

Most importantly, an online initiative can provide where-to-buys. Your field salespeople can use this to promote displays and specials in physical stores.

So why not sell online in addition to in-store? To put it simply, retailers won’t go near it if it’s one cent less anywhere online than what they can sell it for. This is why many consumer brand-builders list a purposely inflated price—just to make room for the retailer.

Think about subscription models, like the Dollar Shave Club for example. They’re somewhat successful, but how many subscriptions does a consumer want to get the hundreds of products they need? How often do they want their deliveries? What if they miss one? Eventually, one trip to the retailer seems like the better option.

In retail, the new trend is to go to the store, pick out what you want, and have the items delivered same-day. This is kind of a mash-up between physical choice, personalized attention, and instant gratification. Or, like at Target, Walmart, and many other retailers, you can order online and pick the items up in-store without paying a delivery fee. This reduces the store’s need to carry large inventories by satisfying specific consumer orders for on-demand products.

Even with the above changes and many more to come, ensuring physical distribution is the easiest way for people to find you. It’s the best way to utilize online promotion. But, it’s the most difficult challenge that consumer brand builders face. So why do it, then? Because the best discovery, volume, and large transactions that keep CPG business going are still at retail.

And there’s no magic formula. Getting on the shelf isn’t the real challenge. The real challenge is staying on the shelf! Don’t take your first big break lightly. But, if you can get in at retail level and then get discontinued (possibly due to your unfamiliarity of how to service your customers), the entire industry will know. Your competition will be happy to warn others not to purchase your “non-starter.” Make sure your first few shots at retail give you the reputation of a “hot mover.” You’ll need that to expand your distribution!

Then, once you put all that money into promotion and online ads, it’ll have somewhere to go—into the store, where customers have seen that brand before!

To help you out, we’ve created a course called Shelf Smarts. Check it out! Discover how you can get your product on the shelf, and keep it there!

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

 

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Best Practices Entrepreneurship Management Personal Development Women In Business

Meet Mark Sackett

Mark is the owner of 13 businesses and the Creator of the Art of Active Network and a museum quality store called SF Box where he sells everything printed. Listen as he candidly speaks about his own personal transformation and the values he lives by and teaches others.

Watch my interview with him here!

If you’d like to dive deeper to learn more about your own level of Peak Performance skills, go to http://masteryunderpressure.net or join our  Facebook community at Mastery Under Pressure Community.

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Best Practices Growth Health and Wellness Human Resources Management

Achieve the Ideal Workday

Sit back and imagine your ideal, perfect workday. What would it look like? Would it be a day without meetings? Perhaps it would be a day without interruptions. Maybe your ideal workday is one where you are focused on accomplishing the monumental task that has been occupying too much headspace.

When you consider what your ideal workday looks like, it’s important to make it a reality. While not every day can be ‘ideal,’ many can with a little strategic thought and attention to planning.

Here are some strategies to help you achieve your ideal workday:

Prepare today for tomorrow. Schedule the last 15 minutes of each workday to review what’s on deck for the next day. These strategies will ensure you have an ideal start to the next day.

1. Scrutinize your calendar and the meetings scheduled. Are they necessary – do you have to attend? Are you prepared – do you have an agenda?

2. Consider what projects you want to accomplish and the deadlines that are looming. In your calendar, set aside chunks of time to focus exclusively on accomplishing those tasks.

3. Tidy up your workspace to eliminate distractions upon starting work in the morning.

4. If you travel for work, host video conference calls or face-to-face meetings, take a few moments to consider what you are going to have to take with you and set it aside.

5. Visualize what you need to wear to be comfortable, sharp and focused at work the next day. Lay it out, press it and accessorize the night before.

6. If you’re going to make it an early day, prepare your breakfast the night before.

Make a Game Plan: At the beginning of each workday, write down three non-negotiable tasks that must be accomplished before ending your day. Maybe it’s making sales calls or completing a project. Either way, keep the list short to help increase the sense of urgency and focus needed from you.

Contemplate Quiet. When you allocate time for specific tasks, use the time wisely. The best way to achieve this is to have a quiet, distraction-free workspace ensuring your total focus.

  • Honor the time set aside in your schedule for accomplishing specific tasks, as if it were a client meeting. Don’t be late or allow interruptions.
  • Close the door. Our pro-open-door society is great for engaging employees and colleagues; however, can be challenging to working in an uninterrupted environment. It’s okay to close the office door when you need the time to focus exclusively on the tasks at hand. If you don’t have a door, consider using headphones as a ‘do not disturb’ message you can send to others.
  • Go off-site or seek an alternative, quiet location when you need to ensure interruptions won’t occur.
Categories
Marketing Personal Development Technology

How to Build Human Trust in AI

To read the popular press, AI can outdo humans at anything, but the truth is far more complex. AI applications are typically to do just one thing well, such as when Watson took on all comers in the Jeopardy game show. But while many of us are fine with letting computers play games, polls show that many of us are distrustful of self-driving cars. And that trust is a key issue, because otherwise valuable applications will be slowed down or even stopped if people don’t trust the technology. Research also shows that when AI systems give incorrect answers too frequently or answers that make no sense to humans, it reduces their trust in the system.

So, how do you build human trust in AI?

Explain the system’s decisions. There are calls for explainable AI, where the system must provide an explanation of how it came to its decision. This technique is still R&D, because techniques today are notorious for being proverbial black boxes. The problem with the research is that when you force systems to use only those techniques that are explainable, they inevitably work worse. Someday, this might be the answer, but not today.

Improve the system’s accuracy. The reason you want AI to explain itself is so you understand how mistakes happen. If you can make it work well enough, maybe no one needs an explanation. After all, most is us don’t know how our cars work, but we trust when we apply the brakes that it will stop. Hardly anyone knows how Google’s AI works, but we trust that our searches will get us good results, so we keep using it.

Reduce the really big mistakes. Watson once gave a really bad answer to a Final Jeopardy question in the category US Cities, providing the response of “Toronto.” We call that a “howler”–an answer so bad that even if you don’t know the correct answer, you still know that response is wrong. You can actually tune the system to reduce howlers by scoring bad answers as worse responses than wrong answers that are “close.”

Put humans in the loop. This might be the simplest of all. Instead of treating every AI system as one to replace humans, maybe it is easier, safer, and more trustworthy to set up the AI to help the humans do their jobs. Watson is being used to diagnose diseases, but rather than replacing doctors, Watson shows the doctors possible diagnoses based on the symptoms, with the doctor making the final decision. When decisions are so high stakes, this might be the most prudent approach.

AI is no longer science fiction, but people are understandably nervous of this kind of powerful force that works in mysterious ways. We need to pay close attention to building human trust in the system to see AI used in the safest and most valuable ways possible.