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Category: Personal Development

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Best Practices Growth Management Personal Development Technology

Back to Basics

In the spirit of the recent Super Bowl, let me ask you this: Do you think the Patriots or Eagles would have made it it to the big game if coaches Bill Belichick or Doug Pederson didn’t focus on the basics first? How about legendary coach Vince Lombardi who after losing to Philadelphia in the 1961 Championship game (before there was a Super Bowl) started the next season holding up a football and saying “this is a football” then continued to work on the basics of blocking and tackling for the rest of training camp. His team won the Championship title six months later.

Whether you in pro sports or cybersecurity, getting back to basics is essential. However in modern times, organizations seem so focused on new technology or cutting costs and have forgotten about the cybersecurity basics.

When talking about cybersecurity basics we are talking about three things: People, Processes, and Technology.

We start with people because people are your first line of defense against a cybersecurity incident and as security professionals knows they are unfortunately your weakest link. They are your first line of defense because they can see anomalous behavior and activity, and they are your weakest link because they often don’t know what they are looking for.

Ransomware payouts of 5 billion dollar were made in 2017 with predictions for 11.5 billion by 2019. This attack is often successful because an innocent user clicks on the wrong link in an email or visits the wrong website.

This means that getting back to basics with people is all about good, consistent, and frequent security awareness training. Letting your workforce know that they are the front line defense against a cyber attack will peak their interest, they will want to learn more. Reminding them of their role and providing them with the knowledge they need to do something about it is the key in getting back to basics.

Make sure they know what to look for, what to do or not do on their computers, and how to report anything suspicious. Reward them for staying on top of security, give them some skin in the game (no pun intended.)

When you rely on that one annual security awareness computer course each year you are missing out on the basics. Your entire team needs regular training if they are going to be sharp on game day, which is everyday in the defense against the cyber attacker. And don’t forget that your employees who do have a job description that includes security need additional and ongoing training above and beyond what everyone else is getting.

We now move to processes because this is what people do daily for their jobs. It’s the process that gets data from point A to point B and the process can be manual or automated.

So what do processes have to do with cybersecurity? Processes are typically created by users who are trying to make their jobs easier (that’s fair) and have not given thought to security, which makes sense since it’s not what they are trained to do. However in creating those processes they don’t realize that they are creating security risks.

The solution is providing the business user with the knowledge that while they own their process they also have a responsibility for ensuring the processes is secure. That means providing a way for them determine easily if their new idea needs to be run by a security expert before implementing. Basically the players here (your users) need a coach (security expert) to run the play by before they run it on the field during the big game.

Last, but not least is technology and while many people think that technology should come first in protecting data it actually comes last. More on that in Security is Not an IT Problem.

This is about to get more technical and if you are a non-technical executive I implore you to read it and then talk with your technical advisors to determine how your team is doing on the technology basics.

From a technology perspective getting back to basics means ignoring all the new flashy technology on the market today. IT decision makers are inundated with fancy names, and terminology like cloud, artificial intelligence, threat modeling, next generation, ransomware, zero day, phishing, data loss prevention, and much more. This can divert their attention towards the new technology and away from the basics.

Patching is as basic as it comes for technology and something that has been around as long as there have been computers. However it is still not applied consistently within organizations and has been pointed to as the cause (there is never just one cause) for the Equifax breach. Only two months behind in applying the patch doesn’t seem like a big deal until it becomes one of the key reasons you lose 143 million customer records.

Back the football analogy when you know there is a patch available and you don’t apply it is like the coach and players knowing there is a hole in their defense, they know the quarterback can run right through it for the touchdown and yet they don’t make any change to fix the play.

There are many other basics when it comes to technology like password controls, user access controls, encryption, firewalls, and anti-malware software to name a few. None of these are new, they all have had technology to support them for a very long time and yet many organizations are not focusing on these basics. They allow users to have the same password for years, they don’t control the access levels that users have and often allow administrative access to non-administrative users, they don’t encrypt sensitive day, they have wide open firewalls, and they don’t install anti-malware consistently.

I warned you, that last section might have been Greek to you and that’s OK because you don’t have to know what it means, all you have to do is have someone in your organization or a trusted advisor you can consult with to ensure the basics are covered before you start purchasing all the new wizbang technology.

Start with the basics; people, processes, and technology, and build from there because you can have all the fancy technology in the world, but if you are not covering the basics you are still wide open to the offensive team making play after play. In other words you are allowing the hackers to come in and take whatever they want.

If you have questions about the basics email sharon@c-suiteresults.com. If you don’t have a security team and want more information on how Virtual CISO services work, which are designed to help small and medium size organizations maintain their security and compliance posture reach out so we can talk in more detail.

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Entrepreneurship Health and Wellness Women In Business

Olympic Performance, Business Performance: One in the Same

I love the Olympics! From the pomp and circumstance of the Opening Ceremonies, to the stories of the individual athletes to the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat. Given that I’m a “people person,” I’m always wondering about the “back story” of Olympians and their performance.

What’s going on in the mind of the athlete? I’d like to interview each one of them and ask, “What did you do to train your mind? How are you thinking – or are you thinking – during the heat of the competition? How do you talk to yourself when you lose – when the dream passes you by?”

These athletes are people, just like you and me. Let’s look at what sets them apart and see how can you achieve that level of greatness in your life and your work. Perhaps you are at the pinnacle of your career and have mastered a great many of the mental skills that are necessary to be calm in the heat of moment. Or possibly, you are in an enviable professional position, but the stress is taking its toll.

Or you may be on your way towards higher goals, but don’t know how to harness your energy in the manner of a true Olympian. Many highly competitive people like athletes, business leaders and entrepreneurs think that success is about working harder. While you cannot achieve lofty goals without hard work, it’s the mental training that makes the difference.

Here are 3 skills that you can begin to cultivate. Many of them you have heard about before. I frequently say that this information is “common knowledge, but not common
practice.” If you want to upgrade your level of performance under pressure, you will need to take it on with the same level of commitment as with any other skill you want to master.

1. Meditation

Meditation is simply “focused concentration,” Pick a sound, a word, an image, your breath, a candle…anything that you can bring your attention back to every time it wanders. One of the hallmarks of great athletes and great leaders is their ability to assess a situation in a split second. They don’t get flustered under intense pressure; they see possibilities where others don’t.

Meditation works on both the mind and the body in profound ways. When we quiet down the nervous system, we also quiet down the part of the brain that is always chattering. At the same time, we are strengthening the pre-frontal cortex, which is the executive part of the brain that we want onboard in pressured situations. I frequently hear people say, “I can’t meditate. I can’t quiet my mind.” Just remember, that the “monkey mind” is our natural state when the mind is untrained. Meditation is one of the keys to changing that situation.

2. Change Your Thoughts to “Productive Thinking.”

Again, I’m sure you’ve heard that you need to speak to yourself in a positive way, yet the mind is prone to offering us “worst case scenarios.” Just telling yourself to stop thinking in a certain way is easier said than done. Rather than glibly telling myself to think positively (because I don’t always believe it), I ask myself, “Do my thoughts produce something useful for me?” For example, If I’ve inadvertently missed an important appointment, rather than beating myself up, I ask myself in a non-judgmental way, “How did this happen and what can I learn from it?”

3. Commit

Every great achievement starts with a commitment to the self. We can’t know how things will turn out, because in taking big risks, we are subject to many variables that are out of our control. But we can control our thoughts and our actions and make that life-changing decision that we’ll do “whatever it takes” to reach our dreams.

While you’re watching the Olympics and marveling at the thrilling performances of the athletes, just know that you, too, have the potential for greatness. Learn how to harness your mind through peak performance training.

If you’d like to see where you are on the level of peak performance skills, I invite you to take my quiz here.

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Accounting Economics Entrepreneurship Human Resources Management Marketing Negotiations News and Politics Women In Business

Opportunity Can Reside Inside of Confusion – Negotiation Insight

“Confusion is a time for reflection. Use it to slow down your thoughts. In doing so, you’ll see what’s been speeding past you.” -Greg Williams, The Master Negotiator & Body Language Expert

Have you ever caught yourself, or caught someone else, in a state of confusion? I’m talking about being truly perplexed and in a quandary about what action to engage in next. Confusion may have shown on the face or been revealed in some non-action. If it was you, you may have felt embarrassed, a sense of anxiety, or just an emotional tug to get out of that state of mind. At such times, in such actions, an opportunity may be lurking. Here’s why I say that.

When someone is confused, they become unsure of what to do next. That will usually cause them to go into a state of reflection, one in which they assess their circumstances, in an attempt to decide what action to engage in next. That’s the time that people are most susceptible to suggestions and external influence. If you’re the person in that state, be aware of your susceptibility. That’s not to say that being susceptible is bad at such a time, it’s simply to say, be aware of your environment, what suggestions are being offered, and how you feel at that moment about making decisions. You should understand when others are in such a mindset because they too are susceptible to being influenced by you.

Here’s the point, the more aware you are about the stimuli that motivate you to address one set of actions versus another, the better you’ll be able to adopt actions that are beneficial. So, don’t shun confusion when you encounter it, embrace it for the potential value it may contain. Then, use that to your advantage … and everything will be right with the world.

What does this have to do with negotiations?

“He had an expression on his face that said, ‘he was hanging around like a dangling participle.’ You could see that he didn’t know what to do next.”

In a negotiation, a state of confusion can be good when induced in the other negotiator, such can be the case when it’s induced in you, too. Per confusion being of benefit when induced in the other negotiator, it depends on the type of person with whom you’re negotiating (i.e. Open – I’ll follow your lead because I trust you. Easy – willing to go along to get along). These types of negotiators are initially more open and willing to work with you than the ‘Hard’ or ‘Closed’ style of negotiators. Thus, you can elicit empathy from the opposing negotiator when you’re in a state of confusion, and lead him from his dilemma when he’s in that state.

In your negotiations, don’t be dismayed by confusion. View it as an opportunity and be prepared to utilize it as the gift that it might present.

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/

Remember, you’re always negotiating.

#HowToNegotiateBetter #CSuite #TheMasterNegotiator #ControlEmotions #Psychology #Truth #Perception #Confusion

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

Maximize the First 30 Minutes of Each Day

How do you set the tone and maximize productivity at the beginning of each day? Do you give yourself space to map things out or are you more of a wing-it kind of person? I believe how you START your day, sets the intention and momentum for how the rest of the day’s will transpire. When you begin with 30-minutes of focused attention to what really matters most –  that time will pay generous dividends by the end of the day.

Here are strategies maximize productivity and ensure a successful day in the first 30 minutes:

  1. Turn OFF your phones. It’s all right. That magical device that is glued to hands seemingly every waking minute of the day, delivering phone calls, chats, text messages and emails at an often-alarming rate does turn off. So does the desk phone! Take 30 minutes to create space for focus. It will all be there when you turn it back on. It’s just an hour. And there’s voicemail! If it’s important, they’ll leave a message or call back.  If you want to maximize productivity – turn off your phones.
  2. Close your door. If you’ve got one. This sends a signal to your team (or your family if you are a work-from-home entrepreneur) that you are unavailable unless there is an emergency. If you are new to the practice, educate your team what procedures you want to have in place when your door is closed. Once everyone is on board that this is your time to create, get strategic, work a business plan, and map out your day, they’ll recognize the importance. Especially when they see the RESULTS.  If you are forced to work in an open environment, consider headphones. I used this technique in one organization, and people eventually got the idea that when your headphones are in, it’s the equivalent of a do-not-disturb sign.
  3. Use smart time-blocking. My recommendations? Book all meetings to start after 9.00 am. If you’ve always had early morning meetings, this might be a tough change, but if needed, can you start your “clock” an hour earlier to ensure that you have a full 30 minutes to complete your planning?
  4. Start off-site if possible.  Can you complete your 30-minute mindset and strategy session BEFORE you walk through your office doors? That way when you are actually in office – you hit the ground running. Once you’ve mastered this, teach your team. Once they’ve mastered it – your Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) will go through the roof. A study done by Ctrip shared that remote workers are able to complete 13.5% more than their comparable office workers. How’s that for food for thought.
  5. Quit the clutter. Seriously. Inboxes. Coffee cups. Paperwork piles. These distractions are stealing brain bandwidth and steering your attention away from streamlining your day. Out with them!  Maximize productivity by decreasing visual distractions.
  6. Check off that early morning workout. If you can muster it, get your exercise out of the way first thing. Start small if you have (15-30-minute increments) but do start. You’ll feel like you’ve already checked one big daily goal off your to-do list! Cheers!
  7. Nix the gossip in the bud. Honestly, gossip is one of the biggest time, energy, and productivity drains an organization can have. We Aussies call a gossip a “flibbertigibbet”. Studies show that 39% of workers admit that gossip and workplace chat are their biggest productivity killers. Another study conducted by Equisys also shared that the average employee spends 65 hours a year gossiping in the workplace! Cull this invasive “thief” from your company if you truly want to maximize productivity.

Starting your day in planning mode will help you stay focused, on track, and set the right tone for not just your day – but that of those around you. Lead by example. Pay ATTENTION to the INTENTION you set for each day. Your productivity, profitability, and bottom-line results will reflect your efforts!

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Best Practices Growth Health and Wellness Human Resources Management Women In Business

You Think You’re Paying Attention? You’re NOT! Say NO to Interruptions

Do you remember when you were growing up and your parents would say: “Don’t interrupt when grownups are talking?”

Ever had your parents say “Pay attention to what you are doing?”

Now we ARE the grownups and somehow, we’ve forgotten those very basic rules of engagement.

We cannot pay attention to what we are doing if we are constantly battling interruptions. Better yet, when we interrupt others, we are disrespecting their need for attention. Don’t believe you fit into one of these categories? Think again!

If you have ever:

  • interrupted another person when they were speaking;
  • stopped daily tasks to answer digital demands – text messages, alerts, personal emails or social media;
  • walked into another person’s workspace unannounced or without a scheduled time;
  • checked work email or messages during family time outside of the office;
  • surfed the internet during a task, telephonic or video conference call;
  • answered a text message while driving;
  • interrupted a social event to take a call or answer a message;
  • sent, or responded to, an after-hour message to a coworker or employees;
  • lost your train of thought mid-project or mid-sentence of a conversation;
  • answered a non-critical phone call mid-task,

Then you are living in a world of interruptions and distractions, unable to truly pay attention to what matters most.

You see, I believe distractions decay our ability to think clearly, remain focused and be productive. When we allow for interruptions – or become the interruptions – we are limiting our ability to pay attention to what matters most. As a result, we feel frustrated and stressed from our ‘crazy busy’ lives where we interruptions and distractions are costing us our ability to get anything of any real value accomplished.

I challenge you to pay attention. Become mindful of your daily distractions and interruptions – those you suffer from and those you create. You have the control to change how, when and what you focus on achieving. You have the control to change your demands of other people’s attention as well.

Become an Attention Ambassador in your workplace and demonstrate to others – Attention Pays.

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Growth Management Operations Personal Development

Six Customer Service Amazement Tools

Ask 10 people about the best customer service companies, and you would expect to hear names like Nordstrom, Ritz-Carlton, Apple, Amazon, Zappos, and a few others. When Business Week listed the top companies last year, those names were on the list, along with some others as well, including Ace Hardware.

Ace Hardware is a chain of small, locally owned stores that manage to thrive in a very competitive marketplace among “big box” stores that are 10 times larger and spend 30 times more on advertising. How do they do it? Ace has successfully instilled a special brand of customer service built on being helpful. Ace employees will help with a weekend project, locate an obscure part … do whatever they can to be helpful.

If you are striving to build a successful business, customer service must be the foundation. If you come to the competitive world of business without a sound customer service strategy, your may watch your plans crumble as your customers seek a better experience. Study the “rock stars” of customer service like Ace Hardware to learn what sets them apart. Here are some basic strategies the top companies use to set themselves apart and reach a higher level of customer service:

  • Customize your style of service and make it part of your brand. Like Ace with its focus on helpful, deliver a special version of customer service that is unique to your business. Ace promises to be the most helpful hardware store on the planet – not just the nicest (although that’s part of it) – and judging by its continuous success in the customer service arena, Ace is living its promise.

 

  • Don’t make it too complicated. The best companies can clearly state their vision, and all employees are working together to achieve it. State your vision (or motto, mantra, etc.) in a clear and concise phrase or sentence. Ace is “the helpful hardware place.” The Ritz-Carlton’s employees know its credo, “We are ladies and gentlemen serving ladies and gentlemen.” By knowing and following these simple brand statements, company personnel deliver amazing customer service that customers appreciate and remember.

 

  • Hire the right people. Consider the mission and vision of the company as well as the personality you want the company to project, and then hire people who will fulfill the mission. It takes the right people to create a service-oriented culture.

 

  • After hiring right, train the employees properly. This means not only teaching the technical skills, but also, you guessed it, customer service.

 

  • Trust and empower the employees to do the job you hired them to do. After they are trained in all aspects of the job, let them do it and trust them to do their best.

 

  • Don’t forget to celebrate success. Once you have trained your employees and empowered them to take ownership of their responsibilities, let them know you appreciate their hard work by celebrating their successes.

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

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Human Resources Management Marketing Personal Development Women In Business

Developing a Curious Mindset

James Taylor recently interviewed me regarding developing a curiosity mindset. James is a keynote speaker, author and entrepreneur on a mission to help people and organizations maximize, market and monetize their creativity.

To hear the interview, you can go to: https://www.jamestaylor.me/diane-hamilton/. 

The following are highlights of what we discussed in the interview:

  • Curiosity and its decline
  • Creativity and AI
  • Beginning of current fascination
  • Uniqueness of the next generation
  • Data from assessments
  • Muse and inspiration
  • Disagreeing with other’s vision
  • Daniel Goleman and Reuven Baron
  • Promising and delivering
  • Benefits of working under pressure
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Best Practices Growth Personal Development

Rebrand with Your Brand Equity Intact

Rebranding is risky! Be careful! Ever notice that so many brands disappear right after they’re acquired? It’s because the acquirers thought they could do whatever they want with the brand—they thought they “owned” it.

Perhaps the new acquisition is just another label to them, or maybe a new outlet for their raw materials. Or, maybe they wanted a blank slate for their marketing team to redesign. Maybe they wanted it to feel like their other brands. Whatever the reason may be, the brand they acquired was, and is, owned by the customers! This makes the acquirer more of a brand representative than a brand owner.

Serious changes to the catchphrase, logo, packaging, or positioning can diminish the brand’s equity the acquirers thought they purchased. Why? Ultimately, because brand equity is customer loyalty. The brand isn’t strong enough to keep its present customers through any changes that dissatisfy them. It’s delicate, and it’s risky to mess with.

When the brand’s customer base feels a significant change, they become suspicious. The brand’s perception of authenticity and entrepreneurial look may have kept them faithful. It could’ve been the reliable positioning and familiarity that kept them coming back. It was their brand, but someone has “degraded” and “ruined” it, giving a friendly, original label a boring, “corporate” look.

When it comes to rebranding, we recommend evolution, not revolution! Be cautious as to not drop your supporters and customers along the way. Keep in mind, consumers don’t want to shop for new brands. They are only so faithful and forgiving because finding a new brand leads to uncertainty, anxiety, and potential disappointment. So, take it slow. Be patient. Rebranding while keeping your customers is an art. You need a sharp sensitivity to your consumer’s concerns—those who actually own the brand.

What do devoted customers expect the brand to look like? What do they think it represents? What do they expect quality, price, and status to be like? What kinds of changes will lead to suspicion, doubt, and loss of trust? Get this all figured out first! Unless you want to rebuild your customer base from scratch, you may not have the privilege of making big, drastic changes. We like to say, “Competition doesn’t kill brands. Self-inflicted wounds do!” Rebranding an already-established brand, especially when it comes to larger corporations, can be a death sentence.

One of the most frequent errors we’ve seen in rebranding is corporate standardization—for standardization’s sake. It makes things easier for the corporation (as if that’s a real reason to disappoint the customer). Quality ques are the first to go. The use of pricier treatments and inks in labels, like silver and gold, are eliminated. The logo comes next. It’s usually simplified into a version with less color, character, and individuality. It is now apparent to the customer that this is just part of a wide range of brands owned by a giant corporation, not an entrepreneur’s only brand. To the customer, the brand is losing its individuality and even breaking its promise.

After rebranding, there’s always discussion in the press about whether the new or old brand is better. But we think successful rebranding should be delicately phased—there is no debate because the change was so gradual that nobody even noticed. Of course, being noticed is the fundamental goal of rebranding. Drastic changes will be noticed alright—Just be prepared to rebuild when you rebrand!

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

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Growth Management Personal Development

How Are You Expressing Gratitude as a Leader?

There’s all sorts of science out there that supports the notion that gratitude is good for us. Psychology Today, for instance, ran an article not long ago that listed seven “scientifically proven” benefits of having a thankful attitude. Among them: You’ll be more physically fit, sleep better, and increase your mental strength. Plus, you’ll become fabulously wealthy.

Ok, I made that last one up. But if it does happen, you’ll have another reason to be thankful. In the meantime, you might need some other reasons to embrace an attitude of gratitude. But when you’re counting those blessings, don’t limit yourself to the typical personal things like your health, your family, and your friends. Extreme Leaders go further. So, you should also give thanks to the people in your work world – to your employees, your colleagues, and your customers and clients, not just for what they do, but for who they are. That’s one way you demonstrate love as a leader.

Employees

It’s always good to acknowledge people for their work performance – for meeting deadlines, achieving goals, hitting targets, etc. But many of their contributions are hard to measure, even though they add real value – things like compassion, service to others, grit, or honesty. Express your gratitude by rewarding those things. Give someone a bonus or a raise or a gift certificate to the movie theater, for instance, simply because you appreciate who they are. You might have arrived at that appreciation because of their actions, but focus on the actions that are selfless and not tied directly to their performance review – catching them in the act of cleaning the break room or regularly helping co-workers solve problems even when it’s not part of their job description.

Colleagues

I define colleagues as people in my work circle who don’t look at me as their boss. It could be someone on the same rung of the organizational ladder, vendors or other people who work with your organization but not within it.

Because you work with them and around them, these folks provide value through the things they do for you. But you will make their day if you find some tangible way to express your gratitude for their character. You might send a heart-felt email thanking them for always responding promptly to your questions. Or maybe can publicly acknowledge how they handled a difficult situation with a co-worker or client.

Customers and clients

Who among us isn’t thankful for our customers and clients? They keep us in business, right? But how can we thank them for who they are, not just what they do for us?

One way is to nominate them for an award. For instance, some publications recognize individuals and businesses in special issues. You might nominate someone for a 40-under-40 list or nominate a company as best-in-class. Or consider the impact on your best client if she’s driving into work when she hears an ad on the radio and it’s your voice listing her company as one that operates with the values you respect and admire.

You also might even reward them on the spot when you witness them doing something you appreciate. If you own a shoe store, for instance, you could give away something each day to a valued customer. Imagine these words from you or a salesperson: “We noticed how patient and loving you are with your toddler, and we really admire that. Here’s a certificate for a free ice cream cone at the shop next door.”

We all appreciate recognition for helping our teams and organizations succeed. But we also have a basic human need to feel loved and appreciated for something more. Unconditional love says, You are important to me because you are you. The more you share that message, the more trust you build and the more you inspire others.

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Accounting Economics Entrepreneurship Management Marketing Negotiations News and Politics Operations Skills Women In Business

8 Words That Will Make You a Better Negotiator – Part 1

“Choose your words carefully in a negotiation, they’ll determine your degree of effectiveness.” -Greg Williams, The Master Negotiator & Body Language Expert

This article is part 1 of a two-part article. It contains an explanation of the first 4 of the 8 words that you can use to become a better negotiator. Part 2 will be released in the next ‘Negotiation Tip of the Week’.

Now imagine the new you, not limited, because you are instantly free.

There are 4 words contained in the sentence above that will make you a better negotiator. Do you know which words they are, how to use them, and why they’ll give you an advantage when negotiating? After reading this article, you’ll know why 4 of those words have such power, and how to use them in your negotiations.

“You misunderstood me”, said the first person to the second. “No, I didn’t. You used words that had a different meaning then what I understood,” was the response.

Communications can get dicey when negotiating.  Thus, you should always be mindful of the words you use, and which words have a greater impact on the negotiation.

The first 4 words are, new, free, because, and you.

1. New – Everyone is drawn to the word, ‘new’. It symbolizes something that’s not been seen/heard and/or revised. Some people are influenced by this word simply because they want to be/remain state-of-the-art. They want to be part of what’s trending so that they can be in-the-know.

Use the word, ‘new’, in your negotiations when you wish to instill a degree of excitement about a changed or enhanced position/offer. Be mindful of not overusing it. To do so will weaken its impact.

2. Free – Who doesn’t like to get something for free? The word, ‘free’, has been used throughout time to draw people in to examine how they might acquire something for nothing. At least that’s their initial impression when they see or hear the word, ‘free’.

In your negotiations, you can use the word, ‘free’, as a tool of risk reversal (i.e. I’ll reduce or eliminate the risk of accepting what I’m stating to be true). As an example, you might offer the other negotiator the opportunity to examine or engage in your offer for a period of time before she makes a commitment to engage further. By doing so, she’ll have the time to experience for herself the value of what you state as the outcome she’ll receive.

3. Because – Studies have shown, when you use the word, ’because’ in a request, people are more likely to grant your request. This has been borne out even when there’s no following reason given after the word ‘because’ is used.

Use the word, ‘because’, when making a request during a negotiation to give the other negotiator more insight into why you’re making the request. You’ll be giving him more insight into your negotiation strategy, so be alert about how much information you give and only give what’s needed at the time.

4. You – There’s nothing more powerful to you than the sound of your name. Your name captures your immediate attention. In a negotiation, it would become tiresome to continuously use someone’s name. That’s where the word, ‘you’, comes in.

During a negotiation, you can use the other negotiator’s name when speaking to him; a subliminal trick would be to tie his name to the word, ‘you’, every time there’s a perceived positive aspect to the negotiation (e.g. John, the outcome of this negotiation is going to make you look like a superhero to your bosses!)

You now have new insights into how the above words can instantly increase your negotiation abilities. You acquired these words for free because you read this article. Imagine what this new knowledge will do for you. Use these words in your negotiations … and everything will be right with the world.

Please be sure to see the next “Negotiation tip of the Week” for the other 4 words that complete the list of ‘8 Words That Will Make You A Better Negotiator”. 

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/

Remember, you’re always negotiating.

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