The TOP Performance Blog

Improving your Marketing and Sales in an Economic Downturn

by Laura Baker...

Tough times don’t last, but tough people do.  It’s time for you to get out there in front of the clients, solidifying and building on existing relationships. 

Keep moving ahead with developing your business.  Each of us needs to reinvent our business in order to survive as we succeed as many of us see our business shrink to virtually nothing.  It’s time to start thinking outside the box and identify where your strengths lie and going for it.     

1. Network, network and more networking

Networking is the fuel that drives your business and brings sales.  People like to do business with people that they know, like and trust.  Networking is a great way to get to know more people, get them to like you and show them that they can trust you by helping them with their needs. 

You should make it a point to network two times a week – attend weekly groups, mixers, volunteer, social activities (sports, cooking, book clubs, boating, parenting groups, etc)   I know that might sound overwhelming to some, but it’s important to not make excuses and make time and there are groups that meet early in the morning, before breakfast, lunch, after work, in the evening or on the weekend. 

The more people that you know, the more that you can get them to like you and show you that you can trust them with their needs.

2.  Sell your strengths: 

You can’t be the best at everything, you need to find the things that your really good at and expand on it.  You need to sell those strengths against your competition to gain the sale. 

 3.  Give it away:

Advertise the things that cost little or nothing or special services that you already do.  For example if you’re a caterer give dinner mints, special sauces with your breads, improve your food displays, offer a free signature beverage, a coffee bar, a chocolate fountain or inexpensive center pieces or décor.

4.  Become a Power Negotiator.

Learn to negotiate with your potential client and your vendors.  Currently your rental companies such as your rental companies have inventory such as beautiful linens, décor and serving pieces that aren’t being used.  Negotiate with your vendors to create a win/win situation for your clients.  Ask your vendors to upgrade your order for your client; you will come out looking like a hero.  Remember to take photos as well, upscale photos help sell your company.    

5.  Improve your Search Engine Optimization (SEO). 

Work with a web designer or SEO to find new or creative ways to generate more search hits.     

6. How do you communicate with your customers?

Look at how you communicate when you correspond with customers or potential customers.  Do you communicate in a timely manner?  Are you communications easy to understand? 

I’m in the process of getting a logo created and I started this over a month ago.  First, I asked a college from college who is a graphic designer.  I sent over notes and didn’t hear anything for 2 days.  I emailed and texted them to see if they had gotten the information.  They responded that they would call me back the next day.  Four phone calls and two weeks later I get a response from them.  They send a bid for $350 which I didn’t have an issue with.  I called two days later and still no response.  A week after that, I decided to go with another graphic designer who took four days from the time I found them and surprisingly they where ½ the cost of the other person.  I was going to go with the higher cost person, but they didn’t call back to me.  So my advise to you is follow up, follow up, follow up.    

7.  Build your online marketing presence.

The web is the new marketing tool of choice for the young and savvy business owners.  Social media isn’t dying anytime soon; learn to use tools such as Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter. 

All of these things might seem overwhelming.  There is barely enough time or money to run the business right now, but these tips won’t cost you very much to implement and you can take one item at a time each week.  The goal is to survive these hard times by being tough and going the extra mile to improve your sales.  Then when times are better in the industry, you will be ahead of your competition and ready to thrive. 

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Laura Baker is professional business consultant who specializes in new and or existing businesses in the hospitality and food service businesses.  To learn more, visit: http://www.lasaramgmtgroup.com/.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Comment Below:  What did you love, learn or disagree with in this article.  Thanks for your feedback!

Are Your Email Messages Working Against You?

by Mark Craemer...

Choosing to use email to convey information versus face-to-face interaction or a telephone call should be carefully considered.

Email, of course, has many advantages over the others. The trouble is, many email messages are not entirely clear and often are misinterpreted. In fact, according to a study in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology ((Vol. 89(6) pp. 925-936)), nearly 40 percent of email messages are misunderstood! This should cause all of us to hesitate before hitting the send button.

The study further found that without the benefit of paralinguistic cues such as gesture, emphasis, and intonation, email makes it very difficult to convey emotion and tone. Using ALL CAPS, bold type, or emoticons ;-) are poor substitutes for facial expressions and tone of voice.

Albert Mehrabian, professor of psychology at UCLA, posited the three basic elements of face-to-face communication are words, tone of voice, and body language. Words, according to Mehrabian, account for just 7 percent of the overall content being received, while tone of voice accounts for 38 percent and body language accounts for a whopping 55 percent! If only 7 percent of information is effectively communicated via the words themselves, then a great deal of effort should be considered in choosing which words to use and the order of them in our email communication.

Should we instead abandon email altogether?

Certainly not. There are many great reasons to use email, including one-to-many distribution, the timing and speed at which information can be delivered, the inclusion of hyperlinks and attachments, and the level of detail that can be included. However, too often we assume that our audience can correctly interpret our intention behind our words. Not aligning our intention with our content can lead to greater misunderstanding.

Communication can easily break down even under the best of circumstances in face-to-face interactions. With this in mind, it is essential to put great care in writing emails so they are not misunderstood. To do this, I have several suggestions:

1) Consider your audience. What assumptions are you making regarding culture, gender, age, level of education, etc? When in doubt, provide a greater level of background information than you might otherwise. And spell out acronyms.

2) Double check the title you use in the Subject box to ensure that it accurately encapsulates the body of the message. Sometimes these titles can confuse or even contradict what is written in the message itself.

3) Before sending the email, reread your message with a dispassionate eye and from an objective point of view. Ask yourself if your words could be interpreted any way other than you intend.

4) If you are sending to a large group, first send the message as a draft to only two or three people to learn whether or not your intention and the message are entirely clear to them. Only send it on to the entire group when you have agreement.

No matter what you use email for, it is essential to keep in mind the limitations of this medium. In spite of developments in video conferencing, Skype-enabled calls, and other video-enhanced technologies, the majority of our business communications are currently conducted via written words alone. The ability to clearly communicate with these words is more important now than ever.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mark Craemer helps people and their organizations achieve sustainable personal and interpersonal effectiveness to improve bottom-line performance through consulting services that include communication strategies, organization development and leadership coaching.  Learn more at http://www.craemerconsulting.com. 
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Comment Below:  What did you love, learn or disagree with in this article.  Thanks for your feedback!

Bosses Suck

By Ken Peters...

Once upon a time, the parts of the body were debating who would be in charge. “It should be me,” blurted the brain. “Without me you couldn’t think.” “No,” chimed in the eyes. “Without us, you couldn’t see, so we should be in charge.” “Hold on,” argued the heart. “I’m the engine that drives the body, so clearly, I should be in charge.” “Wait,” waved the hands. “We have all the skill, so we’re the obvious choice.”

As they argued, the sphincter timidly mumbled, “Actually, I think I should be in charge.” The other body parts roared with laughter. Embarrassed and angry, the sphincter clinched up. Pretty soon the brain got fuzzy, the eyes got blurry, the heart started palpitating and the hands got shaky. “You win,” the weary body eventually conceded to the sphincter. “You're the boss.”

The moral of the story… to be the boss you don’t need brains, vision, heart or skills, you just have to be an asshole.

Ever work for an asshole?

Of course you have. We’ve all been there. Everyone has a tale to tell of the boss from hell. The jerk. The drunk. The addict. The bigot. The bully. The crook. The touchy-feely creep. The half-witted, incompetent, creatively-barren, intellectually-impotent, enthusiasm-squelching, soul-sucking, sadistic, ungrateful, cowardly, (add your own adjectives here), sanctimonious prick.

The asshole.

At some point in your career you no doubt toiled under the thumb of someone who damn well had no business telling you what to do. Now, those days are history. You’ve marshaled your talents, mustered your courage and boldly stepped out to follow your dreams. You’re an entrepreneur. Congratulations. But be careful, because the shoe is suddenly on the other foot. You may be in charge now, but you don’t have to be a boss. Be something better. Be a leader.

Dare To Lead

Truth is, the role of the traditional boss is quickly becoming obsolete. Leadership is where it's at and leadership requires a special kind of person. Brains, vision, heart and skills are the foundation, but real leadership takes something more.

Real leadership takes balls (metaphorically speaking, of course). Proclaiming, “I’m going this way, who will follow?” is a profound act of courage because the answer might be “no one.” Sometimes you have to blaze part of the trail by yourself before anyone is willing to walk it with you. That’s why to lead others you must first be willing to go forward alone. You must believe in yourself because there will be times when no one else believes in you. You have to be willing to make tough decisions and to do things that aren't always easy or popular. Leadership requires risk and laying yourself bare. Leaders must dare.

Any of that sound familiar to you? It should, because the gifts required to be a great leader are the same gifts you possess that make you a great entrepreneur.

Misfits, Rebels & Troublemakers

Leaders and entrepreneurs are cut from the same cloth. They’re both crazy enough to believe they can make a difference – perhaps even change the world – and that’s exactly why they can and do. It takes a unique mindset to ask “why not” when others simply say “why”. Leaders and entrepreneurs are never satisfied with the status quo.

Good enough never is because with creativity and imagination there’s always room for innovation and improvement. Without creativity and imagination there is no future, just more yesterday and today. Leaders and entrepreneurs, by their very nature, learn from the past, live in the moment and constantly look toward the future.

Over the past decade and a half, America's small businesses have created 65% of all new jobs in the U.S. All of those small businesses were launched by leaders – entrepreneurs with the vision to see an opportunity, the boldness to reach for it and the creativity and imagination to exploit it. People just like you. Entrepreneurs fuel the engine that drives innovation and the economy. Entrepreneurs lead. In fact, they have a responsibility to lead and to make the most of their unique gifts to advance society and humanity.

The Path To Success

Every moment in life is a chance to get it right, but if you don’t it becomes a chance to learn. What’s important is the forward momentum. Failing isn’t the problem, letting failure stop you is the problem. Entrepreneurial leaders understand that. It’s often a winding road, an uphill climb and a shot in the dark but the effort is never wasted when the goals are worthwhile.

Effective leadership requires a goal, someone willing to lead people to that goal and people willing to be lead. Goals are central to success. Business is no different. You have a goal for your business. You have to be willing to lead people to help you achieve that goal and you need talented, committed collaborators willing to work with you.

Note that I said “collaborators” and not “employees” and work "with" you not work "for" you. That’s not semantics it’s a subtle yet profound shift in perception. Understanding the difference is fundamental to leading versus merely bossing. Understanding the difference is fundamental to not being an asshole.

It's Already In You

If you inspire others to have confidence in you, but more importantly you inspire others to have confidence in themselves, you are a leader. If you lift up whole groups by empowering individuals, you are a leader. If you can enable people to do their best and are smart enough to stay out of the way while they’re doing it, you are a leader. If you share the credit but bear the blame, you are a leader. Finally, in the words of John Quincy Adams, “if your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.”

As an entrepreneur, inspiration, dreams, learning, doing and becoming are part of your DNA. You already possess the skills to be a great leader. Find them within you, then get out there and lead.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ken Peters offers innovative design, grounded in smart strategic thinking, to give his clients an unfair advantage over their competition.  For more information, visit: hhttp://www.nocturnaldesign.com/.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Comment Below:  What did you love, learn or disagree with in this article.  Thanks for your feedback!

Couples Communication: Six Super Simple Guidelines to Improve Your Ability To Listen

By Peggy L. Ferguson, Ph.D.

Good listening skills are important to a relationship.  Although most people have heard of "active listening", the definition of active listening is a source of confusion for many people.

Sometimes called "reflective listening", active listening involves making sure that you heard what was said by repeating it back.  Consciously listening to the other person to make sure that you heard what they actually said is reflected in these various terms.

When teaching couples how to change how they talk to each other, active listening is stressed.   Much of the time, a big part of the communication problems that couples experience involves poor listening skills or habits.

In order to communicate effectively in your most important relationships you must be able to accurately "hear" what is said. 

You can't have effective communication without good listening skills.  And you cannot be good at solving problems together without good communication skills.

An absence of effectively listening, means that the message sent or intended is not the same message as the one received by the listener.  Although this may happen for a lot of reasons, a simple absence of listening, is a major culprit.

A number of things can get in the way of good listening including assumptions that tells the listener that s/he does not need to listen past a certain point, a failure to pay attention or succumbing to distractions, and rehearsing what your response will be.  The listener may assume that he/she knows what the other is going to say, and may thus attend to just enough of the message to confirm his/her belief.

At other times, a listener may be tuning out what the other person is saying while s/he tries to come with his or her rebuttal.  Both of these scenarios are setups for the condition where couples dig themselves in deeper and deeper trying to be understood and not realizing that neither is hearing what is actually said.

When there are problems with focus or attention, the issue may be deliberate or non-deliberate lack of listening. 

To be a good listener, practice these guidelines:

1. Pay close attention to what is going on.
2. Concentrate on what they are saying.
3. Maintain eye contact without staring.
4. Don't interrupt.
5. Don't worry about what you are going to say until s/he is finished.
6. Practice active listening.

Active listening is an especially helpful tool in the presence of perceptual "filters".  Each partner comes into the relationship with a history of other interactions, communications, unique meanings, and personal experiences.  This collection of experiences and beliefs, attitudes, mood states, relationship event histories colors the information that we consume in the present. 

This emotional, attitudinal, and relationship background constitutes perceptual "filters".  These filters are uniquely one's own.  No two people have exactly the same filters.  The more long lasting and influential the experiences or the events, the more likely the filters will persist over time, and the more heavy the influence they play over perception in contemporary events.

You can improve your ability to listen by practicing reflective listening.  You can begin to override your filters by using this technique and by looking at the assumptions that you have been making about what is being said and looking for patterns.  Some people have filters about abandonment fears.  Others are ultra-sensitive to criticism.

An active listening technique that is helpful is the use of the phrase, "What I hear you saying is..."  This is only one example of reflective listening and feedback.  Any clarifying question could serve as active listening.  The point is that when you clarify a message, you are making sure that the message that you have received is the same messages as the one that was sent, or intended.

Sometimes the process can still get derailed when the paraphrased "what I heard you saying" message is met with "that is not what I said", and then an argument ensues over which one is correct.  Couples get derailed by arguing about what was actually said or not said in the first place.  This is easily remedied by each person first and foremost 's messages. 

It helps to not concern yourself about who is right and who is wrong.  A good phrase to remember for this situation is, "actually, what I intended to say was..."

Reflective listening feels awkward, unnatural, odd, stiff, and just plain weird.  It does however, have a number of benefits that make it worth practicing and learning.  Some of those are the fact that you can eliminate most of your arguments by making sure that the message that is received is the one that was sent.

Another is the fact that by carefully clarifying messages, you can discover your own themes in filters that color how you take in the contemporary events in your life.  Once you identify your sensitivity to certain messages and themes, some of the power of those filters can be neutralized. 

If you know that you are sensitive to abandonment messages, you don't have to panic when your partner says, "I'm starting to get angry in this discussion.  I'm going to take a break and go to the store."  In the past, instead of hearing that, you might have heard "I'm mad at you and I'm leaving you". 

If you have identified abandonment fear as a filter and your partner leaves in the middle of an argument, you can reassure yourself that your partner did not say that s/he was leaving you forever.

When you can actually hear what is being said in your conversations, you are less likely to engage in circular arguing, with each volley of verbal assaults setting up more miscommunication.

Communication exercises and training that have an active listening component are especially helpful.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Peggy L. Ferguson, Ph.D. is a therapist in private practice in Stillwater, OK.  She is also a writer, trainer and consultant.  For more information, visit:  For more information, visit: http://www.peggyferguson.com
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Comment Below:  What did you love, learn or disagree with in this article.  Thanks for your feedback!

10 Website Copywriting Tips

By Scott Siders (http://www.novowriting.com)

Powerful search engine optimized (SEO) Website copywriting can have a tremendous impact on your sales and marketing.

Here are 10 Website copywriting tips to create a more effective Website and dramatically improve the way you do business online:

1. Keyword research:  This is step one of Website copywriting.  There are many excellent free and paid services online that you can use to identify what terms your target audience is searching to find your competitors online.  Targeted keyword research plus strategic SEO Website copywriting equals better search rankings than your competition on Google and other search engines.

2. Headline:  The headline is number two on my list, but it's number one for SEO Website copywriting. You absolutely must include your keyword in the headline.  If you don't, it's like putting up a "For Sale" sign without stating what's for sale.  For instance, if you had a 2008 Black Honda Accord for sale but your sign said "Car for Sale," how much are you not communicating?

3. Keyword placement:  In addition to the headline, your primary keyword should appear in the first one or two sentences, be sprinkled throughout the copy as much as possible without distracting from your message, and be included towards the end of the page.

4. Homepage copy:  This is where we see some of the most problems with Website copywriting.  You've undoubtedly seen sites with two sentences on the homepage, as well as sites with thousands of words on the homepage.  Both strategies are unsuccessful.  Too little copy doesn't allow for keywords to be used and simply doesn't persuade a visitor to take action.  Too much copy can dilute important keywords, and usually bores a visitor into clicking away from the site quickly - a double whammy when you consider your Website copywriting goal was to attract the potential customer to your site with relevant keywords and then compel him/her to take some kind of action.

5. Persuasive copy:  "Why am I here, and why do I care?"  People are busy.  No matter how great your site looks (put all the bells and whistles on it if you like), if the copy isn't engaging, they will very quickly move on to a competitor's site.  It's that simple.

6. Bullets:  This is an often overlooked aspect of Website copywriting. The search engines pay attention to bullets because they call-out important items, so include a keyword or two in your bullets as well.  Bullets break up chunks of copy and make information easier to digest.  Since many Web users are skimmers, they may only read the bullets anyway, so make sure you include key benefits of your products and services.

7. Customer-focused copy:  "What's in it for me?"  Visitors to your Website don't care about you.  It's the brutal truth.  They care about your solutions to their problems.  Your Website copywriting needs to reflect this fact.  How does your product/service benefit them?  Do they save money?  Time?  Get a unique product?  Personal service?  Give them the benefits before the features in your Website copywriting and they'll be more likely to take action.

8. Subheads:  Are your keywords in your subheads?  The search engines recognize keywords in subheads to be more important and, like bullets, compelling subheads help break up the copy.

9. Strong call to action:  Your copywriting isn't complete without a persuasive call to action.  Whether it's asking the visitor to contact you for more information or to purchase a product on your site, the call to action needs to specifically state what you want them to do in a way that reminds them of the benefits of your products/services.

10. Metadata:  After you've completed your Website copywriting, remember to provide your Web programmer/designer with the meta title, meta description, and keywords to include in the code for the search engines.

There's still one question you need to ask yourself:  What do I want my Website to accomplish?  Figure that out, and you'll know your Website copywriting strategy.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Scott SidersScott Siders is a marketing copywriter with Novo Writing, a full-service copywriting firm specializing in marketing.  For more information, visit http://www.novowriting.com.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Comment Below:  What did you love, learn or disagree with in this article.  Thanks for your feedback!

What's Stopping Your Website Visitors from Buying? FAQ Page Lessons from the Encyclopedia Man

by Judy Dunn (http://catseyemarketing.com/)

When I was eight, the set of shiny red Encyclopedia Britannicas on the shelves in the Robert Gray Elementary School library introduced me to the world beyond the Kress's store on Broadway Street and the pulp mill across the Wishkah bridge.

Those days in the library, with the rain pelting the big windows, were never the same after I discovered the encyclopedias.

There was volume 8 dash H, with the country of Hungary and its red, white and green flag.  And Volume 13 dash M, with names of strange and distant places, like Mor-r-r-O-cco and Minn-ee-A-polis.

Man, I wanted a set of my own.

As luck would have it, one day that summer, Mr. Huggins, a lisping door-to-door salesman with greasy black hair and the smell of stale cigarettes, showed up on our doorstep.

Somehow he managed to squirm his way through the door and before Mama knew it, he was sitting on our tattered green davenport.  He opened his dented brown suitcase.

Inside, to my amazement, was a perfect set of red Encyclopedia Britannicas, newer looking than even the ones in the Robert Gray library.  All 24 books, their shiny spines facing out.

I thought I had died and gone to heaven.  I looked directly into Mama's eyes, praying for some kind of sign, something to tell me I had the tiniest chance of getting the set of bright red books with the gold embossed letters.

Soon after, the rapid-fire ping pong game began:

Mama: "I could never afford them."

Encyclopedia Man: "They're not as much as you think."

Mama: "$399?  What do you think we are, filthy rich?"

Encyclopedia Man:  "We have an easy-to-own purchase plan—for nice people like you.  You just pay for one book a month and you can have them all, right now."

It was dizzying to watch them.  Mama saying why she couldn't possibly buy them and the Encyclopedia Man bouncing back with the perfect answer. 

In the end, Mama won, but it wasn't for any lack of effort on Mr. Huggins's part.

Your FAQ Page: The Web Version of the Encyclopedia Man

The Encyclopedia Man had one advantage as I see it:  selling to real people in real time allows you to address each objection that comes from your prospect.

But selling on the web is different.  In order to find your "1,000 True Fans," you know, the ones who will purchase anything you offer, you must address the objections you can't hear.

Because for every prospect who asks a question about your product or service, there are at least ten (often more) who have the same concerns, but keep quiet.  Something is keeping them from ordering the product or picking up the phone to hire you.  But you don't know what.

Depending on the product or service you sell, an FAQ page can be one way to blast through your customer's objections with confidence, just like the Encyclopedia Man.  Maybe you are marketing an e-course or a teleseminar or an expensive product where buyer resistance might be high.  Try these steps to create—or revise—your FAQ page so it is more focused:

5 Steps to Blasting Through Objections with a Focused FAQ Page

1. Identify your ideal customer or client.  I bet you already know her.  She loves you, she'll buy anything from you, and she tells all her friends about you.  But won't you be excluding people if you just focus on her?  Trust me, it's exactly what you want to do.  The more traits you identify, the closer you'll get to reaching more customers just like her.

2. Get inside your customer's head.  Your prospect has reasons for not wanting to buy.  You might have already heard some of these reasons.  Though Mama's concerns focused on price, your prospects may have other issues.  Put yourself in your ideal customer's shoes and brainstorm every reason she might not want your product or service.  This step is important.  Don't hold back.

3. Put each objection in question form.  Now go back and put the objections into questions.  Let's take an example for a consultant who is selling teleseminars.  Prospect's question:  "What if I can't be there when a teleseminar is scheduled?"

4. Empathize with your client.  Using the above example, recognize your prospect's fears.  The answer to "What if I can't be there when a teleseminar is scheduled?":  Stuff happens.  You're moving, your kid has soccer practice, or you have a big meeting with a client.  I wouldn't feel like signing up for something I might not be able to be there for, either.  But here's the thing:  You don't have to be there for the classes.  (And go on to explain. You get the idea).

5. Address each objection in a friendly, respectful and honest way.  Don't promise your product or service will solve all her problems.  It won't.  You can even go so far as to recognize that your product or service is not for everyone.  This will add tons of credibility and help you find those 1,000 True Fans-your ideal customers.

If you listen well, you'll hear new objections, ones you haven't addressed.  Keep a list of these and remember to update your FAQ page regularly.  Like the Encylopedia Man, you'll have answers your customers are looking for—and you'll help alleviate the fears that may be keeping them from buying your product or service. 

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Judy Dunn, the co-owner of Cat's Eye Marketing, develops online marketing messages that help her clients find their ideal customers.  For more information, visit http://catseyemarketing.com/.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Comment Below:  What did you love, learn or disagree with in this article.  Thanks for your feedback!

The Inspiring Leader - Top 10 Language Tips To Inspire Others

by Trevor Hill (http://www.inspiration-at-work.co.uk)

Choosing your language carefully will have a big influence on your ability to inspire other people.  Great orators and speech-makers know all about this and we can learn from them.  We can also learn from psychology and how language works.

Let's be clear: this is nothing about manipulating the truth.  The first principle is to be honest; other people will respect your integrity.  Yet there are simple adjustments you can make to your language which will increase the likelihood that your listeners will be inspired.

These changes to your language work in two ways: they avoid sabotaging your message and they also empower your listeners.

Here are my top 10 tips:

1. Use the inclusive 'we'.  Using 'we' rather than the isolated 'I' is much more likely to inspire.  If you look at famous motivational speeches in history - such as those from Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Winston Churchill, Barack Obama - you will find that they are all use inclusive language.

2. Describe a compelling future.  Fill in as much detail as you can.  People are inspired by aiming for a better future.  This is another characteristic of the famous speeches already mentioned.

3. Engage the attention you want by using sensory language.  This is done by choosing words that directly appeal to the senses: use visual words (eg. see, focus, view, scene, horizon); aural words (eg. hear, loud, whisper, harmony); kinesthetic words (eg. feel, grip, hold, touch, texture).

4. Choose language that encourages others to look for what they want rather than what they don't want.  The law of attraction means that you get more of what you put your attention on.  Therefore it makes sense to help others to put their attention on desired outcomes.

5. Presuppose that together you will succeed.  This conveys an optimistic tone and it clearly signals your expectations.  We all have an inclination to live up to (or down to!) expectations so it makes sense to set them high.  Phrase statements as 'When we reach ...' rather than 'If we reach...'  Express yourself in the positive rather than the negative: make it clear what the objective is rather than what it isn't.

6. Use language that is consistent with your actions - walk the talk.  If your actions are not congruent, your language will be undermined and taken as merely hot air.

7. Say what you mean and mean what you say.  Be clear as you can and check that your audience has understood the meaning you intended.  Ultimately, the meaning of any communication is the response you get from it, so if you're not getting the response you hoped for you need to communicate more clearly.

8. Use 'Yes and...'.  If someone comes to you with a suggestion and you reply 'Yes but...' they hear that straightaway that you are canceling their suggestion with you own.  This is deflating for them and discourages them from participating in the future.  Simply changing 'but' to 'and' makes your reply additional to their original suggestion.  It gives them recognition that there may be value in their idea.

9. Ask instead of assume.  It's easy to fall into the trap of mind-reading.  We see a certain behavior and we assume we know the reason for it.  Then, to make matters worse, we act on the assumption!  It's far better to ask the necessary questions to find out what is really going on.  This sensitivity to the people around you will encourage a stronger sense of connection and enhance the degree of influence you have.

10. Keep your sense of humor!  Sharing a joke appropriately and seeing the funny side of a situation are both part of a healthy team.  Humor can strengthen relationships and keep the human dimension in sight.

You can experiment with these tips to see what works best for you.  One option is to focus on one at a time, say one each week, so can you get experience using it in a number of situations.  As it becomes part of your natural language, you can move on to the next tip.  Then you will see from the reaction of people around you how you can be successful at inspiring others.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trevor Hill is the Owner of Inspiration At Work - he Trevor helps leaders who want to inspire the people they lead.  To learn more, visit http://www.inspiration-at-work.co.uk.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Comment Below:  What did you love, learn or disagree with in this article.  Thanks for your feedback!

Hey, October is Self Promotion Month!

by Rebecca West

Do you own your own business?   Then you must self-promote because no one else is going to do it for you. 

So what?  Well, if no one knows about your service, you’re not going to have a business for very long!

Self-promotion should not be smarmy and obnoxious.  It should be honest, forthright, and feel like you are forming mutually beneficial connections with others.

How can you self-promote the right way?  Try these six tips:

1.  Be the “Go-To” Gal or Guy.  When networking, really listen to the services others provide.  Educate yourself on what and who is out there and be ready to link people with what they need.  If you become the “go-to” person then you’ll be remembered as helpful and willing and will be first in the minds of people when it’s your service they need.

2.  Don’t let people live with rats.  You provide a useful service, right?  If you own a pest control company, wouldn’t you agree that people with pests really do need your service?  Regardless of your service, if you truly believe that you have something valuable to offer, then frankly it’s selfish not to tell people about it.  Why are you letting people continue to live with rats if you can do something about it?!

3.  Be nice.  I love Les Schwab.  I wish that I could buy my groceries and get dental work done at Les Schwab.  Because they are SO DARN NICE and always helpful.  The moral?  If people LIKE you they want to do business with you, and they will find ways to do business with you one way or another.  

4.  Specialize.  I know, it’s scary, but if you say that ‘everyone’s your client’ then you’re really not for me.  I want to know that you are great at what you do, and to do that you have to specialize.  You’ll fear losing clients, but long term you want to be seen and sought-after as an expert, and you can’t do that as a jack-of-all-trades! 

5.  Show up.  Facebook, Twitter, Biznik, E-women, Le Tip, BNI... they can all work but you’ll only get out what you put it.  So be consistent, show up regularly, get to know the members and take an active interest in what they do.  And do this for months and years, not weeks.  Show up when your business is slow, and especially when your business is busy.  Only then will you reap the rewards of networking and self-promotion.  

6.  Tell a good story.  Don’t ever, EVER, tell someone your job title when they ask what you do.  That’s just a quick way to end the conversation.  Seriously... “I’m a psychologist” “I’m a plumber” “I’m a designer.”  Boring!  How about “I help people overcome their fear of the dark.” “I unclog the sink after the kids try to see how many legos will fit in the garbage disposal.” “I makeover living rooms so that people aren’t embarrassed to have their friends come over.”  You see, it may not tell *everything* you do, but it *will* get the conversation going!

Self-promotion is all about showing up and not being selfish with the knowledge you have that can help others.  Be educated, helpful and nice, and you will find success!

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Rebecca West is the owner of Rivalee Redesign - an interior design company that makes the most of what you already own to create warm, updated, welcoming rooms out of once unfinished, unfriendly spaces.  For more information, visit the Rivalee Redesign Website. 
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Comment Below:  What did you love, learn or disagree with in this article.  Thanks for your feedback!

The 4 Essentials of Effective Leadership

by Mark Raciappa (http://www.actioncoachmarkraciappa.com/)

I remember a bumper sticker: “Either Lead or Follow — But Get Out of the Way!”

When our role calls for the former, here are 4 important things to keep in mind:

1. Great leaders communicate

Realizing that good communication is a 2-way street, we must be responsible for our part.  That being said, true communication is the response that you get. 

Whatever form you choose (verbal, mail, e-mail, etc), if you don’t get the outcome you seek (from a “willing” recipient), the responsibility lies with the sender.  Great leaders confirm, gain commitment, and solicit feedback to improve the process.

2. Great leaders make decisions

Far too often, those in positions of authority delay choosing a course because they have to keep gathering more information.  We call this: the paralysis of analysis. 

If you’re the Leader, rest assured that the followers are well aware of this handicap.  If you are received as indecisive, this severely hampers your ability to lead the Team.  How many opportunities have slipped away because the leader took to long to make a move? 

One more thing: great leaders admit when they make a mistake, take corrective action, and move on.  This will do wonders to build respect from Team members.

3. Great leaders delegate

Once the decision has been made, it’s time to share the workload.  Great leaders don’t try to do everything themselves, realizing that dividing the work multiplies the results.  This also demonstrates trust in the Team and fosters individual growth.  When the communication works (see #1 above), distributing responsibility contributes to great results. 

As a side note, a great leader shares the credit with those responsible when those great results come in.

4. Great leaders hold others accountable

Leaders do what they say they will do and expect the same from others.  One of my mentors used to say: “You expect what you inspect.”  Great leaders follow up and follow through.

Those who study the human condition have found that “behavior that is recognized is behavior that gets repeated”.  The Team knows what the Leader, historically, has paid attention to and what has been “overlooked”.  As the Leader, change your behavior and you change your results.

It starts with you, it starts today.  From Gandhi: “Be the change you want to see in the world”.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mark Raciappa is an ActionCOACH Business Coach in Florida.  He works with business owners who want to make more money, while working less hours by systematizing their business.  For more information, visit http://www.actioncoachmarkraciappa.com/.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Comment Below:  What did you love, learn or disagree with in this article.  Thanks for your feedback!

How to Select a PowerPoint Projector

by Justin R. Hopley

While making presentations in a business meeting or any other educational seminars, it is important that you choose a good PowerPoint Projector.

There are different kinds of projectors available in the market today.  You have to understand which of the projector meets your presentation's demands and can do a good job in making your presentation attractive and reachable to your clients or delegates.

There are two commonly used PowerPoint projectors; they are DLP projectors and LCD projectors.

If your presentation is static in nature (i.e. it has static images and text portrayed), then LCD projectors can do a good job.

If your presentation is full of animations or moving pictures, then, choose a DLP projector which helps in displaying your presentation neatly.

What are the things that you should look for in a good projector?

The projector that you choose should have an ideal brightness level of 5000 lumens.  This is the level of the brightest projector.  However, the entry level projectors have a brightness level of 1000 lumens.

What does this brightness level mean?

When you are presenting images and other PowerPoint presentations, it is important that the pictures are visible and clearly outlined.  For this, you need a good brightness level that will help enhance your pictures or animations that are included in your PowerPoint Presentation.

When you are making a presentation in front of thousand people, you can go for a projector with a brightness level of 6000 lumens.  This helps people seated far away from you to clearly see what presentation you are making.  In fact, such projectors are useful for making presentations in trade shows as well as conventional centers. 

The price clearly varies depending on the brightness level that the projector offers.  The price is directly proportional to the number of lumens.  As the lumens increase, the price also increases proportionately.

For typical office presentations where you have to just target around fifty to hundred people, you can go for a projector of 2000 or 3000 lumens brightness level.  Thus, depending upon your requirements, you can choose either of the two projectors and also select the one with the desired brightness level.

What is the difference between an LCD projector and a DLP projector?

The basic difference between the two is the technology that is used in their construction.  The LCD projector uses the Liquid Crystal Display technology while the DLP projector uses Digital Light Processing technique.  The LCD technology offers its users with vibrant colors, clear picture definition and brighter and sharper images.  An LCD projectors' brightness levels supersede DLP projectors'.

If you are looking for a sleek projector that can be carried from place to place without making much mess, then you should definitely consider a DLP PowerPoint Projector.  They just weight below 3 pounds. This makes carrying easy and less complicated.

Though choosing the right projector entirely depends on your requirement.  It depends on where you want to install the projector and for what purpose you are using it.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Justin R. Hopley is a web developer and technology expert. 
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Comment Below:  What did you love, learn or disagree with in this article.  Thanks for your feedback!