ATTRACTING NEW PEOPLE, PERSONALLY AND PROFESSIONALLY

Whether you are attracting new clients for your business, have moved into a new community and want to make friends, have started a new job, or are open to romance, here are some ways to attract new people:

 1. Smile. 

I recently heard of a man who met his fiance when she gave him a friendly smile at the dry cleaners, and he asked the cleaners for her name. Smiling is often a first point of contact.

 2. Eye contact. 

This is a sign of confidence and contact. WARNING: longer than 3 seconds is considered flirting; staring is a turn off. (This varies from culture to culture, as well as smiling, speaking first, and shaking hands. Some cultures hug, kiss on the cheek, bow.)

 3. Say "hi." 

If we all always waited for the other to speak, we would live in a silent
world.

 4. A firm handshake. 

Need I say more? This also conveys confidence. 

 5. Go where the people you want to attract will be. 

I heard of a woman who prefers meeting men at the local Chamber of
Commerce rather than a bar, because "at least I know they will have a
job." If you want to meet other professionals, join the professional
organization. If you want to meet other skiers, go to the local ski club
meeting. If you want to meet people with similar morals, beliefs, and
values, try a church, synagogue, temple, etc. It is hard to attract new
people when you are sitting home alone watching TV.

 6. Dress appropriately. 

If you want to attract clients, dress like people do in their business and
culture. Using the example again of meeting people with similar beliefs, morals, and values: if you want to meet conservative people, do not wear something flashy or flamboyant. If you want to run with the motorcycle crowd, go for the leather pants! Obviously, clothes that are clean, pressed, that fit, are not outdated. 

 7. Be honest, positive, and brief. 

Honesty: because relationships are founded on trust. Positive: attitude, attitude, attitude! Brief: so you leave plenty of time to... 

 8. Listen! 

Everyone has the desire to feel significant. Doesn't someone truly
listening to you, showing an interest in you and your interests, and your business enhance that feeling?

 9. Be happy, content with yourself and your life. 

Do you think someone new wants to hear about how great things were back at/with X company, town, or person? Will you draw people to yourself if you are doing it out of desperation, because you feel incomplete, not OK, lonely? (N0.) It is hard to be happy, content when you are comparing. When you are happy, you will naturally be smiling!

10. Be the kind of person you want to attract. 

If you want to attract someone who is in shape and has a healthy
lifestyle, be in shape and have a healthy lifestyle. If you want to
attract clients you can count on and pay on time, be accountable and pay on time. If you want to attract good communicators who treat you well, make sure your communication skills are polished, and pay attention to how you treat others. ETC.

THE BEST TOOLS FOR THE JOB

A critical distinction that determines the future of almost
any business is your willingness to invest in equipment and
training.
I cringe when I hear a professional talk about the "cost"
of new equipment, hiring or training better staff, or
attending a conference, seminar or training. These things
almost NEVER "cost", they pay!
We live in a world of immediate cost and quality
comparisons. Trust me, whether you own a restaurant, run a
law office, or manufacture widgets, your customers talk to
each other! There are no secrets and the truth about your
quality, your level of innovation, your performance and
experience is known to every one of your customers, and
more importantly, to virtually every potential customer.
Whether you invest in new software, new furniture, or in
new training, if it makes even a slight difference in your
performance, it can make a HUGE difference in your bottom
line. It's called leverage!
Attending a training or Conference to meet the best people
in your profession or learn a few new things, or to review
the best of the "old tricks", can be worth a fortune.
Customers want experts. They want it done right the first
time, and they will pay a premium for the confidence that
you know what you're doing.
Even buying a new laptop "just because I like it" can pay
for itself almost instantly if it makes you slightly
faster, slightly more creative or more productive. You only
need a slight edge to multiply your results enormously.
Invest in training. Invest in the right tools for the job.
Invest in your future.

TELEPHONE ETIQUETTE TO EFFECTIVELY REACH OUT TO CLIENTS AND OTHER BUSINESS CONTACTS

We tend to take our telephones and cell phones for granted, but salespeople must demonstrate appropriate telephone behavior when talking to clients and other business contacts. Courtesy and thoughtfulness are the basic components of telephone etiquette. The knowledge of etiquette makes telephoning easier because if you creatively obey the rules, you can be confident that you will behave in the most appropriate, productive way. 

With this in mind, here are 11 guidelines for polite and effective telephone usage: 

1. When answering the phone in the office, immediately identify your company, department, and name. If you are self-employed with a home office, answer by stating your name. 

2. When talking to customers, call them by name. Not only will the customer be pleased, but by repeating the name, you’re more likely to remember it. Be sure not to overuse this courtesy though, as it can become annoying. This also applies when talking to an executive assistant: First ask for the name of the assistant, and then you can begin using their name in all future correspondence. 

3. Know yourself and how you sound to others. You can find this out by recording your voice. Then critique your tone, manners, friendliness, and vocal quality. This is even more helpful if you ask others to critique you. 

 4. Always use the hold button if you must temporarily leave the phone. It’s surprising what the person on the line can hear, and you may inadvertently embarrass yourself—or the other person. 

 5. When placing a customer on hold, make sure you reassure the customer every 20 to 30 seconds that you haven’t forgotten him or her. If you must do this more than twice, it’s probably better to call back when you’re able to talk. 

 6. Know your customers. Know not only their names, but also how they prefer to be treated. Then deal with them in their preferred mode. Do they like a fast or slow pace? Do they want just the facts or do they prefer to chat first before getting down to business? 

 7. Know your product or service. Your product mastery should shine through. Then you’ll be able to match customer needs (benefits) with your product knowledge (features). 

 8. Keep a telephone notepad and pen handy so you can quickly write messages or notes. We’ve all waited for what seems to be 10 minutes while the harried message taker searches for a pencil or paper. 

 9. Plan your calls ahead. Try writing a summary of everything you need to know before making the call. Every sales call you make should have an objective (goal). 

 10. Let the customer hang up first. Have you ever concluded a conversation with someone and just as they were hanging up, you thought of one more thing to say? To avoid cutting off your customer’s thoughts, let them hang up first. 

 11. Choose your words carefully. On the telephone, your words and vocal quality carry your message. In person, if there is any doubt as to the meaning, you can sense it from the person’s nonverbal feedback. Over the phone, however, you may unintentionally insult your customer and never know it. For example, when you say, ‘‘As I said . . .’’ or ‘‘To put it another way . . . ,’’ you imply that the other person did not understand you the first time. Another common phrase is, ‘‘Let me ask you a question.’’ It may be a subtle difference, but notice that this is a command, not a question. A command immediately puts someone on the defensive. A better way to say this is, ‘‘May I ask you a question?’’ or ‘‘Do you mind if I ask you some questions?’’ This involves them in the conversation and makes them want to talk to you instead of resentfully following your orders. 

 

THINK LIKE A MILLIONAIRE

I think you’ll agree with me when I say that everybody wants to know how to become a millionaire and get rich. Unfortunately, some people just don’t know where to start. Would you be surprised to learn that you can get rich in your own way, starting today? The following tips will help you visualize the road ahead of you and enable you to set goals to make more money than you ever dreamed.

1) How to Make More Money: Start By Writing Down Your Ideas

Buy a spiral notebook. Carry it with you if you possibly can, and write down every idea that comes to you throughout the day. Review this idea log on a regular basis. Sometimes, one idea that you have while you are driving along, sitting, reading, watching television, or in a conversation may be the insight that will lead to the start of your fortune. If your goal is to make more money, write down all of your ideas as to how you will achieve this goal. The rule is, “Catch the idea and write it down.” If you don’t write it down fast, you will very often lose it.

2) Goal Setting: Relax and Reflect on Your Financial Goals

Take regular time-outs to relax and reflect on your goals and the obstacles that are holding you back from achieving them. During these times of relaxation, ideas will often pop into your mind that can save you hours, days, and sometimes years of hard work.

3) Gaining Financial Independence Using The Magic Wand Technique

Practice the exercise of fantasizing on a regular basis. Sometimes this is called the “magic wand technique.” Imagine that you have a magic wand and you can wave it over your current situation or problem. Imagine that as a result of waving this magic wand, all the obstacles are removed from between you and your financial goals.

4) Project Forward and Think Back on Your Financial Goals

Imagine that your goal is to build a successful business in a particular field. Project forward three to five years and imagine that you now have a successful business in that field. What would it look like? How big would it be? What kind of people would you be working with? What kind of reputation would you have in the marketplace? What would be your level of sales and profitability? How would you be running this business? And especially, what could you start doing right now to make this future dream a reality?

5) How to Become a Millionaire By Practicing “Mind-Storming” on Every Problem

Perhaps the most powerful method of stimulating creative thinking is called “mind-storming,” or the 20-idea method. More people have become wealthy, including me, using this idea more than any other method of creative thinking ever discovered. In fact, this technique alone could enable you to gain financial independence. The method is simple… Take any problem or goal that you have and write it at the top of a sheet of paper in the form of a question. For example, if your goal is to double your income over the next 12 months, then you would write, “How can I double my income over the next 12 months?” You then discipline yourself to write at least 20 answers to that question. You can write more than 20 answers if you like, but you must use your discipline and willpower to write at least 20 answers.

6) Save Your Money and Become a Millionaire

One of the easiest way would be if you were to save $100 per month, from the time you started work at the young age of 20 until the time you retired at age 65, and you invested that $100 per month in a mutual fund that yielded you an average of 10%, you would be worth approximately $1,118,000 by the time you retired. Chances are, your discipline and your resolve to continue saving at any age, year in and year out would have such an effect on your character and your personality that you would end up earning far more than 10% per year. But at $100 per month, anyone can become a self-made millionaire.

Take Action

Focused questions stimulate your mind and provoke creativity. Decide on a goal and then ask yourself, “Why am I not at this goal already? What is the main reason?”

THE TRAITS OF THE BEST BUSINESS LEADERS

Business leaders and entrepreneurs have the potential to radically improve the world on multiple fronts. Not only can they meet economic needs and please customers, but they can also help their employees achieve their full potential. If you dream of making a difference in this way, you just might make a great entrepreneur.To know if entrepreneurship is right for   you, consider if you have these traits of business leaders.

1. Have A Passion for Your Position

One of the most important elements of successful entrepreneurship is loving what you do. This means not just a love for doing business, but also a passion for your specific field. Not only does loving your work make it easier to carry out your daily duties, but it can make those actions seem like they aren’t even duties at all. You are likely to spend your free time brushing up your skills or thinking of ways to attract more clients. Those who love what they do are also more likely to deal with failure constructively, learning how to do better rather than getting discouraged.

2. Be Alert & Active

Effective entrepreneurs spend every moment of their time taking productive actions. They constantly look for opportunities to enhance their business and act decisively whenever they find one. Constant action doesn’t mean deciding without thinking; careful thought, after all, is a necessary action in business. What it means is remaining productive at all times, so that all you do contributes to your goals.

3. Plan for Perfection

Successful entrepreneurs regularly define their business goals and come up with detailed plans to achieve them. This allows them to focus their actions toward a consistent, positive outcome for the company. A penchant for planning means you will always have a clear sense of what to do next, and can better assess individual decisions based on how they fit into your broader strategy.

4. Focus on Flexibility

As important as it is to make plans, commitment to a long-term vision or strategy should not come at the expense of flexibility. Sooner or later, something will happen that you did not expect, and you will have to respond to it without hesitating. A successful entrepreneur is able to adjust her plans when they prove impractical, quickly making the changes necessary to deal with any new development.

5. Tell the Truth

Honesty is not just a moral virtue; it is also a practical necessity in the business world. Employees, suppliers, customers, and regulators all have to know that they can trust you. If they learn that you misrepresented yourself, they will refuse to cooperate with you, dooming your business. You thus have to have a reputation for honesty and integrity, and there is no reliable way to secure that reputation other than by actually being honest.

6. Engage with Emotions

Emotional intelligence is indispensable in the business world. Your own emotions can easily get in the way of decision-making, causing you to view an incorrect choice positively or overlook a correct one. It is also important to be sensitive to your employees’ emotions, understanding how your decisions impact them and striving to keep them happy and healthy.

WORK SMARTER, NOT HARDER

We recently celebrated World Productivity Day 

But here's the secret sauce to success...

Every day should be productivity day.

I'm sure you've caught yourself saying "I can't get anything done at work."

75% of the time in any work environment there are never-ending distractions, interruptions, telephone calls, etc.

All successful people have learned productivity techniques that help them overcome these distractions and stay focused.

These techniques are what ultimately put them in the top 10% of their career field.

I can teach you these same simple success tips to boost your productivity and rapidly increase the quality of your life.

Here are 3 simple productivity hacks to start doing right now:

1. Always think on paper. Write down your to-do list and your goals first, and then prioritize from there.
2. Don't check your email first thing in the morning, as it can distract you for hours from higher priority tasks.
3. Eat that Frog. Get your most important task done first, the one you are most likely to procrastinate, before anything else.

So, what results do you see after making these changes?

What other productivity techniques are you currently using?

OVERCOMING PROCRASTINATION

Millions of people struggle with completing goals and overcoming challenges due to the habit of procrastination. In fact, it's one of the most common personal issues that people seek help for. There are several reasons why people procrastinate or avoid tasks. They can range from simple, basic laziness to fear of failure, lack of confidence in your ability, or simply a strong dislike for the task at hand.

People commonly put off doing things because they don't know what to expect or what the outcome may be. They might fail, other people might laugh at them, they might look foolish, there may be a lot of stress, or any number of nonspecific anxieties. We all struggle with the fear of the unknown on a daily basis. It's the way we think and our perception of things that paralyze us and keep us in a pattern of avoidance.

If you believe that something is unpleasant or distasteful, or that you'll fail if you try to do it, or if you believe that you will somehow lose something, you will probably make sure you never get around to it. In most cases, this only creates high levels of stress, or brings unpleasant circumstances. When you get in touch with how much pain you feel when you procrastinate, you can begin the first step to overcoming it.

 Many people procrastinate because of a lack of motivation. To fight this kind of procrastination, you can set rewards for doing these undesirable things. If exercise is difficult, try giving yourself a reward every time you go to the gym. You deserve it for having persevered. Next time, you may be just that much more motivated.

 For many people, procrastination consumes major amounts of time in their daily lives. Because of this habit, they don't get things done. This

results in more stress, and more frustration. In the end, procrastination makes things far more difficult than they would be if you simply completed the task. Stopping procrastination means you can avoid all the pain of the failure procrastination causes.

 Other reasons why people procrastinate: 

•    A lack of faith in your own abilities
•    Fear of trying anything new because of past failures
•    Low self esteem
•    The goal is not associated with a reward

 Procrastination is one of the most time-consuming activities one can engage in. It causes a great deal of stress and frustration. Here are five steps you can take to make overcoming procrastination simple.

Step 1: Find your direction.

Every time you procrastinate, write down the task you are avoiding and your justification for avoiding it. Keeping a record will help you
understand how your attitudes are related to your procrastination. Then you can identify strategies to redirect yourself when you feel the desire to procrastinate. Always focus on the task you wish to perform and your reward when you succeed. Focusing on your reward is the most powerful way to overcome procrastination.

"If you don't know where you are going, you'll end up someplace else." -Yogi Berra

Step 2: Get focused

You can easily become overwhelmed if you try to do everything at once. Instead break your goals down into simpler tasks. Start putting them into action, one at a time. Start as soon as possible. Take time every day to work on your goals.

If you find it really hard to get started on a task, try working on it for ten minutes. This will usually help you get some momentum, and help you feel like continuing. Start with a simple task first, and be sure to visualize yourself completing the task. This will help you to focus on the goal, and the reward you will receive upon completion.

"Most people have no idea of the giant capacity we can immediately command when we focus all of our resources on mastering a single area of our lives." -Tony Robbins

Step 3: Be aware of your thoughts.

The more you procrastinate, the more monumental the task becomes in your mind. Allowing limiting beliefs to control your actions becomes a parasite on your chances for success. You must confront your beliefs about yourself and the task, and face your fears.

Instead of daydreaming about your failure, and all the things that could go wrong, and how hard it's going to be, fantasize about how good you will feel having gotten the task out the way, how confident you'll feel when you complete it successfully, and how confident you will be about your ability to do the next thing. Keep your focus positive, and this will build a new attitude that will overcome all your limited beliefs, and defeat procrastination.

Learn how to separate your anxious thoughts from your realistic thoughts. Imagine the worst-case scenario. Then, make a plan to get back on your feet if the worst should happen. Chances are you would recover relatively quickly, and resume your normal life.

"Our attitude toward life determines life's attitude towards us." -John N. Mitchell

Step 4: Build your tolerance to negative emotions.

Fear and stress are normal. They come from being uncertain, or feeling threatened in some way. Most of the time they're just feelings, and there is no real danger. Courage is not the absence of fear, it is the ability to continue in spite of it. Courage is required to overcome procrastination.

When you persist in pursuing your goals, you build up your tolerance for stress and anxiety. In time you will feel more confident, more capable, and far less stress and overwhelm. When you don't fear the feelings of anxiety, you will procrastinate less.

Meditation is a powerful way to build your resistance to negative emotions. Major universities all over the world have found that it reduces stress and anxiety, elevates your mood, and improves your ability to focus.

Step 5: Take command of yourself.

Success always means going outside of your comfort zone. No matter how unpleasant the results of procrastination, the habit remains part of your comfort zone. One very important first step is to stop complaining about what you have to do. Nothing worthwhile is ever easy, and complaining only drains away your will to succeed.

Focus your mind on all of the benefits you will receive from being successful in whatever you need to do. Keep your mind focused on how wonderful you're going to feel and all of the wonderful things that are going to happen to you when you are successful.

"Self-command is the main discipline." -Ralph Waldo Emerson

Overcoming procrastination is not as hard as you might think. Once you take these five steps for overcoming procrastination, your fears and anxieties will melt away, and you will experience the many benefits of being in control of your life.