Posts Tagged ‘best’
2010′s BEST Stress Management Tip! – Say Yes to NO.
2010′s BEST Stress Management Tip! – Say Yes to NO.
(an excerpt from The Progress Challenge by Dean Lindsay)
In 2010, most of us take on too many responsibilities, try to do too much, and even own too much. Being too busy is a big source of stress in today’s get, get, get and go, go, go world. Often, we are so chronically over-scheduled that we never give ourselves a chance to offer our best or to enjoy the moment. 
Are your days fulfilling, or are they merely full?
It is possible that we could get more out of life by doing less. When we internalize the difference between full and fulfilling, we realize it’s not how many events we attend, activities we get involved in, or how much stuff we have that’s important. We do not have to say “yes” to every demand on OUR time. And we shouldn’t feel bad, since we are saying “no” to the event or project, not the person.
Being busy can wear us out. If we are committed to working and winning in this world of change, we must know our limits and not limit our NOs.
- Consider your well-crafted goals and your schedule before agreeing to additional work.
- Simplify – get rid of the clutter and baggage in your life and in your house. Say NO to clutter.
- Start your own Just Say NO campaign to regain quality time. Review priorities and see if a request fits. When you see things that waste time or hinder your progress, speak up.
- Stop trying to make everyone happy. (We can’t do it anyway.)
A polite way to say NO to a request for YOUR time: “I’m quite committed. I can be your backup, but please keep searching.”
Be Progress (not busy).
(2010′s BEST Stress Management Tip! – Say Yes to NO is an excerpt from The Progress Challenge by Dean Lindsay)
10 CUSTOMER Loyalty Tips
10 CUSTOMER Loyalty Tips from Dean Lindsay, Customer Loyalty Speaker
For Video clips of Dean Lindsay in action click here.
Customers offer the three priceless Rs: Revenue, Referrals and REALITY.
ONLY 1 out of 25 Dissatisfied Customers tell the business they are dissatisfied.
Over 90% of all Complaining Customers will do business with you again if you resolve their complaint quickly and professionally.
True Customer Loyalty begins and ends with the RELATIONSHIP. Solid Customer Relationships cannot be purchased; they must be earned.
It costs up to five times as much to attract new customers as it does to keep existing customers.
Customer complaints are one of the most inexpensive, available, useful and yet ignored forms of customer market data.
When you answer the phone, your company’s image is on the line.
Courteous service is imperative but courtesy is not a substitute for Competence. Building trust with customers often takes Problem Solving.
That customers we wish would just go away, will eventually GO AWAY — along with their business and possible referrals. Be careful what you wish for.
How to Conquer the FEAR of Networking
How to Conquer the FEAR of Networking
an excerpt from Cracking the Networking CODE by Dean Lindsay
Questions we sometimes ask ourselves when considering networking:
What will people think when I walk across a room and approach them to start a conversation?
Will they think I am stupid, boring, pushy?
How’s my breath?
It can be intimidating to approach someone and start a conversation. Ralph Waldo Emerson knew the way around this universal fear, but most of all he knew the way through it: “Do the thing you fear and the death of fear is certain.”
Progress agents get all the butterflies in their stomach to fly in formation and then soar above their comfort zone to a new, more expansive comfort zone. Don’t make networking more complicated than it needs to be. Develop strong networking skills so you can make connections without being rattled and intimidated. The more intimidated you are by the process, the less appealing you are in the process.
Emerson’s advice will help you overcome the fear of meeting new people. Use Nike’s formula and Just Do It! These new contacts may eventually become strategic partners, customers, employees, employers, or even best friends. Remember, most people enjoy offering assistance, information, and advice. No one is getting voted off the island at the end of the event.
“You are the one who can stretch your own horizon.” — Rabbi Edgar F. Magnin
Zig Ziglar often uses a popular acronym for fear. He says fear stands for: False Evidence Appearing Real. Right on, Zig.
Really, do not be a Mumpsimus. No, that is not misspelled and no, I didn’t call you a dirty word. Well, maybe I did – sort of. Mumpsimus (pronounced MUMP-si-mus) is a seldom-used word. Mumpsimus means:
A. a person who persists in a mistaken expression or practice.
B. an erroneous practice, use of language, or belief that is obstinately adhered to.
In other words, the unfortunate state of mumpsimus means pigheaded adherence to a notion or expression that is popular but obviously wrong. Do not be a mumpsimus about networking. It is not some bad, hard, or artificial experience. Resist the popular notion that networking is all fake sincerity and pushy behavior. That is just not so.
Networking is not about arm-twisting. It is not trying to get someone to do something that does not make sense for them to do. It is not scary old backslapping sales shenanigans. The simple fact is, most people are cool and want to meet you. You will not find Eeyore or Oscar the Grouch at most networking events.
I do need to mention, though, that no matter how cool, giving, and funny you are, there are going to be some folks who just don’t get it. They are not interested in anything or anybody, and are always bummed out.
My quick advice is: Move on. Do not let their flawed human thing rock you. Really, who can honestly say they enjoy talking to a negative blowhard? People like this expect the worst and that is exactly what they get. Somebody forgot to tell them that you create your own reality and if you expect bad stuff to happen, bad stuff happens.
You know the people I am talking about – the ones who look and act like they just ate a big steaming bowl of “ Catcher in the Rye.” They’re irritable, easily agitated, restless types who love a good argument. Chances are, they are not feeling too wonderful, either. They have no personal curb appeal.
So what are the possible causes of soreheaditus?
Maybe their back is out of alignment. That could make you a sourpuss.
Financial and personal problems can make someone a bellyacher.
Hating your job can make you crabby.
A bad haircut can undercut confidence.
A hangnail.
Hunger.
Perhaps it’s Monday.
Come to think of it, a lot of things can make people habitually irritable.
So how come more people are not walking around scowling and biting the heads off of bats? (Maybe because bats are hard to catch?). I’ll tell you the real reason. It’s all in their attitude. Those disgruntled people CHOOSE their bummed reaction to the world because they do not know how else to deal with it.
They need a little Monty Python. They need to “Always Look on the Bright Side of Life.” Progress agents have discovered that changing the way they look at things makes life easier in all aspects.
Think of Oscar the Grouch types as just nice people who have not yet been taught how to cope with life’s stresses and challenging moments. Taking responsibility for themselves and their choices has never occurred to them before. Maybe they grew up in a dysfunctional family and had no suitable role models to show them more appropriate ways of responding.
Progress agents always set a good example for faultfinders to follow. We adopt the “live and help prosper” philosophy, and we are not quick to make judgments.
So you can choose to tactfully walk away from a new contact who is letting off negative steam, or you can choose to stay a little while, lend a sympathetic ear, and try to guide the person to a new way of thinking. Friendly words of wisdom shared at the appropriate moment might make a difference. But be careful because uninvited advice is sometimes seen as a form of attack.
Do not take responsibility for these people or take their Holden Caulfield impression personally (Holden is the hilariously agitated protagonist and narrator of the JD Salinger novel, The Catcher in the Rye). They are probably bummed at the whole wide world. They may have been like this for most of their lives and they are probably not going to change just because you chatted with them for five to eight minutes at a business mixer.
But most people are cool, nice, enjoyable, and are there to connect. If they are not, they are making a far worse impression than you are. Shrug it off. Do not let these sad sacks curb your enthusiasm. Have fun. Enjoy the process. Life is too short (for you and everyone else).
Conquer the FEAR of Networking.
Be Progress.
More info on Cracking the Networking CODE by Dean Lindsay
FREE Ziglar Success 2.0 Webinar & Best Zig Ziglar Quotes
Introducing Zig Ziglar’s Successs 2.0!!
Are you struggling to stay afloat during tough economic times? Or keeping your business steady but wish you could make a breakthrough for your next growth level? Or maybe your business is fine but your personal development has lagged behind, so you never feel satisfied and in control.
Take advantage of the Ziglar reputation and get all the help you need from experts in their field of endeavor by joining The Zig Ziglar Success 2.0. We can hook you up!
To Sign up for a FREE Zig Ziglar Success 2.0 Webinar – CLICK HERE.
Here are what I think are the Best (and somewhat overlooked) Zig Ziglar Quotes:
Best Zig Ziglar Quotes # 1: “A lot of people quit looking for work as soon as they find a job.”
Best Zig Ziglar Quotes #2: “Every choice you make has an end result.”
Best Zig Ziglar Quotes # 3: “If you don’t see yourself as a winner, then you cannot perform as a winner.”
Best Zig Ziglar Quotes # 4. “It’s not what you’ve got, it’s what you use that makes a difference.”
Great Zig Ziglar Quotes # 5. “Little men with little minds and little imaginations go through life in little ruts, smugly resisting all changes which would jar their little worlds.”
Message from Ziglar Training on the new Zig Ziglar Success 2.0 Program
When you’ve been around as long as the Zig Ziglar organization, you get a good sense for which business experts out there are the real deal…and which are overhyped pseudo-gurus. You know who can not only achieve success, but also explain how they got there. You know who’s in touch with real entrepreneurs and who’s dwelling up in the clouds.
You also get to know superstars in every area of business on a first name basis – people who won’t even give out the numbers of their agents, let alone their own. Usually they work for Fortune 50 executives and managers. They’re not even available at those mega-conferences where industry people gather. Some of them are rising stars that are destined to become household names.
So… we know who’s the best and we have the connections to call the best. They take our phone calls. And we have maximized the value of those connections to offer you one of the most unusual business coaching programs in the world. We level the playing field so you have access to the same inner circle and the same secrets that only the Fortune 50 players had…up to now.
To Sign up for a FREE Zig Ziglar Success 2.0 Webinar – CLICK HERE.
a “Be a BAM!” SALES TIP – Become Buzz-worthy!
insight from The Progress Challenge by Dean Lindsay and featured in the Be a BAM! Sales Training Program
Become Buzz-worthy — Key # 1 to Becoming a Business Attraction Magnet
Business Attraction Magnets provide so much value, so much heat, and so much enthusiasm that customers are inspired to talk about them. A BAM is worthy of attention, worthy of the spotlight, worthy of wattage, and worthy of referrals.
As Progress Agents, we must not only show enthusiasm for our work – we must HAVE enthusiasm for our work. If we want prospects to get excited about our products and services, we need to have that excitement first. Likewise, if we want others to believe in our products and services, we must believe in our products and services first.
To win the prize, we must be the prize. Enthusiasm shows in the way we hold ourselves and in the passion we have for our jobs and our lives. If we want loyal customers and referrals (and we do), then we need to feel worthy of loyal customers and referrals. I am sure you have sensed by now that, whenever possible, people do business with people they like. Passion for our lives and belief in our work make us attractive and likable. They draw people to us.
In sales, we have got to be on. Have game. Bring heat. Same is true for customer-service professionals and those in leadership. Buzz. Buzz.
Next Up: Key #2 to Becoming a Business Attraction Magnet — Ask Progress-Based, Open-Ended Questions.
For info on the Be a BAM Sales Training Program Click here
Funny Customer Service Speaker Video Clip
Funny Customer Service Video Clip with Dean Lindsay
In tough economic times, Customer service IS the difference between success and failure.
Dean Lindsay’s customer service training programs includes insight from Dean Lindsay’s new book, The Progress Challenge : Working and Winning in a World of Change
“This is a terrific and timely book with a simple but powerful message. With the right thinking and approach, we can make enormous progress in our organizations, with our families, and on our own goals and dreams. Dean’s book shows you how, and provides the inspiration and advice you need to stay on track.”
– Brad Cleveland
Senior Advisor and Former President / CEO
International Customer Management Institute
A Couple of Endorsements for Dean Lindsay, Author and Funny Customer Service Speaker
“Dean was TERRIFIC!! He made a real connection with my troops and gave us some great philosophy and tips for our busy season on both Customer Service and Phone Sales. He was a great kick-off to our extended hours busy season and I give him an A plus for his presentation.”
– Geri Barton
Director of Customer Service
World Kitchen LLC
“Dean, your talk to Indiana Farmers Mutual Insurance company was first rate. Your points on mending customer relationships were enlightening and your thoughts on attitude are very true. Thank you.”
– F. Neal Johnson, Chairman of the Board,
Indiana Farmers Mutual Insurance
Get more info on Author and Funny Customer Service Speaker, Dean Lindsay
email dean at: dean@DeanLindsay.com
Progress Agent Goal Setting Rule Four!
Progress Agent Goal Crafting Rule # 4
(a series on how to set goals)
Link to Progress Agent Goal Crafting Rule 1
Link to Progress Agent Goal Crafting Rules 2 & 3
4. Progress-Crafted Goals Are Detailed and Measured.
We are able to measure and track progress only toward goals that are detailed and specific. It is imperative that we craft goals with precise and vivid outcomes so that we can be sure we are progressing and not merely changing.
A vague, general, or conflicted goal produces vague actions and vague results. A specific goal produces specific actions and specific results. The more information we can give our subconscious mind about our intentions – our wants, our goals – the clearer the right next steps become, and the more focused our actions will be. It is fine if the goal takes many words to map out. The key is to crystallize our intentions.
For example, “I have a new job” is generic, not very helpful, and certainly not very inspiring. Most of us could get a new job within a week, if not a day. It probably would not be a job that matched our skills, paid well, or that we even liked, but we could get a job. So be darn sure to specify:
In what industry?
What position and responsibilities?
What pay range?
What benefits, 401K, vacation?
How much travel?
How long commute?
Company car?
Work from home?
What kind of boss (if any), and coworkers?
Our “specs” can go on and on. Generic goals do little to propel us to action. Yes, it takes time, but it is vital that we craft our goals in as much detail as possible. It is perfectly fine to rewrite the goal, refine it, add to it, mess with it.
Becoming almost ridiculously particular about what we want, and why we want it, helps create the inspiration that propels us to progress toward our goals – instead of focusing attention on the countless other options of how we could invest our time and energy.
Next up Goal Setting Rules 5 and Goal Setting Rules 6!
Be Progress.
Link to Dean Lindsay Video Clips
Link to Progress Agent Goal Crafting Rule 1
Link to Progress Agent Goal Crafting Rules 2 & 3
(a series on how to set goals)
Trade Show Tips – Running a Successful Trade Show Booth
Trade Show Booth Tips – Running a Successful Trade Show Booth (part one)
Insight from CODE Cracking for Trade Show Booth Success
Working a booth at a trade show can be such a powerful way to network, reinforce existing relationships, and build name recognition that I wanted to offer some trade show tips into making the most of the investment. The key is to find ways to encourage visitors to stop and comfortably begin building a solid relationship with you. Here is the first batch of trade show tips. I will offer more insight from on running a successful trade show booth over the following weeks.
CODE Trade Show Booth Tip # 1
Build rapport by being friendly and nonthreatening.
A smile goes a long way in welcoming people to visit your booth.
“Every business is built on friendship.” — James Cash Penney
CODE Trade Show Booth Tip # 2
Create the right first impression.
Stand and be interested in making contact. Do not sit, read, drink, eat, or smoke in the booth. Don’t just chat away with the people working the booth with you. This makes you less approachable.
CODE Trade Show Booth Tip # 3
Keep the booth looking sharp.
Do not let the booth get disorganized, cluttered, or untidy. Throw trash away. If skirted, the space under the table is a great place to store boxes and stuff. Many trade shows last weeks. Even if it is a lengthy show, do not let your booth get run down.
CODE Trade Show Booth Tip # 4
Avoid drinking alcohol or eating spicy or garlicky foods.
Bad breath is bad business – as is slurred speech and inappropriate behavior. You do not want to be remembered as the drunk guy, or halitosis girl.
CODE Trade Show Booth Tip #5
Ask open-ended questions — Avoid asking questions that can be answered with a yes or no. Create a list of questions to ask that begin with who, what, where, when, why, or how. This will stimulate thought and encourage conversation. Relate questions to the event, industry, product/service and its benefits, or to a specific situation.
Examples of Stimulating Questions:
What brought you out to the show today?
How could you see using this (product/service)?
How important is (benefit) in your present situation?
What are your most important needs in (situation)?
How familiar are you with our product/company/service?
Be careful not to overuse common and overused questions, like:How are you doing today?
Can I help you?
Are you enjoying the show?
Our new program: CODE Cracking for Trade Show Booth Success is now available. Contact us for Details.
Sales Training, Top Ten Benefits of Business Networking
You can’t achieve your best in these challenging business times without learning the all-important art of connecting. As William Allman, the author of Stone Age Present, states, “The key to our species’ success is our great skill in making close alliances with others.” True enough. There are many benefits to harnessing the power of building priceless business relationships and Cracking the Networking CODE. These benefits become even more priceless in times of economic uncertainty. Here are the Top Ten benefits of sales training that addresses the power of business networking:
The Top Ten Benefits of Business Networking
1. Friendships and support
2. Advice and access to different points of view
3. New career paths, employment, and business opportunities
4. Referrals and introductions to professionals and quality prospects
5. Important information
(Market/organizational shifts, upcoming events, etc.)
6. Promotions or lateral moves within your organization
7. Unique sales ideas from sales professionals in other fields
8. Introductions to quality vendors and resources
9. Advocates within related organizations and industries
10. More sales
“You have to accept that no matter where you work, you are not an employee; you are in a business with one employee – yourself.” – Andrew S. Grove
I am honored to share that my book, Cracking the Networking CODE: Steps to Priceless Business Relationships is Recommended Reading by the United Professional Sales Association, Networking Times and Profit magazine.
Even cooler that it has been endorsed Ken Blanchard – author of The One Minute Manager and Brian Tracy along with many others. Jay Conrad Levinson – the author of Guerrilla Marketing, thought so much of the CODE that he wrote the book’s foreword.
Please contact me to discuss our customized sales training programs and our business networking training programs.
Let’s Connect:
FaceBook: http://www.facebook.com/people/Dean-Lindsay/1018367929?sid=0
Twitter Link: http://twitter.com/deanlindsay
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/deanlindsay
Video clips of me in action at YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/TheProgressAgent (more videos posting shortly)
Be Progress.
Selling in the ZONE
Selling in the ZONE
The old adage- People hate to be sold, but they love to buy – is truer than ever. The days of the ‘ Sure Fire Closing Statement’ and the ‘Glad Handing Slick Salesman’ are thankfully things of the past. Today it is imperative for sales professionals to truly get to know prospects and help prospects get to know them.
Selling today is about relationships. It is about attraction. It is about Trust. The customer has a need- a step they need to take. They must trust we can meet that need- help them take that step. They need to trust our belief in ourselves, in our companies and in our products / services. Trust comes easy when we sell (and live) in the ZONE
ZEST – Emerson said, “ Enthusiasm is the mother of effort, without it nothing great was ever accomplished.” As sales professionals, we must have authentic enthusiasm for our work. If we want prospects to get excited about our products and services, we need to have that excitement first. We need an air of gusto. Likewise, if we want people to believe in our products and services, we must believe in our products and services first. This shows in the way we hold ourselves and in the passion we have for our jobs and our lives.
Whenever possible, people do business with people they like. Passion for our lives and our work makes us attractive. It draws people to us. We must be continually offering people our best attitude. Ask yourself: Would you want to talk to, much less do business with you?
ORGANIZATIONAL SKILLS – Structure is vital for the sales professional. Solid self-management (formally known as time management) leads to higher productivity and reduced stress. Our desks need to be workstations, not storage space or shrines to past accomplishments. We must be able to quickly find important information. Being well organized show respect for time (the prospect’s and ours).
Looking sharp is also part of organization. We must always be presentable. If we can’t even get ourselves together enough to look presentable how is someone going to see us as together enough to handle their challenge. Plus, how we present ourselves shouts volumes about how we feel about ourselves and our work.
NETWORKING SKILLS – It is not just who we know, or who knows us. It is also, what we know about who we know and more importantly who TRUSTS us. Being known as a reliable (and likable) resource is the ultimate goal. The more we can present ourselves -in person- in a positive light the better. First impressions are powerful so turn someone on to you by tuning into them. When you meet a new person, show genuine interest in them and invest the majority of the time asking questions about them and their business. Powerful networking is totally linked to the other terms in the ZONE acronym. People are drawn to our enthusiasm, our respect for their time and our…
EMPATHY – Empathy is sympathy without pity. Empathy means understanding that people make decisions for their reasons not ours. Empathy is always thinking “ What that means to you, Mrs./ Mr. Prospect, is…” Empathy is focusing on benefits not features. Empathy is truly committing to doing what is best for the customer and working to help provide the right product or service to meet their needs.
The most powerful way to understand the prospect’s need is to ask questions. In the medical profession, it is known that prescription without diagnosis is malpractice. The same is true in the sales profession. We must ask a variety of open and closed ended questions to diagnosis the situation, so our recommendation (prescription) will meet the need.
Solid listening goes hand in hand with asking powerful questions. We must LISTEN to prospects. I don’t mean listen. I mean LISTEN. Calvin Coolidge said “ No man ever listened himself out of a job.” We must listen as if our life(style) depended on it – because in a large way it does.
Get in the ZONE, and try to help someone.
Be Progress.
