Saturday, December 18, 2010

Five Ways To Inspire Your Team

By Mesa

Inspiration is powerful stuff. Inspired fill with are fully keyed up and visibly listening carefully, which way they are strongly motivated and engaged in the court case they take. These are prized qualities in a team. Unfortunately, inspired colleagues are a rarity.Too many leaders look representing ways to inspire their fill with while residual protected into dull behavior themselves. This is the path to failure! Instead, now are the main beliefs behind victory.

1. Being inspired is a prerequisite representing inspiring persons around you.It's a stuff of correspondence - walking the converse. If someone slowly sets
improbable to inspire you and they are not themselves inspired, the dishonesty is
obvious. Would you be inspired by someone who is not inspired themselves? So, as Gandhi plunk it, "Be the revolution you would like to distinguish."


2. The follow-on insights help you to inspire others.

By fitting more aware of how you are inspired, you will return insights into how other fill with be converted into inspired. This is not a simplistic conjecture to facilitate whatever inspires you will inspire everybody besides but a deeper understanding of the means of inspiration and how techniques to facilitate handiwork representing you can be adapted to handiwork with others. For illustration, a discharge get the impression of use is an inspiring experience. However, the detail use to facilitate factory representing you may well not be the same use to facilitate inspires your colleague. But come again? Is actual is to facilitate and get the impression of use, whatever the difference in specify, is central representing both of you.

3. Inspiration is communicable!

This is perhaps for the most part obvious think logically - the low-hanging fruit - why you need to be inspired chief. If you did nothing besides at hand would still be a quantity of upbeat blow on persons around you. People love to be with inspired those since a quantity of of it without human intervention rubs sour.


4. Inspiring your team is an acquit yourself of leadership.

Inspiring others is a recipe leadership skill. You are the leader of your team and, whether you select it or not, apiece associate looks to you as a role standard. To a quantity of degree your behavior will be plagiarized - you need to be improbable in front.


5. Inspiration will sustain you in your role in leading the team.

Consistently inspiring a team takes energy, focus, creativity and resilience. You will own these qualities in far greater great quantity what time you are inspired. Without inspiration, your hard work are likely to exhaust you as well as being ineffective.

Sunday, December 12, 2010

The Best Places To Build Your Network

By Clubfreedom

Putting yourself in certain situations can drastically increase your chances of good things happening - if you know where these situations are and what to look for. Would you like to grow your network by meeting the smartest, most influential people you can possibly meet? How can you increase the odds of this happening to you? Simple - understand the places with the highest odds of this happening, and stay aware. Here are some examples of these places:

Airports - Airports are very interesting places. The majority of the people traveling through airports fall into two main categories - vacationers and business people. Regardless of which category an individual falls into, chances are they are well-connected and somewhat successful if they are traveling for business or have enough money to vacation. Airports put people in very social situations - long lines, lounges, bars, airplane cabins with seats very close together - so take advantage and be friendly! Worst case scenario? You have a great conversation!

Entrepreneur clubs - Entrepreneur clubs can be found everywhere, from your local Chamber of Commerce to local universities. These clubs are meant for networking purposes, and better yet, they are full of people similar to you - bright, motivated and entrepreneurial. From personal experience, these clubs are very social, very fun and always welcome new members.

Universities - Colleges and universities are incubators for innovation, entrepreneurial thinking, social gatherings and successful people. Even if you cannot or do not want to attend college, you can still take advantage of what local public universities have to offer, such as public networking events, public speakers and some clubs.

LinkedIn - LinkedIn - the "professional's Facebook" seems to be its unofficial tagline, yet it fits the description perfectly. LinkedIn is very useful for searching for jobs or to hire employees, stay connected with others and to see who knows who. For instance, if you are interested in working with a specific company, you can see if any of your friends' friends know or work at that specific firm. If you need an "in" somewhere, LinkedIn is where you should begin your search. Just remember to keep your profile up to date and professional, and connect with everyone you know.

Seminars and presentations - Not only is listening to influential and successful people very interesting and useful, but these types of events also attract bright and well-connected people. So these events naturally tend to be great places to network as well. If you are going strictly for networking, you should be aware of what type of crowd a particular speaker will bring.

Vacation - Vacations are always an interesting and controversial way to network. On one hand, people go on vacation to get away from work. On the other hand, great vacation spots tend to attract fairly wealthy individuals. If you go on vacation, I urge you to forget about work for the duration of your trip. However, if you happen to meet the right people, try to at least exchange business information. The general rule of thumb in this situation is to refrain from exchanging business information or talking specifically about work until the second or third get-together.

Chamber of Commerce events - Your local Chamber of Commerce is a great place to learn and network. They host many events and are a valuable resource for all entrepreneurs. Google your local Chamber of Commerce to obtain more information.

Golf courses and country clubs - Golf courses and country clubs are very similar to vacations with regard to the crowds they attract, yet people at country clubs and golf courses are much more willing, even eager to talk business. Go play golf with one friend and hope you two get paired up with great people.

Trade shows - There are several trade shows for every industry imaginable each year. Find relevant trade shows and attend them regularly. You will eventually get to know some great people. Remember to dress-to-impress, bring business cards and samples if necessary, and be ready to talk! Even if you cannot attend as an exhibitor, attend as a guest and just browse - trust me it will be well worth it!

Alumni events - Did you attend college? If so, make sure your alumni association or alumni relations department has your contact information and keeps you up-to-date with all events happening. It's always great to see old friends,and people are usually much more willing to help out fellow alumni.

These are great places to network, but if you remember to stay social at all times, everywhere you go can be a potential networking event. As long as you know how to build your network effectively, you will do fine.

Sunday, December 5, 2010

TheExpertHost 2010 Customers award - 0 page views remaining today

TheExpertHost 2010 Customers award - 0 page views remaining today

10 Tips For Communicating With Power

By Clubfreedom

Regardless of your profession, communication is an essential part of your day. From calming down irate customers to negotiating with vendors to giving instructions to employees, your communication skills determine your success. Communicate well and you'll sell your ideas more effectively, deal with discord better and run more efficient meetings. Communicate poorly and you'll leave conversations wondering if anything was accomplished at all.

Think about the conversations you have throughout the course of any given day. Are all of them productive? If you're like most people, they're probably not. Realize that productive communication involves more than just two people talking. Communicating effectively requires planning, concentration and consideration of others. Whether you need to talk with your spouse, work out a problem with a friend or land that next business deal, here are some tips to add power and productivity to your conversations.

Think Before You Speak
Know what you want to say and make your point quickly. By doing so, it is more likely that the listener will remember your message. Know why you are having the conversation and what you want to accomplish from it before you begin to speak. If possible, let the other person know the conversation topic in advance and keep the conversation focused.


Stop Talking and Listen
The best way to be a good communicator is to be a good listener. Think of your conversation as a chess game, with each person taking turns making their moves, or speaking and listening. When it's your turn to listen, do just that. Give the other party your undivided attention. Don't think about what you're going to say next or you may miss something important. When you actively listen, it shows the other person that you value what they have to say.


Ask Questions
To gain the most from any conversation, find out what people want. Don't ask questions that can be answered with a "yes" or a "no". Instead, ask open-ended questions that will give you more insight into their thoughts and feelings. If you aren't clear on a point they are trying to make, ask for clarification. Then, restate what you heard and ask them to verify that you received their message correctly.


Anticipate Distractions
Nothing you do will make others feel more important than giving them your full attention. Conduct your interaction in a quiet, peaceful location with a minimum of distractions. Turn off your cell phone. If there are other conversations or events going on in the same room, ignore them. If an unavoidable interruption occurs, excuse yourself and return as quickly as possible. If you must end the conversation due to an unforeseen crisis, reschedule it for a later time.


Be Mindful of Your Volume and Tone
Your vocal tone gives the listener a snapshot of your feelings. If you want to show respect or affection, soften your tone. If you find yourself feeling impatient or angry during a conversation, listen to yourself to make sure your voice isn't reflecting those emotions. If a conversation begins to turn into an argument, consciously lower your volume; often your listener will, too. Keep your voice calm and even whenever possible.


Handle Disagreements with Tact
It is unrealistic to think that everyone will always go along with whatever you request. Disagreements are inevitable. What do you do when someone disagrees? Do you start an argument or do you continue to communicate with tact? Tact begins with listening. Be sure you clearly understand the issue and ask questions. Stay calm and think of disagreements as a difference in opinion, not personal rejection. You can understand another's point of view without agreeing with it. Remember that everyone has a right to an opinion, so respect that and work at finding your common ground. If the differences of opinion are over minor issues, work on a compromise. If the disagreement is a matter of principle, you may decide to end the conversation or even the relationship.


Be Open to New Ideas
Never assume you know everything about a given topic and then close your mind. Instead, relax and allow time to receive vital input from another person. Listen attentively and consider how new ideas may apply to things you already know. If you find someone does know more than you about the topic, don't be afraid to yield control. The new information can add to your knowledge, encourage you to study further or even change your mind!


Take Notes
Always carry a PDA or a pen and notepad to jot down thoughts. Record new ideas and items on which you must take action. When you first meet someone, take a moment and jot down key information about the person and the conversation. Be sure you get the correct spelling of their name. You want to be able to address them correctly the next time you see them. Someone may not notice if you say their name right, but they'll certainly notice if you say it wrong!


Watch Your Body Language
Studies show that 93 percent of communication is non-verbal. Be sure to make good eye contact, stand tall and keep good posture. If you want to let the other person know you agree with them, don't fold your arms tightly, cross your legs or turn your body away from the person. Instead, try to match their body positioning as this indicates silent agreement. Make sure your message and your body language match. If there is any discrepancy, people are more likely to believe what your body language is saying than your words.


Eliminate Audible Pauses
There's no need to fill every second of a conversation with sound. Verbal fluff (i.e. - "ah", "er", "um", "like", "you know") obscures your message and reduces your credibility. If you feel you are about to use a non-word, take a breath, hold it a moment and then resume speaking. Use shorter sentences, or pause using silence instead of audible sounds. Becoming very familiar with your topic will help too. Practice what you want to say, but don't sound rehearsed.
More Power to You -- Communication and success go hand in hand. The more effectively you communicate your ideas, the better your outcome will be. Practice these communication tips and apply them every day. When you do, you'll communicate powerfully, with confidence and achieve the results you desire.

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Tips To End Your Fear Of Calling Prospects

By Clubfreedom

What can bring total fear into the heart of even the most successful sales professionals? What can crush your self-confidence and destroy your self-esteem? The sheer terror of calling prospects. Many net workers would rather spend an entire day in a dentist's chair than spend time cold calling. Does the thought of cold calling makes your stomach drop to your toes?

First let me explain what cold calling is. Cold calling is when you are making calls to prospects that you do not personally know.

Second, let me tell you a funny story about my cold calling days. When I first started calling leads a few years ago, I was extremely nervous. I would keep saying I will do it tomorrow. When tomorrow came, I would find another reason to postpone my calling session. When I finally started making calls, my hands would perspire as I dialed the telephone numbers on my list of prospects. As the phone rang, I would close my eyes and say out loud, "Please, please, please, let me get their voice mail. Oh, please, please, please!"

One morning after a couple of weeks of this routine, I sat down in my office chair and started to laugh. The realization hit me as to just how ridiculous the whole thing was. What was I afraid of? Prospects are just people. After all, they asked for information on a home based business. I wasn't calling people that had not requested information. What was the worst that could happen? They could say "no", that was the worst thing. After a few minutes of self-talk, I was ready to tackle any cold call to any prospect. I want to help you overcome any fears you may have of talking to prospects.

Make telephone calls
Few things are more terrifying than the unknown. The fear you create for yourself is far worse than the reality of cold calling. Once you start making telephone calls and continue making telephone calls, it gets easier. Just like anything in your life, you overcome the fear by doing.


Make a lot of telephone calls
If you have only one prospect to pursue, that prospect becomes overwhelmingly important. If you have hundreds of leads, no one prospect can make or break you. The more calls you make, the more success you will have.


Prepare an opening statement for your cold call
This lets you organize your thoughts before cold calling and helps you avoid common mistakes in the cold call opening that would give the person you're calling the chance to terminate the conversation. For instance, you should never ask, "Is this a good time to talk?" or "How are you today?"


What you should include in the opening statement
Include a greeting and an introduction, a reference point (something about the prospect), the benefits of Clubfreedom and a transition to a question or dialogue.


Start with less important leads
It will be good practice and less stressful. Once you feel more comfortable, start working on the more important leads.


Stay calm and remain relaxed
You will, for the most part, be talking to people who will appreciate your call. If a prospect is rude, remember it is not personal. They may just be having a bad day. Move on to the next call.


Accept some things are out of your control
If a prospect does say "no", ultimately that is out of your control. What is within your control is continuing to prospect and continuing to make calls. It is also within your control to improve your cold calling skills by going to seminars and reading books or online articles on prospecting. The more you learn, the less your prospects will say "no".


Ask for an appointment at a specific time
You want to say, "Would Wednesday at 11 a.m. be a good time to meet?" instead of saying, "Can I meet with you to discuss this next week?"


Be persistent when cold calling
Most new sales are made after at least the fifth contact, yet the majority of net workers give up after the second attempt.


Have Fun
This is not life or death; it's only a cold call. The fate of the world does not rest on you and your telephone. You will not ruin your life if a prospect says "no." Loosen up, be creative and have some fun!
Above all, my friends, practice, practice, practice. While cold calling may never be your favorite activity, you can get better at it, just like I did. I went from sweaty palms and an upset stomach when I first started calling prospects to someone who later became a trainer in lead calling.

The more you practice calling, the more effective a sales tactic it will be. So, get your script and your call list together and reach for the telephone. The people who want to do business with you are out there, but you have to let them know about you first.

Next week, we will give you tips for communicating with power.

Monday, November 29, 2010

Getting A YES From Your Prospects 3

By Clubfreedom

In the past two weeks, we discussed how to discern and motivate the four basic personality types. As a refresher, they were named for four distinct colors - green, blue, gold and orange. This week you will learn several specific tips on how to use this knowledge in conjunction with your Clubfreedom business.

Prospecting A Green Personality

Remember that "Greens" are motivated by facts not emotions. They are independent thinkers. You should keep your presentation straight forward, filled with data and information. Include statistics such as how long Clubfreedom has been in business, how many members we have and so on. "Greens" will love the demonstration of how the boards fill.

If you are doing a group presentation, it would be wise to keep your "Greens" together. In fact, invite other "Greens" that are already Clubfreedom members to your presentation. You will have better success if do not invite "Blues" and "Oranges" when presenting Clubfreedom to your "Green" personalities. You will understand why when you read how to prospect the other colors!

Prospecting A Blue Personality

Now is the time to focus on feelings rather than facts. "Blues" are our nurturers. The presentation for your "Blues" should be relaxing. Before they arrive, bring out the refreshments and light some scented candles. Sound ridiculous? Trust me, "Blues" react to emotions and feelings not facts and statistics!

Discuss how your "Blue" can help others achieve their dreams of travel and earning rewards by getting involved in Clubfreedom. Hone in on what your "Blue" feels. Do they want to take a cruise? Share what it will mean to earn rewards for their family. Introduce them to other "Blues" in your team so they know they are joining a supportive group that will be there to help them.

Prospecting A Gold Personality

"Golds" are our personalities that love structure! It is crucial that you are organized and start your presentation on time. Have all of your tools ready long before they arrive. This means setting up your laptop and having the first slide up on your screen before your guest shows up! Do a test run to ensure everything will run smoothly. A tip - "Golds" tend to arrive early.

Present Clubfreedom in a step-by-step fashion with no detours. In other words, don't get side tracked or go off topic. Have an agenda and stick to it! Just like the "Greens", it is wise to not invite the "Blues" and "Oranges" to a presentation for the "Golds".

Prospecting An Orange Personality

When presenting Clubfreedom to an "Orange", make the presentation fun and exciting. Show your prospect tangible rewards such as earning the $200 reward in Stage 2. Give them information on how to use their Wholesale Access Certificate for immediate travel benefits. You will want to show them the new Hotel Portal in the members area.

It is important to consider that "Oranges" are not structure people. Show them the fun side of the business and how they can get off to a fast start. These are the perfect candidates for quick momentum and getting their businesses moving in a hurry. Introduce them to leaders in your team.

REMEMBER....Once you have identified your prospect's personality, you should modify your approach to match it! Identifying personalities can be useful in all aspects of your life.

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Getting A YES From Your Prospects 2

By Clubfreedom

Last month, we discussed how to quickly discern the four basic personality types. Remember that we named them for four distinct colors - green, blue, gold and orange. By identifying certain characteristics in your prospect's mannerisms, appearance, occupation and what's important to them, you now know how to determine their dominant personality type. This week, you will learn how to motivate your prospect once you know whether they are a green, blue, gold or orange personality!

Motivating A Green Personality

Competence rules
Show research and focus on facts, data and information
Present thought-provoking ideas and explore "what if's" as theories
Value them as an individual and allow them to share what they know
Help them understand real life examples and provide access to resources
Let them talk with other "Greens"
Motivating A Blue Personality

Relationships rule
Make sure they know you care about them; show individual concern for their needs
Focus on feelings rather than statistics
Be genuine and real
Be enthusiastic, happy and upbeat - smile and laugh
Draw on their values and interests
Motivating A Gold Personality

Structure and security rule
Treat them professionally
Show history, trends, predictability and security
Lay out things in step-by-step fashion
Be highly organized and follow the rules
Be clear and focused with specific objectives
Let them work in leadership roles
Motivating An Orange Personality

Freedom, fun and excitement rule
Share the big picture and what is possible
Non-traditional approaches - use spontaneity, humor and variety
Provide immediate and tangible rewards - like money!
Be flexible and willing to negotiate
Use competition and let them be in the limelight
Not sure exactly what to do with this information? No worries, next week, we will give you a few specific tips for each personality as it relates to your Clubfreedom business.