Are You In The Know?

Coming out of the dark ages, we lived in the Agrarian Age where wealth was created from the land and, therefore, a few landholders had the power and wealth of the nation.  Battles were fought over land and the differing resources that the geography possessed, giving title deeds to the victor.

The Industrial Revolution changed this order. The era of capitalism was born with the creation of factories engaging workers through Adam Smith’s division of labour principles and the production of mass market goods, provided ever more cheaply through ever greater size of operations and the economies of scale employed.  This era started in the seventeenth century and culminated with massive industrial complexes such as Henry Ford’s car plants in Detroit.   

In the Industrial Age, the ability to attain capital, own and run factories by organising workers and machinery led to wealth for the individual.  There was a fundamental shift in financial power from the land to capital.   On a global scale this became the age where America industrial might showed itself and then latterly German engineering prowess and Japanese production efficiency rose to the fore.  Within all this there was the creation of industrial magnates, tycoons and a new rich.  It was also the birth of the middle classes.

In the latter half of the twentieth century we witnessed the birth of the Information Age which has allowed rapid global communications and networking to shape modern society.  Communications around the globe are now instantaneous through a multitude of channels with access to information on any subject only one click of a button away.

The providers of these channels and sources have prospered on an unprecedented scale benefitting from a global marketplace with seemingly no financial boundaries or constraints.

The Knowledge Age is now upon us and it has profound effects for business.  Once you have access to all the information you may need on any subject, instantaneously available at no cost, then what next?  Where’s the competitive advantage?

It lies, now, not in the information itself but how you know how to assimilate it, using one’s experiences, intellect and understanding to create added value to customers – and on a constant basis.  The Knowledge Era upon us is where ideas are paramount.  In this era, knowing how to use the relevant information in a digestible, implementable form and take it to market quickly is the key to success.  It has never been truer that it’s not what you know it’s what you do with what you know.   A good depth of knowledge, enables asking the right questions, to get the right decisions, to take the right actions and then – get the desired results.

In summary in the Knowledge Age a business owner needs to apply constant learning to their own development and seek out the best advice and ideas from knowledge rich sources of business.   In a competitive market those that choose to know more about their ever-changing marketplace and take Action will win.  

UPGRADE COLD LEADS TO REFERRAL STATUS

The primary reason people do business with you is they feel a high level of trust.  They trust you as a person, they trust your company, your product/service, and your price/value package.  This is why referred leads will consistently convert to clients 80%-to-100% of the time, while yellow page, or non-referred leads convert, at best, 20% of the time.  There’s a significant transferal of trust because of the mutual association with the referring person.  The idea here is to cause cold-calls to become warmer.

Creating a culture of referrals in your company. 

The underlying purpose would clearly be to accelerate the trust level your prospective clients/customers feel toward you and your company.  Here’s an idea you might use to achieve that.  Unfortunately, few companies ask new prospects "how did you hear about us?"  In doing so, it would help to track the return on investment of their marketing/advertising budget.  Even though most companies haven’t embraced this concept, I’d suggest you adjust your approach a degree or two further, and focus on gathering a variety of information that will enable you to connect the prospect to an existing, satisfied client.  Consider creating a script/process to gather additional information, such as:

·       where do they work, and have you done any work with other people at that firm

·       what do they do, and what other lawyers/teachers/insurance people, etc. have you worked with

·       where do they live and who else in that neighborhood, city, region, geography, or country have you done business with

Always be thinking about creating networks of inclusion.  Find a way to connect yourself to your prospect through a mutual association.  You’ll find trust levels soaring and sales closing faster and at a greater rate.

Emotional Intelligence

Emotional Intelligence Theory (EQ - Emotional Quotient)

Emotional Intelligence - EQ - is a relatively recent behavioural model, rising to prominence with Daniel Goleman's 1995 Book called 'Emotional Intelligence'. The early Emotional Intelligence theory was originally developed during the 1970s and 80s by the work and writings of psychologists Howard Gardner (Harvard), Peter Salovey (Yale) and John 'Jack' Mayer (New Hampshire). Emotional Intelligence is increasingly relevant to organizational development and developing people, because the EQ principles provide a new way to understand and assess people's behaviours, management styles, attitudes, interpersonal skills, and potential. Emotional Intelligence is an important consideration in human resources planning, job profiling, recruitment interviewing and selection, management development, customer relations and customer service, and more.

The EQ concept argues that IQ, or conventional intelligence, is too narrow; that there are wider areas of Emotional Intelligence that dictate and enable how successful we are. Success requires more than IQ (Intelligence Quotient), which has tended to be the traditional measure of intelligence, ignoring essential behavioural and character elements. We've all met people who are academically brilliant and yet are socially and inter-personally inept. And we know that despite possessing a high IQ rating, success does not automatically follow.

Different approaches and theoretical models have been developed for Emotional Intelligence. This summary article focuses chiefly on the Goleman interpretation. The work of Mayer, Salovey and David Caruso (Yale) is also very significant in the field of Emotional Intelligence, and will in due course be summarised here too.

Emotional Intelligence - Two Aspects

This is the essential premise of EQ: to be successful requires the effective awareness, control and management of one's own emotions, and those of other people. EQ embraces two aspects of intelligence:

• Understanding yourself, your goals, intentions, responses, behaviour and all.
• Understanding others, and their feelings.

Emotional Intelligence - The Five Domains

Goleman identified the five 'domains' of EQ as:
Knowing your emotions.

1. Managing your own emotions.
2. Motivating yourself.
3. Recognising and understanding other people's emotions.
4. Managing relationships, i.e., managing the emotions of others.

Emotional Intelligence embraces and draws from numerous other branches of behavioural, emotional and communications theories, such as NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming), Transactional Analysis, and empathy. By developing our Emotional Intelligence in these areas and the five EQ domains we can become more productive and successful at what we do, and help others to be more productive and successful too. The process and outcomes of Emotional Intelligence development also contain many elements known to reduce stress for individuals and organizations, by decreasing conflict, improving relationships and understanding, and increasing stability, continuity and harmony.

http://www.businessballs.com/eq.htm

10 Tips to Establish Rapport

Establishing rapport - having people like us and remember us fondly - is an invaluable skill. Whether you are in a business, a friendship, a relationship, selling, or just want to be more well-liked - rapport building skills can help you reach your goals. I use some of these skills to develop rapid rapport with my business, counseling and coaching clients. Remember that the key to all rapport building is sincerity and bringing a true love of others to your new relationships. With that in mind, lets get started:
1. Listen - Listening is the 'King' of all rapport building skills. EVERYONE loves to be listened to! Think about it. How do you feel when someone ignores you or talks over you? Do you feel connected to these people? NO! Who are the people you are closest too? I highly suspect that they are the people who listen to you intently and are concerned about your issues and wellbeing, right? Listening says, "I'm listening because you, and therefore, what you have to say, are important." People's greatest desire is to be truly listened to. Help them accomplish this most important goal, and they will like and admire you for it. Practice "conversational generosity" - don't speak more than 30% of the time (10-20% is optimal).


2. Link Interests - Opposites DON'T Attract!!! People like each because of their similarities. So, whenever possible, notice similar interests and be sure to talk about and expand on them. This may take some searching and questioning to discover their interests - that's okay - people will be glad that you are so interested in them that you ask several questions about them. Even if you don't have any similar activities, have them discuss an area you find interesting or want to explore. For example, my old boss Mark loves golf. I have never played, but have a sincere interest in learning the game, so I asked him to explain some things about the game to me. He was thrilled that I was interested and complimented that I wanted him to be my teacher and valued his advice. Think of ways you can use this tool.


3. Ask For Advice - An old quote by Thoreau states, "The greatest compliment ever paid me was when someone asked me what I thought, and attended to the answer." Asking for advice is perhaps the most sincere compliment you can pay to a person. You also have to humble yourself ever so slightly to ask for advice, and this vulnerability will create a sense of openness and trust between you. People are always happy to give advice and will associate that sense of happiness to you quickly. Aren't your friends the ones whom you go to for advice? How can this person give you advice and not be your friend? See how strong this link is? People also admire someone who can ask for and accept advice. So few people can do this well, that it has become an admirable trait. Try it and see.


4. Compliments & Praise - No, this is NOT "kissing up" or being phony - this never works! What we are looking to do is notice praise-worthy things people discuss and mention them to the person. Notice the difference in the next two responses. Your new friend tells you they just won an award for helping children and you say either "that's great!" or "Wow, that's quite an accomplishment! You must have made a tremendous contribution to the lives of those children, you should be very proud." Which response would you rather hear? Are they both true? Yes! Will one response have more impact and create a stronger connection? Definitely, yes! Noticing and commenting on the good people do and their special qualities is a great way to live, it is classy, and a great way to connect with others.


5. Demonstrate Liking & Appreciation - Most people instinctively like people who like them (and vice-versa). Many people like each other, but rarely tell each other. I make it a point to tell my friends that I like them and appreciate them - they already know this, but it's still great to hear. With people I've just met, if I like them, I say things like "It's been great getting to know you; I love to meet warm, open people."" I really liked the way you talked about (BLANK).""Thank you for making me feel so welcome in your home. I had a great time today - let's pick another time to get together soon." These are just a few examples. Can you come up with better ones? Sincere appreciation like this supports friendship and cements relationships.


6. Adopt Their Values/Beliefs - As you are listening to the other person speak, notice their values/beliefs, and discuss areas where your values/beliefs sincerely overlap with theirs. Remember when I said it is best to speak 30% or less of the time? Take at least half of this time and use it to agree with, support, or expand on whatever the other person was talking about. You will never make a friend by disagreeing with them. Let points you don't agree with slip by, and chime in when you hear something you agree with. By doing this you will make a friend, and at the same time, subtly promote the areas you believe in and starve the areas you don't.


7. Enthusiasm - Communication is the transfer of energy/emotion. Everyone seems to love someone with enthusiasm because we all admire it and wish we had more! Enthusiastic people seem to brighten up a room with their positive energy, and we want that to rub off on us, we want to be a part of it. When someone is enthusiastic about our thoughts and ideas we immediately feel understood, appreciated and just plain great! No one will ever be offended by you getting excited about their ideas!


8. Matching and Mirroring - Matching & mirroring simply means that we match the approximate characteristics of the other person to help create alignment with them. Therefore, if they cross their legs do the same shortly after. If they tend to talk more slowly, slow your rhythm down so it is closer to theirs. If they use certain lingo, you can use it later in the conversation. If they are reserved, you be more reserved. And so on. Remember, we like people who are like us. This is a natural process that most people do unconsciously anyways - now you can know to do it consciously. It is a very powerful tool because vocal tone/speed and body language account for 93% of communication. This tool will make people very comfortable around you and is a very subtle technique.


9. Smile & Warmth - The first contact with another person is your face! Make sure that you present as warm, friendly and happy. A smile and a sincere desire for friendship will resonate in your voice and be demonstrated in your every action. First impressions are powerful; present the way you want to be remembered - SMILE! Smiling shows that you are happy to see the other person and like them. Smiling and warmth make others feel good around you - this is a lost skill - use it and you will shine.


10. Attending Skills - This simply means that you attend to the needs of the people you are with. It follows the lines of simple good manners, i.e., holding the door for someone, offering them a drink or a chair, buying them lunch, shaking their hand right away when you see them, etc. Almost any small courtesy or act of kindness falls in this category. These simple acts say without words that the other person is like, respected and appreciated. (And an action is worth what? That's right! A thousand words!)

And just to rap it all up:



http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Paul_Cline

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SFWJSGgGC

Critical Non-Essentials - Make difference to your Customers at Christmas

Critical Non-Essentials.  Principles

You need to know your talents – and lack of them.

You have to know your stuff if you want to succeed.   But being technically competent in the core part of your business is not the be-all-and-end-all.   There are other things even more important if you want to build a successful, profitable enterprise.  Your experience and training does not always reward you for the things that are useful in the real business world.   Sometimes it even encourages behaviour that will be detrimental to your future business.

People use the environment to make value judgments about the character and talents of the people in that environment.  For good or bad, we do use the personal appearance of others to make judgments about their character and value.  Do not expect your customers to value the same things that you and your peers value.  The way you appear to do something is often more important than what you do.

Concerning what you do:

·        Logic – what people think is powerful

·        Emotion – what people feel is far more powerful still!!

·        People don’t always value technical excellence…sometimes they just tolerate it.

Introducing the CNE’s

Customers judge your expertise in areas they do not understand by your expertise in areas which they do.

When you pay attention to detail in the very visible, non-technical part of your business, clients will tend to judge your core product or service as also having the same level of quality control.   So these little things that are quite inessential for doing your job (and which don’t impress your peers at all) nevertheless seem to play a great part in persuading customers that you and your people are good at what you do.

So CNE’s are not really non-essentials at all.   In fact they are highly critical to any business.

That said…because they seem to be so unimportant it is often hard to find the time to systemize them…it’s far easier to justify the time to develop systems so that the main areas of your business are taken care of predictably.

Super CNE’s

·        They persuade uninvolved third parties to say nice things about your business.

·        Word of mouth is a powerful, speedy and cost effective way of marketing your business.

·        People value relationships above everything else.

·        I need to understand the power of the CNE’s to effortlessly do ‘good’ in my business.

How To Create CNE’s

Step 1:   Choose an area that will convince customers that you’re good at your core business.

e.g.   an electrician who creates a system for cleaning up after himself so that the work area is absolutely spotless, i.e.

•             A detailed description of the method

•             A checklist

•             A system for reporting

•             A small clean-up box with cloths, cleaning fluids, small vacuum, rubber gloves etc

e.g.   a dentist who has immaculately clean walls, floors and carpets etc doesn’t have to worry about posting impersonal notices about how they sterilize the instruments

e.g.   a dental laboratory that presents caps with care to a dentist will have find that the dentists are far less likely to regard the quality of the cap suspiciously

e.g.   a bank that sends out a statement that’s plain, easy to read and human is far more likely to keep customers happy than one that looks like it’s from an automatic blood-scanning machine & which is full of cold, impersonal words

No matter how good you say you are. It often takes a well-designed CNE to convince people that what you say is true.

Step 2:   Make sure everyone in your work team understands the power of the CNE.

The way to  persuade people to be vigilant and tireless in their creation & maintenance of CNE’s is to educate them to the real importance of the seemingly non-essentials.

You must show your people that it’s in their best interests to impress your customers…and then that CNE’s really WOW customers.

Step 3:   Make a system to ensure that the task is always completed flawlessly.

Design simple, routine systems to do your CNE’s  the same way every time – without a lot of effort or brainpower (which would be silly).

Systems = consistency

Some effort to set them up but once perfected they’ll take little effort or thought.

The outcome is…simple systems that make a large impact on the customers and, after initial development, require relatively little effort.

e.g.   Washrooms in a supermarket that are always immaculate

•             Manual for the cleaners

•             Training for the cleaners

•             Card showing when due, cleaned

•             Notices urging customers to report unsatisfactory state

•             Periodic supervisor checks

•             Weekly check of all cards

You & your team will be rewarded each time a CNE impresses a customer…and once the team realise the importance…your standards will rise.

Six Insights Into CNE’s

Well constructed CNE’s take on a life of their own – complex tasks will happen automatically.

They work behind the scenes & s sometimes it’s hard to spot their immediate benefits.

Insight 1:   CNE’s will work with your team

Insight 2:   CNE’s will work with your suppliers. Concentrate on the little things in business & the big things will look after themselves.

Insight 3:   CNE’s are very efficient. They offer a far greater return on your investment of time & effort than most other things in your business. Work today while you have the time & energy in order to make things easier for you in the future when you don’t. Make sure that any effort you expend has an effect beyond the effort involved.

Insight 4:   CNE’s bring out the best in people.  A good CNE has a positive effect on everyone.

Insight 5:   You can create situations where other people’s CNE’s work for you.

e.g.   Paddi’s gardener goes the extra mile to keep his gardens immaculate because he’s allowed him to place a plaque advertising his business on the garden wall, i.e. it’s in his best interests to keep Paddi’s garden looking amazing.

Insight 6:   CNE’s need celebrations.

e.g. including the building cleaner in the bonus scheme & displaying her photo along with he other team members.

The Birth Of The Super CNE’s

Systemize the process of delighting your customers.

Everyone likes to spin a good ditty – so why not create one for your customers to tell about your business?

e.g.   Tea Set & Tea Ceremony vs. the X-Ray Machine.

No-one ever told a story about the excellent X-Ray machine.

Over the years the Tea Sets have returned many times the investment but the X-Ray machine has barely broken even.

e.g.  The 4 Door, V8 Cappuccino Machine.

CNE’s versus Super CNE’s

CNE’s

•             are the little household tasks that give people reasons to believe in your business, particularly the parts they don’t understand.

•             In the background somewhat.

•             Important but not exciting.

•             Stop you getting bad press.

•             Show you’re competent.

Super- CNE’s

•             Are CNE’s taken to a sensational degree so that everyone remembers and talks about them.

•             Get you good press.

•             Provide the WOW that gives people a good ditty to spin.

•             Provide the dazzle.

More About Super-CNE’s

What sets one business apart from another is often more to do with a product’s presentation than its actual quality.

Super-CNE’s get you talked about – Lead Generation.

CNE’s get you the customer - Conversion Rate.

Some CNE’s will also increase Number Of Transactions, Average ££ Sale & Margins.

Understand The Dialogue Between Customers.

A – Tells Super-CNE .

B – Yeah but is he good at his job?

A – Tells CNE stories which have convinced them that you are.

Super- CNE’s Are A PR Boon

How To Create Super-CNE’s

Step 1:   Pick something you’ll enjoy.

Step 2:   Choose something distant (but not too distant) from the core of your business.

Step 3:  Build on CNE’s that are extremely visible.

Step 4:  Pick areas of customer concerns to .

Step 5:  Take your Super-CNE’s to the extreme.

Step 6:  Make sure your Super-CNE’s appear difficult – but really aren’t.