How Good is Your Storytelling

People buy from People. Yes, you can buy things online but how many of you go to a store and check out what you buying before ordering it? My guess would be most of you, I do.

When it comes to business, there aren’t many clients that buy  without having you show it to them first. To be the best sales rep, put yourself in the shoes of the person you’re selling to. Don’t sell your product, solve their problems. The key to figuring out their problems is LISTENING. Do your homework before the call and ask open-ended questions? It’s amazing what you’ll learn from a client once they start talking. Take notes and don’t be afraid to ask them to repeat something, this shows you’re listening. If there’s a lull in the conversation because you are still taking notes, don’t worry about it, finish your notes because 9 times out of 10 they’ll start talking again. Most people love to hear themselves talk.

People buy from people they like, trust and respect. Trust doesn’t come from a 45-minute PowerPoint or 30-minute demo. When it’s your turn to talk, tell a story because stories are one of the most powerful technologies humans have devised. You can even go as far as saying that people don’t buy goods and services, they buy relations, stories, and magic.

The only person writing your book and telling stories is you, so make it count.

This is my last blog before Christmas, I wish everyone a safe and Merry Christmas. HAPPY HOLIDAYS

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What's Your Logo?

Your smile is your logo, your personality is your business card, how you leave others feeling after an experience with you becomes your trademark.

You get to Choose Your Attitude Every Day

"The greatest discovery of all time is that a person can change his future by merely changing his attitude"

Remember to keep your thoughts positive, for your thoughts become your words; remember to keep your words positive, for your words become your actions; remember to keep your actions positive, for your actions become your habits; and remember to keep your habits positive because your habits become your destiny.

Never Be Defeated

"Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is to try one more time"

You may encounter many defeats but you must never be defeated. Don't be a person that lets his fear of failing limit their activities. Failure is the opportunity to begin again. Nothing is impossible, the word itself says “I’m Possible” 

Stay Strong

"It’s not whether you get knocked down, it’s whether you get back up"

This expands on my last blog Do You Believe in Second Chances. If you get a second chance, show them what your made of. The two things that will help you through this are determination and positive attitude. Believe in yourself and be strong, because you never know how strong you are until being strong is the only choice you have. Take a step back, relax, breathe and prepare yourself for the whatever the future holds.

How Do You Strike Up a Conversation?

The introduction is a simple process, so don’t complicate it. Say your first and last name clearly and if they get it wrong, correct them. The last thing you want is them to leave the conversation not knowing who you are. After you shake their hand, what do you do? Do you panic? Do you wait for them to say something? Don’t wait for a lull, tell them who you work for, your title and give them your elevator pitch. The elevator pitch should be simple, to the point and refrain from using big words. For more tips on the Elevator pitch check out this article - www.mindtools.com/pages/article/elevator-pitch.htm

Now it’s time to get them talking. Ask them what they do and once they finish, follow up with a few simple yes or no questions. This will keep them talking and the conversation flowing. Listen intently to what they’re saying and don’t force the conversation to benefit you, there will be time for this later.

Stay away from meaningless filler like how’s the weather or did you see the game last night. Never forget that you’re trying to make an impression and nobody remembers conversations about the weather.

In conclusion say their name, what a pleasure it was to meet them shake their hand again and exchange business cards.

The most important part is the FOLLOW UP. Send them an email the next morning but never in the evening. They might value their family time or not look at emails until the morning and if that’s the case it will be way down the email train. If you had a great chinwag, send them a link to an article related to your conversation.

Do You Believe in Second Chances

"When someone does something wrong, don’t forget about all the things they did right"

Everyone makes mistakes and when you do, own it, learn from it, and make sure it never happens again. Before you rip an employee for a mistake put yourself in their shoes because it might give you a different perspective. Everyone deserves a second chance and a second chance could be exactly what they need. Believe in them.

How Do You Strike Up a Conversation?

The introduction is a simple process, so don’t complicate it. Say your first and last name clearly and if they get it wrong, correct them. The last thing you want is them to leave the conversation not knowing who you are. After you shake their hand, what do you do? Do you panic? Do you wait for them to say something? Don’t wait for a lull, tell them who you work for, your title and give them your elevator pitch. The elevator pitch should be simple, to the point and refrain from using big words. For more tips on the Elevator pitch check out this article - www.mindtools.com/pages/article/elevator-pitch.htm

Now it’s time to get them talking. Ask them what they do and once they finish, follow up with a few simple yes or no questions. This will keep them talking and the conversation flowing. Listen intently to what they’re saying and don’t force the conversation to benefit you, there will be time for this later.

Stay away from meaningless filler like how’s the weather or did you see the game last night. Never forget that you’re trying to make an impression and nobody remembers conversations about the weather.

In conclusion say their name, what a pleasure it was to meet them shake their hand again and exchange business cards.

The most important part is the FOLLOW UP. Send them an email the next morning but never in the evening. They might value their family time or not look at emails until the morning and if that’s the case it will be way down the email train. If you had a great chinwag, send them a link to an article related to your conversation.

Email v Phone

It’s the age old question should I email or call? Both are important ways to communicate and have their pros and cons.

The pros to emailing are it’s not as time consuming, you can send the same message to multiple people, document sharing, industry related updates and sharing positive wins or information. The cons to emailing are the message is not understood, they mistake the tone, they ignore the email and time wasted responding multiple times.

Email is a great tool when you already have a relationship with the person, it’s very difficult to build a relationship via email. You should always call the person if it’s the first time you’re meeting them. There are a few exceptions, for example if someone introduces you via email. Once you thank the person who introduced you, say hello and set up a phone call. If you are in the same city as the person set up a face to face meeting. Nothing builds a relationship faster than a cup of coffee. You should look at email as a platform to improve your efficiency.

The pros to the phone call are you establish a better relationship; you clearly describe what you want and the conversation ends with both parties having a clear understanding. The cons are it quickly shows if you’re not prepared, takes more time, effort and the dreaded call display sending you to voicemail.

The phone call is the most efficient way to strengthen your business relationship and improve your communication skills. The phone call also requires more prep work because you have to be ready to answer any question. Prepare the same way you would for a face to face meeting. You quickly lose creditability if you’re unprepared. The phone call is by far the best form of communication when you need a quick answer. On a side note, I consider skyping a phone call. Send a GoTo Meeting invite and talk to the person live. Make sure you know what’s on the wall behind you before the call.

People always tell me they hate it when the call goes to voicemail. I tell them that during your prep work have your voicemail message ready. Say your name, company and phone number clearly. Your message should be quick and to the point, DO NOT drag out your message. Leave a date that you’ll follow up with and tell them you’ll send an email confirming what you’d like to talk about. Sometimes people don’t pick up because they have no idea what you want. At the end repeat your name and phone number

In conclusion, ask the person how they like to communicate, they’re answer may surprise you. They might say text, snap chat or FB Messenger just to name a few. This also shows that you care about their time

No "I" in Team

"I always wondered why somebody didn’t do something about that, then I realized that I am somebody"

You never want to be the "ME" person of the team, this doesn't fly in business or life. You'll gain a lot of knowledge by listening to others and offering to help on projects. It doesn't matter what your work is, dignify it with your best thought and effort.

Lead By Example

"The first great gift we can bestow on others is a good example"

The phrase leading by example gets thrown around, but to people really follow through? If you don't you should, because if your not leading, your not inspiring anyone. Don't be a leader sitting the the top of the pyramid dictating what your employees do, be by their side listening, guiding, encouraging and inspiring them. Leaders who don’t listen will eventually be surrounded by people who have nothing to say and what kind of workplace is that.

Perfect Practice Makes Perfect

"Ability has nothing to do with opportunity"

If you want something you’ve never had, you’ve got to do something you’ve never done. Don’t practice until you get it right, practice until you can’t get it wrong. When I coached hockey, I preached that practice doesn’t make perfect, perfect practice makes perfect. This also pertains to sales because if you don't prepare and just wing it for meetings or calls, the results will show.

Jade Alberts Consulting Video

Check out my Jade Alberts Consulting Video

https://vimeo.com/170543163

What Makes a Great Employee

It seems like today everyone is focusing on the company and what they need to do to keep employees loyal, engaged and happy. Does this need to be all on the company? Have employees evolved so much that we can't adapt to a changing work environment? Do Baby Boomers feel more entitled because they’ve been around longer? Why is everyone piling on Millennials for jumping from job to job? These are all great questions and below are a few traits that make you a better employee and person. 

It starts with honesty. You can have all the talent in the world but without honesty or integrity you’re going nowhere.

Be a great communicator because the fastest way to lose your integrity is lying. Say what you mean and mean what you say.

Be self-motivated. This comes from within and if you require someone to keep reminding you, chances are you won’t be around long.

Exhibit a drive to improve yourself. Demonstrate your Leadership skills and the desire to enhance your role within the company. The greatest gift we can bestow on others is a good example.

Be a team player. Never hesitate to help out a fellow employee, even if it’s no benefit to you. Companies love employees that speak in terms of “We” and “Us”

Respect everyone. People will forget what you did, they’ll forget what you said, but they’ll never forget how you made them feel. Discuss problems with co-workers to their face and compliment them behind their back. Don’t do anything during the day that keeps you up at night.

Be positive because it's contagious. People will enjoy being around you.

Be happy. Happiness is not ready made, it comes from you own actions. Smiling is contagious and it’s the simplest way to communicate.

Can You Sleep at Night

"Don’t do nothing in the daytime that keeps you up at night"

It's all about you and your character. Show respect to people who don’t deserve it, not as a reflection of their character, but as a reflection of yours. A few building blocks of character are Honesty, Integrity, Respect, Cooperation, Responsibility, Empathy, Courage and Optimism. Try to posses as many of these traits as you can because it enhances your chances of success and happiness.

Relationships Matter

"Being perfect is about being able to look anyone in the eye and know that you didn’t let them down because you told them the truth"

Perfection may not be attainable, but if we chase perfection we can catch excellence. This is more about honesty and how important it is to tell the truth. Our words define our character and if you don't mean what you say you'll have a short career. Never forget that relationships matter

What Makes A Office Environment Successful

No two businesses operate the same way, so what do you do? It all starts with PEOPLE.

You must hire and invest in great people because they are the heartbeat of a company. Train people well enough so they can leave, but treat them well enough they don’t want to leave. When employees feel respected and appreciated, they become more productive, loyal and engaged. This helps the company promote from within and groom great Leaders.

Many companies say they have an open door policy, but what does that mean? Every person, no matter of their position, requires an opportunity to be heard. Hold a company council every month or quarter and make sure everyone feels comfortable to be open and honest. There’s no such thing as a bad idea and as a great Leader be the one to throw out the first idea. Make it a little wacky so everyone feels comfortable.

In today’s world everyone loves technology and if the CEO has a IPhone and IPad so should the Assistants. Give everyone the opportunity to do their job whether their sitting in the office or a coffee shop. Work isn’t a place you go, it’s a thing you do and setting people up to succeed is a crucial part of the company’s success. As our society becomes more technology advanced, don’t forget about human contact because people still require it.

In conclusion many things contribute to a successful office environment, but the key is Communication and Trust. Hire the best people, train them properly and keep the line of communications flowing.

Heartbeat of A Company

"If you think it’s expensive to hire a professional, wait until you hire an amateur"

In today's world you get what you pay for, so don't make the mistake of hiring someone because you'll save money. This has a negative impact on your growth, and usually means a revolving door of new employees. Invest in people because they're the heartbeat of your company. These employees improve the company's image, productivity and most importantly the bottom line. You can't train character but you can train skill. Never forget IT STARTS WITH PEOPLE

Generation Z

Generation Z, born between 1994 and 2010, will enter the workforce this year. This paragraph is from Forbes and compares them to other generations.

This generation is jaded from the recession, suffers from student loans and has learned a lot being the children of Gen X. Compared to millennials, our research shows that members of Gen. Z are even more entrepreneurial, loyal, flexible and realistic in their approach to careers and purchasing. They choose opportunities for growth and work-life balance over salary when selecting what company to work for. Like millennials, they will seek mentors and supporters because they are first starting out in their careers, and they will be even more connected through technology. About a third desire to become managers in the next five years already, and 45% believe working with boomers will be challenging.

What Do You Believe?

"If you believe passionately in what you are doing and whom you are doing it with, success is bound to follow"

It’s easy to wake up every day when you work with such tremendous individuals, who share the common goal of being the best. Act as if you are going to have a great future, set your goals and do the work. While positive thinking doesn’t always work, negative thinking almost always does.

Time Waits for No One

"Don’t watch the clock, do what it does…. keep going"

Your time is limited, so don't let it control you. Once you've set your goals, stay focused because it doesn’t matter how slowly you go, as long as you don’t stop. You'll have obstacles to overcome but that's part of life, and we'll be judged on how we react to it. Actions follow our thoughts & images, so don’t look where you don’t want to go. Be selective with who you invest your time because wasting time is worse than wasting money.

Big Bad Boss

"A bad job with a good boss is better than a good job with a bad boss"

I've been lucky because I've always loved my jobs and my bosses have been excellent, but I know that's not the case for everyone. It's almost impossible to fix a bad boss but you are in control of your situation. You can't put a price tag on your piece of mind, so maybe it's time to consider a new career.

Are You A Problem Solver?

"Learn to sell"

In business you’re always selling, whether it's to a  prospect, investor or employees. To be the best salesman put yourself in the shoes of the person you’re selling to. People buy from people they like, trust, respect and believe. Trust doesn’t come from a 45-minute PowerPoint or 30-minute demo. Don’t just sell your product, solve their problems

Millennials, Gen X’s or Baby Boomers...Does It Matter?

Everyone is talking about Millennials making up 50% of the work force by 2025, but does it really matter? As the baby boomers retire someone has to replace them. Millennials have had technology since they’ve been born, but the world is moving that way. Technology helps us be more efficient, connected and improves our work life integration. The bottom line is if you can’t do you your job they fire you. You get another job and hopefully it works out. Will it be any different for Gen Z? Please tell me why it matters what generation you come?

Perfection Smerfection

"Striving for success is energizing, striving for perfection is demoralizing"

Have no fear of perfection because chances are you'll never achieve it. There's no secret to success but the consistency to pursue your goal is a key factor. Success isn't just about what you accomplish, it's also about what you inspire others to do.

Childhood Lesson

"I’m not trying to tell anyone not to watch TV, but if you’ve ever spent a long winter afternoon playing shinny with the whole neighborhood, or a summer playing baseball with anyone who shows up at the diamond, you will know that kids who don’t have the chance to organize themselves and solve their own problems and feel the exhilaration of sport for its own sake are missing out on something irreplaceable."

Millennials, Gen X’s or Baby Boomers...Does It Matter?

Everyone is talking about Millennials making up 50% of the work force by 2025, but does it really matter? As the baby boomers retire someone has to replace them. Millennials have had technology since they’ve been born, but the world is moving that way. Technology helps us be more efficient, connected and improves our work life integration. The bottom line is if you can’t do you your job they fire you. You get another job and hopefully it works out. Will it be any different for Gen Z? Please tell me why it matters what generation you come?

What Office?

"Work is no longer a place you go, it’s a thing you do"

Do you need a office to work? Does having a office make you more efficient? I agree some people need it, but most people can work effectively away from the office most of the time. If you love what you do you'll never work a day in your life.

I'm also reminding everyone that the quotes I use do not include the author and I use them to inspire me everyday. 

Culture Club

"Motivation comes from working on things we care about, but it also comes from working with people we care about"

People will forget what you did, they’ll forget what you said, but they will never forget how you made them feel. Try to work for someone who believes in you, because when they believe in you, they’ll invest in you. For you managers or business owners don't hire smart people and tell them what to do, hire smart people so they tell you what to do.

NEVER FORGET THAT RELATIONSHIPS MATTER.

3,2,1 Action!!!!!!!!!

"I’m not a product of my circumstances, I’m a product of my decisions"

You make a lot of decisions during the day, not all of them will be correct or well received. Actions follow your thoughts and decisions, so don't look where you don't want to go. Act the way you want to become until become the way you act. Communicate consistently about what's going on with the company because happy employees make happy customers. Being a great leader means inspiring your staff and if you want to avoid criticism, say nothing, do nothing, be nothing

Face to Face

"Good things come to those who wait, but it’s only what’s left from those that hustle"

There’s no short cut to success, it's built on hard work and dedication. If you think sending a few emails and making a few phone calls are all you need to be successful, you're going to have a short career. There's tons of information at your fingertips, view their profile on LinkedIn and find out all the information you can before calling. Try to set a meeting or meet for coffee because Face to Face wins every time.

First Things First

"Effective Leadership is putting first things first. Effective management is discipline, carrying it out"

You have recognize that every out-front maneuver you make is going to be uncomfortable. If you hire people just because they can do the job, they’ll work for your money, but if you hire who believes, they’ll work for you with blood, sweat and tears. You aren't going to save the world on your own, but you might inspire a group of leaders that help.

Talk the Talk

"The more technology advanced our society becomes, the more we need to go back to the basic fundamentals of human contact"

Avoid bad people and the tempting IN-Box Zero. Skip email on occasion, pick up the phone and have a conversation from time to time. You'll learn more in a 10 minute conversation than entire days email exchange. The connection you make by talking to someone is priceless. Never forget that people buy from people, so losing the human touch could cost you business.

Busy Beavers

"Don’t confuse activity with progress"

In today’s world we are over inundated with emails, texts, phone calls and personal issues. Just because you're busy it doesn't mean you're productive. Slow down, focus and prioritize on what's important, because working smarter is more efficient than working harder. Never get so busy making a living that you forget to make a life.

Actions Speak Louder Than Words

"What you do speaks so loudly that I can’t hear what you’re saying"

Your actions will tell people what you believe, sometimes you don't have a chance to explain them. Act the way you want to become until become the way you act. You never get a second chance to make a first impression

Pay The Price

"Happy are those who dream dreams and are ready to pay the price to make them come true."

Follow your dreams and maybe one day your dreams become reality. Don’t let what you can’t do interfere with what you can do. Hard work doesn't always pay off, but slacking or doing the minimum off always does.

Determination

"Act with a determination not to be turned aside by thoughts of the past and fears of the future"

Everyone makes mistakes but it's the fear of making mistakes that hold you back. Learn from the past, prepare for the future, perform in the present. Mistakes are the proof that you are trying.

Never Give Up

"Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up"

When someone tells you that it's impossible to do something, what do you do? Once you've determine what you want, you've made the most important decision. The most certain way to succeed is to try one more time and remember you have to know what you want in order to attain it. Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. 

Change Favors the Prepared Mind

"Progress is impossible without change, those who can’t change their mind can’t change anything"

To be successful you must adapt, change favors the prepared mind. Even if you make a mistake, it's still progress if you learn from it. Don't stand in the way of your own success.