Other Added - Business

Dealing with Change and Change Management
How do you deal with change?There is a lot of talk about "change" - how important it is, how we should alter the way we do to things at work and in our personal lives in order to be more effective. Sometimes we even hear how it is essential to change even if just for change's sake.At Impact Factory, we too think that change is important. However we are more interested in the process of change and what the implications of change actually are.We exist within contradiction. On the one hand, we need stability and perform well when we feel secure and established in our working and home lives. On the other hand we can become stagnant, complacent and uncreative when we shy away from change or when we find we simply cannot cope with it.How can we bring these two ideas together so that we can rest easier and deal better with change?One way is to look at how limiting beliefs, patterns and bad habits get in the way of our

r no risk.

The Passive Approach

You win the day by being submissive, by not overtly influencing.

Remain passive when:

• You want to influence others through personal demonstration

• You want to avoid unhelpful confrontation

• You have tried all the other approaches

As you quietly demonstrate desired behaviours, others can see for themselves the value in following your lead. Many potential confrontations with power or authority demand submissive influence, which can pay positive dividends.

The downside is that your submissiveness may leave you with feelings of low-esteem. Can you live with this?

The Sales Approach

You use good old-fashioned salesmanship.

Use salesmanship when:

• You know that the other person expects to be sold to

• You need to show the benefits your suggestion will produce

• You enjoy selling ideas

Draw out their point of view, understand their needs, demonstrate th

Resume Writing, The Truth Revealed - A Three Part Expose - Part Two
Hello, this is Article Two in my three part expos? on Resume Writing. I will be covering four of the most important aspects of resume writing in this article so please, pay attention.This is for you the reader to use, so please use the data and build yourself an amazing resume that gets you lots and lots of interviews! Isn't that the what it's all about? I think so!Good Luck !Point Number 1: Use Powerful Action Words and Phrases Notice In the title above I could have said "Use verbs" but that wouldn't have been as strong, See? Your Resume has to grab the readers attention. Get a thesaurus or book on word use or grab a Professional Resume Writer, whatever, but do not skip this step. This alone makes the difference between getting "seen" and well... no interviews!Point Number 2: Use Post Titles That Describe The Positions Accurately (within the Industry)

The way in which you behave as a manager and the approach you take will have a marked effect on your ultimate success or failure.

Having a range of approaches and styles of behaviour gives you more flexibility. It increases your options – and your chances of success.

Natural Styles

Most managers have a natural style of influence which they prefer to use whenever possible. More flexible managers also keep in reserve a fall back style, used when the preferred style doesn’t achieve the desired results.

However, there are at least eight identifiable styles of influence – not including aggression, manipulation or force!

Because you are influencing a wide range of people, proficiency in a wider range of styles will ensure more success. Step outside the comfort zone of your natural style and enjoy greater success by practising new ways of influencing.

However, do think carefully which influencing style has the greatest chance of succeeding. Varying your styles too much may give you a reputation for being unpredictable

The Autocratic Approach

You tell them, they agree

Use the push style when:

• You are looking for a quick response

• You seek only short-term commitment

• You are happy to check up and follow through

This approach works best when supported by power, authority, age, knowledge or wisdom. Resistance or objections are minimised. You tell others what you want them to do and they do it.

Do remember though, that autocracy can be a high-risk strategy. It may result in a feeling of ‘You won, I lost’. They’ll get you next time.

The Collaborative Approach

You include others in the decision-making process.

Use the push style when:

• You want to maintain long-term influence with others

• You seek a high level of commitment

• You have no time to enforce the outcome

This approach works successfully without you having any power or authority.

A word of caution, democracy takes time and can result in watered down solutions. Remain consistently collaborative. Don’t give up too early. Avoid imposing too many parameters or conditions – these will create frustration in others.

The Logical Approach

You use clear logical, unassailable arguments, supported by proof.

Use logic when:

• The other person demands evidence and lots of detail

• You are prepared to do your homework

• You are prepared to wait for a reaction

This approach works best when the other person is a logical, linear thinker. Avoid exaggeration and unnecessary emotion. Offer instead facts and figures.

But, you may find this style long-winded and frustrating. You may even be forced to put it in writing. Allow time to prepare your argument, time to explain it, time to wait for a reaction.

The Emotional Approach

You use your natural charm, charisma or enthusiasm.

Use emotion when:

• You want others to feel part of an exciting project

• You want to fire up someone’s motivation

• You are truly enthusiastic about an idea

This approach works when your influence becomes a genuine extension of your own feelings and beliefs. Appealing to the long-term effects of your ideas, you will reinforce their continuing value.

Do remember though that emotional appeal carries risks. It can leave a nasty taste in the mouth. Painful memories linger longer.

The Assertive Approach

You ask directly, clearly and confidently for what you want, or don’t want.

Be assertive when:

• You want to influence autocratic people, bullies, stick-in-the-muds

• You want to influence behaviours

• You need to act and initiate, rather than react

Assertiveness can have a lasting effect, especially on those who least expect it from you. Any resistance is met by your persistence.

Assertive influence carries little or no risk.

The Passive Approach

You win the day by being submissive, by not overtly influencing.

Remain passive when:

• You want to influence others through personal demonstration

• You want to avoid unhelpful confrontation

• You have tried all the other approaches

The downside is that your submissiveness may leave you with feelings of low-esteem. Can you live with this?

The Sales Approach

You use good old-fashioned salesmanship.

Use salesmanship when:

• You know that the other person expects to be sold to

• You need to show the benefits your suggestion will produce

• You enjoy selling ideas

Draw out their point of view, understand their needs, demonstrate tha

Your Recipe for Brand Success, Part I
As entrepreneurs, we are faced with wearing many hats. Some hats fit us beautifully while others are not quite as flattering. However, as the “stylist” of your business you must find a way to wear the cap of sales, marketers beret, promoter fedora and the list goes on and on. While you can outsource some of these functions, the one hat you MUST wear, and wear with flair, is that of Chief Boundary Officer.Because your personal brand is the unique recipe of YOU it consists of many ingredients that make up ALL of the parts of your business, which translates into an experience that your clients and customers can grow to expect from you consistently. The boundaries you set for your business are a part of your brand mix of ingredients and leaving just one ingredient to chance compromises your success potential.So slip on your chef hat and let’s create a whole new set of boundary recipes for your business:Define Your Role<

your styles too much may give you a reputation for being unpredictable

The Autocratic Approach

You tell them, they agree

Use the push style when:

• You are looking for a quick response

• You seek only short-term commitment

• You are happy to check up and follow through

This approach works best when supported by power, authority, age, knowledge or wisdom. Resistance or objections are minimised. You tell others what you want them to do and they do it.

Do remember though, that autocracy can be a high-risk strategy. It may result in a feeling of ‘You won, I lost’. They’ll get you next time.

The Collaborative Approach

You include others in the decision-making process.

Use the push style when:

• You want to maintain long-term influence with others

• You seek a high level of commitment

• You have no time to enforce the outcome

This approach works successfully without you having any power or authority.

The Logical Approach

You use clear logical, unassailable arguments, supported by proof.

Use logic when:

• The other person demands evidence and lots of detail

• You are prepared to do your homework

• You are prepared to wait for a reaction

This approach works best when the other person is a logical, linear thinker. Avoid exaggeration and unnecessary emotion. Offer instead facts and figures.

But, you may find this style long-winded and frustrating. You may even be forced to put it in writing. Allow time to prepare your argument, time to explain it, time to wait for a reaction.

The Emotional Approach

You use your natural charm, charisma or enthusiasm.

Use emotion when:

• You want others to feel part of an exciting project

• You want to fire up someone’s motivation

• You are truly enthusiastic about an idea

This approach works when your influence becomes a genuine extension of your own feelings and beliefs. Appealing to the long-term effects of your ideas, you will reinforce their continuing value.

Do remember though that emotional appeal carries risks. It can leave a nasty taste in the mouth. Painful memories linger longer.

The Assertive Approach

You ask directly, clearly and confidently for what you want, or don’t want.

Be assertive when:

• You want to influence autocratic people, bullies, stick-in-the-muds

• You want to influence behaviours

• You need to act and initiate, rather than react

Assertiveness can have a lasting effect, especially on those who least expect it from you. Any resistance is met by your persistence.

Assertive influence carries little or no risk.

The Passive Approach

You win the day by being submissive, by not overtly influencing.

Remain passive when:

• You want to influence others through personal demonstration

• You want to avoid unhelpful confrontation

• You have tried all the other approaches

The downside is that your submissiveness may leave you with feelings of low-esteem. Can you live with this?

The Sales Approach

You use good old-fashioned salesmanship.

Use salesmanship when:

• You know that the other person expects to be sold to

• You need to show the benefits your suggestion will produce

• You enjoy selling ideas

Draw out their point of view, understand their needs, demonstrate th

How to Communicate Clearly and Professionally Online
Some people enjoy writing. Some, like me, are even driven to write. Others hate it. They hate words. They hate writing them down, and they hate typing them. Some people even hate reading them. Regardless, the written word is a necessary part of our daily lives, particularly in a world that has become less face-to-face and more virtual. We communicate not only through the Web but through our e-mail communications, instant messengers and online chat. As a result, the words and images we use must be carefully chosen to not only convey our meaning but our tone as well.Here are some tips to help you put your best foot forward in your online communications:• “Internet speak” (LOL, b4, np, ty, etc.) is fine for casual communications with friends, but it should not be used on your company Web site or in any other professional communications. Words should not have to be deciphered to be understood.• Always use appropriate punctuation

authority.

The Logical Approach

You use clear logical, unassailable arguments, supported by proof.

Use logic when:

• The other person demands evidence and lots of detail

• You are prepared to do your homework

• You are prepared to wait for a reaction

This approach works best when the other person is a logical, linear thinker. Avoid exaggeration and unnecessary emotion. Offer instead facts and figures.

But, you may find this style long-winded and frustrating. You may even be forced to put it in writing. Allow time to prepare your argument, time to explain it, time to wait for a reaction.

The Emotional Approach

You use your natural charm, charisma or enthusiasm.

Use emotion when:

• You want others to feel part of an exciting project

• You want to fire up someone’s motivation

• You are truly enthusiastic about an idea

This approach works when your influence becomes a genuine extension of your own feelings and beliefs. Appealing to the long-term effects of your ideas, you will reinforce their continuing value.

Do remember though that emotional appeal carries risks. It can leave a nasty taste in the mouth. Painful memories linger longer.

The Assertive Approach

You ask directly, clearly and confidently for what you want, or don’t want.

Be assertive when:

• You want to influence autocratic people, bullies, stick-in-the-muds

• You want to influence behaviours

• You need to act and initiate, rather than react

Assertiveness can have a lasting effect, especially on those who least expect it from you. Any resistance is met by your persistence.

Assertive influence carries little or no risk.

The Passive Approach

You win the day by being submissive, by not overtly influencing.

Remain passive when:

• You want to influence others through personal demonstration

• You want to avoid unhelpful confrontation

• You have tried all the other approaches

The downside is that your submissiveness may leave you with feelings of low-esteem. Can you live with this?

The Sales Approach

You use good old-fashioned salesmanship.

Use salesmanship when:

• You know that the other person expects to be sold to

• You need to show the benefits your suggestion will produce

• You enjoy selling ideas

Draw out their point of view, understand their needs, demonstrate th

No One Answers The Phone But The Sales Department
I am writing this column prompted by a recent column in USA Today concerning the difficulty in getting to a live person when experiencing service troubles. The writer gave examples of some national companies that were difficult, if not impossible, to get to if one needed to speak with a live person for help.I laughed as I read the article knowing full well that here in the Mid-South, land of hospitality and assistance, this was not the case. I knew that my local providers put emphasis on customer service and support. Ease of solutions was the southern way, I thought.I also knew that, utilizing my own technical wisdom and knowledge, I would never purchase a product or service from a company that made it difficult to speak to someone who would help me. My life was exempt from delays in getting help due to automated attendants and answering devices standing between help and me.Wrong.I made a list of the important produ

n when:

• You want others to feel part of an exciting project

• You want to fire up someone’s motivation

• You are truly enthusiastic about an idea

This approach works when your influence becomes a genuine extension of your own feelings and beliefs. Appealing to the long-term effects of your ideas, you will reinforce their continuing value.

Do remember though that emotional appeal carries risks. It can leave a nasty taste in the mouth. Painful memories linger longer.

The Assertive Approach

You ask directly, clearly and confidently for what you want, or don’t want.

Be assertive when:

• You want to influence autocratic people, bullies, stick-in-the-muds

• You want to influence behaviours

• You need to act and initiate, rather than react

Assertiveness can have a lasting effect, especially on those who least expect it from you. Any resistance is met by your persistence.

Assertive influence carries little or no risk.

The Passive Approach

You win the day by being submissive, by not overtly influencing.

Remain passive when:

• You want to influence others through personal demonstration

• You want to avoid unhelpful confrontation

• You have tried all the other approaches

The downside is that your submissiveness may leave you with feelings of low-esteem. Can you live with this?

The Sales Approach

You use good old-fashioned salesmanship.

Use salesmanship when:

• You know that the other person expects to be sold to

• You need to show the benefits your suggestion will produce

• You enjoy selling ideas

Draw out their point of view, understand their needs, demonstrate th

Niche Networking Wins Good Clients
Probably the greatest single lesson I have learned in some forty years in business is to focus my marketing efforts on good clients.When I think about networking I focus on niche markets. For my Business Coaching business I focus on Blue Chip companies. The reasons for this are simple. They are good clients because: 1. They have a lot of people who will probably benefit from my coaching. 2. They are accustomed to paying the high level of fees that I charge. 3. Generally speaking they pay their accounts on time.That said, they are, of course, a great deal more difficult to penetrate. I guess I was fortunate in having a good grounding in marketing before I came in to Business Coaching. This meant that I thought about the best ways of gaining entrees into big companies in a logical and creative way.The fact that I now have an almost exclusively blue-chip client list is the reward for a lot of hard thinking before I started out.

r no risk.

The Passive Approach

You win the day by being submissive, by not overtly influencing.

Remain passive when:

• You want to influence others through personal demonstration

• You want to avoid unhelpful confrontation

• You have tried all the other approaches

The downside is that your submissiveness may leave you with feelings of low-esteem. Can you live with this?

The Sales Approach

You use good old-fashioned salesmanship.

Use salesmanship when:

• You know that the other person expects to be sold to

• You need to show the benefits your suggestion will produce

• You enjoy selling ideas

Draw out their point of view, understand their needs, demonstrate that you empathise; minimise resistance by showing how their ideas dovetail with your own; show how they will benefit.

Do realise though that logical or submissive people often hate an overt sales approach and may work hard to wreck your plans.

The Bargaining Approach

You trade concessions in order to reach a mutually acceptable conclusion.

Bargain or negotiate when:

• You are both equally keen to go ahead with the idea

• You are happy and able to offer a few concessions

• You want to reach a win-win conclusion

Don’t just share the cake – make it a bigger one. Your success as a fair negotiator will help cement the relationship.

Aim too low and you’ll end up even lower. Over collaborate and you may regret giving too much away. Always trade concessions.

The Power Of Positive Behaviour

Who has been a big influence in your life? A parent, relative, employer, friend or neighbour? Chances are that they often did nothing specific to influence you – they just behaved in ways that you took note of and decided to copy.

The behaviour of others can be influenced greatly when they observe the ways in which you:

• Deal with aggression

• Handle awkward customers

• Control group behaviour

• Field tricky questions

• Overcome resistance

• Live by your values and beliefs

• Walk the talk

Behaviours that help the influencing process:

• Continuous maintenance of rapport

• Maintaining good eye contact

• Congruent body language which supports your messages

• Appropriate voice tone which underpins what you say

• Flexibility – being prepared to change your approach, when necessary

• Awareness and acceptance of the needs of others

• Lack of conditional words, which dilute your messages

In Summary: Modelling Behaviour

Ok, suppose you don’t have sufficient flexibility of style. With practice, it’s easy to observe, analyse and reproduce the effective behaviours of other people. If you’ve ever studied any skill under a master, you will already have done this.

Suppose you know a person who uses an influencing style in a particularly elegant or effective manner. You have identified this as something you would like to improve for yourself. By closely observing what works for that person and noticing the effect it has on others, you can begin to experiment by adopting these behaviours and strategies and making them work for you, too.

Behaviour is only behaviour – it can usually be replicated

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The conversational skills and psychological profiling tools of secret agents translate well to the business world. Knowing what really motivates a prospect to accept your argument, and your offer, puts an ethical and positive twist to competitive analysis. And without car chases or explosions, no one gets hurt.

Trade shows require a lot of effort, preparation, and investment. If you're planning on going to a trade show, it's important to get the most out of it possible. And you won't do it by being a wallflower.

In retail environments, where commissions are up for grabs, competition between salespeople can sometimes go from sportsmanlike to unsportsmanlike. Do you have strategies you can turn to when workplace tension goes up at your store?

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