FIFTH D MIND

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Improve your Listening Skills

There is no replacement for good listening skills. It is the number one character trait that people find attractive about another person: whether they realize it or not. Listening is also tantamount to learning, and in the business world, you are guaranteed to miss out on opportunities if you do not keep a keen ear.  Here are some guidelines for good listening.

1. Stop Interrupting

Wait a second before speaking to make sure the present speaker is completely finished. Never stop someone in the middle of a sentence. You already know what  you have to say, and you aren't going to learn much by being the windbag.

2. Be Receptive

Keep and open mind. Even if you think you are not interested in the speaker's topic, search for interest and expect to learn something- even if the lesson is to avoid the a future conversation.

3. Look for Nonverbal Cues

Sometimes what people say isn't what they mean. (This is especially true in other cultures) You must read the speaker and match the nonverbal to verbal for full understanding. Many times when we "miss the point" we are really just missing the nonverbal cues. Some important nonverbals:

Brief or Lack of Eye Contact signals untrustworthiness

Smiling when appropriate means happiness (too much can mean feigning enjoyment)

Arms crossed shows fear, anger, or intimidation

Good Posture signals confidence

4. Give Encouraging Nonverbal Cues to your Speaker

Lean in, maintain eye contact and nod your head occasionally to show agreement. This is also a highly attractive character trait. People love to feel interesting, and the only way they know that feeling is by the listener showing them interest.

5. Search for Main Points

..Especially when the speaker 'goes on tangents'. As you listen, make a mental note of what the speaker is really trying to convey, and respond to those main points to stay on topic.

6. Always Think Before you Respond

​Take a few seconds to think about your response. This will give you clarity to respond in the best way to transfer your true thoughts in a way that fits the audience/receiver. If it is an important matter or you are upset for any reason, you can take time to respond if need be.

7. Never Judge a Speaker's Words by Appearance or Status

Although we all do a little subconscious judging now and again, it is important to be perceptive and never judgmental to a speakers words. Sometimes the most valuable information can come from the worst speakers- think tank introverts, drunk blondes at happy hour, young children.  

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Increase Your Sales: Golden Rules

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No this has nothing to do with white lies, omitting information, or any other "greasy salesman" archetype behavior. It is about becoming MORE clear about your product or service by communicating on a potential clients level and need-expectations. Follow these golden rules:

1. Thou Shall Listen to Thy Client

You can NEVER understand how to properly communicate with your client unless you let them talk. In fact, let them talk as much as they like. Be genuinely interested in what they say.

2. Decipher Thy Client  

Listening is not just verbal. You must decode the nonverbal cues your client gives you, and apply it to the best of your ability to the socio-culture, values, beliefs, lifestyle any other important personal information you come to know about your client.  What they say they want or need isn't necessarily what they ACTUAL want or need.  

3. Thou Shall Not Have Any Client Before Another

If you agree to take on a client, that client should be as highly valued as any other. A single elderly lady who buys your basic policy may not seem like your gold star client, but she talks to 100 of her peers on a weekly basis.

4. Thou Shall Itemize the Value of Thy Good or Service

Just because you, the salesperson, have a very detailed cost schedule doesn't mean your client is willing to "take your word" at the full dollar amount that you throw at them. Always justify every dollar.

5. No Price Shall Come Before Pitch

Never give an upfront price. You must show value first, then itemize the value with dollars.

6. Thou Shall Show Thy Client What is to Be Lost

What is to be gained from your product or service is not necessarily the most viable persuasion.

7. Address Thy Client's Objections Before the Client Does

Always anticipate each clients personal objections and try to answer them before they are asked.

8. Maketh Every Transaction Simple and Safe for your Client

The more time, steps, or inconvenience, the more chances your client has to change their mind. Always take any payment in any way they wish, especially the "right then and now" payment method. Always allow your client a safe way out.

9. Thou Shall Treat Everyone As if They are Your Clients Most Cherished Family Member

You can NEVER know who one person is to another. That surly teenager who dragged your suitcase to the room could be your wealthiest client's son.

10.. Thou Shall NEVER Assume the Decision-Maker of the Household or Business

Want a quick way to lose a sale? MAKE AN ASSUMPTION that the decision-maker (client in charge) is the husband of the household or the owner of the business. If you think this is old news, the author of this article is a woman, and it has personally happened more than once; "May I speak to your Husband?" will receive a quick response of "Absolutely! Let me know his name when you find him."

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Write a Personal Mission Statement

Defining your personal mission statement should be very much like a large corporation; you have values, goals, stakeholders, and objectives that require both appropriate means to achieve positive ends. Here is a guide to writing your mission statement, all of these bold items should be in your statement, however they do not have to be in this order.

Your Core Values First use one or two sentences to define your values.

This is your ethical base for making decisions and taking actions

They can be rooted in your spiritual belief but be weary of religious dogma- soul search first

​These will be 'boundaries' that will come into play especially during hard times

Set Goals and Objectives 

Write three to five sentence about the most important things in your life

At the end of your life what are the most important things you must have accomplished?

Consider the 6 Fs: friends, family, fun, financial, feeling, and faith.

Friends and family are the people whom you have the greatest influence on

Fun is the adventures and events you experience

Financial is your material legacy

Feeling and faith are your emotional, spiritual or otherwise intangible legacy

Consider Your Stakeholders ​People are a huge part of our lives. Write at least one sentence considering friends, family and community.

Make a target graph with 5 layers to chart your stakeholders

The bullseye should be the most important influences in your life. Usually family.

The second circle should include the closest friends and other important folks.

The third circle should be people of medium influence. Possibly religious affiliates, close workmates, or social circles.

​The forth and fifth should include those who are important but have less influence like local or regional community members-possibly encompassing the globe.

Write a Slogan This may be a little more challenging, however consider the idea of personal slogan. It is great on business cards and can be a mantra when you feel stuck. Ask yourself these questions to brainstorm a slogan:

What defines you? (I am an independent and driven woman)

What makes you different than others who are similar you? (An accountant who loves art)

​What makes you different from most other humans? (I will do hard things for the challenge)

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The Four Eras of Marketing

Production Era (1850-late 1920s): A sellers economy when demand was greater than supply, new technology companies had virtually no competition, and scientific methods of production were creating progressively less expensive manufacturing processes, lower prices for wider consumption. Almost no clever marketing was required beyond product presence. Although the employee nor the consumer was highly considered, this accessible technology closed in the gap between classes and created more time for leisure. This especially was true for women, where domestic duties were no longer a full-time job. This would start the

Hard Sell Era (1930s-early 1960s): A buyer’s economy where supply was greater than demand because of economic downturn (low demand during the Great Depression) or overproduction of goods (high supply after WWII), creating a need for the pushy salesperson to move product. In the 1950s, competition became a prominent issue, and marketers had to become shrewder with their technique to land a sale.

Soft Sell-Relationship Era (1960s-2000s): A buyer’s economy once again, but this time created from heavy competition. The hard sell was replaced with the ‘soft’ sell of target market advertisement, the buying atmosphere, emotional lures, and customer satisfaction to lofty heights. Globalization may have created opportunity but also caused more competition, uncertainty, and rapid economic change.

Attention-Relationship Era (Today): This is similar to the previous relationship era, but with three additions. First, the added competition of ever-increasing online companies in both national and international arenas created a wide pool of choice for the consumer. Second, this incredible variety to choose from combined with the rapidly changing attention span of Young Gen-Xers and Millennials created a need for awareness marketing- or attention grabbing. Finally, the “tried and true” marketing techniques of yesteryear are suspicious to Millennials, many who associate corporations with corruption and advertising with deception. Large corporations must defeat this by using the Triple Bottom Line and ‘customer-generated’ viral marketing.