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Thoughts on Being an Effective Listener

Here are some thoughts on what it means to be an effective listener.

We listen in order to learn and retain information. If we are speaking, we are not listening or learning anything to add to our sum of knowledge. This is why the first step to effective listening is to stop talking! — Ken Fracaro

Listening effectively to others can be the most fundamental and powerful communication tool of all. When someone is willing to stop talking or thinking and begins truly listening to others, all of their interactions become easier, and communication problems are all but eliminated. — Ken Johnson

The contrast between hearing and really listening can be as different as night and day. And in a business environment, not listening effectively to customers, employees, and peers can mean the difference between success and failure.  —  Ken Johnson

Sometimes the most revealing part of a message isn't found in the words themselves but in the subtle messages wrapped around those words. Failure to pick up on these "secret messages" may leave you blind to what is really being communicated — Dianne Booher

"More" Famous Marketing Blunders

Here is a follow up to the post, “Famous Marketing Blunders”.

The Swedish furniture giant IKEA somehow agreed upon the name "FARTFULL" for one of its new desks. Enough said..

In the late 1970s, Wang, the American computer company could not understand why its British branches were refusing to use its latest motto "Wang Cares". Of course, to British ears this sounds too close to "Wankers" which would not really give a very positive image to any company.

In 1988, the General Electric Company (GEC) and Plessey combined to create a new telecommunications giant. A brand name was desired that evoked technology and innovation. The winning proposal was GPT for GEC-Plessey Telecommunications. A not very innovative name and not suggestive of technology and a total disaster for European branding. GPT is pronounced in French as “J’ai pété” or “I've farted”.

In 2007 the Cartoon Network fails to notify authorities that it will be placing odd electronic devices on bridges. In Boston, hilarity ensues. Nine other cities in the US scratch their heads. Parent company Turner Broadcasting coughs up $2 million for Boston’s freak out. However, they probably received 10 million in exposure, so maybe it wasn’t a blunder after all!

For more marketing blunders click here.

-Jim

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Success Video ~ What Leads to Success?

Richard St. John talks about what leads to success at a *TED conference.

* TED stands for Technology, Entertainment, Design. It started out (in 1984) as a conference bringing together people from those three worlds. Since then its scope has become ever broader.

Caution ahead - A sales Question Best "Not Asked"

Be careful when asking the question “Are you familiar with  (Your company name here)?”

If the prospect says no, you spent the next several minutes explaining something they never asked you about to begin with. If the prospect says yes, their “perceived” knowledge is usually based on a misconception that turns into their reason not to purchase, buy or join.

-Jim

© 2008 SuccessCo.com

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Procrastination – What is Procrastination & Tips to Overcome Procrastination

I’ve put off writing this for several weeks now and I’m finally getting around to posting it today. So here it goes. . .
All joking aside, what exactly is procrastination and more importantly, before we can begin to conquer it, we must understand why we procrastinate in the first place.

Procrastination is simply to put off doing something, especially out of habitual carelessness or laziness. To put off till another day or time, to defer or delay an action. Often times, it causes us to miss an opportunity that is in our best interest.

So why do we procrastinate, when we know it’s in our best interest not to?
The answer to this question is complex; however I will note several reasons.

Fear – Fear of doing the task or project at hand. When one is moved outside their comfort zone, it often times freezes them to immobility. When fear causes us to put something off, we will often justify it by doing other tasks such as making return phone calls, answering email, or any other mundane task that will keep us from doing what needs and should be done.

Perfectionism – Sometimes our standards are so high, the thought of falling short is reason enough to delay a project or task. If the task doesn’t get done, it won’t be imperfect!

Crisis Motivated – How many times have you said to yourself, “I perform better in the heat of the moment or in a crisis?”  For me, I can trace this back to writing a book report in grade school, waiting till the last minute, writing all night and getting an A on the project!

Paralysis through Analysis - The “whole” of the project is so overwhelming that taking the first step is like building a pyramid with a teaspoon.

Anger - If one resents doing the task or project in the first place, it will likely not get done or if it is completed, gets done with inferior results.

Pleasure Seeker - All pleasure and no pain is the mantra of this person. Only tasks that result in immediate gratification prompt this person to put off lesser or more complex tasks. Usually the burden then falls on others within their team or it doesn’t get done at all.

Now, here are some tips to overcome procrastination.

Reward Yourself – The bigger the project or task, the greater the reward. This could be anything from a double tall latte to a new Porsche. (Needless to say, the Porsche is a pretty big project or task!)

Procrastination Partners – Find someone else who also procrastinates. Because their reasons for putting things off is often times different than yours, teaming up could be the little extra push you both need.

Breaking into Pieces – This is often the “best” way to begin a large task or project. Simply break it into smaller more manageable pieces. Before you know it, you’ve chipped away at the mountain in front of you.

Visualize the End – If you focus on a successful outcome, it will make beginning the project that much easier. How will you feel? What accolades will you receive? How will others respond to the successful conclusion? How good will you feel when it’s done? Go ahead, close your eyes and make it real. . .

Public Declaration – With all eyes watching, you better perform! Once, I declared to all of my friends and family that I “would” complete a 26 mile marathon. So in order to be successful, I HAD to spend the months necessary to condition myself. (Yes, I did it)

Set a Start and Completion Date – Most of us are familiar with Parkinson's Law, which states that "work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion.” 

Self Talk – Replace I got to...," "I should...," or "I have to..." with “I choose to” “I want to” and “I will”

Trim the F.A.T. – Eliminate time wasters with these tree choices. File, Act or Toss. Putting it off is not an option.

Understand the 80 / 20 Rule - The Pareto principle (also known as the 80-20 rule) states that, for many events, 80% of the effects come from 20% of the causes. In other words, 20% of your actions account for 80% of your positive results.    

Set an Appointment with Yourself – Set a daily or weekly appointment with yourself to plan important activates and tasks so you insure their completion.

Take 10 – Take 10 minutes at the end of each day to review your schedule for the next day. Gather any items you may need, so that you will be prepared in advance.

Sweat it Out for Fifteen Minutes – If you find yourself continually putting something off, commit to “jumping in” for at least 15 minutes. More often than not, the hardest part of any task or project is the very beginning. So use this technique to get started, with the option of stopping at 15 minutes if you’re not motivated to continue.

Lower the Bar – I’m not suggesting you do inferior work; however I do suggest you can go back later to perfect that which you have created or completed. Many professional writers do their first draft in a flurry, thus getting the ball rolling. Then they go back later, doing many re-writes to perfect their work. If they tried to do it perfect the first time out, they would likely never get started.

-Jim
© 2008 SuccessCo.com

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What do others have to say about procrastination? Here are some quotes.

You may delay, but time will not. 
Benjamin Franklin

Procrastination is the bad habit of putting of until the day after tomorrow what should have been done the day before yesterday.
Napoleon Hill

Procrastination is one of the most common and deadliest of diseases and its toll on success and happiness is heavy.
Wayne Gretzky

I love deadlines. Especially the whooshing sound they make as they pass by.
Douglas Adams

Success Quote

"The fishermen know that the sea is dangerous and the storm terrible, but they have never found these dangers sufficient reason for remaining ashore."

Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890)

Business Humor ~ Required Vacation

Two women were comparing notes on the difficulties of running a small business.
"I started a new practice last year," the first one said. "I insist that each of my employees take at least a week off every three months."

"Why in the world would you do that?" the other asked.

She responded, "It's the best way I know of to learn which ones I can do without."

Success Book ~ The Art of Getting Things Done

Excerpt from The Art of Getting Things Done written by David Allen

The process: Managing Action

You can train yourself, almost like an athlete, to be faster, more responsive, more proactive and more focused in knowledge work. You can think more effectively and manage the results with more ease and control. You can minimize the loose ends across the whole spectrum of your work life and personal life and get a lot more done with little effort. And you can name front-end decision-making about all the “stuff” you collect and create standard operating procedure for living and working in this new millennium.

Before you can achieve any of that, though, you’ll need to get in the habit of keeping nothing on your mind. And the way to do that, as we’ve seen, is not by managing time, managing information, or managing priorities. After all:
You don’t manage five minutes and wind up with six;
You don’t manage information overload – otherwise you’d walk into a library and die, or the first time you connected to the web or even opened up a phone book, you’d blow up; and
You don’t manage priorities – you have them.

Instead, the key to managing all of your “stuff” is managing your actions.

Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity

How Do Others Perceive You?

If everyone you spoke with or have contact with today were to be interviewed and asked about you – what would they say? Which of these words below would they use to describe you?

Confident – hesitant – unsure – assumptive – warm & friendly – proud – arrogant – certain – a peer – salesperson – consultant – dynamic – well informed – concerned - Passionate - Phony

Create your perception of you!

-Jim

© 2008 SuccessCo.com

Goal Setting 101

The fundamentals of goal setting are an open secret known by top-caliber athletes, successful business people and all types of achievers in different fields. Setting goals can give you short-term and long-term motivation and focus. They help you set focus on the acquisition of required knowledge and help you to plan and organize your resources and your time so that you can get the best out of your life.

Setting clearly defined short term and long term goals will enable you to measure your progress and achieve personal satisfaction once you have successfully met your goals. Charting your progress will also enable you to actually see the stages of completion leading to the actual realization of your goals. This eliminates the feeling of a long and pointless grind towards achieving your goal. Your self-confidence and level of competence will also improve as you will be more aware of your capabilities as you complete or achieve your goals.

The basics of goal settings will involve deciding what you really want to do with your personal life and what short term and long term goals you need to achieve it. Then you have to break down goals into the smaller and manageable targets that you must complete in your way to achieving your lifetime targets. Once you have your list waste no time in tackling your goals.

A good way to have a manageable list is to have a daily and weekly set of goals. By doing this you will be always in the position of going towards you life plan goals. Everyday will give you the opportunity to fulfill a certain goal giving you the feeling of accomplishment.

Attitude plays a very big role in setting and achieving your goals. You must ask yourself if any part of you or your mind is holding you back from completing your goals. If you do have problems in these areas then the immediate thing to do is to address this problem.

To start achieving your lifetime goals, set a quarter of a century plan, then break it down to 5 year plans then break it down again to 1 year plans, then 6 month plans then monthly plans, then weekly, then daily.

Then create a things-to-do list for the day.
Always review your plans and prepare for contingencies.

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