Here are some things I find that can help you stay focused.
Lists
Do you have lists that you create every day and check off items as you complete them? I am known for my lists. Everything goes on a list in either First In First Out (FIFO) sequence or in order of priority depending on the nature of the item.
I have a daily list, a list to do at home, on the weekend and a personal list. Lists help you stay on track of what to do next instead of procrastinating.
Blogging
When you have a schedule, such as blogging once a week, it helps keep you focused. Every Wednesday morning, the Building Circles blog is published. What this means is during the week, I look for topics to share with my followers.
Being committed to an activity such as a Blog will help you stay focused and more aware of what is going on around you. I do admit most Tuesday nights are spent focusing on the morning' blog!
Supportive Team
One of the most important factors to being focused is your team. Your team supports you, supports your organization and they work well together. I am very fortunate to have the AlphaKORians' support and dedication.
They are the ones who help me stay motivated and who help me stay focused each and every day.
Your Goals and Your Business plans
Writing down your goals for 2 years, 5 years, 10 years and longer provide you with a target to reach for. Making your business plan is also an effective way to keep you focused. It is important to visit your goals and business plans on a regular basis.
They need to be updated frequently and you must be prepared to adjust your efforts to achieve and surpass them.
Dealing with Challenges
When you face challenges head-on, it is easier to be focused and to take care of all situations at hand. Delaying or avoiding the challenges take you off your game. It requires a lot of energy to get back on track.
When challenges arise, analyze the situation, collect information as soon as you can, make a decision to deal with it at the time. Follow the motto "Just Do It" when faced with challenges.
Stakeholders
We are all accountable to someone after all. Your manager, your business partners, your co-workers and if you have a board of directors. These stakeholders will help you keep you focused. You need to ensure you understand their mandate and provide them with updates on what you are doing.
Listen to your stakeholders and fully understand their expectations. Provide them feedback to ensure they are also on track for what you are required to focus on.
What things keep you focused?
Connecting business people to share stories of making new business relationships and creating opportunities.
Wednesday, November 25, 2015
Wednesday, November 18, 2015
Top 7 Beliefs Top Producers Possess
1. I deserve to earn a
great income
Being a top producer goes hand-in-hand with earning a great income, yet it does not have to always be about money. Sometimes it could be about giving back to the community and making a difference which defines you as a top producer.
2. Prospects need my product, service or solution
Well if you do not believe your prospects need your solutions, then neither will your prospects. This shows you need to be confident and not arrogant. When a prospect are not interested or say no, time to move on to the next prospect.
3. I can ask my prospect any question
Yes as long as it relates to business. If you ask for permission, you can ask some personal questions to build your relationship.
4. There will always be someone else to sell to
This is similar to #2 as there are a lot of prospects to contact who will be interested in what you have to say.
5. Senior decision makers are just people
Well I believe we are all just people after all, regardless of our title, accomplishments and our notoriety. People love to build relationships with real people.
6. Sales is an honourable profession
This is still my favourite on this list. By earning respect from clients and prospects who see you as a professional, an expert and as a person who cares, you are on the right path to success.
7. I earn the right to ask for the sale
Top producers ask for the sale more often than others and top producers receive more no's than others. Ask for the sale and you may be pleasantly surprised at the result.
This list reminds us to be confident and focused on our respective profession while building trusted relationships and you have to be genuine.
Originally inspired by www.fearless-selling.ca which I blogged about several years ago and rekindled by request. Thanks for your feedback and welcome your comments, suggestions and future topics.
Which ones do you possess, agree or don't agree with?
Being a top producer goes hand-in-hand with earning a great income, yet it does not have to always be about money. Sometimes it could be about giving back to the community and making a difference which defines you as a top producer.
2. Prospects need my product, service or solution
Well if you do not believe your prospects need your solutions, then neither will your prospects. This shows you need to be confident and not arrogant. When a prospect are not interested or say no, time to move on to the next prospect.
3. I can ask my prospect any question
Yes as long as it relates to business. If you ask for permission, you can ask some personal questions to build your relationship.
4. There will always be someone else to sell to
This is similar to #2 as there are a lot of prospects to contact who will be interested in what you have to say.
5. Senior decision makers are just people
Well I believe we are all just people after all, regardless of our title, accomplishments and our notoriety. People love to build relationships with real people.
6. Sales is an honourable profession
This is still my favourite on this list. By earning respect from clients and prospects who see you as a professional, an expert and as a person who cares, you are on the right path to success.
7. I earn the right to ask for the sale
Top producers ask for the sale more often than others and top producers receive more no's than others. Ask for the sale and you may be pleasantly surprised at the result.
This list reminds us to be confident and focused on our respective profession while building trusted relationships and you have to be genuine.
Originally inspired by www.fearless-selling.ca which I blogged about several years ago and rekindled by request. Thanks for your feedback and welcome your comments, suggestions and future topics.
Which ones do you possess, agree or don't agree with?
Wednesday, November 11, 2015
How well do you Listen?
This week we revisit this topic from a few years ago about effective listening. Thanks for the suggestion and keep sending your feedback.
I sometimes catch myself asking someone their name right after I'm introduced - was I really focused and listening?
Here are some tips on enhancing your listening skills. Feel free to share your good and not so good experiences.
Don't think about your response while the other person is talking. Ever notice as soon as the speaker is finished talking, the other person automatically has a response. More often than not, this automatic response has nothing to do with the speaker' conversation. Check it out for yourself next time you observe people having a conversation.
Listen without forming a bias and wait until the speaker has completed their discussion to understand fully what they are saying before making a response.
Never assume (we all like this one). If the comment is "I require this right away" does this mean within the hour? today? tomorrow? sometime this year? Ask for clarification and you will be surprised sometimes your assumption is incorrect.
Focus on the listener and avoid the distractions. Look at the speaker - make eye contact - instead of looking at your smart phone or others around you.
Do your rephrase what the other person is saying to ensure you have a fully understanding of what they are saying? Listening is a lifelong skillset most of us keep working on to be better at. Communication can be a wonderful thing if all parties are fully present and effectively listening.
Look forward to hearing some of your experiences.
I sometimes catch myself asking someone their name right after I'm introduced - was I really focused and listening?
Here are some tips on enhancing your listening skills. Feel free to share your good and not so good experiences.
Don't think about your response while the other person is talking. Ever notice as soon as the speaker is finished talking, the other person automatically has a response. More often than not, this automatic response has nothing to do with the speaker' conversation. Check it out for yourself next time you observe people having a conversation.
Listen without forming a bias and wait until the speaker has completed their discussion to understand fully what they are saying before making a response.
Never assume (we all like this one). If the comment is "I require this right away" does this mean within the hour? today? tomorrow? sometime this year? Ask for clarification and you will be surprised sometimes your assumption is incorrect.
Focus on the listener and avoid the distractions. Look at the speaker - make eye contact - instead of looking at your smart phone or others around you.
Do your rephrase what the other person is saying to ensure you have a fully understanding of what they are saying? Listening is a lifelong skillset most of us keep working on to be better at. Communication can be a wonderful thing if all parties are fully present and effectively listening.
Look forward to hearing some of your experiences.
Wednesday, November 4, 2015
Embracing Social Media
How are you and your team embracing social media?
There are so many tools to choose from and it can be information overload. Where do you begin or how do you adjust your current strategy? How do you decide which channels to use?
Step back and think about what your goals are. Who is your target audience? What is your message? What do you and your brand want to be known as?
Here is my strategy I'd like to share with you. It is updated from feedback and assistance from many including marketing, our team, clients, friends and associates.
LinkedIn is the tool for building your professional network. Find people on LinkedIN who are your clients, who are potential clients, suppliers, referral sources and advocates for your business. You will also find LinkedIN is an excellent source to recruit candidates to consider for your team. Your HR personnel should be on LinkedIn as part of their recruiting efforts.
Join groups on LinkedIn in your industry and areas you are interested in. Make comments and like other's comments to. Create your own group and create your company page. Keep content fresh, interesting and the key in groups is engaging your audience. How can you start a conversation with your followers?
Twitter is ideal to send out timely messages to your audience. What is happening now in your industry, what is going on in your company, what events are you participating in or supporting; these are some of the things you can share.
I have a personal twitter account as well as we have a company twitter account. Retweet (RT) your messages from both accounts. Follow others and other companies who are clients, potential clients, news media and others who you want to be associated with.
Facebook is one of those tools many companies feel is for personal use only. If you are targeting a younger audience you should have a company page on Facebook. This is where you can show the people behind your brand, share all the good things they are doing in the community. People like to get to know the people who make up your company.
To blog or not to blog? As an owner/CEO/President you should consider blogging. You are the brand of your company. A blog shows a real person behind the brand. People feel closer and they feel like they know you. If you want to present yourself as the expert on the subject matter, you can achieve this with your blog.
There are many other tools such as YouTube, Instagram and so forth that you can consider as well. Building your social media strategy starts with the basics of who is your audience and what is your message going to be.
Timelines are important to ensure regular communications. I push out messages once or twice a week on LinkedIn, daily on Twitter, weekly on Facebook and weekly on my blog.
Adding pictures to your messages will help increase the number of views. Sharing pictures of your team in action also increases traffic. Balance your content with business messages, personal touch, expert advice and remember to avoid "selling" to your audience.
How are you embracing social media?
There are so many tools to choose from and it can be information overload. Where do you begin or how do you adjust your current strategy? How do you decide which channels to use?
Step back and think about what your goals are. Who is your target audience? What is your message? What do you and your brand want to be known as?
Here is my strategy I'd like to share with you. It is updated from feedback and assistance from many including marketing, our team, clients, friends and associates.
LinkedIn is the tool for building your professional network. Find people on LinkedIN who are your clients, who are potential clients, suppliers, referral sources and advocates for your business. You will also find LinkedIN is an excellent source to recruit candidates to consider for your team. Your HR personnel should be on LinkedIn as part of their recruiting efforts.
Join groups on LinkedIn in your industry and areas you are interested in. Make comments and like other's comments to. Create your own group and create your company page. Keep content fresh, interesting and the key in groups is engaging your audience. How can you start a conversation with your followers?
Twitter is ideal to send out timely messages to your audience. What is happening now in your industry, what is going on in your company, what events are you participating in or supporting; these are some of the things you can share.
I have a personal twitter account as well as we have a company twitter account. Retweet (RT) your messages from both accounts. Follow others and other companies who are clients, potential clients, news media and others who you want to be associated with.
Facebook is one of those tools many companies feel is for personal use only. If you are targeting a younger audience you should have a company page on Facebook. This is where you can show the people behind your brand, share all the good things they are doing in the community. People like to get to know the people who make up your company.
To blog or not to blog? As an owner/CEO/President you should consider blogging. You are the brand of your company. A blog shows a real person behind the brand. People feel closer and they feel like they know you. If you want to present yourself as the expert on the subject matter, you can achieve this with your blog.
There are many other tools such as YouTube, Instagram and so forth that you can consider as well. Building your social media strategy starts with the basics of who is your audience and what is your message going to be.
Timelines are important to ensure regular communications. I push out messages once or twice a week on LinkedIn, daily on Twitter, weekly on Facebook and weekly on my blog.
Adding pictures to your messages will help increase the number of views. Sharing pictures of your team in action also increases traffic. Balance your content with business messages, personal touch, expert advice and remember to avoid "selling" to your audience.
How are you embracing social media?
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