The ABCDE of Strategic Planning

Any organization, business or individual, who wishes to maximize his potential, and to plan effectively both for the present and the future, should undergo and prioritize strategic planning. This means considering not only how to react, but planning how to act, not simply going from crisis to crisis, but evaluating in advance, and learning how to prioritize one's actions based on needs and degree of importance and relevance. Many organizations claim to do strategic planning, because at one time or another, they created a committee or panel to evaluate needs and strategy. Effective strategic planning is a continuous and ongoing process, and requires both commitment and vision. When I refer to the ABCDE of strategic planning, I am referring to: analysis and assessment; best way and because; caring and then creating; deciding to deliver; and evaluating to achieve excellence.

1. Because we do not live in a static society, sustainability often requires remaining relevant, by evolving on a gradual, ongoing basis. Groups, including businesses, not - for - profits, and individuals, must truly examine their identities and purposes, in order to assess needs currently, and in the near term and longer term future.

2. This means that an organization must find the best way or best methods of achieving their goals, and meeting their needs. They must take an honest look at themselves, to understand the because of membership (in other words, why would someone want to belong or be associated with the group). What purpose or direction or combination of items, does the organization serve that is either not served or undeserved elsewhere? In the case of someone in a service/ sales business, such as a Real Estate professional, the question you must answer should be, Why would someone choose you to represent them? 
 
3. Why should someone care about the organization? What does the organization care about; what are its values or ethics? Are these concerns relevant and significant to others? Based on what the group cares about, what does it do, or in other words what programs, visions, goals, and actions has it created?

4. It is never enough to just have goals, address needs, and to simply, talk about them. Talk may at times be soothing, but until an organization actually makes the conscious decision to deliver on its goals and promises, no one will take the group seriously. Organizations are judged and attract attention, not by the loftiness of its rhetoric, but rather by whether or not it takes steps to deliver on its promises. Isn't this also true of those who serve others in a business relationship?
 
5. Part of the strategic planning process must be to do things better, and never settle for being less than it can be. This means that the process must also be evaluative, in order to come up with an approach that will emphasize excellence and achievement.

Those Who Don't Know Should Remain Silent, Until They Do!

Why would you go to the time, effort and expense of interviewing and hiring a consultant, if you refuse to listen effectively, and find the need to voice your opinion, at every opportunity? Once you discover or feel you need a consultant, step aside carefully, and let the professional, provide the expertise you seek?

There is very little as aggravating to a professional consultant than when ill-informed individuals find it irresistible to offer their opinions on issues that they have little to no knowledge. Perhaps the most aggravating is when these individuals banter around numbers, financial figures, or analysis based on incorrect or faulty premises. One of the major "problems" with using data or numbers, is that it often follows the computer rule of "junk-in, junk-out." All too many untrained individuals either misinterpret data, or do not actually understand it, yet find it seemingly impossible to "remain on the sidelines" when they have nothing to offer.

As a professional negotiator and conference/ convention/ event planner/ organizer for more than four decades, it is even more aggravating dealing with these types of individuals, because their momentary lapses in judgment, are so often extremely detrimental to achieving optimum results. A quality, professional negotiator understands, almost to a science, what needs to be negotiated, and what is realistic and fair to ask for. Asking either too much or too little can be potentially equally disastrous to getting the best results in a negotiation. The opinions and interference caused by often well - intentioned, yet nearly clueless individuals regarding conference/ convention/ event planning and organization, can cause poor planning, lack of preparedness, efficient time utilization, etc.

Prompt responsiveness is essential in many aspects of various dealings. While professionals generally understand and appreciate this necessity, others often procrastinate or delay, which in many instances, causes cost overruns, inadequate or proper planning, and lack of necessary and proper attention to detail.

One of the most overused terms by these types of individuals is "micromanagement." It seems that whenever someone tries to explain away a lack of preparedness, they say they don't want to micromanage. To make it even worse, many of these individuals become "defensive" and object to receiving input, because they claim that they "refuse to be micromanaged." What does that mean? If one does not give feedback that is necessary to remedy and correct errors, the professional is neglecting his duties. Yet, the same individuals that are so woefully inadequately prepared in terms of understanding necessary issues, will complain that giving them input is micromanaging.

If all volunteer leaders were so well prepared in all necessary aspects, then there would be no need to utilize the services of a professional consultant. Unfortunately, however, most individuals that ascend to positions of organizational leadership are often not prepared. While it might be considered somewhat harsh to refer to many of these people as "clueless," that is often the case. Many of these well-intentioned individuals are in way over their heads.

This will continue to happen as long as organizations do not recognize that training is so essential for leaders. Organizations using professionally designed and administered leadership training programs generally experience far better leaders, and evolve successfully.

The 5 Components of Effective Negotiating

Regardless of which aspects or activities we are involved in, whether it involves our personal, business, or self - confidence impacting scenarios, we often end up in some sort of negotiations or negotiating activity/ aspect. Effective negotiations involve conceptualizing needs and focusing on solutions. In most cases, negotiating is dependent on these five components: 1. Do one's homework carefully and thoroughly; 2. Effectively listen; 3. Absolute integrity and transparency; 4. An ability and willingness to prioritize and inform one's adversary what our needs are; and 5. The inevitable achievement of a significant meeting of the minds. When one approaches negotiating as a cooperative rather than adversarial activity, the ability to negotiate a meaningful agreement is potentiated exponentially.

1. We often hear someone discuss the need to do one's homework, but what does that actually mean? In negotiating, it means coming to the table completely prepared and "armed" with the necessary details and reasons for one's position. However, it also requires studying the needs of the opposite side, and understanding their strengths and weaknesses, financial implications, and needs and potential areas of flexibility.

2. There is a big difference between simply hearing, and effective listening. It is a physical condition to have the ability to hear, but it is a needed (but acquired) skill to become an effective listener. To do so means avoiding the tendency to interrupt and dominate a forum with one's own rhetoric, and focus on listening and posing questions that gather information while positively developing relationships. It also creates an opportunity to further one's understanding of the other side's needs and priorities.

3. A great negotiator must approach this process with absolute integrity, understanding that it is better to develop a relationship based on trust and honor, rather than on mistrust or opposition. Many have attempted to mislead an adversary during a negotiation, and while this at times may seem to have temporary positive results, in the end, it almost always destroys the essential fiber of producing a productive result.

4. Focus on the priorities and needs, and clearly inform the other side of what you are looking for. In many cases, when both sides are willing to look at alternatives, they can come out with a mutually beneficial result.

5. However, the goal of any negotiation, must be to come up with a meeting of the minds, where both sides feel they can walk away from the table, believing they have come up with a fair and equitable solution. This means using a win - win emphasis, and never approaching a negotiation with the objective of defeating an opponent.

Do you want to be an effective negotiator? If so, focus on these five components, work on the necessary skills, and maintain your objectivity and integrity.

Using Social Media to Market Yourself: 3 Options

Although several of the social media vehicles have been operating for over a decade, nearly every seminar or article about how to best market yourself now spends a significant amount of time on the necessity for, and use of these options. However, while one should use these as one part of their overall marketing and promotion program/ plan, it is important to understand how, why, and when to use them optimally, and that their best usage is to complement other modalities, rather than to totally replace them. Done properly, using social media should expand your exposure in a positive manner, but care must be taken to make the effort efficient and effective, by using it synergistically with one's priorities and overall theme of what and how one wishes to be perceived and portrayed. While the relative ease and lack of costliness is an important component, using social media for your best advantage should be more about creating and enhancing your overall image and exposure. Here are 3 Options For How You'll Use Social Media For Marketing Yourself.

1. Not use it all for marketing purposes: Merely having a page or a presence is far different from using it for marketing. In most situations, especially when one uses the media that most individuals believe to be the most significant and largest one (Facebook), it is generally best to separate one's personal page from their business effort. This business exposure can be achieved by either creating a separate business page (and developing a strategy to get the right niche of people to like it) or setting up a separate business group (and similarly attracting or including the desired market). Some people avoid getting involved with social media, either because they don't (or don't want to) understand how to utilize it, or merely because they feel it's not for them, or they fear what they don't fully understand, or don't want to dedicate sufficient time and effort, to make it somewhat worthwhile.

2. Subscribe to a service: Many people feel they should be involved and/ or have a presence using these vehicles. However, often they either do not have or want to dedicate the time to manage it, or feel their personal content would not achieve their desired results. They then hire/ contract with one of the many companies that will perform social media management, and will post, manage and promote the effort for them (obviously for a fee). The advantage is convenience and that it will be done, while the disadvantage is often a lack of any unique personality. Be careful the service is posting in an unique manner for you, and not just posting the same things, for all their clients.

3. Do it yourself/ personal touch: Those of us who write articles and blogs, etc., have the ability to easily share content (that we have created). Obviously, personal, distinctive and unique content provides a far greater reason for others to follow you, but, on the other hand is also more time consuming, and requires a commitment to schedule time every day to make this effective, attractive and serve one's best purpose.

Social media is here to stay, at least for the foreseeable future. Know and use whichever of the 3 Options For How You'll Use Social Media For Marketing Yourself, best serves your needs, priorities, goals, and personal comfort zone. But realize, using Social Media, in and of itself, is no magic elixir!

Using A Mirror To Be A Better Teleseller!

For four decades, I have both personally transacted business on the telephone and trained telemarketers, customer service people, and both inbound and outbound phone sale people, as well as organizational leaders, on how to obtain optimal results using a telephone. I have discovered many interesting things about phone selling, not the least of which is that one can be great on the phone and awful face to face, and vice versa. Selling and transmitting business on the telephone takes specific skills and actions, and is something that nearly anyone willing to be trained, can be taught to do. 

I am a major proponents of using two small tricks to help with phone success. The first is to employ the phone's mute function, and to only disengage the mute when you are prepared to speak. That keeps you from blurting out something without due consideration, or interrupting the other person. However, while many people use the mute function, the employment of a small table mirror is even more helpful. Realize while many attempt to telemarketer, using the techniques and skills properly and effectively, make you a better teleseller!

Studies show that many people can sense the mood or attitude of the person on the other end of the phone, either by their voice, their attitude, their tone of voice, or factors such as politeness and patience. Since we often do not hear ourselves as others do, I suggest that someone place a small table mirror directly in front of them while they are on the phone. Look in the mirror at yourself as you are communicating on the telephone. What is your facial expression? Are you smiling, "smerking," or moping? Do you look like you are enjoying yourself? Do you appear as if you are getting angry (turning red or changing facial expression) based on what is happening on the call? Do you look like someone who doesn't want to be there? Do you have the same expression on your face as you would if you knew the other person could see you, as in the face to face scenario? How about your posture? Are you sitting up rigidly, or sitting comfortable? Are you sitting erect or slouching into your chair? Are you focused on what is being said to you?

Only by knowing what you have been doing mostly subconsciously, will you be able to address it. Using a mirror is an easy aid, and a helpful one. I have seen telemarketers increase their closing ratios on the telephone exponentially just by paying attention to these details. Similarly, I've observed businesses Customer Service satisfaction rate rise dramatically when these unconscious negative acts stop bringing down the perceived sincerity level. In many cases, when I have done Leadership Training for leaders of organizations, I have gotten the feedback that they were far more able to motivate their members when they addressed their own personal telephone body language.

This concept is true, regardless of whether one is making appointments, selling a product or service, or motivating individuals to join an effort or meeting. It can be helpful and useful to leaders, appointment makers, Investment advisers, Real Estate professionals, etc.
 
Even in today's digital and electronic age, there is an important need to be professional and caring on the telephone. Simply by thinking about how we look in the mirror and addressing those things, we can enhance our performance significantly.

When Life Hands Out Lemons, Make Lemonade!!

We all experience periods of bad times as well as periods of good. Individuals who adapt to misfortunes by learning from these experiences, and somehow benefiting, are generally both the happiest and the most successful. The adage, "Life is not a bowl of cherries" tells us that not everything will always work out the way we hope, or even anticipate, and to understand that limitation in order to best adapt to circumstances. This is true in our personal lives, but also in our business and/or professional careers! Consider, for example, the Real Estate Professional, who puts his all into helping and serving his client, only to have a deal fall through, due to circumstances beyond his control. He can either fixate and feel sorry for himself, or he can lift himself up, put a positive spin on it, and move on, in another direction, immediately! 
 
Many people seem to enjoy complaining that life is unfair, and hasn't dealt them a fair hand. Realistically, life doesn't "deal," it simply offers us opportunities to either take advantage of, do nothing, or use poorly. There is never any guarantee in anything we do, but our "odds" of succeeding are distinctly enhanced when we take advantage of possibilities, improve our abilities, and upgrade our skill-set, rather than say, "I can't do that." Many individuals seem to prefer making excuses than taking the necessary actions to enhance skills that might be lacking (or need upgrading).
Obviously, not everyone can do writing or mathematics easily. All too many of those individuals, either due to frustration, inadequate training or education, or a "mental block," simply give up, and stop attempting to write or use mathematics, unless absolutely necessary. Others recognize their limitations, and use the opportunities offered to enhance their training, learn other skills, take training, or discipline themselves, and do to this added commitment, become "above par" in these areas.

A great example of using ones limitations, and "making lemonade when life deals you lemons," is how one might adapt to difficulty "keyboarding." Unfortunately, many, if not most individuals, handle this "obstacle" by using "avoidance techniques," and by avoiding using the keyboard, often neglect necessary tasks and duties, such as doing school or work assignments, as well as enjoying activities that comfort with using the keyboard would afford them. The individual who wants to "make lemonade," on the other hand, would find an alternative way of handling this circumstance. One such alternative might be installing and using "voice recognition software, such as Dragon software. In that way, the obstacle of the use of the keyboard, whether due to a physical reason, a lack of patience, or some other disruptive "force," can not only be as productive as someone comfortable with the keyboard, but in many ways even more productive. This program permits one to use e-mail, word processing, PowerPoint, spreadsheets, etc., via the use of voice commands, instead of keyboards. The programs are easy to install, and easy to use, yet, of course require the individual to become familiar with the many features to fully take advantage of the program. For example, it is estimated that someone can "type" something approximately four times as quickly using voice commands than using the keyboard. Therefore, the individual who takes advantage of this alternative is using a potential obstacle, and instead of merely complaining about it, finds "another way" to function effectively.

If a deal falls through, find another avenue or approach, and pursue it, without delay! Believe you can, and you optimize your possibilities!  Henry Ford is often credited with telling us, that we can either think we can, or can't, and either way, we'll be correct!

In many areas of everyday life, we find tons of obstacles where we have choices - - either complain and be negative, or "think outside the box" and find a better way. Successful individuals do not give up, but rather find ways to get things done. Most things are possible if one thinks positively!

Enhanced Customer Service Helps Restore Image & Reputation

It may often take a lifetime to work on and build either your personal, your business, or your organizational image in a positive manner, but it will usually take as little as a fleeting moment to damage your image and reputation. It is important for us to understand that our reputation is directly related to our ability to achieve and accomplish, because we are given only one, and it's up to us what we do with it! All you need to do is think about the last time you may have had some conflict, difficulty or issue with a company's service or product, and focus on how their customer service department handled it (whether they were comforting and helpful, or on the contrary, exacerbated the situation).

1. One of the most essential things to understand is that while price and pricing may be able to bring a sale or sales, only quality customer service has the ability to transform customers into clients, who remain loyal in their personal purchasing habits, as well as how they refer to you and/ or your business. We must consider the two aspects of meaningful and positive customer service are putting the customer first (as the adage goes, the customer's always right), combined with providing actual service that helps the customer get what he desires and needs, and especially what is promised. For example, if a package delivery company guarantees delivery by a specific time, and fails to deliver, and the customer service personnel merely says that it was not delivered or mis - delivered, but makes neither any accommodation nor remedy, the customer's feeling for that company will generally be negatively impacted, and the likeliness of him referring others to them is negligible.

2. Especially after anything that in any way harms a customer's image of a company, etc., the damage is compounded if the customer service personnel drop the ball, and do further harm rather than positively impact the relationship. Whether it is a major corporation, a smaller company, an individual retail outlet, a service - oriented company, an organization or personally involved, unless service is the focus, the needed relationship often fails to develop or evolve.

3. Without any doubt, the most valuable asset there can be is one's reputation. Our reputation's are either positively or negatively impacted by everything we do, so wouldn't it make sense to prioritize this service? While this may make sense and seem obvious, unfortunately it often is not the result.

Often, however, companies and organizations, when finances become more challenging, often cut their prices and reduce their customer service support. Nothing could generally create a less productive result.

Regardless of whether this is a personal issue, or involves either sales of a product or a service, we must understand, we are always selling something - either our self, a product or a service. People feel confident in those who treat them with respect and consideration! Those selling products must stand behind what they sell, and remember the adage, The customer is always right (even when he may not be!). Service professionals, such as Real Estate professionals, must respect their customers and clients time, and pay attention to details, needs, priorities, concerns, and hold their hands. Respond to emails, texts, phone calls, immediately, and answer questions to the satisfaction of them - NOT YOU!