Habla Blog

By Elinor Stutz

The following 5 tips have been proven to work time after time to bring in more business and close more sales. Most importantly rather than being manipulative, they offer a common sense approach to business. Think back to your past experiences in each case.

Tip #1: Have you met business people who are so intent on selling they do not listen to you?

In order to close a sale, you have to ask why the other person called, emailed or visited your store in the first place. Something caught their attention. Rather than guessing, Question and Listen. Be direct and ask, “What caught your attention?”

Once they provide a clue as to why they are talking to you, take time to ask about the challenges they are facing and determine in which areas you are able to help. This serves to build relationships.

Tip #2: Have you ever been uncertain about the exact meaning someone is trying to get across?

The best strategy in this case for closing the sale easily is to clarify their meaning. Most salespeople and entrepreneurs are too embarrassed to ask for clarification. They believe it makes them look stupid. So their problem is compounded by not asking. By the time they finish the conversation their credibility is at an all-time low because they aren’t on the same page with their prospect and have not built a sales relationship, so the chance for delivering an accepted proposal is next to zero.

By asking, “Will you please clarify?” you will sound professional and eager to learn the situation of the other party. This will in turn build your relationship and your credibility. Once you have the clarified information, you are able to direct the conversation and the proposal to your client’s interests and greatly increase your chance for closing the sale.

Tip #3: Have you ever been dissatisfied with services delivered because they did not you’re your expectations?

Now that you are the selling party, it is best to recall that situation and improve upon it for your clientele. Set all expectations prior to asking for the sale.

Once your prospect describes what is wanted, needed and expected, it is then your turn to address every issue. Proceed to answer each request in the order it was given to you. You must be completely honest about what you can and cannot do, and what you will and will not do. This suggestion will put you in a leadership position and provide you with greater credibility.

By setting expectations ahead of time, you will diminish the potential for disappointment. Instead, your clientele will receive everything they expected and will appreciate your customer service policies and the honest relationship you built with them. These clients will spread good word of mouth and offer referrals.

Tip #4: Have you ever wondered how to make your prospects feel comfortable with you and your service?

Speak the language of your prospects and you will have them buying into what you are saying. I’m not telling you to learn a variety of languages - it’s easier than that. Instead, wherever your prospects sound or look passionate whether sad or happy, literally take note of their vocabulary describing the situation by writing it down.

When you are ready to ask for the sale, whether verbally or in a written proposal, use your prospect’s vocabulary. They will recognize their words, that you were listening carefully and that you are trustworthy.

Using the vocabulary of your clientele is also an excellent technique for building business relationships. Your closing ratio will climb.

Tip #5: Thank everyone for their help and their time in every situation. Your sincere appreciation for their help will lead to further business from your clients and their referrals.

into training entrepreneurs, network marketers and beginning salespeople. “We help you turn stormy sales cycles into a Smooth Sale”.

Smooth Sale Delivers:
Original work in the form of Professional Sales Training, Licensing, Coaching, Motivational Speaking and a full Product Line.

Products Include:
“Nice Girls DO Get The Sale: Relationship Building That Gets Results”, published by Sourcebooks, “The Sales Toolkit”, “Smooth Sale audio training seminar” and Entrepreneur kit – “How to GROW Your Business: mindset, strategy and implementation. Visit www.smoothsale.net/products.shtml

“Nice Girls DO Get The Sale” was featured in TIME Magazine, translated into multiple languages and is selling worldwide. Elinor contributes articles to Diversity Edge Magazine. Visit her blog at www.smoothsale.net/blog/

For more information call 800-704-1499 or visit www.smoothsale.net

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By Barbara Benjamin-Treviño

Día de los Muertos (DEE-ah day lows moo-WARE-tows)

Day of the Dead may be one of the best examples of a cross-cultural difference between Hispanic and Anglo cultures. While death is a topic often avoided here, honoring the memory of deceased relatives takes on a celebratory air during this long-held tradition.

The Day of the Dead on November 1 and 2 is commemorated throughout Mexico and by Mexican Americans in the U.S. with a flurry of activity that matches any Thanksgiving weekend. With its combination of pre-Hispanic and Roman Catholic rituals, Día de los Muertos honors departed ancestors and loved ones with candlelight vigils in cemeteries, creation of home altars, and special foods and sweets to entice the spirits of the dead to pay a special holiday visit “home.” Nobel laureate Octavio Paz observed that undaunted by death, the Mexican has no qualms about getting up close and personal with it. The concept of death is seen as natural and families renew their link with the past during this annual remembrance.

Each region has distinct customs attached to its celebration of Día de los Muertos. Customs common to most regions include cleaning the family burial plot, decorating the grave, holding gravesite reunions, and creating special sweets that are used as an offering to the dead. The tone is festive, rather than somber.

The Day of the Dead is not related to Halloween, whose origins are pagan in nature. It’s important to respect traditions by keeping them distinct, despite the tendency to meld them out of convenience. Remember when Christmas was Christmas? Now it’s Christmas-Hanukah-Kwaanza season. Those whose tradition is being subsumed may not take kindly to such blurring of the lines. What’s really behind the blending of holidays? Is it just an excuse for retailers to attract more customers? Or a way of feeling “inclusive” by tossing those outside the majority a few crumbs? A deliberate attempt to breach the wall of separation between church and state? Well-intentioned approaches to others marking an important time may be misinterpreted. That’s why the basis for such communication should always be one of respect…like the song says, ”R-E-S-P-E-C-T, don’t know what it means to me…” Avoid making assumptions about what’s important to people and demonstrate your genuine respect by initiating conversation and inquiring appropriately.

Barbara Benjamin-Treviño, Bentiva Education Solutions

www.bentiva.com

Barbara Benjamin-Treviño is the founder of Bentiva® Education Solutions, an independent publisher of bilingual reference materials to improve cross-cultural communication. She is the author of The Parent/Teacher Kon-ver-SAY-shun® Kit: Conversation Starters in English and Spanish and The Customer Relations Kon-ver-SAY-shun® Companion: Attracting More Hispanic Consumers.

By Martha Galindo 

Our Value Proposition 

One of the most time-tested axioms of sales is to sell the solution, not the service.  In our business of providing translation the advice reminds us that it is not what we do or how we do it that interests our clients but rather the solutions or end results our service provides.  Galindo Publicidad’s clients want the message they originate in one language to be heard and clearly understood in other languages.  That message can be advertising or a training manual; it can be essential safety instruction or an orientation program for new employees.  Whatever the message it must reach the reader or listener in his or her native language with the same impact, accuracy and clarity of meaning that it has for its counterpart audience in its original language. 

The early adapters to artificial intelligence software correctly perceived that language translation was a natural application for such programs.  And, indeed, such software enables a translator to handle large amounts of translation more quickly than otherwise. But software alone, no matter how sophisticated, is only the first rough filter.  Anyone who has read bad translations understands how easy it is to garble clarity, generate inaccuracy and turn a message from a positive to a negative impact.  This generally happens when the act of translation is perceived as a simple substitution of words and phrases from one language to another.  That is not the way language works – words, phrases, usage, jargon, social status, syntax and semantics, cultural and ethnic variations all require of the translator a deep familiarity with the intended audience and all the nuances of language specific to that audience.  That is the “more” at Translationsandmore.com. 

It is vital to keep that “more” in mind when selecting a translation service.  When comparing prices, for instance, what are you comparing?  The price of a software program that works on a word substitution and standardized grammar will not provide the same end product that a skilled native speaker operating in a living, evolving culture will deliver.   The software program alone will deliver a solution that sounds like a translation, at best a partial solution that will require interpretation by the reader or listener, a solution that lacks subtlety and thus accuracy.  A GPI translator, on the other hand, will provide a true solution, one that takes into account the meaning intended by the maker of the message in its original language, that takes into account the cultural context of both message sender and receiver, that reflects an expertise that knows when a phrase is simply not appropriate – not because of the words themselves but because of the arrangement or cultural context within which the phrase is to be used. 

Obviously we are not comparing apples to apples.  On the one hand the message is canned and culturally insensitive with all the nuance of an automaton; on the other it is the result of a human being, skilled in language and culture and sensitive to all the subtlety and richness of human communication.  The canned translation represents your company as a stilted, foreign, culturally inept organization.  Look for the translation makes you sound like a neighbor. 

So when you choose a translation service keep in mind the result you are trying to achieve.  And when you compare prices remember that comparison on a cost-per-word basis does not distinguish between the translation-in-a-can approach and the real translation by a skilled human translator.  You are not buying words you are buying meaning.  When you keep that end result in mind you will not be led astray by false economies and you will be getting the result you want and expect not mere words that appear to convey meaning but that merely add noise.  Fortunately you get to choose.

Martha E. Galindo, President and CEO of Galindo Publicidad, Inc.

A multilingual translations agency, selected twice as

a Florida 100 company. Author of “How Do You Say…?”

an eNewsletter designed to help you improve your

business communications in other languages,

Subscribe

www.translationsandmore.com/subscription.html

Galindo Publicidad Inc. Request a free project quote-

http://www.translationsandmore.com/contact.html

 For more information about Spanish for Professionals programs visit us at www.wardspeaking.com.

By
Elinor Stutz

The following question was posed during the question and answer period of my talk:  “how do you handle failure?” 

Stunned, I paused for an answer. Recovering quickly, I acknowledged that many famous people, including Winston Churchill, stated that one must pass through a series of failures to get to success.  Somehow failure was never adopted into my vocabulary.

Why dwell on failure?  This will only serve to get you depressed and slow down your progress.  Instead of viewing something that does not work out as failure, I suggest you view it as an educational opportunity from which to learn; or your “marketing research” project. 

In either case, it becomes clear to let that project go, learn from the errors, and move on to another path that provides better opportunity.  Without learning, advancement is slow in coming.

Couple your own “marketing research” learning projects with those of others – that is, learn from their mistakes and adjustments too.  Your willingness to be open and critique your own work as well as to learn from others will set you apart.  By keeping a careful eye on others, you will know in advance what to avoid and which other process might work best.  This new-found attitude will help you advance far more quickly. 

If you believe in the concept of failure, you will set yourself up for failure.  This is evidenced by the fears that hold people back from doing what they truly wish they could do.  Fear and failure are tied in to one another.

The best step for advancement in business or career is to conquer the fears that are holding you back.  If you were to take the philosophy that this is the last day of your life, you will become more carefree and willing to dare to do anything that comes your way because there would be nothing to lose. 

Within reason, resolve to try one new scary task or venture today.  It could be as small as calling the CEO of a company or offering to speak in front of a small group.  The outcome may surprise you by how well you accomplish what you thought was previously insurmountable. 

Once the first fearful task that kept you awake at night is completed, success will propel you onward and make you less afraid of the next worrisome item on your list.  Make it a habit once a quarter, month, week or day to try something you secretly had contemplated doing but were afraid to tackle.

Now that you know you can accomplish one previously frightening action with moderate success, and you view the next as a learning experience if it does not quite work out, there is far less to lose and everything to gain.  This is the mindset you will want to attain in order to achieve your greatest success ahead.

Over time, your confidence will greatly increase and little will scare you because you will have learned first-hand, you can achieve what you set your mind to do.  The real fun and true challenge comes when you volunteer to help others achieve their dreams.  At this level, the unknown may appear and you will adeptly handle the situation and demonstrate to others in the group how easily it could be resolved.  By volunteering and being a leader, you will attract an additional clientele.  Your business will soar!

My story

Not too long ago, I was asked to host an internet radio show.  The idea was exciting but at the same time, not being a techie, it was frightening.  The time factor was also a major issue.  With a little encouragement, I said, yes.  It quickly became apparent that editing of my shows was required which again put fear into my heart.  My husband walked me through the process of editing and I was okay again.  The interviews began with people I knew well.  By the fifth interview, I became comfortable and was beginning to have fun with it.

Unfortunately issues beyond my control arose and time became a deciding factor to halt the activity.  I learned a great deal from the experience – how to interview, edit files, and a little bit about new technology.  My time has been freed time up to leap frog over the past misadventure to grasp the next new experience.  My phone rang today…!
 _____________
Elinor Stutz, CEO of Smooth Sale, LLC and author, transformed her highly successful sales career into training entrepreneurs, network marketers and beginning salespeople.  “We help you turn stormy sales cycles into a smooth sale”.              

Smooth sale delivers: 
Original work in the form of professional sales training, licensing, coaching, motivational speaking and a full product line.

Products include:
“Nice Girls Do Get the Sale: Relationship Building That Gets Results”, published by Sourcebooks, “The Sales Toolkit”,  “Smooth Sale Audio Training Seminar” and Entrepreneur Kit – “How to Grow Your Business: Mindset, Strategy and Implementation.  Visit www.smoothsale.net/products.shtml

 “Nice Girls Do Get the Sale” was featured in Time Magazine, translated into multiple languages and is selling worldwide.  Elinor writes a column for Bay Area Businesswoman news and contributes articles to Diversity Edge Magazine.  Visit her blog at www.smoothsale.net/blog/

For more information or free consultation call 800-704-1499 or visit www.smoothsale.net

By Elinor Stutz

What is the difference between Relationship Selling and traditional selling?

Relationship selling begins with changing the old model of “Gotta sell to meet quota no matter what” to “Approach prospects as potential new friends.”

The problem most people face is they make the sales process too complicated. By so doing, they place barriers between themselves and their prospects. The prospective buyer can almost see dollar signs floating out of the business person’s eyes. Once this is sensed, the sale dies.

However, once you make the sales attitude switch, the rest is relatively easy. It actually becomes fun to meet new people, exchange ideas and have a lively conversation to find if there is a potential match to do business.

Let’s take a step-by-step look at how we make friends and translate the strategy to selling:

1. Take an active interest in the other person.

When we initially meet people, we like to know their background, if they are single or married; if married, how many years. We ask what type of work they are in, how they got there, how long they have been in that position. We may ask them what it’s like to work at their company.

If the other person works out of their home, we will ask how long they lived in their home, where they lived previously, and if they have a family. If they have children, we will ask their ages, where the child’s interests lie, and possibly where they might go to college.

There is absolutely no difference when you approach your prospects. Use the exact same process! You will be amazed how well your new prospect takes to you. You will have set yourself apart from your competition, and people will begin to describe you as a breath of fresh air.

Once you take an active interest in your new friends or prospects, they will reciprocate with a keen interest in you. The likelihood of conducting business will increase dramatically.

2. Pursue the relationship.

Once we believe we like the new person that we have just met, we invite them to coffee, a walk, or possibly a movie. In other words, we set the next step for getting to know the other a little bit better.

Likewise, the first business appointment is to learn about each other to see if you want to pursue doing business together. You will have asked each other questions to gain information. Usually in this phase, requests are made of one another to gain insight as to how the other operates and further determine if you are indeed a good match. The next appointment is set to pursue the relationship.

3. Follow-up promptly to keep your new friends.

You may say to your new friend, “I’ll call you on Saturday.” If you don’t call, your new friend will begin to question whether or not you are trustworthy. The exact same thing is true of business relationships.

This is the step where most businesspeople fall down. They feel it’s not worth their time. Contrary to this belief, follow-up is the most critical element for making or breaking a sale.

Follow-up is where you establish credibility and trust with your prospect, and sets in motion the process for doing business. Continual follow-up will help you reap repeat business, referrals and testimonials.

4. Lend a helping hand to your friends.

Readily providing a helping hand will make you a trusted friend and strengthen the bond between you.

In business, help comes in many forms. Becoming an expert in your field to support your clients, and readily sharing your network of experts will also bring you an abundance of business.

5. Show your new-found friend appreciation.

The easiest and most appreciated step in relationship building is to say “Thank you”. Everyone appreciates a word of thanks. Take every opportunity you have to say “Thank you” to your prospects and clients.

By showing your appreciation at every turn, you will again increase the likelihood of gaining business, larger sales, repeat business, referrals and testimonials. You will be building a dynamic business and have conquered the 5 keys to relationship selling.

In my experience, the ultimate relationship selling experience is when your prospect
asks permission to purchase from you. This comes about when your prospect has come to trust you and enjoy your friendship. As my experience has evolved, I have come to enjoy this type of Smooth Sale and it is a joyous one.

Elinor Stutz, CEO of Smooth Sale, LLC and Author, teaches entrepreneurs, network marketers and salespeople how to build a dynamic business.

Smooth Sale Delivers:
Original work in the form of Professional Sales Training, Licensing, Coaching, Motivational Speaking and a full Product Line.

Elinor’s book, “Nice Girls DO Get The Sale” translated into multiple languages and sells worldwide. Elinor contributes articles to Diversity Edge Magazine. Visit her blog at www.smoothsale.net/blog/

For more information or a free 20 minute consultation call 800-704-1499.
Visit www.smoothsale.net and sign up for her Sales Tips e-zine.

What you need to know about employer responsibility.

By Rene Beaulieu

Violence in the workplace refers to more than just physical aggression between employees. It can include a broad range of behaviors that endanger the health and well being of any one who visits the workplace, including outsiders such as clients and suppliers.

Threats, stalking and destruction of property are all considered to be forms of violence in varying degrees. If they are not addressed appropriately, any of these examples may eventually escalate to physical violence.

Legal experts confirm that employers have both a regulatory and moral obligation to provide a workplace free from violence, or the threat of violence. This responsibility extends to anyone else who visits the workplace.2

Recent changes to legislation across North America have permitted the courts to find negligence, and in one case, criminal negligence, when employers fail to provide a safe environment. Failing to take action against work place violence has removed years of profits from the bottom lines of businesses large and small.

In a survey of workplace violence carried out by the Bureau of Labor Statistics1 5.3% of the respondents in private industry recorded an incident of workplace violence in 2005. Of these, 35.5% reported that the incident had a negative impact on their employees. Unbelievably, more than 89% of those who reported violence did not change their policies or procedures subsequent to the event.

Legal experts strongly agree that it is extremely difficult to successfully defend litigation or insurance claims where there are no policies or procedures on violence. It is even more difficult where there is precedent established such as when an incident has already taken place within your organization or within your industry. Statistics related to violence in the same industry will be used to establish what each employer in the industry should know and respond to.

In order to discharge their responsibilities for due diligence, management must take four actions:

1. Communicate

Communication, whether it is verbal or non-verbal, is the most important component of any peacekeeping strategy. It isn’t just the first step towards preventing violence; it is the foundation of every step that follows.

a. Inform your staff of your commitment to preventing violence. To do this, create a clear policy that defines violence and the consequences of violent behavior. Ensure that your employees are kept up-to-date on all your organization’s violence related policies and procedures.

b. Open the lines of communication both ways. Make certain that your employees have the means to report incidents of violence when they occur, and that they feel safe approaching management with their concerns. Your staff should also be given the opportunity to make suggestions on how to improve the safety of the workplace.

2. Monitor

As working conditions change, and clients and staff members come and go, the potential that violence could occur in the workplace is affected as well. Employers must carefully monitor both the environment and the procedure by which employees do their work, and learn to identify warning signs that a client, intruder or supplier may become violent.

a.  Identify risk factors within the workplace: Consulting a security professional to assess the potential for violence in your workplace is the best way to obtain detailed and complete information on which methods of protection are best suited to your workplace environment. A certified professional can quickly and economically perform a threat assessment and recommend a course of action that is tailored to your specific needs. With this knowledge, you can implement the appropriate measures the first time, saving valuable company resources.

After an initial assessment, risk assessments should be carried out regularly, and they should also be performed whenever the routine or physical layout of the workplace undergoes a significant change. An assessment should involve all employees, and can include group discussions, individual interviews or surveys, visual inspections and reviews of previous incidents.3

b.  Keep and Review Records: Reports of both violent and potentially violent incidents, as well as the results of assessments should all be documented in an organized fashion, and saved for analysis. By keeping and reviewing records, employers are more likely to identify trends and potential hazards.

c.  Consider incidents that have taken place in similar workplace environments: Don’t repeat mistakes that have already been made by someone else. Employers should understand the risks associated with their line of work, and keep track of current events in organizations like their own. Your local police department, your insurer, security professionals and your occupational health and safety enforcement agency are all good sources of information.

3. Plan

Once the potential risks of a particular workplace have been identified, preventative measures must be put in place to address them.

a. Develop preventative measures: These can involve changes or additions to company procedures or the physical layout of the workplace. Ensure that evacuation routes are clear and easily accessible, and consider designating an employee safe room or safe area that can be used in a lock-down situation.

Security systems can help to reduce workplace violence, but they need to be the right ones for your environment. Many organizations rely on cameras to ensure their security. However, cameras are a reactive tool, and in many cases they aren’t of use until after a violent event has already taken place. Similarly, entry screening can also be useful, but may not be ideal to your circumstances. Finding the right choice within the myriad of possible solutions comes down to one issue: expertise.

b. Train your staff: Give your employees violence related training and education on policies and procedures specific to your company. This should include how to recognize warning signs of violence, how to avoid and defuse a potentially violent situations and what to do when violence occurs.

c. Prepare for emergencies: By creating an emergency plan, you can drastically reduce the time that it takes to respond to and resolve problems when they occur. Designate a group of responsible employees with the knowledge and training needed to take charge when a situation arises. Ensure that your employees know who to call in an emergency, when to contact the authorities and how to do so.

4. Take Action

Once all of the necessary preparations have been made, management must be capable of acting on its commitment to preventing violence in the workplace. In order to meet the final requirement for due diligence, management must address all violent acts, potentially violent situations and reports of violence as efficiently and effectively as possible.

a. Investigate reports of violence and potential violence: It is important to investigate all reports of violence quickly, but do so with caution. If an investigation is carried out in an inappropriate or unethical manner, it can lead to serious legal ramifications. Management should decide in advance whether investigations should be handled externally, by service providers, or internally, by employees with special training.3

b. Providing assistance: When an incident of violence has occurred, the most immediate concern should be providing those present with any support that they need, such as medical attention, therapy and compensation.

In looking for a security professional to assist in developing preventative measures and putting them into action, it is important to seek out the right credentials. Personnel certified by ASIS, the largest security qualification organization in the world, are trained professionals. ASIS credentials have been recognized by the Department of Homeland Security under the SAFETY Act. Look for a Certified Protection Professional (CPP) or a Physical Security Professional (PSP) qualification.

In order to determine how to best apply the foregoing principles to your circumstance, input from an ASIS certified professional is available. Visit our website at www.Securaglobe.com to contact us and learn more.

Sources:

1. Survey of Workplace Violence Prevention 2005. Bureau of Labour Statistics, Department of Labor http://www.bls.gov/iif/oshwc/osch0033.pdf
2. ASIS International (2005) Workplace Violence Prevention and Response Guideline. Alexandria, VA: ASIS International.
3. Violence in the Workplace Prevention Guide, 3rd Edition. (2008) Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. Canadian Centre for Occupationa

Visit www.wardspeaking.com.

By Bob Brumm

How do you increase your value as a person? Personal Development. For some personal development is reading, for some it is networking, for many it is a combination of these.   I wanted to give 5 quick tips for personal development.

1. Attitude - Every day, each one of us has a choice as soon as we hear our alarm clock. What is your choice or should I say reaction, response or attitude? Each day we are granted on this earth I believe is a privilege. Each day we get a brand new chance to make something better, correct things that didn’t work from previous days or even make things worse.  We each control our own attitude.  As Eleanor Roosevelt said “No one can make you feel bad, without your permission”.  How our day starts, progresses and finishes based on our attitude.  Events will happen every day to us.  We cannot control some events. Our reaction or attitude towards that event determines the outcome of those events. If someone cuts you off in traffic and you chase them down and start yelling and escalating the situation, you may end up lost, hurt or worse.  Take a moment, step away from your initial, gut reaction and think about what reaction will best benefit you in this situation. We are in control of our attitude, not the event.

2. G.I.G.O. - You may have heard of this before in a computer reference, Garbage In, Garbage Out. This applies to our personal development as well. If we are always filling our mind with negative news from the media or brain numbing TV shows, what type of results do you think this makes?  No good results.  If you have any amount of time in your car for a daily commute, what are you listening to?  Use this time for greatness! Perhaps educational purposes instead of hearing the negative daily news stories.  If we look at the acronym differently: Greatness In, Greatness Out, perhaps we can change what we put in to begin with.  If we want to be great, we need great information and knowledge coming into our brain.  We don’t get to be great by watching Sponge Bob Square Pants or Jerry Springer.  Exercise your mind and fill it with good information about topics you enjoy.

3. Personal Communication - What are we telling ourselves? This hinges on the last point.  To be great, we need to realize we can overcome obstacles and achieve our goals. We also need to take action towards our goals.  However, if we don’t remind ourselves or keep telling ourselves that we can achieve our goals, you won’t get very far.  Do you have something you “have always wanted to do”? Why haven’t you done it?  Perhaps you have been saying to yourself, you can’t so that for some reason. Ask Yourself Why Not? It is OK to talk to yourself as long as you don’t answer yourself.  Personal communication is a form of personal motivation or personal coaching that allows us to achieve our potential. Sometimes when I run, I keep telling myself, one more block, one more lap etc. It allows me to go past my current comfort zone and go further than I initially believed I could. The results are great.  I see that I was able to go further towards or exceeding my goal and that is always a great feeling.

4. How We affect others - As part of any personal development we need to realize we are not alone in this world. We can’t do everything alone. We need help and we need to associate and communicate with other people. Our attitude and what we have achieved or what we tell ourselves does have an affect on others.  If you keep hearing bad news all day and your attitude towards your day is bad, how you effect, interact and appear to others will not be good.  You see this all the time if you ask people how they are.  Most people will respond with the exhausted Monday comment like “it’s Monday” on Monday but by Friday they are happy and their response is a jovial “Well it’s Friday”.  We need to remember that everyday is a gift.  Everyday I am on the green side of the grass allows me to keep a great attitude, and this gets expressed to others. When we are smiling and pleasant we are approachable and we can help people and learn things with others.  This is a great source for developing your networking skills.  Try going to a networking event with a negative attitude and see how many people you meet.  Then try it with a positive, happy intrigued attitude and see what the results are.

5. Visualization - I believe in the power of visualization of my goal as part of my personal development. I visualize the goal I have and myself in a scenario of that goal being accomplished.  This allows me to look backwards and see what obstacles I need to overcome or see things I may not have thought of during or before my journey.  Visualization also gives me the feeling of satisfaction before I have completed the goal so I know what it will feel, sound and be like to accomplish that goal. So when I achieve my goal, I “have previous experience” and my reaction is more natural.  We can visualize anything we want, peace of mind in a tranquil setting, a new car, a bigger house, achieving business goals or bank account totals.  This is part of Personal development so YOU get to visualize what YOU want. As Robert Collier said “Visualize the thing you want. See it, feel it, believe in it. Make your mental blue print, and begin it.”

Enjoy your life, who’s life is it anyway?

Bob Brumm - Speaker, Author, Encouragement Engineer

Being Remarkably Unique Mastering Motivation

www.bobbrumm.com

For information about Habla Blog and Ward & Associates Professional Development, visit us at www.wardspeaking.com.

By Martha Galindo

There was little real analysis given to how the culture itself would change as a result of these actions. Nor did corporations see clearly how this was only the starting gun in a transformation of American business life. There was an aura of benign paternalism about the effort. How narrow such a vision now seems and how naïve. But when both sponsors and supposed beneficiaries pushed back it became clear that not only were the days of de facto and overt exclusion numbered but the days in which conditional inclusion by the kindly powers-that-be were growing short as well. Noblesse oblige was not going to cut it.

We have come a long way from those conditions and from that ingenuous definition of diversity. Very quickly the definition came to include women, national and ethnic minorities, gays and lesbians. Now every major company has diversity departments and affinity groups whose input is actively sought by learning departments and Human Resources. But despite the globalization of business, and the seemingly obvious lessons that inexorable trend should teach, such a definition is still too narrow.

Another major demographic trend is gradually bringing yet another once invisible minority into the light.

Just as once the corporate world was the bastion of white males, it is now a place distinguished by a single language - English. But the world outside speaks many languages and companies increasingly realize those languages make their own distinctive contributions. And yes, these languages also indicate many new markets.

Every company that seeks to serve a market, whether domestic or foreign, in

which a language other than English is predominant, has learned to present its products or services in the favored language. It’s simple. We talk to the market in its language and customs and preferences. And the market rewards such courtesy and respect. Why are most internal corporate websites only in English? Or e-learning?

This perspective is not contemplating a corporate culture that operates like a UN assembly in which every meeting requires the services of professional translators.

We only need to learn the lesson of the Tower of Babel once. English will continue to be the lingua franca of business. But accommodation of other important languages in recruiting, orientation, training, and internal communications seems only reasonable in a diverse workplace that values diversity. This is true whether those employees speak Spanish primarily and work in a US location or speak Mandarin or Cantonese and work in China.

If diversity truly is a value in and of itself then diversity of language is no more outside the bounds of a useful definition than any other characteristic. Language professionals with multicultural exposure are a key element in the success of diversity and multicultural initiatives in the US. And companies that welcome and continuously communicate with their employees and customers whose primary language is other than English in their own languages will lead the way (and reap the rewards) of sharing language rather than imposing it.

Martha E. Galindo, President and CEO of Galindo Publicidad, Inc.

A multilingual translations agency, selected twice as

a Florida 100 company. Author of “How Do You Say…?”

an eNewsletter designed to help you improve your

business communications in other languages,

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By Gerard Tannam

In a previous post, we suggested that the brand represents the relationship between a business and its customer.

But does the word ‘relationship’ imply something too deep and meaningful? Not necessarily.

In fact, the buyer-seller relationship can be fleeting or long lasting, constant or occasional, shallow or profound.

We’re likely to enjoy a very different type of connection with our toothpaste than we do with our solicitor, or with our hotel than we do with our power-tool. We choose brands for all sorts of purposes and it’s key that our brand reflects the type of relationship that matches the needs of our customer at a particular place and time.

In terms of valuing the business relationship, it can be useful to look at how brands can move the relationship from the cosmetic to a more deep-seated place and enable the business-owner to enjoy greater returns on the exchange:

• Brand As Uniform: (“That looks right – I recognise it and can count on it”) This takes the short but important step from simply identifying the maker and speaks about a certain organisation and standard of production (including ingredient and method) that leads to a predictable outcome for the customer. Think of how shop-owners often dress their business in the uniform of their trade: the butcher with striped apron and awning, the chemist with green cross, pestle & mortar and white laboratory coat, and the barber with red, white & blue-striped pole and head and shoulder photographs.
• Brand As Label: (“I’d rather have that – it has a certain style that I admire”) Here the producer makes claims regarding the nature of what’s produced, and attempts to move beyond familiarity to personal preference. Consider the retail outlets of the major mobile operators, each of which promises a very different kind of experience (whilst the functional offer remains largely the same) as examples of this kind of branding.
• Brand As Reputation: (“I’ve heard good things about it – lots of others can’t be wrong”) The marks the point at which the business begins to stand for something said by the buyer rather than simply claimed by the seller. Businesses that traditionally rely on testimonial and word-of-mouth, such as restaurants, solicitors and accountants are brands that work in this way.
• Brand As Goodwill: (“I like it and I want it to do well”) This moves beyond reputation and sees the buyer wish the seller well and offer something back to the seller (e.g. the promise of future purchase or referrals) that goes beyond the terms of the buyer-seller contract. Think of the type of businesses that you want to see prosper and will happily pay a premium to use or go out of your way to help or recommend. Those who sell their produce at farmer’s markets or are seen to represent a community in some way often enjoy this type of goodwill.
• Brand As Badge: (“It’s to be admired and being seen with it makes me admirable too”) This sees the buyer declaring their choice of product to the world in the belief that this says something about their own personal judgement, loyalties or beliefs. Depending on what you want to portray, your choice of baby food, holiday destination or even professional adviser can be seen to reflect well or badly on you.
• Brand As Tribe: (“I like to be with other people who feel the same way I do about the brand”) Here the buyer unites with others who share their choice of brand and, they believe, their taste, loyalty and beliefs. Just watch any close-knit group of friends or colleagues to see which brands draw them together: sometimes it’s the cars they drive, the push-chair they transport baby in or the coffee-shop they visit.
• Brand As Religion: (“I’m inspired by and try to live up to the values of my brand”) For some, the worldview of the brand represents a philosophy or set of values by which they might lead their lives. Few brands make it this far, but leading players in online search, music-players and adventure clothing inspire their customers to a distinctive attitude and way of life.

As we trace the progress of brand from uniform to religion, see how the significance of the brand is first asserted by the seller, then by the buyer, then by the tribe and finally by the society.

Using this ranking as a reference, ask yourself: What level of relationship am I looking to establish with my customer?

Gerard Tannam is Managing Partner of Islandbridge Brand Development www.Islandbridge.com, an Irish company offering a practical, hands-on approach to brand building for business.

Whilst Islandbridge work with large and international businesses, many of their clients are in the small & medium sector, and their distinctive approach is designed to help business-owners make the most of their efforts and resources.

Gerard contributes regularly to discussions on branding and communications both in Ireland and across the world, mentors with Enterprise Ireland (the national development agency), sits on the Invent Expert Panel at Dublin City University and actively networks with other business owners both on and off line.

He blogs elsewhere at http://openheartbranding.blogspot.com and welcomes feedback and enquiries at Gerard@Islandbridge.com

For more information on Branding, Marketing, or Networking visit us at www.wardspeaking.com.

By Gerard Tannam

I’m often asked what a brand is, but first, I think it’s more important to find out what a brand does.

The most important thing a brand does is make you the natural choice of your customer. But there are other benefits too.

A strong brand: 

• Stands out – and gives you a real point-of-difference.
• Makes connections – bringing you close to your customers.
• Levels the playing field – enabling you to compete with rivals who have bigger fists or deeper pockets.
• Plays to your strengths - rather than those of your competitors.
• Inspires confidence – offering your customers reassurance that you’re the right choice.
• Inspires loyalty – giving your customers every reason to buy from you again.
• Inspires you – helping you speak eloquently and stand tall in your market.

As for what a brand is, there are as many definitions as there are branding specialists. One thing we’re all agreed on is that branding is about people. At Islandbridge, when we listen to family and friends enthusing about a brand they love or griping about one they hate, it strikes us that people talk about brands in much the same way as they talk about the important people in their lives.

That suggests to us that a brand stands for the relationship between buyer and seller, the business and its customer. One good thing about this way of looking at brand is that it means everyone can join the conversation (because everyone’s an expert on everyone else’s relationships, right?). The language of relationships isn’t specialist, it’s social.

So set about building the relationship between your business and your customers and use your brand to frame what you say to them and do for them.

Because that’s what a brand’s for. 

Gerard Tannam is Managing Partner of Islandbridge Brand Development www.Islandbridge.com, an Irish company offering a practical, hands-on approach to brand building for business. 

Whilst Islandbridge work with large and international businesses, many of their clients are in the small & medium sector, and their distinctive approach is designed to help business-owners make the most of their efforts and resources. 

Gerard contributes regularly to discussions on branding and communications both in Ireland and across the world, mentors with Enterprise Ireland (the national development agency), sits on the Invent Expert Panel at Dublin City University and actively networks with other business owners both on and off line. 

He blogs elsewhere at http://openheartbranding.blogspot.com and welcomes feedback and enquiries at Gerard@Islandbridge.com

For more information on Branding, Marketing, or Networking, visit us at www.wardspeaking.com.