WORD CHOICEStop Saying “Should”
“I should really work out tonight,” “I should talk to more strangers at trade shows,” “I should fill out Brain Squad surveys.” “Should” implies reluctance and guilt. Start saying “want” instead, recommends Sonja Lyubomirsky, author of The How of Happiness. The positive language will help you prioritize what you really want to be doing — and it can help you see healthy business behaviors in a motivating way.
COMMUNICATIONFeel Factor
Writes former Raytheon CEO Bill Swanson in The CEO’s Secret Handbook: “You remember a third of what you read, a half of what people tell you, but 100 percent of what you feel.” When communicating with your staff, your goal is not to tell or teach people what to do, but to make them feel what they need to do.
LISTENINGIs That So?
In The Patterson Principles of Selling, Jeffrey Gitomer suggests training yourself to be a better listener by asking a question at the end of your customers’ statements. If you make your own statement, it’s possible you were interrupting. But if you ask a question, you almost have to wait until they’re finished speaking.
ADVERTISINGBoast Location
Outside a major city and trying to compete with the big boys? Turn your location into a competitive advantage in your ads, like one suburban used-car dealer profiled in Entrepreneur Magazine did … using the phrase “We’re just 16 minutes south of higher prices” in all of its advertising.
SOCIAL MEDIALive From the Floor of Superzoo …
Thanks to social media, everyone can be a correspondent today. It’s a role the staff at Cool Dog Gear in Pennsylvania have gleefully accepted, beaming back Facebook Live posts from every trade show they attend. “We find a cool item and do a little infomercial right then and there with the manufacturing rep telling us all about the item — “And coming soon to Cool Dog Gear!” explains co-owner Sue Hepner. “By the time we get back from the show there are already customers waiting to buy it!”
MORALEHappy Staff, Happy Life
In the spirit of Peter Drucker’s dictum that the most powerful question you can ask staff is how you can help them do their jobs better, each employee at Just For Paws in St. Charles, IL, is offered a “wish list” that allows them to choose items to enhance the work environment. “We supply them with top-of-the-line equipment. Our employees get to work in a clean, aesthetically pleasing environment. Happy employees establish an efficient business,” says owner John Webb.
PERSONAL SPACECreate A Shrine
Need a pick-me-up? Jim Krause, author of Creative Sparks, suggests creating a small “personal shrine” in your office space. Include things that are important and relevant to you: a book that taught you something, a few trinkets, a picture or two, and anything else that inspires you. Spend a moment each day in quiet thought with your shrine. Use it to get yourself into the zone for another day of wow-ing customers.
REPETITIONBetter Off Blue
Ever have a subject that you’ve talked about until you’re “blue in the face?” And figured it was time to give up because it didn’t seem to be having an effect on anyone? Well, don’t stop. Bob Nelson, author of 365 Ways to Manage Better, says that it’s often just when you’re getting tired of saying a message over and over that it starts to take hold. Repeat the message until you start hearing it back from your employees. Then you’ll know it has sunk in.
THE HUMAN BRAINSqueeze! Release!
This next tip may sound a bit odd, but work with us here as it’s doctor approved. The nodding doctor is Allen Bradon, author of Learn Faster and Remember More, who suggests bringing a tennis ball to the office. When reading documents, squeeze the ball in your right hand. This will stimulate the left side of your brain, which processes words. If it’s blueprints or instructions with diagrams, switch to your left hand. Stimulating the brain’s right side helps with visualizing and spatial relationships.