Who Else Wants To Love What They Do?

Who Else Wants To Love What They Do?
It's a question we ask ourselves from time to time. Do I
really love what I'm doing? Do I even like my chosen path?
The keyword here is choice. Whether you're an entrepreneur
or a business leader, the business path you're on is
largely due to the choices you've made. You're thinking,
that may be true, but now I feel stuck.

Where To Start

Begin by asking: What are my strengths? What do I really
like to do?

This sounds good on paper, but how is that really going to
alter my reality? These two questions are simply the seeds
of an approach that will help you examine and change your
situation in real time each and every day.

How To Increase Your Choices

You are going to explore your peak experiences. These are
moments when we're at our best. I know it sounds mushy, but
remember you are trying to change your work trajectory so
it may mean navigating unfamiliar ground.

According to renowned psychologist, Abraham Maslow, peak
experiences make us feel as if we have a sense of purpose.
This new awareness can help you maximize your opportunities
and choices because over time you'll become clearer on what
you do or don't want.

How To Recognize Peak Experiences

1. What you're doing feels effortless and enjoyable.

2. No stress

3. Time passes quickly.

4. You are fully absorbed in what you're doing.

5. You have great clarity with what you're involved in.

Start identifying these experiences. As you become more
aware of them, the more clear the route to building your
business life around them will become. Keep in mind, at
first these types of experiences may not seem as if they
could be directly related to business.

Peak moments can be as simple as appreciating a beautiful
sunset, which could relate to a career or business
involving spending time outdoors. Another approach would be
recognizing when time spent with certain people leaves you
feeling refreshed and rejuvenated. Pay attention to their
personalities, and what you happen to learn from them. This
may have implications for your new business path.

Four Ways To Get Started Doing What You Love

1. Practice becoming aware of your peak experiences.

You may already love the business you're in, although maybe
you don't connect with the people on your team. You have
the control to change companies or if you're the owner, you
may need to examine your team and how they align with your
goals. Have a trusted advisor coach your progress and
results. Be accountable for making changes.

2. Start to jot your peak moments down.

Keep track and keep them visible. Over time, things will
start to click for you. Entrepreneurs may want to
incorporate changes into their business plan. If you're at
the helm of a start up, then you can begin ahead of the
game.

3. Integrate them into your business life.

Create a plan to build your peak experiences into your
work. Look at where you're passions and expertise overlap.
This is a good place to start.

4. Consider writing out your work-life vision.

You don't have a documented business plan that aligns with
your life? Don't worry you're not alone. Start with a half
page and then add on to create a plan that will get you
there. However, you must apply your plan.

My Suggestion: Post these tips on your fridge, desk, or on
your car dash as a reminder until it becomes a habit.

The Big Message here is to get on your way to creating a
business path that you love, or at the very least, enjoy.

----------------------------------------------------
Diana Keith, owner of M-Level Systems Consulting, works
with entrepreneurs and business leaders who want to Make
Their Vision a Reality. Get Diana's Free Strategy Guide For
Success at her website, http://www.mlevelsystems.com

Three Key Characteristics of Entrepreneurial Women

Three Key Characteristics of Entrepreneurial Women
In my earlier article, I explored the rise of
entrepreneurship among women, and what the definition means
to employed women and business owners alike. Drawing on my
coaching experience with women entrepreneurs I'd like to
follow on with the three key characteristics I frequently
see amongst this enterprising group.

Three Key Characteristics of Entrepreneurial Women

In my experience working with dozens of entrepreneurial
women, the characteristics that set them apart are a
willingness to take risks, a high value on flexibility and
resolute tenacity. Risk- taking is an element of any
working woman's life, the degree of those risks is what
sets entrepreneurial women apart. Deciding to leave paid
employment is the first of many risks, and one too great
for many women.

Statistically, women's businesses grow at a slower pace and
start with smaller amounts of capital than businesses
started by men. Women tend to be more risk-averse and will
often use savings or loans secured against their homes to
finance a business rather than go to bank or venture
capital investors. Starting small is not as problematic for
many women who start in consultancy or the service sector,
which accounts for nearly half of all businesses in the UK
started by women. However, is can be problematic for those
in manufacturing or other industries that are capital-
intensive. Entrepreneurial women research their options,
but still take calculated risks.

Interestingly, the main factor that motivates women
business owners is not financial gain, as many would
assume, but independence. In my experience this often
translates into not just doing things your own way, but
also on your own time scale. Most women who start their own
businesses know they will work longer hours, but it will be
on their schedule. This is vital for working mothers in
particular, and is borne out by the evidence that the key
years for women to create businesses are in their late 30's
- often childbearing years. Women I work with often cite
being able to pick up sick children from school, attend
sports days as well as take time off during school
holidays. One business woman I know with a 7-figure
turnover works relentlessly for her clients throughout the
year but takes each and every term break off as well as the
entire month of August to be with her children.

Lastly, entrepreneurial women are tenacious. Ignoring
naysayers is an early challenge as not everyone will be
encouraging. Pessimism, often in the guise of well-meaning
advice, can kill a business in its early stages and
ignoring this when things are rough is one of the first
lessons any successful entrepreneur learns. They show a
willingness to keep trying, tweaking products or services
until they fit the market perfectly. Tenacity does not mean
blind optimism; it means a willingness to change a product
or presentations until it is right using both guidance as
well as intuition.

Thinking about Entrepreneurship?

1. What do you think are the key characteristics of women
who set up their own businesses?

2. Which characteristics do you have?

3. What would you love to do with your life if you could
not fail?

----------------------------------------------------
To find out more and add your comments, please visit
http://www.doylemorris.com

Why Joint Venture Marketing Has Been Coined The SMARTEST & FASTEST Way To Grow Any Business.

Why Joint Venture Marketing Has Been Coined The SMARTEST & FASTEST Way To Grow Any Business.
The term Joint Venture or JV is one that is being thrown
around a lot online nowadays but having read many books
written by so called Joint Venture experts it becomes
obvious that most people are missing the full extent to
which JV's can be used to add profit to a business. Most of
these experts will tell you that a joint venture is when
one company mails an offer to their customer database
promoting the product or services of another company and
receives a commission for any sales that result. This form
of JV is also known as a host-beneficiary offer, a phrase
coined by Jay Abraham.

In reality Joint venture marketing can be so much more. A
joint venture is any marketing promotion that involves 2 or
more organisations for mutual gain. If you were to walk in
to any McDonalds store today you would find multiple JV's
in action. Take a look at their kids' meal and you will
probably find a toy from a company looking to promote their
toy brand or latest movie.

When you expand your thinking you instantly expand your
opportunities to profit from JV's.

Lets look at a few of the benefits you can enjoy by
including joint venture marketing tactics into your
marketing mix.

1. JV's can be used to bring more customers to your
business. Customers who are already presold on the benefits
of your company so they only want to buy from you. When
your JV partner endorses and promotes your product or
service to people who know and trust their business you get
instant customers who want to buy from you.

2. JV's can allow you to tap in to thousands possibly even
millions of dollars of other peoples advertising capital.
Your JV partner has invested a fortune into his/her
business to obtain the customer following they have. When
they promote your business to their database you get
instant access to that valuable investment.

3. The right JV will add additional revenue streams to your
business requiring no additional work or investment on your
part. You can offer your JV partners products and services
to your customers and receive a share in the sales. The
money you earn is pure profit from day 1.

4. Joint venture marketing allows your business to obtain
leverage from the resources of other businesses.

5. JV's let you capitalize on your businesses hidden assets.

6. Your business gains added credibility, instantly when
associated with winning businesses.

7. You can grow your business significantly without
spending a single cent on traditional advertising.

8. You gain greater control over customers purchasing
habits allowing you to control your businesses downtimes.

9. JV relationships are a great way to separate yourself
from the competition and establish your business as a
market leader. The most powerful leg up you can give your
business is to do something totally different because when
your business is unique then by definition there is no
competition!

10. JV's can be used to encourage your customers to spend
more money - more often.

11. Low cost advertising. Traditional advertising can be
expensive. Joint venture marketing can save you that
expense by letting you promote your business for FREE.

12. Fast, effective, results driven advertising. Joint
venture marketing is a direct response marketing method,
which drives immediate results.

13. Wholesale Advertising. Cash is the only form of trade
in traditional advertising but joint venture marketing lets
you give away samples of your product or service to get new
customers so your only cost is the wholesale value.

14. Increase profit by creating an 'Incredible experience'
which drives referrals and word of mouth advertising.
Giving away gifts and running generous promotions gets
people talking, and recommending your business, another
FREE advertising method!

15. Increase customer loyalty dramatically. People will
naturally feel loyal to people and businesses that 'look
after them' and give massive value.

16. Decrease your customer acquisition cost. Joint venture
marketing gets new customers to your business at a fraction
of the cost you'd expect to pay in traditional advertising.

These are only some of the benefits.... they're endless!

----------------------------------------------------
If you would like to arrange some Joint Ventures to promote
business you should take out a FREE listing with
1000legs.com. This online networking site will help you
connect with potential JV partners. Go to
http://www.1000legs.com
For an in depth look at the various JV strategies you can
employ to promote your business I highly recommend the book
The 3 Way Win. Go to
http://www.the3waywin.com/marketingproducts.ag.php for more
information.

Attention Leaders: Tired of Being in Crisis Mode?

Attention Leaders: Tired of Being in Crisis Mode?
Crisis situations can define who you are as a leader. Even
so, the ability to handle a crisis is chickenfeed compared
to the skills involved with preventing one. This valuable
expertise separates great leaders from their counterparts
and starts with Six Strategic Success Habits every leader
needs to know.

Why do some leaders make it, yet others get left behind? Is
leadership simply about your capacity to handle or prevent
a crisis? Absolutely not: there's another big reason to
consider.

You Have No System to Handle Change

The problems and implications of not having a system to
handle change are vast. You're always playing catching up,
feel like the business is running you, and are without
enough time to focus on what's important.

Let's first look at three common ways leaders react to
change:

How do you handle change? Which apply to you and your
people?

Crisis Mode: You are in and out of crisis mode, coasting
without any kind of system. You spend a lot of time putting
out fires, and wondering why the problem was not caught
sooner.

Problem Focused: You are concerned and usually implement
short-term solutions or band-aid problems. However, your
solutions are not directed at the root cause or eliminating
future problems, so you often see them resurface again.

Strategic-Success Focused: You have a focused vision, build
on to what you know, and put it into action. You evaluate,
strategize, redirect, and then proceed.

The big difference between the Strategic-Success Focused
leader and the others is they have already made change a
habit. This leader has imprinted a clear and effective
system for predicting and managing change into their
business and team.

Strategic-Success Focused leaders don't have one crisis
after another

Instead, they create a system to handle change. This allows
them to focus on what's really important, whether its
driving revenue, creating new products or services,
mentoring others, or enjoying the lifestyle their position
has afforded them.

Why is this so important?

Because without a way to keep your business and team on
track through an environment of change, you'll continue to
waste a lot of time, money, and valuable energy on
reinventing the wheel anytime something unexpected comes up.

Next, a cycle of problems seems to begin. The first of
which is, how do you end the cycle? Where do you start?

Start with your mindset.

The best way to begin is to transform your mindset from
that of crisis mode or problem focused to more of a
Strategic-Success Focus with the following Six Success
Habits:

Go ahead, mimic the Strategic-Success Focused leader:

1. Make change a habit.

Strategically plan when it's needed, not just once a year.
Use strategy as an ongoing living tool to evaluate and
redirect your resources for the greatest impact.

2. Prepare for change.

Hard-wire your decision-making methods to extend beyond
present circumstances and forward into future
considerations. Keep asking, what will happen next, until
you have a set of favorable possibilities. Predicting the
future is unlikely, although you can increase your
decision-making success rate with a strategic review of
possible outcomes.

3. Get excited by change.

Leave behind stalling statements like Yeah but, and replace
them with pioneering phrases such as What if? Launch
strategic change from a position of partnership across all
levels of the organization.

4. Drive growth through change.

When you hear a good idea that will lead to the results
you're after, implement it. When you see something working
in your business or department, ask how it happened. Always
be thinking about the next step.

5. Create smart systems to handle change.

Automate and simplify what's working. If it's not working,
ask your subject matter experts (employees) to create a
system to streamline and update changes so that routine
work is highly efficient. This helps save time and money,
and redirects profits upwards. Money spent on doing routine
work a different way each time is being wasted.

6. Imprint change as one of your most effective patterns of
success.

As a leader, share your vision with your people. Create a
visionary memory system so vast that knowledge and
understanding are connected throughout your organization
and teams.

The Big Message here is to acknowledge where you and your
people are in regard to change. Are you ahead of the game
every time?

My suggestion: Set a plan in motion to transform your
business and team into one that gets extraordinary results
amidst change or any challenging backdrop.

----------------------------------------------------
Diana Keith, owner of M-Level Systems Consulting, has been
using her expertise to create high performance
organizations and teams for eighteen years. See her website
http://www.mlevelsystems.com for valuable resources and
programs to get amazing results through your people. Get
Diana's Free Strategy Guide For Success.

Top 10 tips for handling difficult employees

Top 10 tips for handling difficult employees
It has been said that there is no such thing as difficult
employees, only ineffective managers, but I've yet to meet
anyone who believes that's true. In the end, if people want
to be difficult that's there choice, but recognizing that
the way we manage such people is part of the mix here's a
selection of tried and tested techniques:

Look for the cause. We don't generally recruit known cynics
or troublemakers, so if someone is proving to be a
difficult employee the first step might be to understand
what has happened in their view to cause this behaviour.

Deal with performance not person. A great trick if you can
pull it off and not easy in emotional situations, but try
to deal with what the person does rather than get tangled
up in the sort of person they are. The next tip will help.

Be descriptive not evaluative. When giving feedback, offer
your observations of what actually happened and the
consequences rather than judging things as good, bad or
otherwise. People can't argue with the facts but they can
argue against your judgements.

Don't comment on attitude. Attitude must be the most
subjective term used at work. Every one of us believes that
our own attitude is useful and appropriate or we would
change it, so telling someone they have the wrong attitude
is pointless. Describing what they did and the results that
ensued will prove much more productive.

Deal with problems while they're small. If someone does
something that irritates you or upsets the team the time to
deal with it is there and then. In fairness, people often
don't realism the effects of their actions and unless we
point things out, the unhelpful behaviour takes root.

Don't take sides. If a member of your team asks you to deal
with a problem with another member of staff say that you'll
look into it and get back to them. Don't agree that "X is a
real problem and we need to straighten him out". This could
come back to haunt you later on and besides you'll gain
more respect from everyone by your professional approach.

Deal with things in private. At some stage you and your
difficult employee are going to need to have a
conversation. This must absolutely be done in private if
you're to have any chance of getting back on an even keel.
Many of the previous tips are designed to help you avoid
storing things up until you lose your temper and blurt out
your frustrations in front of everybody.

Consider the wider team. As Mr Spock used to say in Star
Trek, "The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few
and of the one." When we have difficulties with one member
of staff it can be easy for them to soak up all our energy
and attention and neglect our other team members.

Don't sweep problems under the carpet. There's no point
placing the problem person in some half-baked project role
or inventing some other non-job to get them out of the way.
Small businesses simply can't accommodate the costs of this
tactic and large organizations should think carefully about
the messages this sends

Be prepared to cut your losses. Robert Holden says that
"it's awful when people quit and go, but it's worse when
they quit and stay!" If somebody really refuses to change
their ways despite your best efforts, it may be better for
both parties to go their separate ways.

Coach, coach, coach

On a more positive note, why not see if you can turn your
problem performers into your stars! Sit down with them and
talk about what's going on. Find out what the problems are
and see what can be done. See if you can discover new ways
in which they might contribute and even consider offering
more responsibility further down the line if things
improve. I've met many "poachers turned gamekeepers" in my
time.

----------------------------------------------------
Matt Somers is a coaching practitioner of many years'
experience. He works with a host of clients in North East
England where his firm is based and throughout the UK and
Europe. Matt understands that people are working with their
true potential locked away. He shows how coaching provides
a simple yet elegant key to this lock. For a bumper load of
coaching tips and tricks - including FREE resources - visit
http://www.mattsomers.com

Home Business- Becoming successful has its own setbacks

Home Business- Becoming successful has its own setbacks
Every successful business man or woman knows what it takes
to be a successful entrepreneur.

In order to be successful, you need to stick to these 4
traits:

1. You need to have some sort of a plan or strategy in
place as to how you are going to make your at home business
a success.

2. It does not hurt to study successful people and to see
what they are doing on a daily basis to succeed at their
own home based business. Look at what they are doing on a
daily basis that makes them very successful and do it
yourself.

3. You are not going to be successful if you let negative
thoughts control you and your decisions. If you want to
make it, you have got to think positively. You can do that
by reading motivational books on a daily basis or even
listen to inspirational tapes too.

4. Running a business always needs you to invest money. The
old saying is still very true. It takes money to make
money. Every successful business person knows this.

For those of you who are reading this article, let's say
that you have mastered all 4 steps. Let's also say that you
have become very successful and are doing very well. You
got all the nice toys, nice home, nice furniture, jewelery,
and you are absolutely unstoppable.

What would happen if one day, your business would go in
another direction. What if you weren't making enough sales
and you would go into financial crises. How in the world
would you get out of it, and rise up again?

Even when things go very well for you, you need to know
that you will have major setbacks.

The fact is that many have done very well in their
businesses. What many don't know is that if they get into a
temporary financial crises, need to somehow take a small
break, look at what happened and fix it. You need to be
like a rubber ball. You need to bounce back, take care of
the challenge, and make your business a success once again.

So if things get darkest and you can't see a light at the
end of the tunnel, don't give up and throw everything
overboard. Just keep going and keep a positive attitude.
Don't focus on the temporary failure. You want to focus on
the success that you will have just like you had in the
past. Don't let setbacks and roadblocks affect you. Have
faith that you can come back and rise again.

Here is a short example:

Let's say a person becomes a webmaster and sells other
people's online work at home products. This is called
online affiliate programs.

He or she is doing very well. They have a few work at home
affiliate programs on their site and they are earning a
nice full time income from home on the web. Sometimes these
webmasters have more then one website that they are
promoting.

Let's say that one day one of their affiliate managers, for
one of the affiliate programs that they are promoting,
decides to take the money, their commissions and run
without paying their affiliates. Can you imagine if they
owed you a few hundred dollars or even a few thousands in a
particular month. If they were to disappear and never pay
you again, I am sure that this would affect you and your
finances in a big way. I mean, this is money that you and
others earned and now you will not see this money.

For many people, this can affect them and drive them to to
lose not only a lot of money, but also their minds. This
can have a major effect on your thinking and how you would
look at making money online.

If this ever happened to you, would you be able to keep
going? Not everyone would be. Those who continue have
healed this wealth wound from their life.

You have got to turn things around if this would ever
happen to you, and it may happen to anyone in any type of
business, and keep going no matter what.

----------------------------------------------------
Tal Fighel is inviting you to visit his work at home
website http://www.work-at-home-income-directory.com where
he offers legitimate and honest work at home and home based
business opportunities. Or subscribe to his Work At Home
"TOP PICKS" newsletter:
http://www.work-at-home-income-directory.com/Newsletter.html

How To Write Your Resume and Market Yourself for an International Assignment

How To Write Your Resume and Market Yourself for an International Assignment
Do you dream about working abroad? Do your short or
long-term career goals include an international assignment?
Maybe you want to practice your ability to speak multiple
languages. Perhaps you completed coursework or a degree in
international business. Or maybe you just want to broaden
your corporate qualifications with a more global
perspective and multicultural experience.

With an increasingly diverse workforce and global economy,
international business experience -- whether that involves
frequent international business trips, short-term overseas
assignments, or longer-term relocation to foreign locations
-- can certainly be valuable as a building block for your
entire career.

With more and more multinational firms transferring
employees between global locations, your chances of winning
a coveted overseas assignment have never been better. But,
how do you market yourself for these positions?

As with most job searches, one of your first steps will be
to develop your portfolio of personal marketing documents.
In other words, you must prepare your resume/CV and job
search letters. Do the terms resume and CV (curriculum
vitae) confuse you?

The first thing to understand is that different countries
use different terms to describe what is essentially the
same type of document. In fact, in international circles,
the terms "resume" and "CV" are often used interchangeably.
But, to complicate the issue, depending on the country you
are applying to, the requirements of what to include in
your resume/CV and in what format to include it may be very
different.

For example, in the U.S. you should never include a
photograph of yourself in your resume (unless you are a
model or an actor/actress). Likewise, you should not
include any information about your birthday, marital
status, family status, or other similar personal details.
In fact, if you do include photos or personal data, most
U.S. employers will simply discard your resume rather than
risk a potential discrimination lawsuit. On the other hand,
personal photographs and data are expected and often
required on CVs meant for European or Asian employers.

In U.S., Canadian, and some other job markets your work
experience should be included in reverse chronological
order (most recent to oldest). In many other job markets
around the world, your experience should be listed in
straight chronological order (oldest to most recent).

Clearly, it is crucial that you be aware of the
requirements and expectations of the job market you are
applying in. You must take the time to research and learn
these differences before preparing or adapting your resume
for international employers.

In some cases, when you are applying to the overseas
location of a multinational company, the decision-makers
for the position will be of a nationality other than the
location in which you are applying. For example, you may be
targeting a position in Hong Kong, and know that the person
making the decisions for that position is an American
expatriate. In this case, you may want to submit a resume
written in the U.S. style which will be more familiar to
the decision-maker.

Our expertise is in creating resumes in the U.S. style.
However, our client base is worldwide and our resumes have
been used successfully by people all over the globe seeking
international assignments based in the U.S. or targeting
positions worldwide when they have determined that the
U.S.-style is most appropriate. The lesson: do your
research and know your audience, then tailor your approach
to the expectations of the audience.

Regardless of the job you are targeting, and what country
that job is in, if your goal is to go global you definitely
want to emphasize and highlight your international travel
and multicultural experiences, your foreign language
abilities, and any coursework you have completed that is
relevant to international business. You can weave all of
this into the body of your resume/CV and may even create a
separate section to call it out in greater detail.

Finally, above all, be open-minded and flexible. Your
eagerness to learn and your adaptability are key predictors
of how successful you will be on international assignment.
So, don't be afraid to ask questions and adapt to new ways
of doing things. Your international job search is not the
time to hold tight to your own cultural preferences. Be
flexible! If you don't know what is expected or required of
job candidates in a particular company or foreign location,
ask! Then adapt your approach.

Here is a checklist to help you prepare your international
career marketing portfolio:

___The content and format of my resume/CV has been modified
to conform to the requirements of the international job
market I am targeting.

___The content and format of my resume/CV has been modified
to conform to the expectations of the decision-maker for
the position I am targeting.

___I have paid particular attention to requirements
regarding photographs and personal data and have adapted my
resume/CV accordingly.

___My resume/CV has been translated into another language
if necessary and has been reviewed by a native speaker of
that language.

___My resume/CV emphasizes and includes information about
all of my previous multicultural and international business
experience and qualifications.

___My resume includes a thorough listing of my foreign
language abilities.

___My resume/CV includes detailed descriptions of my
education and training (educational requirements and
degrees vary around the world, so it is often helpful to
describe your degrees in terms of their local equivalent).

___The design of my resume/CV had been modified to fit on
the paper size that is the standard in the international
location I am applying in.

___My resume/CV has been proofed and is completely free of
errors.

___My resume/CV uses simple fonts and a classic,
easy-to-read design.

___The electronic files of my resume/CV are prepared in
standard formats, including Microsoft Word, Adobe PDF, and
plain text ASCII.

___I have researched and scrupulously followed any
guidelines for submission of my resume/CV as described by
the company I am applying to.

___I have sent my resume/CV and job search letter by email
when an email address is available, but have followed up
with a hard copy by regular postal mail.

----------------------------------------------------
Nationally certified resume writer and career marketing
expert, Michelle Dumas is the director of Distinctive
Career Services LLC. Through Distinctive Documents
http://www.distinctiveweb.com and her Executive VIP
Services http://www.100kcareermarketing.com

Michelle has
empowered thousands of professionals all across the U.S.
and worldwide. Michelle is also the author of 101
Before-and-After Resume Examples
http://www.before-and-after-resumes.com

Getting to "Yes" - Negotiating with Panache

Getting to "Yes" - Negotiating with Panache
I have recently helped several clients negotiate better
contracts for themselves. Not just better financially, but
more aligned with professional goals they have and the
types of work they actually enjoy doing. Negotiation is a
steep learning curve for many, but vital to understand.

Getting to "Yes" - Negotiating with Panache

The higher you climb up the professional ladder, the more
your daily work life revolves around negotiations for both
you and your team mates. Most people initially think of
salary packages when considering negotiation skills.
However, these skills can range from eliciting help from
colleagues to getting support for your new ideas from more
senior colleagues and board members.

Identify your main goal for the negotiation and where you
would be prepared to compromise. Always go in asking for a
bit more than you would like, more money for a project,
more salary or holiday entitlement, more funding for staff
training. If you have an idea of what your main goals are,
the areas on which you compromise will seem like "gifts" or
concessions to the other side, making you appear more
reasonable and willing to negotiate.

Do not remain so attached to the idea of "winning" the
argument. Putting your point of view forward without
seeming to be attached to the results helps others lower
their guard, relax and be able to see your perspective.
Going in with a cross to bear only elicits resistance and
tension in others. If you stick to the benefits and logic
of an argument, often others will embrace it and sometimes
even think of it as their idea - a major benefit if you
want implementation more than recognition.

Top Tips for Effective Negotiation

1. Assume everyone has influence. When trying to land a
sale or impress at an interview, never assume you know who
is completely in charge. Heads of organisations often take
advice from a wide range of people, so don't concentrate
your efforts only on one person. A kind word for a
secretary or personal assistant often helps just getting
you the interview slot you want and in fact, many
executives will solicit information about your demeanour
from their staff. So don't wait to turn on the charm until
you see the whites of the CEO's eyes - greet everyone with
respect.

2. When entering a negotiation, listen to the other side
first. You will frequently hear priorities that overlap
with your point of view. Verbally recognise these points
and build them into a foundation for the concept you are
proposing. Listening also conveys that you want this to be
a collaborative process, a good start for any negotiator.

3. Verbally reflect what they are saying to convey that you
understand what they want. Use phrases like "What I hear
you saying is-" or "If I understand you correctly -".
This allows them to correct any miscommunication while
demonstrating they are truly being heard; an invaluable
asset for any negotiation.

4. After listening, start by emphasising the points with
which you agree. Shared priorities and experiences allow
differences of opinion to be only one part of the story of
how you both want to move forward.

5. If you can, phrase all of your questions in an open
manner avoiding answers that are likely to begin with "No".
Limiting the usage of this word keeps the atmosphere
feeling collaborative, not combative.

6. At the end, summarise the agreements, actions points and
compromises each side will be taking from the meeting and
minute the details as this can eliminate problems or
back-tracking later on.

----------------------------------------------------
To find out more and add your comments, please visit
http://www.doylemorris.com

Career Advancement Driven by Goals Achievement

Career Advancement Driven by Goals Achievement
Are you driven by focusing on your end goals? Where are you
going? You'd never take a trip to California from the East
Coast without a MAP, right?

It's obvious that success can be yours when you have career
advancement goals written down and you execute important
steps according to your roadmap to success.

Not everyone is a leader and that's OK. Some employees work
well on individual projects rather than with a group. Many
jobs lend themselves well in this environment.

However, there will come a time in your progress that does
require interaction with a team or group of fellow
employees on various projects.

As you begin working within a firm, look around at your
fellow employees and commit to a positive attitude about
each person.

Yes, someone is going to require more patience from you
when situations arise in the future. That's not a bad
thing. It will help you learn different types of
personalities in the ranks, you'll be more understanding
and appreciate the other person for who they are.

You know the old saying, "sugar catches more flys", and
your good attitude and work ethic will propel you up the
ladder of success in meeting your career advancement goals.

Don't let anyone derail your success when you can defuse
the problem. Everyone is receptive to encouragement and
praise. Send out positive vives, give an atta-boy whenever
you can to your fellow employees.

Even if this does not come naturally within your
personality, you can learn and develop it over time. Be the
cheerleader in business, at home, church, or wherever you
enteract with others.

Keep a journal. Write down the names of associates and
record your interactions over the weeks and months to come.
You'll be pleasantly surprised at how much quality change
will follow your personal interactions with the staff,
especially those who are under your supervision, as you
give positive feedback and accolades to your team.

Never say, "not my job" or "not my problem", however this
does not mean you have to accept the "monkey" everytime
someone asks you for guidance. Don't say "let me do it" or
"I'll take care of it" when you can be helpful without
taking over the job itself.

Some of us love to let someone do our work or take on all
our problems, but it's not in your best interest to allow
others to drop the ball on your desk.

Listen, ask "what do you think" or "what would you suggest"
and then make sure the ball is back in their court, not
sitting on your desk while they go drink coffee or eat
lunch.

Don't stiffle your career advancement by losing focus of
your goals. It's never easy, but it is possible when your
goals are defined as part of your action plan.

Ask yourself - "what's holding you back?" Are other
employees moving forward with their career plans? Is your
team growing independent with good progress? You set the
pace and others will follow your leadership. Career
advancement is your end result.

----------------------------------------------------
Don Monteith spent 32 years as co-owner of several
franchises and a personnel/staffing business. Every year,
his firm placed hundreds of job candidates in their dream
job. Today, Don shares his business and career expertise
through his newest websites on the Internet. Lots of FREE
ideas - suggestions - ready for your perusal and study.
http://www.HowToGetYourDreamJob.com

If Selling Is So Simple Why Can't Everyone Do It?

If Selling Is So Simple Why Can't Everyone Do It?
How many people do you know who have tried selling at some
point in their lives? Out of all of those people, how many
failed?

The answer to the first question is easy, probably quite a
few. At some point or other in their lives many people have
had a go at selling even if only as a student or in their
first job. You may not know the answer to the second one...
it's probably most of them!

Probably most of them.

Oh, for sure, they'll tell you that they did well. They'll
tell you that they sold bucket loads! They'll tell you that
they were a top sales performer. They'll even talk
knowledgeably about how to sell. It's amazing what a good
game people who only sold for a few weeks and never had any
sales training can talk! They'll talk about open questions
and wants and needs like they know what they're talking
about but... seriously... most of them failed!

Not all, but most!

Top salespeople lead an enviable life. They earn great
money. They win promotions. They have job security. They
have respect, opportunity and friends. They have freedom,
career choices and financial independence. They have fun,
challenge and variety.

So if you had all of that, why would you leave? Mostly only
if you weren't getting those things at all! I met a friend
of a friend in the pub the other night and he looked
scathingly at me when I said that I was a sales training
expert and told me that he left sales for "more security"
and opportunity. He earns in a month what I earn in a day.
I recently heard that his company are looking to "cut back"
in his department. Nuff said!

But why this tirade? And why today?

Simple. This week I worked with a really great team of
salespeople. They were enthusiastic, interested, open and
up for it. They embraced the fact that selling is simple
and they wanted to master those simple skills. Sales is so
simple in fact that nearly anyone could be very successful
in sales. So simple that everyone in the room could achieve
sales success if they chose to go for it...

So if selling is so simple why can't everyone do it?

Because selling is about attitude. Selling is an attitude.
Selling is an attitude that leaves behind a trail of
techniques. Now don't get me wrong here... sales skills are
very important, very important indeed. Anyone who has been
through a sales training programme with me or who has
attended one of my sales seminars will know just how
important I believe sales skills are...

But they're not the key factor in this equation. They're
only a part of the equation. And on the other side of that
equation is attitude. Without the right attitude you won't
be able to access your skills. Frankly, without the right
attitude, you're in trouble. If you can get and maintain
the right attitude then you will make a success of yourself
in sales and selling. Period. If you can't, you won't. It's
goodnight sweetheart!

I would far rather hire someone with all of the right
attitudes and potential and train them on the skills side
than I would wrestle with someone with all of the skills
and experiences who cannot be bothered any more! The former
salesperson I can train because they want to learn, the
latter I have to re-motivate and re-educate. Possible but
much harder...

You've probably worked with or recruited a salesperson who
had all of the right attitudes but was light on skills.
They probably did pretty well. It usually gets put down to
"beginner's luck" but it's not "beginner's luck", its
"beginner's attitude".

And it's at this point that many people not in sales might
be tempted to conclude that sales and selling is easy.
Something for thickos, something that anyone can do.

Just so wrong!

The hardest thing in the world is getting, keeping,
maintaining and improving the right attitude. In sales you
never know when you might run into someone who is going to
be your best ever client. You never know if the next sales
call is going to win you a multi-million account. You never
know which meetings are going to convert and which aren't...

And this makes it hard because you have to be on top sales
form for every call. Top sales form for every presentation.
Top sales form for every meeting. Top sales form for every
negotiation. Top sales form for every conversation. Top
sales form for every communication. Top sales form. Top
sales form. Top sales form.

Not for you the mindless "going through the motions" that
some non-salespeople can get away with for periods of time.
You have to be switched on, tuned in, fully focused, up for
it, raring to go, playing from a 10, on the ball...

Salespeople often say to me that cold calling (for example)
is repetitive and boring...

Wrong attitude! You have to be on top sales form for every
call. It might be your 47th call of the week or the day but
it is your client or prospect's first experience of you.
You have to be on top form, you have no safety net!

To make matters worse, salespeople get faced with problems
and challenges every day. Difficulties, challenges, issues,
rejection and objection are a part and parcel of our daily
lives and we need to smile through them and stay on top
sales form.

So if selling is so simple, why can't everyone do it?

Because selling is about taking personal responsibility for
your own attitude, your own behaviours and your own
results. Selling is about smiling when you don't feel like
smiling. Listening when you don't feel like listening,
Caring when you don't want to care. Standing up when you
feel like lying down. Pushing on when you feel like giving
up. Firing on all cylinders when you feel like throttling
down. Taking responsibility when you want to pass the buck.

Selling provides virtually unrivaled opportunities for
anyone who is prepared to commit themselves. Your degree
won't help you. Your qualifications and exams won't help
you. Your CV won't help you. The only person who can help
you is you. And that's too much of a leveller for most
people.

Handbrake off, safety net removed, crash helmet discarded.

Most people want to blame someone else. It's all about what
they didn't get, who didn't help them, who let them down,
whose fault it is, why they weren't on top form, why they
deserve another chance, why they should have done better...

If you want to maximise your sales performance and be a top
sales performer you need to let all of this go now and
focus on delivering the right attitude at the right time,
no excuses.

----------------------------------------------------
Join sales training expert and motivational speaker Gavin
Ingham's Sales Success newsletter totally free and get a
6-part sales mini-course absolutely free at
http://www.gaviningham.com now.

Article Marketing for Internet Affiliate Programs

Article Marketing for Internet Affiliate Programs
When you decided that the time was right to look for
business opportunities that let you work from home online,
internet marketing affiliate programs like those offered by
Click Booth were likely a big draw - for good reason; they
make it possible to make money fast. For those affiliate
marketers who made the decision not to design their own
website (at least initially) and for those who have their
own professional sites alike, article marketing is an
effective tool for getting the word out about the products
and services that you are promoting.

Even if you only work from home online, you'll find that
article marketing can easily be fit into the activities
that you perform while running your home based business.
The reason that even those who believe that they "cannot
write" turn to article marketing to get the word out is
simple: how else can you make money online free? That's
right. When you write and submit articles to various
article directories on the web, you'll be able to reach a
wider audience without having to pay for the advertising.

Of course, reaching people about the internet affiliate
program products and services that you're promoting will
take a bit of finesse. While good articles always include a
link to the page that you are promoting - either within the
article itself or in the resource box that lets you tell
readers a bit more about who you are and what you do - the
goal of the article is to inform. In other words, an
article isn't a sales pitch.

Instead, the articles that you use to market and internet
affiliate programs should benefit the readers. Use your
articles to focus on relevant information; let the reader
see that what you're telling him or her is really to his or
her advantage. If, for example, you've chosen to promote a
Click Booth service such as satellite television, don't
focus on selling that service. Instead write an article
that speaks to the frustrations that they have with their
cable company overcharging for inferior service; explain
what satellite TV really is and provide some history. This
sort of quality content that is appealing not only to the
readers but also to publishers who are looking for content
to use on their blogs or websites is far more valuable than
a short link ad.

You did read that correctly - publishers of ezines and
other email newsletters as well as a wide variety of
bloggers and webmasters scan article directories to find
content that they can include on their site: this is a
remarkably good thing. Each time a publisher reprints your
article, all of the links that you included must be in tact
and active; that means that every time your articles are
used, another link to the internet affiliate program
product or service you were marketing will show up online.

Article marketing helps to establish your credibility by
showing that you know what you're writing about. Article
marketing draws attention when your articles provide the
information that people are already looking for. Others
will put your links up for you by republishing that
content. And, again, it's free advertising for your home
based business.

----------------------------------------------------
Clinton Douglas IV, writes E-Business articles for people
who want to achieve more online success. Learn Today, "How
to Start an Online Business in less than 30 Days starting
from Scratch"! Free Special Report - Limited Time! Plus,
weekly newsletter from Online Empire Secrets (A $400
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REPORT!

All In A Days Work

All In A Days Work
Balance work, home, and self by accepting a career in
secret shopping. A secret shopper is a paid shopper,
someone who goes to their favorite shopping store,
restaurant, and self storage facility and gets paid to tell
about their experience. As a quality assurance tactic,
companies hire a quality assurance service to send out a
paid shopper to see if their salespeople and property
managers are following the companys customer service
expectations. Otherwise, what other way could a company get
a proper assessment? Sales reports just show revenue.
Though companies enjoy and praise salespeople for high
revenue, they do not know by what means. A salesperson or
property manager could use unethical tactics that could
come back to haunt the company. That high revenue will hurt
them in the long run. And an employee will act different
when their superior is present. This is a chance for them
to impress so you cannot evaluate performance based on your
own observations. A paid shopper evaluates a salesperson or
property manager from the customers point of view. Since
the employee is unaware he is helping is a paid shopper,
the employee carries on with his normal approach. Now a
true and honest evaluation takes place.

Paid shopper or secret shopper is a perfect career for
someone who needs to balance their work, home, and self. A
paid shopper works on their own schedule and for as many
hours as they like. So a stay at home parent can start work
after the kids go to school and stop when the kids return
back home. A paid shopper has time to enjoy a cup of warm
coffee while reading the morning paper at the kitchen
table. Then they can take a long hot shower or bath without
anyone knocking on the door. They put on comfortable
clothes and shoes. Before they head out the door, a paid
shopper has time for another cup of warm coffee and a phone
call to a friend.

By the time the paid shopper gets on the road, normal
people are just getting over the morning commute. They
drive to a location within their hometown and have
breakfast at a well-known restaurant. Bad food and poor
customer service are the only job hazards for a paid
shopper. They do not have a boss hounding them to get
something done or a customer who needs some fixing. The
pressure to purchase something is nonexistent since their
assignment is to buy something anyway or it is to simply
evaluate. Then the paid shopper heads home before normal
workers eat their lunch and prepares a report about the
secret shopping experience. The paid shopper has time to
take an afternoon nap before the kids return home from
school. They might prepare a snack for their kids to feed
those hungry bellies.

Now it is time to take the kids to their afternoon
activities. While the kids are at band practice, the paid
shopper can drop in at another location. This time it could
be a retail clothing store. While on the job they find a
nice sweater and decide to buy it. Then the secret shopper
picks up the kids from band practice and goes home before
the second rush hour. While the kids do their homework, the
secret shopper calls a self storage facility and evaluates
the property manager. By the time the paid shopper is
finished signing the report, their spouse comes home from
work and fixes the family dinner. And that is all in a days
work.

----------------------------------------------------
Mystery Shopping
http://www.secretshoppingblog.com/