Get the Edge Rules for Life 05/12/2012
MY RULES FOR LIFE PART 1 1. Withdraw your energy from the non-essential and let it move into the direction of the essential. Discover your being, your individuality. 2. Most people will be about as happy, as they decide to be. 3. Others can stop you temporarily, but only you can do it permanently. 4. Whatever you are willing to put up with, is EXACTLY what you will have. 5. Either your run the day or the day runs you 6. You will NEVER "have it all together". 8. Life is a journey, not a destination. Enjoy the trip. 9. The biggest lie on the planet: "When I get what I want I will be happy". 10. The best way to escape your problem is to solve it. 11. The only people that you need in your life, are the ones who prove that they need you in theirs 12. Life's precious moments have more value, when they are shared. 13. If you don't start, it's certain you won't arrive. 14. We often fear the thing we want the most. 15. Look for opportunities, not guarantees. Then accept the challenge. 16. The most precious thing in your life is inner peace. Whatever else you get in the world, without inner peace, it's not really worth much. 17. NOW is the most INTERESTING AND EXCITING time of all. Savour and give it your best shot! 18. Living up to an image that you have of yourself or that other people have of you is inauthentic living. 19. In situations that are difficult and challenging, patience helps maintain your will power and can sustain you. 20. No one can ruin your day without YOUR permission Add Comment 
I have re-posted this article as it as the some of the most profound lessons about life, Read it and learn, awesome Cherie carter-scott's rules of life Rule One - You will receive a body. Whether you love it or hate it, it's yours for life, so accept it. What counts is what's inside. Rule Two - You will be presented with lessons. Life is a constant learning experience, which every day provides opportunities for you to learn more. These lessons specific to you, and learning them 'is the key to discovering and fulfilling the meaning and relevance of your own life'. Rule Three - There are no mistakes, only lessons. Your development towards wisdom is a process of experimentation, trial and error, so it's inevitable things will not always go to plan or turn out how you'd want. Compassion is the remedy for harsh judgement - of ourselves and others. Forgiveness is not only divine - it's also 'the act of erasing an emotional debt'. Behaving ethically, with integrity, and with humour - especially the ability to laugh at yourself and your own mishaps - are central to the perspective that 'mistakes' are simply lessons we must learn. Rule Four - The lesson is repeated until learned. Lessons repeat until learned. What manifest as problems and challenges, irritations and frustrations are more lessons - they will repeat until you see them as such and learn from them. Your own awareness and your ability to change are requisites of executing this rule. Also fundamental is the acceptance that you are not a victim of fate or circumstance - 'causality' must be acknowledged; that is to say: things happen to you because of how you are and what you do. To blame anyone or anything else for your misfortunes is an escape and a denial; you yourself are responsible for you, and what happens to you. Patience is required - change doesn't happen overnight, so give change time to happen. Rule Five - Learning does not end. While you are alive there are always lessons to be learned. Surrender to the 'rhythm of life', don't struggle against it. Commit to the process of constant learning and change - be humble enough to always acknowledge your own weaknesses, and be flexible enough to adapt from what you may be accustomed to, because rigidity will deny you the freedom of new possibilities. Rule Six - "There" is no better than "here". The other side of the hill may be greener than your own, but being there is not the key to endless happiness. Be grateful for and enjoy what you have, and where you are on your journey. Appreciate the abundance of what's good in your life, rather than measure and amass things that do not actually lead to happiness. Living in the present helps you attain peace. Rule Seven - Others are only mirrors of you. You love or hate something about another person according to what love or hate about yourself. Be tolerant; accept others as they are, and strive for clarity of self-awareness; strive to truly understand and have an objective perception of your own self, your thoughts and feelings. Negative experiences are opportunities to heal the wounds that you carry. Support others, and by doing so you support yourself. Where you are unable to support others it is a sign that you are not adequately attending to your own needs. Rule Eight - What you make of your life is up to you. You have all the tools and resources you need. What you do with them is up to you. Take responsibility for yourself. Learn to let go when you cannot change things. Don't get angry about things - bitter memories clutter your mind. Courage resides in all of us - use it when you need to do what's right for you. We all possess a strong natural power and adventurous spirit, which you should draw on to embrace what lies ahead. Rule Nine - Your answers lie inside of you. Trust your instincts and your innermost feelings, whether you hear them as a little voice or a flash of inspiration. Listen to feelings as well as sounds. Look, listen, and trust. Draw on your natural inspiration. Rule Ten - You will forget all this at birth. We are all born with all of these capabilities - our early experiences lead us into a physical world, away from our spiritual selves, so that we become doubtful, cynical and lacking belief and confidence. The ten Rules are not commandments, they are universal truths that apply to us all. When you lose your way, call upon them. Have faith in the strength of your spirit. Aspire to be wise - wisdom the ultimate path of your life, and it knows no limits other than those you impose on yourself. This summary is merely a brief outline and simply does not do the book justice, nor the wisdom within it. If you are interested in making the most of your life, and helping others do the same, buy Cherie Carter-Scott's book 'If Life Is A Game, These Are The Rules'. Jon Modern Manager Series 3 - Performance Plans 04/27/2012
 A Performance Plan is a blueprint to help your staff plan their career path. It provides them with measurable objectives and should include both professional and personal goals. A good Performance Plan is built together by both the manager and the employee; it takes time to get right and should incorporate incentives to help the employee achieve his or her goals. 1. Set standards of performance. 2. Set objectives and targets in conjunction with the employees goals, objectives and targets should be realistic. 3. Review mid-way how a person is doing and ask for permission to give feedback first.. 4. Approach the system as one that helps in developing an individual and not destroying their personality. 5. Set an appraisal interview in a relaxed atmosphere and open to free exchange of views. 6. Strictly concentrate on the person's performance and not their personality. 7. Give employees an opportunity to feedback to you. 8. Help the employee to identify their strengths and weaknesses themselves and encourage them to develop an action plan to overcome them. 9. Show the employee the path to future growth. 10. Remain in a true coaching leadership styles at all times! What should a Performance Plan include? Job Description This is description of the person’s day-to-day job: their duties and responsibilities, and the major aspects of their role. Goals and Objectives Before defining the employee’s objectives it’s important to first consider the organisation’s overall objectives. The employee’s objectives should fit within and support these overall objectives. Set time-frames for achieving objectives; some may be achieved quickly while others may span a number of performance appraisal periods. Remember all Objectives should be SMART: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-based. Setting Expectations Employees are motivated when they can focus their efforts towards achieving objectives they believe in. Getting them involved in the process of producing the performance plan helps them understand the organisational goals and to appreciate their role in achieving these. When people are part of a team, it is motivating to understand the part you play in helping that team be successful. Agreed Standards What one person considers as acceptable standards may differ to someone else's view, therefore it is important to define what you agree are the expected standards. If you expect the person to take a minimum of ten phone calls an hour, then state this. What are reasonable expectations? Are you expecting the person to work on average more than the typical working day? If so is it reasonable for them to do this over an extended period? To challenge is great, however some people can be left feeling daunted and overwhelmed if the task is way beyond their abilities. Ensure you Have Buy-In If the person does not agree with the plan, or they believe the expectations are unrealistic, they will not be motivated to even try to achieve the targets. Involving the person in formulating the plan will help to ensure they feel the plan belongs to them. Training and Other Development Opportunities It may be that the person has goals that are outside the scope of their current position. Consider including other opportunities, such as a part-time secondment to another area, which will help them achieve their career objectives. Is there work that you could give them, outside the scope of their role, which would build skills they need to progress? It can be de-motivating if someone feels they are in a role that offers few opportunities for growth. Some jobs will have periods where there are few challenges but always try to find other ways to help the person achieve their goals, such as training and education. Feedback There is little point writing a Performance Plan and then placing it in a drawer for it to be retrieved in six months time and the person assessed. If the employee is to have a reasonable opportunity of success they need to have regular feedback to know if they are on track. Be Flexible It’s very possible that a person’s role changes dramatically after a Performance Plan has been agreed. Continuing to assess someone on a plan that is no longer relevant is not motivating or realistic. If duties and responsibilities have changed dramatically that the performance plan should also be revised. Rewarding Good Performance When objectives have been achieved, both at a personal and at an organisational level, it is important to recognise this. Rewards can mean a number of things, including financial rewards such as bonuses and pay rises, and it can be non-financial such as time-off, praise and promotion. 
People are highly complex and often mysterious, so we all struggle to understand our fellow humans. Here are a few basic psychological tactics that can help you when selling. 1. People make decisions emotionally. They decide based on a feeling, need, or emotion, not though a logical thought process. That’s why intangible benefits are the keys to persuasion. When you’re selling , you should ask yourself, “What is the emotional hot button here?”. 2. People justify decisions with facts. Example: a man sees an advertisement with a photo of a sports car and instantly falls in love. However, he can’t bring himself to buy the car based on a feeling, so he reads the copy for technical details about the powerful engine, safety features, and low maintenance. He wants the car because it makes him feel good. But he buys it only when he can justify the purchase rationally. 3. People are egocentric. The word “egocentric” means centred around the ego or self. We all see the world in terms of how it relates to us personally. So when your selling asks someone to do something, it must also answer the unspoken question, “What’s in it for me?” On a deeper level, the question might be “How does this give me feelings of personal worth?” 4. People look for value. Value is not a fixed number. Value is relative to what you’re selling, what others charge, what the prospect is used to paying, how badly the prospect wants it, and how the prospect perceives the difference between your offer and others. You must demonstrate a value that seems to be equal to or greater than the asking price. The greater the value relative to the price, the more likely people are to buy. 6. You can’t force people to do anything. When people buy, it’s not because you wield some magical power over them. You can urge. You can push. You can entice. But ultimately, people do what they want to do. This means your job is to show how what you’re offering meets your prospect’s needs. 7. People love to buy. Some say people don’t like to be “sold.” Not true. People love to be sold. They love to discover wonderful new products and experiences. What people don’t love is to be cheated or tricked. Therefore, it can be helpful to change your analogy of the marketing process. Instead of “selling” to people, try to “help” them. Sell good products, make appealing offers, and treat people fairly. That’s a certain winning formula for success. 8. People are naturally suspicious. It’s true that there’s a sucker born every minute, but most people are moderately sceptical of any offer. They seek to avoid risk. You can never predict the level of suspicion any particular person has, so it’s usually best to back up all claims with evidence, such as testimonials, survey results, authoritative endorsements, test results, and scientific data. 9. People are always looking for something. Love. Wealth. Glory. Comfort. Safety. People are naturally dissatisfied and spend their lives searching for intangibles. At its simplest, selling is a matter of showing people how a particular product, service, or cause fulfils one or more of their needs. 10. People buy “direct” because of convenience and exclusivity. If people could easily find the things you offer at a nearby store, that’s probably where many would buy them. So if they are not buying from you directly for sheer convenience, they’re doing it because they can’t find the item elsewhere (or just don’t know where to look). That’s why it’s wise to emphasise the convenience and exclusivity of what you wish to sell. 11. People like to see it, hear it, touch it, taste it, or smell it before they buy it. Some people never buy online because they can’t examine the merchandise. Some items, such as books and CDs, are tangible and familiar enough to sell easily online because there is little doubt about the physical quality. Other items, such as clothing or cars, may be a harder sell — at least until people have a satisfactory buying experience — because quality may be variable. Think about how people buy things in stores and ask yourself if there is some element of that sensory experience that is missing from your sales message. 12. Most people follow the crowd. Most of us are imitators. We look to others for guidance, especially when we are uncertain about something. We ask, “What do others think about this? What do others feel? What do others do?” Then we act accordingly. This is why testimonials and case histories are so influential. 
All "winners" in life have understand the power of the ancient laws that govern success, they have mastered the art of controlling their behaviours and thoughts. They have created their own winning code, the make up that get's greater results and success than ordinary thinking. In this series we share with you some of the greatest laws that will assist you in becoming a better you. All you have to do is digest the material let it sink in properly and work out for yourself how to use it effectively in your world. Here is the first subject: The four agreements - don miguel ruiz's code for life Agreement 1 Be impeccable with your word: - Speak with integrity. Say only what you mean. Avoid using the word to speak against yourself or to gossip about others. Use the power of your word in the direction of truth and love. Agreement 2 Don’t take anything personally: - Nothing others do is because of you. What others say and do is a projection of their own reality, their own dream. When you are immune to the opinions and actions of others, you won’t be the victim of needless suffering. Agreement 3 Don’t make assumptions: - Find the courage to ask questions and to express what you really want. Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings, sadness and drama. With just this one agreement, you can completely transform your life. Agreement 4 Always do your best:- Your best is going to change from moment to moment; it will be different when you are healthy as opposed to sick. Under any circumstance, simply do your best, and you will avoid self-judgment, self-abuse and regret.  Managers will often have to address poor performance in an individual, but what if you have a poor performing team; how should manage such a situation? All for One and One for All Teams should be evaluated, rewarded and feedback, as a group. Each team member should also receive feedback on an individual basis. When it comes to poor performance, unless it is the instance where it is obvious that the poor performance of one team member is affecting the whole team, it should be addressed to the group. Discussing Poor Performance with a Team This means addressing the poor performance to the team in a group forum, perhaps a team meeting. Make it clear that it is the overall performance of the team that is concerning; it is important not to single people out individually. Discuss with the team reasons why performance is unacceptable. Perhaps the group is struggling with issues and they need your help to resolve them. Don’t assume that you have all the answers: give the team the opportunity to explore ideas and you might be surprised with some of their suggestions. As the manager of the team it is likely that you will have particular actions you will want to see happen. Don't allow team members to point fingers at each other, the objective is to understand why the team is performing poorly, not to hold individuals responsible. Come up with an Action Plan with the team. If the team writes the Action Plan then it is more likely that they will own the Plan! Help them come up with concrete actions to address the causes of the poor performance. All Actions should be specific with dates and people responsible. Agree with the team a date that you will all get back together to review progress. Understand the Causes of Poor Performance Is it really Poor Performance? Poor performance means that the team has not achieved the outcomes that were agreed. However, if the targets were vague or unclear, or if the team struggled to understand what they were trying to achieve, then it is also difficult to say the problem is purely due to poor performance. If the problem was that the outcomes were poorly defined or not defined at all, then the issue lies with the team management process and not the team's abilities. The team cannot be held accountable if management did not clearly define their outcomes or ensured they understood them. Team Work Relationships Do the individuals in the team work well together? Do they support each other and help each other out? All members in the team should have clear roles and responsibilities but it is also equally important that team members also help out from time to time, when needs demand it.
If performance is down then it is likely that overall team morale will also be low. If the team is struggling to understand what it is they are trying to achieve, or if they feel that expectations are unreasonable, then this will negatively impact their motivation. Find ways to boost the team morale. Organising events outside of work can help the team get to know each other as people with interests other than work. Exercises, which help team members understand each other’s personality types, can also be useful in improving team relations. The Modern Manager Series 1- Giving Feedback 04/20/2012
 A Manager is often required to provide feedback, whether in a formal setting such a performance review or on informal occasions, such as during a catch-up meeting. Feedback is very important to your staff. If provided in a constructive manner, feedback can give them direction and help improve their performance. If however, feedback isn’t constructive, it can de-motivate a person and negatively impact their performance. So, how can a Manager give better, more constructive feedback? Stick to the Facts, Don’t make it Personal! Explain what the person has done incorrectly, or what they could do better. It isn’t about personalities. It isn’t about whether you like the person or not. It’s about how well they do their job and how they can improve their performance. Always offer some positive aspects and well as negative Research Before you React You may have only heard one side of the story. Clarify your information and give the person a chance to provide their viewpoints, before making a decision. Avoid Knee-jerk Reactions People make mistakes and it isn’t helpful if a manager gets angry or looses their temper. Remain calm and explain what went wrong. Sometimes it is best to address a situation after people have cooled down. Empathise Put yourself in the other person’s position. Remember how it felt to receive unwelcome feedback and consider instances where feedback has helped you. What was helpful and how can you replicate such behaviour? Focus on the Right Behaviour We’ve explained the wrong behaviour and what we don’t want to see, but it’s also important to explain what we do want to see. Sometimes staff need help to understand what is required of them. Provide examples. Inappropriate is Inappropriate If someone has behaved inappropriately it needs to be addressed immediately, and they need to be told what was wrong. Don’t be vague or down play it’s significance. Make it clear that such behaviour is not tolerated. Be Specific Vague feedback, such as ‘you’re unhelpful to your colleagues’, could be interpreted in a number of different ways. Be specific and say what exactly about the person’s behaviour with their colleagues is unhelpful. Give examples – perhaps they don’t answer their colleagues telephones when they are away from their desks. Such examples will help quickly rectify the situation in the future. Encourage Participation Perhaps they have suggestions on what would be more appropriate behaviour. Have a discussion with them: What do you think might help this situation? Do they need further training? Are there other factors affecting their performance? Give the person an opportunity to respond. You may have misunderstood the situation. You might have made a mistake. Be prepared to be wrong. Get the Timing Right There are good times to give feedback and bad times. If the person has had a hard day, back to back meetings with tough clients, a mountain of work on their desk, it may not be the best time to have a useful feedback session. In Conclusion Feedback is designed to help people. It should not involve personal criticism, and if delivered appropriately, should be received as a way to improve performance. Be positive and help the person realise their strengths and abilities. Focus on areas for improvement rather than bad performance; except in the exceptional situation where the performance is so poor that more stringent action is necessary. The VIP Experience 02/22/2012
 Having been working on site for a few weeks, it really has hit home with me just how much of a difference a "World Class VIP Experience" makes to the close ratio and the profitability in a deal. Those sales person who have mastered a warm and sincere meet and greet, delivered the perfect "Agenda Set" and were genuinely interested in trying to get to know their customer completed more of the sales process than the other sales people. What is also interesting in how many manufacturers are now starting to cotton on to the concept, as I write this blog, Renault UK have announced that the greater proportion of their dealer incentive bonus money will now be engineered towards a successful CSi score and less on unit sales. Consider the following philosophies we teach in our training courses: 1.Give to others without expectation of return 2.Treat each customer as an honoured guest 3. Operate with a servants heart 4. Raise your game and deliver the VIP Experience in all areas of the sales process and the results will follow. Always remember you have a choice, you choose the experience the customer gets. Take the challenge and raise your game.... click the following link below to take you to a copy of a perfect meet and greet agenda set, practice, drill and rehearse to get perfection The Agenda Set cherie carter-scott's rules of life ('Rules for Being Human') (Carter Scott references this quotation:) "Life is a succession of lessons which must be lived to be understood." (Helen Keller) Rule One - You will receive a body. Whether you love it or hate it, it's yours for life, so accept it. What counts is what's inside. Rule Two - You will be presented with lessons. Life is a constant learning experience, which every day provides opportunities for you to learn more. These lessons specific to you, and learning them 'is the key to discovering and fulfilling the meaning and relevance of your own life'. Rule Three - There are no mistakes, only lessons. Your development towards wisdom is a process of experimentation, trial and error, so it's inevitable things will not always go to plan or turn out how you'd want. Compassion is the remedy for harsh judgement - of ourselves and others. Forgiveness is not only divine - it's also 'the act of erasing an emotional debt'. Behaving ethically, with integrity, and with humour - especially the ability to laugh at yourself and your own mishaps - are central to the perspective that 'mistakes' are simply lessons we must learn. Rule Four - The lesson is repeated until learned. Lessons repeat until learned. What manifest as problems and challenges, irritations and frustrations are more lessons - they will repeat until you see them as such and learn from them. Your own awareness and your ability to change are requisites of executing this rule. Also fundamental is the acceptance that you are not a victim of fate or circumstance - 'causality' must be acknowledged; that is to say: things happen to you because of how you are and what you do. To blame anyone or anything else for your misfortunes is an escape and a denial; you yourself are responsible for you, and what happens to you. Patience is required - change doesn't happen overnight, so give change time to happen. Rule Five - Learning does not end. While you are alive there are always lessons to be learned. Surrender to the 'rhythm of life', don't struggle against it. Commit to the process of constant learning and change - be humble enough to always acknowledge your own weaknesses, and be flexible enough to adapt from what you may be accustomed to, because rigidity will deny you the freedom of new possibilities. Rule Six - "There" is no better than "here". The other side of the hill may be greener than your own, but being there is not the key to endless happiness. Be grateful for and enjoy what you have, and where you are on your journey. Appreciate the abundance of what's good in your life, rather than measure and amass things that do not actually lead to happiness. Living in the present helps you attain peace. Rule Seven - Others are only mirrors of you. You love or hate something about another person according to what love or hate about yourself. Be tolerant; accept others as they are, and strive for clarity of self-awareness; strive to truly understand and have an objective perception of your own self, your thoughts and feelings. Negative experiences are opportunities to heal the wounds that you carry. Support others, and by doing so you support yourself. Where you are unable to support others it is a sign that you are not adequately attending to your own needs. Rule Eight - What you make of your life is up to you. You have all the tools and resources you need. What you do with them is up to you. Take responsibility for yourself. Learn to let go when you cannot change things. Don't get angry about things - bitter memories clutter your mind. Courage resides in all of us - use it when you need to do what's right for you. We all possess a strong natural power and adventurous spirit, which you should draw on to embrace what lies ahead. Rule Nine - Your answers lie inside of you. Trust your instincts and your innermost feelings, whether you hear them as a little voice or a flash of inspiration. Listen to feelings as well as sounds. Look, listen, and trust. Draw on your natural inspiration. Rule Ten - You will forget all this at birth. We are all born with all of these capabilities - our early experiences lead us into a physical world, away from our spiritual selves, so that we become doubtful, cynical and lacking belief and confidence. The ten Rules are not commandments, they are universal truths that apply to us all. When you lose your way, call upon them. Have faith in the strength of your spirit. Aspire to be wise - wisdom the ultimate path of your life, and it knows no limits other than those you impose on yourself. This summary is merely a brief outline and simply does not do the book justice, nor the wisdom within it. If you are interested in making the most of your life, and helping others do the same, buy Cherie Carter-Scott's book 'If Life Is A Game, These Are The Rules'. Jon |  Get the Edge UK
Ideas, Tips, Tactics and Techniques for Sales People and Managers ArchivesMay 2012 Categories |
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