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Let me tell you a quick story. When I started my business in 1993, I faced all the challenges experienced by most new business start-ups. I also had to deal with the all the negative situations; the people who said – “The Speaking and Training business is a hard market to break into, it’s very competitive, you’re very brave!" There was also the rejection from potential customers and the people who’d let me down at the last minute.
I quickly realised that if I was going to be successful, there were two things that I really needed:
Lots of BRAIN ENERGY and lots of BODY ENERGY.
Sure-fire tip number 1 is – Build your Brain Energy.
Imagine that you’ve just been rejected for a bank loan, or you’ve just been turned down by a potential customer, or a publishing company has rejected the book that you’ve slaved over for the past couple of years.
If you react with – “Oh no, not again, I’m really fed up with this. These people are a real pain. They’re making a big mistake. What am I going to do now?”
This sort of reaction drains your brain of energy, adds to your stress levels and destroys your self motivation.
Reacting drains the brain – thinking less so.
Get the thinking part of your brain working and say to yourself – “I’ll make an appointment today with a better bank! I’ll phone the next potential customer on my list right now! The next publishing company will see the potential in my book!”
There are also many minor situations that happen every day that’ll drain the energy from your brain. If I receive a parking ticket, I pay the fine right away; get rid of it; forget it and move on. Moaning and complaining about it drains the brain and the fine still has to be paid.
Do not, and I repeat, do not say – “Oh no, what am I going to do now?” Every time you say – “Oh no” your brain has a huge drain of energy.
Build up your brain energy using lots positive self-talk.
Your level of success in terms of your happiness, emotional wellbeing and anything else you desire is a direct result of how you talk to yourself. The most important relationship you’ll ever have is the one you have with yourself.
Listen to the self-talk that goes on in your head and ask yourself – “Is what I’m saying allowing me to be confident, on top and going for it?” If so – great!
“Or is it holding me back and stopping me achieve my goals?” If this is the case – STOP IT, change the program!
Think about the things you say to yourself and make every statement in the present tense.
Don’t say, for example – “I’m going to make a success of this business” or “I’m going to get organised,” or “I’m going to be much more confident.”
Say – “I am totally in control of my life. I am totally confident and positive. I’m achieving my goals. I have determination and drive.”
What you’re actually doing here is re-programming your subconscious. If you talk to yourself in a positive way, that’s what your subconscious will focus on and you’ll have lots of brain energy
Sure-fire tip number 2 is - Build your Body Energy
The body and the brain are linked together so when the brain drains of energy so does the body. However, the body also does a lot of running about, up and down off the seat and often takes a bit of a beating.
For it to work well, it needs to be in good condition in the first place. We all know by now that if we eat too much or eat the wrong things, smoke too much or drink too much alcohol, then our body is in danger of breaking down.
However, if you want more body energy, then you’re going to have to do some exercise. (Do I hear you saying - “I need the body energy before I can do the exercise!?”) You know as well as I, that if you take more exercise, you will have more energy.
Now I know you think you don’t have the time. You may also be the type that doesn’t want to go to the gym and lift heavy things or leap about in an aerobics class; however, you need to take some exercise that makes you sweat a little.
I’m sorry, but a round of golf doesn’t count, it isn’t the kind of exercise you need. Golf is great and it’s good for the stress but it doesn’t make you sweat.
If you’re going to walk then walk fast for a distance, enough to push up the heart rate and increase the breathing.
Again, get your internal program right and start to think how you can make your exercise enjoyable. I see some people at the health club making the whole business a real chore. They get on a bike or a rowing machine and try to kill themselves for twenty minutes. If that’s your thing then fine but please don’t make it a chore, plug into the sound system and catch up with what’s on TV.
If you’re really not into exercise then please make sure you have other activities outside of your workplace and make them fun. Too many people are going home and slumping in front of the TV - successful people don’t do that.
Make no mistake about it; if you look after the body and the brain; you’ll have lots of VROOM! (And that’s another word for self-motivation)
Thursday, 24 January 2008
Friday, 14 December 2007
The One Thing You Need to Know about Team Motivation
Let me ask you a simple question. Do you, as a manager, want a highly motivated team who don’t take time off work, who achieve their goals and objectives, and don’t stress you out in the process?
I’m sure the answer is - Yes! However, you’re no doubt asking how you’re supposed to achieve this ‘miracle.’
The one thing you need to know about team motivation is that – there’s no such thing! Okay, so the football manager ‘motivates’ the team by getting them together at half-time and ‘explaining’ how they’re about to lose the game unless they start to play a lot better. (This, of course, is the polite version)
However, the only way to build a highly motivated team is to concentrate on individual motivation and create an environment where the individual ‘motivates them self.’
Every member of your team is a complex and complicated human being and they all have different needs. Your job, as a Motivational Manager, is to find out what these needs are, and satisfy them.
There are 3 actions you can take
1. Spend some quality time with each team member - One or two minutes of quality time on a regular basis is far more productive than an appraisal once a year. You need to get to know the individual better and they need to get to know you. You’ll gain a much better understanding of them and how they’re handling the job. It will also send the message that you care about them and show that you’re there to help with problems, both personal and business.
2. Give feedback and coach them - You need to regularly tell each of your team members when they’re doing well and when not so well.
This is where so many employers and managers fall down in dealing with their people; they're hopeless at giving feedback! Many managers are uncomfortable telling staff how they feel about their work performance. Some managers still believe - "Why should I praise people when they're only doing what they're paid to do!"
However, most employees want to know how they are performing in their job; they want to know if they are doing it right or how they could do it better.
If you really want to motivate your team members then you need to ‘catch them doing something right’ and tell them about it. If, on the other hand, you hear or observe them doing something you’re not happy about, then you need to tell them what needs improved and coach them.
It’s important to tell the team member when they’re not performing. There are too many managers who either ignore poor behaviour or come down on the person like a ton of bricks. There are particular ways to give feedback and coach and they’re described in detail in my book – How to be a Motivational Manager.
3. Be a believer - You need to constantly demonstrate to the team member that you trust and believe in them, by what you say, your tone of voice and your body language.
They will very quickly sense if you don't trust them to carry out their job and they'll act accordingly.
If you believe that your people are not to be trusted to do their job; that they’ll turn up late and go home early, then that is exactly what they'll do.
On the other hand, if you believe that your people will do their job well, that they can be trusted to make decisions that are good for the business and that they'll give you a fair day's work, then it is more likely this is what you'll get.
As with all theories, there is no guarantee that this will work every time. However the majority of people in this world are reasonable people; if you treat them as such they're more likely to behave in a positive manner.
So there you have it; Motivational Managers know that to get the best out of their people they need to concentrate on the human interactions and make that emotional connection with each individual team member.
I’m sure the answer is - Yes! However, you’re no doubt asking how you’re supposed to achieve this ‘miracle.’
The one thing you need to know about team motivation is that – there’s no such thing! Okay, so the football manager ‘motivates’ the team by getting them together at half-time and ‘explaining’ how they’re about to lose the game unless they start to play a lot better. (This, of course, is the polite version)
However, the only way to build a highly motivated team is to concentrate on individual motivation and create an environment where the individual ‘motivates them self.’
Every member of your team is a complex and complicated human being and they all have different needs. Your job, as a Motivational Manager, is to find out what these needs are, and satisfy them.
There are 3 actions you can take
1. Spend some quality time with each team member - One or two minutes of quality time on a regular basis is far more productive than an appraisal once a year. You need to get to know the individual better and they need to get to know you. You’ll gain a much better understanding of them and how they’re handling the job. It will also send the message that you care about them and show that you’re there to help with problems, both personal and business.
2. Give feedback and coach them - You need to regularly tell each of your team members when they’re doing well and when not so well.
This is where so many employers and managers fall down in dealing with their people; they're hopeless at giving feedback! Many managers are uncomfortable telling staff how they feel about their work performance. Some managers still believe - "Why should I praise people when they're only doing what they're paid to do!"
However, most employees want to know how they are performing in their job; they want to know if they are doing it right or how they could do it better.
If you really want to motivate your team members then you need to ‘catch them doing something right’ and tell them about it. If, on the other hand, you hear or observe them doing something you’re not happy about, then you need to tell them what needs improved and coach them.
It’s important to tell the team member when they’re not performing. There are too many managers who either ignore poor behaviour or come down on the person like a ton of bricks. There are particular ways to give feedback and coach and they’re described in detail in my book – How to be a Motivational Manager.
3. Be a believer - You need to constantly demonstrate to the team member that you trust and believe in them, by what you say, your tone of voice and your body language.
They will very quickly sense if you don't trust them to carry out their job and they'll act accordingly.
If you believe that your people are not to be trusted to do their job; that they’ll turn up late and go home early, then that is exactly what they'll do.
On the other hand, if you believe that your people will do their job well, that they can be trusted to make decisions that are good for the business and that they'll give you a fair day's work, then it is more likely this is what you'll get.
As with all theories, there is no guarantee that this will work every time. However the majority of people in this world are reasonable people; if you treat them as such they're more likely to behave in a positive manner.
So there you have it; Motivational Managers know that to get the best out of their people they need to concentrate on the human interactions and make that emotional connection with each individual team member.
7 Ways to Motivate Customers
When was the last time that you experienced exceptional customer service?
Every time I run a Customer Service Seminar I always ask the participants to think about a time when they experienced exceptional customer service, either face to face or on the telephone, and describe what made it exceptional. Inevitably, participants tell me about situations where the person providing the service was warm and friendly, a good listener, appeared to care about them as a customer and made them feel good.
Last week I was picking up some foodstuffs in a local supermarket. When I arrived at the check-out, the smiling Janice was there to scan my goods and help me pack them. In between all the scanning and packing, she asked me: “How are you today? Have you been on holiday?” She commented on what a lovely day it was and said: “Hope to see you again sometime.” I left the store feeling better than when I walked in.
What customers want can be divided into two areas. Firstly, they want your products or service to meet their needs and represent value for money.
However, even when your products or service meets the needs and expectations of your customers it doesn’t necessarily motivate them to return and spend more money – it takes more!
What really motivates customers are:
Warm and friendly responses: When customers meet you face to face or speak to you on the telephone; they want to feel that you're pleased to see them and happy to help them. For example - It's not so important what you say when you answer the telephone but more important how you say it.
They want to feel important: They know that you have lots of other customers and clients but they just love it when you make them seem special.
To be listened to: Listening is probably the most important skill to develop when dealing with customers. It has been said that people are either speaking or waiting to speak. In order to build rapport with customers it’s important to listen and show that you're listening. People like good listeners; listening gives you information and indicates to the customer that you’re interested in them and value what they say.
Someone to know their name: A persons name is one of the sweetest sounds they’ll ever hear. If you use a customers name when you talk to them, it indicates that you recognise them as an individual. Don’t use it too often as it can become irritating, but definitely at the start and the end of a conversation.
Flexibility: Customers hate to hear the word “No” or “It can’t be done.” It’s not always possible to say “Yes” to a customer or do exactly what they want; however, it is important to be as flexible as you can. Tell customers what you can do, not what you can’t.
Fast recovery when something goes wrong: When things go wrong, customers want you to solve their problems quickly. They don’t want to hear excuses or who’s to blame or why it happened, they just want it fixed fast.
Customers will often judge the quality of your service by the way you recover. They will even forgive your mistakes if you recover well.
They want to feel good: Overall, customers just want to feel good. They want to feel better after they’ve dealt with you or anyone in your business, than they did before. If you can create that feeling, then you’re well on the way to – giving customers what they REALLY want
So there you have it; 7 steps that will motivate customers to return, spend more money in your business and tell their friends.
Every time I run a Customer Service Seminar I always ask the participants to think about a time when they experienced exceptional customer service, either face to face or on the telephone, and describe what made it exceptional. Inevitably, participants tell me about situations where the person providing the service was warm and friendly, a good listener, appeared to care about them as a customer and made them feel good.
Last week I was picking up some foodstuffs in a local supermarket. When I arrived at the check-out, the smiling Janice was there to scan my goods and help me pack them. In between all the scanning and packing, she asked me: “How are you today? Have you been on holiday?” She commented on what a lovely day it was and said: “Hope to see you again sometime.” I left the store feeling better than when I walked in.
What customers want can be divided into two areas. Firstly, they want your products or service to meet their needs and represent value for money.
However, even when your products or service meets the needs and expectations of your customers it doesn’t necessarily motivate them to return and spend more money – it takes more!
What really motivates customers are:
Warm and friendly responses: When customers meet you face to face or speak to you on the telephone; they want to feel that you're pleased to see them and happy to help them. For example - It's not so important what you say when you answer the telephone but more important how you say it.
They want to feel important: They know that you have lots of other customers and clients but they just love it when you make them seem special.
To be listened to: Listening is probably the most important skill to develop when dealing with customers. It has been said that people are either speaking or waiting to speak. In order to build rapport with customers it’s important to listen and show that you're listening. People like good listeners; listening gives you information and indicates to the customer that you’re interested in them and value what they say.
Someone to know their name: A persons name is one of the sweetest sounds they’ll ever hear. If you use a customers name when you talk to them, it indicates that you recognise them as an individual. Don’t use it too often as it can become irritating, but definitely at the start and the end of a conversation.
Flexibility: Customers hate to hear the word “No” or “It can’t be done.” It’s not always possible to say “Yes” to a customer or do exactly what they want; however, it is important to be as flexible as you can. Tell customers what you can do, not what you can’t.
Fast recovery when something goes wrong: When things go wrong, customers want you to solve their problems quickly. They don’t want to hear excuses or who’s to blame or why it happened, they just want it fixed fast.
Customers will often judge the quality of your service by the way you recover. They will even forgive your mistakes if you recover well.
They want to feel good: Overall, customers just want to feel good. They want to feel better after they’ve dealt with you or anyone in your business, than they did before. If you can create that feeling, then you’re well on the way to – giving customers what they REALLY want
So there you have it; 7 steps that will motivate customers to return, spend more money in your business and tell their friends.
Sunday, 25 November 2007
The truth about personal impact
When communicating with other people face to face - and particularly when you're trying to persuade them - the key ingredients are credibility and believability. Your credibility will be determined by the verbal, vocal and visual elements of your message. If the words you say aren't confirmed by your tone of voice and how you look, you won't be believed.
People will evaluate you (an average of 11 decisions, within the first six seconds) based primarily on non- verbal information. We all tend to make snap judgements about other people, and often make mistakes - we stereotype.
Don't fall into this trap when you meet other people, however, be aware - they will be making decisions about you.
Low self-esteem and self-image affect body language. People tend to make movements and display posture which indicates a lack of confidence. If you don't feel confident in a particular situation, act or pretend to be confident. Walk into a room as if you own the place.
Listen to the self-talk that goes on in your head and ask yourself - "Is what I'm saying allowing me to be confident, on top and going for it?" If so - great! "Or is it holding me back and stopping me achieve my goals?" If this is the case - STOP IT, change the program! By talking to yourself in a positive manner, you'll start to feel physically better and you'll look better. Words have an enormous power to create change in the chemistry of your body. Your heart rate, blood pressure, muscles, nerves and breathing will all react to the words you say to yourself and this will be evident to other people.
Put this to the test right away; for the next 7 days listen to what you say to yourself and if it's negative, change it to something more positive and you'll start to feel better, look better and have much more success.
People will evaluate you (an average of 11 decisions, within the first six seconds) based primarily on non- verbal information. We all tend to make snap judgements about other people, and often make mistakes - we stereotype.
Don't fall into this trap when you meet other people, however, be aware - they will be making decisions about you.
Low self-esteem and self-image affect body language. People tend to make movements and display posture which indicates a lack of confidence. If you don't feel confident in a particular situation, act or pretend to be confident. Walk into a room as if you own the place.
Listen to the self-talk that goes on in your head and ask yourself - "Is what I'm saying allowing me to be confident, on top and going for it?" If so - great! "Or is it holding me back and stopping me achieve my goals?" If this is the case - STOP IT, change the program! By talking to yourself in a positive manner, you'll start to feel physically better and you'll look better. Words have an enormous power to create change in the chemistry of your body. Your heart rate, blood pressure, muscles, nerves and breathing will all react to the words you say to yourself and this will be evident to other people.
Put this to the test right away; for the next 7 days listen to what you say to yourself and if it's negative, change it to something more positive and you'll start to feel better, look better and have much more success.
3 reasons customers will buy from you
There are a whole range of reasons why customers buy a product or service. They usually buy to solve either real or perceived problems. They want to move away from pain and towards pleasure. They want to feel better after having made the decision to buy a product or service than they did before. Customers will buy from you if you meet these criteria.
However there are other reasons they will buy from you rather than your competitors.
1. If they think you're an expert and a specialist
2. If they think you're product or service is better
3. If someone tells them to
Let's look at each of these in turn -
1. Customers want to know that you understand them and their business. It therefore makes a great deal of sense to specialise. Work in a niche and become known for it. For example: If a customer is in the hospitality industry and they know that you specialise in the supply of hygiene products to that industry; then you're more likely to receive a call from them. They know that if they raise a particular problem with you then you'll understand.
2. It makes sense to say that, people will come to you if they think your product or service is better that your competitors; so you've got to make sure they get that message. And it's not all about selling - customers will form an impression of your product or service by the image you project. I'm sure you've heard the saying - "you never get a second chance to make a good first impression." If you want to draw customers to your business rather than to your competitors then everything about it must make a good first impression. You - your business name - business cards - your people - vehicles - stationary - web site - leaflets and brochures - everything and anything about your business. I recently passed a delivery truck from a local bakery. It was the oldest, dirtiest vehicle I've seen in a long time. I don't thing I'll buy any of their pies.
3. Customers will come to you if someone else tells them to. That someone will be one of your unpaid sales- force who will say wonderful things about you and your business to other people. They may be someone who has met you, has been impressed with you and what you have to say. Or they may be an existing customer or client who has experienced your superb customer service. They might just be someone who has heard about how good your products and service really are.
Word of mouth is one of the best ways to grow your business; make sure it works for you.
Tuesday, 9 October 2007
2 Tips on Motivational Feedback
If you’re like me, then you probably like to receive some positive feedback on what ever it is you do. I avidly read the feedback forms after a seminar or training workshop looking for those words of praise.
I was speaking with my friend Paddy the other day and he was showing me an email he’d received from his manager. Paddy works in sales and he’s had a really good June, July and August.
In the email his manager was congratulating him on a job well done; heaping praise on the fact that Paddy consistently achieved his target. However, after all this praise and congratulation, the email finished with these lines – “I’m concerned however, about your recent performance and your ability to achieve your target in September. You’re going to have to put in more effort if you want to continue your success next month.
This manager probably thought that this would motivate Paddy to achieve his target in September however; these words left him totally deflated. The congratulation was outweighed by the warning at the end of the email.
So here’s tip number 1 - If you’re giving some positive feedback to a member of your team or another person, I strongly suggest that you DO ONLY THAT!
And tip number 2 - Tell the person how well they’ve done using descriptive language. It’s best to minimise the ‘well done’ and the ‘congratulations’ and describe to the person exactly what it is that they did well. Too much ‘well done’ can come across as patronising.
Say something along the lines of – “Thank you Paddy for the extra work you put in to achieve your target. I’m particularly pleased that you achieved this without giving away too much discount. Your efforts have increased the team’s performance by 12 percent and I appreciate that.”
Never, never, never, finish on a negative. If you have concerns about some aspect of an individual’s performance, leave it for another time.
And just in case you’re wondering, Paddy did achieve his target in September; however he’s looking for another job where he’ll feel more appreciated.
I was speaking with my friend Paddy the other day and he was showing me an email he’d received from his manager. Paddy works in sales and he’s had a really good June, July and August.
In the email his manager was congratulating him on a job well done; heaping praise on the fact that Paddy consistently achieved his target. However, after all this praise and congratulation, the email finished with these lines – “I’m concerned however, about your recent performance and your ability to achieve your target in September. You’re going to have to put in more effort if you want to continue your success next month.
This manager probably thought that this would motivate Paddy to achieve his target in September however; these words left him totally deflated. The congratulation was outweighed by the warning at the end of the email.
So here’s tip number 1 - If you’re giving some positive feedback to a member of your team or another person, I strongly suggest that you DO ONLY THAT!
And tip number 2 - Tell the person how well they’ve done using descriptive language. It’s best to minimise the ‘well done’ and the ‘congratulations’ and describe to the person exactly what it is that they did well. Too much ‘well done’ can come across as patronising.
Say something along the lines of – “Thank you Paddy for the extra work you put in to achieve your target. I’m particularly pleased that you achieved this without giving away too much discount. Your efforts have increased the team’s performance by 12 percent and I appreciate that.”
Never, never, never, finish on a negative. If you have concerns about some aspect of an individual’s performance, leave it for another time.
And just in case you’re wondering, Paddy did achieve his target in September; however he’s looking for another job where he’ll feel more appreciated.
Sunday, 9 September 2007
Motivational Managers treat their team the way they expect to be treated
Let me tell you a quick story. A branch manager friend of mine, Jennie, was telling me about a recent meeting she had with her boss. After discussing some day to day issues he said, “Jennie, I have some good news; I’m sending you on another weekend team building event.”
Jennie’s heart sunk, she remembered the previous event where they spent the day swinging thorough the trees, falling in the mud, building rope bridges and generally getting wet through. Jennie isn’t particularly athletic and the aforementioned activities don’t exactly fill her with joy. She also has a husband and young children and she regards her weekends spent with them as very important.
Jennie is a very bright outgoing person however she isn’t keen to do much socialising with her work colleagues. She doesn’t attend social events or the Christmas night out.
She is however a very successful manager. Her team consistently hit their target and her branch is the most successful in the company. She runs a ‘tight ship,’ has a happy team with little absenteeism and is generally regarded as a first class manager.
Her boss believes that weekend team building events are good for morale, team spirit and very motivational. In Jennie’s case, it’s exactly the opposite; it’s totally de-motivational.
The Motivational Manager gets to know each individual member of their team. They are sensitive to how they see things and they know that they think differently than they do.
We all see the world in a different way based on our culture and how we were brought up. It’s very important to understand this, particularly when you give your people feedback, be it good or bad.
Last year I spent several weeks in a particular hotel running seminars and I started to get to know some of the staff. One day I noticed that Carol the conference manager had been named employee of the month and her photograph was displayed in the reception area. When I congratulated her on this honour, I was a bit surprised at her reaction - “I hate it, I’m so embarrassed,” she complained.
Carol didn’t like the attention she was getting and as a result, this recognition by her manager didn’t motivate her. Another member of the team could possibly see this completely differently and regard it as a great honour.
If you have good rapport with your people then you become sensitive to how they see things. The Motivational Manger understands each member of their team and doesn’t reward everyone in the same way.
I’ve often heard managers say - “I treat people the way I expect to be treated.”
The Motivational Manager says -
“I treat people the way THEY expect to be treated.”
Jennie’s heart sunk, she remembered the previous event where they spent the day swinging thorough the trees, falling in the mud, building rope bridges and generally getting wet through. Jennie isn’t particularly athletic and the aforementioned activities don’t exactly fill her with joy. She also has a husband and young children and she regards her weekends spent with them as very important.
Jennie is a very bright outgoing person however she isn’t keen to do much socialising with her work colleagues. She doesn’t attend social events or the Christmas night out.
She is however a very successful manager. Her team consistently hit their target and her branch is the most successful in the company. She runs a ‘tight ship,’ has a happy team with little absenteeism and is generally regarded as a first class manager.
Her boss believes that weekend team building events are good for morale, team spirit and very motivational. In Jennie’s case, it’s exactly the opposite; it’s totally de-motivational.
The Motivational Manager gets to know each individual member of their team. They are sensitive to how they see things and they know that they think differently than they do.
We all see the world in a different way based on our culture and how we were brought up. It’s very important to understand this, particularly when you give your people feedback, be it good or bad.
Last year I spent several weeks in a particular hotel running seminars and I started to get to know some of the staff. One day I noticed that Carol the conference manager had been named employee of the month and her photograph was displayed in the reception area. When I congratulated her on this honour, I was a bit surprised at her reaction - “I hate it, I’m so embarrassed,” she complained.
Carol didn’t like the attention she was getting and as a result, this recognition by her manager didn’t motivate her. Another member of the team could possibly see this completely differently and regard it as a great honour.
If you have good rapport with your people then you become sensitive to how they see things. The Motivational Manger understands each member of their team and doesn’t reward everyone in the same way.
I’ve often heard managers say - “I treat people the way I expect to be treated.”
The Motivational Manager says -
“I treat people the way THEY expect to be treated.”
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