Evolution - Describe the industry, market, customer base over a period of time and show what changes have happened. In this model, you can talk about the world of the ’90s, the ’00s and now. By describing the the changes, you can define your competitors’ advantages as addressing a world that no longer exists.
Revolution - Technology, regulation, off-shore competitors and other circumstances revolutionize businesses. Placing your competitors as great pre-revolution solutions is a good way to pigeonhole their value and emphasize yours.
Devolution - The world has gotten smaller — language like “Competition locally required this…, competition nationally requires that…, international competition demands something altogether.” The language of these conversation follows this direction: “Understanding your market as it was until (6 months or a year ago, whatever fits), I completely understand the choices you have made. As a matter of fact, I think under those circumstances, you probably made the best choice at that time. Under the current conditions, I can see why you are exploring new options. Our specialty is helping companies like yours who are in this exact set of circumstances.”
Basically, you’re killing them with kindness and compliments.
Thursday, 24 February 2011
5 Scientic Ways to be Happier
How can you be happier? Jennifer L. Aaker, a marketing professor at Stanford University’s School of Business, Melanie Rudd, a Stanford MBA student, and Wharton marketing professor Cassie Mogilner, are here to help. Noting that inquiries into money and happiness have found surprisingly few correlations between the two, the trio instead set out to look at the way people spend their time and how that affects happiness. The researchers examined 60 academic studies, then tried to draw links between those findings to draw more general conclusions.
The results? Here are five guidelines they say anyone can use to increase their happiness.
1. Spend time with the “right people.” Sounds simple. But who exactly are the right people? Unfortunately, they’re generally not your office mates, who are the ones people tend to spend the most time with. The people that make you happiest will generally be friends, family, and romantic partners. That’s why one the most powerful influencers of general happiness is whether or not someone has a “best friend” at work and whether or not they like their boss.
Avoid small talk. A related predictor of happiness is how much substantive discussion a person engages in, compared to small talk. Generally, small talk makes people unhappy, and often, work relationships involve a disproportionate amount of small talk. If you want to increase your happiness, it’s far better to find one or two colleagues with whom you can have a real discussion than to engage in small talk around the water cooler.
2. Spend time on “socially connecting” activities, such as volunteering and spending time with friends.
Work doesn’t count. Unless your job is particularly fulfilling and your colleagues are your best buds, work is not ’socially connecting’ and is generally one of the more unhappy parts of the day. Commuting is also gets high marks for making people unhappy.
Volunteering has been proven to be a good way to increase happiness.
Memory is important, because it helps us take an event that happened in the past and extend its ‘worth’ into the future. One way to help choose experiences that will increase happiness is to consider how you might remember them in the future. What are your happiest memories? How might you create more similar memories?
3. Day dream, or, as the researchers say, enjoy the experience without spending the time. As counterintuitive as it may seem, research has shown that the part of the brain responsible for feeling pleasure can be activated just by thinking about something pleasurable. And we often enjoy the anticipation of something pleasurable more than the actual experience that we think is going to be so great. The most common example is vacation planning, which some find more pleasurable than the vacation itself.
4. Expand your time. No, this does not mean you have to find a warp in the space-time continuum (although it might help). Focusing on the “here and now” slows down the perceived passage of time, allowing people to feel less rushed and hurried. How can we do that?
Breathe slowly. Just for a few minutes. As the authors write: “In one study, subjects who were instructed to take long and slow breaths (vs. short and quick ones) for 5 minutes not only felt there was more time available to get things done, but also perceived their day to be longer.”
Volunteering makes it seem like you have more time. In general, spending time on someone else makes people feel like they have more spare time and that their future is more expansive.
Pay people to do the chores you hate. Activities that we choose to do generally make us happier than those that are obligatory. So if you can afford it, hire someone else to do some of the ‘obligatory’ tasks, such as cleaning the house. Then use the time you’ve ‘bought’ not to catch up on work, but to do something you genuinely enjoy.
5. Be aware that aging changes the way people experience happiness. Youths tend to equate happiness with excitement, but as people get older, happiness is associated with feeling peaceful. Young people get more happiness from spending time with interesting new acquaintances, while older people get more enjoyment from spending time with close friends and family.
Do these sound like guidelines you can follow in your own life? What activities make you happy? What else do you think should be on the list? I’m compiling readers’ suggestions and posting the best ones here.
Write down your happy moments. Tim Noyce says he finds “great value” in journaling happy moments or achievements. It’s easy to forget powerfully positive moments, he says. Reading them in a journal is emotionally uplifting.
Take a look at the big picture. Jenyj89 says having breast cancer in 2009 made her reassess her priorities. “Your family should be your WORLD,” she wrote.
Believe in a higher power. Several readers, among them Calil West and 2TallTexan, mentioned the power of God to instill happiness2TallTexan says a belief in the supernatural increases happiness, and that children who believe in Santa Claus and the tooth fairy are happier than those who don’t.
Work out. DataDude1 says he would add “staying physical… Take a break from the computer!”AirGate Solutions agrees: “Get out and exercise!” From Manabozho: “Exercise is huge.”
Do good deeds. Deancubed said, even if you don’t volunteer, “trying at least once per day to do something nice for someone else outside of the norm is a great way to uplift your spirits.”
Find a hobby. Nigel.colter says having a hobby has been “a great source of happiness.” And he notes that it’s widened his social circle as well.
Become an entrepreneur, if you hate your job, Mike Van Horn says.
Jay Taffet writes, “Avoid spam email from the mind.” He says we internalize thoughts like “I’m upset” “I’m anxious” even though we would never say “I’m a hurt elbow” or “I’m a sore knee.” We consider what’s going on with our physical self differently than we do our mental self, even though both kinds of mental messages–”I’m upset” and “I’m a hurt elbow”– can be ignored if we work at it.
Bentonsmom makes a related point: “Your brain responds to what you tell it and this includes the attitude and emotion you say it with… If you tell yourself you are going to have a great day, you will.” She also suggests living with compassion for those around you (hard to argue with that one).
Jim.marks references the work of academic Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, a professor of psychology and author renowned for his work in the area of positive psychology. His suggestion: Set appropriate goals that provide immediate feedback and measurable progress.
Lyndsay Katauskas recommends women keep a “Have-done” list, or reiterate their accomplishments to a partner each day, to combat the stress of a never-ending “To-Do” list.
Finally, from Mvanderford: “Don’t forget the benefits of a good night’s sleep.” Hear ye, hear ye.
The results? Here are five guidelines they say anyone can use to increase their happiness.
1. Spend time with the “right people.” Sounds simple. But who exactly are the right people? Unfortunately, they’re generally not your office mates, who are the ones people tend to spend the most time with. The people that make you happiest will generally be friends, family, and romantic partners. That’s why one the most powerful influencers of general happiness is whether or not someone has a “best friend” at work and whether or not they like their boss.
Avoid small talk. A related predictor of happiness is how much substantive discussion a person engages in, compared to small talk. Generally, small talk makes people unhappy, and often, work relationships involve a disproportionate amount of small talk. If you want to increase your happiness, it’s far better to find one or two colleagues with whom you can have a real discussion than to engage in small talk around the water cooler.
2. Spend time on “socially connecting” activities, such as volunteering and spending time with friends.
Work doesn’t count. Unless your job is particularly fulfilling and your colleagues are your best buds, work is not ’socially connecting’ and is generally one of the more unhappy parts of the day. Commuting is also gets high marks for making people unhappy.
Volunteering has been proven to be a good way to increase happiness.
Memory is important, because it helps us take an event that happened in the past and extend its ‘worth’ into the future. One way to help choose experiences that will increase happiness is to consider how you might remember them in the future. What are your happiest memories? How might you create more similar memories?
3. Day dream, or, as the researchers say, enjoy the experience without spending the time. As counterintuitive as it may seem, research has shown that the part of the brain responsible for feeling pleasure can be activated just by thinking about something pleasurable. And we often enjoy the anticipation of something pleasurable more than the actual experience that we think is going to be so great. The most common example is vacation planning, which some find more pleasurable than the vacation itself.
4. Expand your time. No, this does not mean you have to find a warp in the space-time continuum (although it might help). Focusing on the “here and now” slows down the perceived passage of time, allowing people to feel less rushed and hurried. How can we do that?
Breathe slowly. Just for a few minutes. As the authors write: “In one study, subjects who were instructed to take long and slow breaths (vs. short and quick ones) for 5 minutes not only felt there was more time available to get things done, but also perceived their day to be longer.”
Volunteering makes it seem like you have more time. In general, spending time on someone else makes people feel like they have more spare time and that their future is more expansive.
Pay people to do the chores you hate. Activities that we choose to do generally make us happier than those that are obligatory. So if you can afford it, hire someone else to do some of the ‘obligatory’ tasks, such as cleaning the house. Then use the time you’ve ‘bought’ not to catch up on work, but to do something you genuinely enjoy.
5. Be aware that aging changes the way people experience happiness. Youths tend to equate happiness with excitement, but as people get older, happiness is associated with feeling peaceful. Young people get more happiness from spending time with interesting new acquaintances, while older people get more enjoyment from spending time with close friends and family.
Do these sound like guidelines you can follow in your own life? What activities make you happy? What else do you think should be on the list? I’m compiling readers’ suggestions and posting the best ones here.
Write down your happy moments. Tim Noyce says he finds “great value” in journaling happy moments or achievements. It’s easy to forget powerfully positive moments, he says. Reading them in a journal is emotionally uplifting.
Take a look at the big picture. Jenyj89 says having breast cancer in 2009 made her reassess her priorities. “Your family should be your WORLD,” she wrote.
Believe in a higher power. Several readers, among them Calil West and 2TallTexan, mentioned the power of God to instill happiness2TallTexan says a belief in the supernatural increases happiness, and that children who believe in Santa Claus and the tooth fairy are happier than those who don’t.
Work out. DataDude1 says he would add “staying physical… Take a break from the computer!”AirGate Solutions agrees: “Get out and exercise!” From Manabozho: “Exercise is huge.”
Do good deeds. Deancubed said, even if you don’t volunteer, “trying at least once per day to do something nice for someone else outside of the norm is a great way to uplift your spirits.”
Find a hobby. Nigel.colter says having a hobby has been “a great source of happiness.” And he notes that it’s widened his social circle as well.
Become an entrepreneur, if you hate your job, Mike Van Horn says.
Jay Taffet writes, “Avoid spam email from the mind.” He says we internalize thoughts like “I’m upset” “I’m anxious” even though we would never say “I’m a hurt elbow” or “I’m a sore knee.” We consider what’s going on with our physical self differently than we do our mental self, even though both kinds of mental messages–”I’m upset” and “I’m a hurt elbow”– can be ignored if we work at it.
Bentonsmom makes a related point: “Your brain responds to what you tell it and this includes the attitude and emotion you say it with… If you tell yourself you are going to have a great day, you will.” She also suggests living with compassion for those around you (hard to argue with that one).
Jim.marks references the work of academic Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, a professor of psychology and author renowned for his work in the area of positive psychology. His suggestion: Set appropriate goals that provide immediate feedback and measurable progress.
Lyndsay Katauskas recommends women keep a “Have-done” list, or reiterate their accomplishments to a partner each day, to combat the stress of a never-ending “To-Do” list.
Finally, from Mvanderford: “Don’t forget the benefits of a good night’s sleep.” Hear ye, hear ye.
Friday, 28 January 2011
How Do You Identify The Metrics that Measure You To Show Value
http://blogs.hbr.org/johnson/2010/11/your-own-kind-of-moneyball-the.html?cm_mmc=email-_-newsletter-_-management_tip-_-tip121610&referral=00203&utm_source=newsletter_management_tip&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=tip121610
“Once we’ve identified our best skills, and figured out how to measure them, we are well on our way to maximizing our value.”
If you can measure what you do best, you'll get paid what you're worth.
If you can't measure it, you'll have a harder time putting a price on it. No price tag, no getting paid what you're worth
"When the A's acquired MLB relief pitcher Chad Bradford from the White Sox, Bradford's standard pitching metrics were respectable, but his fastball came in at 81-85 mph, and he looked funny when he threw — the scouts made fun of him. But because the A's thought about measurement more comprehensively than the other teams, Beane knew Bradford was a steal.
According to Lewis, "Chad Bradford gave up his share of hits per balls in play, but, more than any pitcher in baseball, they were ground ball hits. His minor league ground ball to fly ball ratio was 5:1. The big league average was more like 1.1: 1. Ground balls were not only hard to hit over the wall; they were hard to hit for doubles and triples." Bradford eventually signed a three-year, $10.5 million deal with the Baltimore Orioles."
1) Talent Developer — tally the number of team members for whom a manager has brokered a move into other areas of the organization; 2) Innovator — did they create an environment that fosters innovation as evidenced by the number of ideas generated by their team; 3) Value Integrator (a manager who analyzes and synthesizes information and turns it into a competitive asset) — count, for example, how many cash management strategies came from their division? The number of M&A points of integration? Or, how many Lean or Six Sigma initiatives were successfully implemented?"
Because headline metrics rarely tell the whole story, you need to find the metrics that do, whether running a business or managing your career. That's what conflict negotiation and mediation teaches — whenever you walk into any negotiation you need to know how to value what you are bringing to the table, to put a price tag on it. Getting paid what you are worth is ultimately a negotiation. When you can identify your disruptive or best skills, and then present metrics that establish your value (creating them if need be), you can communicate your value. Are you ready to play some moneyball?
“Once we’ve identified our best skills, and figured out how to measure them, we are well on our way to maximizing our value.”
If you can measure what you do best, you'll get paid what you're worth.
If you can't measure it, you'll have a harder time putting a price on it. No price tag, no getting paid what you're worth
"When the A's acquired MLB relief pitcher Chad Bradford from the White Sox, Bradford's standard pitching metrics were respectable, but his fastball came in at 81-85 mph, and he looked funny when he threw — the scouts made fun of him. But because the A's thought about measurement more comprehensively than the other teams, Beane knew Bradford was a steal.
According to Lewis, "Chad Bradford gave up his share of hits per balls in play, but, more than any pitcher in baseball, they were ground ball hits. His minor league ground ball to fly ball ratio was 5:1. The big league average was more like 1.1: 1. Ground balls were not only hard to hit over the wall; they were hard to hit for doubles and triples." Bradford eventually signed a three-year, $10.5 million deal with the Baltimore Orioles."
1) Talent Developer — tally the number of team members for whom a manager has brokered a move into other areas of the organization; 2) Innovator — did they create an environment that fosters innovation as evidenced by the number of ideas generated by their team; 3) Value Integrator (a manager who analyzes and synthesizes information and turns it into a competitive asset) — count, for example, how many cash management strategies came from their division? The number of M&A points of integration? Or, how many Lean or Six Sigma initiatives were successfully implemented?"
Because headline metrics rarely tell the whole story, you need to find the metrics that do, whether running a business or managing your career. That's what conflict negotiation and mediation teaches — whenever you walk into any negotiation you need to know how to value what you are bringing to the table, to put a price tag on it. Getting paid what you are worth is ultimately a negotiation. When you can identify your disruptive or best skills, and then present metrics that establish your value (creating them if need be), you can communicate your value. Are you ready to play some moneyball?
Friday, 21 January 2011
How do I have a better relationship with my manager?
10 Simple Questions That Will Win Over Your Boss
1.Ask what he thinks you can do to be more effective.
2.Ask what her top three priorities or goals are.
3.Ask what you can do to make him more effective.
4.Ask what you can do to make the team more effective.
5.Ask if he’s interested in knowing what will make your job easier.
6.Ask what her take is on the company’s top priorities and goals.
7.Ask what he thinks you should do differently or improve upon to be more effective.
8.Ask if she’d like to meet periodically, one-on-one, and if so, how frequently and what format would she like the meeting to take. Then set it up.
9.Ask what his philosophy is on your shared functional responsibility, whatever that is, i.e. marketing, HR, IT, engineering, finance.
10.And, if the meeting’s open-form and you feel it’s appropriate, ask about her background. Most people like to talk about themselves and how they got there, as long as they don’t feel like they’re being grilled, pumped for information, or played in some way.
1.Ask what he thinks you can do to be more effective.
2.Ask what her top three priorities or goals are.
3.Ask what you can do to make him more effective.
4.Ask what you can do to make the team more effective.
5.Ask if he’s interested in knowing what will make your job easier.
6.Ask what her take is on the company’s top priorities and goals.
7.Ask what he thinks you should do differently or improve upon to be more effective.
8.Ask if she’d like to meet periodically, one-on-one, and if so, how frequently and what format would she like the meeting to take. Then set it up.
9.Ask what his philosophy is on your shared functional responsibility, whatever that is, i.e. marketing, HR, IT, engineering, finance.
10.And, if the meeting’s open-form and you feel it’s appropriate, ask about her background. Most people like to talk about themselves and how they got there, as long as they don’t feel like they’re being grilled, pumped for information, or played in some way.
Thursday, 16 December 2010
How do I find the right decision maker in the sales process?
1.A job title that is relevant to the area that your offering addresses.
2.A position on the org chart that is relevant to the area your offering addresses.
3.A history of being a successful leader within the organization, implementing similar projects.
4.A reputation among other executives in the firm as a genuine contributor to the firm.
5.A reputation for being closely bound to others in the organization “by mutual advantage.”
6.Sufficient influence to control company events and activities and to alter the firm’s status quo.
The individual who has all those characteristics is the REAL decision-maker for your offering. This is the person whom you must contact, cultivate and work with to make sure that your offering actually gets purchased.
2.A position on the org chart that is relevant to the area your offering addresses.
3.A history of being a successful leader within the organization, implementing similar projects.
4.A reputation among other executives in the firm as a genuine contributor to the firm.
5.A reputation for being closely bound to others in the organization “by mutual advantage.”
6.Sufficient influence to control company events and activities and to alter the firm’s status quo.
The individual who has all those characteristics is the REAL decision-maker for your offering. This is the person whom you must contact, cultivate and work with to make sure that your offering actually gets purchased.
Friday, 3 December 2010
What distinguishes the best sales people from the rest?
how they convey ideas in a way that inspire others to think and feel different, as well as their ability to listen and through listening, create a real connection. I found this in every case: the distinguishing factor is really the way the very few send out messages and the way they take in messages. In the case of sales professionals, i know of so many highly-successful ones who had no process at all, and didn’t follow ANY sales methodology. But they earn the business because they were able to form an emotional connection with their buyer, and could inspire actions.
http://www.bnet.com/blog/salesmachine/ben-zoldan-the-power-of-listening/13215?promo=808&tag=nl.e808
http://www.bnet.com/blog/salesmachine/ben-zoldan-the-power-of-listening/13215?promo=808&tag=nl.e808
Wednesday, 1 December 2010
How do I get to the sales decision maker?
Get more patient. As long as you’ve got a dialog going, you’re still in the sales cycle. Relax, take a deep breath, and revise your forecast to reflect the delay.
Get up-front commitment. During the demonstration, get the stakeholder to make an appointment (or send an email requesting one) with the decision-maker while you are online with the stakeholder.
Close the loop. When you email the thank-you and next steps to the stakeholder, copy the decision-maker, so that the decision-maker knows that the stakeholder is committed.
Send a warning email. Sure you might get a deferral, but if you’re going to get one on the email, you’re going to get one on the phone call anyways. Best to know sooner than later,
Create a sense of urgency. If you have some kind of discount program, make the discount contingent on a response within a certain timeframe.
Try to call higher. You say that it’s nigh impossible to get to the decision-maker. Well, maybe, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t try. Find out where the decision-maker network and make contacts.
Get up-front commitment. During the demonstration, get the stakeholder to make an appointment (or send an email requesting one) with the decision-maker while you are online with the stakeholder.
Close the loop. When you email the thank-you and next steps to the stakeholder, copy the decision-maker, so that the decision-maker knows that the stakeholder is committed.
Send a warning email. Sure you might get a deferral, but if you’re going to get one on the email, you’re going to get one on the phone call anyways. Best to know sooner than later,
Create a sense of urgency. If you have some kind of discount program, make the discount contingent on a response within a certain timeframe.
Try to call higher. You say that it’s nigh impossible to get to the decision-maker. Well, maybe, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t try. Find out where the decision-maker network and make contacts.
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