It is said at breakfast the chicken is interested… but the pig is committed!

Several years ago I co-facilitated a session at a National Speakers Association with one of my favorite writers, Scott Ginsberg. The session was an ideation session so we could pose questions and then enjoy the conversation flow. I need to tell you Scott is a brilliant writer, a fun speaker and has one of those scary brilliant minds that are always creating, so it was fun to do this with him.

Before the session we brainstormed questions we could use in the session and here is our list: 

1. What’s your definition of commitment?
2. What’s your favorite excuse for not executing?
3. What gets in the way of doing this 100% of the time?
4. What’s your compass for finding what matters?
5. What are you turning your ideas into?
6. What’s your best tip, technique or practice for eliminating distractions that get you off track?
7. What questions do you ask yourself to stay focused on your commitment?
8. In your business, what is the cost of inaction?
9. What accountability systems do you put in place to keep you fully committed to your business?
10. Once you’ve committed 100%, how will you celebrate?

I have referred back to these questions many times since that session and it got me thinking, maybe you could also use these questions today if you are not fully committing to something in your life? Is there a project you don’t feel committed to? A relationship? Your job?  The most productive people I know do less NOT more; they do more of the things that energize them.

Invest 15 minutes today and use these questions to overcome your personal gravity and accelerate your productivity. We would love to hear your thoughts, share your ideas with us here on our blog.

PS. If you want more ideas on how to increase your productivity – check out other blogs here and several eBooks you can share with your team including our latest book Folding Time. 

What Are Your Excuses That Are Holding You Back from Influence?

There are two roadblocks most individuals experience that prevent them from taking their communication from good to influential.  First, is being aware of the excuses they make for why they communicate the way they do. Second, is how to fix it. Imagine what you could do if you put the energy you use to make excuses into taking action.  Perhaps we make excuses rather than take action because it’s easier.  Do we replace action with excuses because we are covering up our vulnerability or lack of confidence?  Or are we simply not aware of the excuses we make?

I have the opportunity throughout the year to observe thousands of individuals deliver presentations, make sales calls, facilitate meetings and participate in virtual and face-to-face conversations.  Most individuals know what they don’t like about how others communicate.  They will quickly comment:

“I can’t stand it when the person I’m talking to speaks with non-words.” “It drives me crazy when the presenter talks to their visual aids.” “I check emails in my meetings when the facilitator doesn’t use eye contact.”  “The speaker gives me permission to tune out when they ramble and take too long to get to the point.”

Why do these same individuals who are quick to give others feedback communicate the same way?  They never use pauses or look at their listeners long enough to connect.  They frequently talk to their visual aids and notes as if they’re having a relationship with these elements.  Rambling is their middle name because it takes them too long to get to the point.

Communicating with influence and impact takes an immense amount of hard work and discipline. As much as we know this to be true, we still have excuses.

The excuses come from individuals who tend to lack confidence and self-esteem.  Or individuals who believe they’re better than what reality states.

Top Excuses

“If I knew what I was talking about I wouldn’t say non-words.”  Your non-words don’t suddenly fall out of the sky when you don’t know your message.  When I’ve had conversations with these individuals focusing on a topic they know, they still speak with non-words.  Because you’re comfortable with a topic doesn’t mean the non-words disappear.  These behaviors are habits and take practice and commitment to change.

“If I had time to prepare what I wanted to say I would sound more confident.”  The majority of our day-to-day conversations are impromptu.  If you really want to be perceived as confident, you need to communicate effectively all the time.

“When I’m having a conversation with my client I look and sound more confident.”  Why do you practice effective communication only when you speak to clients?  You can’t be confident Monday to Wednesday and slack the remainder of the week.  It’s all or nothing if you want to consistently have impact and influence on others.

If we’d put our energy into improving our communication rather than making excuses, we’d begin making changes that guarantee greater results.

•          Building stronger relationships.
•          Increasing profits.
•          Influencing action.
•          Speaking to be heard.

If you find yourself making an excuse this week, think about what you can do to make a change.  What you can say or do to have more impact and influence on others?

The choice is ALWAYS yours.  It always has been and always will be.  Are you missing opportunities because your excuses are getting in the way?

Stacey Hanke - Founder and Communication Expert

Stacey Hanke is the founder and communication expert of Stacey Hanke Inc.  In her book Yes You Can! She reveals practical and immediate skills and techniques to enhance verbal skills to influence others. Stacey helps individuals eliminate the static that plagues communicative delivery-to persuade, sell, influence and effectively communicate face-to-face with a clear message. Learn more about Stacey at www.staceyhankeinc.com

From social media, to texting, to not having enough time, communication is getting more difficult and complicated.  If we want to influence our listeners to act on what we have to say, we need to work hard to be heard above this noise.

Three steps to help you break through the noise

Speaking Up = Confidence

If you want to be heard, you need to speak up.  It will be difficult to influence others to take action when they can’t hear you.  In all of my years working with thousands of individuals, I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve had to ask someone to turn down their volume level.  Most individuals I work with believe they speak louder than they really do until they hear their voice on a video playback.

On a scale of one to ten, with one being inaudible and ten too loud, your voice needs to be at seven or eight when speaking to a group of 15 or more. When speaking over the phone or to a small group, project at a four to five level.

Vocal projection has nothing to do with yelling.  It’s the realization you need to use different volume levels so your voice reaches everyone in the room.  No one should have to strain to hear you.  If they do, they’ll stop listening and you’ll lose them. 

Ask for feedback on the volume level you project in meetings, face-to-face situations and over the phone.  This week audiotape yourself during a presentation, meeting, or virtual or face-to-face conversation.  Give yourself immediate feedback:

• Would you be influenced by this person?
• Do you sound like you really mean what you’re saying, or do you invite your listeners to check their email?
• Does your voice trail off at the end of your sentences?

 Get to the Point

Time is valuable to all of us, so why do we steal our listener’s time by taking too long to get to the point?  The more you say that’s unnecessary, the greater the risk your listeners will miss or misinterpret your point.  Instead of inviting your listeners to check out:

• Stay focused.  When you find yourself going down the path of saying too much and you begin to feel like a train about to derail, put the brakes on and get yourself back on track … PAUSE!
• Keep your objective in mind.  Think in terms of what your listener needs to know about what you want them to do, not what you want to tell them.
• Put thought to your words before you speak.
• Use the Rule of Three.  Focus your message on no more than the three most significant points.  It’s easier for you to get to the point and for your listeners to remember your message and act on what you have to say.
• Pay attention to your listener.  Are they hanging on your every word or are they dazed?  Are they attentive or fidgeting?

This week, prior to your meetings ask a trusted peer to give you a non-verbal signal when you’re rambling and taking too long to get to the point. 

When you listen to your audio playback, don’t only listen to your volume level but also pay attention to the length of your sentences.

• Is your message articulate, succinct and easy to follow?
• Do your points meet your listener expectations?
• Does your message stay on point or are you communicating too many ideas in a short period of time?

Give your conversation momentum.  Close by recapping the specific action you want your listener to take and what’s in it for them.  When your listener is clear on what you’re asking them to do, you’ll continue to move the relationship forward.  Because we remember the first and last thing we hear, it’s critical that your message is organized.

You listener receives many messages throughout their day.  Stating a specific action that has benefits for your listener is what will help you be heard above the noise.

Stacey Hanke - Founder and Communication Expert 

Stacey Hanke is the founder and communication expert of Stacey Hanke Inc. In her book Yes You Can! she reveals practical and immediate skills and techniques to enhance verbal skills to influence others.  Stacey helps individuals eliminate the static that plagues communicative delivery – to persuade, sell, influence and effectively communicate face-to-face with a clear message. Learn more about Stacey at www.staceyhankeinc.com 

While attending a National Speakers Association conference several years ago a conversation focused on what it takes to be in the top 10% of speakers who are excelling at their craft, loved by their clients and running profitable practices.

There were many ideas shared however these were the suggestions that appealed to me.

When re-reading the list I realized this would be valuable for any thought leader wanting to increase their impact with their clients, in their relationships and in their community.

Be generous  - give your time and expertise to your clients, audiences and your industry.

Be disciplined – choose to do the right thing regularly and do it well.

Create great relationships – focus on those you care about.

Focus on your physical and mental health – make it a priority.

Delete unnecessary activities – know what you are good at, outsource the rest.

Observe other experts – make a list of what they do well.

Invest in the industry – share your expertise and mentor others.

Be a good steward of resources – be diligent, tithe regularly and be generous.

Stop wasting time – invest this precious resource wisely.

Practice daily – review your speech … practice, practice, and practice.

Be Referral-able  – be so good others want to promote you.

Make people feel good – leave people feeling great.

Be consistent – form great habits and commit to them.

Be well read – choose books rather than TV.

Share a passion for people – serve first.

Rock your demo video – make it easy to see you in action.

Know what the other 90% do … and be better.

Choose to be the best – do whatever it takes to excel.

Work hard – it’s not an easy industry however it is worthwhile.

Have faith – trust your faith, your intuition and your feelings.

What would you add to this list? Share your ideas with us here on our blog.

PS. If you want more ideas on how to increase your productivity – check out other blogs here and several eBooks you can share with your team.

Many of you would know of Michael Port’s original book Book Yourself Solid … did you know he recently released an Illustrated version? What’s special about that you ask… well so many things!

If you are a visual learner and enjoy writing inside books and treating them like workbooks – you will love this version.

Michael’s practical, easy to follow; step-by-step process is a great read for anyone wanting to grow their practice.

As a partner in Thought Leader Global, I am constantly seeking resources and strategies that can help my clever clients become even more commercially smart. This little gem outlines easy systems to get more clients (even if you hate marketing and selling).

The book will challenge you get back to fundamentals, ensure you have built your practice on the correct strategies and then it will provide guidelines to help you grow your network, market strategically and consistently and watch your business grow.

As someone who loves to network and connect people, of course I enjoyed that chapter and Michael’s ideas in this section.  I also speak as part of my practice so that was great to see additional thoughts there.

I particularly liked his strategies on staying connected with clients and his recommended focused follow up system of www.solid.ly - I must admit it is a little addictive but that’s a good thing. Check it out and it might be a cool system for you to use too (and save you so much time).

If you want a fun read to help you grow your practice, do yourself a favor visit his website and sign up for his resources, check out his book and enjoy working through all the exercises.

Did you read the book, if so, what were your favorite takeaways?  Share your ideas with us here on our blog.

PS. If you want more ideas on how to increase your productivity – check out other blogs here and several eBooks you can share with your team.

When we have our annual review, sometimes our thoughts lead to money… maybe it’s time for a pay rise?

Many people are too scared to ask for a pay rise.  Why is this?  If you believe you deserve a raise, spend time examining these strategies and schedule a time with your manager to ask for that well-deserved raise!

Conduct a self-audit – make a list of all the achievements in your current role.  Think about where you add value to your organization and how you have grown the business.  List out all of the tangible and also the intangible items on your list i.e. boosted staff morale, productivity increased, new clients.

List your achievements – make a list of the results you have achieved in your current role- ensure they are accurate and measurable, include statistics, sales figures, client testimonials and reports where possible.

Research remuneration for similar roles to yours – investigate other industries (or the same industry) to determine your market value.  Most roles have something similar within a market, identify what this is for you and find out what the package includes, get educated.

Create your ideal package – make a list of what you would like to receive in salary, car allowance, employee benefits, 401K and time off.  Give this a dollar figure as a package (don’t focus only on the individual components of your package.)

Consider your organization’s situation – be aware of how your organization is performing overall before approaching your manager for this raise.  If times are tough, you are less likely to be considered for this.  If the company is performing well, your manager might be more open to this request.

Schedule time with your manager- make an appointment to discuss this and let them know the agenda will be your package.  Schedule this appointment for early in the day so your manager is not distracted by competing priorities and you are not spending the day nervous while waiting for the appointment.

Practice your presentation in your mind – know what you want to say and why you believe you deserve this raise.

List your manager’s potential objections – make a list of all the possible objections your manager may have and consider how you would respond to these.

Be calm – don’t be nervous and fidget in the appointment.  Take a few deep breaths before the meeting and remind yourself of why you deserve this raise and the positive impact it will have on your life.

Be aware of your body language – ensure your shoulders are straight, sit forward in your chair and make good eye contact and smile.  Try to appear relaxed and comfortable.

Be positive – don’t approach your manager timidly or they won’t believe you are worth the raise.  Believe in yourself and your achievements.

Be assertive – use positive assertive (not aggressive) language when you are informing your manager of why you deserve this increase.  Talk about the benefits to the company and to you.

Don’t blink, don’t look away – when you tell your manager the total package figure you would like to receive; don’t blink and don’t look away – hold their gaze and remain calm.

Allow your manager to respond to your request in the meeting – don’t talk while they process what you have asked for.  Allow yourself to sit in the silence if required.  Don’t try and fill the space with talking.

Provide options for your manager – provide alternatives of how they can give you this raise, discuss timeframes, possibly staggering the amounts, providing a bonus or one-time payment or by changing the structure of your existing package.

Agree on a response timeframe – if your manager can’t give you give an answer immediately, agree when they will come back to you with an answer for your request.  One to two weeks would be appropriate in this circumstance.

If you don’t be bold and ask for a raise, you may not get offered one.  Apply these strategies and approach your manager for a raise if you deserve one, now that’s productive!

If you are a Mac user you MUST get this app! I know that is strong language and I am not kidding you.

No one paid me to write this, no one is paying me to promote this – it saves me hours of typing and hours of time!

Text Expander is an app you can install on your Mac (and other iOs devices) that provides short cuts for you – instead of typing the same paragraph, email signature, text … it does it for you – simple – I promise!

Download the free trial if you don’t believe me… I just went ahead and bought the app and it has saved me hours on my email responses and especially in a project I did recently for a new book.

If you find yourself writing the same (or similar) messages frequently I guarantee this app will save you time.

Check it out now, don’t wait… run your fingers across to this site and check it out.

It saves time… that’s all I am saying!

What is your favorite app to save time? Share your ideas with us here on our blog.

PS. If you want more ideas on how to increase your productivity – check out other blogs here and several eBooks you can share with your team.

PPS. If you are a PC user I am sure there are similar services I just can’t personally recommend any but feel free to share them here.

In his book Do the Work: Overcome Resistance and get out of your own way, Steven Pressfield had great one liners, deep thoughts and challenging questions for his reader.

When I read it I was struggling with an aspect of my practice and feeling overwhelmed… however I was still moving forward. It is worth reading, as it will challenge you, make you think deeper and also make you smile at his writing style.

Love the analogy that ‘resistance is the pain-in-the-ass schoolteacher who won’t let us climb that tree in the playground. But the urge to climb came first.  The urge is love.  Love for the material, love for the work, love for our brothers and sisters to whom we will offer our work as a gift. What is your gift for the world?

When you are struggling with something i.e. the completion of a project, reaching a goal weight, achieving financial independence… ask yourself how bad do you want it?

Highlights of the book for me include:

Fight the Resistance

‘Our enemy is not lack of preparation; it’s not the difficulty of the project, or the state of the marketplace or the emptiness of our bank account.  The enemy is resistance.

A child had no trouble believing in the unbelievable, nor does the genius or the madman.  It’s only you and I, with our big brains and our tiny heart, who doubt and overthink and hesitate.’ This is so true!

He encourages readers – don’t think. Act. Once we commit to action the worst thing we can do is stop. This got me thinking about the power of momentum – sometimes we have to just DO something … anything that will move us closer to our goals.

Bleed for your ideas

‘Do you love your idea? Does it feel right on instinct? Are you willing to bleed for it?’ – I loved his challenge here, how much do you really want to achieve what you have set out to do?

Make a decision

On the topic of research he shares, ‘Research can be fun. It can be seductive, that’s its danger.  We need it. We love it. But we must never forget that research can become resistance’.  We find research can be a form of procrastination, we suggest this: collect half the facts and make a decision based on those … trust your gut.

Follow the crazy

He says ‘the crazier the better.  Stay stupid. Follow your unconventional, crazy heart.’ If you believe in a goal or a project, pursue it, follow what you believe is the right thing.  Sometimes our goals or plans don’t make sense to those around us but that doesn’t mean you need to stop. Trust your own crazy.

Keep working. Keep working. Keep working – enough said.

Maybe part of our resistance is our fear of failure, which reminded me of one of the best quotes from Marianne Williamson:

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God.  Your playing small does not serve the world.  There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people don’t feel insecure around you.  We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us.  It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone.  And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.  As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.

What are your ideas on how you can fight the resistance and do the work? Share your ideas with us here on our blog.

PS. If you want more ideas on how to increase your productivity and do more work check out other blogs here and several eBooks you can share with your team.

With all that is happening around the world (and especially if you are living anywhere near Boston or have someone you love affected by this horrible event) it is easy to become overwhelmed and wonder if you can really make an impact… well you can!

If you want to make an impact on someone today try one of these ideas:

Increase Affection

If you share your lives with people at home remember tonight to give someone an extra squeeze, to spend more time playing with your pet, to hold that hug just a little longer. Give something!

Increase Attention

My fabulous wise, 13 year old friend Donovan told me when he was only 5 years old “Neen, listen with your eyes’ – so smart. Today can you listen with your eyes more? Can you give someone the gift of your undivided attention? Turn off the TV, put down the remote, look someone in the eye today. See someone!

Increase Praise

Create a positive experience for everyone you meet; give an extra smile, leave a larger tip, open the door for someone, help carry something, give a compliment, praise a team member for a job well done at your meeting today, drop someone an email and remind them you care, write on someone’s Facebook page what they mean to you. Do something!

Increase Contact

If you are fortunate to have your parents on this planet, call them! If you have a family member you haven’t chatted to in a while, call them. If you have a college friend you have been meaning to contact – CALL THEM. This week’s events remind us to be constantly in a state of contact. Contact someone!

It doesn’t take much to show someone you care; giving them your time, attention and energy is the best way to increase positivity today!

What are your ideas on how you make more impact on those you care about this week? Share your ideas with us here on our blog.

Many authors have written books around discovering your strengths (Marcus Buckingham and Donald Clifton) and one of my favorites is Strengths Finder 2.0  by Tom Rath (I love the online assessment at the back of the book and the ability to just read the top five it identifies for you – your top strengths. If you want to be more productive it is important to work at what you are good at.

Life is easier.

You make more money… and easier.

You have a greater sense of satisfaction doing the things you are good at.

In the Thought Leaders Global community our philosophy is:

• Do what you love i.e. speaking, coaching, training, authoring
• With people you love i.e. with your favorite types of clients
• In places you love i.e. … well this could be anywhere on the planet!

Easy… right?

When we run our Million Dollar Expert – Sell Your Thoughts Program we help people really commercialize their expertise (make more money out of what you know and what you are good at). It is fun to watch experts realize the value of their knowledge, put it into practice serving the types of clients they enjoy hanging around with and providing a lifestyle for them and their families … all doing what they love working from their strengths.

What are you doing to work from your strengths? How are you leveraging your expertise?  We would love you to share your ideas with us here on our blog.

PS. If you want more ideas on how to commercialize your knowledge and brilliance – check out our programs on thought leadership and several eBooks you can share with your team.