Category Archives: Reblogs
presenting like a rock star
Broc does an awesome job discussing why presenting is so critical to your success. I realized this several years ago when I joined Toastmasters. Broc and I are online friends now, and his content “rocks”!
Does anyone else go to concerts and try to figure out how to do your job better? No? A side effect of being a presenter and facilitator is that I cannot attend any training, speech, or event without noticing what is done well, what could be better, and what I can learn from it.
Eighteen months ago I wrote a post called “Rock and Roll Presentation Skills” after seeing one of my favorite European bands perform. As a presenter, this band inspires me more than any other with their stage presence, energy, and connection to the crowd. By sheer coincidence the same band was performing in Dallas the same weekend I was there to attend HRevolution and I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to see them again.
Reflecting on what I took from this performance, the presentation lessons hold true with what I learned from their last performance.
1. There…
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Getting coffee is not a sales strategy
I enjoyed reading Lloyd’s take on sales strategy this morning. Have a great day!
One issue I find perpetually frustrating is how often companies neglect the goal of their sales efforts: Getting a deal. As someone who has been on both sides of the fence—initiating partnerships and being sold to –—I am particularly sensitive when I see people making fundamental mistakes.
Focus on the goal
The first manifestation of this problem is when people focus on arranging meetings (or calls), rather than qualifying potential partners and seeing if there is a reason to meet. There is no value in a meeting just for meeting’s sake.
Trade shows are a great example of people losing track of the goal. Prior to a major trade show, even if I am not attending, I got multiple meeting requests. Very rarely do people try to qualify whether or not it is worth their time meeting. Given that everyone has a limited schedule, they are potentially not only wasting 30…
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Top Tips for Brands Looking to Leverage the Twitter’s New Functionality
What do you think about the new changes to Twitter? I enjoyed this post!
So now when you are familiar with the new exciting features of Twitter, time to look at some effective ways of applying them. If you missed my previous post, click here What’s New with twitter?
Twitter will start rolling out the new change to Profile Pages to the users over the next few weeks. In the interim, it’s a good time for brands to start thinking about how they will leverage this new . Here are some tips to help get you started:
- Plan Your New Profile and Cover Images: There is no better time than now to begin designing and developing your new cover photo and profile image to meet the new Twitter requirements. Twitter recommends dimensions for header photo of 1500px in width × 500px in height.
- Offer Specials with Pinned Tweets: You now have the chance to feature a specific tweet at the top of your…
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10 Ways to Win at Office Politics
Another fantastic post by Dan Rockwell – aka the “Leadership Freak”. Check it out and have a wonderful day.
Lack of leadership invites backstabbing, gossip, sabotage, game-playing, and foot-dragging. But, don’t expect a savior on a white horse to rescue you after you’ve been stabbed in the back.
Responding:
Getting even with the person who made you look bad makes you look bad. Respond in ways that you would brag to mom about.
You look fearful, weak, vindictive, angry, and defensive when you respond negatively to negative office politics.
You lose if you can’t deal with office politics.
Judge your motives and behaviors by two questions. Does this intention reflect who I want to be? And, am I acting in the best interests of my organization?
Winning at office politics:
- Don’t expect the boss to intervene. Most bosses let politics play out.
- Don’t get involved in office turmoil.
- Don’t share office gossip.
- Don’t complain about colleagues. Use the “in the room” rule. Imagine the person you are talking…
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A City Moves Together
Just a great read on “Bat Kid”! If you don’t know who “Bat Kid” is, read at once. It will make your Sunday – promise!
I am always proud of my hometown. As I sit back and relax on a Sunday, I reflect back to the wonderful Friday before. The place we natives call “The City” truly made me proud once more.
If by some chance you missed it, Batkid saved the day stopping the evil plots of the Riddler and the Penguin. Along the way he got help from his sidekick, the real Batman along with the efforts of thousands throughout San Francisco. The whole time millions cheered Batkid across Twitter and other social media.
Quite a good day indeed.
Our hero is five year-old Miles, a boy battling leukemia. Off and on we hear wonderful stories of how the Make-A-Wish Foundation provides amazing experiences for children with serious and life-threatening health issues. The wish of Miles, a boy from Northern California, was to be Batman for a day. As such the nearest large city…
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Dumb and Dumber
Dan Rockwell, aka “The Leadership Freak” had me at “Dumb and Dumber”! I love the premise of this post, and how it relates to always trying to find answers. Enjoy and have a fantastic day!
The same people sitting around the same table produce the same results. It’s dumb to think otherwise.
It’s even dumber to expect the people who caused the problem to solve it.
The future is the past without intervention.
Working harder, if you’re already working hard, won’t change much.
Efficiency is never the path to exponential change.
Hope for dumb and dumber:
- Identify an opportunity. Drucker said, “Results are obtained by exploiting opportunities, not by solving problems.” Leaders who only point out problems lose.
- Entrenchment produces resistance. Expect entrenched people to resist change. Rotate jobs and modify job descriptions.
- Don’t rely on working harder. Hard work got you here. Sincerity and good intentions won’t work either.
- Embrace the pain. Your leadership contributed to the results you currently enjoy. Disappointing results point to unsatisfactory leadership. The more control you have the more responsible you are.
- Determine what to stop. Stopping is…
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10 Guaranteed Steps to Leadership Excellence
David Kanigan is one of my favourite bloggers out there. Check out these fantastic steps to leadership excellence!
- Be strategic. Be Tactical. Be a firefighter.
- Push for productivity. For excellence. Pull. Pull with PURPOSE.
- Set pace. Drive. Pause. Stop. Change. BALANCE.
- Build Relationships. CARE. Keep adequate distance.
- Learn. Coach. Nurture. Correct.
- Hire. Upgrade. Right-size. Fire. (sigh)
- Lead. Manage. Own. Delegate. Follow. Release.
- Show Strength. Be Resilient. Be Tough. Be Fair. Be compassionate. Admit weakness.
- Cheer. Rally. Celebrate. Recognize. Recover. Regroup. INSPIRE.
- Be on. Be on. Be on. Be on. Be on. Be on. Be on. Be on. Be on. BE ON.
“No” Can Be Good
I loved this post today from my good friend Chris Goodrow! Have a read, and enjoy your Tuesday.
Did I mention it has been a busy summer?
Well it has.
What was designed to be a summer of nothing, turned out to be exactly the opposite. Please don’t mistake that statement for complaining however. Although our expectations and reality didn’t quite line up this summer, I feel that I have been productive and have demonstrated to myself that I can adapt and perform well under various pressures: certainly better than I ever have before.
Additionally out of the craziness I have some stories I would like to share.
Last year, my wife and I embarked on a new venture by investing in Real Estate. The first year has been rewarding beyond our expectations, both from a personal development perspective and a business perspective. One tiny aspect had been nagging at me since soon after we took possession. A small section of concrete at the back of the house…
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The Seven Powers of Words
Great post by Dan this morning! Hope you like it as much as I did. Have an awesome Thursday…
Complaining says stop or improve, but doesn’t improve anything. Encouraging points to behaviors or attitudes to continue, but doesn’t continue anything.
The danger of talking is it feels like doing.
The biggest waste of words:
It feels good to get something off your chest. But, “off your chest” conversations are pleas for affirmation not expressions of leadership.
Weak leaders run around getting things off their chest. It’s self-centered, self-indulgent, and self-defeating. Leadership is about them not you.
Talk is when it’s the environment of action.
The 7 powers of words:
- Connect. Words that create connection are about others not you. Trust is the predecessor and indicator of connection.
- Persuade. Spend more time connecting and it will take fewer words to persuade. Convincing others is about them, not you.
- Focus. It’s normal to focus on what matters. Leaders explain what matters now.
- Open. Nothing opens hearts and…
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Broc Edward’s Incredible Perspective – Vanilla Passion
Broc Edward book “What Thinks You” has been sitting on my nightstand for some time. I have enjoyed it for the past few weeks.
I keep gravitating back to one particular post, and I finally wanted to share with my audience.
We love ice cream at our house, so it is easy to compare life to ice cream flavours.
What flavours do you like? Better yet what flavours best describe your life, personally and professionally?
Enjoy the post! I would love to hear what you think.
Happy 4th of July to all of my American friends!
http://foolwithaplan.wordpress.com/2012/05/31/vanilla-passion/
Sell, Lead, Succeed! 