Written by: Greta Schultz
Remember when you were dating, and you went out with someone for the first time? For example, let's say you're female (though the principle applies to both). You really felt from your first meeting with a gentleman that he was charming, romantic, seemed to love kids ... you know, different from other guys.
Then you go out on a date. He takes you to a nice dinner at a beautiful restaurant. After you order the meal, he starts the conversation and it sounds something like this:
"You know, I'm really glad we had an opportunity to get together. I'm so busy with my career that I don't really date a lot. It's a shame because I'm really a romantic person and would love to share that side of me more often. I can't wait until the day when I can settle down and have a family. I would love to have kids and spend all of my time with them. I really want to be a great dad ..."
At this point in the date, if you have half of a brain in your head, you're ready to bail. Why? These are all of the things you want in someone, right? Right. But this guy is probably none of them. He just told you he is all of these things and more, so why don't you believe it?
Because when someone tells you how wonderful he is, especially right up front, do you believe it? Of course not. Besides, if these things were true, he wouldn't say them. He would demonstrate them. And a wonderful way to do that is to ask about you. He needs to find out what you like, get you talking and stop telling you about him.
Selling works the same way. Until we start selling to robots, we're dealing with humans. Human nature is the same, whether it's personal or business. People often make decisions and assumptions from the things we don't say, not the things we do.
Am I suggesting you just sit there without talking? Actually, yes. At the beginning, you need to ask and not tell. No one believes how wonderful and terrific you and your product are until they trust you and your word. You have to build credibility.
Credibility isn't something you establish by telling someone how great you are or how great your company is. Most of you are saying right now, "Greta, I don't do that." Really? Let me demonstrate.
"So John, why should we go with your product when we have been using ABC's product for so long and it has worked fine?"
"Well, Mr. Jones, one of the reasons we stand out is the blah blah blah, and we also have superior customer service and blah blah blah ..." Sound familiar? So many of you do this. This is exactly what I'm talking about. You gain credibility by listening. So shut up and listen! Ask some good, solid questions and listen to the answers. Listen for some things that you may be able to help with, then when it's your turn, use the answers your prospect gave after your questions to compare back.
Let's go back to our dating example. What if you went out with this same guy (in this case), and, after dinner, he asked you a few questions.
"So, you said you're an attorney. Do you enjoy practicing law? How long have you lived here? Do you have family here? Yes, mine is up north, too. I love it here, but I do miss them sometimes. How about you? I hope to have my own family some day.
You say: "Really, do you think you'll be a good dad?"
"I don't know, but I hope so."
Sound better? Yes, of course. Did you learn something? Sure did. Do you want to learn more? Ask and listen, don't tell. This is for both on a date and in a sales call. Remember, it's just about people. Relax, learn, ask and stop selling!
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Sunday, February 3, 2008
What's Your Life's Mission?
Most companies have a mission and vision, right? The teams work each day to ultimately fulfill their vision and continue to grow year after year. Companies need to see the bigger picture in order to reach their goals so what about us? Without direction, how do we know what we should be doing and where we should be going? Do you have a mission for your life? What is your vision? Where do you see yourself years from now?
I often ask my friends where they see themselves in five years. After rolling their eyes and begging me to stop asking them "interview questions", they finally answer. Some say that they never really think about it. They believe that whatever is going to happen will happen so there is no need to prepare. Others have an elaborate drawn out plan of where they want to be and they know exactly what they need to do in order to get there. Some just look at me like I have two heads and avoid the question all together. It always humors me to hear such a wide variety of responses to what I consider an important question.
So, back to our mission. What is your life's mission? What is your purpose? And I am not trying to get all philosophical on you. I'm not asking why we are all here on this earth and how did the universe form...I'll leave that for another day...or maybe not. Ok, enough procrastinating...have you thought of your mission yet? It's challenging, isn't it? Coming up with one sentence for our life's mission?
What in your life do you just absolutely adore doing? Are you an amazing mother, friend, leader, counselor? Maybe you bring sunshine to people's lives just because you say hello to everyone you meet and you always greet them with a smile. Maybe you are a teacher and you have the ability to bring out the very best in each of your students.
Have you ever been doing something and suddenly had an "Aha" moment (I just love those moments) and realized that your mission in life is to _________ (yes, that is your blank to fill in). Even if that thing seems small and insignificant, it isn't. Wouldn't it be amazing if we all came with a mission and vision when we were born. If we didn't need to figure it out for ourselves, wouldn't that make life a bit easier? Maybe, but hey, that would take all of the fun out of figuring it out. We know what our gifts are when we search within ourselves. We can clearly define our our mission if we take some time and allow ourselves to truly find our fabulousness and start to share it.
So, what's your mission? Take some time to figure it out and let me know how it goes.
Share Your Fabulousness with the World!
Kate
I often ask my friends where they see themselves in five years. After rolling their eyes and begging me to stop asking them "interview questions", they finally answer. Some say that they never really think about it. They believe that whatever is going to happen will happen so there is no need to prepare. Others have an elaborate drawn out plan of where they want to be and they know exactly what they need to do in order to get there. Some just look at me like I have two heads and avoid the question all together. It always humors me to hear such a wide variety of responses to what I consider an important question.
So, back to our mission. What is your life's mission? What is your purpose? And I am not trying to get all philosophical on you. I'm not asking why we are all here on this earth and how did the universe form...I'll leave that for another day...or maybe not. Ok, enough procrastinating...have you thought of your mission yet? It's challenging, isn't it? Coming up with one sentence for our life's mission?
What in your life do you just absolutely adore doing? Are you an amazing mother, friend, leader, counselor? Maybe you bring sunshine to people's lives just because you say hello to everyone you meet and you always greet them with a smile. Maybe you are a teacher and you have the ability to bring out the very best in each of your students.
Have you ever been doing something and suddenly had an "Aha" moment (I just love those moments) and realized that your mission in life is to _________ (yes, that is your blank to fill in). Even if that thing seems small and insignificant, it isn't. Wouldn't it be amazing if we all came with a mission and vision when we were born. If we didn't need to figure it out for ourselves, wouldn't that make life a bit easier? Maybe, but hey, that would take all of the fun out of figuring it out. We know what our gifts are when we search within ourselves. We can clearly define our our mission if we take some time and allow ourselves to truly find our fabulousness and start to share it.
So, what's your mission? Take some time to figure it out and let me know how it goes.
Share Your Fabulousness with the World!
Kate
Saturday, February 2, 2008
10 Ways to Share Your Fabulousness with the World!
Has anyone ever said to you “Make it a great day”? I just love that because instead of saying “Have a great day”, it is like the person is making us aware of the fact that we can, in face, take control of our day and make it what we want. Some days just seem to be great without much effort on our part, but other days…well…we may need to work at it just a bit more. The fabulous news is that the more we think this way, the easier it is for us to truly make each day good, great, fantastic or whatever adjective you prefer to use. Of course I am going to go with fabulous. Make it a fabulous day!
While there are many ways to make it a “fabulous” day, here are my top 10. Do these and I guarantee that you’ll be loving each day and spreading the joy.
1. Smile – Yes, smile. It’s simple, yet so transforming. When things are looking down and you find yourself with a scowl on you face (which by the way is not a good look on ANYONE), simply smile and see what a difference that makes. You will instantly start to stand taller and your mood will change immediately.
2. Laugh – Laugh at a joke, a funny article and most importantly at yourself! We all do things each day that definitely deserve to get a laugh (you know it’s true) so don’t take life so seriously and couple that great smile of yours with a laugh.
3. Be thankful – Be thankful for your health, your family, friends…be thankful for the mere fact that you woke up in the morning. Start to give thanks for everything you have in your life instead of focusing on the things you don’t and guess what will happen….you won’t even remember what those things were.
4. Help someone – Be a shoulder to cry on, an ear to listen to someone, give advice for someone desperately searching for an answer. Give to a charity, offer a service to someone when you know they are in need. We never know the impact we have on someone who just needs to know that someone cares.
5. Reward yourself – Appreciate how fabulous you are! When you reach a goal or do someone that you are proud of, acknowledge yourself for it and say thank you…to you!
6. Be active - Get off the couch and exercise! Go for a walk, get to the gym, break out the yoga mat and start doing downward dog…whatever you love to do most…do it! We all feel great after doing some kind of physical activity so make it part of your daily routine.
7. Discover something new – Read the paper, a magazine on something that you are interested in, a great book. Learn something new each day.
8. Dress to impress – This doesn’t mean break out your finest cocktail attire, but it does mean to wear things that make you feel awesome! Dress in things that make you look in the mirror and say “Wow…I look gooooooood!”
9. Be genuine – Be you! You are fabulous so don’t let anyone make you feel otherwise.
10. Love – Love the special people in your life with all of your heart. Call them, tell them you are thinking of them. Do something special for them. Love them so that they know how much they mean to you!
Now go out there and make it a fabulous day!
Share Your Fabulousness with the World!
Kate
While there are many ways to make it a “fabulous” day, here are my top 10. Do these and I guarantee that you’ll be loving each day and spreading the joy.
1. Smile – Yes, smile. It’s simple, yet so transforming. When things are looking down and you find yourself with a scowl on you face (which by the way is not a good look on ANYONE), simply smile and see what a difference that makes. You will instantly start to stand taller and your mood will change immediately.
2. Laugh – Laugh at a joke, a funny article and most importantly at yourself! We all do things each day that definitely deserve to get a laugh (you know it’s true) so don’t take life so seriously and couple that great smile of yours with a laugh.
3. Be thankful – Be thankful for your health, your family, friends…be thankful for the mere fact that you woke up in the morning. Start to give thanks for everything you have in your life instead of focusing on the things you don’t and guess what will happen….you won’t even remember what those things were.
4. Help someone – Be a shoulder to cry on, an ear to listen to someone, give advice for someone desperately searching for an answer. Give to a charity, offer a service to someone when you know they are in need. We never know the impact we have on someone who just needs to know that someone cares.
5. Reward yourself – Appreciate how fabulous you are! When you reach a goal or do someone that you are proud of, acknowledge yourself for it and say thank you…to you!
6. Be active - Get off the couch and exercise! Go for a walk, get to the gym, break out the yoga mat and start doing downward dog…whatever you love to do most…do it! We all feel great after doing some kind of physical activity so make it part of your daily routine.
7. Discover something new – Read the paper, a magazine on something that you are interested in, a great book. Learn something new each day.
8. Dress to impress – This doesn’t mean break out your finest cocktail attire, but it does mean to wear things that make you feel awesome! Dress in things that make you look in the mirror and say “Wow…I look gooooooood!”
9. Be genuine – Be you! You are fabulous so don’t let anyone make you feel otherwise.
10. Love – Love the special people in your life with all of your heart. Call them, tell them you are thinking of them. Do something special for them. Love them so that they know how much they mean to you!
Now go out there and make it a fabulous day!
Share Your Fabulousness with the World!
Kate
Monday, January 28, 2008
It is What it is...Until You Make it Something Different!
How many times have you either said or heard someone else say "It is what it is"? I'm guessing that would equal too many times to count! I am not particularly fond of this expression because to me it sounds a lot like giving up. It is what it is, huh? Why? Does it have to be? Absolutely not!
If there is something going on in your life that you cannot control, does that mean that you should just be unhappy about it and not do anything to change it? If you are in a situation that you cannot control, do you know what you can control...your attitude and view of the situation. You have the power to control how you feel about it and if you are going to let it get you down.
Some people very close to me are dealing with a lot of challenging situations at the moment. It is clear that they feel very hopeless and frustrated. You can see it in their eyes how desperate they are to find comfort and faith, but they cannot seem to find it anywhere. The words "it is what it is" are a constant in their daily conversations. The difference between some of these individuals is that some say this sentence with sorrow while others say it with a look to the future. You can see it in their face that while they are not exactly content about their current situation, they know that they will move past it and things will ultimately improve.
"It is what it is" can turn into "It is what I create it to be" all with a slight change of attitude. The next time you catch yourself saying this oh so common statement, stop yourself and replace those words with those more postive and powerful. Instead of giving up, move forward, change your outlook and start to create a vision that is so perfect you can't help but smile.
Share Your Fabulousness with the World!
Kate
If there is something going on in your life that you cannot control, does that mean that you should just be unhappy about it and not do anything to change it? If you are in a situation that you cannot control, do you know what you can control...your attitude and view of the situation. You have the power to control how you feel about it and if you are going to let it get you down.
Some people very close to me are dealing with a lot of challenging situations at the moment. It is clear that they feel very hopeless and frustrated. You can see it in their eyes how desperate they are to find comfort and faith, but they cannot seem to find it anywhere. The words "it is what it is" are a constant in their daily conversations. The difference between some of these individuals is that some say this sentence with sorrow while others say it with a look to the future. You can see it in their face that while they are not exactly content about their current situation, they know that they will move past it and things will ultimately improve.
"It is what it is" can turn into "It is what I create it to be" all with a slight change of attitude. The next time you catch yourself saying this oh so common statement, stop yourself and replace those words with those more postive and powerful. Instead of giving up, move forward, change your outlook and start to create a vision that is so perfect you can't help but smile.
Share Your Fabulousness with the World!
Kate
Sunday, January 20, 2008
I'll Be Happy When...
Have you ever said “I’ll be happy when (insert your response here)”. I’ll be happy when I get that new car, when I make more money, when I get a new job, when my boss promotes me…you get the idea. We’ve all thought something like this at one time or another and the interesting thing about it is that when we do get what it is that we wanted and what we so adamantly believed would make us happy, many times we are disappointed. Other times we are happy for only that moment, but it quickly fades away and we start to search for the next thing to fill that void.
When we look for happiness in the things we have in our lives, we will most likely be dissatisfied. While it is nice to have lots of “things”, we can only truly be happy when we are at peace with ourselves. When we are happy with who we are, what we do and the relationships we cultivate, that is when the void disappears and we feel a sense of calmness in the pit of our stomach.
When we wake up every day and give thanks for what we have instead of covet the things that we don’t, it is easy to enjoy life and everything in it. Why is it so hard for many of us to look within ourselves for happiness instead of everywhere else? We get so caught up with what we drive, the kinds of clothes we wear, what clubs we are part of and how much money we make that sometimes we forget to be thankful for the little things that we have been blessed with.
When we wake up in the morning, let’s give thanks for the mere fact that well…we woke up to the start of a new day. Let’s give thanks for every person we come into contact with. If we encounter a rater unpleasant person, be thankful and think that maybe you were meant to run into that person so that you could shine some light on their life. Maybe you could play a part in changing that person’s outlook and attitude if only for a few moments. How amazing would that be?
The next time you find yourself saying “I’ll be happy when…”, stop yourself and think about all that you are blessed with that makes you happy now!
Share Your Fabulousness with the World!
Kate
When we look for happiness in the things we have in our lives, we will most likely be dissatisfied. While it is nice to have lots of “things”, we can only truly be happy when we are at peace with ourselves. When we are happy with who we are, what we do and the relationships we cultivate, that is when the void disappears and we feel a sense of calmness in the pit of our stomach.
When we wake up every day and give thanks for what we have instead of covet the things that we don’t, it is easy to enjoy life and everything in it. Why is it so hard for many of us to look within ourselves for happiness instead of everywhere else? We get so caught up with what we drive, the kinds of clothes we wear, what clubs we are part of and how much money we make that sometimes we forget to be thankful for the little things that we have been blessed with.
When we wake up in the morning, let’s give thanks for the mere fact that well…we woke up to the start of a new day. Let’s give thanks for every person we come into contact with. If we encounter a rater unpleasant person, be thankful and think that maybe you were meant to run into that person so that you could shine some light on their life. Maybe you could play a part in changing that person’s outlook and attitude if only for a few moments. How amazing would that be?
The next time you find yourself saying “I’ll be happy when…”, stop yourself and think about all that you are blessed with that makes you happy now!
Share Your Fabulousness with the World!
Kate
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
What Can You Do Today to Create an Even Better Tomorrow?
What is one thing you could start doing today that would improve your life? Could you start to eat healthier foods, work out more regularly, read more, spend more quality time with those closest to you or maybe even spend more time alone reflecting on what you want out of life? There are things that we know we should do in order to enhance our lives, but somehow we just don't get around to doing them. Why?
How many of us have planned to get out of work and head right to the gym when all of a sudden you think of an errand you have to run or better yet, someone walks into your office and invites you to join them for happy hour and just like that the gym becomes a distant memory as you sit and enjoy your delicious cocktail. Of course you promise yourself that tomorrow will be the day that you make it to the gym so you won't worry about it for the remainder of the evening.
We are such creatures of habit, aren't we? We always have good intentions on making changes in our lives, but when it comes down to actually following through, we become master excuse makers, don't we? Getting up and going to the gym may not be what you want to do at that moment, but when you leave don't you feel amazing? Not only because you are becoming healthier, but because you accomplished something and you feel just as good mentally as you do physically.
Like I said, we are creatures of habit so why not start good habits? And take baby steps. Think of one thing that you could start doing today that would make you feel fantastic about yourself and your life. Once you feel comfortable with that thing and it becomes routine for you, what else can you start to do? Make a game out of it. Challenge yourself to break out of your comfort zone and try new things. Don't watch television for one week...and don't cheat and use TIVO...GASP! Oh how will life go on if we don't know who is winning American Idol? Believe me, you will live and the best part is that when you decide to do something productive with that hour, your mind will feel a difference. Watch out...you may actually become addicted to getting things accomplished and miss even more of your favorite shows.
Don't misunderstand me. I am not telling you to not watch TV or that you should be trying to live a "perfect" life with no TV, junk food or just vegging out. What I am saying is that no matter who we are, where we are in life and what we do, we can all improve ourselves. We can all become more fabulous, but it is up to us to work on it. It is up to us to decide what we can do and then actually follow through.
So what is it for you? What will you start to do today that will make for a better tomorrow?
Share Your Fabulousness with the World!
Kate
How many of us have planned to get out of work and head right to the gym when all of a sudden you think of an errand you have to run or better yet, someone walks into your office and invites you to join them for happy hour and just like that the gym becomes a distant memory as you sit and enjoy your delicious cocktail. Of course you promise yourself that tomorrow will be the day that you make it to the gym so you won't worry about it for the remainder of the evening.
We are such creatures of habit, aren't we? We always have good intentions on making changes in our lives, but when it comes down to actually following through, we become master excuse makers, don't we? Getting up and going to the gym may not be what you want to do at that moment, but when you leave don't you feel amazing? Not only because you are becoming healthier, but because you accomplished something and you feel just as good mentally as you do physically.
Like I said, we are creatures of habit so why not start good habits? And take baby steps. Think of one thing that you could start doing today that would make you feel fantastic about yourself and your life. Once you feel comfortable with that thing and it becomes routine for you, what else can you start to do? Make a game out of it. Challenge yourself to break out of your comfort zone and try new things. Don't watch television for one week...and don't cheat and use TIVO...GASP! Oh how will life go on if we don't know who is winning American Idol? Believe me, you will live and the best part is that when you decide to do something productive with that hour, your mind will feel a difference. Watch out...you may actually become addicted to getting things accomplished and miss even more of your favorite shows.
Don't misunderstand me. I am not telling you to not watch TV or that you should be trying to live a "perfect" life with no TV, junk food or just vegging out. What I am saying is that no matter who we are, where we are in life and what we do, we can all improve ourselves. We can all become more fabulous, but it is up to us to work on it. It is up to us to decide what we can do and then actually follow through.
So what is it for you? What will you start to do today that will make for a better tomorrow?
Share Your Fabulousness with the World!
Kate
Sunday, January 13, 2008
When Life Gives You Lemons...Throw a Party!
Wouldn't it be nice to map out your life and just wait for all of the pieces to simply come together exactly how you planned? We create the perfect checklist in our minds: Dream job...check, amazing partner...check, supportive family and friends...check, financial freedom...check. Well, we all know that no matter what we do, there are times when life is going to hand us some lemons. In fact, sometimes life is shooting lemons at us faster than we can even comprehend, but it is up to us to decide what we are going to do with them.
When life throws you a curve ball, what do you do? Do you sit and moan about the challenges or do you take a more proactive approach and do something about them? Some say, "when life throws you lemons, make lemonade", which is all well and good, but I say, when life throws you lemons, call some friends, make lemon meringue pie, lemon bars and maybe even some delicious cocktails and have a party! Instead of rejecting what comes your way, accept the lemons that were handed to you and create something fun out of them.
I do realize that some of the challenges we face are much harder to deal with than others, but what is fabulous is that since we are certain that we are inevitably going to deal with them, we might as well be as prepared as possible to tackle them with style and grace. When something unexpectedly occurs in your life, before you start to play victim (which is a role that each of us has played many times throughout our lives), take a step back and see how the situation can be viewed differently. See where there is opportunity to learn, grow and become a better person. In some situations this is much easier said than done, but if we maintain this kind of attitude on a regular basis, those big lemons don't hit us quite as hard as they would have.
Yes, when life gives you lemons, create a new recipe and share it with your friends.
Share Your Fabulousness with the World!
Kate
When life throws you a curve ball, what do you do? Do you sit and moan about the challenges or do you take a more proactive approach and do something about them? Some say, "when life throws you lemons, make lemonade", which is all well and good, but I say, when life throws you lemons, call some friends, make lemon meringue pie, lemon bars and maybe even some delicious cocktails and have a party! Instead of rejecting what comes your way, accept the lemons that were handed to you and create something fun out of them.
I do realize that some of the challenges we face are much harder to deal with than others, but what is fabulous is that since we are certain that we are inevitably going to deal with them, we might as well be as prepared as possible to tackle them with style and grace. When something unexpectedly occurs in your life, before you start to play victim (which is a role that each of us has played many times throughout our lives), take a step back and see how the situation can be viewed differently. See where there is opportunity to learn, grow and become a better person. In some situations this is much easier said than done, but if we maintain this kind of attitude on a regular basis, those big lemons don't hit us quite as hard as they would have.
Yes, when life gives you lemons, create a new recipe and share it with your friends.
Share Your Fabulousness with the World!
Kate
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