The Right Team Provides a Good Fit for Your Passion for the Work

May 20, 2013 by Leave a Comment

I’m thinking about the young baseball enthusiast with a passion for the game, but no formal training. Let’s say that he wants to be a pitcher.Baseb In Hand Stock Photo ID-10036429 by Meawpong3405 He may be a natural – but, odds are, even though he has a deep love of the game, possesses a high level of skill, and an insatiable hunger to play, it will most likely require a lot of work and hours of learning (combined with extra effort) to garner the attention of the pro scouts and eventually make it to the major leagues.

Let’s say that same young man makes it into the farm system and eventually gets called up. He still must work for the position he desires and work to maintain that position. Maybe the coaches love him – maybe they don’t. Maybe they’re not sure how they feel about him and are looking to him to help them make up their minds. Whatever the situation – it is his opportunity to prove what he can do there.

I don’t claim to know exactly what determines it – but I have noticed that some rookies can do all that they’ve been taught, go the extra mile and give 100% of their efforts, yet just can’t seem to do anything right within one club’s system, but as soon as they are traded to another team…they light up the field with their ability and become a contributing factor to that team’s success – even becoming that organization’s stand-out player! Sometimes, it is either just a good fit – or it’s not.

Maybe you are experiencing this within your current role on the job or within your profession. You have the training, the education, the skills or the talent, but even though you’ve done all you can to learn and you’ve given 100% and tried to be a team player – no matter what you do, you just can’t seem to perform to the level or standard required by those over you. Why not take a look around for a new team? It may not be a lack of skill or ability – it may just not be a good fit for all involved where you currently are. Instead, look for a team that is able to see your potential and appreciate your hunger and desire to contribute. Once given the opportunity to perform, ask for whatever help you know you need. If it is a good fit – the tools should be supplied you immediately upon request. And when they are, determine to use them to do your best for the team.

Always remember, there is no shame in having the passion without having the tools. The shame is in refusing the tools when offered – while continuing to blame everyone else for your poor performance. The right team provides a good fit with the necessary help, instruction and support for your work, while pushing you to be even more than you thought possible, so that you can achieve your dreams.

 

 

Image: by Meawpong3405/FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Filed Under: Business Goals, Business Growth, Business Success, Success Business · Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Never Mind That, What About Me?

May 15, 2013 by Leave a Comment

What about me?Several years ago, my children and I went to the art gallery at our local college.  There was a photographic display there entitled, Never Mind That, What About Me?  It was a collection of photographs depicting various disasters. Some were natural and some were man-made. In the middle of the chaos, there were one or more models posing in all their finery. Obviously, the point was that in the midst of whatever is going on in the world, we are still absorbed with ourselves. What does this have to do with public speaking? Too many times instead of focusing on the audience we focus on ourselves. If we are not focused on the audience, we don’t connect with them. If we don’t connect with our audience, we are mediocre speakers at best; a bore at the worst and neither party leaves the gathering satisfied.

We know that we must pay attention to our appearance, our presentation and even how our room is set up for our participants, but herein lies the paradox, we must remained focused on our audience, not ourselves. Your audience must feel that you are genuinely focused on them and their wellbeing.

How is this accomplished? 

First, you must feel it from within. If you are only concerned with selling your product, your audience will know it. It isn’t something you can fake. You will, like our misdirected model, come across as not being genuine. So, if you know I am talking about you, and you just can’t drum up that empathy, please pick a different method of getting your message out. Public Speaking is just not for you.

Second, you must be able to present in a manner that isn’t focused on your presentation.  What I am trying to say is that by the time you are ready to present, it should be second nature. You don’t need to think about what you are doing, it just happens. The only way to accomplish this is with much practice. How many times have we heard actors or singers talk about when they were kids they would get friends or family members together and put on a “show?” Well think about doing something like that.  Gather an audience and put on a “show.”  Start by practicing in front of friends or family members with whom you are comfortable so you can really “lay your heart out.” Then, move on to people who you don’t know so well.  Offer to speak for free anywhere and everywhere you can.  Think of it as an apprenticeship of sorts.

Third, invest in some good looking and comfortable clothing. You should be able to dress in something that will make you feel confident. The last thing you want to be thinking about is your hurting feet or your top that wants to slip up or down… again, putting the focus on yourself instead of your audience.

And last, make sure your space and props are prepared. (We will address this in detail at a later date.)

Take the focus off of yourself; place it on your audience. You both will reap the benefits.

Share with confidence,
Cyndi

Filed Under: Speaker Management · Tagged With: ,

What You’re Not Getting From Your Virtual Assistant and Why

April 23, 2013 by Leave a Comment

Chances are, if you have ever worked with (or are currently working with) a Virtual Assistant, you have had moments of concern about whether or not you are getting your money’s worth. It’s a legitimate concern and one that is easily measured. Why? Because working with a V.A. involves 3 things:

 
1. What you want
2. What you need
3. What you get
 
It is that simple! Let’s take a look…
 
You seek out a Virtual Assistant or V.A. Team, because you want more. You either want more time, more customers or clients, more sales, more notice, more opportunities…more of whatever it is that you feel you aren’t getting, doing, or accomplishing in your business.
 
In your goal for more – comes the realization of need. To get what you want, you need help, information, guidance, knowledge, wisdom, answers, another set of eyes, another pair of hands…whatever the need, you have it and seek to fill it.
 
Finally, what you get will either be MORE or just more-of-the-same and your NEED will either be neglected, satisfied or (ideally) surpassed. See! It’s not that difficult to measure what you’re getting – or not getting – from your Virtual Assistant or V.A. Team. The “Why” can be a little harder to pinpoint, though. “Why” often requires a deeper look and involves honest answers by you to some or all of the following questions:
 
• What does your V.A. or V.A. Team know that you don’t?
• What tools are you missing that your V.A. or V.A. Team readily provides you?
• What questions are you being asked by your V.A. or V.A. Team?
• What answers are you being given when you have questions of your V.A. or V.A. Team?
• What differences are you able to note since beginning work with your V.A. or V.A. Team?
• How much are you spending on V.A. services?
• How much are you saving in money, time, effort, frustration, etc.?
• How do you get along with your V.A. or V.A. Team?
• How do you communicate – and how often do you communicate with each other?
 
Ultimately, why you succeed or fail to succeed in online marketing will always be on you. So, if you are not getting what you want and need from your Virtual Assistant or Virtual Assistant Team, it’s time to ask yourself, “Why do I continue in this relationship?” Because, that is what you either have or do not have with your V.A. – a relationship – and, of course, a great relationship is built on trust and by meeting one another’s needs. If you are seldom getting what you want or need from your Virtual Assistant or Virtual Assistant Team, the relationship is already over. And now…you know “why”. 
 
If you are getting what you want and need, if your V.A. or V.A. Team is helping you to make the most of your online marketing, be sure to thank them for keeping up their part of the relationship, and making a noticeable difference in how you do business!
Filed Under: Business Failure, Business Growth, Business Management Services, Business Success, CMBS Global, Online Marketing · Tagged With: , , , ,

Say what! Did I just read that?!?!

March 13, 2013 by Leave a Comment

Shocked GroupThis is so ironic, but the day after I sent out my last newsletter, I received a post from a virtual assistant on a similar subject who was looking to expand her business. Unbelievably, it was laced with profanity and “crude speech”.

I might be considered a fuddy-duddy, but if you want to turn me off like a light switch, throw some profanity into your newsletter, blog post, email or even your public speaking. I don’t care if the 4 letter word is one of the “big 7” or not, I still find it offensive.

It is amazing that the same person who would never mention religious or political affiliations for fear of offending potential clientele, is more than willing to throw in a few swear words to look hip or because they want to be real.  Big mistake. Big! Huge! (channel Julia Roberts here). You do not need to use coarse language to make your point. Let’s define the word crude:

crude  (krood)
adj. crud·er, crud·est

  1. Being in an unrefined or natural state; raw.
  2. Lacking tact or taste; blunt or offensive: a crude, mannerless oaf; a crude remark.
  3. Characterized by uncultured simplicity; lacking in sophistication or subtlety: had only a crude notion of how a computer works.
  4. Not carefully or skillfully made; rough: a quick, crude sketch.
  5. Undisguised or unadorned; plain: must face the crude truth.
  6. Statistics In an unanalyzed form; not adjusted to allow for related circumstances or data.
  7. Archaic Unripe or immature.

Do you really want to be perceived as Archaic, Unripe or immature? I don’t. And you might want to consider that there just might be a few more people out there that are like me. If you use profanity, whatever you are selling, it’s not for me.

As my friend Cassandra says:

…"Speak kind words, and you will hear kind echoes."

Filed Under: Business Success, Communication · Tagged With: , , ,

It isn’t what we say; it’s how we say it.

February 28, 2013 by Leave a Comment

Cell PhoneWith ease I navigate around my computer, but for some reason, not my smart phone. Although I have had it for more than two years now, I have just recently discovered that I can use voice recognition to send a text message. I know. I told you my smart phone is too smart for me. Anyway, this voice messaging is not without its problems. My daughter and I have compiled a short list of rules to go along with using the voice messaging:

  1. Do not use this feature when you are angry
  2. Do not use this feature and try to carry on a conversation at the same time.
  3. Always proofread your text message before you push” send”

You might laugh a bit at my voice to text escapades, but it does bring to light another important issue. When we are conducting business virtually through text messages, emails and other messaging applications, we need to remember that the person on the other side of our message has no idea with what emotion the message is being sent. You may make a statement or request and if you are not careful with the wording it can come off as being harsh or confrontational. What can we do to make sure what we are communicating is being received in the way we intend?

  1. Do not send a message when you are angry
  2. Do not write and or send messages when you are distracted
  3. Always proofread your message before you push” send”

We have often heard it said, “You only get one chance to make a first impression.” When you are trying to secure speaking engagements, many times you do only get one chance to get your name in front of the person who will decide if you are the person they are looking for to speak to their organization or company. What a shame it would be if you were judged by one misinterpreted email.

Try to look at your message objectively. What emotions do you feel are attached to it? Is it conveying the message you want to send? If you received this message, how would you picture the sender?  Does it reflect how you are feelings about your recipient? 

Cyndi

Filed Under: Communication, Speaker Management · Tagged With: , ,

Speakers! Let’s clean it up…

January 31, 2013 by Leave a Comment

Woman who lost her thoughtsWhether your desire is to speak to hundreds or millions, there’s always room for improvement.  No matter how great your message may be, you still have to engage the audience and present yourself in a way that is pleasing to them. Today’s tidbit involves verbal clutter — or silence. Neither is very pleasing for your audience.

What do I mean by verbal clutter? Words or utterances like Hmm, Ah, Uh, Ok etc. or even nervous laughter.  You get the idea. At the opposite end of the spectrum is the uncomfortable silence. You know how that goes, you lose your train of thought and so you just stop talking………………………………………………………….for a while.

What is the cure? Practice! I know. Not much fun, but so important if you want to progress. Remember the old adage “No Pain, No Gain”! The world if full of people that think success will just drop out of the sky and fall into their laps without any work. It just isn’t true. If you want to be paid for your speaking engagements, you must appear professional. So, practice. And then practice some more. You can start by videotaping yourself. If you don’t have a camera on your computer, you can buy one for less than $20. Record yourself and then be brutally honest about how you sound. Are you engaging in verbal clutter or uncomfortable silences? Then, go public. Grab a friend or two and practice in front of them too. What do they think?

Clear out the junk, polish it up and speak like a pro. Your audience with thank you.

Filed Under: Business Growth, Business Success, Communication, Speaker Management · Tagged With: , ,

THAT WHICH I KNOW I SHOULD DO, I DO NOT.

January 19, 2013 by Leave a Comment

Man with Sticky NotesThere has been much written about “How to grow your business”, speaking or otherwise. How to look. How to market. How to present your message. While all that information is helpful, there seems to be one component that is missing: Self-discipline.

What do I mean when I say “self-discipline”? What I mean is making ourselves do the things we don’t really want to do. In his December 21, 2010 article for ICS  magazine, Steve Toburen refers to this action as the Insidious "Displacement Activity". Basically this article states that on any given day we have this check list of business activities we should be doing. The majority of us will chose to do the things we like to do and avoid the things we don’t like, regardless of their importance to our business success.  This problem really transcends into all businesses, but for the solopreneur, it is the most pronounced. Whatever the task, if you don’t do it and there is no one else to whom you can delegate, it simply does not get done.

We could get into a long discussion about different temperaments and their different strengths, but really, “people” people like to be around other people. Most people get into public speaking because they enjoy communicating with others. Makes sense, right? So what does that leave? …Marketing, research, bookkeeping, and all the things that takes you from where you are now to where you want to be.

Let’s look at it this way: You want to build a shed. You spend a lot of time looking at plans and finally choose a design you like. You copy the plans, go mark a place in your back yard to put the shed, get the permit, and save the money. But the thing you hate to do is go to the building center. So you put if off. You don’t go this week. You find an excuse why you can’t go next week. The week after that you are way too busy. Soon it’s November and you still don’t have a shed and your lawn mower is covered in snow. Although you accomplished six of your seven tasks, you were not successful because all seven tasks needed to be completed.

This is exactly how it works in business. We may be really good at many business tasks, but if we neglect one or more necessary items we are unable to achieve the success we want to obtain.

What can we do to avoid this great pitfall?

  1. Acknowledge: Understand that this is a problem that needs to be addressed.
  2. Be realistic: There are only so many hours in a day. Consider all your obligations and decide how much time you are able to devote to your business.
  3. Construct a plan: Include the different tasks that need to be completed on a daily, weekly, or longer basis. Devote the first hour of your day focused on the tasks you dislike doing. You won’t spend your day with these things hanging over you like a cloud. You will feel good about having gotten those tasks out of the way and it will lead to a more productive day in general.
  4. Delegate: Consider eliminating some tasks altogether.  If you are a busy executive, you might hire a housekeeper to help keep your house in order. You would not think twice about hiring a CPA to do your taxes, an important task that requires a special skill set. In this same line of thinking, you may consider delegating business tasks that you are not very good at or just don’t like to do.

One item that is frequently ignored is marketing. Your business will never be successful if you don’t market. There is just no other way around it. Another is research. You will have a hard time landing speaking and entertainment engagements if you don’t do research to find and connect to perspective clients.

It’s a brand new year. As you are taking time to set your business goals (and I hope you are) honestly take stock of yourself. If there is something you KNOW you should be doing and you are not, devise a plan to get it done. Your business success depends on it.

Filed Under: Business Growth, Business Success, Speaker Management · Tagged With: , ,

Know What You Are Doing and Prove It!

September 12, 2012 by Leave a Comment

 

by Charlotte L. Hanna CMO/CMBS Global

 

Boy…do I remember those schoolyard bullies who were always making life miserable for the rest of us! I remember their annoying challenge consisting of just two words – “Prove it!”

As an entrepreneur, you may know what you are doing, but business can be a bully when it comes to performance.

As an entrepreneur, you may NOT know what you are doing in some very important areas of business communication and marketing – but don’t let it back you up against the wall and intimidate like those bullies. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Blog, CMBS Global, Online Marketing · Tagged With: , , , ,

Presentations: It’s a Jungle Out There, But It Doesn’t Have to Be a Zoo – Right Jack Hanna?

September 10, 2012 by Leave a Comment

 

Michele Linn recently wrote about a keynote presentation given by “Jungle Jack Hanna”, the well-known zookeeper, at the close of the Content Marketing World 2012 event.

Michele noted that even though his presentation, which included a number of endangered animals and facts about them, didn’t seem to directly relate to content marketing – he still managed to capture and hold the attention of those in attendance.

This is what experience can do. Experience can give you an edge. Experience can give you a story that captivates and provides knowledge to all who will listen.

Jack Hanna began his career at the Columbus Zoo in 1978. He has learned a lot over the past 34 years. He knows animals and he knows that animals, especially unusual and rare ones, interest people. Therefore, he knows how to get an audience’s attention and keep it, simply by being who he is and sharing what he knows and loves.

It may be that you have been wondering where (and how) you should share your story. You may not have the benefit of 'furry props' like Jungle Jack, but don’t let that discourage you. If you have something compelling to say, something worthwhile and informative, there is most likely an angle you can take that will grab the attention of nearly any group – and with a little creativity – engage them long enough to change their lives in some way.

Tell your story. Be yourself and share what you know. It can be good for business, good for those who hear it – and good for you!

Begin to look at every group of people as a possible audience. It may be a jungle out there, but it doesn’t mean that it has to be a zoo when it comes to finding your niche. Right, Mr. Hanna?

Image: Jungle Jack Hanna’s Facebook Page

Filed Under: CMBS Global, Speaker Management · Tagged With: , , ,

Business Buzzwords Don’t Communicate Concisely to Your Market

September 7, 2012 by Leave a Comment

 

by Charlotte L. Hanna CMO/CMBS Global

If you desire to communicate concisely to your market, avoid business buzzwords that don’t really say much and may be hindering growth.

While certain words may sound impressive when linked together, the resulting message can be vague, failing to articulate what you do for the customer and why clients should find you to be a better choice.

Content is important. It cannot be too complicated and it should not be too simple. Tone is crucial. Speaking over someone’s head or speaking in a condescending manner can both cause offense – but    bloviating just leaves the reader empty-handed and looking elsewhere for real solutions and real information.

Numbers, statistics, comparisons and facts help to form quality content that your market can use. If you are to capture a person’s attention and get them to surrender some of their precious time to read your marketing message, view your portfolio or consider your services, it is important that you speak their language and reward them with more than generalizations and opinions.

What do you do and how do you do it better? Show and tell with a sincere confidence that connects and meets your market’s requirements. In other words, give them what they want in a way they can understand – with benefits. Business buzzwords don’t communicate concisely and are best left to those who just like to hear themselves talk.

“Bee On A Daisy Flower” by Christian Meyn/FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Filed Under: Blog, Business Growth, CMBS Global, Communication · Tagged With: , ,
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