Strategic Solutions – Business Coaching Firm

We live in a 24 / 7 world. We live in an instant world. We live in a world where some people live time zones way from where they work. We carry our computer and phone with us wherever we go. In fact, the first thing people say to a group these days is “please turn off your cell phone.”

Therefore, there are tremendous demands on our time. People will often say “I just don’t have enough time or if only I had more time.”

This need for speed and responsiveness has left few people or businesses untouched. Only a few short years ago, we were amazed with the speed of the microwave and today we are impatient that a computer may take 2 minutes to boot-up.

There is no shortage of unique time management planning systems to solve the time management problem. However, the question is can you really manage time and the answer is not really. You can only manage you. Do you need a system? Yes. You need a system that fits your needs and one that you will use.

Before selecting a system however you need to develop a strategy that works for you. Effective utilization of time is a skill, a mindset and a lifestyle. It can be learned by:

Ø Anyone who has a desire to get more out of their life

Ø Someone who wants to feel more in control

Ø A person who wants to achieve success in business

Ø Someone who wants to reduce stress and realize more balance in their lives

So if you want to have more control of your time then you need to commit to Change. Everyone knows that if we continue to do the same thing, we will continue to get the same result. So if you want to have more control of your time then you need to change.

There are 3 basic things you can do that will result in better utilization of your time:

v Do It Now - We normally do what we like first and avoid what

we do not like. We often do things at the last

minute that could have been done earlier.

Change that habit with scheduling the things we do

not like to do first. It will give you more time for

those that you like.

v Dump It - We may clutter our desks and life’s with things

that should be thrown away. Piles of paper and

magazines for instance that really either need

to be read now or just dumped. It will clear the

way to getting important things done.

v Delegate - We do too many things that others should be doing.

We do it because we can do it cheaper, faster and

better when in fact it would be better to delegate.

So in summary, the effective use of time begins with you and your willingness to change your habits. In the words of Paul Meyer “Time is usually wasted in the same way every day.”

If you want more information about Time Strategies contact Hank Sullivan at Strategic Solutions. hsullivan@stratsolutions.net

“What we have here is a failure to communicate.” These words were spoken in the movie Cool Hand Luke and today we hear them repeated over and over.  The reason we remember this statement is that we can all relate and we clearly understand what it means. How many times have you thought, when faced with a problem, if they had only listened to me. Or have you ever been told that the other person just didn’t understand what you meant.

 An example in a business situation is Charlie. Charlie is a new sales manager who decided that in order to increase sales, the sales force would need to generate new accounts. At his next sales meeting he told the sales staff the following: Every one is expected to bring in new business this month. At the end of the month, sales were up slightly but the sales force had not generated any new accounts. When Charlie asked them why they had not generated any new accounts, they responded that they didn’t know that he meant business from new accounts.

What happened?  It is obvious he did not communicate clearly to the sales force. He never told them what he really wanted nor did he ask if they clearly understood how they were expected to increase sales. What could Charlie have done differently?

1. He could have written down what he wanted to say such as: I want each of you to get a specific amount of business this month from new accounts in addition to the amount of business that you have been getting from existing accounts.
2. He could have role played it with another person and asked them what they understood by his request
3. He could have asked all the sales staff at the meeting to tell him how they expected to accomplish the goal
4. He could have asked them to update him regularly on their progress

Communication is not a precise science. It is not the exact transfer of information from one mind to another. Communication is the exchange of ideas between people. It involves not just telling but as importantly listening. Unless the person on the receiving end is receptive to the thoughts being sent, no real communication occurs. If you make a phone call but are unable to make a connection then there would be no sense in talking.

This is true of any form of communication. If no connection is made then no communication occurs.

In business and in our personal lives, in order to be an effective communicator we must first put ourselves in the other person’s shoes. We must be empathic and try to understand how our message might be received. We must give them the message clearly, concisely and then check to make sure that the recipients understand the meaning and what is expected on them.

If you are thinking that you do not have the time to communicate that specifically, then ask yourself how much time do I have to make up for the mistakes that could occur for not being clear.

In order to understand how to get your message across, it is important to examine

four fundamental principles of successful interpersonal communication:

1. The human mind can only fully concentrate on one thought at a time. So don’t make the communication too complicated.
2. The human mind transposes words into pictures. Different words mean different things to different people.
3. Too many words will clutter up communications. Be concise. When communicating keep it as simple and to the point as possible.
4. Be aware that communication always involves non-verbal communication. As an example, if someone is telling you that they are very concerned about you and your issue but takes a cell phone call in the middle of the conversation, they are clearly saying  non- verbally that you are not very important.

Finally, the most effective tool we have for communicating is listening. Benjamin Disraeli noted that “nature has given us two ears but only one mouth.” This may be nature’s way of telling us that listening is vital to our ability to effectively communicate. Below are some effective listening tips:

                            1. Take time to listen

                            2. Be attentive

                            3. Listen with an open mind

                            4. Listen for feelings

                            5. Listen for retention

In summary, for communication to be effective it must be two-way. Both people have to be focused on the conversation and one has to be listening. “To effectively communicate, we must realize that we are all different in the way we perceive the world and use this understanding as a guide to our communication with others.” Anthony Robbins

Wisdom is one of the primary characteristics of an outstanding leader – leaders have an insatiable curiosity for discovering and learning new things. Leadership and learning go together. If you have determined that your learning is behind the curve, then recommit yourself to seeking it out at every opportunity, in every conversation, around every corner. Do you have a process for continual self-improvement? Get hooked on the improvement habit. Here are some tips:

· Spend your time with optimistic, growing people.

· Become a reader. If you are not one already, this is an important source of learning and reflection. Many great books are available to inspire, guide, and instruct your improvement effort.

· Become a teacher. Give internal and external presentations on your area of expertise. Volunteer to present at the next professional conference you were just going to attend.

· Become a writer. Do you write in a journal for yourself? You can write articles for associations you belong to, your local paper, or internal newsletter.

· Become a speaker. I find that some of my best insights come from trying to articulate (or write) my thoughts.

· Become a listener. You can get hundreds of hours a year of education, inspiration, information, and instruction by listening. Try listening to audiotapes in your car.

· Become a student. Attend workshops, seminars, and training sessions. Take college courses.

· Keep your commitments. Call back when you promised (or before). Meet your deadlines. Show up on time. Under-promise and over-deliver.

· Put quotes, goals, reminders, and vision statements where you will see them throughout your day. Keep changing them and moving them around so you don’t start to look past them.

· Develop a personal improvement plan. Schedule time for personal and professional improvement as if your career depended on it. It does!

Finally, never give up. Leaders are people who show themselves and others that they set high goals and regardless of the obstacles will always work to achieve them. Here is an example of just such a person:

In 1831- He failed in business

In 1832- He was defeated for the Legislature

In 1833- He failed in a second business venture

In 1834- He was elected to the State Legislature

In 1840- He was defeated for elector

In 1838- He was defeated for Speaker of the Legislature

In 1844- He was defeated for a Congressional seat

In 1846- He was elected to Congress

In 1848-He was defeated for his Congressional Seat

In 1855- He was defeated in a run for Senate

In 1856- He ran for Vice President but did not win

In 1858- He ran again for the Senate and again lost

In 1860- Abraham Lincoln was elected President of the United States

Although Lincoln was a unique person , his life proves that setting ambitious goals and constantly striving for success are the attributes of good leaders.

Every sale involves no less than six ( 6) steps. You must complete each step in order to insure a successful outcome.

Step 1- Meet someone new. Even if you have been doing business with a company for a long time, you had to meet some one new to begin the relationship.

Step 2- Establish a favorable first impression. You need to make the person feel comfotable that doing business with you will be a good thing to do. This involves your demeanor, attire, smiling, concern, and in general putting them at ease.

Step 3- Find out where the pain lies. The new contact is not interested in what you have to sell unless they have a need. So you must discover what is of concern to them long before you can offer any solution.

Step 4- What’s in it for them. People do not like to buy unless there is something in it for them.So you need to make sure that the solution offers a benefit to them. Most people listen to the same radio station (WIIFM) What’s In it for me.

Step 5- Ask for the Order. More sales have been lost when the sales person simply never asked for the order. The customer expects you to ask and often when you don’t they will either simply not buy or will buy from another person who asks for it.

Step 6- Follow-up. Many customers will feel slighted because although they may have liked the product or service without proper follow-up they will go elsewhere for future purchases. Remember it is 5 times as difficult to get new business as it is to get repeat business.

Hank Sullivan

To get better results we must stay focused on the goal. How often have you heard or said:

•  Times are tough
•  The economy is bad
•  There is not enough time
•  Our prices are too high
•  We need more customers or prospects
•  Our competition has a better product

If we accepted those excuses for not achieving our business goals most businesses would go out of business and many do. To overcome this type of thinking we must stay focused on our goals and take action every day to achieve them.

When we stay focused on success we achieve the following:

• We change the way we look at things and the things we look at change
• We become aware of new possibilities
• We create new, different and more productive choices
• We create new and different life experiences
• We ask more questions and get more positive answers
• We create more opportunities to further sharpen our focus and improve the outcomes.

The importance of focus is that it provides you with your direction for success. It helps you remove the excuses and achieve at levels never attained before.

So how do you get that focus?

Ask yourself the following questions:

Ø      Am I doing what I need to do to be successful?

Ø      Am I asking for help when I need to?

Ø      Do I know what I am doing wrong?

Ø      Am I developing better habits personally and professionally?

Ø      Do I have a plan for success?

Ø      What is my real focus?

When you have the answers to these questions, then you can develop our focused plan for success.

Former Olympic Champion Bruce Jenner has this to say about focus “ To me, the definition of focus is knowing exactly where you want to be today, next week, next month, next year and then never deviating from your plan. Once you can see, touch and feel your objective, all you have to do is pull back and put all your strength behind it and you will hit your target every time.”

Hank Sullivan is a nationally certified business coach, author and speaker. His newest book is entitled “Speaking of Success”. If you need help in developing your focus contact him at hsullivan@stratsolutions.net or call 510-432-7596.