Mike Michalowicz's Blog, page 102

Be Able To Sell By Changing Your Body Language In 7 Ways

Sales are the backbone of any business. As an entrepreneur, you already know this. But you may not realize just how important how you deliver your sales message matters, especially when it comes to body language. Experts believe that we communicate more through our body language than we actually do by what comes out of our mouth. Because of this, it’s essential to make sure you are doing all you can to use this to your advantage.

 

Silent Language

Although your body language doesn’t make any noise to your customers, it actually says a whole lot. These microexpressions that we give off, through everything from hand gestures to facial quirks, help people to read us and our message and have a major impact. In the sales world, if you can use body language to build trust with your customers, or at least not deteriorate it, then you will come out ahead.

 

Here are 7 ways that you must change your body language to be able to sell:

Exude Confidence. Stop slouching! Standing up straight, leaning slightly forward and having your shoulders back will make you look more confident and attractive. Also, relax your shoulders so you don’t seem tense.

Connect with Others. Match the speed you are speaking to others in the room. If you speak too fast, the other person will feel pressured. Too slow, and they will think you are lazy or talking down to them. You should also make sure to nod once in a while as you listen to someone else.

Be Calm, Cool & Collected. If your hands are up and you’re rubbing them together, you are obviously excited. If they are clenched and together, you are frustrated. Keep your hands in front of you or on the side and relaxed, with fingers together. This will demonstrate that you are calm, cool, and collected.

Put Yourself on Equal Footing. When it comes to handshakes, it’s all about the pressure. If you apply too much pressure, you are perceived as domineering or ignorant, but if you are too weak, people will think you have no self-confidence. You want to aim to mirror the other person’s handshake, which will put you both on the same page.

Honest Abe. Don’t touch your face. Slightly covering your mouth, rubbing eyes, scratching your nose or touching other parts of your face when you talk is an indicator that a person is lying. Picking your nose, now that’s a whole other story.

Make the Eyes Count. The eyes send powerful messages. Make sure you make eye contact, but avoid staring. Too little, you will be seen as insecure or lacking interest, while too much, and they may find you a bit strange. Eye contact can help build a connection, so be sure to make eye contact at least half of the time.

Watch the Arms. The way that we hold our arms is a cue about how open or closed we are. So this means you should avoid crossing them, which will make you seem closed off or defensive. Rather, just relax them at your side.

 

Making the Connection

Experts believe that up to 90 percent of the communication we do is non-verbal. Which means you really need to be aware of what your body is saying to your clients. Even if you are not aware of it, they are. You may be doing a great verbal sales presentation, while your body language is ultimately killing the deal. So make it a goal to focus more on your body language in your next sales meeting. My guess is that you are pleasantly surprised at the results!

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Episode 7: Presenting Your Brand Profitably With Lisa Robbin Young

Show Summary 

Lisa Robbin Young,business coach and trainer, joins Episode 7 of the Profit First Podcast. Lisa explains the art of speaking on stage and selling your product successfully.

 

Our Guest

Known as “The Singing Business Coach” Lisa Robbin Young is a business coach and trainer, helping owners of personality-based businesses build a Noble Empire and live an inspired life. She’s also an award-winning author and musician, currently working on a project to record 300 songs in a variety of genres, including jazz, pop, swing, and blues. Lisa believes that the best way to be truly successful in life and business is to be yourself – warts, sparkles, and all. She’s on a mission to help you own your dreams without selling your soul.

 

Show Quotes

The money doesn’t just come from the “main stage,” it comes from multiple revenue streams.

Many speakers make more money in back of the room sales and other offerings than the speaking event itself.

You gotta test stuff. You gotta through stuff out there.

Be more mindful of profit from the beginning.

Profit first and the people next. It sounds evil, but if you ignore profit you can’t keep the people.

Lisa’s favorite quote about profit: “Always be a first rate version of yourself and not a second rate version of someone else.” – Judy Garland

Show Links

Lisa Robbin Young’s Website

Lisa’s Book: The Secret Watch

Lisa Robbin Young on Twitter: @lisarobbinyoung

Lisa Robbin Young on LinkedIN

Lisa’s Dreamblazing Project: an annual planning program for personality-based business owners

Show Sponsors

Nextiva – VOIP phone providers for small businesses.

Fundera – Single source online funding for entrepreneurs. Also offers an adviser program for CPAs, bookkeepers and business coaches.

TSheets – The #1 customer rated time tracking solution!

 

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Need Working Capital? Check Out Online Loan Options – By Meredith Wood Of Fundera

If you own or run a small business, there is a large chance that at some point in your business’s lifetime, you are going to need capital to fuel growth. It’s one of the highest priorities, as well as largest obstacles, for small business owners.

Small businesses are the backbone of our economy and cash flow is their lifeblood. When they need cash to run and grow, they should be able to access it.

However, a disappointing trend has started to take place with small business lending. Banks, the traditional source of funding for small businesses, have drastically cut their loans to SMBs. In fact, about 82% of small business loan applications are denied by the bank.

Why?

Coming off a tremendous recession, banks have become more risk averse. Small businesses are inherently riskier than larger businesses, which forces banks to be more hesitant in doing business with them.

Secondarily, small businesses are usually seeking smaller loan amounts. They often just need $20,000 or $50,000 to get where they need to go. But, for banks, it costs them just as much to underwrite a large loan as it does small one. So, for any loan under about $1 million, the bank is essentially losing money.

What does an entrepreneur do if he needs a business loan?

If you have a strong financial history (both as a business and an individual) you still might want to try the bank. You will find the lowest-cost loans at the bank. Be prepared that bank applications are incredibly lengthy and the time to funding can take months. If you need cash fast, the bank might not be the best option.

If you are denied by a bank, don’t have time to go through their process, or are unsure of your financials, you should take a look at a whole new industry of “online lenders” or “alternative lenders” that have rose up in response to the banks being MIA.

The alternative lending industry is booming, doing over $3 billion in loans in 2013. They also are approving about 60% of applicants, giving you a strong chance of finding working capital.

Here are some things you need to know about alternative lending:

1. Faster Time to Funding

Online lenders have the capability of getting cash into the hands of borrowers much faster than banks.

One reason this is possible is because the applications are shorter. Many alternative loan applications can be completed in minutes.

Secondarily, these lenders have faster approval times as they are net-natives. Due to the online nature of their business and their technology-enabled algorithms, some alternative lenders are able to get funding to borrowers in as little as 2 days.

2. Diverse Products

Another interesting aspect about online lending is that it offers a diverse range of products. Beyond traditional term loans and lines of credit (which are also available through online lenders), borrowers have access to products such as short-term loans (some as little as 3 months), invoice financing and equipment loans.

This offers borrowers an advantage if they have or potentially have particularly strong collateral (such as invoices or equipment), or only need a quick cash infusion and don’t want debt on their books forever.

3. Options for Those With Bad Credit

Alternative lenders are able to take on more risk than the banks, which allows them to work with borrowers whose credit is less than perfect. Before, credit-challenged borrowers didn’t stand a chance. There are many online products where collateral or strong revenues can help offset an okay credit score.

4. Higher-Priced Loans

One important word of caution — alternative loans are going to be higher-priced than bank loans, and in some cases, the APRs can be extremely high. Ensure you completely understand the cost of a loan before committing to anything.

If you are thinking about looking for a loan online, the best advice I can give is to shop around. You want to make sure you are getting the lowest-cost loan possible and working with a lender who has your best interest at heart. Make sure the lender tells you upfront what the APR is, as well if there are any fees associated with the loan outside of interest. Be sure to read through the lender’s reviews. Trustpilot.com is a great site for online lender reviews.

If you are in need of working capital and don’t have time to wait for the banks (or can’t qualify for a bank loan), online lending is your next best step. Don’t let a bank’s “no” keep you from growth.

By Meredith Wood

 

 

 

Meredith Wood is the Editor-in-Chief at Fundera, an online marketplace for small business loans that matches business owners with the best funding providers for their business. Prior to Fundera, Meredith was the CCO at Funding Gates. Meredith is a resident Finance Advisor on American Express OPEN Forum and an avid business writer. Her advice consistently appears on such sites as Yahoo!, Fox Business, Amex OPEN, AllBusiness, and many more.

 

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4 Reasons Why You Should Never Force Holiday Work For Employees

My jaw dropped, and not because there was more turkey and pie. I was watching football with my family after enjoying a delicious turkey dinner, and the news came on with a horrible holiday story—that stores would start opening at 5 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day to kick off the seasonal shopping madness. I couldn’t believe it. Not that people would go shopping (that’s their choice). I couldn’t believe that employees were required to work on Thanksgiving. Enough is enough. I support businesses and their right to earn a living, but I don’t support their decision to do so by making employees work on Thanksgiving.

I am pissed and disappointed in the shortsighted, make money now mentality that the business owners and managers behind the scenes have. I’m not picking on any particular business, but did you ever wonder why one of the popular big box stores have a turnover of half of their entire staff every year? What do you think that’s costing them?

So, in the holiday spirit of promoting goodness, I’m going to tell you why forcing your employees to work on holidays and to come in midnight the day after a holiday, or prep on a holiday for next day shopping is really, really bad for your business:

1. You get your employee’s family involved - when an employee works the holiday for you, they don’t just suffer being away from family, family suffers from being away from them. What happens when they get home? Their family tells them how evil your business is for taking them away from family time. Now you have a family that hates you and who will undermine your employee’s job there. They will remind the employee every day your employee goes to work that you are a scrooge.

2. Power of reciprocity – we get what we give. Maybe you’ve heard it as, “What goes around comes around,” or “Payback is a bitch.” Yeah there’s karma, reciprocity and payback, yet many don’t realize they all work both ways. If you take care of your people, they will take care of you. If you squeeze every ounce of juice out of them… they will do the same to you. The rule to follow is for you to do the dirtiest worst work yourself… and if you don’t like it, they won’t either.

3. Negative association for your business – When you have employees working holidays, they are sure to miss out on major family moments. The cool gift, or the funny moment with drunk Uncle Al, their own child taking his/her first steps, or opening their first present. Whatever it is, the stories and photos about the event will live on and be shared… and the employee who was working for you won’t be part of it. They will associate working for you, with missing out on life. And when it comes time to be there for you, they won’t be. Not good.

4. Passive aggressive payback—employees will keep their low-paying, crap jobs even if you continue to treat them poorly. But they’ll find other ways to ding your bottom line. They take longer breaks, or spend more time complaining about you to co-workers rather than working. They’ll develop the, “It’s not my job,” attitude and ignore customers. They’ll feel and act resentful towards customers. They engage in work slowdowns at the checkout, stocking and service lines. They’ll nibble away at your bottom line until your business collapses into a huge sinkhole of negativity. Your “lean and mean” treatment of the people who represent your bread and butter, your life, your business determines whether those employees are going to be patting you on the back, or sticking the proverbial knife in it.

I know you don’t want to miss out on those holiday sales, so do something different. Give your employees the time off for the holidays. Close down for Thanksgiving and the day after and let your employees come back rested and refreshed for the holiday madness. Host a “Post Black Friday Sale.” Pay them for the time off. I know, I know you’re trying to make money, not spend it, but you want this to be a genuine time to reward your employees.

By doing this you’re telling your customers you value your employees, and by default you value them as well. It may take a year or two to catch on, but chances are you’re going to be rewarded more for doing the right thing. Studies show that most people do their holiday shopping at the last minute anyway. You may lose one big sale day, but you’ll gain so much more in employee and customer attitude, gratitude and loyalty.

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Is Positive Thinking Bad For Your Business?

Is there such a thing as being too positive? Yes. Positively yes.

At a recent Anthony Robbins event, run by the king of positive himself, nearly 24 people severely burned their feet while walking across burning coals. The objective of the fire walk? To provide people with a metaphor for overcoming their fears with positive thought. I look like at least 24 of them did have enough positive mojo going on. In fact, one participant who suffered third degree burns to his feet, stated that he was obviously not thinking positively enough.

Today we are inundated with the requirements of positive thinking. In fact, any ills you face in business or in life, as the philosophy goes, can be pinned on not thinking positively enough. Want to magically attract millions? Have positive thoughts so the Law of Attraction can bring it to you. If you the riches don’t magically appear, you simply were not thinking positively enough.

Having a down day, just picture yourself on a beach with a Margarita in your hand and you will be cured. Not.

Negative thinking is natural. It is part of the human experience, for every human. And just like everything in life, we need balance. Too much of a good thing is still too much. That includes too much positive. It will throw you out of whack and hurt you.

Here’s how you are overdoing:

1. Affirmations – Are you using the method of Stuart Smalley “I am smart enough” positive affirmations into a mirror to get your positive juices flowing? Think again. Inauthentic affirmations that we say to ourselves are automatically followed up with counter negative argument. For example, when you say to yourself “I am smart enough” your mind instantly asks “then how come you are such a failure right now.” Inauthentic positive affirmations actually make you feel worse about yourself.

2. Visualization – The Law of Attraction suggest you visual a positive outcome. Perhaps you will visualize that new car you want or a new client you want to land. Then, as the Law of Attraction professes, sit back and let the universe deliver it to you. You wait and wait. This form of positive thinking puts us in the dangerous trap of inaction. Sitting and waiting never brings results. Even lottery winners need to go out and buy the ticket.

3. Goal Setting – This is potentially the most common form of positive thinking in business. At face value it makes complete sense. Determine you want for your business over the next yets, then outline the positive goals that will get you there. So far, so good. The problem happens is when things change but the goals don’t. Goals that are positive, but don’t adjust to the changing dynamics of the environment around become a dangerous blinder. You positively adhere to goals that will no longer serve your business.

Being positive isn’t bad, it is simply being overdone. Being negative isn’t bad either, it’s value is just being ignored. The fix is the tried and true “moderation in everything.” So start getting a little more negative in business. . . it will positively help you.

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7 Typical Lies Customers Tell Their Vendors

About two months ago I had coffee with one of my closest friends. He was all hyped up, and it wasn’t because of the triple caffeine injected espresso. Well, maybe that was part of it. He was jittery with excitement because that morning he received the call he had been waiting for. A new customer (ahem, prospect) informed him that they had decided to proceed with the project. It was a go! That is, once the prospect got the sign off from his team.

I was excited for my friend, but I had been down the road of broken promises before, so I asked a few questions.

“This guy who just gave you the verbal commitment, what is his title?”

My friend responded, “Not exactly sure, he’s an administrative guy.” Red flag one.

“Who else did they consider for the project?” I asked.

“No one! That’s the best part, we are shoe in.” Major red flag. If you are keeping count, that’s two.

And then I asked the most important question, “How urgent is their need?”

“I would say they are near desperate. They have been waiting two years and can’t push this off any longer. If they don’t do this project now they are toast,” my friend responded. And with that I had three big red flags waving around in my head.

Why all the red flags? Because customers lie. For that matter, prospects lie too. They both lie in the same way, so as you read this use the terms customer and prospect interchangeably.

Before we get started into how they lie, let me explain why they lie. They lie because like you and I they are human. They lie because they are embarrassed, or ashamed, or trying not to offend you, or to control something, or to show their power, or a million other reasons. People are people.

No one is beyond lying. Everyone lies. Everyone. Not just your children. Your customers lie, your friends lie. I lie. You lie. Shoot, Mother Theresa lied too (last time I checked, she wasn’t a mother. See, she’ a liar. I kid. I kid. But you get the point.). Lying is a fact of life, and knowing this gives you the ability to find the truth behind the words. A critical tool for successfully growing your business.

Here are the most common ways customers (and prospects) lie to you:

1. “I think your service is great!” – The next time a customer tells you she thinks your service (or product) is great, she is probably lying. It is socially inappropriate to tell someone else they are bad at what they do. Think about it. How many grade school concerts have you gone to and told the trumpet player he sucks? None! It would be socially inappropriate. So, instead you say the child is good or he tries really hard. You lie as softly as you can, but you lie. Adults lie in the exact same way to each other. You’ll just pretend you don’t see that fuzz ball in their hair and booger on their face and simply say “You look great.” You don’t want to hurt feelings, so you lie. And your customer is no different. They say you are great and then never use your services again.

2. “You got the project!” – Have you ever got a verbal commitment and then it doesn’t happen in reality? This is the customer lying to you. Again, not to be evil or even misleading. They make actually believe you are getting the project and intend to give you the work. But until they get the sign off on the contract and get the check cut, things might change. This is simply a “counting of the chickens before they hatch” lie.

3. “You’re our only consideration.”– You might be the only vendor your customer is considering. That part may be true. But there is always the option of leaving things status quo. Don’t be fooled by the “there is only one choice” lie. There is always alternatives, including the “do nothing” alternative.

4. “I need your references to make a decision.” – This is a confusing lie, since the request for references is genuine, it is the implication of needing it to make a decision that’s the lie. References are not used to make a decision, they are used to support a decision that is already made. Prior to calling references, your customer has an decision on if they will proceed with you or not. The references are simply used to give them comfort in their decision, not to make a decision.

5. “I am the sole decision maker.” – Rarely is someone the sole “yes” decision maker. Even when your customer is a company of one, he will have outside influencers (friends, spouse, vendors, clients, etc.) who can persuade the “sole decision makers” decision. Almost every “sole decision maker” does have the ability, solely, to say no to proceeding with you. They are just lying about the part of saying “yes” to you. There is almost always other outside influencers.

6. “I am weighing all the factors.” – Everybody likes to believe they are completely logical. But no one is, even Spock. Emotion is a major (perhaps exclusive) driver to decision making. When you hear someone say “weighing all the factors” recognize it is a lie. People can’t comprehend all the factors, nor can they put an even proper significance on the factors. Logic is less present then people think, and emotion is an under appreciated driver of decisions.

7. “We have an urgent need!” – This lie is particularly confusing because urgency changes. The customer is not only lying to you, but also to themselves. Urgency is relative to other urgency. For example, if a person has severe muscle pull in their leg, they may urgently seek rest on the couch. Then if they start experiencing a fire in the house. The urgency will no longer be about laying on the couch, it will now be about getting out of the house and the leg pull will be forgotten (at least for now). Pain is the driver of many decisions, and the urgent need your customer tells you about today, may no longer even matter tomorrow.

The lesson here is not that people have bad or ill intentions (albeit some do). The lesson here is that you should expect your customers and prospects to lie to you. Your job is to anticipate lies and determine what the truthful message is behind the lies. Paying close attention and responding accordingly will pay off with big returns!

Oh, and regards to my friend. . . it is two months later now, and he still hasn’t gotten the deal. But there is an upside to the story. He recognized that his prospect was likely (and unintentionally) lying to him, so he kept aggressively prospecting and didn’t slow down his sales efforts in the least. He landed four other projects in the meantime and is having an banner year. Nicely done (I am not lying about that)!

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Episode 6: How To Be Profitable In Web Design With Liz Dobrinska

Show Summary 

Liz Dobrinska, founder of Innovative Images, joins Episode 6 of the Profit first Podcast. Liz explains the importance of having the right accountant and tailoring to the needs of your client.

Our Guest

Liz Dobrinska, founder of Innovative Images, provides consulting, marketing communication, website and design services to a diverse number of clients including universities, private clubs, food service, manufacturing and technology companies. In addition to her consulting and design work, Liz is also an expert in e-commerce and brand adherence where she manages behavioral optimization rollouts for a variety of corporate and e-commerce clients. Liz received a B.F.A. from Moore College of Art and Design in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1999, and has been operating Innovative Images ever since. When not behind a computer, Liz can be found competing her horse in the dressage circuit or setting balls on a local volleyball court.

Show Quotes

If you have a system in place and ensure that the client follows that system… that  is where you get to be profitable.

It’s important to custom design the website for your client, specifically targeting their audience and what message they want to get across. It’s not just about having a website and throwing your logo up there with a bit of text and a picture that kind of slides back and forth.

When the clients expectation is not met, or the end goal doesn’t end up where the client thinks it’s supposed to be…  that’s where you start potentially losing profit. It can get out of control.

Profit is in the systems.

Networking is huge and being exposed to people who appreciate the work that your doing is important.

Profit = piece of mind.

Liz’s favorite quote about Profit: “Many receive advise, only the wise profit from it.” – Harper Lee

Show Links

Liz Dobrinska’s Website (Innovative Images)

Liz Dobrinska on LinkedIN

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Improve Your Leadership Skills in 10 Unexpected Ways

John F. Kennedy once said, “Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other.” And, as an entrepreneur, it is important to remember that! Running your own business takes being a leader. But just how does one improve their leadership skills? In more ways than you probably realize!

 

Beyond the Books

There are many ways in which you can improve your leadership skills, and a variety of them are probably right under your nose, only you don’t recognize that quality in them. Here are 10 unexpected ways that you can improve your leadership skills:

1. Take race car training. You may think it is a solo sport, but you are so wrong! It is all about the radio communication with the pit crew. Master communications during intense (think 210 mph turns) situations and you can do it anywhere.

2. Join a rowing club. They make it look easy, but the skills you will gain here are timing and consistent team execution, valuable in any business. You will also gain some team-building skills, and your biceps will probably even see some improvement.

3. Volunteer. Spend some time learning how to motivate a group of volunteers when you can’t use a paycheck. You may be surprised at the people skills you come away with, on this one.

4. Engage in organized sports. Take up something like soccer, football or softball, and you will learn to find people’s strengths and build on them. It will give you an eye for picking up on assets you might otherwise have missed.

5. Go skydiving. Seems risky, right? That’s the point! You will learn all about taking risks and what all is involved to have a successful jump. Just like in the business world, there is more to it than simply taking a leap.

6. Go to karaoke. And while you are there, be the first person to get up and sing. Nobody ever wants to be the first person to get up on that stage, but doing it will make you feel empowered and more like a leader.

7. Go undercover. The television show “Undercover Boss” has demonstrated that company executives can become better leaders when they understand what their employees face on a daily basis. So go deep and see what you find out!

8. Face your fear. What is your biggest fear (other than dying, of course)? Take on that fear and face it. You will be amazed by how empowered and in control of your life you feel afterward. It takes courage to face a fear, just as it takes courage to start and run a business.

9. Watch movies. Hold a movie night and get a couple of movies that demonstrate great leadership, such as “Miracle,” or “Remember the Titans.” There are many good ones to choose from, and hey, it gives you a legitimate excuse to sit around in your jogging pants, munching popcorn!

10. Learn body language. One of the biggest determinants for being a successful leader is communication skills. They are essential! But most people focus solely on being able to talk and write, when nonverbal communication makes up the majority of how we communicate. Focus more on what is not being said, and you will have a better idea of where to go when leading. Whether you read a book, take a course, or tune in each week to “Lie to Me,” learning about body language can be really helpful in business.

 

Great Leaders

The list of interesting ways to improve your leadership skills could go on and on. You may find that there are many activities you can do right now that will help you improve those skills. As Kennedy said, leadership involves learning. So your challenge is to keep finding ways to improve your leadership skills. And, as you see from this list, you can actually have some fun at the same time!

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How To Get Your Creative Juices Flowing

If you were to study some of the most creative people throughout history, you would find that each of them had little rituals. There were things that each of them did to help keep their creative juices flowing. Whether it was working standing up, taking a bath, or sitting in a particular spot, there are things that can spark the imagination and help you find the ideas you have been looking for!

 

Finding What Works

If you recall the hit movie “A Few Good Men,” it was Tom Cruise’s character that said he thought better with his baseball bat. It worked for him, and it can work for you. The key here is to find what works for you, so the next time you are stuck, you can immediately turn to that thing that will help you get things going.

There are many ways to get the creative juices flowing, and what works for one person may not for another. You have to try a few and see what works for you, but here are 5 places to start:

1. Take a walk. Alternatively it could be a bike ride, jog, etc. But just get outside and change the scenery. When you do this, you will stimulate your senses, get your blood flowing, increase the oxygen to your brain, and before you know it, you may find the ideas start flowing as well.

2. Keep a journal. Sure, you may be thinking that just having things in your mind is good enough. But trust me on this, when you keep a journal going and just log ideas and things that come to your mind, you will be processing the information differently. This will help with sparking new ideas. Plus, you can always go back to older pages, which can also spark new ideas.

3. Do something different. If you stay in the same rut day after day, you may find that you have a difficult time thinking creatively. You need to stimulate your mind, and one of the best ways to do that is to change things up a bit. Take a couple of hours to go to a museum, sit in the park and people watch, or go to the local library or bookstore and just walk the aisles, looking at the books.

4. Take a media break. If you think about the world we live in today, it is easy to see that we are inundated with the media. Everything from the television to computers to iPods and more. Sometimes you just need to take a break and let your mind work, rather than to continuously process all this “stuff.” Shut all the media outlets off and just be with your own thoughts for a while. You may just be surprised at the flow of ideas that come to mind!

5. Clean your office. Sure, you may not like the idea of cleaning off your desk and tidying up your office, but many people believe that with an uncluttered office you will have an uncluttered mind. Start with a blank slate and see what happens. If you are having a difficult time drumming up ideas, it is worth giving it a chance to see if it produces any results.

 

Ideas Flow

You may find that you get the best ideas come to you when you have a brainstorming session or you drink a big coffee. And that’s okay! The important thing is to find what works for you, or have a list of these things you can try. When you do that, you will be ensuring that when lack of creativity strikes, you can fight back!

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Turn An Argument Into A Productive Discussion

If you think about how many hours you spend with colleagues per week, it is easy to see why you may sometimes find yourself smack dab in the middle of an argument. As much as we would like to think arguments can just simply be avoided, the truth is that at times, we just need to, well, have it out. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t a right and wrong way to go about having that argument because there is!

Effective Arguing

If you look it up in the dictionary, the term “argue” means such things as to give reason to something, give evidence of, and to consider the pros and cons. It also means to try to prove or persuade. Unlike popular opinion, it doesn’t mean to banter insults back and forth until someone finally yells uncle! There is a right way to have an argument with a colleague, and it is one that will have you both come out better from it!

Here is how you can have a productive argument with a colleague and have you both come out ahead:

1. First, always go into the argument with the idea that something positive is going to result. Because, after all, if nothing positive is going to result, then what is the point in having the argument at all?

2. Next, you both need to know what you are really arguing about. You have probably done it yourself. People often argue about something that isn’t really the issue they are mad about. Sometimes they harbor other resentments or feelings and snowball it all together. You have to know what the real argument is about to really be able to solve any problems. To do this, you can write the issue down or verbally say what the actual argument is about. Avoid dragging anything up that is not about the here and now. Forget what they did before and stick to the present.

3. Make sure that you both get a chance to speak about what you think the problem is. The argument cannot be one sided if it is to be effective. Have each person take a turn sharing their position. And when you do so, use “I” statements, rather than “you” ones, which only puts people on defense. Also, avoid interrupting when the other person has the floor, as it will only create anger.

4. Be prepared to offer a solution to the problem. It doesn’t make a lot of sense to get into an argument about something if you have no suggestions for improving the situation or cannot provide a suggested solution.

5. Determine a compromise that you can both live with. That way there is not one person “winning” the argument, but both of you will walk away feeling better for having said your piece and for compromising.

6. Move past the argument. If you hold a grudge, you will just further damage the relationship. People argue, but once it is over, just focus on moving on.

One Sided and Beyond

As much as you work to master these steps in being able to have an effective argument, you may find that the other person doesn’t want to play by these rules. There is not much you can do about that, unfortunately. But you should still try to follow them yourself because you will know you have done the right thing, and you may find that you help to diffuse the situation by being more diplomatic about it all.

Keep the old American proverb in mind, that says “The more arguments you win, the less friends you will have.” It’s not about winning the argument; it’s really about having an effective outcome and having both people walk away feeling like the situation or relationship is better as a result.

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