5 Ways to Run Meetings Like a BOSS!

The worst thing happened to me on Monday mornings. I hesitantly opened my inbox and there it was, staring back at me:

“Calendar Invite: 9:30 to 11:00am – Weekly Priorities Meeting”

Fuck. I knew what this meant. An hour and a half meeting to “talk” about things we needed to focus on for the week. Sound like a good idea right?

It was. Just not how it was done.

Not only was all my energy drained after that meeting, but I had very little willpower to do work. What began as un update meeting turned into a strategy session on how to tackle  different situations people were in. No bueno.

So how do you run short, efficient meetings that leave your crew ready to fight? Here are 5 ways to run meetings like a boss!!

1. Always have an agenda!

This should go without saying. You need a framework for your discussion. Without one, meetings can easily turn into aimless social gatherings rather than productive working sessions. You can also allot time for each agenda item to effectively use the time you do have. Most importantly, be respectful of everyone’s time…everyone has their own shit to do too.

2.  Decisions should never wait for a meeting

Sure decisions can be made at meetings, but waiting for a meeting to make a decision can be deadly. The velocity of your company slows to its meeting schedule. If something needs to get done that needs a meeting, hold the meeting ASAP!!

3. Everyone should have concrete next steps or action items

Apple drives accountability at meetings by having a Directly Responsible Individual (DRI) whose in charge of any given action or task that needs to be done. With every task matched to a person, there will be significantly less confusion about who is getting what done.

4. Invite only the people needed

Invite people only involved with the content of the meeting. The marketing person doesn’t need to to be apart of a meeting on business operations, unless specifically requested. Less people = less time.

5. Know when to have stand up meetings vs sit down meetings

Stand up meetings are great for quick communication-based meetings. For example, at the beginning of each day, it’s good to have a quick 10 min stand up meeting that ONLY communicates what everyone is focused on for that day. If an idea or suggestion comes up, it should be tables for a later discussion. This remedies the “lack of communication” excuse for problems.

Sit-down ‘solution’ based meetings are used to discuss specific topics that need more thought. Even those these take longer, these should have a specified end time and decision on how to proceed.

Source: http://www.thephatstartup.com/2014/09/10/5-ways-to-run-meetings-like-a-boss

How Do I Choose My Mentor?

If you’ve considered getting a mentor to lead you on your path to management, leadership or business success, it’s fairly likely you’ve spent a good amount of timing thinking ‘how do I find the right person?’ Well, you’re not alone, I write and lecture about mentoring, and I’m often asked this question.

Finding the perfect mentor

Mentors can become life-long supporters, advocates and trusted advisors.  They can steer your path, help you form both good and bad habits, and influence your focus.  When you’re about to ask someone to be your mentor, think carefully: is this person someone I can work closely with? Do I admire them? Do they have the same values as me? Have they ever considered mentoring?

If you already know the mentor as a friend or work connection, consider the impact your new relationship will have on your current one.  There may be times when you don’t agree. Perhaps your new relationship as mentor and mentee may not work out? How will that affect your current friendship?

How to be realistic about a new mentoring relationship

Don’t forget a mentoring relationship isn’t like a marriage or partnership; you don’t have to be fully compatible to make it work.  It’s great if you can be friends, but it’s not a necessity for it to be a working relationship that achieves. That said, like a marriage or partnership, when it goes wrong it can leave bad feelings in both parties.

Don’t choose a mentor based on some romantic notion that being associated with them will bring you the same levels of success as they have achieved.  Mentoring relationships can indeed be very successful, but there are times when they are not so great. Achieve very little, and you will leave people disappointed.  I have also known people who felt let down by a mentor, but achieved great things despite the lack of support.

Here are 10 things you should consider when choosing your mentor:

1. Do you respect or admire them and their skills/success/achievement?
2. Do they understand what you are aiming to achieve?
3. Have they been there, seen it, done it, and able to offer real experiences to support your work?
4. How likely are they to give you a ‘leg up’?
5. Do they have a personal interest in you/your career/your business and is it for the right reason – to help you and not themselves?
6. Do you think you can be yourself with them? You need to be honest with them about your aims, your abilities, your fears and your failures.
7. Do they have similar values and morals as you? Or are their opinions likely to jar with your own and cause difficulties?
8. Can you image spending time with them and being able to share experiences and ideas?
9. Do you trust them to be professional, discreet and respect confidentiality?
10. Will they add value to your work and your personal development?

Be careful when choosing your mentor; don’t go out hunting for the right person. You often find someone will come along at the right time with the background and personality that will suit your needs.

This is by no means an exhaustive list of things to consider when choosing a mentor; I’d love to hear your experiences of choosing a mentor. What things do you feel should be considered?

Source: http://birdsontheblog.co.uk/choose-mentor

Network marketing 101: How much time does it take to build a successful business?

When I started my network marketing business in 2009, I had hardly any “extra time” left in my schedule. I was working 40+ hours per week in a cubicle for my public relations job and I was also engaged to be married, so we were planning our wedding. The last thing I thought I had time for was a side business.

What I realized, however, was that most successful network marketers started their networking careers alongside another full-time gig. The beauty of network marketing is that it’s a very social business. You might also call it “lifestyle marketing” because a lot of the “work” takes place throughout your normal day – as you strike up a conversation in line at the bank, as you’re reconnecting with a former co-worker over lunch, while you’re speaking with another parent at your child’s soccer game.

If you can find 5-10 hours or so per week of social time in your schedule, then you absolutely have time to build a successful network marketing business. It’s not so much about the hours of time you put towards it, but how you spend that time. For example, you will have WAY more success spending 5 hours per week meeting people over lunch or reconnecting over the phone than you would spending 10 hours per week organizing your office or replying to emails.

The core of success in the network marketing industry is engaging in conversation with people and sharing about your business/product. You get paid for presenting and sharing, NOT for racking up hours on a timesheet.

If you’re new to network marketing, focus on the windows of time you have in your schedule and maximize those with revenue producing activity. And also keep in mind, this is NOT an overnight success business. Just like the athletes you see competing in the Olympics, there’s a TON of behind the scenes preparation (and often failure) that takes place!

Taking on any new skill set or career path is going to require learning. Most people don’t achieve success in network marketing because they quit too soon. Robert Kiyosaki (author of Rich Dad, Poor Dad) says to give your network marketing business a minimum of 5 years before you quit. Of course, there are exceptions to every rule. Some network marketers will skyrocket within 1-2 years and others it may take 6-8 years…the key is consistency and remembering that everyone’s journey is different.

Network marketing has positively impacted my life in so many ways. It’s allowed me to pursue a calling that I’m crazy passionate about and not be “stuck in a job”.

Success will be defined differently by each person you speak with. Some desire an extra $200 per month alongside another career they love. Others desire $3,500 per month to replace a job that no longer fulfills them. Others are seeking $20,000 per month so they can give generously and change the lives of those around them.

Whatever your definition of success is…you can find it in network marketing.

Whatever your schedule looks like…you can find the time to be successful in this industry. Decide, do and don’t quit.  

Source: http://kristadial.com/2014/07/network-marketing-101-much-time-take-build-successful-business

5 Great, White Business Tips From The Big, Bad Sharks

It’s pretty clear that the entrepreneurs on ABC’s Shark Tank are the great whites of the business world. They’re cunning, successful, and they’re not afraid to bear their teeth,

But these sharks are as diverse as the ones in the sea– they all swam different paths to success. This diversity resulted in knowledge and experience that they’re willing to share.

The sharks’ advice is super useful– pretty much anyone can benefit from it, including small business owners and startup founders like you.

Read on to learn from the guys at the top of the food chain!

1. Remember That Ideas Aren’t Special

Remember that time you were stuck in traffic and had that great idea for a teleportation machine? That’s an awesome idea. It would be cool and useful. And it’d probably make you pretty successful. But did you get home and build a teleportation machine? Probably not.

“Ideas are actually the easiest part” says Mark Cuban. According to him, the hardest part is actually making your idea happen, “knowing what you need to do and then executing on your plan and staying focused with it.”

If having a great idea was all it took to be a millionaire, we’d all be yacht shopping right now. What sets successful entrepreneurs apart is the drive and the dedication to make those ideas into a reality. Bringing your idea to fruition is a matter of hard work and focus, doing whatever it takes to make your product a success.

So if you’re planning to start out on your own, don’t expect it to be easy. Just expect it to be worth it.

How to Make Your Ideas a Reality:

• Whether it’s a crazy marketing idea or a dream of a totally new business, put your ideas on paper. Write a business plan.
• Put up a website. See how people respond to your idea.
• Take action in any way possible. Success does NOT come to those who wait!

2. Don’t Get Too Caught Up In Your Business Plan

It’s pretty common advice that if you want to start a business, you need to develop a business plan. But Robert Herjavec says otherwise.

Robert says, “When you start, it’s important to have vision, but … any plan beyond the next quarter is a dream.” At the beginning, things can change at the drop of a hat, and your business plan can be outdated before the ink even dries. “Spend less time on your plan and more time talking to people who will actually buy your product,” Robert advises. When it comes to starting a business, cold, hard facts are your friend. You should spend your time discovering who will buy your product, what they’re looking for, and how you’ll get it to them.

Once you’ve grown, size will offer you some level of predictability. Then you can start worrying about planning more than a quarter or two ahead.

How to Start Without a Business Plan:

• Just start! Put up a website, ask people what they think of your idea, hone and improve.
• Get sales-y. Talk people into buying your product.
• Learn about your audience. Do everything you can to get out and talk to those who might buy from you.

3. Hire Attitude

Speaking of growth, Barbara Corcoran has some advice for when it’s time to start hiring employees. Whether you’re hiring one person or 20, Barbara says to “always choose attitude over experience!”

It’s relatively easy to train people on new skills and processes, but there’s not much you can do to modify someone’s attitude. That’s why Barbara doesn’t even look at resumes when she’s hiring. “Positive people are willing to learn, eager to try, and somehow find the solution to anything they don’t already know.”

The person with the right mindset will add way more value to your business than just skill and experience. Plus, they’re just more fun to work with!

How to Hire The Right Attitude:

• Consider your values and mission. Make sure any new hire buys into them.

4. Fall Under The Big Three

Oftentimes when you have an idea to start a business, it can be hard to tell if your idea is actually any good and if it’ll be successful. Daymond John has a foolproof test for this.

According to Daymond, a business idea is viable if it does at least one of three things: “solves a problem (i.e. helps you do something faster), satisfies a need (i.e. makes an existing product cheaper), or improves quality of life (i.e. medical devices).”

If your product or service can do one or more of these, you’re definitely on the right track. Great companies give customers what they need and what they didn’t know they wanted.

How to Test Your “Big Three”:

•  Talk to customers who’ve already bought your product. Understand WHY they chose you.

5. Demand R-E-S-P-E-C-T

As a female business owner, you might encounter some roadblocks that men simply don’t. Entrepreneurs have an uphill battle convincing people to get behind themselves and their product. But women entrepreneurs have an even steeper climb through the world of business.

Lori Greiner has some advice for all of our women entrepreneurs out there. “Do not let any men put you down or be chauvinistic to you. Do not let that happen. Call it out and command respect,” Lori advises.

You know that you’re smart, cunning, and more than capable, so make sure others recognize you for those traits and show you the respect you deserve.

How to Command Respect:

• Read books by others who have gone through similar struggles.
• Don’t believe what others say about your path to success.
• Be a leader. No matter what, lead your team in the direction you believe is right.

There’s Chum in the Water

All right, now you know the secrets to life underwater. It’s time to get busy and start climbing up the food chain.

Your Turn: What are your thoughts on the Sharks’ advice? Let us know!

Source: http://grasshopper.com/blog/5-great-white-business-tips-from-the-big-bad-sharks

The Power of Your Network in Real Estate

I was chatting with Chris Winterhalter, a successful apartment building investor and active participant in the Bigger Pockets forums.

He talked about some of the advances he made in his investing career, and many of them were tied to people he met. In fact, he met his current business partner at a real estate investing conference. That partner owned a commercial construction company and wanted to expand into apartment buildings. Chris was a wholesaler/flipper and wanted to get into apartments. A perfect match.

This conversation made me reflect on what networking has accomplished in my career but also made me think about what I could be better.

We Can Accomplish More with Others, Then We Can Accomplish on Our Own!

I had an apartment building under contract, due diligence was completed, the appraisal was completed and we were 14 days away from closing.

Everything looked good. Until I got a call from the loan underwriter who informed me that the local bank I was working with changed their mind about the deal. “The loan committee didn’t like the area the building was in”, was all he said.

Wow, really ?!? Two weeks before closing?

Fortunately I had been working with 4 other lenders, got them to present me with term sheets, and picked the best one. The second best one looked pretty good at this point! Sure enough, that bank jumped on it, we transferred the appraisal and they closed on it in 23 days.

I would have been stuck had I not been networking with other brokers.

The Power of Your Network

While I get the majority of deal flow from commercial real estate brokers, occasionally I get one from someone in my network.

One time I got a smaller building through a wholesaler from whom I had previously bought houses to flip. He knew another wholesaler who had this build under contract and was looking to sell the contract. The deal didn’t work out, but it looked promising for a while.

I do better when I have mentors. They give me confidence I didn’t have before. They might say “buying a 100 unit isn’t so bad. So you need to raise $1M, so what? It’s not that hard, I know you can do it!” Even if they don’t directly help, they’re confidence in me lets me expand my own comfort zone so that I, too, start believing I can do it.

I can Improve with My Networking

My friend Jonathan is my model in what it means to be a good networker: he’s constantly introducing people to each other.

He spends time with people, he calls them regularly. He asks you what you’re looking for and then keeps his eyes for something that could help you. He doesn’t ask “what’s in it for me?” but “what can I do to help you?”

I’m outgoing enough, but I’m not intentional enough with networking. I need to be more like Jonathan and find ways I can help others in my sphere of influence each and every day.

The lesson here is that we need to be more intentional with our networking. Put it on your list each week. Make that phone call, schedule that lunch, follow up with conversations, attend that investment meeting. Then figure out how you can help people achieve what they’re striving for.

What do you do to network with others? What can you do better?

Be sure to leave your comments below!

Source:  http://www.biggerpockets.com/renewsblog/2014/08/11/power-network-real-estate

10 Characteristics Of High-Performing Teams

According to Ron Ricci and Carl Wiese, authors of the book, The Collaboration Imperative, high-performing teams have the following characteristics:

1. People have solid and deep trust in each other and in the team's purpose--they feel free to express feelings and ideas.
2. Everybody is working toward the same goals.
3. Team members are clear on how to work together and how to accomplish tasks.
4. Everyone understands both team and individual performance goals and knows what is expected.
5. Team members actively diffuse tension and friction in a relaxed and informal atmosphere.
6. The team engages in extensive discussion, and everyone gets a chance to contribute--even the introverts.
7. Disagreement is viewed as a good thing and conflicts are managed.  Criticism is constructive and is oriented toward problem solving and removing obstacles.
8. The team makes decisions when there is natural agreement--in the cases where agreement is elusive, a decision is made by the team lead or executive sponsor, after which little second-guessing occurs.
9. Each team member carries his or her own weight and respects the team processes and other members.
10. The leadership of the team shirts from time to time, as appropriate, to drive results.  No individual members are more important than the team.

Source: http://ericjacobsononmanagement.blogspot.co.uk/2014/08/10-characteristics-of-high-performing.html

Become The Leader Worth Following

Examples of leaders are everywhere. Many are powerful, many are popular, but few are worthy of being followed.

The ones that extend themselves to keep promises, act ethically, lead by example, show fairness, act out of humility, show confidence, and demonstrate trust.

They are the people we count on. They are the ones we want to follow without being told.

Here are some ways that these true leaders go about their work and lives. Ask yourself which of these things you’re already doing and which you need to work on:

A leader worth following leads with ethics. True leaders are proof you can do well by doing right. Their ethics are not conveniently molded to fit a particular situation but indelibly etched in their very being, as natural impulses that never go stale or out of style.

A leader worth following leads by example. True leaders don’t expect others to do anything they aren’t willing to do themselves. Their leadership comes from their actions, not simply their words. They hold themselves equally responsible as those they are leading.

A leader worth following leads with fairness. True leaders treat everyone fairly.It’s a necessity.They understand that fairness is the ability to rise above their own prejudices and treat everyone equally.

A leader worth following leads with humility. True leaders know that humility is concerned with what is right, that it leads to strength and not to weakness—that it is the equilibrium of power. It is the highest form of self-respect to lead from the stance of humility.

A leader worth following leads brings out the best in others. True leaders guide and support others in their success, ensuring that everyone is performing at their best, doing the work they are meant to do, and doing it with excellence.

A leader worthy of following kindles within others a desire to excel simply by believing in them—bringing out the best in them and building their confidence in return.

A leader worth following leads with trust. True leaders are competent and reliable and consistent, and in return they get people who are loyal and show them great respect. They lead with trust, not power or control.

A leader worth following leads with confidence. True leaders have great confidence and courage. They look fear in the face and defy it, they know that wherever their heart is, there lies their confidence.

Most of all, a leader worth following embraces the concept that leadership is, above all, a privilege and recognizes that the things they think, say, and do have a significant impact on those around them.

Lead From Within: Leadership is a privilege, and making yourself worthy of being followed comes with great responsibility. It means you can inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more, be more. Being the leader matters most if the position is taken seriously and is used to make a difference.

Source: http://www.lollydaskal.com/leadership/become-leader-worth-following

7 Things You Can Do Right Now To Be a Better Leader

You know it when they walk into the room.  There’s a gravitational pull towards them.   Call it charisma, call it gravitas, call it whatever you want, but they have it.

It’s the look and sound of an effective leader.

How do they do it?

The secret lies beyond just the words and actions, to the more subtle messages that leaders send every day through their actions (or inactions) with their teammates.

These subtleties are critical, but yet they can be incorporated into your leadership practice almost immediately.

Here’s a list you can start working on right now to be a better leader:

1. Eye Contact - Nothing says “I’m paying attention to YOU” better than actually looking someone in the eye.   Constantly looking somewhere else sends a dangerous message of disinterest.
2. Good Posture – Slumped shoulders and rounded backs are never good ways to project authority and control  (hint: practice this in front of a mirror and you’ll see what I mean).   In fact, in a very popular TED talk, social psychologist Amy Cuddy makes the case that standing in a posture of confidence, even when we don’t feel confident, has great impact on our chances for success – and there’s science behind it to boot.
3. Volume & Timbre –  Really pay attention to the timbre of your voice. Is it too loud? Too soft? Too monotone? Always strive to match the ebbs and flows of your words with the proper inflections, so the context is not lost.
4. Word pace – Recall all the great leaders you admire –  I bet there’s not a fast talker in the bunch.  Talk too fast, and the message gets buried. But if you go too slow, you’ll lose the audience. Think of the metronome you used when you took piano lessons, and work on a steady rhythm. Tick, tock. Tick, tock….
5. Facial Expressions – Make sure you are not sabotaging your message by over-emphasis (check the eyebrows in particular), or by wearing a half-smile or smirk that reeks of condescension. The face can’t be a blank canvas either, so modulate to a quiet intensity that clearly shows confidence and passion for the topic.
6. Pause Filters – Focus not so much on the words, but on the spaces between the words. Make sure you link sentences together crisply, without the use of too many “Ahhs, Ummms, or “You knows“. These “pause fillers” can give the impression that you are rambling on and on.
7. Smiles – You know the saying “a picture says a thousand words“? If a leader is trying to project positivity, humility, graciousness, optimism, openness, and a general good nature, smiling whenever possible is a great place to start.

Ready?

Go get it, and lead well!

Source: http://www.terrystarbucker.com/2014/07/13/7-things-can-right-now-be-a-better-leader/

8 Pieces of Advice Newbies Can’t Afford to Ignore

I met a client last week who told me something that really touched my heart.

He said “Amanda, looking back on the last 5 years of investing in real estate I realized that I have made so many mistakes along the way that were so costly. Does that happen to everyone and what could I have done to avoid those mistakes?”

His comment struck a chord with me because I was in those same shoes. I think that as we look back on investing (and life in general) there are always going to be things that we wish we had known beforehand.

The fact that we made mistakes or bad decisions does not necessarily mean that we did something wrong or that we missed the target by some fault of our own. It is just a part of growing. In fact I can say that I have never met an investor who didn’t make any mistakes.

So instead of talking about taxes or finances this week, I think it would be helpful to talk about some common investing mistakes that I see often, and if you are a newbie investor, then hopefully one or  more of these points below can help prevent you from making a bad investment move.

The 8 Pieces of Advice Newbies Cannot Afford to Ignore

The following are 8 pieces of advice that newbies need to pay attention to.  These will help prevent you from making terrible investment decisions and put you on the path to becoming successful earlier than most.

1. Take the Time to Learn:

Learning from the mistakes of other investors is likely the best way to leverage your time. Instead of re-creating the wheel or making costly mistakes, learn from others who have done this before.

2. Know What’s Important:

A smart investor focuses on what his or her return will be.

One of the best pieces of advice I received from a mentor when I first started investing was “don’t fall in love with the dirt”. As hard as that may be, focus your energy on the numbers behind the deal and don’t let that beautiful master bathroom lead you astray. Analyzing an investment is not the same as buying your dream home.

3. Take Action:

You can read books or attend seminars all day long but there is no better way to get into real estate than by taking action.

Get your feet wet by making offers, speaking with investors, and analyzing deals early on. Don’t waste too much time sitting on the sidelines.

4. Be Realistic:

You undoubtedly have read books or heard about how easy it is to get into real estate with no money and no experience.

Behind every successful investor are the stories of their sweat, tears, and failures that pre-empted their success.  Know that you will make some mistakes along the way and that it’s okay.

Accepting that mistakes can happen and that it is a natural part of investing can help reduce the anxiety associated with pulling the trigger on your first deal.

5. Get Your Team in Place:

None of us can understand all there is to know when it comes to investing, nor do we have the time to do everything that needs to be done for our properties.

Just as we leverage the bank’s money, we can also leverage the experience and knowledge of others around us. From attorneys and accountants to property managers and appraisers, leveraging your advisor’s experiences and expertise can help you to avoid common investing mistakes.

6. ListenTo The Right People:

If you are using a realtor to find your properties make sure they belong to the National Association of Realtors, because then at least you know they are mandated to adhere to strict ethic codes.

The right realtor can also help you look for the best properties. Listen to fellow successful investors and you may be surprised by how many great recommendations and sources for reliable information you can find.

7. Build a Business Not Just a Portfolio:

You should view this venture as a business and approach it with realistic goals.

To make sure that you treat your real estate as a business, it would be to your benefit to create a business plan that provides details as to how you will run your business over the next 1-10 years.

8. Stay On Top of Your Credit Score:

We have all heard of no money down real estate but let’s face it, one of the cheapest forms of funding for real estate is still bank money.

Many lenders require 700+ FICO scores and want a healthy debt-to- income ratio. Keeping an eye out on your credit score can help you to obtain cheap financing.

Would any of you seasoned investors add anything to this list? 

Be sure to leave your comments below!

Source: http://www.biggerpockets.com/renewsblog/2014/07/24/8-pieces-advice-newbies-cant-afford-ignore

Find Out What Type of Leader You Are

You’ve probably heard the saying, “Absolutely power corrupts absolutely.” Give a leader power and see how they respond to it.

Leadership is all about power and influence. Leaders use power to get things done. According to psychologist Ronald E. Riggio, there are two general types of power. The first is socialized power. Socialized power is power used to benefit others. Leaders that exercise this type of power are primarily concerned with the best interests of those they serve, not themselves.

The other form of power is called personalized power, and it is using power for personal gain. Personal power can become a problem when it dominates and gains, often at the followers’ expense.

What type of leader are you? And what type of power do you exert?

Business Insider details seven types of power that are present in the workplace:

1. Coercive Power - where a person leads by threats and force. It is unlikely to win respect and loyalty from employees for long.
2. Expert Power - the perception that one possesses superior skills or knowledge.
3. Informational Power - where a person possesses needed or wanted information. This is a short-term power that doesn’t necessarily influence or build credibility.
4. Reward Power – where a person motivates others by offering raises, promotions, and awards.
5. Connection Power - where a person attains influence by gaining favor or simply acquaintance with a powerful person. This power is all about networking.
6. Referent Power - the ability to convey a sense of personal acceptance or approval. People with charisma, integrity and other positive qualities hold it. It is the most valuable type of power.

Being a leader puts you in a position of influence. So how do you keep from letting that power go to your head? Here are four tips to avoid the CEO power-trip:

1. Be a Man/Woman of Character. As a leader, you will inevitably face competing demands from time to time. The ability to manage these demands with integrity, honesty and selflessness becomes crucial in times like these. Being willing to sacrifice your success, your fortune and even your life takes courage and character.

2. Stay Attentive. A good leader needs to be accurately informed. Be sure you have all the available facts before deciding anything. Thinking through the potential consequences of your decisions often prevents problems from occurring down the road.

3. Stay Connected. Having the ability to develop meaningful relationships with others is the most important quality a leader can possess. You gain power through relationships. Developing relationships with key people will expand your sphere of influence, your access to resources and your capacity to make things happen.

4. Serve Others. One of the greatest attributes of a good leader is your willingness to serve others. This service, however, should come from the heart and be genuine. Putting others’ needs and desires before your own is reflected in the attitude and actions of a good leader.

Source: http://bcrelativity.com/2014/07/17/find-out-what-type-of-leader-you-are

10 Quotes on Trust to Challenge Your Team

Trust is one of those bedrock components of any team.  It can be hard to build but easy to break down.  There are a lot of ways to build trust, and endless ways to breach it.

Here are some quotes on trust I’ve gathered to help challenge and encourage your team towards an attitude of trust.  Use them in team meetings to discuss what aspects of team trust you need to work on.

1. “Whoever is careless with the truth in small matters cannot be trusted with important matters.” ~ Albert Einstein

2. “To be trusted is a greater compliment than being loved.” ~ George MacDonald

3. “Trust is the glue of life. It’s the most essential ingredient in effective communication. It’s the foundational principle that holds all relationships.” ~ Steven Covey

4. “The best way to find out if you can trust somebody is to trust them.” ~ Ernest Hemingway

5. “None of us knows what might happen even the next minute, yet still we go forward. Because we trust. Because we have Faith.” ~ Paulo Coelho

6. “We are all mistaken sometimes; sometimes we do wrong things, things that have bad consequences. But it does not mean we are evil, or that we cannot be trusted ever afterward.” ~ Alison Croggon

7. “He who does not trust enough, will not be trusted.” ~ Lao Tzu

8. “Deciding whether or not to trust a person is like deciding whether or not to climb a tree because you might get a wonderful view from the highest branch or you might simply get covered in sap and for this reason many people choose to spend their time alone and indoors where it is harder to get a splinter.” ~ Lemony Snicket

9. “Trust is knowing that when a team member pushes you, they are doing it because they care about the team” ~ Patrick Lencioni

10. “The toughest thing about the power of trust is that it’s very difficult to build and very easy to destroy. The essence of trust building is to emphasize the similarities between you and the customer.” ~ Thomas J. Watson

Source: http://www.leadbyadventure.com/2014/07/15/10-quotes-on-trust

7 Crucial Steps to Building a Champion Sales Team

Joe runs a company with 19 salespeople, a mix of veterans and newcomers. Sales have been flat for the past 18 months even though the economy has improved. He is constantly making futile attempts to get his team to prospect more. Joe tries to show them how to sell more effectively, but they continue to fall back into the same old habits. 

Sound familiar? Entrepreneurial organizations often underperform because they haven't built their sales teams systematically. Follow these seven steps to turn an ineffectual sales crew into a high-performing championship team: 

1. Evaluate the current strategy. 

Three key methods can increase sales: finding more prospects, placing larger sales and increasing closing ratios. Does the company's strategy addresses all three? Does it focus on selling to the ideal customer for the company? 

Many companies try to sell to everyone. But the serious rewards come after focusing on hitting their sweet spot. In Joe's case, his salespeople are indiscriminately calling on any and every prospect they come across. He needs to clarify for his team exactly where they should focus their time and efforts so as to increase sales growth.

2. Assess the existing team. 

Know the sales team inside and out. How many A players, B players and C players are on staff? How do they feel about the organization? Figure out the best way to manage each salesperson according to his or strengths and weaknesses.

For example, Joe knows that he has only three A players and eight B players while the rest are C players or not there yet. He's spending most of his time trying to improve the latter group with little to show for his efforts. Instead, he should realistically evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of each team member and be willing to replace some underperformers with new recruits. Both online data-driven assessments and on-site evaluations can help him perform this analysis.

3. Develop a hiring process.

Right now, Joe has no hiring process. He selects people based on his gut instinct during interviews. As a result, he has struggled with a number of mis-hires over the years. Mid-size companies like Joe’s rarely have a formal hiring process. Instead, when managers realize that they desperately need a new salesperson, they comb through some resumes, set up a few face-to-face interviews and eventually select the most adequate of the lot.

But hiring is the most critical part of developing a championship sales team. It’s critical to create a formal process that involves assessments, phone screening, consistent interview questions and role-playing.

4. Compensate for results. 

Because most companies are afraid to scare away potential hires, they offer a massive base salary with a small bonus or commission opportunity. But in providing a large salary and small commission, though, the organization limits the upside that a salesperson can really earn -- even if he (or she) well exceeds a sales goal. So this compensation plan appeal the most to B and C players since they'll still earn a healthy base salary even if they produce little.

The A player, however, will want a massive upside for hurtling past a sales goal. Yet Joe’s compensation plan repels top performers. He must revise his compensation structure to deemphasize base salary and promote high performance. 

5. Train consistently. 

Providing a suggestion here and there does not count as consistent training. Invest a lot in training. Conducting regular trainings to reinforce the most critical selling concepts and ensure that every salesperson is on the same page concerning technique.

In Joe’s organization, each salesperson sells in his or her own way. They are all over the map in terms of effectiveness. Joe must either develop a selling system or bring in an outside one for everyone to follow.

6. Create accountability.  

Most mid-size organizations track only the sales numbers of staffers. But what about their day-to-day prospecting activities; the number of calls made, referrals asked for and meetings set up? In tracking  daily prospecting activities, managers can anticipate what's in pipeline, the most important indicator of future sales.

Until now, Joe has reviewed sales numbers only at the end of each month. This leaves his sales team feeling frustrated and without a clear daily plan to help them aim for success. By laying out what he expects his staff to do each day, he can more effectively manage his team.

7. Reassess strategy regularly. 

Once companies find a strategy that seems to work, they may be reluctant to re-examine it. But markets are dynamic. The ideal client today may be entirely different in a year.

Thus, it’s critical for managers keep an eye on the market’s pulse and stay in constant communication with the sales team. Currently, Joe takes an occasional ride with hand-picked salespeople, but this is not enough. He must regularly engage in open discussions with his sales staff to learn what’s really going on.

He needs to regularly go on sales calls and develop lines of communication with customers. Throughout this process, if he and other managers believe the sales strategy needs to be adjusted, they should test any potential changes with a beta group. If the strategy proves optimal, they can then adopt it for the entire team.

Source: http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/235701