Closing a Deal

1)   “The deal is actually closed before the deal happens.
      Courting and building relationships over time are the only guarantees of succeeding in closing a
      deal. And that can take years.

2)     “Be the best listener you can.
       Hear the other guy’s pain; what can you do to solve it? And if there’s pleasure you can add to
       his equation, focus on that.

3)     “Tricks aren’t good:
       If you need them, you’re not in position to close anyway. Create true value. That’s what will help
       you sell faster at the price you want.”

  Source:http://www.startupnation.com

Understand the Generation Differences

Tips for Understanding Generational Differences:

Generational difference #1: Work-life balance

Workers in their 40s will stay late to get the job done. Workers under 30 (and even in their mid 30s) want to leave at 5p.m. but they WILL work from home.They stay connected and online 16 hours a day consistently and they will mix leisure time and work duties together.

Gen X (workers in their 30s) follow the rules although they may resent it. They're willing to work hard and often, stay late, but they are also torn up about the kids. They want to spend more time with them than their parents did, and juggling the two is getting more and more difficult.

Everybody wants work-life balance but these groups view it differently.

Generational difference #2: Generation Y and Getting Things Done

Younger workers like to test an idea or theory before implementation. They will look for online solutions and gather a lot of information before making a decision. This causes managers in their 40s and 50s to think they are not action takers. "Hey, why doesn't someone pick up a phone and get something done around here! They wonder."

Generation difference #3: Generation Y and Dress Codes

Dressing casually for workers under 30 is a very big deal. They don't understand the concept of dressing up if they are surrounded only by their coworkers and supervisors. Some younger male workers have indicated they're not interested in jobs that require a suit and tie. Dropping the dress code when possible is yielding amazing productivity results.

People under 30 do not respect people because of their age, knowledge or position. They respect only those who they believe (for whatever reason) respect them. So people who manage younger workers have to hold themselves accountable in front of their employees to effectively hold their younger team members accountable. While this puts managers under heightened scrutiny, it works extraordinarily well and allows leaders to create a powerful culture of accountability.

Source:http://www.managing-generation-y.com

Sharpen The Axe-- Very Powerful

Sharpen the axe:

Once upon a time a very strong woodcutter asks for a job from a timber merchant, and he got it. The pay was really good and so were the work conditions. For that reason, the woodcutter was determined to do his best.
His boss gave him an axe and showed him the area where he was supposed to work.
The first day, the woodcutter brought 18 trees down.
"Congratulations," the boss said. "Go on that way!"
Very motivated by the boss’ words, the woodcutter tried harder the next day, but he only could bring down 5 trees. The third day he tried even harder, but he only could bring down 10 trees. Day after day he was bringing down less and less trees.
"I must be losing my strength", the woodcutter thought. He went to the boss and apologized, saying that he could not understand what was going on.
"When was the last time you sharpened your axe?" the boss asked.
"Sharpen? I had no time to sharpen my axe. I have been very busy trying to cut trees..."
To get optimal results we need to sharpen our skills consistently. Being adept at our job can help us achieve our targets

Patience is Strength?

It’s easy to become impatient when faced with a problem, however insignificant. However, frustration doesn’t really help and in many situations, patience is a virtue and one that helps us cope better with life. But it’s not always a strength; excessive patience can be seen as a weakness, a form of apathy and reluctance to engage. So the success is to strike a balance?

5 rules of Pre-Sales

Joe’s 5 rules of Pre-Sales Engineering:

• You are a member of the sales team
• You are not a salesperson
• You must be Business Relevant
• You must be Technically Knowledgeable
• Know your audience

Source: http://www.definethecloud.net

Business etiquette

So here are a few business etiquette rules that matter now—whatever you want to call them.
1. Send a Thank You Note

I work at a paper company that manufactures stationery and I'm shocked at how infrequently people send thank you notes after interviewing with me. If you're not sending a follow-up thank you note to Crane, you're not sending it anywhere.
But the art of the thank you note should never die. If you have a job interview, or if you're visiting clients or meeting new business partners—especially if you want the job, or the contract or deal—take the time to write a note. You'll differentiate yourself by doing so and it will reflect well on your company too.
2. Know the Names

It's just as important to know your peers or employees as it is to develop relationships with clients, vendors or management. Reach out to people in your company, regardless of their roles, and acknowledge what they do.
My great-grandfather ran a large manufacturing plant. He would take his daughter (my grandmother) through the plant; she recalled that he knew everyone's name—his deputy, his workers, and the man who took out the trash.
We spend too much of our time these days looking up – impressing senior management. But it's worth stepping back and acknowledging and getting to know all of the integral people who work hard to make your business run.
3. Observe the 'Elevator Rule'

When meeting with clients or potential business partners off-site, don't discuss your impressions of the meeting with your colleagues until the elevator has reached the bottom floor and you're walking out of the building. That's true even if you're the only ones in the elevator.
Call it superstitious or call it polite—but either way, don't risk damaging your reputation by rehashing the conversation as soon as you walk away.
4. Focus on the Face, Not the Screen

It's hard not to be distracted these days. We have a plethora of devices to keep us occupied; emails and phone calls come through at all hours; and we all think we have to multitask to feel efficient and productive.
But that's not true: When you're in a meeting or listening to someone speak, turn off the phone. Don't check your email. Pay attention and be present.
When I worked in news, everyone was attached to a BlackBerry, constantly checking the influx of alerts. But my executive producer rarely used hers—and for this reason, she stood out. She was present and was never distracted in editorial meetings or discussions with the staff. And it didn't make her any less of a success.
5. Don't Judge
We all have our vices—and we all have room for improvement. One of the most important parts of modern-day etiquette is not to criticize others.
You may disagree with how another person handles a specific situation, but rise above and recognize that everyone is trying their best. It's not your duty to judge others based on what you feel is right. You are only responsible for yourself.
We live in a world where both people and businesses are concerned about brand awareness. Individuals want to stand out and be liked and accepted by their peers--both socially and professionally.
The digital landscape has made it even more difficult to know whether or not you're crossing a line, but I think it's simple. Etiquette is positive. It's a way of being—not a set of rules or dos and don'ts.
So before you create that hashtag, post on someone's Facebook page or text someone mid-meeting, remember the fundamentals: Will this make someone feel good?
And remember the elemental act of putting pen to paper and writing a note. You'll make a lasting impression that a shout-out on Twitter or a Facebook wall mention can't even touch.

 Source:http://www.inc.com

8 Core Belief of Successful CEO

Some of the most successful CEOs in the world in order to discover their management secrets and their  following eight core beliefs are as follows:

1. Business is an ecosystem, not a battlefield.

Average bosses see business as a conflict between companies, departments and groups. They build huge armies of "troops" to order about, demonize competitors as "enemies," and treat customers as "territory" to be conquered.
Extraordinary bosses see business as a symbiosis where the most diverse firm is most likely to survive and thrive. They naturally create teams that adapt easily to new markets and can quickly form partnerships with other companies, customers ... and even competitors
2. A company is a community, not a machine.
Average bosses consider their company to be a machine with employees as cogs. They create rigid structures with rigid rules and then try to maintain control by "pulling levers" and "steering the ship."

Extraordinary bosses see their company as a collection of individual hopes and dreams, all connected to a higher purpose. They inspire employees to dedicate themselves to the success of their peers and therefore to the community–and company–at large.

3. Management is service, not control.
Average bosses want employees to do exactly what they're told. They're hyper-aware of anything that smacks of insubordination and create environments where individual initiative is squelched by the "wait and see what the boss says" mentality.

Extraordinary bosses set a general direction and then commit themselves to obtaining the resources that their employees need to get the job done. They push decision making downward, allowing teams form their own rules and intervening only in emergencies.

4. My employees are my peers, not my children.

Average bosses see employees as inferior, immature beings who simply can't be trusted if not overseen by a patriarchal management. Employees take their cues from this attitude, expend energy on looking busy and covering their behinds.

Extraordinary bosses treat every employee as if he or she were the most important person in the firm. Excellence is expected everywhere, from the loading dock to the boardroom. As a result, employees at all levels take charge of their own destinies.

5. Motivation comes from vision, not from fear.

Average bosses see fear--of getting fired, of ridicule, of loss of privilege--as a crucial way to motivate people. As a result, employees and managers alike become paralyzed and unable to make risky decisions.

Extraordinary bosses inspire people to see a better future and how they'll be a part of it. As a result, employees work harder because they believe in the organization's goals, truly enjoy what they're doing and (of course) know they'll share in the rewards.

6. Change equals growth, not pain.

Average bosses see change as both complicated and threatening, something to be endured only when a firm is in desperate shape. They subconsciously torpedo change ... until it's too late.

Extraordinary bosses see change as an inevitable part of life. While they don't value change for its own sake, they know that success is only possible if employees and organization embrace new ideas and new ways of doing business.

7. Technology offers empowerment, not automation.

Average bosses adhere to the old IT-centric view that technology is primarily a way to strengthen management control and increase predictability. They install centralized computer systems that dehumanize and antagonize employees.

Extraordinary bosses see technology as a way to free human beings to be creative and to build better relationships. They adapt their back-office systems to the tools, like smartphones and tablets, that people actually want to use.

8. Work should be fun, not mere toil.

Average bosses buy into the notion that work is, at best, a necessary evil. They fully expect employees to resent having to work, and therefore tend to subconsciously define themselves as oppressors and their employees as victims. Everyone then behaves accordingly.

Extraordinary bosses see work as something that should be inherently enjoyable–and believe therefore that the most important job of manager is, as far as possible, to put people in jobs that can and will make them truly happy.

Source: http://www.inc.com

40 HOURS WORKING

Here are his tips for staying productive:
1.
Work backwards from goals to milestones to
tasks. Writing “launch company website” at the top of your to-do list is a sure
way to make sure you never get it done. Break down the work into smaller and
smaller chunks until you have specific tasks that can be accomplished in a few
hours or less: Sketch a wireframe, outline an introduction for the homepage
video, etc. That’s how you set goals and actually succeed in crossing them off
your list.
2.
Stop multi-tasking. No, seriously—stop.
Switching from task to task quickly does not work. In fact, changing tasks more
than 10 times in a day makes you dumber than being stoned. When you’re stoned,
your IQ drops by five points. When you multitask, it drops by an average of 10
points, 15 for men, five for women (yes, men are three times as bad at
multitasking than women).
3.
Be militant about eliminating distractions. Lock
your door, put a sign up, turn off your phone, texts, email, and instant
messaging. In fact, if you know you may sneak a peek at your email, set it to
offline mode, or even turn off your Internet connection. Go to a quiet area and
focus on completing one task.
4.
Schedule your email. Pick two or three times
during the day when you’re going to use your email. Checking your email
constantly throughout the day creates a ton of noise and kills your
productivity.
5.
Use the phone. Email isn’t meant for
conversations. Don’t reply more than twice to an email. Pick up the phone
instead.
6.
Work on your own agenda. Don’t let something
else set your day. Most people go right to their emails and start freaking out.
You will end up at inbox-zero, but accomplish nothing. After you wake up, drink
water so you rehydrate, eat a good breakfast to replenish your glucose, then
set prioritized goals for the rest of your day.
7.
Work in 60 to 90 minute intervals. Your brain
uses up more glucose than any other bodily activity. Typically you will have
spent most of it after 60-90 minutes. (That’s why you feel so burned out after
super long meetings.) So take a break: Get up, go for a walk, have a snack, do
something completely different to recharge. And yes, that means you need an
extra hour for breaks, not including lunch, so if you’re required to get eight
hours of work done each day, plan to be there for 9.5-10 hours

Source : http://www.inc.com