Koncept Carma was happy to be a part of the Rotaract of Metro Orlando’s Road to BayHill Putt Putt Golf Tournament earlier this week. Thank you to the team for coming out to play in the rain and for supporting a great group and a worthy cause.
Monthly Archives: February 2014
Opinions are great…when they are delivered properly
You are having a conversation with someone and they blurt something out that is offensive and rude… you don’t know what to say or feel. The crazy part is you did not even ask for their opinion. At first you are a little embarrassed because they caught you off guard, then you get defensive and protective, and then you get completely turned off. Whether they are a long time friend or a first time contact a rude opinion can be detrimental to the relationship. Many times you will not get another chance to redeem yourself. In business and sales it is even more crucial to be conscious of the delivery of your opinions. Learn how to be a strong business person that delivers your message without being rude or harsh.
Never offend your customer by bad mouthing their current services or processes. You will not earn respect by telling them the way they have done business or are currently doing business is wrong. You may have a great product or service that is going to make their life easier, but criticizing their current method you will quickly offend the client. When offering a product or service tell them some key features, and help the client see why your service will benefit them. If you have to constantly insult their current vendor or practices you may never get an opportunity back in the door. Let the customer tell you the faults of their system and products. Sometimes sales people come in so aggressive that the client refuses to make upgrades just to avoid the offensive sales person.
Don’t offer unwelcomed opinions. Let your prospect open up the door about the current way they do business. Listen carefully to what is working for them and what isn’t work. Repeat to the them what you heard. Acknowledge that you understand their needs and wants before you pitch your solution. You can do this by saying “I know you are currently getting this, and would you be interested in something that could help you with that and more?” If you give them your reason for why they should use you before you know anything about their current situation you will come off pushy and ignorant. How can you help them when you don’t even know about their business or problems?
Do not use slang or negativity. Using words that are slang or negative come off as impolite and abrasive in business. I did business with an acquaintance once and he used the word “dumb” to describe something I did that he did not agree with. He found this to be a perfectly acceptable way to converse with me to get his opinion across. I’m not sure if that is the way he always spoke to his business acquaintances or if he just felt comfortable with me. Instead of me taking him serious, I ended the business relationship. Why would I want to work with someone that would use a word as simple and negative as dumb when discussing business matters? When you are doing business with friends or casual acquaintances speak to them just as you would any business partner. Using slang or negativity will only leave you looking unprofessional and potentially insult the other person.
Do not assume everyone has your same sense of humor. It is great to have a playful side when doing business, but be careful when you are in business meetings. You can keep conversations upbeat and enjoyable but never talk about sensitive issues that could potentially offend someone. The person may even seem to laugh at your humor but secretly could be very offended and not give you a second chance. If they choose to take the subject to an inappropriate place try to change the topic quickly so that you are not put in an uncomfortable position. Maintaining a level of professionalism is important even when you go off path into lighthearted conversations.
Great sales people tend to become very passionate about what they are selling. It is a wonderful place to be in when you truly believe in what you are pitching, but it is so important to make sure you walk a fine line of giving your prospects solutions for their business as opposed to insulting their business.
Happy Valentine’s Day, Work. I love you!
In honor of Valentine’s Day, I decided to discuss the importance of loving your work. Most people are not thinking about celebrating love for their work on this occasion, and I am not saying that your love for work should over power your love for family and friends. However if you love your work it will help to find success and freedom.
First, ask yourself “Do I love my job?”. If your answer is anything less than yes, then you may need to figure out why. Some people are okay with a job that is alright and some people even tolerate jobs that they find horrible. Can you imagine how successful you would be if loved your job? Can you imagine how profitable a company would be where the employees loved their work and were inspired?
Second, are you giving your best? When you are working be engaged and focus on the mission. If you are not putting forth the effort required in your work how can it be fulfilling? A job that is not fulfilling is hard to love. Be prideful in the work you do. Your work is a reflection of you.
Third, are you doing a job that allows you to challenge yourself? Most people thrive off the thrill of accomplishment. If your job is too easy for you ask for more. Do not take the attitude of “I am only paid for a certain amount of work and that is what they get.” Most companies are looking for people to advance that show passion and desire for more.
Fourth, are you being managed properly? Are you a good manager? Management plays a huge factor in the love for a job. Try to always work with your boss and approach difficult situations with positive spins. If you are managing others remember that your positive leadership reflects to your people. If you coach them effectively they will want to work hard for you and make your job more rewarding. Earn the respect of your team by respecting them. Inspire them to want to do a good job for you and the company.
Fall in Love with your Work
- Go into work with a good attitude and SMILE.
- Learn more about your work. Ask questions and care about the job
- Show how much you care about a job well done and inspire those around you to care.
- Find inspiration from your leaders, products, services, and clients.
- Sometimes you are going to have to do things you do not want. Focus on the big picture.
- Don’t get caught up in negativity.
Know when to Move on
- Give your work everything you got before you give up.
- Not enjoying a job does not mean you have to hate working.
- Being willing to let go, if the job turns out to be miserable do not settle look for something that will inspire you.
- Understand why it was not a good fit for you.
- Expand on the things you enjoyed and excelled at.
Life has many challenges that we cannot control. Work should not be one of them. Take control of your work and love what you do. My work is not glamorous to many people, and for me I love it. For the people that are not engaged in their work I hope they find work that inspires them and they fall in love. Perhaps one day they can join me in saying “Happy Valentine’s Day Work, I love you!”
Emotional Intelligence in a Virtual World
The technology world advances around us instantly, and there is no question that technology changes and influences the way we interact with one another. Teams are able to collaborate and strategize in virtual forums across large regions. We communicate and meet people that may have never crossed our paths without the web capabilities. It is vital in the global marketplace to have the ability to communicate virtually and it is certainly welcomed. Even for those that want to fight social networking or virtual meetings it’s hard to avoid using one of the social media sites. Over a billion people use Facebook to communicate with friends and family, over 260 million people use Linkedin for business, over 70 million use Pinterest, and over 230 million Twitter users. All of these tools potentially add great value to our life and interactions. My question is, are the constant online and virtual communications jeopardizing our “emotional intelligence”? Do we now have a greater need to educate ourselves on Emotional Intelligence and why it is so important?
What is Emotional Intelligence (EQ)?
Peter Salovey and John D. Mayer are leading researchers on emotional intelligence, they defined emotional intelligence as, “the subset of social intelligence that involves the ability to monitor one’s own and others’ feelings and emotions, to discriminate among them and to use this information to guide one’s thinking and actions” (1990). It is often questioned if you can improve your EQ or if it’s an inborn characteristic. I believe your EQ can be improved and therefore also can be hindered. The more we rely on communication from a distance or through the internet we take ourselves out of face to face communication. Yes, you are still communicating and you are still able to foster relationships. However, you cannot recreate all social interactions virtually. So how do we better our Emotional Intelligence when the world is becoming more virtual?
Ways to Increase Emotional Intelligence in a Virtual World
Improv Workshops. Provide and attend corporate training and workshops that will allow your team to engage directly and face to face. I am continually amazed how many businesses communicate solely from email and instant messaging. Many of the people in the same building talk all day through email without ever saying word in person. Businesses have increasingly turned to Improv Training to assist with team building and people skills. Employees and Management can become consumed with the idea that they have too much to do to attend company meetings. The exact opposite is true if the training is effective. Building a sense of team within your organization will increase productivity. It is important for the culture of the company to start from the top and filter through the company. Improv Workshops for business help your team to understand the different personality types. Improv teaches the teammates to work together and to make each other look good. When the teammates make each other look good they create a quality project and create a strong partnership within the organizations.
Networking Groups. If your company is remote or you have limited interactions with others during the day attending networking events. Networking Groups generally are excited to welcome new members and make connections. The group will help you learn about different personalities and businesses. Even if you believe you have amazing people skills it is still important to utilize those skills and make face to face interactions.
Engage in Real Communication. When you are communicating with connections on facebook, twitter, linkedin, or pinterest try to find a real connection. Does this mean you need to call them all or meet each one for coffee? No. Take the time to notice their post and add insight. You can like comments, articles, and posts. On occasion take time to understand the person you are connected to and empathize with their reasons for communicating. We have a tendency to make assumptions without truly understanding the person that is posting. Many people are quick to start debates on a post or blog. It’s very easy for information to be misinterpreted because they did not understand the person’s thought process.
Technology, medicine, architecture, science, and many other industries require a high level of intelligence to help advancements. The same is true for communication and social skills you need to study and practice the science of emotions and people’s interactions. Social Media sites help to connect friends and contacts, and it is important to build on the social interactions past the email, post, or text messages. Take the time to understand the people you interact with and examine your own interactions. Emotional Intelligence will help you in your professional and personal life, and for some of us it comes more natural and for others it needs be to explained and practiced.