Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Cold Calling Tips
The obituary for cold calling is premature. While in the perfect world, your phone would be ringing off the hook all day with clients offering you business, the reality is that if you want business, you need to go after it, and cold calling is an effective sales tactic if it's done properly.
But many small business people would rather spend an entire day in a dentist's chair than go cold calling. Does the thought of cold calling makes your stomach drop to your toes? These cold calling tips won't eliminate your fear, but they will help you make cold calling a more successful experience.
1) Focus on the goal when cold calling.
Beginners tend to think that cold calling is about making the sale. It's not. It's about getting the chance to make the sale. Specifically, the purpose of a cold call is to set an appointment to make the pitch.
2) Research your markets and prospects.
You need to target your cold calling to the right audience. Use market research to focus on your target market. (See How To Find And Sell To Your Target Market.) Then find out as much as you possibly can about the company or individual you're going to cold call in advance. This gives you the huge advantage of being able to talk about their business and their needs when you call them.
3) Prepare an opening statement for your cold call.
This lets you organize your thoughts before cold calling, and helps you avoid common mistakes in the cold call opening that would give the person you're calling the chance to terminate the conversation. For instance, you should never ask, "Is this a good time to talk?" or "How are you today?" Don't read your opening statement into the phone, but use it as a framework to get the conversation off to a good start.
4) What should be in the opening statement of your cold call?
This organizational scheme (from AllBusiness.com) works well: "Include a greeting and an introduction, a reference point (something about the prospect), the benefits of your product or service, and a transition to a question or dialogue. For example, 'Good afternoon, Ms. Marshall. This is Ken Brown with Green Works. I read in the local paper that you recently broke ground for a new office complex. We specialize in commercial landscape services that allow you to reduce in-house maintenance costs and comply with the city's new environmental regulations. I'd like to ask a few questions to determine whether one of our programs might meet your needs.'"
5) Prepare a script for the rest of your cold call.
Lay out the benefits of your product or service and the reasons your prospect should buy. Write out possible objections and your answer to them. Without a script, it's too easy to leave something out or meander. Once again, it's not that you'll be reading your script word for word when you call, but that you've prepared the framework of the cold call in advance.
6) Ask for an appointment at a specific time when cold calling.
Say, "Would Wednesday at 11 a.m. be a good time to meet?" instead of saying, "Can I meet with you to discuss this next week?"
7) Remember that gatekeepers are your allies not your foes.
Be pleasant to whoever picks up the phone or is guarding the inner sanctum when cold calling. Develop strategies to get the gatekeeper on your side. Sometimes asking, "I wonder if you could help me?" will help you get the information you need, such as the name of the right person to talk to or when the best time to contact the prospect is. Learning the names of gatekeepers and being friendly when cold calling helps, too.
8) Smooth the way for your cold call by sending prospects a small, unique promotional item.
This helps break the ice and makes your business stand out from the crowd. Pat Cavanaugh, sales guru of Inc.com), says, "It's amazing. A $2.15 crazy little item we've sent out has helped us get Fortune 500 accounts. When we call, they say, "Oh yeah....you were the one that sent me that..."
9) Do your cold calling early in the morning, if possible.
That's the best time to reach the decision maker directly, and for most people, the time that they're most energized.
10) Be persistent when cold calling.
"Eighty percent of new sales are made after the fifth contact, yet the majority of sales people give up after the second call" (AllBusiness.com).
And above all, practice, practice, practice. While cold calling may never be much fun for you, you can get better at it, and the more you practice cold calling, the more effective a sales tactic it will be. So get your script and your call list together and reach for the phone. The people who want to do business with you are out there - but you have to let them know about you first.
Source from BNET
But many small business people would rather spend an entire day in a dentist's chair than go cold calling. Does the thought of cold calling makes your stomach drop to your toes? These cold calling tips won't eliminate your fear, but they will help you make cold calling a more successful experience.
1) Focus on the goal when cold calling.
Beginners tend to think that cold calling is about making the sale. It's not. It's about getting the chance to make the sale. Specifically, the purpose of a cold call is to set an appointment to make the pitch.
2) Research your markets and prospects.
You need to target your cold calling to the right audience. Use market research to focus on your target market. (See How To Find And Sell To Your Target Market.) Then find out as much as you possibly can about the company or individual you're going to cold call in advance. This gives you the huge advantage of being able to talk about their business and their needs when you call them.
3) Prepare an opening statement for your cold call.
This lets you organize your thoughts before cold calling, and helps you avoid common mistakes in the cold call opening that would give the person you're calling the chance to terminate the conversation. For instance, you should never ask, "Is this a good time to talk?" or "How are you today?" Don't read your opening statement into the phone, but use it as a framework to get the conversation off to a good start.
4) What should be in the opening statement of your cold call?
This organizational scheme (from AllBusiness.com) works well: "Include a greeting and an introduction, a reference point (something about the prospect), the benefits of your product or service, and a transition to a question or dialogue. For example, 'Good afternoon, Ms. Marshall. This is Ken Brown with Green Works. I read in the local paper that you recently broke ground for a new office complex. We specialize in commercial landscape services that allow you to reduce in-house maintenance costs and comply with the city's new environmental regulations. I'd like to ask a few questions to determine whether one of our programs might meet your needs.'"
5) Prepare a script for the rest of your cold call.
Lay out the benefits of your product or service and the reasons your prospect should buy. Write out possible objections and your answer to them. Without a script, it's too easy to leave something out or meander. Once again, it's not that you'll be reading your script word for word when you call, but that you've prepared the framework of the cold call in advance.
6) Ask for an appointment at a specific time when cold calling.
Say, "Would Wednesday at 11 a.m. be a good time to meet?" instead of saying, "Can I meet with you to discuss this next week?"
7) Remember that gatekeepers are your allies not your foes.
Be pleasant to whoever picks up the phone or is guarding the inner sanctum when cold calling. Develop strategies to get the gatekeeper on your side. Sometimes asking, "I wonder if you could help me?" will help you get the information you need, such as the name of the right person to talk to or when the best time to contact the prospect is. Learning the names of gatekeepers and being friendly when cold calling helps, too.
8) Smooth the way for your cold call by sending prospects a small, unique promotional item.
This helps break the ice and makes your business stand out from the crowd. Pat Cavanaugh, sales guru of Inc.com), says, "It's amazing. A $2.15 crazy little item we've sent out has helped us get Fortune 500 accounts. When we call, they say, "Oh yeah....you were the one that sent me that..."
9) Do your cold calling early in the morning, if possible.
That's the best time to reach the decision maker directly, and for most people, the time that they're most energized.
10) Be persistent when cold calling.
"Eighty percent of new sales are made after the fifth contact, yet the majority of sales people give up after the second call" (AllBusiness.com).
And above all, practice, practice, practice. While cold calling may never be much fun for you, you can get better at it, and the more you practice cold calling, the more effective a sales tactic it will be. So get your script and your call list together and reach for the phone. The people who want to do business with you are out there - but you have to let them know about you first.
Source from BNET
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Stress Effected Health
Diabetes and Stress
Stress can change blood glucose level two ways. Firstly, people under stress forget to take good care of their physique. They may drink more and more alcohol or do not feel the urge to exercise. They may fail to remember, or not have enough time to test their blood glucose levels or take balanced meals. Secondly, stress hormones (Adrenaline and Cortisol) also have the power to increase the blood glucose level directly.
It is true that at this jet age, we are living a life that is full of tension. You will sense that your time is divided into numerous tiny parts among your family members, work place and other social obligations. And you will fell stressed out managing your time effectively.
When, you are a patient of diabetes, both the physical and psychological stress impairs your daily performance by damaging your health.
Both physical and psychological stress can trigger the secretion of the stress hormones, resulting in an increase in blood sugars. Normal people have an internal mechanism to control the blood sugar level even when the body is exposed to stress. But in diabetics, this compensatory mechanism is compromised or lost. So, there is compulsory rise in the blood sugar level. Once blood sugar level is not controlled by diet, exercise and medication, you have an increased chance to develop other physical ailments. These include difficulty in vision, kidney diseases and injury to the nervous system leading to gangrene in the foot. The late complications include cardiovascular disease even up to heart attack, and the kidney damage.
The stress hormone- Adrenaline, produces glycogenolysis. This gives rise to hyperglycemia (increase in the blood sugar level). The process of Glycogenolysis occurs in the liver and muscle. The enzyme Glycogen phosphorylase is activated causing glycogenolysis while glycogen synthetase enzyme is inhibited. Both actions result in increase in the blood glucose level.
In diabetes, because of either an absence of insulin, as in case of type 1 diabetes, or a qualified lack of insulin, such as type 2, there is not enough insulin to tackle with these stress hormones, so blood sugar levels rise by leaps and bounds.
Many long-term causes of stress come from our psychological set up. Our mind sometimes acts in response to a potentially less unsafe incident as if it was a real danger. Like physical stress, mental stress can be of short duration or long term. In mental stress, body produces stress hormones, but the action cannot produce the desired result.
How to cope with stress? Try the following de-stressing technique-
Organize yourself- Organize your time according to the priorities. Make list of all the works you have to do.
Be prepared- Whether mentally or physically you should be prepared for quick reaction. Your planning may help you to get prepared well in advance.
Share your feelings- Do not be meek. You can share your sadness and joy to others you feel good to you.
Take a holiday- Go for a long holiday that is overdue.
Workout- Regular exercise makes you feel better- Stress will be lessened.
Sleep- Get adequate sleep. Make a habit to go to bed at a fixed time regularly.
Doctor- If all these methods fails, do not hesitate to get professional help.
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Top Ten Sales Skills
There are few really profound truths about selling, and fewer still are the people who know how to communicate them. One of these rare creatures is John Asher the CEO of the eponymous sales training firm. I interviewed John a few months ago — a fantastic conversation in which I learned a great deal.
However, the thing that really struck me from that coversation was what he called the “ten skills” that every sales rep must possess in order to reach the pinnacle of sales success. Here’s my (slightly reordered and edited) version of these skills:
• Skill #1. Researching prospects and organizations prior to first contact.
• Skill #2. Asking questions and listen more than you talk.
• Skill #3. Focusing on a few top prospects and contacting them frequently.
• Skill #4. Cultivating insider “coaches” to understand customer requirements.
• Skill #5. Solving problems and overcoming objections as a consultant.
• Skill #6. Creating long-term relationships with prospects and customers.
• Skill #7. Communicating appropriate messages (e.g. value propositions).
• Skill #8. Recognizing when the prospect is ready to buy.
• Skill #9. Knowing how to close the sale when the time is right.
• Skill #10. Getting referrals and then following up on them.
However, the thing that really struck me from that coversation was what he called the “ten skills” that every sales rep must possess in order to reach the pinnacle of sales success. Here’s my (slightly reordered and edited) version of these skills:
• Skill #1. Researching prospects and organizations prior to first contact.
• Skill #2. Asking questions and listen more than you talk.
• Skill #3. Focusing on a few top prospects and contacting them frequently.
• Skill #4. Cultivating insider “coaches” to understand customer requirements.
• Skill #5. Solving problems and overcoming objections as a consultant.
• Skill #6. Creating long-term relationships with prospects and customers.
• Skill #7. Communicating appropriate messages (e.g. value propositions).
• Skill #8. Recognizing when the prospect is ready to buy.
• Skill #9. Knowing how to close the sale when the time is right.
• Skill #10. Getting referrals and then following up on them.
Which Type of Leader are You?...quiz
The Entrepreneur, The Manager, and The Charismatic -- these are the three types of brilliant leaders, according to the groundbreaking new book, In Their Time: The Greatest Business Leaders of the 20th Century. So which kind are you? (We already know you're brilliant, so spare us the modesty.) To find out, take this quiz -- exclusive to fastcompany.com and created by the book's coauthor, Anthony J. Mayo.
Take the leadership quiz
1] In which business life stage (or cycle) have you been most successful?
a. Start-ups
b. Mature businesses
c. Turnarounds
2] What is your tolerance for risk?
a. High
b. Low
c. Moderate
3] How important do you consider prevailing economic conditions in determining business success?
a. Not very important
b. Extremely important
c. Somewhat important
4] What best describes your approach in business?
a. Innovator
b. Grower
c. Problem solver
5] Businesses, you feel, most effectively generate value through...
a. Innovation
b. Optimization
c. Reinvention
6] What type of business environment best suits your personality?
a. Fluid and unpredictable
b. Highly structured
c. High risk, high reward
7] Where do you see the greatest opportunity in a business?
a. Launching a new product or service
b. Dramatically expanding a successful product or service
c. Redesigning a product or service for a new constituency
8] What is your definition of successful leadership?
a. Creating something new
b. Maximizing potential
c. Managing change
9] What is the best way to defeat your business competitors?
a. Invest in a new product or service offering
b. Offer the best value for your customers
c. Join forces or consolidate offerings through mergers
10] What business executive do you most admire?
a. Bill Gates
b. Meg Whitman
c. Jack Welch
The Key
If you chose 'a' four or more times:
Do you often find yourself craving Fruity Pebbles? It may be because you're a great entrepreneur in the tradition of C.W. Post, founder of Post Cereals. Your type breaks through the mold of your time to create opportunities for success. You create new, sustainable concepts for the future, revolutionizing industries, processes, or businesses. Plus, you often overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles to create and sustain success. Perhaps you'd like to start a new industry today?
If you chose 'b' four or more times:
You love maximizing the value of a company that already exists -- much like Louis B. Neumiller, who became chief executive of Caterpillar in 1941. In other words, you're a true manager. You might not transform what a corporation is, but you can certainly change its size and scope. You deeply understood the landscape in which you operate and take advantage of the hand you're dealt to shape businesses that thrive in this environment. You're adept at tapping into the unique psyche of your times. And you tend to hog the remote.
If you chose 'c' four or more times:
You've got star quality, baby. You're a charismatic leader. You can convince people to do just about anything -- which is why you're much like Lee Iacocca, the Chrysler CEO who turned the company around in the '80s. You're not exactly an innovator, though: You find the value in the trends and contexts set by your predecessors. Still, you'll often consolidate businesses and industries and are skilled at taking advantage of their situation. Although, really, we're guessing you'd rather drive a Porsche than a Sebring.
Take the leadership quiz
1] In which business life stage (or cycle) have you been most successful?
a. Start-ups
b. Mature businesses
c. Turnarounds
2] What is your tolerance for risk?
a. High
b. Low
c. Moderate
3] How important do you consider prevailing economic conditions in determining business success?
a. Not very important
b. Extremely important
c. Somewhat important
4] What best describes your approach in business?
a. Innovator
b. Grower
c. Problem solver
5] Businesses, you feel, most effectively generate value through...
a. Innovation
b. Optimization
c. Reinvention
6] What type of business environment best suits your personality?
a. Fluid and unpredictable
b. Highly structured
c. High risk, high reward
7] Where do you see the greatest opportunity in a business?
a. Launching a new product or service
b. Dramatically expanding a successful product or service
c. Redesigning a product or service for a new constituency
8] What is your definition of successful leadership?
a. Creating something new
b. Maximizing potential
c. Managing change
9] What is the best way to defeat your business competitors?
a. Invest in a new product or service offering
b. Offer the best value for your customers
c. Join forces or consolidate offerings through mergers
10] What business executive do you most admire?
a. Bill Gates
b. Meg Whitman
c. Jack Welch
The Key
If you chose 'a' four or more times:
Do you often find yourself craving Fruity Pebbles? It may be because you're a great entrepreneur in the tradition of C.W. Post, founder of Post Cereals. Your type breaks through the mold of your time to create opportunities for success. You create new, sustainable concepts for the future, revolutionizing industries, processes, or businesses. Plus, you often overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles to create and sustain success. Perhaps you'd like to start a new industry today?
If you chose 'b' four or more times:
You love maximizing the value of a company that already exists -- much like Louis B. Neumiller, who became chief executive of Caterpillar in 1941. In other words, you're a true manager. You might not transform what a corporation is, but you can certainly change its size and scope. You deeply understood the landscape in which you operate and take advantage of the hand you're dealt to shape businesses that thrive in this environment. You're adept at tapping into the unique psyche of your times. And you tend to hog the remote.
If you chose 'c' four or more times:
You've got star quality, baby. You're a charismatic leader. You can convince people to do just about anything -- which is why you're much like Lee Iacocca, the Chrysler CEO who turned the company around in the '80s. You're not exactly an innovator, though: You find the value in the trends and contexts set by your predecessors. Still, you'll often consolidate businesses and industries and are skilled at taking advantage of their situation. Although, really, we're guessing you'd rather drive a Porsche than a Sebring.
Procrastination
There are many things you can do to change your life. There are just as many reasons why you are not doing them. Psychology professor Linda Sapadin has identified six types of procrastinators. She also has some helpful approaches for solutions.
If you are a procrastinator, you will recognize yourself.
Procrastinators have great intentions they never quite act upon; procrastinators are masters at rationalization and are usually aware that they are sabotaging their own happiness; procrastinators castigate themselves for their inability to act, thereby further lowering their self esteem and perpetuating the self-defeating behavior. The psychological underpinnings of procrastination are rooted in fear. Most procrastinators think they are just lazy. This is rarely the case, but it is easier to think that than discover and deal with underlying fears. The fears can be anything - fear of failure, fear of change, fear of completion, fear of losing the fantasy, fear of not measuring up, fear of reprisals, fear of humiliation....and any other fear that fits the bill.
The following are the six types of procrastinators Dr. Sapadin identifies in her book ‘Its about Time! The 6 Styles of Procrastination and How to Overcome Them’. (Viking Press). She also suggests ‘solutions’, which are helpful as guidelines for thinking and action, but which like any ‘solutions’, are easier said than done. Procrastinators especially can have a field day with solutions.
Linda Sapadin, Ph.D. is a well known expert on issues of fear, anxiety, procrastination and career challenges. She is a psychologist in private practice, author, columnist, educator and public speaker
Dreamers
These procrastinators desperately want life to be easy and free from pain. They retreat from the real world and live in their heads, where everything is vague, nonthreatening and cozy. They cherish the notion that they’re special, that they don’t have to play by the rules. This kind of "magical thinking" often leads to employment problems, spouses who tire of unkept promises and the assuming of disguises as they flee collection agencies from state to state.
Solution: If this sounds like you, you need to leave Peter Pan behind. Recognize the difference between "feeling good at the moment" (fantasizing, watching TV, buying stuff) and "feeling good about yourself" (the pleasure of accomplishment, mastery).
Learning a new software program for example, won’t be as much fun as watching basketball, but it yields greater self-respect and confidence. You also need to ground yourself in the here and now. Lists are good for this. Write down what can realistically be accomplished each day and the specific steps that must be take to do it. Develop a passion for the "middle stage of projects, that detail-rich area where you tend to check out.
Worriers
The worrier prizes security above all else and pays a steep price for it. He has a narrow comfort zone and paralyzes himself with anxiety when faced by risk or change. He suffers what Sapadin calls "anticipatory anxiety" and endless stream of "what ifs" about hypothetical situations, all with negative consequences. What if the person I’m considering asking out says yes, we get together and then she dumps me and breaks my heart? What if I finally leave this job I hate and can’t find another one? Better to be safe, secure and bored than face that uncertainty. Worriers often had parent who took care of their every need and enjoyed (unconsciously of course) the feeling that their kid couldn’t get along without them. Worriers don’t have allot of fun and tend to suffer from burnout. But for them, it beats facing a task head on.
Solution: Deep inside most worriers lurks a more vibrant, courageous soul. If you are bored and sick of your life, that’s great. You ma y be ready to change. Avoid "catastrophizing" everything and see that making no decision is itself a decision. When you find yourself concentrating on the risk implicit in a new situation, stop and focus on what’s exciting about it. Interpreting the feeling makes the difference. Next time you have butterflies in your stomach, be glad. That’s the sound of life knocking at your door. Welcome it.
Defiers:
This class of procrastinators resents authority but expresses the rebellion covertly. Ask a defier to perform a task and he’s likely to say, "sure, I’ll do that". Then he "forgets" what he promised, or delivers work that’s half-assed, late or both. I relationships defiers put off meeting their partners’ needs in much the same way. This withholding stratagem gives them a sense of power, but their co-workers and lovers feel manipulated, used and betrayed. When fired or stuck in dead-end jobs or relationships, the defier consoles himself that he’s lot is the inevitable fate of a true individual in a plastic world. He’s unhappy and proud of it.
Solution: Learn to act instead of react, to move from victim to active participant in live. The trick is to shift concern away from what other people are doing to you and see what you are doing to yourself. Realize that taking the initiative - not digging in your heels - is where the real power is.
Crisis Makers
Most of us do our best work under some kind of time constraint. A crisis-maker goes out of the way to create drama, going from one behavioral extreme or the other. He underreacts to a situation, " I can’t get started until I feel the pressure", then overreacts with a big shot of intense work to meet the deadline. That self- aggrandizing style of operating is a young man’s game. You can drive yourself to the edge with relative impunity in your 20’s and early 30’s, but after a while, your body doesn’t want to run of adrenaline anymore. A pot of coffee and a bag of Oreos don’t deliver quite the jolt it once did. And meeting deadlines in the real world isn’t heroic; it’s routine.
Solution: A lot of these guys are shocked when I tell them chaos is not mandatory. Sapadin says, " it never crossed their minds that there is a different way to do things." The crisis maker needs to increase his self-motivation to accomplish things and decrease the emotional investment in the death-defying, last minute performance. Recognize your need for an adrenaline rush, but find a safer avenue for it than your work or your relationships. Make a cold call to someone who’d never expect to hear from you. Set your sights on a five-minute mile or a 200-pound bench press.
Perfectionists
Basically, perfectionists are nut cases, whose self-esteem is on the line every time they do anything. Often they are idealists who are unrealistic in their use of time and energy. Ask one to sharpen a pencil and he’ll either break out in a cold sweat and spend all day staring at it, or immediately plunge in and, at the end of the day, present you with a really sharp point attached to an eraser. "That’s because perfectionists see everything in all-or-nothing terms," says Sapadin. "If the task they’re working on is a failure, it stands to reason that they’re failures too." Deep down, the perfectionist fears nothing so much as not measuring up. I f you had the kind of parents who looked at the 95 you brought home on a test and said, "where are the other five points?" You’re a good candidate. Procrastination is a way of putting off judgement. I you don’t play, you can’t lose.
Solution: "I tell perfectionist to aim for accomplishment, not perfection," says Sapadin. "Stop beating yourself up over what you should do and focus on what you can do - the realistic instead of the ideal". Another strategy, Sapadin counsels for perfectionists is to make a deliberate mistake. Linger five minutes longer at home so you are deliberately late for an appointment, leave your normally spotless desk messy for half a day, let a grammatical error in an office memo go uncorrected. The experience of being imperfect- and seeing that the world doesn’t come to an end- is a great teacher.
Overdoers
Like the perfectionist, the overdoer doesn’t seem like a procrastinator because he’s always busy. He’s a people pleaser, the guy who never says no to taking on more work. As companies downsize and combine jobs, the overdoer appears to be the guy poised for success. Except he isn’t. In his struggle to do it all and feel self-reliant, he has no balance of work and downtime, drudgery and fun. The personal and the professional. He also disappoints the people he wants so desperately to please because he has taken on more than he can deliver.
Solution: "Overdoers need to learn to say no," says Sapadin. "It blows them away when I tell them it’s not a nasty word. In their minds, it’s hurtful to the other person". She tells them to say ", but thanks for asking me". Or " I can’t right now, but ask me again in a week" as ways to reinforce the idea that they’re not slamming the door.
Give up the Superman myth. Accomplish what you can, and leave the rest to all those other Superheroes whose work you’ve been doing.
If you are a procrastinator, you will recognize yourself.
Procrastinators have great intentions they never quite act upon; procrastinators are masters at rationalization and are usually aware that they are sabotaging their own happiness; procrastinators castigate themselves for their inability to act, thereby further lowering their self esteem and perpetuating the self-defeating behavior. The psychological underpinnings of procrastination are rooted in fear. Most procrastinators think they are just lazy. This is rarely the case, but it is easier to think that than discover and deal with underlying fears. The fears can be anything - fear of failure, fear of change, fear of completion, fear of losing the fantasy, fear of not measuring up, fear of reprisals, fear of humiliation....and any other fear that fits the bill.
The following are the six types of procrastinators Dr. Sapadin identifies in her book ‘Its about Time! The 6 Styles of Procrastination and How to Overcome Them’. (Viking Press). She also suggests ‘solutions’, which are helpful as guidelines for thinking and action, but which like any ‘solutions’, are easier said than done. Procrastinators especially can have a field day with solutions.
Linda Sapadin, Ph.D. is a well known expert on issues of fear, anxiety, procrastination and career challenges. She is a psychologist in private practice, author, columnist, educator and public speaker
Dreamers
These procrastinators desperately want life to be easy and free from pain. They retreat from the real world and live in their heads, where everything is vague, nonthreatening and cozy. They cherish the notion that they’re special, that they don’t have to play by the rules. This kind of "magical thinking" often leads to employment problems, spouses who tire of unkept promises and the assuming of disguises as they flee collection agencies from state to state.
Solution: If this sounds like you, you need to leave Peter Pan behind. Recognize the difference between "feeling good at the moment" (fantasizing, watching TV, buying stuff) and "feeling good about yourself" (the pleasure of accomplishment, mastery).
Learning a new software program for example, won’t be as much fun as watching basketball, but it yields greater self-respect and confidence. You also need to ground yourself in the here and now. Lists are good for this. Write down what can realistically be accomplished each day and the specific steps that must be take to do it. Develop a passion for the "middle stage of projects, that detail-rich area where you tend to check out.
Worriers
The worrier prizes security above all else and pays a steep price for it. He has a narrow comfort zone and paralyzes himself with anxiety when faced by risk or change. He suffers what Sapadin calls "anticipatory anxiety" and endless stream of "what ifs" about hypothetical situations, all with negative consequences. What if the person I’m considering asking out says yes, we get together and then she dumps me and breaks my heart? What if I finally leave this job I hate and can’t find another one? Better to be safe, secure and bored than face that uncertainty. Worriers often had parent who took care of their every need and enjoyed (unconsciously of course) the feeling that their kid couldn’t get along without them. Worriers don’t have allot of fun and tend to suffer from burnout. But for them, it beats facing a task head on.
Solution: Deep inside most worriers lurks a more vibrant, courageous soul. If you are bored and sick of your life, that’s great. You ma y be ready to change. Avoid "catastrophizing" everything and see that making no decision is itself a decision. When you find yourself concentrating on the risk implicit in a new situation, stop and focus on what’s exciting about it. Interpreting the feeling makes the difference. Next time you have butterflies in your stomach, be glad. That’s the sound of life knocking at your door. Welcome it.
Defiers:
This class of procrastinators resents authority but expresses the rebellion covertly. Ask a defier to perform a task and he’s likely to say, "sure, I’ll do that". Then he "forgets" what he promised, or delivers work that’s half-assed, late or both. I relationships defiers put off meeting their partners’ needs in much the same way. This withholding stratagem gives them a sense of power, but their co-workers and lovers feel manipulated, used and betrayed. When fired or stuck in dead-end jobs or relationships, the defier consoles himself that he’s lot is the inevitable fate of a true individual in a plastic world. He’s unhappy and proud of it.
Solution: Learn to act instead of react, to move from victim to active participant in live. The trick is to shift concern away from what other people are doing to you and see what you are doing to yourself. Realize that taking the initiative - not digging in your heels - is where the real power is.
Crisis Makers
Most of us do our best work under some kind of time constraint. A crisis-maker goes out of the way to create drama, going from one behavioral extreme or the other. He underreacts to a situation, " I can’t get started until I feel the pressure", then overreacts with a big shot of intense work to meet the deadline. That self- aggrandizing style of operating is a young man’s game. You can drive yourself to the edge with relative impunity in your 20’s and early 30’s, but after a while, your body doesn’t want to run of adrenaline anymore. A pot of coffee and a bag of Oreos don’t deliver quite the jolt it once did. And meeting deadlines in the real world isn’t heroic; it’s routine.
Solution: A lot of these guys are shocked when I tell them chaos is not mandatory. Sapadin says, " it never crossed their minds that there is a different way to do things." The crisis maker needs to increase his self-motivation to accomplish things and decrease the emotional investment in the death-defying, last minute performance. Recognize your need for an adrenaline rush, but find a safer avenue for it than your work or your relationships. Make a cold call to someone who’d never expect to hear from you. Set your sights on a five-minute mile or a 200-pound bench press.
Perfectionists
Basically, perfectionists are nut cases, whose self-esteem is on the line every time they do anything. Often they are idealists who are unrealistic in their use of time and energy. Ask one to sharpen a pencil and he’ll either break out in a cold sweat and spend all day staring at it, or immediately plunge in and, at the end of the day, present you with a really sharp point attached to an eraser. "That’s because perfectionists see everything in all-or-nothing terms," says Sapadin. "If the task they’re working on is a failure, it stands to reason that they’re failures too." Deep down, the perfectionist fears nothing so much as not measuring up. I f you had the kind of parents who looked at the 95 you brought home on a test and said, "where are the other five points?" You’re a good candidate. Procrastination is a way of putting off judgement. I you don’t play, you can’t lose.
Solution: "I tell perfectionist to aim for accomplishment, not perfection," says Sapadin. "Stop beating yourself up over what you should do and focus on what you can do - the realistic instead of the ideal". Another strategy, Sapadin counsels for perfectionists is to make a deliberate mistake. Linger five minutes longer at home so you are deliberately late for an appointment, leave your normally spotless desk messy for half a day, let a grammatical error in an office memo go uncorrected. The experience of being imperfect- and seeing that the world doesn’t come to an end- is a great teacher.
Overdoers
Like the perfectionist, the overdoer doesn’t seem like a procrastinator because he’s always busy. He’s a people pleaser, the guy who never says no to taking on more work. As companies downsize and combine jobs, the overdoer appears to be the guy poised for success. Except he isn’t. In his struggle to do it all and feel self-reliant, he has no balance of work and downtime, drudgery and fun. The personal and the professional. He also disappoints the people he wants so desperately to please because he has taken on more than he can deliver.
Solution: "Overdoers need to learn to say no," says Sapadin. "It blows them away when I tell them it’s not a nasty word. In their minds, it’s hurtful to the other person". She tells them to say ", but thanks for asking me". Or " I can’t right now, but ask me again in a week" as ways to reinforce the idea that they’re not slamming the door.
Give up the Superman myth. Accomplish what you can, and leave the rest to all those other Superheroes whose work you’ve been doing.
ATTITUDE IS EVERYTHING....
Have you heard the saying, "Attitude Is Everything"? While attitude might not really be "everything", it is the single most significant determining factor of success in many situations. Here's how it works:
Change your attitude and you automatically change:
1. your perspective
2. the way you interpret things
3. the decisions you make
4. the actions you take
5. the results you get
Changing your attitude can get you there more quickly, but it can also get you there in style, enjoying the ride more fully. This ShortCut is for everyone, because even if you have a great attitude already, it could always be better. It doesn't matter if you have a little goal or a massive dream, a small annoyance or a huge problem, shifting your attitude will help, and it might just radically transform your situation.
People tend to think of an attitude as being simply positive or negative. However, there are infinite possibilities such as: warm, friendly, confident, determined, unstoppable, silly, playful, easy-going, outrageous, peaceful, open-minded, compassionate, optimistic, and all of their negative counterparts. You can ultimately become very creative and experiment with different attitudes for different situations, which will lead you to being more powerful and effective.
Here's the problem. We often think it's hard or impossible to change our attitudes, so we don't try. The truth is that it's easy to change your attitude, if you know how.
By Ryan Eliason
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
7 Action Steps to Positive Thinking
It's always best to set up a personal goal where you can accomplish the most in record time, maybe like mowing the lawn in an hour before the big game on TV. A correct and positive attitude in whatever you do will make things easier, and even enjoyable.
Here are some tips to make it through the week even if you're just sitting in your favourite couch. An idea takes time to form in your head and is always at work while you are busy sitting.
Having a bit of positive thinking can help you realise the things that you never thought possible.
Step 1: Take passionate action towards living your life by design. Talk is cheap. Action = success of a passionately authentic future. Successful People turn their dreams into reality by Taking Action
Step 2: Commit to yourself to create successful life you can be proud of Instead of reacting, commit to creating from your heart and soul, out of love rather than fear. Your dream will always be there, but a dream will still be a dream without your commitment. Take action with commitment and be amazed as the transformation begins.
Step 3: Recognize and embrace the thought that each moment is perfect regardless of its outcome Every time you hit on something that may appear too extreme, why not give it a shot and see if it will work. You will be surprised to see of there are other ways to get the task done in time. If you are not pleased with the outcome, decide to use that moment to learn from and make the appropriate shift.
Step 4:Dwell completely in a place of gratitude Learn to utilise what you have in your hands and make use of it in the most constructive way. Slipping into neediness will become less of a habit when you repeatedly shift towards gratitude, away from poverty consciousness.
Step 5: Use a Passion Formula of Recognise Re-evaluate and Restore In place of I should have / I would have /I could have done it this way. The former is based on increased knowledge and abundance while the latter focuses on scarcity and lack. When something goes wrong don't sit down and mope about, recognise your mistakes and learn from them for the next time
Step 6: Keep humour at the forefront of thought Laughing at and with your self when possible. You may find yourself quite entertaining when you loosen up! I am yet to see a comedian ever go hungry even though his jokes are as 'old as great-grandma'. Life has so much to offer to allow you to mope around in self pity. Humour is very attractive, very passionate: life-giving.
Step 7: Believe that you are the architect of your destiny No one can take your passionate future from you except for you! Create your life authentically. As long as there's still breath in your body, there is no end to how much you can accomplish in a lifetime. The concept of thinking big is all about enjoying your work, which would lead to celebrate a discovery that is born within your hands. Watch everything flow into place with perfect, passionate precision.
by.....
Clive Harman
Monday, February 11, 2008
TINGKATKAN KEMAHIRAN DIRI
Para Sahabat yang Dihormati sekalian,
Marilah sama-sama kita meningkatkan ketaqwaan kepada Allah S.W.T dengan melakukan amalan-amalan yang baik. Amalan yang membawa faedah kepada diri, keluarga dan masyarakat. Juga dengan menghindarkan diri dari segala amalan yang membawa kemudharatan.
Antara ciri-ciri orang yang bertaqwa ialah mereka yang bekerja dan berusaha dan tidak mengharap kepada orang lain. Mereka tidak berpeluk tubuh dan mengharapkan rezeki datang bergolek. Mereka juga sedar bahawa untuk bekerja, mereka harus bekerja dengan baik dan tekun serta mengamalkan sikap dan sifat yang telah diajarkan oleh Rasullullah S.A.W iaitu Siddiq, Amanah, Tabligh dan Fatonah. Ini menuntut mereka untuk terus meningkatkan diri agar dapat melakukan kerja-kerja mereka dengan baik, tekun dan ikhlas.
Allah S.W.T berfirman:
" Dan katakanlah, bekerjalah kamu, maka Allah dan rasulnya serta orang-orang mukmin akan melihat pekerjaanmu itu dan kamu akan dikembalikan kepada (Allah) yang mengetahui akan yang ghaib dan yang nyata, lalu diberitakannya kepada kamu apa yang telah kamu kerjakan. (at-Taubah:105)"
Demikianlah iman mendorong seseorang untuk bekerja. Samada untuk kebajikan dunia dan akhirat. Kita tidak boleh meninggalkan dunia semata-mata kerana akhirat. Kita juga tidak boleh meninggalkan akhirat semata-mata untuk dunia.
Sabda Rasulullah s.a.w yang bermaksud:
" Bukankah yang baik bagi kamu mereka yang meninggalkan dunia semata-mata untuk akhirat dan juga yang meninggalkan akhirat semata-mata untuk dunia. Bahkan kebaikan sebenar ialah bagi mereka yang menjalankan kedua-duanya. Usahlah kamu terlalu bergantung kepada orang lain.(Riwayat Muslim)"
Para Sahabat yang dirahmati Allah,
Keimanan kita mengajar kita untuk bekerja dan terus bekerja. Orang yang beriman akan terus bekerja sekalipun kalau dia tahu bahawa esok akan kiamat. Ini diperintahkan Rasulullah sendiri di dalam hadith yang diriwayatkan Imam Ahmad yang bermaksud:
" Ketika kiamat terjadi, sedang ditangan seseorang kamu masih ada sebiji benih tamar, maka kalau boleh ditanamnya hendaklah ditanamnya semula."
Demikianlah semangat bekerja dan berusaha orang-orang yang beriman kerana kerja itu adalah ibadah maka beribadahlah kamu dengan bersungguh-sungguh untuk mendapatkan rahmat dan keredhaan Allah.
Orang yang beriman juga sedar bahawa bila dia bekerja, dia harus melakukan kerjanya dengan baik dan tekun. Inilah konsep "Itqan" atau professionalisme dalam Islam. Kerana Allah cinta kepada hambanya yang melakukan kerja dengan baik dan tekun.
Rasulullah s.a.w bersabda yang bermaksud:
" Sesungguhnya Allah mencintai hambanya apabila dia melakukan suatu pekerjaan hendaklah dikerjakan dengan baik dan sempurna (iaitu itqan)."
Di sinilah perlunya tadi memiliki ilmu dan kemahiran yang tinggi. Bagaimana kita boleh bekerja dengan baik dan sempurna tanpa ilmu dan kemahiran tinggi? sebagai contoh, di zaman ini di mana banyak urusan dilakukan melalui komputer, jika seseorang tidak tahu mengendalikan komputer, bagaimana dia boleh bekerja dengan baik dan sempurna? pekerja tadi akan mendapati dirinya tidak lagi releven dalam suasana kerja baru ini. Ini menjadikannya tidak dapat bekerja dengan baik dan kemudian boleh membawa kepada menganggur. Sifat Iri hati, dengki dan tidak suka melihat kejayaan orang lain juga perlu dikikis dari diri agar kita menjadi pekerja yang berwibawa dan beramal serta mempunyai pemikiran yang positif. Kita mesti berusaha memajukan diri dan seterusnya melayakkan kita untuk bersama menyumbang pada pembangunan sesebuah negara.
Kita kini hidup dalam suasana kerja yang menuntut kemahiran tinggi. Bukan hanya dalam menguruskan alat-alat canggih tetapi juga budaya kerja yang bijak. Perlu bijak menguruskan masa, mengimbangi keperluan dan meletakkan keutamaan dalam kerja-kerja kita, kemahiran berkomunikasi dan sebagainya. Di zaman teknologi maklumat, kemahiran tinggi adalah keperluan agar kita kekal releven dan diperlukan. Janganlah kita selalu menyalahkan takdir atau mencari kesilapan orang lain jika kita sendiri mundur kebelakang. Sikap suka bertangguh dan tidak mahu meningkatkan diri akan menimbulkan perasaan rendah diri serta menjadikan kita insan yang seba kekurangan.
Jika kita tidak melengkapkan diri dengan kemahiran-kemahiran yang diperlukan dari masa ke semasa, kita akan tertinggal jauh. Di sinilah perlunya kita terus meningkatkan diri dengan latihan demi latihan. Kita tidak boleh sekadar memadai dengan kemahiran yang kita miliki atau yang pernah kita miliki. Keperluan berubah, cabaran bertambah, kemahiran-kemahiran baru perlu dimiliki. Kita juga tidak boleh bermegah dengan hanya kemahiran yang sederhana, sikap suka berkongsi ilmu serta melihat bangsa sendiri maju adalah sikap yang dituntut dan digalakkan sesama kita.
Di dalam sejarah, umat Islam telah menunjukkan semangat ini. Semangat ingin terus belajar dan menimba ilmu. Kerana itulah mereka mampu dan layak memimpin tamadun manusia. Jika semangat ini tidak dimiliki, umat Islam tidak akan mampu memimpin dunia dan menjadi khalifah Allah dimuka bumi apatah lagi menjadi khalifah pada diri sendiri. Ini juga bermakna kita telah tidak menjalankan amanah untuk menjadi khalifah tersebut.
Setiap dari kita perlu insaf akan cabaran dan keperluan baru ini. Umat Islam tidak boleh terus dilihat sebagai umat yang mundur, tidak berkemahiran. Agama kita menuntut kita untuk terus maju, tinggi ilmu dan kemahiran.
Cuba kita belajar dari Nabi Musa a.s, walaupun beliau seorang nabi dan mempunyai ilmu-ilmu yang tinggi sehingga mengalahkan ahli-ahli sihir Mesir, Allah masih tetap menyuruh Nabi Musa untuk terus meningkatkan diri dan belajar. Di mana Allah telah memerintahkannya belajar dari seorang hamba Allah yang soleh iaitu Nabi Khidhir.
Peristiwa ini dirakamkan di dalam al-Quran dalam surah al-Kahfi ayat 66:
" Musa berkata kepada Khidhir, bolehkah aku mengikutimu supaya kamu mengajarkan kepadaku ilmu yang benar di antara ilmu-ilmu yang telah diajarkan kepadamu."
Kalau demikianlah keadaan seorang nabi , apatah lagi dengan kita?
Merebutlah peluang-peluang yang sedia ada untuk meningkatkan diri dan dengan itu menunaikan tuntutan keimanan dan ketamadunan kita. Untuk menjalankan peranan kita sebagai khalifah di atas muka bumi ini.
Salam Ikhlas
Rozainy Din
Marilah sama-sama kita meningkatkan ketaqwaan kepada Allah S.W.T dengan melakukan amalan-amalan yang baik. Amalan yang membawa faedah kepada diri, keluarga dan masyarakat. Juga dengan menghindarkan diri dari segala amalan yang membawa kemudharatan.
Antara ciri-ciri orang yang bertaqwa ialah mereka yang bekerja dan berusaha dan tidak mengharap kepada orang lain. Mereka tidak berpeluk tubuh dan mengharapkan rezeki datang bergolek. Mereka juga sedar bahawa untuk bekerja, mereka harus bekerja dengan baik dan tekun serta mengamalkan sikap dan sifat yang telah diajarkan oleh Rasullullah S.A.W iaitu Siddiq, Amanah, Tabligh dan Fatonah. Ini menuntut mereka untuk terus meningkatkan diri agar dapat melakukan kerja-kerja mereka dengan baik, tekun dan ikhlas.
Allah S.W.T berfirman:
" Dan katakanlah, bekerjalah kamu, maka Allah dan rasulnya serta orang-orang mukmin akan melihat pekerjaanmu itu dan kamu akan dikembalikan kepada (Allah) yang mengetahui akan yang ghaib dan yang nyata, lalu diberitakannya kepada kamu apa yang telah kamu kerjakan. (at-Taubah:105)"
Demikianlah iman mendorong seseorang untuk bekerja. Samada untuk kebajikan dunia dan akhirat. Kita tidak boleh meninggalkan dunia semata-mata kerana akhirat. Kita juga tidak boleh meninggalkan akhirat semata-mata untuk dunia.
Sabda Rasulullah s.a.w yang bermaksud:
" Bukankah yang baik bagi kamu mereka yang meninggalkan dunia semata-mata untuk akhirat dan juga yang meninggalkan akhirat semata-mata untuk dunia. Bahkan kebaikan sebenar ialah bagi mereka yang menjalankan kedua-duanya. Usahlah kamu terlalu bergantung kepada orang lain.(Riwayat Muslim)"
Para Sahabat yang dirahmati Allah,
Keimanan kita mengajar kita untuk bekerja dan terus bekerja. Orang yang beriman akan terus bekerja sekalipun kalau dia tahu bahawa esok akan kiamat. Ini diperintahkan Rasulullah sendiri di dalam hadith yang diriwayatkan Imam Ahmad yang bermaksud:
" Ketika kiamat terjadi, sedang ditangan seseorang kamu masih ada sebiji benih tamar, maka kalau boleh ditanamnya hendaklah ditanamnya semula."
Demikianlah semangat bekerja dan berusaha orang-orang yang beriman kerana kerja itu adalah ibadah maka beribadahlah kamu dengan bersungguh-sungguh untuk mendapatkan rahmat dan keredhaan Allah.
Orang yang beriman juga sedar bahawa bila dia bekerja, dia harus melakukan kerjanya dengan baik dan tekun. Inilah konsep "Itqan" atau professionalisme dalam Islam. Kerana Allah cinta kepada hambanya yang melakukan kerja dengan baik dan tekun.
Rasulullah s.a.w bersabda yang bermaksud:
" Sesungguhnya Allah mencintai hambanya apabila dia melakukan suatu pekerjaan hendaklah dikerjakan dengan baik dan sempurna (iaitu itqan)."
Di sinilah perlunya tadi memiliki ilmu dan kemahiran yang tinggi. Bagaimana kita boleh bekerja dengan baik dan sempurna tanpa ilmu dan kemahiran tinggi? sebagai contoh, di zaman ini di mana banyak urusan dilakukan melalui komputer, jika seseorang tidak tahu mengendalikan komputer, bagaimana dia boleh bekerja dengan baik dan sempurna? pekerja tadi akan mendapati dirinya tidak lagi releven dalam suasana kerja baru ini. Ini menjadikannya tidak dapat bekerja dengan baik dan kemudian boleh membawa kepada menganggur. Sifat Iri hati, dengki dan tidak suka melihat kejayaan orang lain juga perlu dikikis dari diri agar kita menjadi pekerja yang berwibawa dan beramal serta mempunyai pemikiran yang positif. Kita mesti berusaha memajukan diri dan seterusnya melayakkan kita untuk bersama menyumbang pada pembangunan sesebuah negara.
Kita kini hidup dalam suasana kerja yang menuntut kemahiran tinggi. Bukan hanya dalam menguruskan alat-alat canggih tetapi juga budaya kerja yang bijak. Perlu bijak menguruskan masa, mengimbangi keperluan dan meletakkan keutamaan dalam kerja-kerja kita, kemahiran berkomunikasi dan sebagainya. Di zaman teknologi maklumat, kemahiran tinggi adalah keperluan agar kita kekal releven dan diperlukan. Janganlah kita selalu menyalahkan takdir atau mencari kesilapan orang lain jika kita sendiri mundur kebelakang. Sikap suka bertangguh dan tidak mahu meningkatkan diri akan menimbulkan perasaan rendah diri serta menjadikan kita insan yang seba kekurangan.
Jika kita tidak melengkapkan diri dengan kemahiran-kemahiran yang diperlukan dari masa ke semasa, kita akan tertinggal jauh. Di sinilah perlunya kita terus meningkatkan diri dengan latihan demi latihan. Kita tidak boleh sekadar memadai dengan kemahiran yang kita miliki atau yang pernah kita miliki. Keperluan berubah, cabaran bertambah, kemahiran-kemahiran baru perlu dimiliki. Kita juga tidak boleh bermegah dengan hanya kemahiran yang sederhana, sikap suka berkongsi ilmu serta melihat bangsa sendiri maju adalah sikap yang dituntut dan digalakkan sesama kita.
Di dalam sejarah, umat Islam telah menunjukkan semangat ini. Semangat ingin terus belajar dan menimba ilmu. Kerana itulah mereka mampu dan layak memimpin tamadun manusia. Jika semangat ini tidak dimiliki, umat Islam tidak akan mampu memimpin dunia dan menjadi khalifah Allah dimuka bumi apatah lagi menjadi khalifah pada diri sendiri. Ini juga bermakna kita telah tidak menjalankan amanah untuk menjadi khalifah tersebut.
Setiap dari kita perlu insaf akan cabaran dan keperluan baru ini. Umat Islam tidak boleh terus dilihat sebagai umat yang mundur, tidak berkemahiran. Agama kita menuntut kita untuk terus maju, tinggi ilmu dan kemahiran.
Cuba kita belajar dari Nabi Musa a.s, walaupun beliau seorang nabi dan mempunyai ilmu-ilmu yang tinggi sehingga mengalahkan ahli-ahli sihir Mesir, Allah masih tetap menyuruh Nabi Musa untuk terus meningkatkan diri dan belajar. Di mana Allah telah memerintahkannya belajar dari seorang hamba Allah yang soleh iaitu Nabi Khidhir.
Peristiwa ini dirakamkan di dalam al-Quran dalam surah al-Kahfi ayat 66:
" Musa berkata kepada Khidhir, bolehkah aku mengikutimu supaya kamu mengajarkan kepadaku ilmu yang benar di antara ilmu-ilmu yang telah diajarkan kepadamu."
Kalau demikianlah keadaan seorang nabi , apatah lagi dengan kita?
Merebutlah peluang-peluang yang sedia ada untuk meningkatkan diri dan dengan itu menunaikan tuntutan keimanan dan ketamadunan kita. Untuk menjalankan peranan kita sebagai khalifah di atas muka bumi ini.
Salam Ikhlas
Rozainy Din
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