As a woman business owner, the most important skill you can develop is leadership.  The most important quality of leadership is extraordinary performance, with the goal of achieving extraordinary results. These results then serve as an inspiration to others to perform at equally exceptional levels.

1. Why People Respect You We develop great perceptions of those men and women we can count on to help us achieve what is important to us.  The most common success in business concept is, “To get what you want, help others get what they want.”  It doesn’t matter what line of business you’re in, this rule nearly always applies.  Men and women who make great sales and provide excellent customer service, develop influence in the minds and hearts of their coworkers and customers. They are spoken about in the most positive way.
2. The Halo Effect Men and women who are responsible for companies or departments that achieve high levels of profitability also develop charisma. They develop what is called the “halo effect.” They are perceived by others to be extraordinary men and women who are capable of great things. Their shortcomings are often overlooked, while their strong points are overemphasized. They become charismatic.
3. The Source of Charisma Charisma actually comes from working on yourself.  It comes from liking and accepting yourself unconditionally as you do and say the specific things that develop within you a powerful, charismatic personality.  Staying focused on results and controlling your thoughts are crucial.
4. Be Determined and Purposeful When you set clear goals and become determined and purposeful, backing those goals with unshakable self-confidence, you develop charisma. When you are enthusiastic and excited about what you are doing, when you are totally committed to achieving something worthwhile, you radiate charisma. When you take the time to study and become an expert at what you do, and then prepare thoroughly for any opportunity to use your knowledge, skill or experience, the perception that others have of you goes straight up.
5. Accept Complete Responsibility When you take complete responsibility and accept ownership, without making excuses or blaming others, you experience a sense of control that leads to the personal power that is the foundation of charisma. When you look like a winner in every respect, when you have the kind of external image that others admire, you build your charisma. When you develop your character by setting high standards and then disciplining yourself to live consistent with the highest principles you know, you become the kind of person who is admired and respected everywhere. You become the kind of person who radiates charisma to others.  Why?  Because being consistent with who you want to be makes you feel powerful and in control.  (And, in fact, you are in control of yourself and your future.)
6. Focus on Results Finally, when you concentrate your energies on achieving the results that you set for yourself, you develop the reputation for performance and achievement that inevitably leads to the perception of charisma.

You can develop the kind of charisma that opens doors for you by going to work on yourself, consistently and persistently, and becoming the kind of person everyone can admire and look up to – the type of person that everyone wants to be around. That’s what charisma is all about.

Action Exercises
Here are two things you can do immediately to put these ideas into action.

1. Ask yourself every day, “What is the one thing that I and only I can do, that if done well, will make a real difference to my company?” Whatever your answer is, go to work on that.
2. Decide upon the most important results you can get for your company and make sure that you and everyone else is working on those results every hour of every day.

Until next time,
Live Joyfully!

Posted under Education, Leadership, Motivation, Success

I don’t know about you, but two of the biggest challenges I face on a daily basis are procrastination and distraction.  Today, I want to share with you 5 principles that I’ve learned that significantly help with these two issues.

1. Have Everything At Hand - One of the best ways for you to overcome procrastination and get more things done faster is for you to have everything you need at hand before you begin. When you are fully prepared, you are like a cocked gun or an archer with an arrow pulled back taut in the bow. You just need one small mental push to get started on your highest value tasks.
2. Clear Your Workspace - Begin by clearing off your desk or workspace so that you only have one task in front of you. If necessary, put everything on the floor or on the table behind you – out of sight. Gather all the information, reports, details, papers, and work materials that you will require to complete the job. Have them at hand so you can reach them without getting up or moving. Be sure that you have all writing materials, computer disks, access codes, email addresses and everything else you need to start and continue working until the job is done.
3. Make It Comfortable - Set up your work area so that it is comfortable, attractive and conducive to working for long periods. Especially, make sure that you have a comfortable chair that supports your back and allows your feet to sit flat on the floor.  The most productive people take the time to create a work area where they enjoy spending time. The cleaner and neater your work area before you begin, the easier it is for you to get started and keep going.
4. Assume The Position - When you sit down, with everything in front of you, ready to go, assume the body language of high performance. Sit up straight, sit forward and away from the back of the chair. Carry yourself as though you were an efficient, effective high performing personality. Then, pick up the first item and say to yourself, “Let’s get to work!” and plunge in. And once you’ve started, keep going until the job is finished.
5. Dress the Part - Sometimes, if I’m feeling really ornery, it helps to put on a business suit.  Even if I’m working at home and would love to be in sweats, there’s something about that outfit that says, “work!”

Action Exercises
Here are 3 things you can do immediately to put these ideas into action.

1. Take a good look at your desk or office, both at home and at the office. Ask yourself, “What kind of a person works in an environment like that?”
2. Resolve today to clean up your desk and office completely so that you feel effective, efficient and ready to get going each time you sit down to work.
3. Develop a wardrobe that’s comfortable but serious at the same time.  You know what I’m talking about.  There’s nothing like “putting on the uniform” to get your psyche in gear!

Until next time,
I Invite YOU to Live Joyfully!

Posted under Conscious Creation, Leadership, Motivation, Success

The easiest way to get sales in any business is to be seen as the leader in your industry.  To do that, you have to stand out from your competitors.  The best way that you can stand out from your competitors is to position yourself as a business partner, always looking for ways to improve your client’s business.  Never assume that they’ve already thought of or tried your idea, and always be on the cutting edge besides.

Help Your Customer’s Business
When you deal with a business person, you can be sure of one thing: that person thinks about her business day and night. It is very close to her. It is dear to her heart. And if you come in and talk to her and ask pertinent questions about the business, looking for ways to help her run her business better, the customer is going to warm up to you and want to be associated with you and your company.

Differentiate Yourself from Your Competitors
As a partner, you should always be looking to help your customer to cut costs and improve results in his or her area of responsibility. You should look for ways to help your customer in non-business areas as well. You should position yourself as someone who cares more about the success of your customer than anything else, even more than you care about selling your product or service. This approach to partnering in profit with your customer is a key way to differentiate yourself and to keep your customer for the indefinite future.

Don’t Criticize
The biggest mistake people make when first applying this concept, is to find fault and express it in a horrible way.  Don’t do that!  Soften whatever you need to say with, “I see you’re very successful at . . . .  Have you ever thought about . . .?  I could help you by . . .”  Then use your standard closing of, “would you like to hear more about that?” or even “Is that of interest to you?”

Practice the Reciprocity Principle
There is a principle of reciprocity in business that is very powerful. It is simply this: If you do something nice for someone else, they will feel obligated to do something nice for you. You should be looking for opportunities to go the extra mile, to do more than you are paid for, to put in more than you take out. By extending yourself, you improve your positioning in the customer’s mind and increasingly differentiate yourself and your company from your competitors who are after the same business. If you do this long enough and strong enough, you will eventually develop the partnership to the point where your competitors don’t have a chance against you.

Action Exercises
Here are two things you can do immediately to put these ideas into action.

1. Think about how you can help your customer’s customer with your product or service. Take time to understand how your customer uses your product to do her business better.  Create a list and add to it when you think of something new, then review the list before your next meeting.
2. Focus on increasing your customer’s profits and financial results.  Use your list and work with your client to reduce costs and increase sales volume.  Show your customer that doing business with you is both satisfying and profitable in the long run.

Until next time,
Live Joyfully!

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Posted under Education, Leadership, Success