Students Of Success

What does it take to truly motivate an employee? What breaks an employee’s resistance to showing up on time and lets them work with joy? What makes employees brag about the company that pays them?

How do successful corporations succeed in keeping loyal employees? Not by fear or intimidation. Once pressure is applied ‘to perform or produce,’ either more or better, the average employee becomes less effective.

Many employees are completely self-motivated and never need any outside impetus. They are content with fulfilling their own inward goals. Others need some inspiring, positive feedback in order to apply their most creative and heartfelt energies to a job. They need an incentive to feel they belong, to have a sense of identity with the corporation they work for. The desire for recognition resides in all of us and having this need acknowledged is an important part of one’s work life.

Although an employee is an individual and works as an individual, there is always a need to be aware that the employee is also a part of the whole group, the total corporation, and that each individual is important. When the corporation treats the employees as someone important, the employees will also feel the corporation is important and will feel proud to be a part of its success and growth.

The secret of employee performance comes from the awareness by management or peers that a person is doing a great job and then outwardly recognizing that performance. One proven technique is giving corporate awards that recognize the unique contribution that an employee provides. To be powerful, this award needs to be of a lasting nature and something that others will be able to see and recognize. A sincere compliment is always welcome, but material objects such as rings make the difference in employee loyalty. The inspiration received from a corporate gift can transform an entire department. Motivation to do an even better job enlivens the atmosphere.

Employees aren’t usually going to blatantly ask for recognition. Actually, when singled out for a special award they will appear shy and mutter something about not really deserving it. However, inside they are glowing and are probably having a hard time holding back tears of appreciation — making acceptance speeches isn’t part of one’s everyday activity in ordinary corporate life. When an employee receives a reward in the form of a pay raise, the reaction is usually one of relief. “Whew! I actually got it!” When one receives a Safety Award Ring or a Company Ring with a special inscription on it, awkwardness can be expected. The implication, silently stated, is, “You are unique and special! We truly appreciate you.” Acceptance of this appreciation is often best expressed with eyes meeting in trust and a nod of the head.

The power represented by an award of this type goes beyond the dollar value in a corporation. Without loyal, fantastic employees a corporation doesn’t exist. Those who are the life blood of the corporation truly deserve all the awards and recognition that are bestowed upon them.

Dave Cohen has been in the jewelry business 25 years. He began creating employee service recognition incentive awards jewelry in 1990. David founded Onera Company Rings because he enjoyed creating precision objects in metal that are worn with pride and show appreciation to creative people for their accomplishments.

Have you ever ask yourself, Where will I be in the next 90 days?, Will I be in the same position that I am today?, Will I be happy or unhappy?, Do I have a positive direction in my life?, Who am I?, Am I ready to succeed, to create the life of my Dreams?

Why am I asking? Because 97% of the people do not have goals that are achievable and only YOU can make a decision to change where you are today and create dreams and goals for tomorrow.

If you have found yourself in any of the places mentioned above here are the secrets to make 2006 the best year ever. I discovered the system that the (so-called) “successful” people use everyday to achieve and keep their good fortunes.

When you understand these secret methods, you will be applying the same principles that the super rich use to keep getting the “LUCK” and that most people think is only for “other” people. If you understand the “Secrets” and do what the successful people do, you get to become one yourself. It is that simple.

Here are 10 Secrets for success in 2006. These secrets are used by all the successful people that I have researched.

The 10 Secret key’s for your Successful Goal setting.

After each secret, please write down your answers.

Your answers MUST be in writing because that is one of the founding principles that I have discovered. When you write your answers by your own hand on paper you form a mental path in your brain that allows for a success path to be created. That is how you will be able to create your own success.

Secret #1

Relax and think about your Dreams and Goals. Write them down.

Secret #2

Pick 3 SMART Goals that are, Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Time oriented.

Secret #3

Ask yourself, “What can I do to make this happen?” Write your answer down.

Secret #4

FOCUS on your Goals like a LASER and do something everyday to achieve them.

Secret #5

Visualize yourself having accomplished your Goals.

Secret #6

Have Enthusiasm in everything you do regarding your Goals.

Secret #7

Give, Give and Give again. You must give before you can receive.

Secret #8

Never, ever give-up. Never quit on yourself or your Goals.

Secret #9

Make a habit of using a success formula in your life, like, “90 Day Goals”

Secret #10

Read everything that will help propel you toward your Goals.

Frank Gasiorowski or as his is known on the internet as “Mr. 90 Day Goals”, has been teaching since 1973 and his current mission is to provide easy and effective ways for individuals to achieve their true potential through, http://www.90DayGoals.com and http://www.TotalSelfMastery.com coaching programs.

You’ve heard the phrase “garbage in, garbage out!” It’s also true when they say “What You See Is What You Get!” The acronym is WYSIWYG!

Having been in the digitizing logo business now for some twenty plus years, I’ve seen virtually all kinds and types of artwork. We all want and hope for the “camera ready” artwork to show up on our desk or computer files. Fact is, we rarely see a “picture perfect” image and are usually expected to perform miracles on the fuzzy or pixilated design. Even with the latest software, some artwork can present a challenge to make ready for certain applications.

Most of our clients (and I suspect yours too) don’t realize that you may not be able to achieve the same “look”, as compared to what they see on a print out. Depending upon the application an image may need to be altered to allow for a better representation. Of course we shouldn’t expect our customers to understand this matter, after all … that’s why they come to us.

One of the most helpful tips I received early on in my career was to suggest my customer return to their “printer” (person or company who created their business cards or letterhead) for crisp, sharp artwork. Knowing that if they had a business card in hand, someone would have to have the original artwork on file somewhere within their means. By suggesting to my customer to have their printer forward me the design, it would usually eliminate us having to “clean up” the image unnecessarily.

Of course there are the times when your customer brings in a paper sack or napkin, in which they have scribbled an idea for you to emboss or engrave. These are the situations when it’s nice to have an artist on call or someone available to “redraw” the logo for production purposes. Most small shops do not have the luxury of having such talent in house but once again, early on in my venture I learned to tap into other sources.

When we first started out in the logo business, the only “artist” was myself. Telling it like it is … the best drawing I ever did was in my first dot-to-dot coloring book! When it comes to free hand drawing, I look to others with the God given talent. The solution? I paid a visit to our local college and also phoned the high schools in our area, looking for artists. There were several individuals I met through this process and I still use two of them in my existing business today! Talk about a gold mine!! These two individuals have spurred on numerous projects and helped grow our company to many different levels, developing thousands of clip art images and logos for the trade.

What I learned was, if I wanted to supply my customer with a top quality logo. I needed to start with something of value. Even if it meant having to hire an artist to recreate the drawing, it was worth the effort. Having a quality image to work from made all the difference in the world when digitizing the design.

I suggest to you, by starting with optimal quality in your artwork, you’ll avoid putting out the garbage!

Aubrey Richardson is the founder of LogoFax.com one of the largest and fastest growing clip art sites online, while leading a team of successful business entrepreneurs on the net. Find out how you can tap into creating financial freedom for yourself and get in on the action for FREE ==> Clipart247

“Did you see that game last night?”

“How about all this rain we’ve been getting?”

“That’s a nice bowling trophy. I love bowling!”

Ever use one of those questions? Thought so. Who are you kidding with that crap? In the words of Jeffrey Gitomer, “All things being equal, people buy from friends. All things NOT being equal, people buy from friends.”

If people buy from people they like, one of your first goals should be to get your prospects to like you.

For a salesperson, this can be tough. People have a hard time trusting salespeople with their time, money and business. Most people don’t even want to talk to you.

Welcome to reality: your prospects are busy and may feel that speaking with you is a complete waste of time. Many of your prospects may not even see a need for your product, or may be content with the version they already have.

Point being, if you want to successfully establish rapport with your prospects, you’ll have to do it quickly, before they get the chance to assume you’re just like every other salesperson. Fortunately, there are 5 keys to help you get this friendship off to a quick start!

1. RelaxHave Fun!

It is your job to create an environment that is conducive to buying. Pointless, scripted, ice-breaking questions only create a cold selling environment. So relax and have a little bit of fun!

As soon as you meet your prospective customer, you will be evaluated. That evaluation will be determined not just by how you feel, but also how you make your prospect feel. The only way to put your prospect at ease is to be at ease yourself. If you’re uptight and contrived, your prospect will remain guarded and cold. If you are having fun, chances are your prospect will, too!

After all, people buy from people, and your job as a professional communicator (a.k.a. salesperson) is to make your customer comfortable enough to grab a Coke from your refrigerator.

2. Lighten Up, Laugh It Up

Nothing is more powerful than humor when it comes to building rapport quickly with your customer. Laughter is the spark that ignites interest and cordiality between you and your prospect; it’s hard to laugh with a person and not feel comfortable around them.

Some salespeople take their job too seriously, and are so focused on the sale that they forget to think about the customer. So, lighten up! If you make them laugh, they may buy from you!

3. Get to the Point

You got them on the phone, you secured an appointment, and you got them in your store now get to the point! State your objective and why they should care. Be careful not to use clichéd and insincere reasons like saving money, increasing productivity, and other transparent and ineffective reasons they have heard from so many salespeople before you.

Prospects don’t enjoy wasting time by playing games, and they certainly don’t trust a salesperson that makes them. Being specific will clear the air and will lead to a conversation and relationship that you will both enjoy.

4. Show Humility, but Be Yourself

Salespeople seem to be born with a humility deficiency, which is probably why most prospects don’t like them.

Your prospects think that THEY are the most important person in the world, and they expect to be treated as such. To build rapport quickly, you must learn to put that customer and their needs first, regardless of the size of the sale.

Curb the talk about how your company is the biggest and the best, and skip the part about how your product is superior to all other products in the market. The prospect needs to come to that realization independently, and the only way for that to happen is for you to remain humble.

Being humble doesn’t mean that you have to stifle your uniqueness. It simply means that you must let the prospect see and experience your uniqueness rather than having to hear you talk about it.

5. Be Sincere and Honest

Trust is the foundation for building a relationship with your prospect. You CANNOT fake this! If you are only in it for the commission, it will show! You must be sincere and honest throughout every step of the process to be successful.

Being sincere means believing in yourself, your product, and your company wholeheartedly. It means believing your product or service will benefit the prospect. You must be passionate about wanting to help your prospect and do so in an honest way. Without sincerity and honesty, you have no chance at building the rapport that will lead to loyal business.

When you believe in your heart that your product will have a profound impact on your prospect, it will accompany every word and impression delivered to that person. Your words will be more meaningful and your prospect will be more likely to respond to them.

So the next time you are tasked with trying to make a sale, remember to relax, laugh, and enjoy yourself; you’re really just making a new friend!

Tom Richard is the author of a weekly ezine on selling skills. To subscribe to this free ezine send a blank email to subscribe@tomrichard.com. Tom is also the author of the book titled Smart Sales People Don’t Advertise: 10 Ways to Out Smart Your Competition With Guerilla Marketing which you may purchase from your favorite online bookseller.

Winter is here and the frost is not only nipping at your nose but the whole face. Fortunately, with a facial skin care routine that meets your exact skin care needs you can be on your way to healthy, radiant skin tone.

YOUR SKIN IS DRY OR SENSITIVE IF IT:

• Stings or burns when skin-care products are used

• Is easily irritated

• Sometimes appears red and inflamed

• Feels itchy, dry, rough and flaky

Facial skin care for dry skin:

Regular bath soaps clean well but are powerfully alkaline and irritating for both dry and sensitive skin. Clear soaps containing glycerin and alcohol may also be too drying. So, as an alternative of soap, dermatologists suggest a soap-free, sensitive skin cleansers. If your skin is very dry or sensitive, you may need to alternate a washable lotion with a sensitive-skin bar. After cleansing dry skin, apply a moisturizer that is light, hypoallergenic, preservative-free, all-purpose and water based. For extremely dry skin, moisturize with petroleum jelly or an oil-based lotion with 20 percent urea. After cleansing sensitive skin, apply a light, hypoallergenic, fragrance-free moisturizer, like Eucerin. To check your tolerance of the product, dab the moisturizer behind your ears for the first few days.

YOUR SKIN IS NORMAL IF IT:

• Is usually smooth and supple

• Is generally clear/blemish-free

• Appears neither dry nor oily

Facial skin care for normal skin:

You’re one of those lucky people whose face can take some abuse and still bounce back, looking fresher than ever. Almost any cleanser (from regular bath soap to sensitive-skin bars) will work for you. If you need a moisturizer some people with normal skin don’t! choose a light, hypoallergenic, preservative free, all-purpose, water-based moisturizer after washing.

YOUR SKIN IS OILY IF IT:

• Has enlarged pores or blackheads

• Appears shiny and feels greasy

Facial skin care for oily skin:

Regular bath soap, morning and night, is fine for cleansing your skin actually benefits from the drying effect of strongly alkaline bath soaps. If necessary, use an astringent pad at midday. Because your skin is naturally oily, you may not need
a moisturizer. But if you do, choose one that’s noncomedogenic (won’t cause acne) and either oil-free or water-based Neutrogena or Aveeno, for example.

YOUR SKIN IS COMBINATION IF IT:

• Is oily on your forehead, nose or chin

• Is dry on your cheeks and around your eyes

Facial skin care for combination skin:

Dermatologists recommend one of two cleansing routines for women with combination skin. You can wash with a gentle facial cleanser in the morning and use an alcohol-free astringent on oily areas later in the day. Or wash with a soap-free cleanser on dry areas and with regular bath soap on oily areas. Treat dry patches as dry skin, then apply a water-based or oil-free noncomedogenic moisturizer to your entire face.

Skin care tips for every type of skin:

No matter how oily, dry or sensitive your skin, always clean gently. Use warm (not hot) water and your fingertips (not a wash cloth). Rinse well. Then use a towel to pat (not rub) your face dry. Wash your face no more than once or twice a day. After patting skin dry, apply moisturizer to skin while it’s still damp to ensure that it is absorbed. Unless your moisturizer provides protection from damaging sun rays, consider applying a light sunscreen as well.

For further facial skin care tips, articles and information on acne and rosacea treatment, please, visit Facial Skin Care Guide and Skin Care Tips Blog.