“I’m a born failure. There is no way I can get that job. I can’t carry that dress off – I’m too fat. Why do these things happen to me? Why am I so unlucky?” Are your conversations with yourself along these lines? Do you find yourself reprimanding yourself every time you make a mistake or wallowing in self-pity? If the answer is yes, you need to pause, breathe and show yourself some love. We spend a lot of time with ourselves and in that span of time, it really matters what we are feeding our brains because your internal dialogue plays a massive role in your motivation and productivity levels. Why Practice Positive Self-Talk?Positive self-talk is not just another ‘self-help’ term. It’s real, powerful and it works. When you have positive conversations in your head and treat yourself with compassion, it boosts your physical and mental well-being. It fills you with hope and optimism, encouraging you to set aside your fears and put your best foot forward. Here are the three key ways positive self-talk can benefit you:1. Boosts ConfidencePracticing positive self-talk is a surefire way to elevate your confidence. It’s an instant uplifter because it comes from a place of self-love and hope. When you tell yourself with conviction that you can overcome anything, you are bound to get a renewed sense of confidence which enables you to do your best. 2. Improves Mental HealthIf you are prone to feeling anxious and depressed, you might just need a shift in the way you talk to yourself. Your mental health matters and a crucial part of taking care of it comes from becoming aware of your thoughts and self-talk. When you bombard yourself with all sorts of negativity, there is no way you can wake up feeling good about yourself. You need to take control of your thoughts and be kind to yourself. The day you do that, you ought to see an improvement in your mental health. 3. Enhances PerformanceImagine being nervous about an interview or demotivated to write an essay and not being able to come out of that mindset because the only thing you are telling yourself is how incompetent and useless you are. How can you expect yourself to excel if you don’t believe you can? When you challenge your negative thoughts and choose to feed your brain with positive affirmations instead, you realize you are much calmer and are able to approach matters more pragmatically. This enhances your motivation and overall performance.
How to Make Self-Talk More Effective?Positive self-talk is not something that happens overnight. It’s a practice that needs to be developed over time, and it starts with making a shift in your perspective through embracing a positive mindset. Here’s how you can transform your internal dialogue and uplift your outlook:1. Be MindfulWords are powerful – they determine your actions. To eradicate negative self-talk, you need to become aware of the way you talk to yourself. Identify problematic words that disrupt your confidence and damage your self-esteem. Notice if you are being too hard on yourself. For instance, if you blame yourself for everything that goes wrong or set impossibly high standards for yourself, chances are you are being overly self-critical. While you cannot suddenly put a stop to that, being mindful of your thoughts and words is the first step towards changing that pattern. 2. Replace Negative ThoughtsNegative and self-deprecating thoughts tend to keep getting bigger and ultimately become your default thought process. Try this – every time a negative thought crosses your mind, challenge it and convert it into a positive and encouraging one instead. Make this a practice until it becomes a way of life. The next time you find yourself saying, “I won’t crack this interview”, ask yourself “why not? The least I can do is give it my best.” It’s simple and gradual changes that can improve the way you talk to yourself and transform your mindset.
3. Draw BoundariesIn spite of trying hard to be kind to ourselves, there are instances when people around us don’t let us make that change. From being sarcastic and passing derogatory remarks to being plain discouraging – toxic people exist. Identify such people who affect your mental health and draw boundaries to keep them out. Surround yourself with positive people who you can draw strength and inspiration from. 4. Believe in YourselfPositive self-talk is more than just saying positive affirmations for the sake of it. It’s way deeper than that. It’s about believing in yourself because when you instil that belief in yourself, nothing can stop you from attaining success and being happy. Believe in your capabilities and you will eventually see the difference it makes in your thoughts, words and actions. Practicing positive self-talk is powerful enough to change your life. So, the next time you find yourself being too hard on yourself, stop right away and learn to look at the bright side of things because sometimes, all we need is hope. What do you think about engaging in positive self-talk? Does it work or not? Share your thoughts with us below!from https://addicted2success.com/motivation/how-positive-self-talk-boosts-motivation-and-productivity/
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At the time this article is coming out, I am currently navigating what has been a very tumultuous year for me. This has been a year of great transition and transformation in my life. While I have experienced incredible breakthroughs, this has also been a year where I have had to fight many battles. This has truly been one of the greatest seasons of my life because it has produced growth, development, and maturity. This season of my life has taught me that I am much stronger, wiser, and more powerful than I thought I could be. As someone that has empowered people around the world to fulfill purpose and maximize their greatest potential, I know what it takes to achieve your vision and manifest your greatest life. Here are a few insights about manifesting your greatness and living a meaningful life:1. One of the most miserable feelings in the world is living your life in neutralWhile we all have goals and dreams, very few people have the drive to see their dreams become a reality. The world is filled with people that have settled for mediocrity and a second-class life. Most people want to experience change, but they do not want to be challenged. The majority of the people you meet will be content with living life in neutral. Neutrality is choosing to live a life of cycles, patterns, and safety. You were not created to live life in neutral. Greatness is when you shift out of neutral and into overdrive. Neutrality offers you the comfort of safety at the cost of significance. Living your life in neutral is living with the gnawing feeling that you were made for more but choosing to fit into the mole. Neutrality does not rock the boat or challenge the status quo and it will never produce a memorable life. Living in neutral only produces a miserable life.
2. You must cultivate the seed of greatness within youEvery human being on this planet contains a seed of greatness. No person just steps into greatness, since we all contain the seed of potential. However, what I have learned over the years is that the seed of potential has to be cultivated. Potential that is never cultivated can never be converted into power. The cultivation of your potential requires development, and development is the one thing that most people avoid. We do not like development because it challenges our standards and stretches us. If you are not being stretched, then you are not really growing. Without growth, you are barred from the realm of greatness. In other words, there is a seed of potential in you that must be cultivated to embrace the possibilities of your life. Cultivation of the seed of greatness will shatter every ceiling that stands between you and the next dimension in your life. Development is always the doorway into the next dimension. 3. You shift your life by honoring the moments of your lifeWithin the last nine months, I have experienced incredible success in my life and business such as the death of my grandfather, the transition of my career, and the expansion of my purpose and platform. I have been fortunate to create work that has resonated with people all around the world and earned me respect as a thought leader. While I am grateful for my journey and everything that has contributed to my success, I know that I have mastered discerning the power of moments. My ability to identify, discern and seize moments of opportunity have positioned me for victory on so many occasions. Furthermore, my ability to discern moments has opened doors for me, connected me with destiny relationships and aligned me with my prophetic destiny. So many people are looking for opportunities in the wrong places. We waste too much time pursuing interests and plans that are not in alignment with our true assignment and purpose. We do not honor moments because we are often unaware of the significance of the moments in our lives. Greatness is the ability to perceive, posture and partner with moments in your life. When you truly honor moments in your life, you will realize that every moment is precious and connecting the pieces of your prophetic puzzle.
4. You were made to live a meaningful lifeMy life looks totally different this year than it did last year. Because it’s much freer, fuller, and fulfilled. I realize that we do not enrich our lives by filling our lives with activities. We enrich our lives when we choose to focus on our assignments. I have yet to meet a human being that does not want more. In fact, you were made for more. The problem is that we are always looking outside of ourselves for more instead of looking within. If you will dare to look within, you will discover the wisdom and answers you need to manifest the life that you were made for. We only get one time to do this thing called life. You owe it to yourself to defy the odds, define your moments and dare to set the world on fire. Stop shrinking back, playing small and lowering your standards. Challenge your excuses, choose excellence and create something extraordinary. Your moments shift when you awaken to your significance and dare to live an uncommon life. The world is not suffering from an absence of prosperity, the world is suffering from a lack of purpose. Without purpose, our lives have no pulse. Finally, I want to challenge you to stop living by assumptions and stop living afraid. I want you to dare to dream, love and live without limits. Live on purpose and live every waking moment of your life with passion and intention. How do you make sure you’re making the most out of every single day? Share your ideas and thoughts with us below!from https://addicted2success.com/life/awakening-to-significance-the-reward-of-living-a-meaningful-life/ Changing your mindset for the better can be deep work, taking hours of time journaling, meditating, and doing all of the other self-care things that can profoundly change your life forever. But there are also powerful ways to shift your mindset that don’t take a month of chanting in Tibet. Here are a few quick tips you can use to overhaul and manage your mindset when setting aside an hour or more isn’t an option:Tip 1: Change Your PerspectiveChanging your perspective isn’t always easy, but it’s the most important step in shifting your mindset. Think of it as the decision that creates a turning point in your life. This was the #1 skill of Elle Woods in Legally Blonde. Every time something didn’t go her way or someone told her no, she adjusted her perspective on the situation, formulated a plan to reach her goals, believed in herself, and went after it! You can do this too! While it’s not always easy, choosing to see your situation differently changes everything—which can be exactly what you need to create forward momentum. The best part? It only takes a moment to change your perspective, and once you see the opportunities on the other side of that shift, you can’t un-see them. It’s like those two-in-one pictures where you see an old lady until you see the profile of the beautiful woman. Once you know both options are there, you can choose which one you want to focus on.
Tip 2: Acknowledge Your WinsWhenever you’re faced with a challenge, it’s easy to feel like a failure or like everything’s going wrong. The biggest reason for that is because you are biologically wired to remember and react to the bad things in life more potently than the good things. It’s a survival mechanism. Now that you don’t have to run from bears and remember not to steal their berries when you’re hungry anymore, your negative emotions are stimulated from a more psychological place. So to keep you out of an emotional tailspin when you feel one coming on, track and actually look at the wins you’ve had. Whether you keep a file on your computer or you keep a box filled with trinkets to remind you of your successes, it’s important to refocus on what you’ve done well to regain your faith in yourself to move forward when things are hard. Tip 3: Be IntentionalBy being more intentional, you create the mental and emotional space you need to be grounded, clear, and open. It’s the difference between surpassing your goals, like winning a new contract, and finding yourself on the couch bingeing the latest season of The Bachelorette wondering what the hell happened. Your intentions set you up for success, and the more intentional you are, the more you win. Here’s why… Intentions calm your mind and create a space for you to think through things. You’re able to consider options and outcomes you’d otherwise miss, so you can make the most of them. By inserting more intentional practices in your day, you find seamless ways to win. For example, on a typical morning, you might wake up after hitting snooze five times, drag your feet to the bathroom, stand in front of your closet for 15 minutes (there’s nothing to wear again!), and then either run out the door late or plop in front of the computer five minutes before your meeting starts (you’re not using video anyway, right?). But if you were being intentional, your morning would look more like this…you wake up excited for the day on the first alarm because today, you got the sleep you needed and you prepped for the morning. You slip on the clothes you picked out last night, you calmly eat your avocado toast while sipping a coffee, and then, with 20 minutes to spare, you’re ready for your day.
Tip 4: Love On YourselfSometimes, all you need is a little TLC—but in order to know how to love on yourself, you need to be able to recognize the ways in which you feel the most loved and appreciated. Check out the “Five Love Languages” by Dr. Gary Chapman to discover how you most receive love. The five love languages he acknowledges are acts of service (having nice things done for you), quality time (deep, long talks), tangible gifts, words of affirmation (saying nice things), and physical touch. Here are some examples for self-loving according to the five love languages: Acts Of Service: This could look like doing the little things for yourself, like making the bed, keeping the dishes done, or other things that reduce stress on you. It can also look like participating in a charity or doing something nice for someone you care about. If you choose to do an act of service for someone else, remember to take the time to appreciate yourself for having chosen that activity. Quality Time: This could look like taking time to sit in nature, take a bath, or journal—something that allows your inner voice to come out and be heard. This can also be doing something you love that lights you up, like making art, racing cars, or working out. The idea is to choose an activity or practice that gives you the space to clearly hear and process your own thoughts and emotions. Tangible Gifts: This could look like getting yourself that pair of shoes you really wanted or the watch that’s been on your wishlist for three years. This is all about allowing yourself to receive and celebrate the experience of receiving. Words Of Affirmation: This could look like standing in front of the mirror, looking yourself in the eye, and giving yourself 10 honest compliments — or writing out five things you’re proud of this week. Physical Touch: This could look like choosing fabrics that feel really good against your skin or getting an at-home massager you use on your hands after typing all day. The idea here is to be intentional so you can process any thoughts, emotions, or beliefs that come up so you can strengthen the relationship you have with yourself. You don’t need to have the next best self-care ritual, all you need is to care for yourself by caring about yourself, your needs, and your desires. from https://addicted2success.com/life/4-quick-tips-to-overhaul-your-mindset-with-ease/ Being an entrepreneur isn’t easy. On top of all of your responsibilities, you’re also in charge of your own education. You can’t stop learning, or you’re going to fall behind your competition, no matter your industry. All of the pressure on you might make that feel impossible. How do you handle it? By embracing a growth mindset. What is a growth mindset?A growth mindset is a term coined by researcher Carol Dweck, that encourages individuals to view failure as a teacher. We’ve shared before that “By developing and altering our mindsets to develop, we are enabling ourselves to make positive changes in our lives, allowing us as individuals to aim high, achieve our goals, and live our dreams.” A growth mindset is a different approach than a fixed mindset, which dictates that skills, capabilities, and comprehension are all set in stone. A fixed mindset means you take failure personally, don’t try to broaden your horizons, and let your pre-existing skills determine your future success. When it’s laid out like that, it feels like a no brainer for entrepreneurs. Obviously, you want a growth mindset. Here are a few ways to embrace that mindset for your future success:1. View weaknesses as opportunitiesThis is the number one key to developing a growth mindset. If you allow yourself to view failure as a final destination, you’re never going to succeed long term. “Fail fast, fail often” is definitely something you’ve heard before as an entrepreneur. It’s a common mantra for a reason! You need to be able to pick yourself up from failures. Identify your weaknesses, and be honest with yourself about them. This way, you can start self-educating to make progress, and can avoid pitfalls at the same time. Do you have a tendency to be overly self-critical? Consult with a mentor to get a reality check. Are you a perfectionist to the point of self-destruction? Talk with your community to get a more balanced perspective. You know yourself better than anyone. Admitting to mistakes and owning your failures is the best thing you can do for your long term success as an entrepreneur. Every failure is a chance to improve. Your next venture won’t make the same mistakes, and your awareness of your faults will only make you stronger. 2. Become more independentAnother benefit of cultivating a growth mindset is it increases your independence. Having a fixed mindset means that you rely on others for your confidence. If you’re afraid to take risks, you’re going to be reliant on the option of your peers to develop your opinion of yourself. This isn’t sustainable for an entrepreneur. Overall, you need to rely on yourself, first and foremost. Entrepreneurs need a thick skin to survive in the startup world! A growth mindset means you know your own value, and you take the time to invest in your success. As mentioned above, you certainly need a community to support you. However, your first and strongest sense of support needs to come from within. 3. Keep communication openBalance is key when you’re running a startup. You need a solid work/life balance, you need a balance of input and output, and you need a balance of feedback and the independence we just talked about. “Communication rules so many aspects of your business,” says Nexa. “It needs to move to the top of your priority list as a small business owner. Rather than settling for the status quo, continue to think about the point of view of others.” Embracing a growth mindset means you need to learn to thrive on feedback. Don’t be afraid to ask your team for their thoughts and possible solutions! Learning from everything means learning from everyone you possibly can. Move towards success by embracing a growth mindsetPursuing a growth mindset is an admirable goal for any business professional, but especially for entrepreneurs. While you don’t have to get there overnight, you can greatly improve your chances of business success by being honest about weakness and balancing independence with communication. from https://addicted2success.com/success-advice/embrace-a-growth-mindset-to-achieve-an-infinite-amount-of-success/ If achieving success was easy or there was a simple blueprint for it, everyone would be successful. However, there’s still a lot to be said for learning from the best and seeing what has worked for them, because adopting good habits can only help you. In that spirit, it’s always interesting to learn about the daily rituals of successful people, because how they live their lives must have an impact on what they have achieved. This infographic below shows how many of the most famous and successful women in history have planned out their days, whether they were writers, artists, reality TV show stars or athletes and there’s a lot to learn from them. Even comparing their routines is fascinating, like seeing when and how much they all slept on a daily basis, with dancers Josephine Baker and Pina Bausch living almost nocturnal existences while some, like the Marquise du Deffand, seemed to hardly need any sleep at all. The amount of time spent working is also fascinating, with some spending much of their waking time doing it and others seeming to only need short bursts of activity, like playwright Lillian Hellman and Oprah Winfrey, while the aforementioned Pina Bausch made up for her lack of sleep by working for almost her entire day. Exercise, meanwhile, has only become a regular part of the daily lives of the more recent successful women, no matter whether that’s mixed martial artist Ronda Rousey or homemaking queen Martha Stewart. One thing notable from all of these women is that they don’t waste much time, with most of them using down time in the mornings to organize their homes and families, deal with their letters (or emails) or indulge in some self-care. Why not check out each of their daily rituals and see which of them looks like the kind of life you could start to try out on your road to success? Here is the Infographic from BodyLogicMD that shows the daily rituals of famous women throughout history:from https://addicted2success.com/success-advice/the-daily-routines-of-35-wildly-successful-women-throughout-history/ What you know about money management often comes from your experience, advice from your friends, parents, and your wife, or a random search on the Internet. These sources of information are sometimes unreliable and can lead to bad money management skills. In this article, we are going to introduce to you 7 tips on how to manage your money and financial situation effectively and intelligently. 1. Changing the way you think about moneySome people often complicate monetary issues and become stressed about making money, alert to ambition, and feel hatred of material elements while highly appreciate spiritual ones. After all, they often avoid talking about money just because they cannot control it. Saying that they want to give up or they are unconcerned is just a way to hide their pressure and fear when they cannot gain what they want. To bring your financial situation under control, you have to understand your feelings first. Tana Gildea – the author of “The Graduate’s Guide to Money” – tells you to ask yourself how you feel about money and whether you are good at earning, saving, and managing your money. If you do not feel good, you cannot do it well. Don’t be dependent on money or feel guilty when thinking of it. Instead, believe that you can control your budget and be happy with it. 2. Changing the way you talk about moneyPeople often think that talking about money to others is impolite, so they keep it inside and stress themselves out. Unfortunately, it causes frustration and may lead to many other contradictions. Professor Syble Solomon from the Financial Therapy Association claimed that most couples only talked about money when there was a crisis. Talking about money is challenging but it is a must. Financial clarity is a good way to manage personal finances and create good relationships. 3. Changing the way you spend your moneyTo live well, try to spend a little below your ability and change your lifestyle to fit your income. This is the key and the most important way to properly manage your money. You should adjust your unreasonable spending to save more money for meaningful goals such as traveling or buying a house. You can also manage your account with the help of a mobile app, a notebook, or a person who is good at money management. 4. Planning your budgetYou may equate a budget with strict abstinence, in which you have to sacrifice your comforts and ignore your special pleasures. However, this is not a good way at all, it only makes you a time bomb and you may decide to spend all of your money at once. Instead, you are advised to have a balanced budget, like you are following a balanced diet because money management should be a lifestyle, not an intermediate solution. 5. Spending your money intelligentlyDetermine whether one thing is important to you or not before spending a sum of money on it. Make sure you have a plan for it and it is one of your priorities. If you want to rent an apartment with a nice view and create a relaxing space at home, it means that you decide to invest your monthly income in living space. If you travel frequently, spend your money on traveling items instead of expensive furniture. Another smart way is to divide your account into two parts, one for your imperative needs and the other for your outbursts. By the way, you will find it easier to manage your finances after doing this. 6. Saving intelligentlyDon’t save as much as possible but set your financial goals based on certain contexts to know how much you should save and how long it should take to achieve it. The clearer you define your goals, the more motivation you have to realize them.
7. Saving for retirementTo live well when retiring, you need to save from 15% to 20% of your income (even more than 20% if you can earn a lot of money). Unfortunately, not many people can do so. At first, it may be challenging to save up to 10% or 15% of your income but if this amount of money is subtracted automatically from your salary and transferred into a retirement account, it is much easier. For instance, with earnings of $50,000/year, you set a goal of saving 10% of it and at the end of each year, you will have $5,000 in your account. But, if you don’t perform this action, what will you do to earn $5,000? Moreover, this amount of money will bring you profits. With the bank rate of 7%/year, for example, you will have up to $750,000 after 35 years and more than $1 million after 40 years. If you are at the peak of your career and can earn a lot of money, don’t forget to save a part of it for your retirement. Above, we have introduced to you 7 ways on how to make yourself better at money management. Have you ever tried any of these methods? If yes, please share with us your experience. If no, I hope these methods are useful to you. If you have any questions or comments, you can drop your words below this post. We will respond as soon as possible. from https://addicted2success.com/success-advice/7-ways-to-make-yourself-better-at-managing-your-money/ Lets take a second and remind ourselves how revolutionary the Internet is… we can buy a $200 plane ticket, fly 18 hours away to a new place, and still have the connection to people back home (and around the world), as if we never left! But to experience this revolution, we first need to show up. Showing up is 90% of the battle. If we show up, we can connect with others, express ourselves, share information, create memories, and incubate ideas. We can share laughter, spread joy, and transfer energy. If you’re nodding your head in agreement, you are already on your way to understanding how you can WIN in the online space. In this Influencers Exposed Podcast episode, Joel breaks down three foolproof ways you can win in the online space…ways that aren’t talked about as much but should be. 1. Embrace your vision as unique and authentic: There is only one youYou and your friend can walk into a bar with all variables the same (same outfit, intention, knowledge), but experience something completely different. Why? Because you’re two different people. It’s as simple as that. The beauty of authenticity (a potentially cliché word that many might not thing they embody) is that your perspectives, your life experiences, and your emotions are the reasons why you and your friend will walk out of that bar having two completely different stories to tell. Joel elaborates on this concept in the episode, sharing how this perspective has been a huge proponent as to how he gets over impostor syndrome while consistently sharing online. So the next time you want to post about something but already saw someone else talk about it, remember how your delivery and perspective of that information is unique and authentic to YOU. It will resonate with those who will most likely turn into followers and friends. 2. Shift from comparison to curiosity: Find the inspiration and greatness within othersLets bring ourselves back to our childhood years where we questioned everything, asking, “Why?” so many times that our parents had no choice but to keep coming up with answers until we got tired. Well, fast forward to our adult years, why don’t we approach social media and those that are successful in our areas of interest in the same curious manner? Instead of looking through your feed and comparing where they are, what they have, what they’re doing, or how happy they look compared to your current situation, Joel shares the question he asks himself to turn the tables. I challenge you to ask yourself these questions next time you feel less than or unhappy while consuming someone’s content. You might just evolve from comparison to curiosity. Scarcity mindset to abundant mindset. Unhappy state of being to joyful and empowered state of being. You’ve got nothing to lose and everything to gain. 3. Zero-structure sharing: Stop forcing it and just do it when it feels rightOh the beauty and satisfaction in a cohesive feed. You know what I’m talking about… you go to someone’s profile (on Instagram) and the Lightroom presets are on point, every third picture is a quote, followed by a nice picture and vulnerable caption, and then another picture with an informative caption. It’s visually appealing, and your OCD is satisfied. But just like with anything else in this world, after a while, doing the same thing gets old, boring and uninspiring. Joel shared his experience with this exact social media strategy and how it led to his current ‘zero-structure sharing’ approach. He realized that his vulnerable captions were becoming a burden because they had to be scheduled, therefore feeling forced and less authentic. Since one of his core values in delivering content to his audience is to remain genuine and transparent, he broke the pattern. The result? When inspiration or a moment of vulnerability struck, he would post about it. Whether it was three times a week or once every other week, Joel elaborated how much more effective this was through the feedback of his followers. Not only did this zero-structure sharing make Joel feel more in alignment with his message, but his followers and community benefited from it immensely as well! Posting on a certain topic when it feels right is the most authentic and vulnerable we can get. It’s a bonus that it is most effective for others as well. Listen to the full episode at the top of this article to hear even more from Joel about how you can kick-start your self-development journey, along with perspectives he never talked about until now. If you enjoyed this episode and blog post or if you have anything to add, please leave a comment below! RESOURCES: Connect with Joel: Instagram- @iamjoelbrown Website- iamjoelbrown.com Monthly Mindset Mentorship Program: mindstrongalliance.com Connect with Alexis: Instagram- @alexisquiterio EPISODE LINK: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/influencers-exposed-podcast/id1469424090?i=1000448471071 from https://addicted2success.com/success-advice/3-foolproof-ways-you-can-win-in-the-online-space/ One of the most valuable traits a salesperson can possess is the ability to easily strike up conversations with anyone who crosses their path. Whether you’re on a plane or in line at the grocery store, having a method for starting a conversation with random strangers is an asset that sets the best apart from the mediocre. This ability correlates into more sales as every new person you talk to becomes a new prospect for you to pitch your services to. Since sales is something that all of us do every single day (you do not have to always be bartering or selling something for money to be selling something), the five steps below have proven to help out a lot of people with their sales career and confidence to network when around people they don’t know. Here are my 5 proven steps to starting a conversation with anyone:1. ParallelingThis step is super effective and easy. The trick is identifying what the other person cares about. Things like tattoos and jewelry are great examples of personal attributes or items that they cherish and or that mean something to them. Ideally, you want to identify something they have that you have yourself. This becomes an easy way to strike up a conversation and build rapport by being “like” them. For example, on a recent trip, I noticed that the guy sitting next to me had Chinese characters in the tattoo on his arm. From here, we can move into… 2. 20 QuestionsHere we start asking them questions about the item or attribute that we identified in the paralleling step. Be sure to make eye contact, smile and approach the questions with a relaxed, yet interested energy. If they feel like you are forcing the conversation, it will make them uncomfortable and clam up. Remember the tattooed guy on the plane? After I asked him what the Chinese characters meant, the door was open to ask further questions, like “That’s really cool, what made you get the tattoo?” To make it easy, create questions fusing who, what, when, where and how, which allows the person you’re talking to to tell a story about themselves. This creates a bond and builds trust with them quickly because they feel admired and liked. You’d also be amazed at how much you can find out about someone by doing this. However there is a warning here! There is a way to screw this up! The item or attribute you are paralleling needs to be something you genuinely like and are interested in. This is key. So if you know nothing about tattoos, don’t want a tattoo, or don’t like tattoos, then don’t compliment them on their tattoo, because it will be disingenuous and you won’t be contribute back to the conversation. In other words, you will lose the bond with the person you are communicating with really quickly.
3. You’re My HeroIf you have asked enough questions you should have a general idea from the person you are talking to and you now can use that information to connect with them on other levels of common interest. Find life circumstances that match or stories that you share. Tell them how something in their story moved you emotionally (make sure to be genuine!) or help the person emotionally see and feel how their story connected with you. This will help to initiate the first “bonding moment” that you two share. We call this step of this process, “you’re my hero” because you have shown excitement around something they do that you wish to do or do yourself. This “likeness” helps strengthen the bond and open up the other person to share more about their life with you. 4. Common DenominatorsBy now you’ve asked some questions, gotten some information from them, and heightened the bond between the two of you. You can keep the conversation going by mentioning other things that you like and notice that you two might have in common, based either on physical things you see or answers to your questions. Each “common denominator” you can find serves to tighten the bond between you and them. The stronger the bond you can develop with them, the more powerful the last step will be!
5. Leave BehindHere is where you make this conversation stick in their memory. All four others steps lead to this, because it’s where you can leverage the conversation and connection into some sort of transaction. This transaction doesn’t always mean a sale, it can occur in a range of ways. You may have a person to introduce them to that can solve their challenge, or you may be able to send them a referral, or it could be as simple as a business card exchange or friending them on social media. A popular leave behind in 2019 is a mobile app, mainly because someone always has their phone with them. A leave behind is a way for them to have your contact information (and you get theirs) so you can connect with them after the conversation is over. Other great leave behinds are a copy of a book you wrote, your website link, or a sales funnel link. Sometimes too, when things go really well with the conversation (believe me, you will know) you may be able to immediately schedule a time to talk with them later. The bond needs to be strong enough before you propose this because if it’s not it can ruin this entire opportunity. If you’re thinking this sounds simple, you’re right! And it still takes practice to perfect. For some seasoned sales people, they can probably think back to a time or two when they did this unconsciously and it worked out great. The thing is, when you practice these steps and allow it to become an unconscious process you can use too, it can be a lethal weapon for you in your professional career and your life as a whole. Start by practicing the steps consistently. Practice at the gym, at restaurants, anywhere you are where there is a stranger nearby. Over a short period of time you’ll accrue a lot more contacts, have the opportunity to make more sales and you’ll become such a natural that people will think you were born charismatic! What part of this salesman’s guide resonated most with you and why? Share your thoughts with us below!from https://addicted2success.com/success-advice/a-salesmans-guide-to-everyday-conversation-with-strangers/ There is no cookie-cutter formula for success. Success can look different depending on who you talk to. Some people pursue wealth while others chase after accolades. Then there are those who define success by the quality of their relationships with family and friends. In addition, others focus on their health and physique as a measure of success or self-worth. Often a person’s pursuit of success will depend on factors including what they feel they need to be okay with being who they are, or to get the love and approval they desire, or to meet expectations they believe they should achieve. Whatever your definition of success, it can be helpful to know what motivates your pursuit for “more”— especially when a drive for success may be taking a toll on your mental health and ruining your quality of life. Below you’ll find four recommendations for how to regain a healthier perspective in your quest for success:1. Be mindful of your daily stress levels and how you’re feelingThere is no point in reaching a goal of success if you wear yourself down day after day in the process. As is often said, happiness is a journey, not a destination. If your pursuit of success has become so stressful that it only feels like drudgery, it may be time to take some self-care measures. Poorly managed chronic stress can be as bad for your mental health as post-traumatic stress by negatively affecting your mind, thinking, body, behaviors, and relationships. Chronic stress also impairs cognitive abilities and is associated with greater impulsiveness. That’s because we humans have a very sophisticated, built-in alarm system of sorts. This highly evolved stress response is designed to warn us of potential danger. In the face of a perceived threat, our body releases endorphins like adrenaline and cortisol. These chemicals prepare the body for “fight or flight”— a survival mechanism that can be incredibly handy when you’re staring down a lion on the African savannah. When you’ve got a big presentation tomorrow that you’ve had zero time to prepare for? Less so. When your body gets accustomed to living in a near-constant state of fight or flight, your sleep is one of the first things to go. You’re then more likely to turn to pills, alcohol, or food to feel better. You also feel tired all the time and more inclined to be short with others or retreat altogether. Consequently, your relationships suffer. Sleep, health and relationships are helpful barometers of stress levels, among other things. Pay attention to how you’re doing in these areas. Often, just a tweak here or there—to sleep and/or other lifestyle habits—can be a game changer for stress management.
2. Strive for balance in all areas of your life, even if that balance seems elusive at timesIf you’re regularly hitting home runs in one area of your life (such as in your profession) but keep striking out in every other domain (your relationships, health, etc.), you’d be better served exploring ways to juggle all of the aspects of your life. Don’t just be focused on one area of living. The ideal is to strike a healthy balance between the physical, emotional, spiritual, career, and relationship spheres of life. When we over-focus on one area, the other areas can suffer. A case in point: the workaholic who works all the time and soon finds they have nothing else; their health suffers, they are lonely, they don’t take time for their emotional and spiritual self and only keep draining the well until there is little left. This is called “burnout.” When you’re suffering from burnout, you are like a car without gas in the tank, you grind to a halt unexpectedly. 3. Seek greater flexibility, by cultivating an attitude of acceptancePeople with a higher quality of life often report they have flexibility. They adjust to situations rather than ask situations to adjust to them. They do not demand their way, ask others to be the way they “should” be (but aren’t now) or set unreasonable expectations regarding outcomes. We are all just human beings interacting in a vast and complicated world, so there is freedom in accepting the reality that we cannot simply “will” ourselves into success. If you can learn to accept and not fight life on its terms, but to adjust and respond in a healthy way, you’ll find that you’ll be better at dealing with the setbacks and issues you face each day. Often a regular practice of mindfulness can be helpful at inculcating greater acceptance of oneself and the world around us. With that acceptance comes greater flexibility.
4. If fear is motivating your pursuit of success, work on letting it goIf fear were a person, it would only be selfish and self-interested. Fear assumes there are scarce resources and that you have to get yours or else be left out. When fear is operative, you constantly look for the next bad thing to happen; and your thinking, planning and coping skills are compromised because of your fear response. Fear is not a motivator, it is a de-motivator. It is a hamster wheel that constantly keeps going, making us run for our lives without a break. There is always something else for us to be afraid of. You would never knowingly instill fear in a child and tell them that is the ticket to success. Instead, you would try to comfort, inspire, problem-solve and give them a feeling of self-worth and confidence. The same interventions work well for most of us grown-ups. If your success is driven by fears of failure or of not being good enough or of letting others down, it may be time to do some soul searching. Maybe consider consulting a life coach or seeing a therapist. Not even the greatest fantasy of “having arrived” is worth achieving if that process is driven by what you’re afraid of. Does your mental health ever take a toll because of your drive towards success? Share your thoughts and beliefs with us below! We’d love to know.from https://addicted2success.com/success-advice/4-things-you-should-do-if-your-drive-for-success-is-taking-a-toll-on-your-mental-health/ For the past 10 years, I have been working with this multinational company as the head of the sales department. In my 10 years of experience, I’ve realized that having a strong team of employees is what makes a business stand. If your team is weak and uncooperative, you can never grow your business or reach success. For every business, the sales team happens to be the backbone. Ask why? Well, that’s where the profits and revenue come from. If you don’t have a strong and dominant sales team at work, things are going to be really difficult. In this guide, I will share with you the 5 key secrets to building a strong sales team:1. SelflessnessEgo is one of the elements that lead you to your downfall. If you want cooperation from your team members, you need to be selfless. Having unnecessary ego can make you look bossy, so you need to show selflessness to be a successful leader. Selflessness is one of the most critical elements of building a lasting team. When you are working for a company, whether big or small, you cannot always take credit for the success that has been achieved with the help of your team. The success you have is because of the joint cooperation of your team. As a good team leader, you need to be selfless and share successes with all your team members. After all, you alone are not responsible for the success. Everyone contributed equal efforts and therefore, they should be given credit too. Sadly, most team leaders don’t realize the value of their team and try to grab onto the limelight alone. This is where you are betraying your team. Try to be selfless with your team, and you will see the difference in performance. 2. Understanding and appreciating your individual rolesIf you want a better outcome from your team you need to first understand and appreciate your individual values. Being a team leader is not easy. Your team looks up to you for guidance and the right advice. When you look at the bigger picture, you should be able to picture yourself in a position where you have sacrificed your time and credit to support your team. Let’s say, you have a big task to handle. You instruct your team on what needs to be done and then engage yourself in leisure activities. This is not the way to support your team. As a good leader, you should be sacrificing your time too and work with them to achieve success.
3. Improve communication on prioritiesCommunication is very important when you are working with your team. I have seen many team leaders who only communicate when there is a need. If that’s how you handle your team, you will never be able to establish a connection. You need to make your team feel more like your friends rather than your employees. This kind of relationship can be established only when you leave communication open. Your team members should be able to communicate with you whenever it’s needed. Try to be a part of the team instead of bossing them around. Don’t make your team feel like they are below you. You should treat everyone equally with respect, because only then can you expect productivity and performance from them. Also, having proper communication can solve problems both big and small. This is why many of the top companies focus so much on improving the communication line between the employees, team leaders, and bosses. 4. Focus on your KPI’sBy KPI, I mean your key performance indicators. Focus more on those who are actually giving their 100%. Appreciate them for their good work. Set them as examples before other members of your team. However, that doesn’t mean you will neglect the rest of your team. You should appreciate the best performers and encourage others to do the same. That’s how you run your team. You need to maintain a balance between the two categories of performers.
5. Hunger to attain successYou need to have the hunger to attain success. However, you alone cannot make everything happen and that’s why you need to encourage your team to be equally passionate about their work. You need to show them the meaning of success so that they put in 100% to be successful. What you should do is use yourself as a good example before them. When they see their leader dedicated to his work and working for success, they will follow you too. Work together and achieve the impossible. You and your team both need to have the same level of hunger to attain success. These five elements can help you to build a strong sales team. They are the blood and soul of your company. Therefore, make sure that you are paying full attention to them. If you found this article helpful, share it with your friends and acquaintances. They may also find it useful. What about this article resonated most with you and why? Share your thoughts with us below!from https://addicted2success.com/entrepreneur-profile/5-secrets-to-building-a-strong-and-dominant-sales-team/ |
ABOUT USHi I am Stacy Klein. I like swimming and i enjoy being organized and strive to become more efficient every day. Archives
November 2020
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