Are You Dealing With Someone Difficult In Your Life?

 

If so, Kit Grant has a tip or two!

A little bit more about Kit Grant - and why he's a great choice when it comes to dealing   with difficult people! Experience: Kit has done over 3000 keynotes & workshops Expertise: Pushing people outside their comfort zones so they get the results they deserve Best position for Kit's keynote: closing speaker What Kit does: Keynotes, workshops, emcee & break-outs - each presentation is VERY customizable  Dealing with Difficult People |Have you ever worked (or lived with) a difficult person? From time to time, we encounter people different from us... so maybe the people you think are "difficult" are really just "different" How and why are they different? We all make perceptions based on reality: 1. how you see things; 2. how other people see things; 3. How things really are. Kit teaches people to understand how people think different Kit's presentation is fun and you will leave with a better understanding of how to deal with 'difficult' & 'different' people

17 great answers to ‘How much do you charge?’

 

by Sam Richter

What do you charge for your product or service? I do a lot of coaching with business owners, entrepreneurs, and executives and invariably how to answer this question during an initial sales call almost always comes up. 

Answer with confidence and reason and you’re more often than not able to maintain your margins. A poor answer, however, can immediately launch your prospect into “negotiation mode.”


David Newman, author of Do It! Marketing: 77 Instant-Action Ideas to Boost Sales, Maximize Profits, and Crush Your Competition (http://bit.ly/doitbook) has some great thoughts and ideas on how to answer the price question during your initial sales call.

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17 great answers to ‘How much do you charge?’

 

For professional services providers, entrepreneurs and thought-leading executives… the #1 dreaded question is, “How much do you charge?” Especially when it’s asked too early, out of context, and before you’ve established any sort of relationship with the prospect or any sort of value for the project…

In short, if you blow the answer, your prospect is gone.

Here are three things NOT to do:

1) Quote a random price out of thin air (unless you sell haircuts for $18 or oil changes for $34.95 or you do bookkeeping for $65/hr)

2) Act surprised or unprepared for the question (“Uhhh… what do you mean?”)

3) Get defensive or go on a rant about how “all people care about these days is price, price, price.”

Some of the answers you’re about to get are evergreen, some you can adapt to your own personality, and some you may want to keep in reserve until just the right moment with just the right prospect.

Here we go…

“How Much Do You Charge?”

 

1) A lot. Why do you ask?

2) I don’t think we’re there yet because I don’t know what you’re buying.

3) I’ll answer your question in a moment but to give you a more accurate answer, may I ask you three questions first?

4) Well, the friends and family rate might apply but we’re not friends yet – do you mind if I ask you a few friendly questions that will help us answer your pricing question together?

5) It’s nine million dollars until I know what you’re buying. Can we spend a few minutes narrowing that down to help you lower the price?

6) I have good news and I have bad news. The good news is that you don’t have a $500,000 problem. The bad news is that you don’t have a $10,000 problem, either… if you can help me answer some key questions, we’ll both know a lot more about what your investment might look like.

7) If it works, it’s cheap. If it doesn’t, it’s expensive.

8) Let’s talk about what you’re trying to accomplish first and then we’ll work out some pricing options based on that.

9) Do you want the Ferrari version, the Lexus version, or the VW Bug?

10) A project like the one you’re asking about ranges from $X to $Y. Sometimes a little more. Not usually less. Is that what you were expecting to invest?

11) There’s no good answer to that question in a vacuum. Can we talk a little more about what you’re hoping we can do for you? Then I’ll give you some pricing options that make sense for your budget.

12) A project of this scope only makes sense if it’s already in your budget. Nobody wakes up one day and suddenly finds the money to solve these kinds of problems. If you can share the budget range you have set aside for this, I can tell you if it makes sense for us to talk any further.

13) I have a feeling that if I quote a random number right now, I’ll be dead in the water. Do you mind if I ask you some questions to get a better idea of what your goals are? Then the numbers we talk about will be specific to you and your situation.

14) Just like you need to make an educated decision about which partner or resource to hire, I need to give you an educated answer to your pricing question. And I’m feeling pretty dumb right now, since we just started talking. Mind if we have a 10-minute conversation about your situation? After that, I’ll have a much better idea of what you’re after and some different ways we can help.

15) Sounds like price is the most important factor to you. In my experience, everything is expensive until you want it. Can we talk about what you want and then work our way to the pricing options based on that?

16) It’s more than a cab ride to [local landmark, i.e. "the Empire State Building"] but less than [the landmark, i.e. "the building"]. If we can chat for 10 minutes about why you called, I can give you a much more specific answer. Do you have 10 minutes now or shall we look at our calendars?

17) Until I have a better idea of what you want – and whether or not we can even help – any number I give you is going to be too high. Would it be OK if we spend a few minutes discussing why you called? Then if we can help, I’ll get you the pricing options you need. And if we can’t, I’ll refer you to some other great resources that do things we don’t. Fair enough?

David Newman is a marketing expert, professional speaker and founder of Do It! Marketing, a marketing strategy firm dedicated to making thought-leading entrepreneurs and executives more successful. If you buy David’s book, Do It! Marketing: 77 Instant-Action Ideas to Boost Sales, Maximize Profits, and Crush Your Competition today, you’ll get more than $747 in marketing and business-building bonuses at http://bit.ly/doitbonus.  Free resources are available online at www.doitmarketing.com. Contact David directly at david@doitmarketing.com or call (610) 716-5984.

BLOG TALK RADIO: Listen as Dr. Gary Bradt Offers Tips on How to Find the Opportunity in Change

SO's resident change expert Dr. Gary Bradt recently gave an interview for Blog Talk Radio's "Money for Lunch" program, where he talks about finding the opportunity in change. In the May 10 interview, Gary discusses how fearing change prevents us from properly managing it when it strikes and that having certain tools in place can help us come through change better.

As Gary writes in his popular book, The Ring in the Rubble: Dig Through Change and Find Your Golden Opportunity, the secret to getting through the changes we face in life is knowing how to find the hidden opportunity within. "There is always an opportunity in change. It might not appear right away; sometimes you have to dig for it," says Gary.

To hear Gary's valuable tips and strategies of how to dig through change to find opportunity, click the link below.

LISTEN NOW:
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/moneyforlunch/2013/05/10/may-13-2013

I Want My Cache, and I Want it Now!

by Sam Richter

 

(Or the Alternative Title:  What the heck happened to Google Page Preview and Cache?)

 

Have you ever conducted a Google search and when you click on the result, you got a page that said “Sorry, Site No Longer Appears?” What’s going on is at a certain date, Google did index–or vacuum up–the contents of a Web page. However, since the last time Google visited the page the page’s owner removed it from the Web server meaning the actual page is no longer on the Internet. Because the information is still in Google’s database, the result still appears yet because the Web page no longer exists, clicking on the link brings you to cyber-nothing.

The trick to seeing the original Web page was to click your browser’s back button and return to the search result list, hover your mouse cursor to the right of the result, open up the Page Preview window, and click the Cached link. The Cached link would pull up, in essence, a ‘picture’ of the Web page as it was when Google last indexed it.

But oh, oh…Google just decided to eliminate the Page Preview feature and thus, the Cached link also disappeared.

The good news is it didn’t permanently go away. Rather, it just moved locations.  So if you ever get “Sorry, Site No Longer Appears” you can access the Cached feature by following these steps:

1)  If you receive “Sorry, Site No Longer Appears,” click your browser’s back button and find the original Google search result.

2) Directly to the right of the result listing URL (website address) you’ll see an inverted triangle. Click on it.

3) In the drop-down menu you’ll see the Cached button/link. Click on it.

4) Google will now open up a window showing the Web page as it appeared when Google last indexed it.

Click the inverted triangle to the right of the search result to open Cache.

You’ll notice at the top of the screen that Google provides the date of its last index. If you use certain Web browsers (Chrome and Explorer and versions of other browsers), you’ll also notice that the words you originally searched for in Google are highlighted on the Cached page. This can be especially helpful when–even if the Web page does appear–it’s a page filled with text

Google Cached provides the index date, and in some browsers, automatically highlights your search terms.

Instead of having to Control-F and find every word you’re searching for, go back to the original search result and using the steps above, find and click the Cached link. Now the page you’ll see is the exact same result yet now all the words you were searching for will be highlighted, each word/phrase in a corresponding different color. Meaning you can scroll the page and quickly find exactly what you want.

Now you too can have an unlimited supply of Cache, now that you Know More!

Dr. Gary Bradt Helps Bahrainis "Adapt and Ignite!"

Our very own Dr. Gary Bradt recently returned from a speaking engagement in the Kingdom of Bahrain, where he received rave reviews for helping local businesspeople learn new ways to "Adapt and Ignite!"

Beverly Louis, Head of Client Relations at the Bahrain International Retail Development Centre (BIRD), brought Gary in to present to local business owners and managers, because of the universal nature of his message of "change." Gary shared with them principles from his book The Ring in the Rubble: Dig Through Change and Find Your Next Golden Opportunity, to help them better manage and adapt to future change.

Attendees were delighted with a full-day, interactive version of Gary's signature program, "Adapt and Ignite!," which couldn't have been more relevant in their fast-changing society. "Dr. Bradt gave our attendees many new and valuable tools for not only dealing with change, but thriving as a result of it as well," said Beverly. "He is extremely knowledgeable and is also very professional to work with. We will definitely be inviting Dr. Bradt back to Bahrain!"



Beverly and Peggy - new BFFs!

Which would be just fine with Gary's wife, Peggy, who also made the trip to Bahrain. While Gary thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience, Peggy might have enjoyed it even more. She and Beverly were instant friends and had a ton of fun hanging out without Gary!

It's great to have such a "gold standard" for this kind of engagement. Gary and I knew right from the beginning that we were working with a true professional in Beverly Louis. She made all those extra "international hoops" we had to jump through painless, and it goes to show you if you have the right partners, success is inevitable. A big thank you to Beverly, BIRD and Gary for a job very well done.
I definitely see a return trip to Bahrain in the future. Hopefully Peggy will let Gary come along next time too.

Marilyn Sherman | Want to connect with your audience? Stand out then fit in

Saturday, April 25, 2013
Blog Post from Marilyn Sherman
Want to connect with your audience? Stand out then fit in

This morning when I got to the office, I checked my email like I normally do... but today I had a note from a client that put a smile on my face. The message was from a client who booked motivational speaker, Marilyn Sherman, for her association meeting this Fall. The client discovered Marilyn when she heard her speak at a meeting she attended last year.

Marilyn with a client at the WFF Conference | April 2013

I [Marilyn Sherman] just got back from one of my favorite conferences of the year. It's a conference of professional women – around 2600 of them, and it's non-stop fun for me as a motivational speaker. First off, let me say how grateful I am that this was the 9th year in a row that I've presented to this group. So, just for that reason, it's one of my favorite conferences. Now, people ask me why they keep inviting me back. I hope it's because I offer value presented in a way that connects with my audience. Then, I began to wonder what I do with this conference that maybe I could duplicate with other audiences as well. The feedback I kept getting from board members and long term attendees was how well I connected with my audience.  I thought about it and wanted to share the things I did and maybe you could do too.

1. Show up early

If it's at all possible, I attend the whole conference so I can hear what's going on and use some of the insights in my presentation. Some people even commented that the quotes from the main stage were put into my PowerPoint as a way to tie in what they heard from the keynote into my breakout session.

2. Set the tone

When people come to my session, they know they are in for a treat. I have jammin music playing and I'm walking around shaking hands and thanking them for coming to my session. I know some speakers just wait back stage or wait for the introducer to introduce them, but not me. I tell the introducer that I'm meeting my peeps so don't wait for me to start the intro. When it's time, I'll get back to the front - but I want to greet as many people as possible.

3. Thank them

There is usually waiting list to get into my session so I go out and thank them for their patience and re-assure them that we're doing everything possible to get them into the room.

4. Participate!

I know this isn't possible for all events, but I like to attend a participate in as many events as possible. Even though my session wasn't until 4:00pm, I was presentation ready by 8:00am to see the opening general session. This works for me on so many levels – re-connecting with past attendees, getting to know new board members, solidifying relationships, while hearing what everyone else is hearing from main-stage speakers. This paid off in a more direct way this past week. A senior vice president of a company greeted me with 'I want to buy you!'.  Confused and flattered at the same time, I had to ask what he meant. He was having a reception with all of his employees that were attending the conference and he wanted to buy my coaching services and give it away to one lucky winner at this reception! Brilliant idea! I'm not sure he would have gone out of his way to find me to ask me if this was possible had I not been in that general session. As it turns out, I texted my manager who put together a nice certificate for the winner stating what she won and emailed it directly to Kinkos Fed-Ex that was in the hotel. I had them print it, laminate it and at lunch, I presented him with a beautiful piece that he could hand over to the winner that night.  

4. Stand out then fit in

I know, this sounds like a contradiction. But when I am networking and attending sessions I wear very bright colors so that I stand out in a crowd. This can be hard when you are mingling with 2600 professional women! I chose bright green, blue and white which stood out in a sea of black and grey suits. Then, on the final night, I wore the conference T-shirt that everyone got when they arrived. At this point, my session is over and I'm hanging out with everyone – so now I want to portray the fact that I am one of them. Not everyone chose to wear their conference T at the party, but I noticed all the board members did.  

I guess the point of my blog is if you want to engage with your audience and your client, then be engaged in the event. Of course, knock it out of the park with your presentation, then add these extra touches and pay attention to what works for you.

- written by professional motivational speaker, Marilyn Sherman | April 25, 2013

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Want Marilyn Sherman to have the same effect to your group? To learn more, check out Marilyn's website: www.marilynsherman.com. To hear more about Marilyn's customized presentations, check her availability or fees - contact Sarah at Standard Ovation: sarah@thestandardovation.com or 913.498.9775 or you can contact us through the web. Thank you!

A leader's guide to creating a customer-centric culture and Achieving Brand Integrity®

Imagine Becoming a Great Company

Posted on April 24, 2013 by Bryan Bond

 

Good companies recognize the importance of having clear values.  Good companies recognize the importance communicating those values to employees.  Good companies recognize they have to dedicate time, money and resources to build a successful culture and do so in a variety of ways:

• Employee Satisfaction Surveys
• Rewards programs
• Performance evaluation systems
• Pizza
• Thanksgiving Turkeys
• Etc.

Ultimately, good companies are good because they are mindful of the importance of an engaged workforce and are striving to make sure they deliver.  The problem is good companies are just good; just good because for all of their effort, they struggle to measure this amorphous thing called culture.  Therefore, they cannot manage it and don’t really know if all of their effort and expense is actually making a difference.

Great companies recognize culture eats strategy for breakfast and is the most important differentiator they have.  Great companies get entire workforces to share a common mindset.  Great companies are aligned and engaged around the behaviors that are necessary to make branded experiences come to life.  Great companies recognize employees based on those behaviors and don’t need the traditional and potentially counterproductive rewards programs.  Great companies have managers who truly understand that it’s their job to manage the Branded Experience.  Great companies have systems and tools in place that enable Managers to measure their efforts.

Imagine becoming a great company.  Imagine your company was able to measure and manage the Branded Experience with Engaged employees who Live the Brand and Create Customers for Life.