Empathy Is The Most Powerful Leadership Tool

Anything we’re trying to make happen as a leader involves other people, and the fact is, most people don’t have to follow us. They don’t have to believe in our great ideas, buy our great products, or do what we want them to do. Even when we have authority--as parents of teenagers will tell you--our power doesn’t go very far without others believing that what we want them to do is in their best interests. The pull of connecting to others and their interests is far more powerful than the push of control, especially when we find the intersection between their interests and our goals. How do we know what’s truly in someone else’s interests? CLICK HERE to read the full article.

From FastCompany.com. Reprinted, with permission of the publisher, from The Zen Leader © 2012 Ginny Whitelaw.
Published by Career Press, Pompton Plains, NJ.  800-227-3371.  All rights reserved.

Can You Sell Your Customers in Zero Seconds?

In our short-attention-span age, many people are fed up with sales pitches that can't get to the point. Sales consultant Andy Paul's book Zero-Time Selling advocates for reducing the time needed for sales and customer-service processes to zero (or as near to it as possible).
If that sounds crazy, think about how we buy online. We might see an ad and buy that product with one click. We don't want to hunt for anything, and we expect retailers to show us what we want and exactly how to buy it.
Anything slower than that, and we're frustrated. If your site takes a few seconds longer to load, we're leaving.
Related: The 'Fashion Star' Guide to Connecting the Dots for Customers
The big challenge is finding ways to sell quickly and effectively offline, too. In the book Relevant Selling, Jaynie Smith offers advice on how to do just that.
First, she says, make sure what you're selling is exactly what your customer wants. Doing so will close the deal faster. Smith debunks the idea that your points of difference are always a competitive advantage. Find out what your customers prize, and deliver that -- and you've made an instant sale.
Also, she says, don't get too creative with ads. You know the kind, where you can't figure out what the ad is for until the last five seconds of the commercial? Smith's research says customers aren't impressed. It's disrespectful of my time to make me wait a full minute to find out what you want to sell me.
You may not be able to get it down to zero, but any time you can shave off your sales process will help close more deals.
How do you speed up your sales cycle? Leave a comment and let us know.
Related: Seven Ways to Keep Angry Customers (Like Me) Happy

by: Carol Tice from the Entrepreneur.com Blog http://www.entrepreneur.com/blog/223422

Refuel Your Greatness!

How To Thrive in Challenging Times:

While you can’t control the economy or the other forces of change, you can position yourself to survive and even thrive in challenging times....CLICK HERE to read the full article from Forbes.com.

15 Big Little Things You Can Do in 15 Minutes:

From Forbes.com http://onforb.es/IpRhyt

This article is by Deborah Grayson Riegel, president of Elevated Training Inc., a communication skills training and coaching company, and author of Oy Vey! Isn’t a Strategy: 25 Solutions for Personal and Professional Success.


After 15 years of yo-yoing up 15 pounds and down 15 pounds, I finally realized that the long, slow, low-impact exercise routines I’d been suffering through weren’t working. I needed something different—dramatically different—and I found it: CrossFit. CrossFit is an intense strength and conditioning class that drives you to work at your maximum intensity for the minimum amount of time needed to get your workout for the day done. How long is that? On average, about 15 minutes.... CLICK HERE to read more.

 

Respond To Your Customers Changing Needs:

Why Every Monday Matters:

Why Every Monday Matters

BY Expert Blogger Shawn Parr | 04-09-2012 | 1:30 PM

This blog is written by a member of Fast Company's expert blogging community and expresses that expert's views alone.

 

How one man changed his life, and impacted thousands of others with 52 ways to make every Monday matter.

CLICK HERE to read this amazing article...

Want A Better Bottom Line? Give Better Service

Eight Ways to Make Customers to Love a Local Business. Click Here to read the article from Manta.

Friday's Motivational Quote:

This week's quote is from the amazing Dick Clark:

Two Simple Ways To Make Your Day More Productive

Two Simple Ways To Make Your Day More Productive

BY Lydia Dishman | 04-17-2012 | 2:30 PM

Instead of wishing for more hours in a day, Dinesh Moorjani, CEO of Hatch Labs, has two simple tips for setting priorities and getting things done. Click Here to Watch Video

How Do You Get Fired Up?

Motivational Monday:

A List of Some of the Best Things in Life. What we all work hard for! http://ow.ly/ajitu
Feel free to add to this list in the comment section below!

1. Falling in love.
    
2. Laughing so hard your face hurts.
    
3. A hot shower.
    
4. No lines at the Super Wal-Mart.
    
5. A special glance.
    
6. Getting mail.
    
7. Taking a drive on a pretty road.
    
8. Hearing your favorite song on the radio.
    
9. Lying in bed listening to the rain outside.
    
10. Hot towels out of the dryer.
     
11. Finding the sweater you want is on sale for half price.
     
12. Chocolate milkshake.
     
13. A long distance phone call.
     
14. A bubble bath.
     
15. Giggling.
     
16. A good conversation.
     
17. The beach.
     
18. Finding a $20 bill in your coat from last winter.
     
19. Laughing at yourself.
     
20. Midnight phone calls that last for hours.
     
21. Running through sprinklers.
     
22. Laughing for absolutely no reason at all.
     
23. Having someone tell you that you're beautiful.
     
24. Laughing at an inside joke.
     
25. Friends.
     
26. Falling in love for the first time.
     
27. Accidentally overhearing someone say something nice about you.
     
28. Waking up and realizing you still have a few hours left to sleep.
     
29. Your first kiss.
     
30. Making new friends or spending time with old ones.
     
31. Playing with a new puppy.
     
32. Late night talks with your roommate that keep you from sleeping.
     
33. Having someone play with your hair.
     
34. Sweet dreams.
     
35. Hot chocolate.
     
36. Road trips with friends.
     
37. Swinging on swings.
     
38. Watching a good movie cuddled up on a couch with someone you love.
     
39. Wrapping presents under the Christmas tree while eating cookies and drinking eggnog.
     
40. Song lyrics printed inside your new CD so you can sing along without feeling stupid.
     
41. Going to a really good concert.
     
42. Getting butterflies in your stomach every time you see that one person.
     
43. Making eye contact with a cute stranger.
     
44. Winning a really competitive game.
     
45. Making chocolate chip cookies!
     
46. Having your friends send you homemade cookies!
     
47. Spending time with close friends!
     
48. Seeing smiles and hearing laughter from your friends.
     
49. Holding hands with someone you care about.
     
50. Running into an old friend and realizing that some things (good or bad) never change.
     
51. Discovering that love is unconditional and stronger than time.
     
52. Riding the best roller coasters over and over.
     
53. Hugging the person you love.
     
54. Watching the expression someone's face as they open a much-desired present from you.
     
55. Watching the sunrise.
     
56. Getting out of bed every morning and thanking God for another beautiful day.
     
57. Having friends you know you can cry on or talk to about your deepest problems

Jeremy Clarkson and Bicycles

Jeremy Clarkson, host of "Top Gear" professes his love for... bicycles?! Read the article here: http://aol.it/HAsSmK

Friday's Motivational Quote:

Hello Indianapolis!

PRO TALK has been in Indy for the past few days, and it's always a pleasure for Jeff to visit his hometown. He has been conducting two one-day training workshops, and today is his second and last one. With this view, why would he want to leave?!

Seven Tips to Overcome Procrastination!

Posted by Dave Anderson on Tue, Apr 10, 2012 @ 09:00 AMon the NCM blog

Procrastination is more exhausting than the labor involved in physically completing the task you’re putting off. Perhaps this is why William James observed, “Nothing is so fatiguing as the eternal hanging on of an uncompleted task.” Procrastinators aren’t necessarily lazy, but they are oftentimes unfocused or undisciplined...   Click Here to Read More

Is Bad Advice Costing You Money?

Driving Steam Cars & Harleys with Jay Leno

We love this video of Jay Leno giving Forbes.com a tour of his incredible car collection:

Friday's Motivational Quote:

Insider List: Motivational Songs

1. Eye of the Tiger – Survivor
2. Chariots of Fire – Vangelis
3. The Final Countdown – Europe
4. We Are the Champions – Queen
5. We Will Rock You – Queen
6. I’ve Got the Power – Snap
7. It’s My Life – Bon Jovi
8. Affirmation – Savage Garden
9. Beautiful Day – U2
10. What a Wonderful World – Louis Armstrong
11. I Feel Good – James Brown
12. I Can See Clearly Now – Johnny Nash
13. Lovely Day – Bill Withers
14. Walking On Sunshine – Katrina and the Waves
15. Live Like You Were Dying – Tim McGraw
16. I Believe I Can Fly – R. Kelly
17. You Gotta Be - Des’ree
18. When You Believe – Mariah Carey/ Whitney Houston
19. Hero – Mariah Carey
20. I Will Survive – Gloria Gaynor
21. Bad Day – Daniel Powter
22. Man In The Mirror – Michael Jackson
23. I’m Alive – Celine Dione
24. Tub Thumping – Chumba Wumba
25. Lose Yourself – Eminem
26. Remember The Name – Fort Minor
27. Till I Collapse – Eminem
28. Return to Innocence – Enigma
29. O Fortuna – Carmina Burana

Source: http://www.goal-setting-college.com/motivation/inspirational-motivational-songs/

How to Increase Your Income Immediately #3:

Spring Training Specials!

Check out PRO TALK's Spring Training Specials. Hurry before these packages run out! http://bit.ly/Han9WC

Insider List: Motivating Movie Monologues

Any Given Sunday - Al Pacino's pre-game locker room talk on clawing for inches (1999)
Boiler Room - Ben Affleck's speech to the new guys (2000)
Braveheart - Mel Gibson's speech for freedom (1995)
Brian's Song - Gayle Sayers speech after Brian Piccolo dies (1971)
Cast Away - Tom Hanks recounting will to live while on the island (2000)
Dead Poets Society - Robin Williams' opening discussion on making your life extraordinary (1989)
Empire Strikes Back - when Yoda asks Luke to raise the Star Fighter out of the muck (1980)
Glengarry Glen Ross - Alec Baldwin's speech to the sales force (1992)
Guess Who's Coming to Dinner - Sidney Poitier's discussion with father (1967)
Henry V - Kenneth Branagh's St. Crispian day speech (1989)
On the Waterfront - Marlon Brando's "I could've been a contender" speech (1954)
Patton - opening speech (1970)
Rocky - scene before the fight…talking to Adrian (1976)
The Rookie - when Dennis Quaid talks to the team about dreams (2002)
Wall Street - Michael Douglas' "greed is good" speech (1987)