The Market Outfit

I recently had a conversation with one of my former students. She has been out of school for a few years now but isn’t satisfied with the direction her career has taken. In fact, she’s not too happy with her personal life either. Her voice developed more than a touch of whine as she said: “I don’t know what to do.”

So I asked her about her goals. Her response was a rather slack-jawed look of surprise. “Goals?” Well at least she wasn’t whining anymore.

I asked her what she would like to see her career in a few years. I asked her where she’d like to see her life in a few years. She knew the answers to those questions and quickly became animated as she discussed her desire to start her own business. We talked about what she would need to accomplish her goal and what she would have to change.

When we parted ways she felt a lot better about her job because she knew that she wasn’t trapped in it. She was taking a necessary step to prepare herself for a long-term goal. She had her eye on the prize and that focus energized her.

That is the power of goals. What are your goals? There are seven reasons why you need to have goals.

~ To give direction to life
~ To make sure we are the one choosing the direction of our life — not others, not fate, not the media, etc.
~ To motivate
~ To make sure we get what we want from life
~ To save time
~ To reduce stress
~ To give a sense of accomplishment

While it can be fun to live without direction in the short-term, in the long-term human beings are wired to need a purpose and direction. Goals give a sense of direction and purpose to life.

It is often easy to let others set our direction for us. We take a job because family or friends point us in that direction and then we follow the dictates of our bosses. We move in other directions because popular culture or the media tells us to do so. The simple truth is that if we do not set our own goals then we will find it too easy to follow a path set by others. This can lead to stress and unhappiness. We have a greater chance of happiness and fulfillment following our own path and pursuing our own goals.

While goals certainly give our lives direction, they also provide the motivation to get us through difficult times and choices. Perhaps going to college at night while working full-time may be stressful and difficult in the short-term, but in the long run being able to pursue the professional goals we desire will make it worthwhile.

Goals also serve as the destination for what we really want out of life. For some people, goals are measured in money or material goods, while for others goals are measured in time or freedom. If we do not have goals outlined that suit our unique perspective on life it is easy to become sidetracked by life and others.

Goals can also help save time. When your “To Do” list becomes too long and your calendar too full, then you can simply compare your goals to the list. What items help you achieve your goal? What items are necessary to your goal? Scratch off the rest as unimportant.

Just as goals save time they also reduce stress because using your goals to focus your life and choices makes it easier to make those choices. Should you take that new position at work? How does it match your goals?

Finally, goals give you a measurable sense of accomplishment. Every goal you achieve, in fact every step you make toward that goal, can give you a boost of energy and momentum to keep going. Each success powers you toward the next level of success.

Now go out and set your goals!

Deanna Mascle publishes the ezine Words Of Inspiration Online and blog Smiles By Dawggone.com

Time management is essential to managers and business people, it is clear that the average manager has to deal with many issues and that this is the world of cutthroat competition. When a businessman or a manager can not outpace a competitor they will always be the slowcoach of the success bandwagon. Time management skills are needed not only to confront and beat competition but also to provide a manager a better schedule and some quality time so she is more focused and relaxed when working, this is why time management skills have to be at its best. A good use of time management will automatically catapult you to the forefront of the rat race. Time management is an important and unavoidable corner of the total management quadrant.

Time management has shifted from the traditional management concepts to a more modern and up to date version of management with the rising consciousness about time management it has easily entered the sphere of total management. So if you lack in time management skills you will always lag behind in the high rising competition. Remember, procrastination is not going to help. Today’s manager does not have a lot of options, to manage time in a perfect way should also be an aspiration since it is clear that not using time optimally will cost a client, a market or a whole business.

Even if you are a big hot guy there are people who would be eyeing your position. They might be doing their best to overthrow you and jump into your chair. You can only keep them at bay if you learn to keep your time in binds. Plan your tasks, organize your work, set priorities and be firm on your goals. Follow your schedule regime but keep it flexible enough for unforeseen demands of time and you’ll see your hard work bring good benefits.

Good Time management ultimately means that you will have higher productivity and in a natural way you will also see a steady grow of your business. Time management can do wonders to your financial health, a wise time manage timetable will create a clear schedule to work by, and will allow you and your partners to perfect your working protocols and working methods. You will never have to lose a contract because you missed out on deadlines.

Time management is more like a general theory that you need to adopt, it does not mean that you have to go for doing everything you can possibly do in the shortest time available, but doing right things at the right time in right way, an orderly and well plan work plan and working methods. So doing things in the right way on its own enhances the quality of your work along with productivity. Both these factors lead to a cost benefit that is unsurpassable.

In the next article we will go in deeper into the way you should implement and practice time management, I hope that this information increased your knowledge of better time management.

How’s your life going right now? If you had to rate it on a scale of 1 to 10, would it be an 8 or better? If someone could take a snapshot of your life at any given moment, what would it look like? Are you laughing, smiling and happy, or frowning, sad and worried? It seems as though negativity and dissatisfaction is quite commonplace and a happy, positive, upbeat mood and lifestyle is rare. Granted, society, current events, and everyday occurrences do play a major role, but doesn’t it make you wonder if you’re on top of life, because you’re successfully calling the shots, or life’s on top of you, stealing your happiness and satisfaction, making you follow where it decides to take you.

Allan’s mood was down in the dumps. He’d been looking for a job with virtually no success for more than six months. He was out of unemployment, job prospects were slim, and he was losing hope. He spent a great deal of his time either job hunting, or sleeping, for sleeping was the only way he could escape his chaotic life and find some peace from the troubles that plagued his every waking thoughts. He had an extremely negative attitude, and even when he was trying to put his best face on for his interviews, his hopeless demeanor shone through like a beacon.

Allan sat at his computer preparing yet another round of resumes when a pop-up came on screen. It asked him to rate his level of happiness on a scale of 1 to 10. Allan check-marked a 1! When he submitted his score the results appeared on another screen that said, “Your happiness level is in direct proportion to your level of success. For guaranteed success… find happiness, a light heart, and become a director!” Allan thought about the survey for the rest of the evening, and the following weekend. A few days later he was contacted for an interview. He’d been trying to adjust his mood by paying more attention to what was going on around him, taking note of the good things that he had in his life, and not focusing on his unemployment.

When Allan went to the interview, he was rather surprised to find it was not a traditional interview. His prospective employer wanted to see how Allan interacted with the staff because it was a supervisory position and he needed to mentor his staff. Despite his surprise and trepidation Allan threw himself into his interview and tried to draw strength from “the positive.” Allan was offered the job on the spot for an annual salary that was way more than he’d ever made in his life. When he asked his boss why he was offered the job, he was told that he had a “good attitude.” Allan was quite pleased that he took the time to read the pop-up that changed his life. He was even happier that he decided that he would always try to direct his life instead of having life circumstances direct him. How did he begin making the change? Allan put this to practice by using meditation, relaxation techniques, and writing to keep him on track. He recognized that his former behavior had been learned, and knew that he needed to substitute new tools for old habits in order to create successful change.

So if life has control over you, why not choose to grab life by the tail and chart your course. With all that is going on in the world, let a positive attitude guide your way and become your mantra. With practice, life will become similar to a revolving door, allowing laughter and positive energy in, and having it flow back out to others. The gift of a kind word, helping hand, or radiant smile has far-reaching affects. The secret to having a life that you lead is to create a reality that is uniquely yours, but one full of passion, promise, and the pulsation of life.

Eva Gregory is the author of The Feel Good Guide to Prosperity.
All rights reserved.

How do you get your people on your side? And once their on your side, how can you get them to do anything you want? It’s a skill that we all want. Nothing’s better than leaving the hard work for someone else! But how?

Do You Have It In You?

Getting what you want and deserving it are two totally different things! Do you think it’s reasonable to order a task onto your subordinate? Do you think it’s acceptable to call up a friend only when you want something? Or how about being nice to someone just to butter them up but ignore them otherwise?

No way! No fair!

What would you think if someone treated you like that? Well this happens all the time. It happens everywhere and between anyone: managers and subordinates, co-workers, friends or even family…

Be There. Be Seen. Be Consistent.

You’ll need to consistently treat people well. Even on your bad days! How would someone know whether you woke up on the wrong side of the bed or you’re just being a jerk? They don’t know (and often don’t care) about your situation, so leave your negative feelings away from the table.

You’ll need to make visits just to say “hello” or better yet, make visits to convey how much you appreciate their work and how important they are apart of your team. Don’t just knock at the door when you need something! Being friendly all the time will leave you some wiggle room in the future to get what you want done, especially since you’ll be inspiring loyalty and respect right from the outset. It’s a lot tougher to say “no” to someone who’s put so much faith and trust in you, isn’t it?

Yes, They Really Are the Center of the Universe.

When you talk to someone, make them feel special! Create a welcoming environment that allows them to feel comfortable around you. Make them feel as though they are an integral part of the team or an important person your life. When you pay them a visit, make it visible that you’re happy to see them, (and not that they should be happy to see you!). For the time that you’re engaged in their world, you should treat them as if they are the center of the universe; as if what they say and do truly matters.

When you speak with them, show excitement, be grateful, and listen smartly and actively. Rule out all distractions but if you were distracted, be sure to apologize for the distraction and continue the conversation.

Another simple but equally important task…say “cheese” and smile. Giving a little smile once in a while makes a huge difference that’ll help show that you’re human too!

If people are treated with respect and feel special, they’ll be more likely to follow your wishes and walk in your footsteps. You should strive to build rapport and create a positive atmosphere that will benefit you, your team and your goals in the future!

How can you improve your people management skills? Take action today!

© Copyright 2004

About The Author

Ronnie Nijmeh, ACQYR.com. The ACQYR team provides the masses with witty yet strategic ideas leading to self- improvement and growth. For more information and exciting, fresh motivational articles, visit: http://www.acqyr.com Live. Learn. ACQYR.

ronnie@acqyr.com

It seems that having a project come in On-Budget is the
holy-grail of project management, especially when it comes to
CRM projects. With their 70% failure rate, CRM projects
represent a significant risk to a small business’ financial
health and warrants more “measure twice, cut once” consideration
before beginning.

Coming in On-Budget does not mean you managed to squeeze your
project into whatever arbitrary budget you came up with when you
first started. It also doesn’t mean that you started with an
overly generous budget.

It does mean that you develop a budget that takes into account
an analysis of 4 critical areas:

1. PAYOFF. You need to know exactly how your CRM system is going
to generate ROI. This will help you focus your project on the
right areas. By knowing how you expect payoff to be achieved,
you can plan to achieve it.

2 RISK. You need to figure out where the risk is in your project
because “risk=expense”. By figuring out what can go wrong, you
can take measures to minimize and contain that risk.

3. SERVICES. Be sure to fully account for the variety of
services that will be required. A few often overlooked areas
that can increase your services bill significantly incoude:
meetings, testing time, debugging time and “while you’re
here…” time.

4. TECHNOLOGY. Choosing the wrong technology is can be a huge
waste of money. From the worst case scenario of a totally failed
project to having to spend extra money to make the wrong
software do things it wasn’t intended to do.

What makes putting together a realistic budget so difficult for
small businesses is that it’s not what they do and they don’t
have the experience of having done several before. It’s not what
they do. So, they rely on the Sellers of CRM who have their own
vested interest in not scaring off their customers with numbers
that are perceived to be too expensive.

By putting together a realistic budget, you may very well find
that the project is going to cost much more than you were
intitally prepared to spend. It’s best to find this out now and
before you “sign on any dotted lines”.

If you do find out the project is going to cost more, here are a
few ideas of what to do:

- WAIT & SAVE. Perhaps you need to wait 6 months until you have
a bigger budget. Use this time to get prepared for the project:
learn more about the software choices, make sure you’re business
processes are as fine tuned as they can be, and focus on how CRM
software will generate ROI.

- GO AHEAD. It may be more money than you were expecting, but
may still be within your budget. If you’re clear on how the CRM
system is going to generate ROI and you’re otherwise ready, go
for it!

- SCALE DOWN. If you have a very clear idea of how the CRM
software is going to achieve ROI and you can’t afford the full
project, focus in a smaller area to begin with that will have a
payback. Use this payback to help fund future projects. It’s
always a good idea to start with smaller, high-payoff projects
first.

- FIND MORE ROI. If you have a really clear and compelling
business case for how a CRM system is going to improve your
bottom-line, it’s much easier to find the necessary funds to
implement it.

- DOUBLE CHECK. Make sure you’re choosing the right technology.
Cheap software can often be expensive to implement. Double check
to make sure you’re basing your budget on the right CRM
software. You may find that a software that costs more in
licensing, ends up being an overall more affordable solution.

Coming in On-Budget means you started with a realistic budget.
The Insider’s CRM Success System goes into great detail on how
to develop a realistic budget and provides the control forms and
worksheets you’ll need.