Fostering Teamwork
4 Ways To Break the Habit of Multitasking in 21 Days
Many people are proud of their Multitasking abilities. Yet, researches are finding that multitasking is actually a bad habit and it’s not nearly as efficient as people believe. In fact, it can even be harmful to our health and relationships. A recent article in the Huffington post that actually came from Health.com shares 12 reasons why we should break the habit of multitasking. As we have discussed in past blogs, in order the change a habit we have to have a strong reason to start to do things differently. So, do you want to be more productive, build stronger relationships with your loved ones or have less stress in your life? Great, focus on one or all three of those reasons and you will be able to stop multitasking in 21 days. I like this quote of Julianne Hough ”I think at the end of the day you have to find a balance with what’s really important.” In doing research for this blog, the article at Health.com lead me to learn about the OHIO rule. No, not the real State of OHIO USA, but rather a state of mind and habit of highly productive business owners, professionals and parents. Psychiatrists and productivity experts often recommend OHIO: Only Handle It Once. “This is a rule of thumb for many people with ADHD, but it can also be practiced by anyone who wants to be more organized,” says Winch. “It basically means if you take something on, don’t stop until you’ve finished it.” How To Break the Habit of Multitasking 1) Focus on one thing at a time. To explore this topic further, reading a blog at PR News was excellent. They shared these four tips to only handling something once. Tackle It – Do something now with that piece of mail, email, etc. Task It – Schedule a specific time on your calendar to handle it. Toss It – Self-explanatory Transfer It – Forward it and delegate it to a more suitable team or family member. Staying on task can be challenging in the days of everyone texting and mobile phones on our hips or in our purse going off every few minutes. Some calls or text messages merit our focus now and others can be handled in bulk. 2) Stay on task for 30 minutes. Then take at least a five-minute breather as your reward for staying on task and then tackle your messages in bulk. This process will actually make you more productive. “Feeling stressed out means you’re not focusing,” says Robert Mack, a life coach and the author of Happiness From the Inside Out, “when you slow down and regain peace of mind, you’ll be happier and more efficient.” 3) Keep a To-Do list. Write down 5 items from a master To-Do list on a piece of paper. Cross each item off as it gets completed. Then crumble up the piece of paper and ceremoniously throw it away like you are making a 3-point shot in the NBA Finals when you are finished with all the tasks. 4) Manage and Communicate Expectations. When you are a business owner, professional or a parent it is important to focus on the person that you are with at that moment in time. In other words, love the ones your with! Building and maintaining healthy and strong relationships take an investment of our time and undivided attention. With that said, everyone needs to be on the same page and a discussion should take place about how and when to handle “cell phone”, TV and other things that can take our attention away from each other. Perhaps, you can discuss this blog and allow a 5 minute break to check and respond to calls or text messages that you recieve every 30 minutes. This is one way to show respect and break the habit of...
Read MoreWho Else Wants to have a Retweetable Blog?
Do you have a Blog? Have you wondered: Why is having a blog such an important part of a profit generating online presence? Wouldn’t be great if more of your Twitter followers, Facebook friends and Linkedin connections shared your blog? Sharing insider tips, news worthy information, product releases, deals and information about your monthly specials are ideas for writing a sharable blog article for your website. In this blog, I want to help you to create great content that others will want to share. To write a great blog you will need to sit down at your laptop, dig deep and share a great story about how your company helped a client, got involved with the community or tell your readers what is remarkable about the service they will get from you. What is in it for the reader? Writing for the benefit of your target audience is the key to a successful blog. Compelling stories in articles or as they are called online “blogs” have the power to build trust and move prospects, clients, partners and brand advocates to action. So, the saying goes… if you can’t tell it, you can’t sell it. What is “it” that you are trying to “sell?” Is it a vision, dream, cause or simply your products or services? Purposeful storytelling can motivate and engage our target market to “buy-in” to whatever “it” is that you are selling. Speaking of selling, let’s change that word to “investing in”. That goes along with the Everybody B.U.Y.S philosophy. On the contrary, most people do not like to feel that they are being sold. Is that also true of you? That brings us back to creative story telling that touches the mind and heart of the reader. The oohs and aahs of relating to another person’s experiences, insights and recommendations offer us the opportunity to overcome strongly entrenched reasoning and gain a competitive advantage in our marketplace. For example, I am the queen of “Cold Calling”… Would you like to know how I originally earned that title? Here is my Story: When I was thirteen years old, I started my first business. It was one of the worst winters in the history of Chicago “The blizzard of 1979.” (Now you can figure out my age and understand what I mean when I say I have 20+ years of sales and marketing experience.) Well, cars were buried and people could not even open their front doors. The glistening snow, was as beautiful as it was a crippling reality to the frustrated parents, professionals and political representatives of Chicago. As I watched the snow fall, I saw the need of a “Snow Removal Business” and called a couple of my friends: hard-working boys from my neighborhood. With shovels in hand, scarves on our faces and determination in our hearts we approached our first door. As the natural-born salesperson of the group, I rang the doorbell and asked the homeowner if he wanted us to shovel for him. He asked “What areas are you going to shovel and how much more would it cost to clear out my car?” This was my first “Cold Call” and I learned an important lesson. At that moment, I learned the importance of a marketing plan and that there was more to going into business than just knocking on a door with a shovel in my hand and a smile on my face. Therefore, I replied “Well sir, what would you like us to do for you and what do you think is a fair price to pay?” Since he knew me, he offered some neighborly business advice on pricing and how to approach the other neighbors. He said to offer three options and prices and then “be quiet” as they pick one of your options. Great advice, don’t you agree? That is why I have it as part of my current pricing and marketing strategy down to today. So, that is my story and I’m sticking to it. Some people have had to travel rocky roads, but mine began on a snowy road to a sales and marketing career. And that is why I can say that I’m the “Queen of Cold Calls.”...
Read MoreSeven Steps to Launching a New Company
Here are seven steps to launching a new company that will have lasting success. “First impressions last the longest.” Do you agree with that statement? If you do, than as an entrepreneur ready to go into business for yourself it is important to build your business on a solid foundation. “When I started out in business, I spent a great deal of time researching every detail that might be pertinent to the deal I was interested in making. I still do the same today. People often comment on how quickly I operate, but the reason I can move quickly is that I’ve done the background work first, which no one usually sees. I prepare myself thoroughly, and then when it is time to move ahead, I am ready to sprint.” Donald Trump After over 25 years of gaining general business, public speaking, sales and marketing experience, I began to take on clients as their Business Marketing consultant. This has been a real learning experience. Now, with a more clearly defined direction it is time to take my business endeavours to the next level. More on that in upcoming blogs. Meanwhile, with the earlier quote from Mr. Trump in mind, here are the 7 Steps that I am taking to launch my new Company this spring. Step 1: Find Your Niche What can you do better than anyone else for a defined target market? Start researching to discover a niche market that has a need that you can address better than anyone else in your market. Finding that right niche market that is being under-serviced can be a goldmine for a hard-working entrepreneur like you. Step 2: Make a game plan. Do your homework to find best practices and write your Business Plan for your first three years. Determine a budget, CRM, bookkeeping, marketing plan and then put that plan into action. Over 90% of entrepreneurs do not start out with a 3 year plan and most of them fail as a result. Michael Gerber is the author that all entrepreneurs need to be familiar with as a mentor. In his book The E-Myth Revisited and his other insightful books he stresses thinking and acting like a business person. This means having systems and processes in place as part of your business plan to keep you organized as you grow your business. Step 3: Name your Company. Get your domain name before you register your business. Find a .com name that is available and brand yourself around that name. This will save you from confusing your target market and frustration later. You want prospects to find you easily online. Step 4: Create a Website with a blog. Google is now a verb. Your prospects will “Google” you and your business. As we begin 2012, relevance and “Social Sharing” are vitally important to SEO – Search Engine Optimization of your website. This means that your website needs to be an online hub that is part of your interactive web presence. Maintaining a website with a blog that you add content to monthly is no longer an option for someone that wants to to have a thriving business. Being found, “liked” and trusted by your prospects begins many times with online search of you and your business. You need to be in control of “relevant” content that they find! Step 5: Engage online Tap into Social media to interact with clients and prospects in your market. Configure your Twitter, Facebook Business Page, LinkedIN Business and personal profile. Find out where your target market “hangs out online” and become a part of that community. Listen at first and make positive comments on other people’s blogs. Step 6: Network to gather your CoDreamers Share your dream, vision and game plan with your family, friends, Networking partners, vendors and suppliers. They will then become your CoDreamers and provide the support you need to be successful in life as a business owner. Network with non-competing professionals to learn about business opportunities, share best practices and work on your public speaking skills in a friendly environment. Join a...
Read MoreLunch & Learn: Utilizing Social Media to Grow Your Business
Main Street Chamber – Orlando NorthEast Event. Topic: Social Media for your Growing Business: Overview, Insights and Tips Focus will be on Twitter, Facebook Business Pages, Linkedin, Yelp and Google. This will be a question and answer discussion with Pamela Joan Myers of Orlando Social Media Marketing. Register for this Event. For more details visit www.mscone.eventbrite.com Where: Fresco Italian Restaurant Address: 7603 Turkey Lake Road Orlando Florida 32819 When: Tuesday August 23rd, 2011 Time: 11:30am – 1:30pm ...
Read MoreThere is a new Hash Tag in Orlando #lMAcfl
Currently I am growing an “Internet Marketing Alliance” to leverage the power of the collective online presence of my Clients. This strategy is generating more business opportunities and brand awareness. On Twitter we are using the hash tag #IMAcfl to create more awareness and quick access to recent updates that are related to the ”Internet Marketing Alliance” in Central Florida which includes Businesses, restaurants, retail stores, service providers and Professionals in the greater Orlando Area. This Online Networking group – “Internet Marketing Alliance” offers members an exclusive opportunity to share expert advice, business tips, special offers and their unique value proposition to all of those in the Alliance and their followers. With a reach of over 200 million on Twitter (14 Million are active everyday and 20 Million are US users), 100,000,000+ on Linkedin (40 million in the U.S.) and over 600 Million on Facebook provides a unique opportunity to reach your target market. Who are a good fit for the Alliance? • Business Owners and Professionals who want training in using Twitter for Business and Social CRM: Prospecting, engagement with their clients and building a tribe of brand advocates. • Business Owners or Professionals that are seeking a Marketing Opportunity to invest in that will increase Brand awareness and aid them in gaining an increased share of their target Market. • Business Owners or Professionals that are integrity based, offer fair pricing and outstanding customer service. • Business Owners or Professionals that are the best in their field of expertise. • Business owners or Professionals that are wanting to invest in online marketing. Please, contact Pamela Myers for more information. 407-780-7717 ...
Read MoreTwo proven Ways to Foster Teamwork on Your Sales Team
A challenge for leaders of groups of professionals, such as in a sales department, is to get everyone to pull together and run as a team instead of going in individual directions. Look at Michael Jordan wearing his Championship rings. Did he earn them all by himself? “Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence wins championships.” Michael Jordan Here are two proven ways to foster teamwork: 1) Have a reward system in place that compels your team to work together to reach team goals. 2) Engage the members in activities together. When we work together as a team to achieve goals the success is so much sweeter. I am from Chicago and have been a fan of “da Bulls” since I was a child watching Michael Jordan fly through the air to make a slam dunk. Wow, now that was so exciting to watch. Do you have those on your team that know how the make a “Slam Dunk”? They really know how to win over new clients and it is exciting to watch them at work. Do you make it exciting for just that person or does the whole team share in the reward of being on your team? Even though Michael Jordan may have been the “Star Player” he acknowledged, “Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence wins championships.” And Michael was not the only Bulls player to receive the Championship rings. The whole team proudly wears the same reward. Yes, he made more money and so do the “Star Sales People”, but he appreciated the value of being a part of a great team. Those Bulls teams received the priceless reward of being a part of one of the greatest teams, not just in basketball or the NBA, but in all of History. Shared activities are the second way to foster team work on your sales team. These planned activities can be physical in nature or call for the use of team brain power to solve a problem. Fun activities such as sports, contests or other games can allow the team members to relax and enjoy working as a team with one another. Remember: Rewarding the whole team when department goals are achieved will foster good will and get everyone working together as a team. Notice what some very notable professionals are quoted as saying about team work being important to success. “Teamwork is the fuel that allows common people to attain uncommon results.”Andrew Carnegie - He grew the largest and most profitable industrial enterprise in the world during his time. “Individual commitment to a group effort that is what makes a team work, a company work, a society work, a civilization work.”Vince Lombardi “Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success.” Henry Ford “The ratio of We’s to I’s is the best indicator of the development of a team.” Lewis B. Ergen “None of us is as smart as all of us.” Ken Blanchard “No one can whistle a symphony. It takes an orchestra to play it.” H.E. Luccock “It is literally true that you can succeed best and quickest by helping others to succeed.” Napoleon Hill And here is one of mine to add to the list: 8. “People achieve goals together when they are rewarded as a team!” Pamela J Myers How do you foster teamwork? Look forward to reading your comments. Got Leads? Need help getting the most out of your Sales Teams Online presence? Need to get your Sales Teams profiles set-up and Search Engine Optimized on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIN….? Orlando Social Media Marketing Service Packages Starting at Only $45. Click -> Orlando Social Media Marketing Service Packages to learn how you can Get Started Now! Contact Pamela Myers for a Free Social CRM Marketing Consultation Today! 407-780-7717 Orlando Social Media Marketing brings you tips, strategies, inspiration and insights for you to enjoy continued Success from your Social Media Marketing Plan. ...
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