Sunday, February 19, 2012

8 Ways to Stay Positive and Motivated This Spring





Warmer weather is arriving, yet burnout and energy drain still hang over the heads of many agents in these trying times. Here are some ideas for recharging your batteries, getting grounded, and finding more energy to get things done in 2012.
In a recent broadcast, AgentRADIO sat down with Dan Richards, special business development contributor and president of Strategic Imperatives in Toronto, to talk about the challenges facing sales and marketing agents this spring—and how to keep positive amid changes and uncertainty in the financial services industry.
Richards reported that at first-quarter round tables, he was hearing optimism among agents—and a far more positive outlook than a year ago. Yet apprehension is still in the air. There is some uncertainty about markets and the economy, but more importantly, Richards was hearing that agents sense dramatic shifts coming in the financial agenty business.
"A lot of agents say the rules of the game seem to be changing," said Richards. "They're not sure that the things that made them successful in the past are going to work going forward—whether it relates to building portfolios, attracting clients, or locking in relationships with existing clients."
As a result, many agents are experiencing elevated stress, and Richards offered a variety of strategies to help stay positive. Fortunately, these tactics are not complicated—they're basic moves that are easy to stick with, because as Richards says, "The stuff that works is the simple stuff."
  1. Prepare your next day. Richard pointed out that none of us is productive when we're feeling overwhelmed. Focusing your mind on things that you can control allows you to get centered and moves you away from being reactive or acting out of panic.
Richards recommends spending just 10 minutes—and no more than that—at the end of your day laying out the critical activities that must get done the next day. That way you can hit the ground running in the morning with a sense of purpose—and generate accomplishments every day.
"I was talking to one agent, and what he does is at the end of each day he writes down the three most important things that he has to do the next day," reported Richards. "He focuses on hard things—hard conversations with clients, things he's been putting off. When he comes in the next morning, he doesn't do anything else until he's addressed those top three things.
"He says it's made a huge impact to how he feels, [because of] the load that gets lifted of his shoulders."
  1. Refuse to be a victim. Richards likes to keep in mind Jack Welch's advice that feeling sorry for ourselves is one of the most destructive and energy-sapping behaviors we can engage in. Yet he knows it's a temptation we all face.
It's an understandable problem to feel the world's not fair—sometimes we get disappointed through no particular fault of our own. Richards gave the example of talking with a good client, "and they tell you that their sister has married or has gotten engaged to an agent, and they feel the need to move their business to support their sister and her husband. And when you hang up the phone after that, it's easy to say, 'The world's not fair.'
"So I think we're all entitled to feel sorry for ourselves for about five seconds," said Richards. "But then Jack Welch would say, 'You know what? You gotta pick yourself up and move on.' Being a victim just saps our energy. It's not productive. So it's important to recognize the warning signs and just say, Look, I'm not gonna fall into that trap."
  1. Keep it positive. Studies have shown that high achievers almost never respond with something negative when you ask them a question. They usually reply with something that they're excited about, whereas underachievers seem to dwell on what's negative in their lives.
Dwelling on the downside not only keeps agents feeling bad about themselves, according to Richards. It also affects how other tend to see them—it compromises agents' likability. And when it comes to getting and keeping clients, likability is a very valuable quality.
"It's remarkable how often I hear [satisfied] clients say, 'I just like my agent.' Pure and simple," said Richards. "Clients respond to someone with a smile on their face, somebody who has a higher energy level."
That means you sometimes have to dig deep, because obviously we don't always feel positive. If you're wondering how to do that, check out these ideas on how to cultivate more optimism in your life.
  1. Maintain your energy level. To maintain your positive outlook, get plenty of exercise, fresh air, and if it's available, sunshine. "These have been clearly, scientifically, empirically demonstrated to correlate with higher energy, a more positive outlook. So I'm a big fan," said Richards. "And you don't have to go to a gym necessarily and work up a big sweat. Even half an hour, a brisk walk in the morning to start your day, will boost your energy level."

  1. Dodge the negaholics. Richards also recommends staying away from chronically negative people. It's simple enough: if you've got someone in your office that's constantly a downer, don't eat lunch with them every day. Positive energy is contagious, and a negative attitude and energy is as well. Stay away from negative people.
"When I'm doing workshops, I'll sometimes make this point, and people nod their heads," Richards said. "And then I say—and this always gets a laugh—and if you for the next little while find your colleagues avoiding you, you may want to reflect on how you're seen in your office."
  1. Build in positive reinforcements. Richards encourages agents to find ways to give themselves positive reinforcement throughout each day. Little rewards should be part of your routine; because you'll then already have built-in pick-me-ups established when you hit the especially tough days.
"Sometimes if the market's been a little choppy, or if you've had a tough meeting, it's easy to get down," said Richards. "And that's natural. It's human nature. So it's important to find ways to give ourselves a little bit of a boost, to feel better about what we're doing."
That could be something as simple as carving out time for a walk every afternoon, getting a particular drink or treat in the morning, or planning a specific time to pick up your joke of the day—whatever gives you a little lift that you can build in on a daily basis.
  1. Reward yourself—regularly. Richards also recommends that every agent build in some R&R each and every quarter. He says to book a long weekend once a quarter that you can anticipate with pleasure in addition to a more substantial holiday taken once a year. "Every quarter you go to your calendar, you block off a three-day weekend—you can look forward to that and doing something—you don't have to spend a lot of money. Just do something to get out of your normal routine," Richards said.

  1. Reward your staff. He also noted that little rewards can go a long way with your staff. Giving a sales assistant the afternoon off or tickets to a show can maintain motivation—and provide time to refresh and rejuvenate.
Richards has observed that since Friday afternoons after 2 p.m. are not usually the most productive hours in the work week, it can be a great perk to let staff start the weekend early. Richards noted, "If you say, 'Look, why don't you take Friday afternoon off—work until 1 or 1:30 and then take the rest of the afternoon off,' you're not really giving that much time off. But the impact on your team is huge."
Implementing these kinds of strategies is simple, and you may wonder how much impact such straightforward moves will make. You might be surprised how quickly little changes can create substantial benefits in your mood, your outlook, and your ability to maintain a healthful reserve of energy.







Adjusting your Focus What’s Your Story?



The biggest mistake made in marketing—and a reason that success can be so elusive—is not clearly making the case for who you are and what you offer, even if that must change to keep up with the environment we are in these days.

At a business function, when someone asks what you do, how do you answer? Many sales people and especially sale managers simply say, “I’m in sales.” Oftentimes, however, when that question is asked, because of misconceived perceptions about the industry, your black-and-white answer actually repels people.

For the past months I have been asking sales and sale managers how they answer this question and if their answer would have people wanting to talk with them more or less. Ninety-five percent of them answer with a response of “less.” The perplexing question I then have to ask is “If you know what you say will have a negative response, why don’t you say something different?”
Every firm needs to have a refined firm story to assist in marketing and client acquisition. And it is important to have a compelling opening line for your story. Without this, you may never get the chance to share it. Even the classic elevator pitch, typically one to two minutes in length, is too long-winded for an informal initial introduction. In a world of ever-decreasing attention spans, less is definitely more.
To build success in sales, people first have to know about you and know what you have to offer. You need to identify your professional brand. This is the first step in making a name for yourself and building recognition in your community.
Your mission: Aka your elevator speech. In a couple of sentences, explain your role in your organization. How do you help people? What qualities do you offer no one else can?
Example: I'm a caring and knowledgeable financial advisor who is passionate about helping clients build wealth and create successful retirement outcomes. Try the following: For the past year I have help people like yourself become part of my exclusive client list by providing you with true value for the money you are spending on my product and service.
Personal information: Make a list of the qualities, interests and hobbies that make you "you." Be honest and specific. Explain how these qualities and attributes can benefit your clients and help you grow your business.
Example: As a husband and father, I can relate to other families' needs and desires for the future. My problem-solving skills help me dig deep to uncover clients' needs and suggest solutions to take care of those needs. As a result, I do more cross selling and get more referrals.
Professional information: List your professional accomplishments and goals.
Example: Accomplishments: Senior sales manager for the last 5 years. Obtained advance course and practical designations in my field. Working on "xyz" designation.
Example: Professional Goal: To continue to build a successful practice with 30 "A" clients and 200 total clients within five years.
Your unique value proposition: Challenge your competition.  Don’t “bad mouth” the competition but challenge them to live up to what you do better than all else. "Why should a client hire you?" That’s right your client is hiring you to provide them with a product, service and follow up, they are not just buying from you.
A solution for compelling others to want to listen to you is to develop a 15 to 20 second simple, repeatable statement of value (SRSV). An SRSV is statements that are easy to remember and offers some value to the person you are speaking with. Below is the four-step formula for building your own SRSV. (Your SRSV may not include the answer to every question, and it doesn’t need to be stated in this order.) (Remember 30 minutes or less or it’s free….put that Pizza joint on the map)
SRSV builder questions:
  • Who are you?
  • What do you do?
  • Who do you work with (niche)?
  • What is unique/memorable about what you do or have done?
Use these questions as a guide in building your own unique SRSV so that you can stand out—in an elevator or anywhere else.
How to tell your branding story in your product…. Telling a brand story through well-crafted marketing copy can capture the essence of a brand. And building those brand messages into the physical product itself can reinforce the brand's value proposition every time the product is used.
Here are three consumer product marketers who are doing this brilliantly, and some branding advice for your smart marketing strategy.
Old Spice Classic Men's Deodorant. Yes, it's been around forever and it hasn't changed much. But Old Spice has rejuvenated its brand with attention-getting TV ads and a branding strategy driven by its heritage.
Here's the clever copy that appears on the product label of Classic Men's Deodorant, where you see it every time you prepare to apply it: "If your grandfather hadn't used this, you wouldn't be here."
While most of us don't want to think about exactly how we got here, the underlying message--attractive men have always turned to Old Spice and with great results--is the essence of Old Spice's brand. And because it's part of the physical product, it's a can't-miss marketing message.
Altoids: Candy maker Callard & Bowser has built a phenomenal brand identity for Altoids, the "curiously strong mints" which are so potent they require a metal box. Inside each Altoids package is a paper liner that protects the product.
Clever Callard & Bowser realized that paper-messaging opportunity, but instead of boring copy, they print brand-centric messages on the liner that emphasize the powerful taste of Altoids and the courage of those brave souls who dare to enjoy them. "Not for the Faint of Tongue" and "Enter at Your Own Risk" are two examples.
Because a typical package of Altoids contains about 75 pieces, that's up to 75 repetitions of the marketing message per pack, one for every time a mint is enjoyed. Not bad for adding a one-line message to a product liner that had to be there anyway.
Not all of us have little mints to sell or even remember to use Old Spice, branding brings real value to who you are and what your organization offers.  Write down two or three real catch phases to capture your product and organization brand.
When marketing yourself in today’s marketplace the challenge of change is real and you need to be well aware of it.
Becoming a strategic and consultative Sales Superstar requires significant changes in your “world view”—how you think about yourself, and how you think about your relationships with key stakeholders. You are faced with new ways of thinking, many of which directly challenge what you have been taught and believe.
When faced with significant innovations in thinking, we tend initially to find ourselves in one of the following three characterizations:
  1. The “Authoritative Critic”
  2. The “Authoritative Expert”
  3. The “Enthusiastic Apprentice”
We can think about these three characters as being on a spectrum that runs from outright rejection to eager acceptance. As we take a brief look at each of these, allow yourself to wonder where on the spectrum you fall in your process of becoming a Sales Superstar.
The Authoritative Critic
This individual quickly dismisses new ways of thinking, outright rejecting them as ridiculous, foolish and unwise. What is this individual’s motivation?
Motivation of the Authoritative Critic? Fear of change, of loss. Doomed to failing and blaming everyone but themselves.  This personally is found quite a bit in healthcare providers whose practice has been failing for years and refuses to listen to advice and has a staff to blame or Insurance / government to shift the responsibility of failure.
The Authoritative Expert
This individual is one who typically responds to the introduction of innovative ideas by rejecting the reality that the ideas are indeed innovative. This individual is typically thinking “What’s the big deal? I’ve always done it this way.”
What is this individual’s motivation? Fear of losing face, of appearing inadequate. Doomed to come across and a total jerk to deal with.
The Enthusiastic Apprentice
This individual is excited by innovative thinking and is eager to learn. She/he may not understand or totally embrace the innovative concepts, but she/he is excited about the possibilities that well-informed change may bring about.
What is this individual’s motivation? It is hunger for knowledge and excitement about the possibilities that may come with new knowledge.
The nature of change is dynamic. As much as we might like to believe that change is linear, the truth is that deep transformative change develops in a spiral pattern. As you reviewed the above characteristics, you may have seen parts of yourself in each description.
Knowledge is power. The more aware you can become of your own process of “spiraling” through the process of change, the more conscious and intentional you can be about choosing change, choosing growth, and choosing to become a Sales Superstar.
So where do you fit in? Do you recognize yourself in any of these descriptions?

Friday, February 3, 2012

Do's and Don'ts of Healthy Eating

Food 
No doubt you’ve read about how important it is to eat a healthy mix of nutritious foods. Perhaps you’ve also heard that trans fat is evil and skipping meals is a huge no-no. But do you know why? More importantly, do you know how to eat healthy? Follow these 12 important healthy eating do’s and don’ts and you’ll feel better, look better and improve your health in no time.

Do Eat Heart-Smart

If you have high blood pressure or borderline hypertension or you just want to eat heart-smart, the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) or Mediterranean diet is the answer. People with high blood pressure or borderline hypertension can lower their blood pressure and reduce their risk of heart attack simply by modifying their diet, according to a study published in the journal Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes. Study volunteers who followed the DASH diet for eight weeks decreased their calculated heart attack risk by nearly 20 percent. The DASH diet, recommended by the American Heart Association, is similar to the Mediterranean diet, focusing on plenty of fruits, vegetables and whole grains, as well as a moderate amount of low-fat dairy and lean protein every day. Both diets also zero in on reducing saturated fat, red meat and added sugar. The study also found that eating nine to 11 servings of fruits and vegetables lowered heart attack risk by 11 percent, even when participants kept eating the typical American diet. Switching to a DASH- or Mediterranean-inspired diet is one of the best things you can do for your health. In the meantime, add more produce to your menu by including a piece of fruit and a veggie with every meal.

Do Practice Portion Control

You might think that eating alone is the best way to cut back on your calories. After all, if you’re not distracted by good conversation, you’ll be more mindful of how much food you’re shoveling into your mouth. But that isn’t always the case. While it’s true that some people eat less when dining solo, others chow down when no one is watching. If you frequently overeat, your best bet is to dine with people who practice portion control. Because we unconsciously mirror others’ habits, we eat less when others at the table are doing the same. Likewise, if your dining partner chooses a salad over mozzarella sticks, you may opt for something more healthful too. And remember to include fiber in your diet. Fiber comes from whole foods and fills you up. Try to build your meal with 100 percent whole grains and half a plate of colorful fruits and vegetables.

Do Tame Your Sweets Cravings

The equation is pretty simple: The more sweets you eat, the more you want. Which means that you can train your taste buds to crave less sugar by gradually decreasing the sweets you eat. Human beings are remarkably adaptable creatures. We can adjust to just about anything life throws at us. The same goes for our food preferences. If you’ve never had a swig of soda in your life, you’d probably cringe at how sweet it is. Drink it every day and you’d barely notice it. If you have an insatiable sweet tooth and want to cut back, do it slowly with small, imperceptible changes. That way, your palate can have time to adjust to the new flavors. If you’re a cola fanatic, switch to seltzer and grape juice. Each week, increase the amount of seltzer and reduce the amount of juice until you’re just using a splash of grape juice. Instead of candy, try dried fruits. They’re a nutritious way to satisfy a sugar craving. If you need something crunchy, go for cinnamon- or chocolate-covered almonds.

Do Keep Hunger in Check

If you’re feeling hungry all the time, take a look at how many refined carbohydrates you eat. Without fat or fiber to slow them down, refined carbohydrates fuel the appetite. Sticking with whole grains will make you feel full longer. Eating a bagel with fat-free cream cheese for breakfast? It’s about as good for your waistline as a doughnut. Both of these foods fuel the appetite like gasoline feeds a fire. Downing refined carbohydrates is like mainlining sugar — you get a blood-sugar spike and then a precipitous drop, which leads to rebound hunger. The result? You reach for another sugary goodie to stave off fatigue, irritability and gnawing hunger pangs. Keep your cravings in check by cutting out high-sugar snacks and refined carbohydrates, like white rice, sorbet, cookies and crackers. Or eat small amounts, like half of a bagel or one cup of pasta, with high-quality protein or fiber to slow it down in your system.

Do Keep Treats Hidden Away

Whether we know it or not, most of us are on the see-food diet. When snacks are placed where we can see them, we tend to eat a lot more of them. Researchers at Cornell University found that people given clear candy dishes ate 71 percent more chocolates than those who were given opaque ones. Good thing our favorite treats don’t come in clear containers! The solution: Limit your exposure to hard-to-resist goodies. Tuck them away in your cupboard, or keep them out of the house altogether. Instead, make your fruit bowl the focal point of your kitchen. It will encourage you and your family to dip into it more often.

Do Eat Regularly

Unlike your car, your body doesn’t run equally well whether it’s completely topped off or just a drop away from empty. So it’s critical to keep your fuel level relatively even throughout the day — eating too much at one meal or not enough at another can leave you lagging. That’s one reason nutrition experts are virtually unanimous in their advice to eat small meals — as many as six — throughout the day. “If you refuel every few hours, you avoid the boom and bust cycle that makes you feel depleted and can also lead to overeating,” says Sari Greaves, RD, a New York City-based spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association. If you rely on caffeine and sugar to keep you going at various times of day, you’re not fooling your body. “There’s no denying the quick fix you get from both, but the effects don’t last long,” says Greaves. She recommends sticking with “foods that take the edge off and prevent rebound hunger.” That means meals that contain both complex carbohydrates and lean protein.

Do Build a Healthy Plate

Choose foods with the most nutritional bang for your buck. “A good rule of thumb,” advises Amy Jamieson-Petonic, MEd, a registered dietitian and the director of wellness coaching at the Cleveland Clinic, “is to go back to basics — that is, to eat relatively unprocessed foods.” Shoot for 100 percent whole-grain products, fresh or frozen fruits or vegetables, low-fat or nonfat dairy products and heart-healthy fats. To balance your meals, Jamieson-Petonic has a trick: Imagine your plate like a clock. Fill the first half of the circle (from 12 to 6) with fruits and vegetables. Add lean protein to a quarter of the plate (6 to 9); round things out (from 9 to 12) with a whole-grain, high-fiber starch.

Don’t Skip Breakfast

Think you’ll save calories by skipping breakfast? Guess again. The truth is that you’ll be more likely to binge later if you haven’t eaten anything. Without a healthy breakfast in your stomach, you’ll also be more likely to choose unhealthy foods when you finally do eat, such as sweets and salty snacks. Good breakfast options include a bowl of oatmeal, whole-grain cereal with fruit and milk, a slice of toast with peanut butter, or an egg on toast — using 100 percent whole-grain bread, of course.

Don’t Overeat So-Called Healthy Food

Unfortunately, you can’t judge a food by its packaging. Just because it’s organic, high-protein or low-fat doesn’t mean it’s a diet-friendly or healthful option. When foods carry claims like “made with whole grains” or “low in sugar,” we think we’re buying health food — even though that isn’t necessarily the case. And when we think we’re being healthy, we reward ourselves by eating up to 44 percent more! Part of that reason is because we underestimate the amount of calories in so-called health food. The truth is that whole-grain, low-sugar and organic foods, among others, often contain just as many calories and grams of fat as their traditional or original counterparts. Disregard the alluring food labels on the front of packaging and check the nutrition information for yourself. Take a close look at the serving size and calculate how much you should realistically consume in one sitting before digging in.

Don’t Buy Too Much Produce

We’re not telling you to stop buying fresh fruits and vegetables! Rather, when shopping for fresh produce, buy only what you’ll eat right away. And whenever you can, buy local. There’s good reason: Plants start losing nutrients the minute they’ve been picked. One of the perks of locally grown food is that it reaches the supermarket sooner than produce that’s been shipped halfway around the country or the world. Because fruits and vegetables start losing their nutrients the moment they’ve been picked, this suggests that locally grown produce might be slightly better for you. But that’s only the case if you eat it right away. The longer it sits in your crisper, the more vitamins it will lose. That’s why it’s best to not let your produce languish in the fridge. Buy only what you know you’ll be using over a few days. Another option is to buy frozen fruits and vegetables. Since they’re put on ice immediately after being picked, they retain most of their nutrients. Frozen is an especially good choice when buying produce in the winter.

Don’t Believe That Bigger Is Better

Big containers encourage bigger helpings. If you do all of your shopping at wholesale warehouses, you could be padding more than your wallet. Colossal containers cause portion distortion, which makes us reach for 25 percent more than we would normally take. This goes for everything from laundry detergent to stale popcorn, says researcher Brian Wansink at the Cornell Food Lab. If everything you eat comes out of a mammoth package, you’re likely eating much more than you realize. While you don’t necessarily have to stop buying in bulk, you should measure out your serving sizes so you know how much you’re taking.

Don’t Fall for Every Trans Fat–Free Claim

Think your diet is trans fat–free? You might be surprised. Foods that contain less than half a gram of trans fat per serving are allowed to claim they have zero grams of the heart-damaging fat. Current dietary guidelines recommend consuming no more than 1.11 grams of trans fat per day. So eating just a few servings of supposedly trans fat–free products could inadvertently put consumers over that limit. Unlike other fats, trans fat (also known as trans fatty acid) wallops cholesterol levels in two ways — it raises “bad” LDL and lowers “good” HDL, both of which can increase the risk of heart disease. To figure out if a food contains trans fat, scan the ingredients. Fully or completely hydrogenated oil does not contain trans fat, but if the label simply says “hydrogenated,” it’s safer to stay away. That goes for “partially hydrogenated” or “shortening” too, since that product most likely contains some amount of trans fat. Watch out for trans fat in some brands of crackers, biscuit dough, microwave popcorn and cocoa, among other foods.