Tips to Success at Work and in your Health:

So you are sleeping poorly? Too stressed? Not eating as well as you could from your desk? Exercising monthly? All business people have periods like this. They do. Some people take a different approach to solving these issues though. Exercise is incredible for reducing stress, improving sleep, giving you energy, clearing your head, even improving what you eat (no one wants potato chips after a workout).

So why aren't you making health and exercise a part of your weekly routine? Can't find the time? Can't get out of the office? Can't get all the way to the gym? Maybe 2010 is where you need to start.

Here are some critical tips for making fitness part of your life in 2010:

1. Find a gym close to your house or close to your work - if you have to drive more than 10 minutes you won't do it. People tell themselves they will drive 30 minutes to the gym ... no you won't.
   
   
2. Go at a time when you are energized ... if you are not a morning person then quit trying to convince yourself you will get up at 5am. If you do get up early, set 2-3 alarm clocks to ensure you succeed.
   
   
3. Get a trainer - they will give you routines, exercises, ideas and companionship for every workout.
   
   
4. Find a sport or activity you like - if you hate weights, don't lift them. If you hate swimming then don't swim. What do you like to do?
   
   
5. Learn more ... most people know little about kinesiology, bio-mechanics, caloric intake, exercises for different parts of the body, etc. Get interested and become a student of health.
   
   
6. Get a trainer - they will push you harder than you thought you could ever go and will show you what you are capable of.
   
   
7. Find a partner - people who workout with a partner are 4 times more likely to stick with it. Find someone at work, at the gym or get a trainer to help you.
   
   
8. Tell your boss or co-workers ... I know, it seems crazy but telling those you work with about your commitment to fitness and health will increase their understanding and support of you hitting the gym.
   
   
9. Get a trainer - they will encourage you, hold you accountable, teach you, hug you, make you successful!

Personal Touch Your Way to Success

Personal Touch Your Way to Success:

No matter what position or role you play in a company, personal touch matters. How are you putting a personal touch on things with your co-workers? Your suppliers? Your customers? Sure people all send out those chocolate boxes or a fruit basket this time of year. What about next month in January? Adding a personal touch is something you need to do each day, week and month. It doesn’t have to be big things. Here are ideas you can use no matter what time of year or what position you are in:

1. Personalized notes – attach a little handwritten note of thanks whenever you send papers out.
2. Personalized cards – send a card out saying thank you, great job or sharing some admiration. You appear more human than an email ever will.
3. Bring Food – send cookies to a client and watch the reaction. Bring donuts to the Monday meetings and show someone you thought of the team.
4. Send Kudos to the Boss – send a message to the boss letting him/her know what a great job was done by them (they’re people too).
5. Magazine subscription – get a client a magazine subscription they will love. It’s a gift that gives for 12 months!
6. Inspirational Sayings – put some inspirational message in the kitchen or the boardroom for people to read and appreciate
7. Wrap it Up – next time you send a report, a book, a part – wrap it up like a gift. Amazon does it with books and people love it.
8. Gift cards – send someone a gift card every week with a note telling them how they impact you.
9. Take Someone for Lunch – who never seems to leave the office? Take them out for lunch on you and get to know them.

Use little extras like this to make a big impact on people … during this festive season but also in all of 2010.

Sales Tip: Stop "Touching Base:

How many times do you call back people that are just calling to touch base? Well, for most people it is rarely. We get too many calls, emails and have too many tasks to get around to touching base. I have friends that I really do want to catch up with and we still have trouble finding time – and they are friends!

When you call someone or leave them a message give them a reason to call back. Tell them about new features they may want. Tell them about a new program you have. Give them an update on news in the industry.

Elude to them there is reason for your call and benefit to them. If you do this well, getting people to return your call will be easier than ever!

Sales Tip: Invite Old Clients Back

Have you ever been in a conversation about a past or old client and suddenly thought or said, "I wonder what happened to them?" Apathy or perceived apathy is still the number one reason people leave a supplier. Beyond price or service. The easiest way to overcome this is to constantly invite old clients back. Make them feel welcome over and over. Your past clients should become your base of VIP’s and should be the easiest sales in the world. Too often we take those past relationships for granted or forget about them all together.

If you are doing a decent job then most of your clients will be willing to purchase again … so invite them back to the table to work with you over and over. Introduce new products to them first and have a circle of people that always buy and continue to refer you year after year.

Leadership Tip: How Are You Today - Your Thermostat for Success

Many times leaders and managers want to get a sense of where their team is operating and how they are feeling. People have an easy way they project their level of energy, enthusiasm and optimism. It is when they answer, how are you today?

Choose people for your team that are “great today” or “excellent this morning”. Stay away from hires and people that are “okay”, “not bad”, “I’m not bleeding” (one of my favorites). When someone answers that question you know their whole approach to their job, their project and their life in an instant. Get your team thinking about how they are setting their bar for the day – fine, good, great, fantastic or beyond. It shapes the way people feel and how they perform for their leader and team.

Gratitude is Key

With all the talk of economic slowdown (whether you choose to participate or not), now is a great time to focus on time tested keys that can help you and your organization. Gratitude is key because, first, it strengthens relationships. When you consistently let clients and customers know you appreciate them and thank them for their business they come back. What they buy may vary but they become more and more loyal through strong gratitude. Secondly, gratitude is terrific for focusing your organization and team on what is going well. It can also be just for you in your own role. What is going well? What are you grateful for?

TIP...

Start to list off all of the things that still are advantageous and you are lucky to have. People feel better. Teams come together. It builds morale in a company quickly. Is gratitude part of your staff meetings?

Finally, as you talk about what you are grateful for you focus on opportunity. Opportunities are available in all economic conditions. Many people stop trying to see them. Starting with gratitude about last year’s big sales, great clients and big wins can spur the conversation of where this year’s opportunities will lie. Take time to work gratitude into your daily routine (a thank you card a day) and that of your team’s (team meetings, announcement, rituals).

Step Up & Stand Out

One of the worst expressions from any staff member or service person is, that’s not my job. It appears people are so quick to push off responsibility and do the bare minimum in their jobs. When was the last time you had the chance to go further for a client or for a project and stopped, using the idea that it wasn’t really your issue or responsibility to improve it.

Every employer I have ever worked with has wanted more from their staff; more initiative, more effort and more responsibility to solve the issues at hand. Contrary to that popular quote, you DO get paid to think. Most of your income and value comes from your thinking and solving problems. So own it. Initially you get paid to do a certain function or role. So own that and be responsible for everything in it. If its in charge of admin supplies then make sure everything is stocked, inventoried, you’ve asked about everyone’s needs, you’ve compared prices. When you take full responsibility for your area (no matter how small) it demonstrates you can do more. It demonstrates all those great qualities all companies want to showcase – pride in work, organization, initiative and, of course, personal responsibility.

You want to get paid more? Then demonstrate your level of personal responsibility to your tasks and your area of the business. Take whatever you are supposed to be doing as the most important thing in your life. Oh sure, maybe its not but do your customers or your employer want to know that?! No.

When you stop making excuses for your job, things change. It’s no longer the traffic, the bad customers, the desk you use, the lack of sales materials, the old computer, the bad boss. It is you that makes the job great. You can overcome any surrounding circumstance to stand out. So do it.