COLLECTED GEMS 2

BLUNTING COMPETITION

Few things you can do to have an edge over your competitors.

Know the claims your competitors are making about their products.

Know the negative claims your competitors are making about your store and your products.

Answer those objections up front in your presentation.

Know your competitors’ vulnerable points. Stress points about your store and your product that you know they can’t match.

Avoid attacking competitors’ products.

Never criticize your prospect for considering doing business with a competitor.

Show how your product is better, not how your competitor’s is worse.

Emphasize those features and benefits of your products/service that your competitor(s) can’t match.

Casuals is in

Here are some cool ways to generate employee response on various issues

Dropping in at the cafeteria and chatting with people is an effective tool for getting informal employee input.

Other ways to get informal input include having meetings with staff without a top executive present to encourage frank discussions, and anonymous surveys usually will bring great response you would never get other way.

However you do it, the input is invaluable, both for the information gained and as a first step towards involving employees in taking more responsibilities for their areas.

The direct approach

Take a direct interest in the quality of your products and services. You can’t leave this to other people.

Encourage fair treatment of others around you.

Don’t stay in your office. Wander around and keep in touch with the people whom you supervise.

Call on customers directly and ask them what they would like to see your company doing.

Take a look at costs under your control.

Some companies have cut too much and hurt their operations. Others have more fat left to go.

Avoid jargon. State your policies or areas of responsibility in plain English. If they don’t make sense, rephrase them.

TIME FOR A TETE A TETE

Don’t compete with group members.

Give their ideas precedence over yours.

Listen to everyone. Paraphrase, but don’t judge

Don’t put anyone on the defensive. Assume that everyone’s ideas have value.

Control the dominant people without alienating them

Realize that your interest and alertness are contagious.

Keep all participants informed about where they are and what’s expected of them.

Keep notes on flip charts or a board that everyone can see.

Check with the person who owns the problem to find out if a proposed solution is satisfactory.

Give others a turn at running the meeting

Those who learn to lead learn how to participate

WHEN WELL BEGUN IS NOT HALF DONE Break down a project into smaller components and schedule a specific time to work on each part. Treat this appointment with yourself as important with yourself as important as those with others. Clean your desk of things that aren’t relevant to the project. Then you won’t be distracted by other items. Work on key projects in the morning. Use the afternoon for more routine work. Avoid meetings in the morning. They often leave you feeling behind for the rest of the day. Avoid your routine “in basket” type tasks. Don’t fall into regular habits when you are working on something crucial. Find a way to be “hidden”. Work at odd hours or in odd places where you are less likely to be interrupted.

HAPPINESS

DO NOT criticise DARKNESS, LIGHT A CANDLE

Learn to plug fruits and also to plant trees

Learn to love whatever you do, be the BEST

HAPPINESS is in liking what you do or in doing what you like

To like what you do requires maturity and philosophical attitude

To do what you like involves choosing the right career