High Performance Mastery: Top 7 Principles For Transforming Your Business From Mediocre To Great

In the words of motivational speaker, Les Brown -- "You don't have to be great to get started, but you do have o get started to be great.” Where do you start to transform your business from mediocre to great?

Below are your top 7 essential ingredients for cultivating greatness within your own business:

1. KNOW WHAT YOUR BUSINESS STANDS FOR AND LIVE THOSE VALUES.
More than ever, today, customers don’t just ask “what products do you offer?” They also ask “what values do ...

Keywords:

business coaching, leadership, wealth, business success, marketing, million dollars, NLP

Article Body:

In the words of motivational speaker, Les Brown -- "You don't have to be great to get started, but you do have o get started to be great.” Where do you start to transform your business from mediocre to great?

Below are your top 7 essential ingredients for cultivating greatness within your own business:

1. KNOW WHAT YOUR BUSINESS STANDS FOR AND LIVE THOSE VALUES.
More than ever, today, customers don’t just ask “what products do you offer?” They also ask “what values do you stand for?” What values does your business stand for? What practices have you developed to live those values daily?

2. KNOW YOUR COMPELLING "WHY."
Viktor Frankl, the great Austrian psychiatrist, said it best: “Success, like happiness, cannot be pursued; it must ensue ... as the unintended side effect of one’s personal dedication to a cause greater than oneself.” For what “transcendent” purpose does your business exist? How does your business make a difference in your customers’ lives?

3. ALWAYS SEEK THE EDGE.
In 1954, Roger Bannister did the seemingly “impossible” and ran the first 4 minute mile. When asked how he did it, he said “It's the ability to take more out of yourself than you've got.'" How can you “take more out of yourself than you’ve got” to achieve the seemingly impossible in your business?

4. DARE TO BE DIFFERENT.
Contrarians are the change agents in the business world. These wealth-building businesses are not simply “executing better” -- they’re radically changing the rules of the success game in their field or industry. Where in your business can you break the rules? How can you set yourself apart from the crowd in your industry?

5. FIND MODELS OF GREATNESS.
Within every industry, every geography, every career path, there are examples of greatness everywhere. Find those people, those businesses that inspire you the most. What is it about them you would like to emulate? What changes can you make today to be like them?

6. KNOW THE END IN MIND.
Great businesses **decide** their future. They are not dictated by it. They know exactly where they want to be, by when, how, and then persist in getting there. What decisions have you made about your business future? What do you need to decide differently in order to have a great outcome?

7. COMMIT TO PERSONAL GREATNESS.
Your business is a direct reflection of where you are at. It only grows as quickly as you do. To build a great business, you must commit to your own personal greatness. How do you define personal greatness for yourself? What changes can you make to unleash your own greatness?

Five Principles For Any Employee

One day you get a job! You are thrilled. You do not have to ask your dad for money, you can buy what you want, you can have fun as you wish. There is a lurking suspicion somewhere. Whether I will be able to work to the satisfaction of the boss, what kind of work will be

there, and actually what will I be supposed to do ?

Keywords:

job,career,software,computer,organisation,employee,management,satisfaction,goal,objective,profession

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Getting a job after several years of schooling gives some anxious moments to everyone!

It is a time when you are on your own and want to lead your life your own way without any strings attached.......

There are three major aspects in life :

1. Childhood

2. Adult life

3. Old age

There are however some transition periods like there is teenage between childhood and adult life in which period you develop your strengths - physical and mental. You play games and study for a job or a career. Depending on the profession you choose or plan you choose the area of education. Nehru said, " Education is what one forgets what one has learnt at school". It does not mean you immediately wipe out what you learnt. One has to develop one's own learning.

Learning Curve

A learning curve is 'S'-shaped. There is a lag phase, a growth phase, a stationary phase and a decay phase. In the lag phase you take your time to grasp, understand and apply the rudiments of knowledge imparted or learnt. The time period of lag phase varies from person to person. The growth phase is the period where you learn faster than before that is there is acceleration. In the stationary phase, you reach stagnancy since you are saturated either due to educational limitations or you are an expert by that time. Decay phase may overtake you either due to old age or due to out-dated knowledge.

You enjoy your life if you are lucky in the pre-adulthood phase of life when your mother takes care of you showering love and affection and father takes care of your educational needs and career planning. There those who have to struggle ( and there are plenty of them) to overcome emotional and economic problems to achieve their aims and objectives.

On getting a job

One day you get a job! You are thrilled. You do not have to ask your dad for money, you can buy what you want, you can have fun as you wish. There is a lurking suspicion somewhere. Whether I will be able to work to the satisfaction of the boss, what kind of work will be there, and actually what will I be supposed to do ?

What is an organisation?

First of all, one has to have an idea of an organisation or a company or a firm. The very word organisation implies a 'structure'. There is a hierarchy or a pyramid of people. There is a base, a mid- section and a pointed top. If one starts at the base, he is at the lowest level where all low-level jobs have to be carried out. If one joins at the mid-section, he has a base at the bottom and a top above him. The top-level or senior management plans, reviews and controls the over-all objectives of a company. The mid-section or middle management has to get the objectives planned by the top-management through the involvement of the base-level employees or their supervisors. The middle management has to clearly understand the plans and perceptions of the top management and the problems and limitations of the base-level to achieve success. Alongside one must also know whether one is in line management or staff management.

Line Manager

A line manager is directly in the line of command whereas a staff manager is one branch of line management. A line manager has better chance of promotion since he can go to the next higher level by virtue of a promotion in a vacancy. A staff manager has fewer chances of rising up the ladder. A line manager grows more by virtue of his years of experience though he may be doing the same job again and again, year after year!

Staff Manager

A staff manager can grow only by aquiring up to date knowledge and skills and by looking for better paying jobs. One should identify on joining a job whether he is a line manager or a staff manager. In a big organisation, even staff management can have its own line management but limited up to the main line where it is an off-shoot.

Career Visions

In the course of a job, one must realise quickly enough whether one is just doing a job for livelihood or for a career. When three bricklayers were asked what they were doing, each replied differently. One said he was earning his livelihood, the other said he was perfecting the art of bricklaying whereas the third fellow said he was building a castle. They are respectively the ordinary worker, the skilled worker and the manager, says Peter Drucker. Thus a profession can be looked at in one's own perception. Fundamentally, one who enjoys his job can achieve greater heights. If you want to be a successful manager, each and every nuance of work should be done with full focus and with dedication.

Emotional Quotient

In the beginning, very few job-seekers or fresh recruits realise that employee life is worse than student life. One has to have a high emotional quotient to tolerate the behaviour of colleagues at the workplace. There are those who are planning to out-wit you without your knowledge, there are those who are otherwise good but ineffective, there are those who at your very sight curse you under their breath, there are those who paint a dismal picture of the organisation on your very first day of joining and so on. Yet there are some good people too. There are those who want your help and company.

Five Golden Principles In Any Job

The first principle :

" Study the environment and the people for a reasonable time."

The second principle :

" Do not get tempted to comment or make statements."

The third principle :

" Do not be in a hurry to please your boss ."

The fourth principle :

" Do not enter into political discussions ."

The fifth principle :

" Study your boss carefully remembering the golden adage - the boss is always right!"

Ethics and Morality

In the long run, one should try to maintain ethical standards in a job. Ultimately, everything boils down to one's character. One has to be true, sincere, honest, hard-working, dedicated, principled and caring if one wants to be a successful manager. Remember, in an organisation you are what you are perceived to be! You cannot believe in something and appear to be somebody else - certainly, not in the long run. Be sure. Gandhian principles merit consideration in every walk of life.

Then you must plan for your finances. Work out a plan - when you want to get married, when you want to raise a family ( and what size!), where you want to be locationally and career-wise, standard of life you plan to maintain, assets you wish to build - fixed and current, your responsibilities, disaster management plan, savings for the future etc.

Above All

Above all, one should never land oneself in unnecessary problems. It is always better to maintain integrity. Do not be greedy or get misled by quick-money ventures. Take your time to study, analyse and discuss any investment and its associated risks. Do not fall into traps just because your friend has taken up something. Be safe and sure. Live by truth and self-control. Never be avengeful or nurture evil thoughts. Whenever you get angry or upset with someone, adopt "silence with a smile". If you wish you can tell politely but be ready to hear similarly!

In the long run, try to make up as best as and as fast as you can. Nobody has come to live permanently on this planet....

For latest job openings in computer related fields, you can visit:

Get What You Want In Life With The Seven Powerful Principles of Persuasion

Politicians, sales professionals, network marketers, insurance agents, colleagues, friends and family members all have an interest in you agreeing to their requests. So how do you know whether you have been manipulated unfairly or ethically persuaded? Also, is there a direct correlation between your ability to persuade others and the level of income you receive? Read on to find out now!

Keywords:

Best Distributor NLP Practitioner Training Consultancy MLM Persuasion Mastery Powerful Principles Direct Selling Politicians Master Networkers Network Marketing Insurance Manipulation James Leong

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"Persuasion is grounded in basic scientific practical and learnable principles." -- Harvard Business Review

Have you ever find it difficult to say no to your friends, colleagues and family members? Ever felt trapped into buying something you didn’t really want or hoodwinked into saying yes? Time and again, people in every culture have developed certain predictable reactions to common situations in the persuasion process. It is because of these reactions to certain stimuli that make it possible to predict behavior and for that reason to persuade. Unfortunately it is also these same reactions that make it possible to manipulate or be manipulated by unscrupulous individuals.

Politicians, sales professionals, network marketers, insurance agents, colleagues, friends and family members all have an interest in you agreeing to their requests. So how do you know whether you have been manipulated unfairly or ethically persuaded?

Although this article looks at the Seven Principles of Persuasion that govern getting to “yes”. And you would have already know your success largely depends upon your ability to persuade and influence others to accept and adopt your point of view. I assert to you that in addition to this, there is a direct correlation between your ability to persuade others and the level of income you receive.

Therefore, knowledge of these Seven Principles of Persuasion would certainly empower you.

Principle #1: PRINCIPLE OF RECIPROCATION

This principle states that when we give something of apparent value, people will respond with a desire to offer something in return.

According to Bob Stone, professor of Direct Marketing at the Northwestern University and founder of his own direct marketing advertising agency, Stone and Adler, Inc.: “It’s not at all unusual for the right gift to increase the response by 25 percent or more.”

It is no wonder that super salesmen like Zig Ziglar have made this the foundation of how they operate. Zig has always said this: “You can have whatever you want as long as you help enough people to first get what they want.” We can see this powerful principle in practice all around us. Supermarkets offer free samples, car dealers offer test drives, health clubs free workouts, builders offer free surveys and so forth so that potential customers try out the product or service and at the same time become indebted at some psychological level.

It is also common practice, at Tupperware home parties, for the presenter to give away an inexpensive Tupperware item or product sample. And reciprocation is further reinforced by the generous offer of free refreshments and tidbits – This technique further obligates the partygoers to the host and the company.

You can build a sense of indebtedness in someone by delivering a number of uninvited "first favors" over time. They don't have to be tangible gifts. In today's world, useful information is one of the most valuable favors you can deliver.

Another form of reciprocity at work is “risk-reversal”. In marketing, this is offering a guarantee on the products so that you can overcome a prospect’s innate aversion to “taking a risk” and buying the product. With a guarantee, the risk is no longer on the buyer. By reversing the risk, much more sales are made and the customer and vendor are both satisfied. How can you apply “risk-reversal” in your life to get whatever you want? Let me demonstrate by the example of Napoleon Hill, best selling author of “Think and Grow Rich”.

Napoleon Hill chose his future employer right out of college even though his future employer didn’t know about it. Here’s how he got the job. He went to the employer and essentially said, “Let me work for you for two weeks and I’ll pay you for the opportunity. Let what I pay you be drawn against my future earnings. At the end of two weeks, if you don’t like me, I’ll leave. If you like me, you hire me at the rate I’m paying you for the opportunity to show myself.”

Of course the employer immediately jumped at this idea. A fortnight later, Napoleon Hill had the job he had set out to get. Why did this work? It worked because he helped overcame the employer’s reluctance to hire an unproven fresh graduate. View it from the employer’s perspective, he either got an excellent employee after two weeks or he got someone to pay him two weeks of wages and two weeks of free labor. For Hill’s employer, it was totally “Risk-Free”.

Can you think of three ways you can apply “risk-reversal” in your life to get more of what you want right now?

Principle #2: PRINCIPLE OF CONTRAST

This principle states that when two different items or circumstances are placed close together, their differences will be made more apparent.

"We can do this the hard way... or we can do this the easy way." -- Gangster Movie Script

I'm not advocating any acts of criminal intimidation here, but there is something to learn from the above quote. The way the Principle of Contrast goes like this – You offer your prospect two choices. One choice will be so ‘bad’ that no one in his or her right mind would take it. The second choice, the one you want them to take, will seem in contrast to be the most attractive.

For example when two homes are in similar neighborhoods, real estate agents will usually say, "Before we look at the $500,000 home we should really take a look at the $350,000 home." The more expensive home will always have more features and it is the last home the prospective home buyer will see. Psychologically as the last home is a much more decorated than the first, the less expensive home will appear a lot less attractive to the prospective home buyer.

Here’s another example: Retail store salespersons will always sell you the suit first, then offer you "add on" items like ties, belts, cardigans, etc. The additional $45 to $150 for the extras is considerably less compared to the $800 suit. These retail store salespersons would never sell you the $45 item first, then try to persuade you to "add on" the suit! By the way, do you remember the last time when you availed yourself to a product and what items you were asked to buy in addition to your original purchase?

Remember when using the Principle of Contrast, we must always start with the choice that no one in his or her right mind would take first. It’s only then that the choice we want our prospects, loved ones or friends to take will be readily accepted.

Principle #3: PRINCIPLE OF CONSISTENCY

“It is easier to resist in the beginning than at the end.” -- Leonardo da Vinci

Research shows that we humans have a nearly obsessive desire to be and appear consistent. Once we’ve made a decision or taken a stand, we feel pressure to act in ways consistent with that commitment. Usually once a decision is made, we usually don’t have to think about it any more.

If you are in insurance or network marketing sales, have you ever had prospects cancel appointments with you at the last minute? In a similar situation back in 1998, a certain Chicago restaurant owner was all ruffled up with last minute cancelled reservations. He solved his problem by asking his receptionists to modify just two words of what they said to patrons requesting a reservation. These two words reduced the no-show rate from 30% to 10%. The magic within these words was that they tapped the human desire to be consistent. The receptionist modified her usual request from “Please call if you have to change your plans” to “Will you please call if you have to change your plans?” At this point, she would deliberately pause and just wait for a response. The pause was critical because it encouraged the customer to make a public commitment. This principle also worked well for my clients in the insurance industry.

Have you ever wondered why is it difficult for a person to leave a cult? That’s because cult members are unconsciously trying to justify their earlier assurance to their families and friends that no one is ordering them around and that they had chosen to do what they did." With such public commitment or declaration, getting out can make these cult members feel really guilty.

In a coaching scenario, if a coach can create a situation in which his client or group makes an active verbal or written commitment, particularly if this is done in public, the chances of compliance shoot up dramatically. In reality, the magic of written goals derives its power from the client’s desire to be consistent. A second way to use the Principle of Consistency to persuade is for the coach to frame his request as related to a commitment his client has made earlier on. For instance, “I know how committed you are to your family. The diligent application of the time management tools we are talking about will free you up for more quality family time, don’t you agree?”

Principle #4: PRINCIPLE OF LIKING

This principle states that people prefer to say yes to individuals they know and like.

The Master Persuader will always emphasize certain factors and/or attributes to increase their overall attractiveness and subsequent effectiveness. He will always use the following factors:

A) Physical Attractiveness
Majority of the population form conclusions about people within the first four minutes they meet. Research has shown that 93% of the time we are judged based on first impression and the remaining 7% is based on our real abilities.

This means that sales professionals such as insurance, real estate agents with good dress sense are perceived as physically attractive and therefore more likely to influence more prospects to use their services.

Physical attractiveness also gives the impression of intelligence and kindness. As a result, attractive sales professionals and motivational speakers are more persuasive both in terms of changing others' attitudes towards the business and getting what they request.

B) Similarity
We like people who are like ourselves and are therefore more willing to say yes to their requests, often without much critical consideration.

C) Praise
Sincere and lavish compliments almost certainly enhances liking. Remember Dale Carnegie? He advised all who wants to win friends and influence people to be hearty in their approbation and lavish in their praise.

Research conducted at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill found that inaccurate praise also induces the same intensity of liking for the flatterer. In fact, men will sacrifice their lives for praise, honor and recognition. Intrinsically, we crave and yearn for a boost to our esteem. We all wear an imaginary badge that says, “Please make me feel important.” And ironically most people would never think of physically harming someone or depriving them of food and water, yet often without reservation we will harm someone emotionally or deprive them of love and appreciation! To be a Master Persuader, we should make it a habit to give genuine sincere praise to someone every day. Don’t wait for a reason or for something big to happen. Be generous with your praise. Praise simply makes others more open to persuasion.

D) Increased Familiarity & Frequency
Repeat contact between a prospect and direct sales professionals (like insurance agents and network marketers) always facilitates liking and influence the prospect’s decision to join the business. This principle explains the necessity to follow-up with your prospects. According to the ‘McGraw Hill Sales Statistical Studies’, 96% of all sales happen after 5.6 exposures to information (and, most importantly, the persuasive presenter).

Principle #5: PRINCIPLE OF AUTHORITY & POWER

This principle states that most people have a very strong tendency to obey authority figures and they also prefer products, services and opportunities that are endorsed by people whom they believe to be credible.

From a very young age, we are trained to obey. First our parents (and by default all adults), then teachers, policemen, managers and so on. Eventually it defaults to anyone who seems to be our superior. We thus divide the world into those who are superior to us (and who are thus to be obeyed) and those who are inferior (and who should obey us). We also must be cautious not to equate superiority with authority.

Stanley Milgram was a famous Yale psychologist who is most remembered for his work with obedience to authority. Deeply disturbed by what had happened in Germany during World War II, Milgram carried out an experiment to find out whether it was indeed true, as many Nazi collaborators claimed, that ordinary people could be made to commit unspeakably cruel acts under the influence of authority figures.

Posing as an education researcher, Milgram hired an actor to pose as a "student" in the experiment and told his subjects he was studying "learning." The actor was hooked up to wires that, Milgram explained to his subjects, would deliver a shock whenever they pulled a lever. In his role as experimenter and authority figure clad in a white lab coat, Milgram instructed his subjects to deliver greater and greater shocks to the actor whenever he got answers wrong on a series of learning tests. The actor would howl theatrically in pain and often feign a heart attack before passing out.

How many subjects do you think continued to administer shocks to the actor to the point that they reached the dangerously fatal level? Sixty-eight percent of them obeyed orders to punish the actor! By donning on a white lab coat, Milgram had undoubtedly created an atmosphere of authority.

"The disappearance of a sense of responsibility is the most far-reaching consequence of submission to authority." -- Stanley Milgram, Yale University Psychologist

During one of my training trips to China, I actually came across an advertisement billboard that promotes a certain hospital in a large city. The billboard actually features their team of top medical specialists all donned in surgeon’s cap and white lab coats.

Robert Kiyosaki, the best selling author of ‘Rich Dad, Poor Dad’ and popular guru of wealth creation, has helped many decide to join Network Marketing when he strongly endorses this industry in his landmark book ‘The Business School for People Who Like Helping People.’ This principle also explains why so many network marketers are approaching medical professions in this business. Whenever doctors join network marketing opportunities and endorse any products, it is usually perceived as credible.

Anyone offering his or her experience, expertise or credentials are harnessing the power of authority. Of course there is nothing wrong with these claims providing they are real because we all want the opinions and ideas of true experts.

You can put this principle to use by citing authoritative sources to support your ideas. Look and act like an authority yourself. Be sure others know that your research, education and experience support your ideas. Complement the Principle of Authority & Power with the Principle of Liking, dress like the people who are already in the positions of authority that you seek.

Principle #6: PRINCIPLE OF CONFORMITY

This principle states that people prefer beliefs, products, services and opportunities that are popular or part of a trend.

This principle is also known as the “Bandwagon Effect” and is closely associated with the Principle of Authority and Power. One way we decide what is correct is to find out what others think is right. Or when everyone else is behaving in a certain manner, most would assume that is the right thing to do. For example, one of the important, and largely unconscious, ways we decide what is acceptable behavior on our current job is by watching the people around us, especially the higher-ups or old timers.

When attempting to persuade, you may wish to include accounts of others’ positive reactions to the suggested action. This is especially effective if the people cited are those that the person perceives as similar to self in some ways. In team building, you can use the power of positive people on your team to help you influence others to choose helpful and constructive behavior.

At the corporate level, more and more companies are donating a percentage of their profits to charitable organizations. They are doing this because it has been proven in a study that 70 percent of consumers believe that cause-related marketing helps to solve social problems. And when the product’s price and quality are the same, these consumers are more likely to switch to a brand that’s associated with a good cause. Even more surprisingly, more than half of these consumers are willing to pay more for a product when it is associated with a cause they care about.

The Principle of Conformity kicks in even more strongly when the situation is uncertain or people aren't sure what to do. When you can show them what others like themselves believe or are doing, people are more likely to take the same action. The 1997 mass suicide among the Heaven’s Gate cult followers in Southern California is an example of the negative power of this principle.

Principle #7: PRINCIPLE OF SCARCITY

“The way to love anything is to realize that it might be lost.” -- G.K. Chesterton

This principle essentially says that people desire more of those things that seem to be scarce. Also when a person believes that something he might want is scarce, that something becomes even more valuable.

Nearly everyone is vulnerable to some form of the Principle of Scarcity. Opportunities seem more valuable when they are less available. Hard-to-get things are perceived as better than easy-to-get things. Why do you think the “limited time offer” is so common in advertising? Because it works! The retailer indicates that a decision must be made now or within a short period of time, or the price will go up or the opportunity will no longer be available. The desire to acquire the scarce item is increased further when we believe that someone else might get it and hence gain a higher social position that we might have possessed.

The Principle of Scarcity also works in calculating the value of an item. If it is rare or becoming rare, it is more valuable. According to the Principle of Scarcity, the more time a lawyer has available in his schedule, the less prospects and clients will value his services. But as the lawyer grow busier and has less time available, prospects and clients see his services as increasingly more valuable.

Likewise many novice insurance agents seemed to be begging for an appointment, “Pete, I hope you don’t mine me asking, are you free on Tuesday at 7pm? I’ve got this interesting investment to show you.” And the answer most often given is “no.” The experienced insurance agent (EIA) however will leverage on the Principle of Scarcity by implying he has a tight schedule, with only certain days and time slot available.

EIA: I can’t meet you on Wednesday, Thursday is also packed. How about Friday at 4pm? I have a 20 minutes slot free then.

Prospect: Wow! Business must be good for you! Okay, let’s meet on Friday at 4pm.

By the way, the Principle of Scarcity also has applications in our personal lives. Do you recall the proverb, “Absence makes the heart grow fonder”? Well, on one occasion, I actually sat down with a sobbing course participant who declares his undying devotion and willingness to do “anything” for his wife who has just walked out on him because of years of neglect and being taken for granted.

IS THIS MANIPULATION?

Some of you may be wondering out loud, “Aren’t the above tactics manipulative?” Perhaps, if that’s the way you choose to use them. That’s a matter of personal integrity and ethics. My assumption is that you will exercise integrity when applying these Principles of Persuasion. It is my sincere belief that using these principles to persuade people to think or act in ways that are in their own best interests as well as yours will certainly help everyone become even more successful. The Seven Principles of Persuasion are incredibly powerful and can be combined in numerous ways to your advantage.