Persuasion is Based on Rapport – and Rapport is based on thinking that people are like us. One way we tell this is whether someone uses similar body language and the pace at which they speak – if they talk slower than us, we think they are slow thinkers – if they talk more quickly – we think they are a fast-talker. If you can learn to moderate your pace to match another person, rapport will increase and your ability to persuade will increase.

Persuasion is about saying things confidently – If you speak with an up inflection people will think you are uncertain, if you speak straight across with your inflection people will think you are delivering facts and if you drop down the end of your sentences – you will be using the Jedi mind trick – “These are not the droids you are looking for…” “You want to buy me a coffee now, don’t you?” If you sound confident people will tend to accept what you say as fact, when in most cases it is opinion.

Persuasion is about giving people a reason to do what you are asking them – Most people don’t like being told what to do – however if you add the word because and give a reason, statistically people are more likely to do what you ask. People just want to know “Why” and then usually they comply.

Persuasion is about asking great questions – Persuasion is really getting other people to come to the same conclusions and think its their idea. Ask good open-ended questions that enable people to buy in. How could we get that project done quicker? How can you make sure you do well on that test? What would it take to get the perfect job? How could I be happier in my relationship?

We’ll be focusing on how to be more positive at the seminar Secrets of Success in Uncertain Times Seminar, Wednesday November 19th at 7 PM at the Caboto Club – Tickets are $25 and you can order online at http://www.leadershipwizard.com/ or toll free 1-866-700-9043 or at the Caboto Club office in advance.

We also have a full-day Advanced Communication and Persuasion Skills workshop in London, Ontario on November 18th – www.PersuasionSuccess.com

Have a great work week!

Many people complain that there are too many meetings, the meetings are too long, poorly organized and don’t really accomplish anything.

Let’s look at some ways you make your meetings more positive and productive:

1. Decide if you even need a meeting – The cost of meetings is extraordinary – take all the time for all the people in the meeting and multiply by their wages and benefits. If the meeting is off site, add in travel costs. The hidden cost of any meeting is the opportunity cost – the value of what the people in the meeting would have been doing to add value, if they weren’t in a meeting. Some managers use a meeting for their own convenience – it’s easier to tell everyone the information at once. This can be inconsiderate to the people attending the meeting who have better things to do.

2. Have a specific purpose – What do you want to achieve at the meeting? If it’s just the regular staff meeting or production meeting, it may be time to get more focused on what you want to achieve because of the meeting. What are the outcomes? To solve a problem, to celebrate success?

3. Start with positives – Many meetings tend to slide into problems. To set them up for positives, start the meeting by asking people what went well for them the previous day, week or month. If you know of accomplishments, highlight them.

4. Set up an agenda – In advance if at all possible, or even right at the beginning of the meeting. Cover the purpose, put the most important items first and set up a time frame.

5. Start on time – Make it known when the meeting starts and start at that time. People will get used to being on time. If everyone knows the meeting starts late, they will show up late.

6. Stay on Track – Manage the time during the meeting to make sure discussions stay on point and that tangent discussions are limited.

7. Manage participation – Make sure you here from quieter people and that dominant people don’t dominate the discussion.

8. End the meeting on time (yes it’s a good idea to have an end time pre-established), publish a meeting summary (who agreed to do what and by when).

9. Discuss how to make the meeting better – take a few minutes at the end of the meeting to discuss how it went and how to make it better.

Reminder to get your tickets for the Secrets of Success in Uncertain Times at the Caboto Club – November 19th at 7 PM. Visit www.LeadershipWizard.com for tickets.

Especially in these uncertain times, leadership requires faith. Faith is believing in something you cannot know for sure. We most often think about faith in a religious context. As a Christian I believe in God and Jesus Christ.

In business, a manager or leader needs to have faith in these areas:

Potential: Have faith in the abilities of the employees who work for you. Looking at the staff around you, consider who has untapped potential and then give them assignments, training and coaching to bring out their best. Some may disappoint and yet others will surprise.

Picture the Possibilities: Get a picture in your mind about where you want your business, department or division to be in the future. Being able to envision future success will help you lead staff towards that goal. In the current uncertain economic times, great leaders will take their organization boldly into the future.

Payoff: If you can envision the rewards for what you are working on, it can help motivate you to take action. What’s in it for you? A promotion; a bonus; a sense of self-satisfaction?

Remember the Secrets of Success in Uncertain times seminar on November 19th at the Caboto Club in Windsor. Get your tickets today at www.LeadershipWizard.com

Everyone has a lot to be thankful for in life, whether things are going well right now or you are facing some personal challenges.

Being thankful can help you innoculate yourself from all the negativity that comes with the volatile news – remember that if you just learned that your car or house dropped 40% you wouldn’t run out and sell it – you would likely hold on.

At work there can be many things to be thankful for and you should tell people that you appreciate them and what they do for you. When someone brings you something that makes your job easier say thank you. When employees serve customers or do their jobs well, say thank you. Even though doing things for you may be your job, say thank you.

Showing appreciation helps the other person ‘Appreciate’ in value. And when someone says thank you to you, just say, ‘You’re welcome.’ When you turn down thanks, it is an insult to the other person – like refusing a gift. Accept the positive and allow it to nourish your soul.

High Achievers will often find themselves promoted into leadership positions, in many cases they are fast trackers. In an interesting twist, their need for achievement can be their undoing.

Making the transition from individual achiever to exceptional leader requires a new frame where the leader gets more satisfaction achieving results through the work of others instead of their own accomplishments.

Here are some of the fatal flaws that can keep a high achiever from being a great leader:

1. Competing with Subordinates – High acheivers are quite bright and therefore may actually compete with their employees, comparing themselves to the employees, belittling the employees or making all the decisions themselves. Remember that being a great leader means getting satisfaction from your team generating the great results and not you personally.

2. Taking away initiative – When an employee brings a project or idea to a high achiever they often cannot help themselves in wanting to add something extra, thinking it will improve the project. “That’s a great idea, and you know what would make it even better?” What the leader gains in terms of improving the quality of the suggestion is taken away by stipping away the ownership and commitment that the employee had in the idea to begin with. Try stopping at “That’s a great idea.” and let the employee run with it.

3. Belittling Comments – As high achievers it can be tempting to make jokes and subtle put downs, thinking that we are being funny. You have to ask yourself, how does teasing the other person help make them more productive? The result instead is that the team becomes demotivated and you as the leader suffer as performance drops off. Instead be a positive influence on your team and watch their morale and attitude improve. They will work harder to make you look good and then you’ll be ready for your next promotion.

Now a little information on the Secrets of Success Seminar. This is a brand new seminar – if you have attended one of my seminars in the past, you will want to attend this one with all new material designed to help you reach your full potential. We’ll be looking at the latest tools and techniques to help you get to the next level. If you are feeling stale, stagnant or stuck, come on out for the evening seminar at the Caboto Club. It’s 7:00 PM to 9:30 PM on Wednesday, November 19th.

The last seminar was a sell-out so get your tickets now at
www.LeadershipWizard.comor click on the icon on the www.AM800CKLW.com home page. You can also call my office at 1-866-700-9043.