We all need to create three bucket lists in order to truly network with purpose. The first bucket contains a list of all your current connections. We are all connected to far more people than we realize. If you were to take 10 minutes and write a list of past and current work colleagues, industry contacts, friends, family and social acquaintances, you’ll likely be surprised at how long a list you have.

Ask yourself the following questions about the people on this list:
•    Who are they?
•    What have you done for them?
•    What have they done for you?
•    What are you going to do to keep them?

Your next list is people you want to make connections with soon. Ask yourself the following questions about these people:
•    Who are they?
•    What can you do to attract them?
•    What do you want from them?
•    How will you connect with them?

The final list is people you hope to connect with in the future. Ask yourself the following questions about the people in this bucket:
•    Who are they?
•    What can you do to attract them?
•    What do you want from them?
•    How will you get in front of them?
•    How will you connect with them?

The thing to keep in mind as you answer these questions for each name in each bucket is that the more you do for them, the more they will do for you. The more you do for them, the more important you will be in their life. The more likely they will be to take your call. The more likely they will be to meet with you. Why? Because you have brought them value in the past. So the emphasis has to be on what you can do for them… NOT what they can do for you.

Value Based Networking is all about your willingness to give value first. It’s the process of creating and actively maintaining relationships where you can help others achieve their goals and they can help you achieve yours. Value Based Networking involves determining your networking purpose, defining possible contacts, developing a plan of action and committing the time and energy necessary to produce meaningful results.

Now take your top ten contacts, maybe five from bucket one, three from bucket two and two from bucket three, and write one action item next to each name with a deadline to complete that action within the month. The action can be just about anything – send them an email, write them a letter, give them a call, or set up a lunch or meeting. Ask them about a trip they took recently or a conference they attended; send them an article or book you think they would enjoy; introduce them to a contact of yours. But whatever it is, focus on providing value to them.

If you do this each and every month, you’ll have made 120 meaningful value based connections over the next year. Now that’s meaningful!

About the Author:

The Balanced WorkLife Company is dedicated to helping the best get better while they enjoy the journey. Our programs give you access to tools and methodologies that allow you to break through the barriers and achieve your goals while also helping you enjoy a balance between and within your job, your career and your personal life. Whether you are a seasoned professional or just starting your career, the Balanced WorkLife Company can help you achieve your ultimate potential. To learn more, visit www.balancedworklife.com and download our free report “The 16 Most Common Networking Mistakes to Avoid,” which is jam-packed with information to help you develop and build long-lasting business and social relationships.

A few weeks ago I decided to go to the movies with a girlfriend. We chose Prince of Persia.

As it happened, it was opening weekend so I hadn’t seen the reviews. However, I was a little worried about seeing it. The previews made it look sort of muddled and I was a bit puzzled by the choice of Jake Gyllenhaal as the lead. (He never struck me as the action adventure type hero.) Worse yet, it was based on a game.

Yee gads. Why did I agree to see this movie again?

Needless to say I walked into that theater with VERY low expectations.

So imagine how happy I was when the movie DIDN’T suck. Yes I know, it got some bad reviews. But truly, if you’re looking for a light, mindless, action-packed summer flick, Prince of Persia delivers. (And I was also pleasantly surprised at Jake Gyllenhaal — talk about some nice eye candy.)

The interesting part about all of this is I think my impression of that movie is higher than it should be. Why? Because my expectations were so low and the movie beat them so significantly — thus my overall impression is that it’s a good movie.

Now, let’s take another movie where I went in with HIGH expectations and the movie DIDN’T deliver. Like The English Patient. Won an Academy Award. Everyone was buzzing about it. I found it slow and terribly depressing. I also didn’t quite get why the Kristin Scott Thomas’s character would have an affair with the terribly depressing Ralph Fiennes’s character when her husband seemed like such a charming fellow. (This was before I saw the Seinfeld episode where Elaine fell asleep during the movie and was ostracized about it. Happy to know Elaine and I have something in common.)

So my overall impression of The English Patient is that it wasn’t a very good movie at all. Despite winning an Oscar. Because it came in so much lower than my expectations.

(And if you take this one step further, it certainly seems like I’m saying The Prince of Persia is better than The English Patient. Hmmm, maybe I shouldn’t go there.)

So what does all of this have to do with you and your business? Well, let’s take a look at your client and customer expectations.

If your customers and clients are hiring you or investing in your products and service with high expectations, and you aren’t meeting them, their overall impression is going to be they had an unpleasant experience with you. Even if your offerings are better than your competition, they’re still going to be disappointed.

But if your customers and clients come in with slightly lower expectations, and your products and services blow those expectations away, they’re going to be thrilled to death with you, tell all their friends and associates about you and maybe even write a newsletter article about you.

This is why it’s so important to underpromise and overdeliver. Especially now. Because people are becoming more careful with their money so the last thing you want to do is leave them with a sour taste in their mouth after doing business with you.

Michele PW (Michele Pariza Wacek) is your Ka-Ching! marketing strategist and owns Creative Concepts and Copywriting LLC, a copywriting and marketing agency. She helps entrepreneurs become more successful at attracting more clients, selling more products and services and boosting their business. To find out how she can help you take your business to the next level, visit her site at http://www.MichelePW.com.

Individual business owners must consider their individual needs and desires when planning for vacation. Those needs and desires vary, depending on finances, habits, mindsets and characteristics. However, several considerations should be common to all types of business owners, regardless of situation. This article outlines those considerations and provides tips for handling them thoroughly before a vacation, so that the time away truly provides rest and relaxation.

1. Plan, plan, plan. From scheduling a vacation or retreat for a company’s “quiet”  season, to creating a contingency plan if contact from a team member is absolutely critical, entrepreneurs will find that they can more easily enjoy themselves if they have carefully planned every aspect of rest and relaxation as it relates to their business.

o Decide on availability. If availability is not an option, provide team members with written instructions about exactly what to do during the vacation, and delegate decision-making authority to a specific person. Always provide emergency contact information, just in case. For partial availability, provide contact information only to a limited number of team members, and then check messages or e-mails periodically. Hint: being totally available by cell phone for an entire vacation not only takes away from the ability to relax, but it also takes attention away from traveling companions. Make a vacation a true vacation, and if it’s impossible to keep the phone off all the time, just check it a couple of times per day.
o If bills are due during a vacation, go online and schedule them to be paid when they’re due. Or, get them ready for mailing and ask a team member to send them on the appropriate day. Similarly, invoices can be made out ahead of time and then sent out on schedule.

o If winter is the busiest time of year for a business, reduce stress by planning the vacation for the summer. Similarly, if an entrepreneur is expecting a huge shipment of inventory and knows she’ll need to unpack it and get it on the shelves right away, she should arrange to return from her vacation before the shipment arrives or to leave for the vacation well after she’s had the time she needs to get it settled in. Working around such obstacles will allow the entrepreneur to truly relax while she is on vacation.

o If possible, delay the start of a new project until a few days after returning from a vacation. This provides time to check missed e-mails or phone messages. If that’s not possible, consider making all the preparations before leaving so it is possible to begin immediately upon returning. Ask a team member to help return calls or e-mails so it’s possible to devote more time to the project right away.

2. Take a real vacation. It may sound obvious, but many business owners find it difficult to remove themselves from their work, even for a short time. However, an entrepreneur will function at her best when she is revitalized and energized. Here are some tips for getting the most out of vacationing:

o Keep a notebook handy to jot down ideas that arise during vacation. Once they’re written down, put the notebook away for future use. Use this technique to temporarily “put away” the new ideas without worrying about forgetting them. This way, it’s possible to truly rest – and even if that rest provides excellent brainstorming opportunities, it’s possible to put them away until the vacation is over.
o Retain a positive mindset when thinking about leaving the business behind. Rather than worrying about whether the team can handle things, think of this as an opportunity for them to take responsibility. Rather than worrying about customers’ reactions to the vacation, consider that they’ll admire the strong and capable team taking care of them during the vacation. Notify customers of the upcoming vacation and take care of any concerns before departing.
o As mentioned above, limit availability. Spend time reconnecting with traveling companions, enjoying the new scenery, and recharging. Spending an entire vacation checking e-mail and answering the phone does not allow for true rest and relaxation – and it does not reenergize anyone.

3. Make vacationing a priority, and give it as much importance as every other appointment and obligation. Even if it is not feasible to take several weeks off, or to travel to a faraway location, everyone needs time off – even if it is one day per week. Here are some tips for ensuring that time:

o Schedule “self-time” into the calendar. Literally. Schedule a lunch out with a friend, a pedicure, or a walk on a favorite trail once or twice a week. Make these appointments and stick to them. Even an hour-long break from work and all that comes with it can be refreshing enough to boost productivity and spirits for the rest of the day or week. If longer vacations aren’t possible, these shorter appointments will suffice – but try to plan for a longer vacation at some point in the future, and then look forward to it.
o Fit vacations in with longer-term plans and treat them as important as semi-annual business planning retreats or annual workshops. If something comes up and makes the vacation impossible, be sure to re-schedule the vacation immediately. Don’t cancel reservations – reschedule them. Putting off a vacation indefinitely makes it less likely to happen.
o If a traditional vacation isn’t possible because of time or money constraints, plan a mini vacation somewhere close by to your home or business. It’s inexpensive, requires less planning, and you can vacation for only a day or two if necessary.

Vacations don’t have to be long, far away, or expensive.  But they do have to be. Rest and relaxation provide hard-working entrepreneurs with the time they need to come back to work feeling refreshed and ready to dive back in.

About the Author:

Michele DeKinder-Smith is the founder of Jane out of the Box, an online resource dedicated to the women entrepreneur community. Discover more incredibly useful information for running a small business by taking the FREE Jane Types Assessment at Jane out of the Box. Offering networking and marketing opportunities, key resources and mentorship from successful women in business, Jane Out of the Box is online at www.janeoutofthebox.com.

Lately I’ve been thinking about the leadership characteristic of integrity. Several years ago, I worked for a leader who lived out that quality. In fact, if you looked up the word “integrity” in the dictionary, I think you’ll see his face posted next to the word. It was great working with a person I could trust – knowing I could believe what he said and that his motives were true.

I recently traveled to China with four businessmen to participate in an ethics and management forum for Global Partners in Hope (GPiH).  During one of our luncheons, two of the men had a very lively discussion about honesty in the workplace, with both agreeing it was extremely important.

As I watched their animated conversation in which they talked excitedly and nodded their heads in agreement, I was blown away by how strongly they felt about this issue.  One of the men said, “Hey, if an employee will lie about a small thing, then count on them lying about the big stuff, and I can’t afford to have employees who are dishonest.”   The book of Proverbs in the Bible states, “It’s better to be poor than a liar.”  I think we underestimate the impact of a lie and how it affects relationships.

During the forum in Beijing, one man told of how dishonesty had affected both himself and his family.  He spoke with tears and it was clear he was wrestling with how to function with real integrity in his business.

Honesty is important in most cultures, but how we define honesty can be confusing. What one might call “negotiations” another culture might call a “bribe.”  In certain cultures, negotiations are expected as a rule in business. For example, at the Silk Market in Beijing, a person is expected to barter for a certain product. If you don’t, it’s not “sporting” or much fun.  Most of the fun is in the bartering, right? There seems to be a clear definition between a negotiation and a bribe.  The merchant would not consider this process as being dishonest.

How about in the workplace when an employee who calls in “sick,” but he or she actually is just fine and simply took the “sick” day to play tennis. Is this acceptable? Should we just accept this in the workplace? Should an employee lose their job over a “little lie”?

A line should be made clear in the workplace about honesty and what is acceptable. The leader has the responsibility to model this for those they lead. Why?  Because it builds trust, and trust is the foundation for healthy relationships. If trust breaks down, then relationship will break down. Employees want a leader they can trust and employers want employees they can trust.

Regardless of the responsibilities of a leader, some leadership characteristics have universal value. Honesty is a key component of integrity, and any leader looking to lead effectively will not overlook its significance.

About the Author:

Ian Vickers is chief executive officer of Global Partners in Hope (GPiH). The organization aims to bring hope to communities around the world through partnerships between people who can help and people who need hope. To read more about the difference GPiH is making in communities internationally, visit http://www.globalpartnersinhope.com

If your primary source of business revenue is selling services, there is no worse feeling than having an empty pipeline (especially when you’re completing projects with your current clients).

So how do you keep a full pipeline with eager clients and customers? Let me share 3 steps to get you started:

Step 1 — Know who your ideal client is. If you don’t know who you’re trying to put into your pipeline it’s going to be pretty hard to get them in there.

But this is deeper than just taking on anyone who waves a check in front of your face. If you want to fill your pipeline with clients who are EAGER to do business with you, you want to attract your IDEAL clients.

So what is your ideal client? Your ideal clients are the ones who you love to work with. They’re the ones who are a perfect fit for what you offer. They are NOT “women between the ages of 20 and 50 who are married with 2 children and trying to start a home-based business.” That’s a target market and that’s different from ideal client. Ideal clients are about an attitude, a shared vision or goal. An ideal client description would look more like this: “mothers who have been stay-at-home mothers but their children are now starting school and they’re ready to start working. But they don’t want a job, they want something they can do at home and have flexible hours so they can still put their kids first.”

See the difference in the description?

Now, you might be someone whose pipeline is empty and you REALLY need the cash flow, so while an ideal client is nice, you’d be happy with anyone who waves a check in front of your face.

First off, I get it. I’ve been there myself. However, as I know you know, taking on those less-than-ideal-clients while might be necessary for financial reasons, usually turn into a bigger headache than what you signed up for. I know you sometimes have to do this, but wouldn’t it be better to NOT have to? Start now focusing on attracting your ideal clients into your pipeline. Will a non-ideal client slip in from time to time? Of course. And if you so choose, you can take the on as a client. But start it off right by building that solid foundation first.

Step 2 — go where your ideal clients are. Now that you know who they are, it’s time to hang out where they’re hanging out. Don’t know where they are? Then go back to step 1 and do more digging. If you really know your ideal clients, you’ll know where to find them. Then you can focus your lead generating activities in the places where they are.

Step 3 — nurture your leads. Once you have your leads in the door, now it’s time to build a relationship with them. The best way to do this is through a consistent follow-up system, such as an ezine and/or direct mail piece. If you have a weekly ezine or something that goes out regularly to your leads, you don’t have to worry about remembering to contact them.

It takes AT LEAST 7-13 touches to turn a prospect into a client. In this “new economy” this number is even higher (I’ve found you need to be a little more aggressive to get the same level of sales as you would have a few years ago.) So if you have an easy and automatic way to stay in touch with your prospects, you’ll find building that relationship with your prospects that much simpler.

Michele PW (Michele Pariza Wacek) is your Ka-Ching! Marketing strategist and owns Creative Concepts and Copywriting LLC, a copywriting and marketing agency.  She helps entrepreneurs become more successful at attracting more clients, selling more products and services and boosting their business.  To find out how she can help you take your business to the next level, visit her site at http://www.MichelePW.com Copyright 2009 Michele Pariza Wacek.

Have you noticed the customer service in small businesses in your area has improved? During a recession small business sales slump, and every company is fighting for customers. This is when excellent customer service becomes important.

Many small business owners are realizing the important role that customer service plays in their businesses during a recession. Strategy is key, however, and many small businesses are failing to think strategically in analyzing their customer service needs. A recent article in Forbes.com found that 55% of the women-owned small businesses surveyed address customer service on a case-by-case basis and 27% don’t have any strategy at all. Only 18% have a comprehensive plan for addressing the issue.”

During the tough times it is important for a company to focus on building long-lasting relationships with its current customers while also prioritizing the existing customers. Building relationships is also cost effective because the only thing needed is your time.

Here are a few customer service techniques to help establish these relationships:

1. Touch base often – Show you care about their satisfaction through feedback and regular contact. Businesses are also keeping in contact with customers by looking to telephone answering services so that they can focus on their business and take customer calls when they are free.

2. Be proactive – Adopting a proactive strategy to customer service can help an organization reach out to customers and increase sales. Using appointment setting as well as other call center techniques can help achieve this.

3. Always listen – Listen to what your customer is saying. If they talk about an upcoming birthday or something of importance to them jot it down and remember them later. This is a great personal touch for building lasting relationships.

4. Have a communication plan – Once you establish a customer relationship keep in touch by getting their e-mail address and sending them periodic updates, resources and tips.

Customer service is an essential part of your business. But during tough times it is even more important. During a recession it does not matter who your customers are, if you do not service them with excellent customer service your competition will. Building these long-lasting relationships with customers takes time, but in the long run it becomes very invaluable. Take note of these and other customer service techniques so that during down times your customers will keep you in mind.

About the Author
Jessica Gombes is an expert writer on appointment setting and is based in San Diego, California. She writes extensively for an online resource that provides expert advice on purchasing and outsourcing decisions for small business owners and entrepreneurs such as telephone answering services at Resource Nation.

If you want to make more money in today’s competitive environment, then you need to master your business niche. Let me show you a perfect, prime example of niche marketing at its best:

The AARP card appeared in the mail again. This time I actually opened the envelope and reviewed the material included with the invitation to join. Offers of insurance, magazines, on-line registrations and general information related to aging spilled out across the table. Everything in the packet maintained the specific intent of enticing a middle age person to join the group dedicated to senior citizens.

A scant five years ago, I wouldn’t have acknowledged the promotional material. It would have been swept into the nearest garbage can as I briefly wondered why this organization wasted its marketing dollars on me. Now, as I scan the introductory letter, the supporting messages delivered in the envelope are beginning to make sense. I’ve discovered that the magazine is dedicated to providing me with information on medical advancements for cholesterol control, suggestions to slim the middle age bulge and tips to improve my memory. That last one caught my attention.

Startled, I realized that I aged into the targeted demographic of The American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) and didn’t feel it coming on. When, for god’s sake, did I stop being 35? AARP knew it would happen and patiently primed the pump for several years as it waited for me to emotionally recognize that my body and brain would change. My perspective would alter and this organization graciously waited until it was needed.

Now, that’s niche marketing!

When is Niche Marketing Most Effective?

Niche marketing is most effective when you immerse yourself in a specific topic area and then start building your reputation for being a thought leader on that specific topic. It may sound intimidating, but in reality, all it demands is focus.

Nido Qubein, a recognized business strategist and forward thinker coined the term “Intentional Congruence”. He stresses that everything you do in your business must tie into everything else you do. It’s about having intent and purpose to intimately understand what you are doing and why.. Without understanding who you help and why you are doing what you do, how can you expect anyone else to know?

5 Elements to Identifying and Building Your Business Niche:

1. Create an inventory of your strengths. Identify how you relate to people and get specific in your values. List what you already know and what you need to learn to position yourself as an expert in your field. Describe the specific abilities you possess that are unique to you. Determine where you stand in terms of current finances. And, estimate what financial requirements will be necessary to build your niche with your target market.

2. Select the top two areas you have a passion for pursuing. Without passion or emotional engagement for the subject area, long-term success is unlikely. The ultimate goal is to do what you love, love what you do and make an acceptable living as you do it!

3. Research the two niche areas you’ve identified. Determine: who are the top three businesses or individuals already doing what you want to do? Review their websites and gain a sense of how connected and informed your future competition is. Research the internet fully to gain a sense of topic areas, product offerings and customer/client “reach out” efforts. Identify what is already in place and focus on those areas you feel are underserved.

4. Build a resource inventory. Contact business professionals as needed to build alliances. Create opportunities to interview people or hire whoever might be necessary to fine tune your business plan or fill in the gaps of knowledge on areas that are critical in establishing you as an expert. Offer your services to other business professionals as well. Just because you are new to a niche, doesn’t mean you are lacking expertise. They simply don’t know about you yet! Building relational capital with others who thrive in the market you wish to enter is always beneficial to everyone who participates.

5. Put your stake in the ground and claim your position within your targeted niche. Here’s how…

o Start offering your knowledge to the masses by using social media liberally.
o Become a fan of expert pages and register to participate in other List Serves that focus on your area of expertise.
o Read and post to other expert blogs on your topic.
o Write articles focusing on your area of expertise and submit them for online publication. You can go to www.TryMyFreeArticleTemplates.com/karel for 3 free article templates.
o Make every opportunity to interview other industry experts by teleseminar and provide those to your clients as additional resource material.
o Build an accessible on-line library that is exploding with information for your customers and clients.
o Create surveys for completion by your target market to gain knowledge through research and insight that is unique to you. Publish a white paper or report annually that includes this research.

Now, you have the keys to dominating your business niche. Nothing is holding you back from being the expert, knowing your target market and maintaining a gentle helping hand. You are in charge of designing and maintaining a world of comfort for your customers and customers. You can make their lives easy because they now have you – the expert to rely on.

About the Author:

Karel Murray is a Certified Speaking Professional, author of “Hitting Our Stride: Women, Work and What Matters” and business trainer who helps women entrepreneurs and executives improve their overall business effectiveness and productivity. Now, you can listen to her exciting, free interviews at http://www.JustiForaMoment.com. Each podcast interview gives you 3 takeaway ideas or concepts that you’ll be able to implement right away

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They say that the key to happiness and longevity is having meaningful relationships with others. This means having a support system of family, friends, business associates and clients who are there for you because you are always there for them.

In business this concept conjures up the word networking. Don’t run screaming into the night: this does not mean dragging yourself to meetings and seminars where you exchange business cards with people you don’t know and pursue meaningless threads of conversation trying to find something of mutual interest. I’m talking about a different kind of networking.

We call it Value Based Networking™.

Value Based Networking is about more than just selling. It’s about having people in your life who are in a position to help you gain access to key decision makers and to new and exciting opportunities. It’s about not just surviving – but thriving – in today’s complex economy. It’s about having people in your life who can help your career and who also can enrich your life.

As the name implies, Value Based Networking is about creating value for others before you expect to receive value from them. It is the mutual give and take that results in a winning situation for everyone involved.

People naturally want to repay the kindness of others, and if cultivated properly, Value Based Networking can not only lead to strong and positive relationships, it also can lead to personal connections, more referrals, increased sales, measurable success and lasting impressions.

We all have lots of people in our lives. Most we barely know, some are nodding acquaintances, a few are everyday associates and co-workers, and a small number are family and friends. The key question is: in what ways can we provide unselfish value to them without expecting anything in return? Here are a few ways:

o Helping solve a problem
o Supporting their dreams
o Helping them understand their thinking
o Letting them help others, including you
o Connecting them with others
o Helping to make them more successful
o Making them feel connected and appreciated

What you need to do is tap into their needs, adapt your communication style to accommodate theirs, and be a WOW person to be around. Networking isn’t that difficult if you simply keep in mind that most people:

o Want unbiased advisors
o Have a limited set of friends
o Have access to a limited set of social events
o Want to help others
o Need people in their network

So approach your social portfolio like you do your financial portfolio: plan, build and diversify. Foster relationships with family, friends and co-workers. Nurture older relationships, but also make new friends.

Value Based Networking is the sincere and constant effort to help others, anticipating that you will, in turn, be helped. So if you do happen find yourself at one of those networking events, ask for two business cards from everyone you meet: one for yourself and one to pass on to somebody else. You never know who you may be able to help; and later, that someone may help you.

About the Author:
The Balanced WorkLife Company is dedicated to helping the best get better while they enjoy the journey. Our programs give you access to tools and methodologies that allow you to break through the barriers and achieve your goals while also helping you enjoy a balance between and within your job, your career and your personal life. Whether you are a seasoned professional or just starting your career, the Balanced WorkLife Company can help you achieve your ultimate potential. To learn more, visit www.balancedworklife.com and download our free report “The 16 Most Common Networking Mistakes to Avoid,” which is jam-packed with information to help you develop and build long-lasting business and social relationships.

Can you achieve results without authority?

The simple answer is yes.

The challenge is how to do it.

Each of us have a limited amount of authority. And the positional authority that comes with our title enables us to have some influence, but far less than what is required to get the work done. In order to get things done on time and with the highest quality expected so you can meet the demands and expectations of our customers and those with whom we work, we need to rely on others. And to do that, we need influence – but the right kind of influence.
Influence is a Leadership Quality and a Management Skill.

Influence is the ability to achieve our objective (to get work done) when we do not have complete control or enough authority to accomplish our objective. Influence is not manipulation. Done well and done right, influence is also not:

o A demonstration of power
o A method to gain greater control
o A way to promote your personal agenda
o A way to look good to others in the organization
o A means of self-promotion

Influence is about mutuality.

While influence is a powerful tool for getting work done, there are barriers that can stand in your way of influencing others. These barriers cause us to rely on positional authority to get things done.
10 Barriers You Need to Overcome to Influence Employees and Your Peers

1. Fear – This is the number one issue that stops us from using influence to get work done. And fear appears in many forms. It can be the fear of failure, the fear of being rejected, the fear of appearing foolish, the fear that we are not good enough. Regardless of what you are afraid of, fear stops us dead in our tracks. We don’t succeed, we don’t exert influence because we’ve convinced ourselves before we even start that we may not or will not be successful.

2. Inability to develop real relationships — People work with people they like. They buy from people they like. They provide support to people they like. To think otherwise is to miss an important component of organizational success. It is impossible to exert influence on someone with whom you have not developed a real and positive relationship.

3. Poor responsiveness — The quicker you respond the more responsive you appear. And if response is important to the person you want to influence, you have just made a positive impression on them, and have often added value by a giving them something they were interested in.

4. Overselling – This is not just an issue we see in sales people; it is an issue we see throughout an organization regardless of an individual’s position. Overselling is annoying and it also communicates uncertainty in your position. When a person says yes, and you continue to try to convince them– what are you really communicating?

5. Quitting at No – Now, nobody likes rejection. Yet “no” is sometimes the response we get when the timing of the request is wrong (i.e.,“no, not right now”or “no, I need more information”). Oftentimes, an objection is not a rejection. It’s a request for more information and an opportunity for further discussion. Don’t let no be an immediate lost opportunity.

6. Perfectionism — Too often, we believe that unless a project, proposal, request is perfectly framed, it cannot move forward. This is dead wrong. Perfection sends an unintended message of you being indecisiveness and in the worse case it can create immobilization. While you may believe you are striving for perfection, the other person wonders what’s taking you so long.

7. Over-Expressing Personal Beliefs — Some managers and executives just can’t seem to keep their opinions to themselves. Have you heard a manager criticize their peers, their tenants, their subcontractors with statements such as “they just don’t get it”. Another danger is to express personal political or social beliefs such as “the democrats version of healthcare is socialized medicine” or “teachers are overpaid and they underperform”. Expressing personal beliefs has a way of tearing through an organization and irritating others. (By the way, these two examples are examples only and do not reflect either of our beliefs.)

8. Lack of Focus — It’s difficult to get work done or to garner much respect if you go from one project to another; one idea to another; one strategy to another and finish nothing. Often people will just give up, quit listening or no longer support your efforts.

9. Poor Impression Management (Executive Presence) — This is not just about looking the part. It’s about being the part. It’s about managing your image thoughtfully and not artificially. Like it or not, unsuitably presented, tired, overweight, out of shape, sloppy people present a poor and unconvincing image.

10. Lack of Gratitude — People like recognition; they like to know they are appreciated; they like to be noticed in a positive way. Ignore this at your peril. Remember, if you are unwilling or think it’s unnecessary to recognize and express appreciation for others, your chance of influencing them is remote.
Is One of the Top 10 Barriers Holding You Back From Influencing Others?

We have often found that one or more of the above behavioral traits is present in individuals who believe (or who others believe) are less successful then they either want to be or can be. These behaviors are the intangibles that inhibit good performance.  We believe these intangibles are so important to recognize and attend to (if you see these in your own thought processes or behaviors) that should you refuse to address them, you will come up short of exerting the influence necessary to get work done on time the right way.

About the Authors:

Management Consultants and Business Performance Improvement Specialists Sara Laforest and Tony Kubica have 50+ years of combined experience in helping small and large businesses accelerate their business growth in record times. Failure to properly motivate your team is just one way that you can be sabotaging your business. Get the full report on Self-Sabotage in Business now at: http://www.kubicalaforestconsulting.com/resources.php