Negotiating confidence

Negotiating can be a challenge. Sometimes we watch successful negotiators at work and wonder if it is an ability they were born with. But with a little time, information and preparation you can head for the negotiating table with confidence.

Ten Steps to Win-Win Negotiating.

1. Be prepared. Define your objectives and use lateral thinking to brainstorm possible ways they can be achieved.

2. Research the other party’s objectives and brainstorm the methods they may use. “Find the edge” – any pressure points or hidden agendas. “Information is power.”

3. Prepare yourself and the way you use the venue. Choose your seating for power, your clothes and your attitude.

4. Establish a cordial relationship on opening the meeting. Specify the aims of the meeting.

5. Raise less contentious issues first.

6. Promote harmony, minimise the negatives and articulate areas of commonality.

7. “Win-win” means compromises on both sides, so be prepared to bargain. Start with two lists – your must-haves and your might-haves, and start with a higher level than you expect to obtain. Highlight the contribution of your concession to the other person’s objectives.

8. Be prepared to release information at times beneficial to your cause. Use silence.

9. Listen for surprises.

10. Articulate the agreed outcomes and any timelines, or they may collapse.

Use detailed preparation and the win-win method and you have the tools to approach negotiation with confidence.

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Be heard, be understood

Speech Making Success Tip:

If you want to get a message across, people need to be able to hear it, to be able to hear each word. That means articulating every word very clearly. So pay particular attention to beginnings and especially endings. Then there can be no confusion between similar words such as taken and taking, or pass and past.

Read more Public Speaking Tips at our other blog:

A New Publicity Pitch

Taking advantage of local or timely events is a great way to get cheap publicity for your organisation.

Joan Stewart writes:

When it comes to celebrity status, the TV weather people are at the bottom
of the totem pole. While the news anchor is invited to host a glitzy
charity ball, the weather guy is asked to cut the ribbon at the opening of
the local ice rink.

So imagine how surprised forecasters are when they receive cookie bouquets
on February 5, "TV Weatherperson's Day," courtesy of Cookies by Design.
The bouquets are even personalized with each TV station's logo.

"Some stations announced it on every newscast from morning to midnight,"
said Michael Burns, president of Michael A. Burns & Associates, the Dallas
PR firm that came up with the idea several years ago and suggested it to
all franchise owners. The promotion was so successful that it has become a
tradition. One year, Cookies by Design was mentioned on more than 80 TV
stations nationwide. As a result, orders for cookie bouquets skyrocketed
during the first week of February when sales are typically flat.

What can you deliver to your local TV weather person on the morning of
February 5? For national exposure, you can even try schmoozing Al Roker,
or your favorite forecaster over at The Weather Channel.

> Reprinted from "The Publicity Hound's Tips of the Week," a free ezine
> featuring tips, tricks and tools for generating free publicity. Subscribe
> at http://www.PublicityHound.com and receive free by email the handy list
> "89 Reasons to Send a News Release."

For more useful cheap publicity ideas and tips, book a workshop for your workplace or conference. Visit

Email marketing for your organisation

Do you use email marketing to publicise your organisation? It has so many benefits. And with so many people using the internet and email to source their leisure and learning needs, it is a shame to waste this powerful avenue of publicity for your organisation. For some excellent information on using email to its best potential

Download two Email Best Practices Guides courtesy of EmailLabs (gratis)
www.emaillabs.com/resources_bestpractices.html

Visit the page above for download links to two PDF guides: one a Quick Tips and the other an Articles Collection.

For further training and tips on publicising your organisation, book a workshop, visit

Leadership Success Tip

"Remember the difference between a boss and a leader: a boss says 'Go!'- a leader says 'Let's go!'"
.....E.M. Kelly

For articles on Leadership, visit

Meeting success: Simple steps to presenting a motion

Using motions in a meeting keeps the meeting on target and ensures the will of the meeting is recorded. These simple steps ensure that motions are dealt with efficiently and effectively.
1. Rise and attempt to get the Chairman's attention. Wait to be recognised.
2. Chairman recognises speaker by name.
These two steps are called "Obtaining the floor."
3. Having obtained the floor, state the motion "I move that ..." Explain the motion.
4. Another member seconds the motion showing that more than one member wants the matter considered.
5. The chair states the motion.
6. The chair asks for discussion if the motion is debateable.
7. The Chair puts the question. (asks for a vote)
8. The Chair announces the result of the vote.

Learn more skills for make your meetings efficient and effective. Visit

Extending your Publicity Range

If your community is like mine, it is full of small and large groups – non-profit groups, self-improvement groups, business support groups, school associations and service clubs, and many, many more. Many could have members who are interested in what you offer and may welcome guest speakers. This is a great chance to publicize your club or organisation. (It is also a chance to gain extra training as a speaker, if that is one of your goals! - for a different audience.) Start by making a list of five organizations that could be approached. Then make a list of speakers who could take on this assignment. This list will then be available when you are approached to provide guest speakers in the future. Make sure they are equipped with brochures, business cards and other printed publicity to take to their presentations.
It is also possible that the organizations might want to send a guest speaker to your club. This is another chance to impress, with the wonderful product or service that you offer.

For more publicity tips and tricks, book a workshop for your next conference or meeting. Visit

ePublicity

Using the internet for publicity and e-marketing has been around for some time. You are reading this because of ITC's decision to enter this field. But it is only recently that many businesses have seen the potential for the success of this tactic. One is the business of car sales. Growth in eMarketing for car dealers has developed rapidly, since about the time this article was written for Marketing Vox. The potential is there for you to explore ideas to estable recognition for your organisation.

Study: Email Beats Pants Off of Other Media in Auto Category
Internet Retailer: What car dealers lose by ignoring e-mail marketing
While a self-serving survey, a study did find that email marketing boosts auto dealer marketing return on investment in several interesting ways. The 365 Marketing study showed that email marketing to local car customers garners about five times the response rates of traditional DM efforts. The study found that few are taking advantage of the opportunity, though. 365 Marketing founder Deanie Gregory said it was largely due to "technology and cultural barriers."

Here is the link to cut and past into your browser:
http://www.internetretailer.com/dailyNews.asp?id=13189

If you would like to learn low-cost marketing tips for your organisation, or how to establish an e-marketing package, visit

Speech Making Success Tip

If you speak in a monotone, you will lose the audience. They will be bored. Add excitement by varying your pitch. You can also use change in pitch, volume and speed to emphasize new or important ideas.

For skill development in public speaking, and communication, with supportive evaluation, visit

Dos and Taboos of Report Writing

Hello

Welcome to the final part in this series on Writing and presenting Effective Reports.

Part One covered Preparation of Reports

In Part Two we looked at Construction and Style of Reports

and in Part Three we looked at Presentation of Reports

Now in Part Four we conclude with the Dos and Taboos of Reports

Dos of Effective Reports

1. Present only unvarnished facts
2. Be explicit, clear and concise
3. Use the third person if representing a committee, neutral voice for others

Taboos of Effective Reports

1. Personal opinions
2. Unconfirmed facts or inaccurate figures
3. Assumptions about results, actions or motives
4. Straying from the subject
5. Story form

Remember - the sequence of producing an effective report: Collect, collate, check accuracy, sequence, present.

If you do not report effectively, then your work may have been for nothing. Effective reporting not only increases productivity, but can also contribute to your image in the organisation. It really is worth the time taken to do it well!

Mentoring for Leadership

All good leaders must mentor others to become leaders themselves.

To develop your organisation's leaders ask about our workshops. Visit

Cheap powerful publicity

In this world where people are bombarded with advertising, promotions and publicity from every angle, and through all their senses, it is very difficult to gain attention for your organisation. Imagine, then, that you could approach them at a time when they are relaxed and open to suggestion – without paying a fortune. Turn your imagination, then, to a coffee shop. Have you explored this avenue of publicity? While people are relaxing over a cup of tea or coffee, you can have them read your message – strategically placed in the menu holder or the salt and pepper shaker tray. Try your local coffee shop. You may have to go to a national franchise, but the local coffee shop owner is probably amenable. Try it!

For further tips on cheap and effective marketing for your organisation, book a workshop. Visit this link:

Speech Making Success Tip

Eye contact with your audience is vital because it reinforces your sincerity. If you are nervous, choose the most responsive, supportive faces. If the audience is large, focus on three or four people and maintain eye contact with them.

For more public speaking success tips, subscribe to our ezine. Follow this link:

Writing and Presenting Reports that are effective. Part 3

Hello,

Welcome to Part 3 of this series on Writing reports. We have looked at Preparing the Report, and at Construction and Style. In this post, let's look at the Presentation of the Report

The report needs to go to the right person at the right time. "Right" may be determined by a set schedule. You may have a schedule of reporting to a certain person at particular times. Or someone may have commissioned the report and asked it to be presented by a particular date. Obviously you need to deliver the report on time. Other operations of the organisation may depend for their success on that timing. But whether the report is on time or delivered late will also impact on your image within the organisation. Do you want to be seen as reliable and efficient? Then report on time.

If the report is presented verbally, then all of the techniques of public speaking come into play. Speaking clearly and loudly enough to be heard are obvious, but make sure you can be heard, and understood, or your content will be lost. You will need to convince, again, of your image - sincerity and professionalism are important. Use eye contact to convince of your sincerity and commitment. Use it, too, to emphasise points you are making. Employ variation in pitch and pace, and use pause to emphasis points, too. But they will also keep our audience's atttention, even if it is an audience of one.

Only read what is written. Keep extraneous comments, explanations or last minute thoughts for the time before or after the presentation.

Remember that no matter how hard you worked at your job, however efficient you may have been, however good your idea, if you cannot communicate effectively, it will have been lost. This report is your communication link, use it well.

The fourth and final part in this series on reporting will finish with a list of the main Taboos and Dos of Reporting.

For articles on Communication and Organisational Techniques, visit this link:

Leadership Success Tip

Your planning and delegation will be so much more effective if you can estimate accurately the amount of work, time and effort needed to accomplish a task. Start by consciously evaluating your skills in this area.

For a full article on delegation, visit our blog. Follow this link:

Communication Success Tip

If you need topics for conversation in your day, then start that day by becoming familiar with the news headlines, especially those pertaining to your area of contacts. Then you will have ready-made conversation starters and some ideas to contribute.

For further Communication and Public Speaking success tips visit The Communication Success Blog at this link:

PR103 Business cards not just for businesses

Hi,

Does your organisation have a business card?

Whatever your organistion, whether it be for profit, a business or a non-profit, it needs to be run as a business, and in a "businesslike fashion." But beyond that, a business card is just as vital to your organisation as it is to a business. It is a chance to reinforce your organisation's image with its design. It means that your contact details can be stored with your potential clients/members, or they can use it to also store notes they have made about you. That makes it a powerful marketing tool that advertises you over and over again. But most importanatly to me, is that it gives the impression that you are professional and business-like in your operations, and that you value your organisation and its image.

For further low-cost publicity ideas, book a workshop for your next meeting or conference. Follow the link below.

Leadership Success Tip

Do what needs to be done to ensure that the goals for your area of responsibility are clearly defined. Write them down, commit to them in a report, or use them to chart a course of action. If they are flexible, then the parameters and degree of flexibility also need to be clearly defined.


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Writing and Presenting Reports that are effective. Part 2

Hi,

This is the second part of a series of posts on Writing and Presenting Reports that are effective. Part One looked at preparing for the report. Part Two will give you tips on construction and style.

To get your report read and used, be sure to include the date and reason for the report. Formatting can vary between organisations, and between reports, depending on protocol, precedence and the reason for the report. But in general the sequence should be:

The title must indicate who is reporting and the subject. Follow this, if necessary, with an address, if the report is addressed to the specific person or group. The opening of the report gives the reason for the report - the terms of reference. It includes the problem to be investigated, who authorised the report, and the names of the person/people responsible for the report. The body covers details of the investigation, including timing; and the points discussed, a summary of the information obtained, opinions formed and the action taken or decisions made. Finally, the conclusion covers recommendations for action or results of action taken.

Style

Reports should be in the third person.

Use a logical structure to present the information so it can be understood and have the required impact. Avoid long and complicated verbiage. Be as brief as you can while keeping accuracy and covering the necessary points. And be explicit, so that there is no opportunity for misunderstanding.

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In the third part of this series, we look at presenting the report and finish with a list of do's and don'ts for reporting.


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Leadership Success Tip

No person will ever be a great leader who does not take genuine joy in the succes of those with whom they serve.


Articles on Leadership free at: