The Go-Giver Podcast

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021 Encouragement and Recognition - David Novak Jun 07, 2016

Show notes

Encouragement, Recognition, Relationships, Leadership, Business

Summary

Is encouragement what the world most lacks today? Even if it's not the #1 need, it's still very close to the top. What can we do about that? We'll discuss that in our Thought of the Day. And later, in today's interview, we'll talk with former Chairman and CEO of YUM! Brands, David Novak. He'll share powerful lessons from his new book, O GREAT ONE, which helps us understand the vital importance of encouragement through recognition … in the workplace. That and more on today's show.

Bob's Thought of the Day

Several years ago, I had lunch with my friend Tom Ziglar and his father, the legendary, late Zig Ziglar. Zig said something that was absolutely fascinating. Keep in mind that for nearly his entire adult life, Zig studied the thought processes, motivation, and human nature of people. And even at that lunch, he was carrying with him a notebook and pen in case something noteworthy came up.
Zig said that with all he had learned, he found that the biggest problem in the world today is a lack of encouragement. People are not encouraged enough. People do not feel encouraged. I had to stop and think about that, and I continue to think about it today.
Consider the typical person who, from the time they're little, grows up in a world where other people are putting them down, criticizing them, or even bullying them. This unfortunately happens in the home sometimes as well.
According to Dictionary.com, the word "encourage" comes from the Old French "encourager," which means "to make strong or hearten." The prefix "en" means "to make," so to encourage someone literally means to make them courageous. We can do this by inspiring someone with spirit or confidence, stimulating them by approval, or promoting or advancing them.
What does all this tell us? That we can do any of those things, for anyone. For instance, if someone comes to us with an idea, and our natural REACTION is to discourage them with why they're wrong or why it won't work, we can instead RESPOND with encouragement.
This doesn't mean we should give false praise or be phony. It just means we always have a choice. We can EN-courage (give them courage) or DIS-courage (take away their courage). Encouragement might be exactly what the world needs most.

Interview with David Novak

There is a global recognition deficit. People want to be recognized. Recognition is the most powerful tool you can use. There is nothing "fluffy" about encouragement.
Leaders have two fears when it comes to recognizing people: 1) If they recognize people, they won't keep working hard. 2) They are afraid that those who aren't recognized will be upset. Neither of these assumptions are true. You must recognize the behaviors you want to see.
David talks about the "Bob" problem: people work years and years in their company and they don't feel appreciated. 82% employees feel like their supervisors don't recognize them for what they do. 40% of people say they will work harder when they are recognized.
The more you give, the more you will receive.
You have to show people you care about them by listening to them. If you really listen and show you care, you will get ideas from all over the place. The people closest to the customer generally have the best ideas.
The guiding principles of recognition: 1) People won't care about you if you don't care about them. 2) The best way to show people you care is to listen to them. 3) A great idea can come from anywhere. 4) Recognize great work and great ideas whenever and wherever you see them. 5) Make recognition fun. 6) Make it personal.
A leader has to celebrate others' ideas more than their own ideas. Once you start leading people, your job is to inspire and encourage people. People do what the leader expects and celebrates.
Personalize recognition around your business. For instance, David used to give away signed rubber chickens (and $100) to those he recognized. When you give away a little bit of your heart and personality, that's what means a lot to people. Also, make it spontaneous. Don't wait for an annual awards banquet.
The biggest objection people have to the concept of recognition is that they don't believe it will work "here" (their company, country, industry, etc.). But these principles will work anywhere and everywhere because recognition is a universal need.

Interview Links

O GREAT ONE!: A Little Story About The Awesome Power of Recognition by David Novak

Taking People With You by David Novak

The Education of an Accidental CEO by David Novak

OGO Productions

Resources

GoGiverSalesAcademy.com

The Go-Giver Leader

020 Personal and Leadership Values - Howard Behar May 31, 2016

Show notes

Leadership, People, Serving, Business, Values

Summary

Everything we think, feel, say, and do—as human beings, as entrepreneurs, as salespeople, and as leaders—typically springs from our values. We'll discuss that in our Thought of the Day. And later, in today's interview, former President of Starbucks North America, Howard Behar, will share with us several powerful leadership principles for his recently-released book, The Magic Cup. That and more on today's show.

Bob's Thought of the Day

What we truly value—not what we say we value but what we actually value—drives our behavior.
For example, a person may say they value spending lots of quality and - just as importantly - quantity time with their family. But if they consistently work an unreasonable amount of hours and ignore their family, then family time is not truly a high value to them … at least, not as a high a value as spending time at work is. There's no judgment involved here. It's simply part of human nature: our true values are revealed in our actions, not our words.
Likewise, if someone says they value speaking positively about others and uplifting them, yet they are constantly gossiping, then positive speech is not a high value for them … at least, not as high a value as gossiping. This principle applies to every area of your life: We do what we most value.
Here's an exercise that will be helpful. Write down these 8 areas, or "values" of life: financial, physical, spiritual, mental, emotional, social, relational, charitable. (You can add additional areas if needed.) Underneath each area, list various actions that indicate how a person would fulfill them. Then rank these overall values according to how important each one is to you.
For example, under "physical" you might list these actions: healthy lifestyle, exercise, healthy diet, walking instead of driving whenever possible, getting 8 hours of sleep per night, eating a non-healthy dessert once a week as a reward, or whatever else is important to you. Your list of actions under "physical" might be different.
Over the next two weeks, check your actions against what you've written as the indicators under each value area. Do your actual actions match what you say are indicators of each value? This is not a matter of judgment, or the need to feel badly if you're not on track. It's just a matter of awareness. Once you're aware that you're not where you want to be, then you can take steps to change it … if you value changing more than you value not changing.

Interview with Howard Behar

Howard's new book, The Magic Cup, lists 11 "virtues of the magic cup." These are: responsibility, curiosity, cooperation, trust, truth, hope, forgiveness, focus, stewardship, courage, and connection. These are values that one needs to be a successful leader.
On the value of cooperation: Howard received a note from a barista who worked at Starbucks. She said it's one of the only places she's ever worked where everyone was "in it together." This doesn't mean that everyone in leadership at Starbucks always agreed; it meant they worked together to try and achieve the organization's goals and mission, and tried to help others achieve their personal goals along the way. It's about treating others with respect and dignity, listening to other people, and working out your ideas together.
Collaboration, partnership, connection, and communication are important aspects of cooperation. If you're married or have a significant other, the most important thing you can do is listen. You must listen with both your ears and your eyes.
On the value of forgiveness: We don't often hear this value mentioned in leadership books and teaching. It's important on both sides of the aisle. A leader has to look at his/her own actions, be in tune with where they are, and be willing to listen. They have to be the first one to say, "Please forgive me for that mistake." On the other side, they also have to be willing to forgive others. But we often struggle with forgiving others and saying, "It's OK, we all make mistakes. Let me help you." This is a key quality of a leader because we value others being vulnerable. If you can't forgive others, you're not authentic and vulnerable.
The figurative "Holy Grail" in the book is the "Treasure Beyond All Price." It's not money, position, or power … it's the understanding that we're all here to serve in one way or another. If you could put one thing on everyone's business card, it should be a "server of others." At the end of the day, none of us can accomplish anything without others. There's only one thing that makes you life meaningful and whole: serving others.
Serving others is not about shoving a cup of coffee across the counter. It's understanding where that person is in front of you. Howard used to tell Starbucks employees that they are social workers. One person may want coffee with no conversation, but another person may want coffee and can't wait to tell you that their son got a full ride scholarship to college. Put up your antenna and really listen. The treasure beyond all price is recognizing the importance of others and making it a part of your life … it's moving from a "me" focus to an "other" focus.
Quote from the book: "We need to give one another a reason to believe we can all be part of something remarkable, that together we can make something important happen." In order to equip people to do this, you have to include them on the journey. We're mainly talking about purpose: the purpose of an organization that everyone signs on to. If people have contributed to it, they will sign on to the goals, values, and virtues. They have taken the journey together, so are committed to it.
It's common for leaders to determine the purpose of an organization on their own, then declare it to everyone else. But every once in awhile you have to get the team together. You have to start talking about it again. Ask how others feel about the purpose and what they would change. Make it part of everyone. You must constantly go back and check with people who are new, and others who have forgotten why they are there. You're trying to build emotional connections between people and the greater purpose, which at its root is about serving others.

Interview Links

HowardBehar.com

The Magic Cup by Howard Behar

It's Not About the Coffee by Howard Behar

Connect with Howard on Twitter

Resources

GoGiverSalesAcademy.com

The Go-Giver Leader

019 Paying Yourself - Mike Michalowicz May 24, 2016

Show notes

Entrepreneur, Business, Profit, Investing, Sales

Summary

Practically every financial advisor will tell you that if you want to build a healthy nest egg, it's important to "pay yourself first" as soon as you receive your paycheck. That's an important principle we'll discuss in our Thought of the Day. Later in today's interview, well-known entrepreneur Mike Michalowicz shares his painful discovery that paying yourself first as a business owner is just as important if you want to have a healthy company. He explains why and shares how to do so. That and more on today's show.

Bob's Thought of the Day

If you've ever flown on an airplane, you've heard the pre-flight announcement advising that in the event of a loss of cabin pressure, you should put on your own oxygen mask before placing it on your child. This seems counter-intuitive for any parent; what parent wouldn't want to help their child first? Yet those instructions exist for a reason: you can only help your child when you yourself can breathe; you can only help others when you yourself are healthy.
Any respected financial planning expert would recommend you follow the same principle for your personal finances: as soon as you receive your paycheck, take out the amount you've chosen to save or invest before you do anything else. Many experts advise making this an automatic transfer. In fact, that's the meaning of the word "automatic" in David Bach's best-selling investment book The Automatic Millionaire.
It's easy to believe that we'll take what's left after paying the rest of our bills and invest it. But more often than not, we don't follow through with this. If we pay ourselves first, we can learn to adjust our spending.
The principle of paying yourself first works not only in finances, but in other areas of life as well. For instance, respecting others begins with a healthy amount of self-respect. Those who value others genuinely value themselves. This does not contradict the Go-Giver philosophy of focusing on bringing value to others; it simply means that in order to give to others, we must have value to give.
Be sure and have your own act together and there's a much greater chance that you'll have more to give others, including the most valuable gift of all … yourself.

Interview with Mike Michalowicz

Profitability brings stability. If you want to continue serving customers and making a difference through your company or business, you must be financially sustainable.
83% of small businesses (defined as those making $25 million or less in revenue) are surviving week to week. The result is that if they don't receive a deposit this week, they can't make payroll or pay expenses.
Mike shares a personal story about coming clean to his family about his financial failure as a younger man. A turning point was when his 9-year-old daughter ran from the room, brought back her piggy bank, and volunteered to help the family.
Profit is not an event; it must become a habit. Every transaction, every moment, and every single thing about your business must facilitate profit. Profit is the result of a series of small wins that add up over time. It's not one giant event that happens at some point down the road.
The most important question is not "How big is your business?" Rather, it's "How healthy is your business?" There is a culture of bravado that puts the emphasis on the size of your company rather than its health. However, rapid growth without financial growth will kill your company.
The Profit First philosophy emphasizes flipping the core accounting formula that everyone knows: sales minus expenses = profit. This sounds logical, but it doesn't work behaviorally. The reason is that in this formula, profit falls last. When something comes last, it gets ignored.
We must flip this formula to this: sales minus profit = expenses. Whenever sales are generated, take a predetermined amount that you want to set aside as profit and put it in a separate checking account. When you take out profit first, you are inherently forcing yourself to become more innovative, find new ways to extract more value from your business with less expenses, become more frugal, and reverse-engineer your profit to make it permanent.

Interview Links

Profit First by Mike Michalowicz

The Pumpkin Plan by Mike Michalowicz

The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur by Mike Michalowicz

MikeMichalowicz.com

Profit First Podcast

Connect with Mike on Twitter, Facebook, and Google+.

Resources

The Automatic Millionaire by David Bach

GoGiverSalesAcademy.com

The Go-Giver Leader

018 The Sleep Revolution - Arianna Huffington May 17, 2016

Show notes

Sleep, Rest, Priorities, Health, Habits

Summary

Sleep is a vital part of our lives, yet it might not seem so based on the way we treat it. Proper sleep has amazing benefits When we ignore this, the consequences can be disastrous. We'll discuss that in our Thought of the Day. Later, in today's interview, we'll chat with media mogul Arianna Huffington, who is on a mission to impact the way we think about sleep through her recent bestseller The Sleep Revolution: Transforming Your Life, One Night at a Time. That and more on today's show.

Bob's Thought of the Day

Imagine that you're sitting at your desk at mid-morning, working on a project, and you feel yourself nodding off. But you can't: you have work to do and deadlines to meet. It's an uncomfortable feeling.
Imagine that you're driving, and all of a sudden you can't see the road clearly. Your mind and your vehicle begin to drift as you struggle to stay awake. You catch yourself just in time and avoid putting yourself and others in danger on the highway.
Imagine that you're talking with a friend, family member, or business associate. They say or do something that is a bit annoying, but would typically not be a big deal. However, in this case you snap and say something hurtful that damages the relationship.
There is an excellent chance that in each of these situations, the problem was caused by a lack of sleep.
According to the National Sleep Foundation, 50-70 million people in the U.S. have some type of sleep disorder. Teens are especially sleep-deprived as a result of their screen time, natural body clocks that keep them up later, and school that might start too early. But many adults even without sleep disorders don't get nearly enough sleep, either. Why? We simply don't value it. For too long, we have thought of sleep as a necessary evil that limits our productivity. But nothing could be further from the truth.
We tend to put sleep at the bottom of our priority list. It's the first thing to go when we're feeling pressured. Yet, when we have both the right quality and quantity of sleep, we receive amazing benefits, including improved health, a stronger immune system, improved mood, and a boost in productivity.
Until recently, Bob thought of sleep as a waste of time. Now, he believes the opposite. His wake-up call was inspired by Arianna Huffington's own wake-up call regarding sleep. She experienced a health crisis that led her to take sleep much more seriously. She made changes that improved her quality of life, and she is now helping countless others recognize the value of sleep.

Interview with Arianna Huffington

During the Industrial Revolution, we began to treat human beings like machines. Now the lack of sleep is a worldwide problem in industrialized nations. Sleep deprivation makes you more moody and reactive, less joyful, and more prone to sickness and disease. Lack of sleep also contributes to depression and anxiety.
Sleep is not optional or negotiable. You must have 7-9 hours of sleep per night (the specific amount will vary according to the individual) unless you have a genetic mutation.
After the health crisis she recounts in her book The Sleep Revolution, Arianna changed her habits and began to get more sleep. She started by adding 30 minutes of sleep per night.
How do you begin changing your habits? First, you have to change your mind about the importance of sleep. Then you'll be in a position to change your habits. It's helpful to create a "transition ritual." We already do this with children when we help get them ready for bed. Choose a time to turn off your devices and create a clear dividing point between your day life and your sleep time. (Arianna only reads physical books before bedtime.) You can incorporate elements such as taking a hot bath or changing into clothes that you only wear for sleeping. Those send a signal to your brain that it's time to sleep.
A standard "rite of passage" for college students is pulling an all-nighter before an exam. But in terms of what the lack of sleep does to your mind, it's similar to getting drunk. You will perform much better on an exam if you get the proper amount of sleep.
All this begs the question, "Arianna, wouldn't you have been less successful in your career if you had spent less time working, and more time sleeping?" Her answer is "no" -- she would have been even more successful if she had gotten more rest. A lack of sleep prevents you from making good decisions. She cites the example of Bill Clinton, who once said, "Every important mistake I've made in my life, I've made because I was too tired."

Interview Links

The Sleep Revolution by Arianna Huffington

Thrive by Arianna Huffington

Arianna's TED Talk "How to Succeed? Get More Sleep"

National Sleep Foundation

The Huffington Post

Alexander Hamilton: Father of American Banking and American Burnout

Resources

GoGiverSalesAcademy.com

The Go-Giver Leader

017 Reframing the "No's" - Andrea Waltz May 10, 2016

Show notes

Business, Sales, Failure, Goals, No

Summary

Not many people enjoy hearing the word "no," but those who can work past it--and correctly reframe it--create the context for the "yesses" that truly count. We'll discuss that in our Thought of the Day. Later in our interview segment, we'll chat with Andrea Waltz, who does a magnificent job helping people to reframe those "no's." In fact, she'll even show us how to GO for no. That and more on today's show.

Bob's Thought of the Day

There are certain things in life that are nearly universal, and one of them is that almost no one likes to be told no. Whether you're looking for funding for a startup, asking a person out on a date, or presenting your product or service to a potential customer, you always want to hear yes. When someone tells you no, you feel rejected.
Everyone who has been through basic sales 101 training learned that you can't take no personally because people are saying no to your idea, not to you personally. Even so, being human, iit hurts to be told no.
However, no is a part of life. In fact, what knocks many great potential entrepreneurs and salespeople out of business is NOT hearing the word no. It's believing that they are the only ones hearing no, especially when they only see others who have obtained the success they want. But they don't see all the no's those people heard on their way to their eventual yesses.
If you're going to be successful, you will hear the word no over and over again. You'll learn from many of those no's and make adjustments that get you closer to a yes. Sometimes a no will result from speaking to the wrong person at the wrong time.
Assuming that you have a viable product or service, and that you know how to present it, you'll be able to work past the no's to obtain the eventual yesses.

Interview with Andrea Waltz

Andrea talks about the need for an entirely new mindset about the word no. Instead of running from it, we must embrace it. Most people have been trained to avoid the no's, but we must take the opposite action and embrace them.
We've all been taught to set "yes" goals. When we hit a yes goal, we tend to slow down or stop. Instead, set a goal for the number of no's you want to hear. Focusing on the no's will change your behavior and help reduce the fear of receiving no's. As a result, you will enjoy the process more and increase your opportunities.
Sales is not only a numbers (intellectual) game, it's also an emotional one. "No" goals help you be detached from the outcome, and you feel less pressure to get to a yes. Yes is still the destination, it's just changing the understanding of how you get there. It's all about taking a negative reality and putting a positive spin on it.
A great starting point is to be aware of how many no's you are getting, and then setting a goal for the following week. If you feel a lot of anxiety about getting no's, start with a goal of one no and build from there.
How do you know when to accept a no and move on? Remember that it's not about badgering people, it's about having the right amount of persistence. Most salespeople give up way too soon. Persist and consistently add value to people's lives and businesses, and get their permission to check back later on. Then be sure to follow up with them.

Interview Links

Go For No! Yes is the Destination, No is How You Get There

The Diamond Line book

The Fear Factory book

GoForNo.com

GoForNo.com/Notivation (Notivation monthly ezine)

Twitter.com/GoForNo

Facebook.com/GoForNo

Resources

GoGiverSalesAcademy.com

The Go-Giver Leader

016 Alignment, Success, & Happiness - JB Glossinger, MBA, Ph.D May 03, 2016

Show notes

Alignment, Values, Mission, Goals, Happiness

Summary

It's one thing to espouse a set of values. But we only find true happiness when we live in alignment with those values. We'll discuss that in our Thought of the Day. Later in our interview segment, we'll be joined by JB Glossinger, who shows us how to ensure that we live in a way that is truly congruent. That and more on today's show.

Bob's Thought of the Day

Bob shares a story from his younger days: when he and a friend went for a drive in his first car, Bob showed him how the car was out of alignment. When he took his hands off the wheel, the car slowly drifted to the right. Without fixing it, it would continue going further away from the correct path.
The same is true for us: when our actions are out of alignment with our values, we become unhappy. This is important because we want to be happy. The pursuit of happiness is not only written in the U.S. Declaration of Independence, it's the ultimate goal (even if unconsciously) for every individual.
Happiness is often the byproduct of living and acting in certain ways, rather than something you seek directly. The late Harry Browne taught that everyone seeks happiness and makes decisions based on what they believe will bring them happiness.
Bob defines happiness as "a genuine and ongoing feeling of joy and peace of mind: the result of living congruently with one's values." In other words, if you want to be happy, your actions must match your values.
Happiness is not just an individual pursuit. For instance, if the highest value of a sports team is winning, and the team members are all aligned with this value, they will be happier and have more wins than losses. But if several of the players are more interested in themselves than the team, the result will be less happiness and more losses.
The same is true in business. The culture of a company begins at the top and trickles down. If a leader wants to create a definitive company culture, he or she must communicate a set of values clearly and consistently, then act on those values. But if the leader communicates one set of values, then acts according to another set, it will negatively affect the entire company.
As individuals or as a team, the most powerful way to attain happiness is to make sure that your goals, values, and actions are all going in the same direction.

Interview with JB Glossinger

A key premise of the book is found in this passage: "So, freedom was my top value, yet there I was locked in a prison of an office every day. Did I really have to ask why I was miserable? … My goals had been all wrong because they had nothing to do with my values. My life was totally out of alignment with what I really cared about and wanted."
JB shares that freedom was an important value of his. However, he realized that the way he was living, and his values, had nothing to do with freedom.
JB shares a story about connecting with what he calls "the observer." In this moment, he realized that there was so much more to life than fulfilling his own needs. He experienced an awakening of his spirit and understood that there is more than just the need to be right, wear the right clothes, or pursue other external indicators of success.
The four main ingredients of the Sacred Six are: alignment, mission, values, and goals.
Your values are what is important to you. Ask yourself: what is important in my life? What makes me tick? Your values need to be aligned with your mission.
This process breaks down for many people when it comes to their goals. Everything, including your goals, has to move you toward your mission.
When you make changes in your life to follow your dreams, it doesn't always go like you plan. Just because you apply the Sacred Six, doesn't mean everything will go smoothly.
JB shares a simple yet powerful lesson from the book, about a man named Frank. He describes the message of Frank's life this way: "Know what is important to you, and live your life accordingly." A lot of people spend time doing things they think they want, but really don't want. That brings suffering.

Resources

The Sacred 6 by JB Glossinger

Glossinger.com

MorningCoach.com

The Go-Giver Leader

015 Branding through Fascination - Sally Hogshead Apr 26, 2016

Show notes

Brands, Fascination, Marketing, Charisma, Power

Summary

What makes a person charismatic? Is it natural presence? Is it learned? Is it different for different people? What does "charismatic" even mean? We'll discuss that in our Thought of the Day. Later in our interview segment, we'll visit with Sally Hogshead, one of the most "fascinatingly" charismatic people I know … not to mention, a woman who can teach us how to be the same. That and more on today's show.

Bob's Thought of the Day

We've all experienced being in the presence of a charismatic person. When he or she walks into a room, all eyes seem to turn on them because they radiate an energy that attracts everyone toward them. It has nothing to do with wealth, appearance, or fame; rather, there's just "something" about them.
One way to define "charisma" is this: "a spiritual power or personal quality that gives an individual influence or authority over large numbers of people." Some examples of this type of person include Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., John F. Kennedy, and Jacqueline Kennedy.
Why are some seemingly ordinary people so charismatic? The reason is that they have very powerfully tapped into a core part of their being in such a way that is almost broadcasts to the world that they're on a mission you want to know about. They are a force of nature.
These people bring to the table an energy that comes from their soul, their heart, what they've done, what they are now doing, and what they're willing to do. In other words, they are in complete alignment with who they really are.
Charisma is closely aligned with your authentic nature. So how do you tap into that? Authentic isn't something you need to become … it's already at your core. You simply have to embrace what's already there. It might even mean chipping away at your outer layers, just as Michelangelo chipped away everything in the big block of marble that "wasn't David."
What are your strengths, and how can you leverage and lead with them to become more influential, charismatic … and fascinating?

Interview with Sally Hogshead

The word "fascinate" comes from the Latin fascinare, which meant "to bewitch or hold captive so the listener is powerless to resist." The concept of fascination appears in the history of many ancient cultures.
Sally identifies seven languages of fascination, and she addresses several of these in the interview. (You can take any message from an advertisement to a political speech and put them in one of the seven categories.) She mentions a few of the categories: innovation (showing a new way of thinking), trust (this is used by financial institutions), and power (used by companies such as Google).
When someone is fascinated, as far as it appears to someone looking at brain activity, it looks the same as when you're falling in love.
You don't necessarily need an advertising agency. The most important thing to know about your brand is what makes it different.
The resources section contains a link to the brand fascination assessment, which will give you the marketing strategy that an ad agency would normally give. This is the process used by an ad agency, but distilled down to an hour.
You must have certain qualities within your personality and business brand that make people remember you and talk about you. Sally gives the example of a unique business card she uses that costs $2.
The winners are the ones who have the most memorable message, not necessarily the biggest budget. You need to find a few details that allow you to stand out, be heard, and be remembered. You have to overdeliver in one specific way so people can use it as a way to remember and describe you.

Resources

HowToFascinate.com

Fascinate: How to Make Your Brand Impossible to Resist by Sally Hogshead

BrandFascination.com/Book

BrandFascination.com (Brand Fascination Profile)

The Go-Giver Leader

014 People Smarts - Dave Kerpen Apr 19, 2016

Show notes

Relationships, People Skills, Success, Encouragement, Trust

Summary

People skills are so often the differentiator between the talented person who is reasonably successful, and the incredibly successful person who creates buy-in and commitment from everyone around them. Fortunately, these people skills can be learned, although they must ultimately come from the heart. We’ll discuss that in our Thought of the Day. Then in our interview segment, we’ll be joined by star entrepreneur and bestselling author Dave Kerpen, whose newest book just happens to be titled The Art of People. That and more on today’s show.

Bob's Thought of the Day

Success in both business and life is based on roughly 15% technical skill and 85% people skills. (Dale Carnegie mentioned this in his classic How to Win Friends and Influence People.)
Technical skills and talent are vital, but will only get you so far. Often, those with great talent and poor people skills are working for those with adequate talent and great people skills.
Whether this is “fair” or not, it’s a principle that has stood the test of time. And like any natural law, you can embrace it or you can deny it. What you cannot do is alter it. The person who goes the furthest is the one who can not only get along with others, but also become someone whom others like and trust. And who can consistently create buy-in for their ideas.

As a young man, Benjamin Franklin understood that the best way to achieve success was not by being sharp and sarcastic, and making others wrong. He grasped that he would be much more effective as a result of improving his people skills. This self improvement process was detailed both in Franklin’s autobiography, and Walter Isaacson’s biography, Benjamin Franklin.
You can have every positive success attribute working for you, but if you can’t work and play well with others, and relate to them in a way that can positively influence their thoughts and actions, you will severely limit your success.
On the other hand, if you can conduct yourself in a way that makes others feel good about themselves, and about you, then you’re in a position to make a positive difference in their lives.
It’s true that there are those who have achieved great financial success despite a lack of people skills. Yet many of these people have personal relationships that are a mess.
The single greatest people skill is a highly developed and authentic interest in the other person.

Interview with Dave Kerpen

Trust is everything in business. You can’t do business with people you can’t trust. There is a time and a place for negotiation, but when it errs on the side of dishonesty, it’s very difficult to restore that trust.
It’s important to pay attention to the people around you. If they are “bluffing,” they will show it through their gestures, speeding up their speech, and other clues. Dave goes into much more detail about this in his book The Art of People.
Be distinctive, unique, and creative!
Dave shares a compelling story about how he landed the Burger King account when he worked for Disney Radio as a young man. We all know the value of persistence, but it’s hard to put it into practice.
Dave shares key insights about mirror neurons. At the cellular level, we respond to the mood of the person speaking to us. If that person is in a good mood, we pick up that energy. The opposite is true as well. People’s moods are literally contagious.
We have to get in a good mood to be effective, persuasive, and inspiring. To get yourself in a good mood, practice gratitude and acts of kindness. Those are the most powerful drugs on the planet. Dave shares an example of holding open the door for a few people, a simple gesture than can impact both yourself and others.
What works best, criticism or encouragement? Encouragement and praise work, but criticism doesn’t. When you see behavior in others that needs to be corrected, coach them privately rather than criticize them publicly. Criticism can have a negative long-term impact.

Interview Links

The Art of People by Dave Kerpen

ArtofPeoplebook.com

Likeable Social Media by Dave Kerpen

LikeableLocal.com

ExecutiveSpeakingSuccess.com

Resources

How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie

The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin (online version)

Benjamin Franklin: A Life by Walter Isaacson

The Go-Giver Leader

013 Technology and Relationships - Terry Brock Apr 12, 2016

Show notes

Technology, Relationships, People Skills, Influence, Social Media

Episode 13: Technology and Relationships—Terry Brock

Summary

Every day we’re surrounded by smartphones, social media, and many other types of technology. We have access to a greater quantity of communication than ever before. But what about the quality of communication? Does technology help or hurt us in this regard? Or is there a third option? We’ll discuss that in our Thought of the Day. In our interview segment, we’ll be joined by Terry Brock, a technology wizard who will help us see that it’s not about the technology, but about the relationship. That and more on today’s show.

Bob's Thought of the Day

All things being equal, people will do business with, and refer business to, others whom they know, like, and trust. This is true no matter if you’re connecting with people face-to-face or online. It’s all about the relationship, no matter what the medium.
Those “know, like, and trust” relationships can absolutely be built online.
Recent podcast guest Geoff Colvin made an insightful point in his book Humans are Underrated: there is no substitute for human-to-human communication. We are wired to seek out human connection with other people.
As a young television broadcaster, I once asked a news director if he thought the Teleprompter was a great addition to broadcasting or whether it would take away from the authenticity of the communication. His response: It’s neither; it’s a great tool but nothing more.
The same is true for relationships: what matters is not the technology but the relationship itself. Are you always asking yourself how you can best add value to others? If so, you’re on the right track to connect with people. And, via the amazing technology we have today, many of these people will be those you might otherwise never have had the opportunity to meet.

Interview with Terry Brock

It’s vital that we remember to focus on cultivating, building, and maintaining relationships, no matter what the technology.
When you’re getting started, you can provide value by listening to what the other person is looking for. Chris Brogan says we need to grow bigger ears.
Video is a wonderful communication tool because you can make a closer connection with someone. Eyejot is an app that lets you easily send video messages to others.
We have to leverage technology to build relationships through “R-commerce” (relationship commerce). The key is to be real and genuine.
Another great tool is Blab, a livestream video chat platform. People around the world can gather together and talk about topics of common interest.
You can always learn new skills. The most important thing is to focus on people. Everyone can learn to be better at relationships.
When it comes to learning new technology, it’s good to say “not yet” instead of saying “no.” You might not be able to do something right now, but saying “not yet” will give you the seed of encouragement to move forward.

Resources

TerryBrock.com

Terry’s TEDx talk

Relationship Marketing: It’s Not About E-Commerce, It’s about R-Commerce

Klout Matters: How to Engage Customers, Boost Your Digital Influence--and Raise Your Klout Score

Eyejot video

Blab

The Go-Giver Leader

GoGiverSpeaker.com

www.burg.com

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012 Very Young Entrepreneurship - Gabrielle Jordan Apr 05, 2016

Show notes

Young Entrepreneurs, Mindset, Habits, Mentoring, Adding Value

Episode 12: Very Young Entrepreneurship—Gabrielle Jordan

Summary

Entrepreneurship is the engine that drives all prosperity in any market-based economy. Children, as the saying goes, are indeed our future. When you put the two of them together--children and entrepreneurship--you have a powerful combination. We’ll discuss that in our Thought of the Day. And later in our interview segment, we’ll hear from a very successful entrepreneur who was very young when she started, and still is! She is already an author and podcast host aside from her … regular job. That and more on today’s show.

Bob's Thought of the Day

Cameron Johnson was just nine years old when he started his first business, a greeting card company, with $50 and a home computer. At age eleven he started selling Beanie Babies on eBay, and by age thirteen he was the second-largest Beanie Baby retailer online, netting $50,000 that year. He made his first million before graduating from high school.
When I spoke to a group of middle school students recently, I emphasized that making money isn’t the most important reason for starting a business. Rather, it’s knowing that you’re doing something productive, adding value to others, and creating good habits.
It’s also an excellent way for a young person to develop skills and habits that will benefit the individual for a lifetime.

Interview with Gabrielle Jordan

Gabrielle started her business at age seven. She had always loved her Mom’s jewelry, so she learned how to make jewelry from a YouTube tutorial, sought out suppliers on the internet, and began selling jewelry to other kids.
Gabrielle is now fifteen years old and owner of Jewelz of Jordan. She is an author, speaker, frequent media guest, and co-founder of ExCEL Youth Mentoring Institute.
A proper mindset is vital because that’s where your success begins. If you don’t have a strong mind, you won’t be successful and reach your goals.
Even if you’re not in love with your product or service, you can still learn from the process and appreciate the opportunity to learn and grow.
It’s important to create a business plan and establish your mission and goals. Every young person should have a plan for what they want to accomplish and how to get there.
Beware of “dream killers,” people who believe you’re going to fail and will tear you down. When other try to kill your dreams with their words, you have the power to decide whether it means something and has any effect on you.
Take the initiative to find role models and mentors. Don’t be afraid to ask others for help or tips. It’s up to you to find people who can help you.

Resources

ExCel Youth Mentoring Institute

GabrielleJordanInspires.com

JewlzofJordan.com

The Making of a Young Entrepreneur

The Go-Giver Leader

GoGiverSpeaker.com

www.burg.com

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