Understanding The Art Of Building Communities: What Really Matters In Fostering Unity Among Your Social Groups

In the previous mid-week was another insightful training where I was training the government leaders on “Building Communities”. This allowed the leaders-managers to better implement policies, steps and strategies to bring about unity to the citizens, the public as well as their own workplace departments.

Men, being social creatures, do not operate alone. So long as they have to interact, communities and network will be formed. The evolvement of groups towards something useful and purposeful will thus always remain a major exercise for the leadership at hand.

Being a Sociology major, I was extremely pleased that my education and knowledge can be put to good use. We explored the key concepts in how human beings interact and the dynamics where social groupings are formed. My other major, Economics, contributed strongly to our analysis of the coming trends in Singapore and its living standards. Topping it off with a Psychological spin, we are off to a more positive direction in shaping our societies and lifestyles.

To make building your communities more relevant and accomplishable, consider the following essentials:

1. Decipher the local culture and its underlying meanings.

2. Predict the future trends for this community of yours.

3. Analyze the changes needed and the steps that must be taken.

4. Make sure these changes move in continuum with the receptivity of the social groups and trends evolvement.

5. Gauge the unity and happiness levels of its citizens.

*** Related article: How You Can Build Better Communities? 8 Steps For Effective Policy Implementation To The Masses

(Source: wekie.com)

It’s Not Just About Work! 7 Areas You MUST REALLY Pay Attention To At Your Workplace For Your Own Career Excellence

At the beginning of this work week, it will be a helpful and enriching idea to start pondering about your career with respect to your life. Whenever I’m conducting coaching and counseling for group participants and individuals, I’ve highlighted that work is not just about work.

It’s a lot more. And you have to be aware of them or else your career outcome may not be as productive as you wish to be. In fact, merely putting your career on work alone tends to lead to stagnation at best and retardation of career at worse.

If you wish to know what are others must you really pay attention to, here are the areas:

1. The quality of your work and your competency, and not just merely work.

2. Your relationships with all the people in your life.

3. The way you communicate with your bosses, colleagues and customers and the way you serve them.

4. The clarity of your work responsibilities and your role.

5. The values that your presence bring.

6. Your personal career progress that fits your goals and dreams in life.

7. The overall fulfillment of the company’s objectives via your work performance.

How You Can Build Better Communities? 8 Steps For Effective Policy Implementation To The Masses

It was an extremely busy time for me yesterday. As a trainer, I was concluding Day 2 of the “Building Communities” training and was rushing afterwards to another venue to begin the private evening seminar on “What Men Want”. That made for a fast-paced day, fully enriching and exciting.

As discussed in my training, policies are there to ensure things get on to whatever goals the management wants to achieve. They are critical to how the future can progress. Be it in managing a club, a community, a town, a nation-country, global region or even for worldwide use, policies are there to keep things running in the intended direction. Challenging as it might be at times, they are essential. Hence the training for the past 2 days on “Building Communities” was designed to address this issue, ease the transitions and handle other situations that might arise.

Whenever you want to implement a certain policy to a large group of people, you can further make use of the following 8 steps:

Step #1: Study the ground’s feeling first by setting up the survey systems.

Step #2: Derive an understanding of the cultures and the people who will be affected by your policies.

Step #3: Decide on two levels of perspectives: The short term and the long term. (You may find that sometimes one contradicts another.) You have to make the call on which position to take.

Step #4: Establish bridges and connections with the communities that will be affected. Inform everybody about these bridges.

Step #5: Keep the communication channels flowing back and forth as events and policies evolve.

Step #6: Craft the proper promotion strategy and branding process.

Step #7: Monitor the situation for minor fine-tuning yet ensuring the main plan is being adhere to.

Step #8: Remain vigilant in responding to any changes and be the listening ear for the communities.

Whenever usefully policies are effective implemented, the benefits to the communities are tremendous. Hence, the artful application of the above steps will make your management impressive and the outcome Excel Beyond Excellence!

3 Keys To Sell Successfully And Recruit More Members

In any society there are always plenty of companies, institutions, organizations and clubs; each existing to function and further its purpose of existence. Some intend to draw people together for certain common interests, others seek to raise fund, while the rest would like to improve its social cause. What’s yours?

In all cases, your memberships are hence crucial, vital and will prove to be the primary reason for every organization’s continuing existence. Whenever I work with these companies and organizations to train the existing staff on their recruitment and implement sales strategies, I will train them on the keys points to easily and effectively draw members to join them. Within these tactics are multiples of sociological and psychological keys to be opened. Once implemented, the organizations will begin to visibly notice the positive rate of recruiting success with lesser efforts put in.

If your company and you aim to result in recruiting more members, some of the inner dynamics to selling memberships successfully means that your recruiters must:

1. Know when to supply which information and know the types of brochures to give your customers.

2. Watch for what triggers interests in your customers and turn that into your recruitment advantage.

3. Direct your customers on what to do next.

It is by cleverly and artfully integrating these keys that your companies and organizations can experience a rise in new memberships.

This will then lead your organizations to Excel Beyond Excellence!

7 Steps To Creating A Sales Plan That Will Powerfully Boost Your Results

Many salespeople have been working on better plans to increase their sales results. Being able to plan is a crucial part of executing an effective sales design. It is when a sales plan is well thought out that can you maximize the chances of closing the sales. In my consultations with the various companies, I’ve emphasize that such an effective plan will exponentially increase their revenues. And it’s not that difficult or challenging to implement too.

Furthermore, two days ago, at the conclusion of the 2-day “Dynamic Selling That Shows Results” seminar, I highlighted again the importance of having a sales plan and the ability to manage it well. I was glad that the participants took to considering better ways to improve their sales and meet the quotas. This had also made the training most productive and results orientated.

In a nutshell, here are the steps to the plan:

1. Decide if your plan is to be management centric, product centric or customer centric.

2. Focus on developing your selling points that cater to customers.

3. Package your products and selling points in favor of the customers’ preferred design.

4. Publicize and market to raise awareness of products and entice customers.

5. Know that your timing of the sales execution matters immensely.

6. Craft out opportunities in your plan for up-selling and cross-selling.

7. Always remember to fine-tune the loose ends in your overall plans.

When you can take time to design your intricate sales plan, you can use it to smoothly allow your product and services to move into the hands of your customers. Take time to consider the intricate effects of each step of your plan.

When delicately and effectively designed, your sales will Excel Beyond Excellence! Best wishes.

How Do You Know Your Leadership Influence and Management Strategies Have Performed Well? 7 Signs To Show Your Success

Over these past two days of training, my participants and I have been discussing and uncovering the various dynamics of leading and the art of influencing people towards the goals. Making the organizational leadership perform well is absolutely crucial to work success. This was what the “Supervisory Leadership” training is specifically designed to address and to provide the solutions in leadership management.

There were some pretty intensive practices and in-depth analysis into what leadership and management truly is and how leadership takes on other paradigms apart from what seems conventional. In the midst of the thoughts, discussions and reflections, everybody got to acquire new knowledge and skills. Most of all, the attitudes of a leader was vividly exhibited.

Therefore, as you carry forth your leadership strategies as well as to manage your staffs, you want to know if all your efforts have been worthwhile. It will definitely stand your department and you in good stead to know that these strategies and influence have performed well.

Here are the indications and signs of your leadership and management success:

1. Your staff and team members reflect the traits and values of your leadership influences and management ideologies.

2. They are pleased to have worked with you, as their leader.

3. Your staffs begin to train other staffs, using your philosophy and take on your legacy. (Note: This is apart from an instituted training policy, but rather an additional attitudinal display of your influence.)

4. There is an overall synergy and enthusiastic mood within your uplifted team.

5. Your staffs are willing to talk openly about it and the benefits your strategies bring.

6. Your customers return consistently to your organization with positive feedback.

7. The numbers and data show the differences. (It better.)

When you take on the responsibility of leading your team, your strategies will result in various impact. Read your organization for the above signs and you will be better poised on the road to Excel Beyond Excellence!

5 Important Marketing Principles For Building Your Customer Relationships

There are always new concepts and principles one can discover in marketing and relationship management. Whenever I conduct consultation for the different companies, I will help these companies to better integrate and apply these essential principles. The end result is always an increase in profits, sales and customer base.

Over the past 2 days in “Winning Customers with Relationship Marketing”, I had been sharing these important pointers with my participants from different companies. As prime drivers in the sales and marketing of their organizations, they are tasked with creating a stronger level of customer relationships and ultimately, improving sales results.

Hence, it will always pay dividends to take account of these principles:

1. Your customers ultimately judge you by how they feel about you and your products.

2. Trust and Likeability is the key factor in relationship marketing.

3. Regular contact allows your customers to remember you better.

4. It’s always an advantage to understand your customers first and relate to them differently, instead of a “one-size-fits-all” approach.

5. Your customers do want to have a relationship with you. Show them how they have it with everything to gain for themselves.

It is with conscious application and reviewing of your marketing strategy that you can increase your customer base. Seek to integrate them into your current business structure and focus.

May your organization and you Excel Beyond Excellence!

Bring Out The GEMS In Your Service: What Does It Truly Means To Provide Service Beyond Excellence

For the past two days, I was visiting Republic Polytechnic during their GEMS Bond Camp. I was invited as the guest speaker as well as attended the closing ceremony. I must that the participants of the GEMS Bond camp put in their best in their performance. (GEMS stands for Go-the Extra-Mile for Service. A government initiative to get the industries to be more service orientated and conscious as well as getting the customers to be more service responsive.)

The various industry partners and I watched their skit, dance and songs. While these were entertaining and fun, there were all focused on bringing out the single message: the call to provide better service. The energy and efforts by these young participants were awe inspiring. I enjoyed their performance and was impressed by their commitment towards service quality.

Whenever I run service workshops and consultant, many people asked me regarding how could they provide good service? Therefore, during my segment, I decided to share with them the essences of GEMS and what is the real meaning of providing quality service, the service that goes beyond excellence.

I shared with them the components of what quality service means so that they can bring out the GEMS in their service:

Give your hearts out: You must understand that a lot of the service you provide must come from the heart. If it’s not truly and sincerely the desire to service, then anything you do is merely for the sake of doing. And customers can feel the difference. Therefore, be sincere and passionate in what you do.

Exceed Expectations: When we talk about quality service, we are comparing this to minimal service or standard service. People walk in with a certain expectations. If you serve them exceeding well in a positive way, they will hence be pleasantly pleased and surprised, leaving a better impression.

Manage Emotions: People are beings with emotions, feelings, opinions, thoughts and responses. When you can handle and manage the emotions of your customers, it means you can influence them towards making how they feel better. If they’re feeling bad, you can make them feel good. And if they feel good already, you can make them feel even more elated. Remember, the notion of ‘quality’ lies in the emotions of your customers.

Sensitive to Needs: Of course, no service can be considered complete and be of quality if they do not meet up to the needs of the customers. Hence, you must be sensitive enough to first, sense the need, then detect the changing needs. Imagine how pleasant it will be if the waiter offers you the tea spoon even before you raise your hands to get his attention. The key is: every customer has needs. Whoever meets it the best, wins.

These are the components of GEMS that you can apply everyday as you serve your customers. Practice these practical points often and you’ll soon find your service Excelling Beyond Excellence!

How You Can Provide Service Excellence From The Heart

Whenever we are interacting with others, we are often providing a certain service of some kind. Be it some information, a help with opening the door or even a smile when acknowledging others. The basis of these comes from the heart. To truly give a delight experience to the people we come into contact with, we must first begin from our heart.

Take the following steps:

1. Commit to service excellence.

2. Discover what the other party needs from you.

3. Attend to it with a sincere smile.

4. Focus on the other party’s well-being first.

5. Delight in yourself having made a better day for others.

6. Acknowledge that quality service is worth inculcating.

7. Repeat this cycle regularly until it becomes a second nature.

It’s truly a joy to have made that simple difference in other’s life, at least for that moment. You can truly take pride and be assured that you are that positive element of influence.

By doing this, you would have taken another step towards Excelling Beyond Excellence!

What Makes Your Organization A Place of Excellence?

To have your organization become a place of excellence, the following criteria must be fulfilled:

1. A culture of Trust.

2. An establishment of Structure.

3. A group of Effective Communicators.

4. A practice of Personal Responsibility.

5. A sense of Pride.

6. A display of Commitment

7. An Act of Quality Service

8. A Proof of Customer Satisfaction

9. A building of Leadership and Ownership

10. An environment of Mutual Support and Growth.