Three Word Podcast

Episode 50, Decide or Not Decide, that is the question.

Lisa Thal is an Author, Speaker, and Life Coach.  She wrote the book, "Three Word Meetings" for you.  A Simple Strategy to Engage, Inspire, and Empower Your Team.  Lisa helps provide fun and interesting 3-word sales topics for your next business meeting to get your sales team motivated and inspired. It is guaranteed to save you time and have your team more engaged during the sales meeting. Make an impact on those you lead by using three words!

Episode 50 focuses on you deciding or not deciding on your future.

 

I want to share a process that can help guide you in making better decisions while building your confidence. You can take more control over your life. That is what we all want on some level. The power in your choices is preparing you to face challenges in front of you and view them as opportunities. The key is that if you don't like where you are in your life, change it. Yes, it is really that simple if you don't like where you are with your health, your relationships, your finances, your career, then change it! The moment you make that decision and then take action, your destiny shifts.

 

So what decisions do you need to make?

 

What we focus on we get. Do you focus on fear or opportunities? See where ever your focus goes, your energy flows! If you focus on fear, that is the direction you are taking your life. If you shift your attention to seeing each experience as an opportunity to learn and grow, then your decision making will be different. Everyone has an internal Villain telling us to play it safe; now is not the time to start that new business venture. Yes, we are influenced by the media, our friends, our parents, and the people we work with. There is also a Hero in each of us. There are things you can control, your thoughts, which create your actions, which equals your destiny—the internal process on how you see life. I encourage you to write down where you want to put your focus and energy. What opportunities can you create in your current role? How can you help lead others and become a role model for them? Do you need to decide on getting in better health, so you have the energy and stamina to lead others? Be very clear on what you want to focus your time and energy.

What does this mean for me? Is this creating pain or pleasure? Is this the end or the beginning for you? Let me give you an example. If you are ending a relationship, are you going to act the same way as a new relationship? Of course not! See the emotions you feel determined how you view your decisions. Let's get clear and understand the impact of you deciding ( or not deciding) and start shifting your thinking to seeing everything as an opportunity, or I like to say life happening for me, not against me. If you lost your job, are you viewing it as a devastating loss? Or as an opportunity to step back and take the time to see what the next chapter of life has for you. Is there something new you want to learn that could benefit you? You have endless opportunities in front of you. Discover what excites you! Is it learning something new? Is it learning from others who found a way to re-invent themselves? You have the power to choose how you will live your life. The resources are available to you. Ask Google! Do you want a Life with gratitude or a bad attitude?

What are you going to do? You are going to take action! That's right, once you are clear on what you want, you have written it down on paper, or saved on your phone. You understand how this will make you feel. You then must take action. So think about this, if you feel fear and anger, your reaction to taking action will be different than feeling grateful and fulfilled. You will feel more in control and more empowered when you decide to start moving towards your dreams and visions. When you take control of your life, everything changes. If you need help, call me. Find someone in your life that you can tell your new story to who will appreciate it- someone that will encourage you. Hire a coach who can help guide you or at least keep you on track. Get you there faster.

 

Decide at this moment that you are committed to you! When faced with your next decision, remember this, " If you didn't have the struggles that you had, the challenges, you would never develop your character. Your character is coming from those times when you didn't believe you could do it, but you did it anyway, and you fought your way through. In that decision making, you developed your character, your confidence, and your strength." - Brendon Burchard

 

 

Episode 49, Which is more critical to your business, ROI, or ROR?

Lisa Thal is an Author, Speaker, and Life Coach.  "Three Word Meetings" was written for you. A Simple Strategy to Engage, Inspire, and Empower Your Team. Lisa helps provide fun and interesting 3-word sales topics for your next business meeting to get your sales team motivated and inspired. It is guaranteed to save you time and have your team more engaged during the sales meeting. Make an impact on those you lead by using three words!

 

In Episode 49, I share a conversation with Ted Rubin, author of Return On Relationship. We discuss how to create ROR while achieving ROI. Ted is a leading social marketing strategist, author, speaker, provocateur, CMO of Photofy, and sits on various advisory boards.  

 

Ted believes the key to continued success for any brand/retailer/e-tailer is identifying with the customer. Ted is quick to point out "listening is finally getting the respect it deserves through Social Media… listen and adjust your message to make it relevant to your consumer. Brand loyalty declines due to lack of relevance… a direct result of not listening." "Number one is always trying to understand who your customer is and pay attention." And in that vein, you batter start to understand that SIMPLICITY is the new EDLP! Make it easy for them, and they will buy from you again and again and again. Frictionless fulfillment is the retail of the future.

 

Your Brand/Business is what you do; your Reputation is what people Remember and Share.

 

 

Ted is a globally recognized authority on marketing, customer/brand dynamics, and consumer relationship building. Ted's engaging and powerful message not only inspires his audiences but leaves them with actionable insights that they can put to work on their businesses immediately. Ted's core marketing philosophy, Return on Relationship (#RonR), has proven to be transformational for companies that embrace the opportunity that social media has offered them to build meaningful relationships with their customers.

 

To contact Ted, 516-270-5511 or email him Tedrubin@gmail.com

Episode 48, One thing that all leaders have in common!

Lisa Thal is an Author, Speaker, and Life Coach.  She wrote the book, "Three Word Meetings" for you.  A Simple Strategy to Engage, Inspire, and Empower Your Team.  Lisa helps provide fun and interesting 3-word sales topics for your next business meeting to get your sales team motivated and inspired. It is guaranteed to save you time and have your team more engaged during the sales meeting. Make an impact on those you lead by using three words!

Episode 48, One thing that all leaders have in common. How them communicate!

 

 

In the real estate industry, there is one word that can determine how quickly you sell your home, Location, Location, Location.

 

In leadership, there too is one word that can determine how successful you are at leading your team, Communication, Communication, Communication.

 

What does it mean to communicate? Communication is an exchange of information. As a leader, you have the information you need to exchange with your sales team and your customers. You also need emotional beliefs! Our team and clients are feeling fear and anxiety. 

The message you convey matters! Your team may need education or inspiration. Either way, it starts with you. It is so essential that you are in a state of certainty on what you need your team to do before you can transfer that to those you lead. 

 

  

What recommendations can you give your team in helping them lead their clients through this challenging time?

 

1. Stay relevant to your customers. What information can you communicate to help them? Is it market research in their industry that can improve their operation? Is there a webinar you attended that could benefit them that you could share? Have you identified an idea that your client could benefit from, communicate it with them?
2. Communicate Hope.  Give your team goals to accomplish. So they know what expectations you have for them. I understand that many businesses are not open, but they will be opening soon. By giving your team goals, it shifts their focus on the future. They feel like they are doing something. Creating small wins will build confidence and momentum if you have to revise their goals for the next 30-60 days. Your team can use this same blueprint for its customers. Working on the best solutions and communicating ideas to support them is critical. It builds trust and deepens your relationship.
3. Be flexible and Adaptive.  In uncertain times new information may arrive that can provide a better solution. Leaders need to keep an open mind and know you have the ability to shift your strategy.
4. Communicate with new prospects. Why? There are opportunities. These clients may not be happy with their current provider. You may have better ideas or solutions to their issues. Your timing could be perfect. I would call them, not email. You have a great chance today, to connect through the phone with people working from home. Make sure before calling, and you have an idea, a case study of success, the why your calling. Communicate your message with confidence and certainty! A belief that your call could be the most important call they answer.
5. One day at a time. Create an environment of success by celebrating one win each day. Have your team send you their one win of the day. A win could be they communicated with a current client and shared an idea to help their business. They interviewed current clients on what they will need from us for us to support their needs. They connected with a new prospect, and they researched in great detail a new emerging category they plan to put their focus. At the end of each day, share the wins of the team! 

 

Lead with resilience. Resilience is the difference between giving up and getting up. Accept the challenge, rise to the occasion, and communicate to your team!

 

 

If you like this podcast, make sure you rate it, if you think someone could benefit from this episode share it, or subscribe at Itunes or Spotify, so you don't miss out on the next three-word podcast.

 

Episode 47, Never Underestimate Yourself!

Lisa Thal is an Author, Speaker, and Life Coach.  She wrote the book, "Three Word Meetings" for you.  A Simple Strategy to Engage, Inspire, and Empower Your Team.  Lisa helps provide fun and interesting 3-word sales topics for your next business meeting to get your sales team motivated and inspired. It is guaranteed to save you time and have your team more engaged during the sales meeting. Make an impact on those you lead by using three words!

In episode 47, we discuss how important it is for you to share your thoughts and vision.

 

 

Have you ever been told not to sell yourself short? We all know that doing so would mean that you were underestimating your abilities and that your confidence wouldn't be where it should be. Perhaps you developed this habit through time, and you were not even aware of it. Underestimating yourself may have developed early in your life. For example, you were not raising your hand in school if you knew the answers or being afraid to share your ideas with others at work or in sales meetings. Why because you may have the fear others would not like or approve of your concepts. So you sit back and let others speak up and share their ideas. Each time you give in to underestimating yourself, you are reinforcing the notion that you and your views are not good enough, that you're not capable enough.

 

How can you stop underestimating yourself? You start by reflecting on the times you did succeed. We all have something we have succeeded in doing. We all have succeeded in earning our first job. Yes, we were competing against others. I am sure there was something you shared that made the difference. If you're in sales, can you recall your first sale? Or better yet, the strategic ideas you created to get in front of the client for the first time. You can use these experiences to reinforce that you are capable of achieving great things.

 

Stop comparing yourself to other people. We each have our talents and abilities to offer. When you underestimate yourself, you limit your life experiences. You hold yourself back from accomplishing your goal, and you find reasons not to move forward. As a leader, creating an environment that encourages everyone to share their thoughts will give you access to some potentially fresh and powerful ideas. 

 

3 questions to encourage your team to share.

 

 

 

• How do you encourage others to share their ideas? Perhaps, Asking questions beginning with "What do you think?" will set the stage for your team to discover possible solutions, build confidence, and encourage them to think and share.
• Is there a platform you can create to tap into ideas from all those on your team?
• I encourage you to start by writing down one idea that could make a difference in your business? The one idea you have been thinking about and needs a little action behind it.

 

 

Just remember, never underestimate what you can accomplish in a day, a week or a year when you believe in yourself. Think and then have the courage to speak up. Our world needs your ideas and vision.

 

Episode 46 - Five tips you can apply today to help you achieve your goals

 

Lisa Thal is an Author, Speaker, and Life Coach. She wrote the book, "Three Word Meetings" for you. A Simple Strategy to Engage, Inspire, and Empower Your Team. Lisa helps provide fun and interesting 3-word sales topics for your next business meeting to get your sales team motivated and inspired. It is guaranteed to save you time and have your team more engaged during the sales meeting. Make an impact on those you lead by using three words.

 

In episode 46, you learn the five action steps that 8% of people achieve their goals.

 

Here's an interesting fact. Science says 92 percent of people Don't achieve their goals. Only 8% of people do. What's the difference, focus!

 

It is my vision for all of us to get back on track and follow the following five recommendations so you can be achieving vs. dreaming!

 

 1. See the future.  We need to pretend we see the future and stop looking backward. We can learn from our past experiences. But we need to stop focusing our time there. I want you to pretend and visualize it a year from now. What does your life look like? Pause the podcast and write down what you see and what you need. What would make this year the best year of your life? Is better health, more fulfilling relationships, more success at work, becoming a better leader while impacting other's lives? 

 

2. Start saying no.  You have to remove the distractions in your life. Start saying no to people and things that are stealing time from you. Pause the podcast, write down what may be taking time away from you, achieving your goals. Each day remind yourself that you have discovered an extra hour or two to be working on your vision. In sales, we need to start saying no to the clients wasting our time. We all have them, and they want to sit and talk and never move forward with our ideas. How about investing your time with 20% of your clients doing business with you. Saying no is not easy. This may be very hard for many of you. So lets practice together and say no. If you find it challenging to say no, then perhaps saying you have already made other commitments, and for now, I have to say no.

 

3. Feel it. That is what 8 percent of goal-setters who succeed do. They want it, and they feel it. So ask yourself: What is my level of commitment? Are you focused on reaching your goal? When obstacles pop up along the way, do you run and find a way around the obstacle in your way? The 8 percent have an internal compass that keeps them locked in until they reach the top of the mountain. It's a belief system of "do whatever it takes" that is intrinsically motivated at their core.

 

4. Write it down and be specific. When you write down your goals so they are visible, writing them down in a journal, your screen saver on your phone or computer, you see where you need to focus. The second component is creating concrete action steps you will take. If you are vague about your goals, you will miss the opportunity. I use a system called commitment to me. I create a framework and write down what I want to accomplish over the year, and I break it down. I ask myself the following questions: What are you going to achieve in the next 15 minutes, and I write it down. Then I follow the same process for the next hour, the next 24 hours, the next 7 days, the next 14 days and the next 30 days and next year. All action steps with a focus each day to becoming one of the 8%.

 

5. Avoid Multitasking. The most successful people are very patient and take it "one step at a time." They also avoid juggling too many things. Do you think multitasking is still a good strategy for success? You end up splitting your focus over many tasks, losing focus, lowering the quality of your work, and taking longer to hit your goals.

 

The 8 percent are smart enough to work on several smaller chunks to complete a big goal. But they do it by knocking one down then moving on to the next one. You will create more momentum if you stay focused on completing each project.

 

So start today, become one of the 8%!

 

Episode 45 - Learn how to lead others when faced with challenges.

 

Episode 45. In this week's episode, we learn how others lead when faced with challenges. This week's three words On The Rise.

 

"On the Rise" might be the most compelling three-words. That's because it implies that we are rising from a low point toward a new beginning. We are all facing the toughest challenges we have ever faced as a country. We met the attack on our Country from 911 to housing decline. Each time is rising to the occasion. 

 

 

We have also witnessed others rising up to the Corona Virus. Our dedicated Health Care Providers, Companies, shifting from a brewery to a hand sanitizer company. Other rising to create 3d masks to protect our health care community, auto companies are helping to make ventilators and other working day and night to find a drug for fighting the virus.

 

Yes, we have challenging times ahead of us. As leaders, we too have to Rise up and lead like the other companies do when faced with uncertainty. We have to stay connected to our teams and listen to their fears. Keep them focused on what they can control. We have to be here for our clients and ourselves. We can be a resource. We can be the ones that discover new ways of doing business.

 

Think about all the salespeople who are rejected nine out of ten times. Especially in today's economic world. Now, that is a lot of low points! But they get back up again looking for a better way and rising up for their customers.

 

Let's take a look at On the Rise from the perspective of failure. We put a lot of negative weight on failure in our culture because failure is the yin to success's yang. But here's what's interesting: Contrary to belief, successful people will tell you that their success is not tied to repeatedly failing or what I term falling short. They frame their success as repeatedly trying something, even if that attempt does not succeed. 

 

Think about Thomas Edison. He attempted to create the light bulb more than a thousand times. Most people would quit at ten—or fewer. But Edison believed that our minds are capable of anything, so failure was only the force behind having the courage to try new approaches, look for a different way. 

 

I was thinking about all of us that are in management or sales. Yes, everyone listening to this podcast is in some form of sales. You have ideas your selling to someone. Sales managers are selling their team on using different approaches to be more effective with their clients. The top salespeople I have met love the opportunity to meet with new clients and present them their ideas and solutions regardless of how many times they may get rejected. They are driven by being in the game. They inherently understand that they must possess the ability to rise from their repeated defeats and that those defeats—those rejections—are not personal.  

 

 

 

Let me ask you a question.

 

* Think about a time when you felt defeated in life or your job. What did you have to do, and how long did it take before you were on the rise?

 

* Is there someone you admire who you witnessed reaching a low point only to rise beyond your expectations? 

 

*What did you learn from that experience?

 

*How did you feel when you found a way to grow when faced with adversity?

 

 

I encourage you to keep discovering new ways to help your company. Keep rising up to helping your customers. Keep rising and learn through each experience. Keep on Rising! 

 

If you like this podcast, make sure you rate it, share it, or subscribe so you don't miss out on the next three-word podcast.

Episode 44 Does Sex sell?

Lisa Thal is an Author, Speaker, and Life Coach.  She wrote the book, "Three Word Meetings" for you.  A Simple Strategy to Engage, Inspire, and Empower Your Team.  Lisa helps provide fun and interesting 3-word sales topics for your next business meeting to get your sales team motivated and inspired. It is guaranteed to save you time and have your team more engaged during the sales meeting. Make an impact on those you lead by using three words!

In this episode, you learn how a 250 Million dollar company with over 30,000+ consultants was created.  You learn how to apply the following three words, Power of Purpose. 

Let me ask you a question. What is your power of purpose?  

 

I have a recommendation that can help you discover your Power and Purpose.

 

Answer these three questions to help you find out your Power of Purpose.

 

1. What - What do you need? Notice I didn't ask you what you want. It's what you need. Do you need better Health and Wellness? Do you need a better relationship? Do you need a more secure financial future? Do you need professional or personal growth?
2. Why - Why is the emotional reason behind what you need. So ask yourself, why would having better health be vital to you? Is that you will have more energy? Why do you need to be financially secure? Once you have that answer, ask the Why question again. You will find each time you ask Why you get more clear on the emotional reason why it is essential to you.
3. How - How will you fulfill your needs and desires? Most of us make it to steps one and two. Now the How! Now the action is required—the strategy to getting you to dreams. Hear comes Fear! Fear can sneak in our minds and convince us not to start. Don't let it. Each of us will have a different strategy and one that will work for you. It's essential to set a date. Some of our needs may take a focus for 90 days and others over a year. For some us, personal growth of learning is a lifetime. You desire to keep becoming a better version of yourself.  

 

I am asking you to stop dabbling and start going for it. What if you add 10% more passion each day? 10% more purpose in your life. 10% of learning something new. Commit and go after it: your full potential, your next level. You are worth it. Yes, you will face obstacles. But understand this is a journey, your life's journey. A life worth investing in every

day, your life!

 

Keep discovering your Power of Purpose!

Episode 43 Learn how to lead in uncertain times.

Lisa Thal is an Author, Speaker, and Life Coach.  She wrote the book, "Three Word Meetings" for you.  A Simple Strategy to Engage, Inspire, and Empower Your Team.  Lisa helps provide fun and interesting 3-word sales topics for your next business meeting to get your sales team motivated and inspired. It is guaranteed to save you time and have your team more engaged during the sales meeting. Make an impact on those you lead by using three words!

In this week's episode, I share how to lead and face uncertain times and learn how to Fight the Fear!

 

To stop living in fear, you must understand the underlying psychology so that you can actively fight it. Fear and anxiety have a place in our psychology. Fear is a normal emotion that signals a potential threat to your physical or emotional safety. It's time to take control of your feelings and become more fearless.

 

Let me ask you a question:

You can look at the word FEAR in two ways:

 

• Forget Everything And Run 
• Face Everything And Rise

 

 

7 Tips on how to help you Face Everything and Rise!

 

1. Identify what you fear?

If you're living in fear, your anxieties have escalated to the point that they're running the show. You're thinking about your worries constantly without much mindfulness as to what's behind them. To stop living in fear, you must pinpoint what's causing your distress. I recommend writing down your worries. Review them and circle your top concerns – fear of catching or spreading the virus, fear of losing your job, fear of losing your business, not having enough money during this period, fear of never leaving your house. Start giving yourself a sense of control by writing a few strategies and actions you can take to prevent these things from happening or taking control.

 

2. Life happens

"Life doesn't happen to you, it happens for you," as Tony Robbins says. Truly understanding and accepting this concept is the first step to fulfillment. The reason for determining the source of your anxiety isn't to give you an excuse to keep living in fear. It's to help you assert power over those fears so that they no longer control you. Once you identify the source, you can change your story – and change your mindset. The first step is recognizing that you have a choice. You can blame outside forces like the coronavirus for your emotions and continue to feel out of control. Or you can take charge of your life and learn how to stop living in fear.

 

3. Shift from "Shoulds " into "Musts"

I should call my client, but in today's economic meltdown, I am sure they are busy with other more important things. I will wait a few weeks to call my clients or new prospects I can help. Call them, and we need to support them. Ask them, " What's the #1 problem you're facing this week that our team can help you with"? The most successful people experience fear. The difference is that rather than allowing doubt to creep in and control their life, they focus on what must get done to reach their goals and vision. Stay focused on what must get done each day to move your business or your client's business forward. Now more than ever, our clients need us.

 

4. Train your brain

I understand these are uncertain times. We have to train our minds to see problems as opportunities and then offer solutions. Our clients are looking for innovative ways to manage through this situation. We need to provide them with support and solutions. Solutions to stay connected with their employees, their customers, and perhaps shift how they currently do business to survive. 

 

5. Learn from the experience

There isn't one successful person in the world who hasn't had to overcome significant obstacles. Failure, disappointment, these can be used as a means of reflecting and saying, "This didn't work. It wasn't the right fit. So what do I want?" So embrace this strength and use each experience as a tool to help you learn more about yourself. When you're facing a painful experience or feel ready to give in to fear, picture someone you admire who faced adversity – they wouldn't have achieved the success they now have without learning how to stop living in fear.

 

6. Let's get Physical 

 Physical activity is proven to reduce fear and anxiety, so next time you feel panic coming on, get out and go for a walk, practice yoga, take a deep breath or take a bike ride. Mindfulness meditation is proven to combat anxiety and fear. When you combine physical and psychological self-care, you have the tools for how to stop living in fear.

 

7. People Face fear Everyday 

Fear of failure, fear of losing my job. Any successful person will tell you that they faced fear and failure. But failure provides insights and provides different ways of approaching a problem. These shortfalls give us ideas. You can use these experiences to fuel new ideas, and adjust your strategy and approach, and you will have an advantage that no one else does. With the right mindset, you can shift your story to discovery vs. fear.

 

Celebrate, you made it through a tough week, and understand it may get worse until it gets better. But believe it will get better. Stay fearless, stay positive, stay connected, and remember we are in it together!

 

Episode 42 Seven tips for being more productive when working remotely.

Lisa Thal is an Author, Speaker, and Life Coach.  She wrote the book, "Three Word Meetings" for you.  A Simple Strategy to Engage, Inspire, and Empower Your Team.  Lisa helps provide fun and interesting 3-word sales topics for your next business meeting to get your sales team motivated and inspired. It is guaranteed to save you time and have your team more engaged during the sales meeting. Make an impact on those you lead by using three words!

 
In this episode, I share seven tips for working more effectively at home.

1. Find a workspace

Have a designated space to do your work. If you have a home office great. If not, you need to determine your workspace. Turn a spare room into a temporary office. Find the place you will focus on work. A designated workspace matters for a few reasons. It would help if you had a place for all your work materials. You may want to invest in wireless earbuds for the calls you will be making from your cell phone. If your kids are learning remotely, set a learning space for them. When you go to this designated space, you know that it's time to work.

 

2. Determine your mindset.

Working from home requires a different mindset. To be more productive while working away from the office, we need to create the right mindset. It's training our brains to focus on work during our scheduled work time. When your day ends, it time to shift to family and your time. 

 

3. Structure your day.

Give your day structure and make a schedule for the day ahead. I recommend making an hour-by-hour schedule that includes your priorities and when you will work on them. You should schedule breaks throughout the day. Taking a 10-15 minute break gives your eyes a break from the computer screen and manages your energy throughout the day. If you have children at home, this is a great time to reconnect. You can show them what you do each day, your teaching focus, and responsibility. You can share time together during these breaks, including lunch. Most of us will be saving an hour a day from our commute to work. How can you use that extra hour for yourself? 

 

4. Stay connected with colleagues

In the first few days, you may enjoy your time working remotely. But most of us may miss connecting with our co-workers. When creating your daily schedule, make sure you schedule a time to call a colleague, check your social channels. You may want to connect during one of your scheduled breaks or while having lunch. Technology gives us this opportunity with facetime, zoom calls. We don't want to feel isolated, and we want to stay connected to others. Also, say hey, Alexa play my favorite radio station. You will remain attached to a broader community.

 

5. Have designated work clothes

We were laughing at work, saying it is going to be great to work in my pajamas or sweats. For those of us in sales and management, I am not suggesting that we suit up when we are working remotely. We need to be mindful and understand that the clothes you wear can determine your mindset. Yes, be comfortable, be aware. There is a mental benefit to getting ready for work and changing your clothes at the end of the day. It signals the brain to shift from work mode to family time.

6. Reduce distractions

One of the benefits of being able to work remotely is escaping workplace distractions. Sure it's okay to throw a load of laundry in during your workday. Just avoid cleaning the whole house.  Just be mindful of any distractions, like turning on TV and scrolling through newsfeeds on Facebook. Why? It's because multitasking doesn't work. Switching between tasks can result in as much as a 40% loss of productivity, according to Dr. David Meyer in an American Psychological Association article. So stick to the schedule you created for the day so you can be more productive. 

7. Determine the end of your workday

When working remotely, you may find it challenging to know when it stops. We all desire to achieve a work-life balance. I will just finish following up on one more email, that leads to the next one. That's why it's essential to determine in advance when you're workday will end—time to close your laptop or close your office door so tell your mind the workday has ended. Celebrate what you accomplished that day. Schedule your next days of priorities. You may find it helpful to note all that you have accomplished, including the most important priorities you set out for the day.

 

So here's to you having more productive days, connecting with your family and yourself all from working remotely.

Episode 41 Time Changes Everything

Lisa Thal is an Author, Speaker, and Life Coach.  She wrote the book, "Three Word Meetings" for you.  A Simple Strategy to Engage, Inspire, and Empower Your Team.  Lisa helps provide fun and interesting 3-word sales topics for your next business meeting to get your sales team motivated and inspired. It is guaranteed to save you time and have your team more engaged during the sales meeting. Make an impact on those you lead by using three words!

This episode focuses on how moving the clocks forward is a reminder of how we spend our time each day. 

 

The fact is that we each have 1440 minutes each day. And if you are not independently wealthy, you have a job or career where you spend 40 plus hours doing something with your time.

 

So let's agree that now is the time to focus on how we spend our time!

 

In sales, you need to be as productive with your time; that's why they call it time management. You control how you will spend your time each day. 

First, it is helpful to take a took a look back at how you have been spending your time. This allows you to gain perspective and build a better idea of what you need to shift to maximize your time.

 

I want you to look back on your past month and then look at last week? Were you happy with how you spent your time? Can you identify areas on your calendar where time was not useful or time wasted?

 

Your time.  When you look at your day, have you schedule time just for you? I understand how busy your lives are. You have many demands on your time with your families, kids, and their busy schedules. You give so much of your time to others that you forgot about the most critical person, You. I am encouraging you to schedule time for you. Time for your health and wellness. Time to take a walk, time by yourself meditating, get a massage, escaping into a good book, or listen to a podcast that inspires you. Carve out time each day for you, even if its time at the end of the day.  

 

Work time.  How you spend your time at work can determine how successful you will be. It starts with how you schedule that time on your calendar. Your business is a mix of current clients and new prospects. Do you schedule time on your calendar to meet the demands of your clients? Most of us have blocked on our calendar the fixed times, sales meeting times, coaching, or one on one time with your manager. Time to make sure you have scheduled time to meet with your best clients—the 20% of your clients that create 80% of your income. Discover by asking your clients, do they prefer weekly or monthly calls. Do you need to meet in person to maintain that relationship, then schedule it. It is so important to review what is working for you and to let go of what is not.

 

Prospect time.  It would be best if you spent every day discovering new clients you can help. Who have you identified that your product or service could help? Remember, when prospecting, you need to be very clear on Why you are calling them. What research have you done to know it is worth your time to call them. If they are not a fit for your company, you are wasting valuable time. If they are a great fit, be persistent and consistent until you can schedule time on their calendar.

 

Practice Time.  Once you have secured that meeting with the prospect, you must practice the first meeting. You will have limited time with them, so you must use it wisely. Be prepared with thought-provoking questions, creative solutions you have discovered to help solve their business challenges. It's essential to schedule practice time. Practice does make it perfect. Practice your call with your manager or another co-worker, and then practice how the pitch or presentation. 

 

Referral time. When you reviewed your calendar the past month, did you see where you asked for a recommendation or referral? Talk about shortening the sales cycle and using time wisely. Try this for the next thirty days, look at your best customers Linkedin profile and identify someone they know that you see a great fit for your product or service can help. Ask for an introduction.

 

Let go time.  Time to let go of the clients that are stealing time from you. You know the ones that spend the least and take up more of your time. Time wasters! Review your list of current clients, identify what your return on investment is with them. If you find yourself giving more time with little return, it may be time to move on. You may find yourself investing more time then our spending your top clients. Time to let go and move on.

 

So I am asking you to consider how you spend your time? You get to decide where your time goes. And if you don't choose, others will decide for you!