Sending mail from Excel with CDO

What is CDO doing

The example code is using CDOSYS (CDO for Windows 2000).
It does not depend on MAPI or CDO and hence is dialog free
and does not use your mail program to send email.


Briefly to explain, this code builds the message and drops it
in the pickup directory, and SMTP service running on the machine
picks it up and send it out to the internet.


Why using CDO code instead of Outlook automation or SendMail in VBA.

1: It doesn't matter what Mail program you are using (It only use the SMTP server).
2: It doesn't matter what Office version you are using (97…2007)
3: You can send a range/sheet in the body of the mail (some mail programs can’t do this)
4: You can send any file you like (Word, PDF, PowerPoint, TXT files,….)
5: No Security warnings anymore, really great if you are sending a lot of mail in a loop.


Read this!!!

This code will not work in Win 98 and ME.
You must be connected to the internet when you run a example.

It is possible that you get a Send error when you use one of the examples.
AFAIK : This will happen if you haven't setup an account in Outlook Express or Windows Mail.
In that case the system doesn't know the name of your SMTP server.
If this happens you can use the commented green lines in each example.
Don't forget to fill in the SMTP server name in each code sample where
it says "Fill in your SMTP server here"

When you also get the Authentication Required Error you can add this three lines.
.Item("http://schemas.microsoft.com/cdo/configuration/smtpauthenticate") = 1
.Item("http://schemas.microsoft.com/cdo/configuration/sendusername") = "username"
.Item("http://schemas.microsoft.com/cdo/configuration/sendpassword") = "password"

Don't remove the TextBody line in the code. If you do you can't open the attachment (bug in CDO).
If you don't want to have text in the body use this then .TextBody = ""

Note: It is always possible that your firewall block the code (Check your firewall settings)


Can you use CDO on your machine?

Let's try a basic example first.

The code below will send four text lines in the body of the mail to the person in this line
.To = "ron@debruin.nl"

Change ron@debruin.nl to your own mail address before you test the code.
If you read the information above you know that if you have a account in Outlook Express or
Windows Mail you can Run the code below after changing the mail address.
But if you not have a account in Outlook Express or Windows Mail you also need the commented
green lines in the code. Remove every ' before every green line and fill in the name of your SMTP server
where it says "Fill in your SMTP server here"

1) Open a new workbook
2) Alt F11 (to open the VBA editor)
3) Insert>Module
4) Paste the code in this module
5) Make your changes
6) Alt q to go back to Excel

When you use Alt F8 you can select the macro and press Run.
Now wait a moment and see if you receive the mail in your inbox.

Sub CDO_Mail_Small_Text()
    Dim iMsg As Object
    Dim iConf As Object
    Dim strbody As String
    '    Dim Flds As Variant

    Set iMsg = CreateObject("CDO.Message")
    Set iConf = CreateObject("CDO.Configuration")

    '    iConf.Load -1    ' CDO Source Defaults
    '    Set Flds = iConf.Fields
    '    With Flds
    '        .Item("http://schemas.microsoft.com/cdo/configuration/sendusing") = 2
    '        .Item("http://schemas.microsoft.com/cdo/configuration/smtpserver") _
    '                       = "Fill in your SMTP server here"
    '        .Item("http://schemas.microsoft.com/cdo/configuration/smtpserverport") = 25
    '        .Update
    '    End With

    strbody = "Hi there" & vbNewLine & vbNewLine & _
              "This is line 1" & vbNewLine & _
              "This is line 2" & vbNewLine & _
              "This is line 3" & vbNewLine & _
              "This is line 4"

    With iMsg
        Set .Configuration = iConf
        .To = "ron@debruin.nl"
        .CC = ""
        .BCC = ""
        .From = """Ron"" "
        .Subject = "New figures"
        .TextBody = strbody
        .Send
    End With

End Sub

Note: If you get this error : The transport failed to connect to the server
then try to change the SMTP port from 25 to 465



Use the GMail SMTP server from Google.
http://gmail.google.com

You can find the code in the workbook with examples that you can download below.
There is more information about the code in the workbook.
Note: You must have a Gmail account to try this example.




Download workbook with more examples

You can download a example workbook with eighth examples.
Download Example workbook with all the code

Attachment examples:
Module file1 = Workbook
Module file2 = One worksheet or more
Module file3 = Every sheet with a mail address in cell A1

Body examples:
Module body1 = Selection/Range or whole worksheet
Module body2 = Personalized Mail
Module body3 = Every sheet with a mail address in cell A1
Module body4 = Small text and text from a txt file

Note: the body examples in the workbook are using the function RangetoHTML in
the "bodyfunction" module of the workbook.

Gmail example:
Module gmail = Use the smtp.gmail.com server from Gmail to send mail



Tips and links


CDO sheet template

Check out this sheet template if you want to send every sheet to a different person.
Or want to send one or more sheets to one or more recipient.
http://www.rondebruin.nl/mail/templates.htm



Set importance/priority and request read receipt

For importance/priority and read receipt you can add this in the With iMsg part of the macro before .Send

' Set importance or Priority to high
.Fields("urn:schemas:httpmail:importance") = 2
.Fields("urn:schemas:mailheader:X-Priority") = 1

' Request read receipt
.Fields("urn:schemas:mailheader:return-receipt-to") = "ron@debruin.nl"
.Fields("urn:schemas:mailheader:disposition-notification-to") = "ron@debruin.nl"

' Update fields
.Fields.Update


Changing the To line

If you want to mail to all E-mail addresses in a range then use this code
instead of .To = "ron@debruin.nl"

The example below will use the cells from sheets("Sheet1") in ThisWorkbook (workbook with the code)
It is possible that you must use ActiveWorkbook or something else in your code to use it.

    Dim cell As Range
    Dim strto As String
    On Error Resume Next
    For Each cell In ThisWorkbook.Sheets("Sheet1") _
        .Range("A1:A10").Cells.SpecialCells(xlCellTypeConstants)
        If cell.Value Like "?*@?*.?*" Then
            strto = strto & cell.Value & ";"
        End If
    Next cell
    On Error GoTo 0
    If Len(strto) > 0 Then strto = Left(strto, Len(strto) - 1)

Change the To line to .To = strto


Or to more people
.To = "Jon@something.com;ron@something.com"

Or you can use a address in a cell like this
.To = Sheets("Sheet1").Range("C1").Value



Change the Body line


Plain text :

Note: see also the example in the workbook to send all text from a txt file (Module body4)

If you want to add more text to the body then you can use the code below.
Instead of .TextBody = "This is the body text" use .TextBody = strbody then.

Dim strbody As String
strbody = "Hi there" & vbNewLine & vbNewLine & _
    "This is line 1" & vbNewLine & _
    "This is line 2" & vbNewLine & _
    "This is line 3" & vbNewLine & _
    "This is line 4"

Or use this if you want to use cell values

Dim cell As Range
Dim strbody As String
For Each cell In Sheets("Sheet1").Range("C1:C20")
    strbody = strbody & cell.Value & vbNewLine
Next

Or this one

Dim strbody As String
With Sheets("Sheet1")
    strbody = "Hi there" & vbNewLine & vbNewLine & _
        .Range("A1") & vbNewLine & _
        .Range("A2") & vbNewLine & _
        .Range("A3") & vbNewLine & _
        .Range("A4")
End With



Links

.TextBody = "file://Yourcomputer/YourFolder/Week2.xls"

'If there are spaces use %20
.TextBody = "file://Yourcomputer/YourFolder/Week%202.xls"

'Example for a file on a website
.TextBody = "http://www.rondebruin.nl/files/EasyFilter.zip"



HTML text :

If you want to create emails that are formatted you can use HTMLBody (Office 2000 and up) instead of TextBody. You can find a lot of WebPages on the internet with more HTML tags examples.

.HTMLBody = "

Dear Ron de Bruin

" & _
"Please visit this website to download an update.
" & _
"Ron's Excel Page"


Tip: Or send a complete webpage, instead of HTMLBody or TextBody use

.CreateMHTMLBody "http://www.rondebruin.nl/copy1.htm"

Or file on your computer
.CreateMHTMLBody "file://C:/test.htm"



Copy the cells as values

If you want to paste as values the sheet must be unprotected!!!!!
Or Unprotect and Protect the sheet in the Sub also.

See this page for example code that you can use
http://www.rondebruin.nl/values.htm



Test if you are online

You can use code like this in your subroutine to avoid errors if you run the code
when you are not online (example below is for a dial up connection)

For checking other connections check out this great website.
http://vbnet.mvps.org/

Public Declare Function InternetGetConnectedState _
                         Lib "wininet.dll" (lpdwFlags As Long, _
                                            ByVal dwReserved As Long) As Boolean

Function IsConnected() As Boolean
    Dim Stat As Long
    IsConnected = (InternetGetConnectedState(Stat, 0&) <> 0)
End Function

Sub Test()
' Randy Birch
    If IsConnected = True Then
        MsgBox "Copy your mail code here"
    Else
        MsgBox "You can't use this subroutine because you are not online"
    End If
End Sub

Links to more information about CDO for windows 2000


MSDN
Search for "CDO for Windows 2000" on MSDN

Paul R. Sadowski
http://www.paulsadowski.com/WSH/cdo.htm

www.aspfaq.com
http://www.aspfaq.com/show.asp?id=2026

http://www.rondebruin.nl/cdo.htm

7 Ways to Earn Respect as a Leader

Are you feeling disrespected by your employees? It may be that you're failing in one of these seven areas.

Do you wonder why some people naturally gain respect, while others have to command or, worse, demand it?

Earning respect is in direct correlation to treating others with the same. Showing respect sounds like a basic skill, and yet somehow complaints about being disrespected run rampant around coffee rooms and bathrooms in companies around the country.

Are parents and teachers shirking their responsibility for turning everyone into good little citizens that can play well with others? Perhaps, but more likely, cultural norms have changed. Families allow for greater familiarity, and schools are more focused on test scores and class sizes than they are on teaching little Johnny and Susie to stand out as leaders.

But whether you are the executive in charge or a contributing team member, your ability to earn respect will impact your emotional happiness and ultimate career trajectory. Some people in authority believe they are entitled to respect simply due to their position or experience, but this sort of respect diminishes over time and can ultimately hurt the company culture.

Here are seven tips to help you be the leader who earns respect rather than just demands it.

1. Be consistent.
If you find you lack credibility, it's probably because you are saying one thing and doing another. People do pay attention to what you say until you give them reason not to by doing the opposite. You don't have to be predictable, just don't be a hypocrite.

2. Be punctual.
Nothing makes me lose respect for someone more then being made to wait. Time is the most valuable commodity for successful people. Missing appointments or being late demonstrates a total disregard for the lives and needs of others. Get control of your calendar.

3. Be responsive.
The challenge with contact management today is there are too many ways to communicate. Between Twitter, Facebook, Messenger, text, phone, Skype, and Facetime, people are in a quandary to know what is the best way to reach you. And even with all the channels, some people still don't respond in a timely manner, leaving colleagues hanging or chasing them. Limit your channels and respond within 24 hours if you want to appear communication worthy.

4.  Be right much of the time, but be comfortable being wrong.
The simple way to be right is to do your homework and state facts that are well thought out. Still, you may have to make a best guess now and then even when information is too scarce to know for sure. Take it as a qualified risk, manage expectations, and if you're wrong, smile and be happy you learned something that day.

5. Forgive others and yourself for mistakes.
If you're not erring, you're not trying. Healthy leaders encourage experimentation and create environments of safe failure. Encourage people to take mitigated risks, and set an example for how to shake off a failure and bounce back.

6. Show respect to others when they are wrong and right.
Disparaging people who make errors will reflect worse on you than those who err. On the flip side, any jealous tendencies toward those who succeed will surely be noticed by those around. Live as if in a glass body. Assume all can see inside your heart.

7. Help those who are holding you back, but not too much.
Good leaders help those around them succeed by overcoming weakness. But respect is lost quickly for the boss who placates habitual troublemakers at the expense of the group's success. Know when to support weak players, and cut them loose when they clearly hamper the result.
Too many people today assume leadership positions without consideration for their impact on others. The leadership vacuum in business today allows them to stay as long they manage acceptable results. Ultimately, your personal leadership legacy will not be remembered for your M.B.A., your sales numbers, or the toys you acquired. Most likely, it will be the positive, personal impact you created, one follower at a time.

http://www.inc.com/kevin-daum/7-ways-to-earn-respect-as-a-leader.html

Don't Just Buy Local, Buy Personal

Buying local is great, but to really support local entrepreneurs, go one step farther and buy personal.

A small business near me closed down. I feel terrible because it's partly my fault.

Every entrepreneur has big dreams. Many have small budgets, though, so they do the best they can.

They hope for great word of mouth since they have no marketing budget. They hope quality and service will turn an otherwise terrible location into a destination. They have passion and desire in abundance, and hope hard work and persistence will overcome any roadblocks.

In short, they hope.

And every day, people like me crush their hopes.

Granted in this case I'm only a little to blame. I knew the little clothing store was doomed the day it opened. It seemed obvious, just from driving by, that the owner loves clothing and fashion and hoped to build a business out of that passion, but it seemed just as obvious the business would eventually fail.

We've all seen entrepreneurs open new ventures that we can tell will soon go under. I'm sure you drive by a few every day. (If you're like me you sometimes make a little mental bet on how long they'll stay open. Six months is usually a safe estimate.)

I never stopped in this particular store. While I could say was more convenient to shop elsewhere, the truth is I didn't stop in because I never saw any cars in the parking lot. I was uncomfortable with how I would feel, and how the owner would feel, if I looked around and didn't buy anything.

I would feel guilty. I'm sure you've walked out of a store empty-handed and felt like you somehow let an eager, enthusiastic, bright-eyed owner down.

The owner would feel disappointed. Every business is an extension of its owner, and when a business is struggling perspective is in short supply.

You know you won't make every sale, of course, but remembering that it's business, not personal, is almost impossible.  The customer who doesn't make a purchase in some small way rejects your business... and therefore, by extension, rejects you.

Each potential customer carries the power of validation or rejection.

That's a power I didn't want. But I should have, because I could have made a difference, however small.
Each of us can make that difference. Instead of buying local, go a step further and buy personal.

Put aside price/value calculations and rational market theory and survival of the fittest and take a chance on a new or struggling entrepreneur. Buy a few items from a local mom and pop. Hire the small restaurant down the road to cater a non-critical event. Call a new vendor and ask for a quote.

Sure, you already have established vendor relationships in place, but why not give other small businesses the opportunity to win you over? In the process you may find a great new vendor... or you might not.

But what's the worst that can happen?

You might spend a little more. The meal might not be great. The quote might miss the mark. That's okay. No matter what happens, be gracious. Be complimentary. Say something nice. Say thank you.

Pick a small business and give it a chance. Will you, alone, keep it afloat?

Of course you won't. I couldn't have saved that clothing store. But I could still have made a meaningful, even if momentary, difference.

At the heart of every business is a person with a dream, and few things are sadder than realizing your life will fall short of your dreams.

So stop in. Take a look around. Provide a moment of hope.

A little extra hope may be all that entrepreneur needs to keep going.

http://www.inc.com/jeff-haden/dont-just-buy-local-buy-personal.html

How to Manage Managers

When you work for yourself, as most entrepreneurs do, the notion of "managing" those you have hired to do just that may seem quaint in light of all the work you need to catch up on. But as the company you started begins to grow, and you hire more and more people to fuel that growth, it is a good idea to take a step back from the day-to-day grind and consider what it might mean to both you and your company if you devoted some of your time to thinking about how best to manage your managers. After all, the more people you empower to make decisions, and that free you up to think more strategically, the faster, at least in theory, your company can grow.
"Don't fall into the trap of believing that management is an indefinable art," says Ed Muzio, CEO of Group Harmonics, a workplace consulting firm in Albuquerque, New Mexico. "It's not. The key to managing anyone is to set clear performance expectations in advance, and hold the person accountable. That may be more difficult to do for managers than direct workers, but it's no less important."
How does one best managing a manager anyway? Here are some strategies to consider:
Managing Managers: Set the Vision
The first key to managing your managers is to make sure your managers know what they're managing toward.
One way to do this would be sharing clear short-term (one year) and long-term (three- to five-year) business plans, says Jenni Luke, national executive director of the Step Up Women's Network, a national membership organization for women: "This provides measurable goals to achieve in the short term and gives long term vision for the business so that when managers must make decisions independently, they have the proper strategic context in which to make them."
Another approach to aligning your vision with your managers, says Jill Morin, CEO of Kahler Slater, an interdisciplinary design and consulting enterprise in Milwaukee, is to ascertain answers to questions such as:

• Do they embrace your organization's vision?
• Are they on board with your core beliefs, your values, and your mission?
• Do they have a clear image of what the future holds when the business achieves its vision for success?

"The bottom line," Morin says, "is without these essential starting points, it won't matter who or how you manage."
 
Managing Managers: Document the Details and Communicate
As a boss, one of your goals should be to make sure that your managers have all the tools necessary to do their jobs well. As part of that, you should make developing an employee handbook, which contains policies on issues like vacation and over-time as well as structured feedback regarding performance a priority. "Having the handbook will help you set expectations with the team before problems arise, and they will arise," Luke says.
Managers need to understand not only the "what" but also the "why" behind any strategic plan," says Morin. That way, they can offer their own ideas on enhancing and executing the plan, and do so without needing your involvement every step of the way.
"Yes, Jack Welch said it first, but you cannot over-communicate the vision, goals, and strategies for the business, especially if your managers are smart, committed, and passionate about achieving success," she says. "And why would you have hired them in the first place if they weren't?"
Bi-weekly individual meetings and bi-weekly team meetings serve the purpose of checking progress against goals but also enable the sharing of best practices and experiences that others on your management team can benefit from, says Luke. Then, supplement these regular meetings with quarterly meetings focused on the bigger picture such as budget, product or program development or long-range planning so that the managers know they will be expected to contribute to this top-level thinking and planning. "Giving your managers the freedom to do the work and engaging them in planning should engender a sense of ownership in the success of the business unit which is exactly what you need," she says.


Managing Managers: Measure Tasks
A key part of knowing how well a manager is doing is to establish straight-forward quantitative measures based on the performance of their team, says Luke, who suggests looking at objective goals set in your business plan such as:

• Is your manager achieving revenue targets?
• Are they operating on budget?
• Have they developed new customers?

Dr. Alice Waagen, founder and president of Workforce Learning, a leadership development company in Washington, D.C., says that you can even establish clear performance guidelines about what makes up a good manager along the lines of something like:
1. A good manager creates short- and long-term goals for all staff.
2. A good manager sets realistic standards and targets to measure progress to plan.
3. A good manager provides specific, objective feedback on an ongoing basis, informing, enlightening and helping staff members improve their performance.
"For managers to succeed, they need time to learn to manage" she says. "And then, once they do, they need to be held accountable for their results."
"When you add all that up, it means that you need to clearly communicate to your manager what you expect them to accomplish through his or her staff," Muzio says. "For example, you might say, 'Your job is to make sure the five people who work for you make 400 widgets each week,' or, if the goals change, 'your job is to make sure each of the five people who works for you has a clear performance target, hits the target, and together those targets roll up to the output goal you and I set together each month. You can vary the structure, but keep the simple focus: Your job is to make sure your people produce what is necessary."


Managing Managers: Manage Behavior
Employees usually don't quit businesses, they quit bosses. That means that while tracking how a team performs quantitatively is critical in evaluating a manager, "it should also be an equal priority to assess qualitative measures of skills such as leadership, strategic thinking, and business development instincts, which can be a far more challenging task," says Luke.
That's why you want your manager to maintain positive, functional relationships, Muzio says. "Don't dismiss expectations about relationships as soft or emotional; they are extremely practical," he says, pointing out that it costs at least two- to three-times an employee's annual salary to find a replacement. "Good interpersonal relationships lead to output consistency and group longevity. A manager who leaves unhappy, dysfunctional relationships in his wake is a manager that will cost you money in employee complaints and turnover."
So how can we actually measure and evaluate to these standards? Waagen suggests tips such as:
1. Look for telltale signs of bad management, such as missed deadlines or unusually high absenteeism or turnover. Chances are, if you do not see these key signs, the manager is doing a pretty good job.
2. Walk around and talk with the manager's direct reports. Are employees engaged and involved? Are they excited by their work? Do they appear to have a clear idea of the specific tasks or projects they need to accomplish and why?
3. Interview employees. Ask them when was the last time they talked with their manager? Probe whether or not they are happy on the job. Their responses can provide terrific feedback.


Managing Managers: Be a Coach, Not a Referee
Even the best managers mess up sometimes, and "people problems" – which are usually brought to your attention when a subordinate comes to you to complain about his or her manager - are often the cause, says Morin of Kahler Slater. She suggests that you resist the temptation to get directly involved or, worse, to fix the problems yourself.

"Instead, use these challenges as opportunities to coach your managers on how to deal with conflict – personally, professionally, and productively – rather than ignore or dismiss it," she says. "Then you can circle back to assess progress."
One of the mistakes any CEO can make is forgetting to look in the mirror. Said another way, keep a close watch on your own behavior as a way to inspire your managers to emulate you, says Marilyn Suttle, a Detroit-based personal and professional development coach. To do that, she suggests asking yourself questions like:

• Do you shy away from conflict?
• Do you demand and force rather than encourage and inspire?
• Do you ask questions and solicit input from others in the company?

"The point," says Suttle, "is to become a role model and mentor your managers into becoming the best versions of themselves."

http://www.inc.com/guides/2010/08/how-to-manage-managers.html

5 Power Questions for Your Sales Team

Smart questions bring in good answers. If you want to know what's really going on at your company, make sure you're asking the right ones.

Your interactions with your sales team have an obvious impact on business--and the questions you ask can enhance or degrade your company's performance.

By asking the right questions, and then carefully listening to the answers, an astute leader can influence and gain insight into an employee's business competence and morale, as well as a team's overall effectiveness. As a bonus, you'll enrich morale by showing your sales team you understand their key concerns.

Here are five smart questions that can give you a deeper understanding of employees, the business, and the competitive marketplace.

1. What is the biggest obstacle to adding new customers?
Reps are cautious to court new accounts if they believe the company will not be able to service them effectively. So the answers to this question can reveal operational issues, such as a lengthy procedure for setting up new accounts or order processing problems within your company.

On the other hand, if you get the answer, "Only my lack of time," that's good news: It says that all systems are in good order and that morale is likely high.

2. What is working and what isn't?
Such open-ended questions will quickly identify chronic complainers as well as uncover significant problems. When asking this question, be prepared for fix-it requests that may or may not be valid, such as, "We need more samples," "Delivery is too slow," or "We are not competitive." You may need to do some digging to find out whether the problems really need solving.

Most importantly, answers to this question communicate morale. If the responses suggest that little or nothing is working, then you have a morale issue. That's a sales killer, and a leader should uncover and fix causative issues.

3. What are your most (and least) significant opportunities
The answers to this question indicate where a sales team is focusing its attention. The answers may signal that a sales team is operating contrary to company plans--perhaps spending time on a product or service that is not in the company's best interest, for instance. You may also uncover an opportunity that management has not previously identified.

4. If you had a magic wand and could fix one problem, what would it be?
This question forces a targeted answer to avoid a rambling discussion. A wise leader will ask why an employee picked a particular answer, and follow up by soliciting suggestions to correct it.

While the specific answer may give you additional insight into business challenges, it's the suggestions that indicate the depth of a salesperson's business understanding. An unfeasible answer implies a shallow understanding; practical answers convey a solid business understanding.

5. Who is your toughest competitor--and what are they doing right?
One of a leader's most important duties is to stay current with competitors. Your sales force faces the competition each day; team members should have the best on-the-ground reconnaissance.

Once you know the competitive landscape, you can proceed with "risk vs. opportunity" analyses. What you do not want is to find out after the fact that you could have avoided a sales failure by countering competitive activity.

By asking power questions of the sales team, leaders keep in touch with team morale while staying informed about the competition and showing that they care about the team's success. When issues need correction, take action quickly, and give credit to an idea's originator--both clear signals that a good leader is in charge.

http://www.inc.com/john-treace/sales-management-power-questions-sales-team.html

Build Trust: 6 Foolproof Steps to Train Employees

Want to trust your employees to do the job right? Train them like you would teach them to drive.

Building trust in an employee is very much like teaching someone to drive. You don't just hand him the keys on the first day and let him take the car for a spin while hoping for the best. You have to show him how the car works, what the rules of the road are, and how to handle emergency situations successfully. Only when he can drive you to a destination without incident can he be trusted to take the car out alone.

So how do you create that trust with an employee?

1. Start everyone as a passenger. 
When a new employee joins our team, he spends a significant amount of time learning our products. He is taught our computer system and our order fulfillment process. Finally, he role-plays the correct way to help customers get what they need. Throughout this training period, he does not talk to live customers or touch actual orders; instead he is kept in a classroom-like environment, much like a student taking driver's ed. Only when he is able to pass a product exam, successfully enter a test order, and impress me with how he handles difficult sales obstacles is he able to move on the next level.

2. Put the employee behind the wheel--in the parking lot.
Just because an employee has been successful on the written road test does not mean he is ready to drive. In phase two of our trust-building process, a new team member is given real responsibilities, but performs them in an off-road setting, still quarantined from customer contact. Whereas before, he was only allowed to enter test orders, he will now enter actual orders that come in via our website. Because the orders are real, he must enter them correctly, anticipate problems, and make sure they are handled in a timely manner. Essentially, he is given the chance to sit in the driver's seat, but can only drive around the parking lot, because another team member will be double-checking all of his orders for potential errors. When his orders are error-free, I trust him to take the next step.

3. Let the employee take a drive around the block.

Driving is difficult at first because it requires the use of many skills at once. At this level, the employee must put together all the product knowledge he has acquired, use our computer system accurately, and do both with a live customer on the line. In order to make it a little less frightening (for both the employee and me), a new employee practices by shadowing a senior rep on calls. The senior rep takes the order, while the new employee listens in, silently getting his cues from the customer, and using them to enter the order on his own computer. At the end of each call, he prints and compares his order to the order taken by the senior rep. Once he is successfully typing in the same thing as the senior rep, and several orders are done correctly, he can be trusted enough to go further.

4. Time to try the open road.
You will never know if someone can actually drive until you let him do it. As a business owner, I find this is the hardest stage because there are real consequences. The employee is now in control of the order-taking situation, but a senior rep will be shadowing him to make sure the order is done right. Even if the new staffer makes a mistake, the customer will not suffer, and the mistake can be used to teach how to make a better choice the next time. This allows me to let the employee drive, but with the safety of my foot close to the brakes, just in case. Once the mistakes diminish, and the employee feels comfortable in most situations, he can be trusted to take the car out alone.

5. Licensed and ready to roll. 
At this point, the employee trusts that he knows enough about our product, procedure, and mission to be able to drive without a problem from point A to point B. I also trust that he will be able to do that.

6. Send him on his way.
Once the new rep is out on the road, I fully expect he may have some minor fender benders along the way. Being okay with that is the final speed bump in the two-way street called trust.

http://www.inc.com/vanessa-merit-nornberg/build-trust-employee-training-guide.html

10 Tricks for a Fabulous Workday

Want to have the best workday ever?  Day after day?  It's not as difficult as you think.
These 10 tweaks to your everyday behavior will virtually guarantee you a day that's not just enjoyable but allows you to get more done than you ever thought possible.

1. Start with 15 minutes of positive input.
It's easier to achieve and maintain a positive attitude if you have a "library" of positive thoughts in your head, so you can draw upon them if the day doesn't go exactly as you'd prefer. Start each day by reading (or listening to) an inspirational book to ensure that you have just such a resource at hand.

2. Tie your work to your life's goals.
Always remember that there's a deeper reason why you go to work and why you chose your current role. Maybe it's to support your family, to change the world in some way, to help your customers, to make a difference: Whatever the deeper motivation, remind yourself that this workday--today--is the opportunity to accomplish part of that deeper and more important goal.

3. Use your commute wisely.
Most people waste their commute time listening to the news or (worse, especially if they're driving) making calls, texting, or answering emails. In fact, your commute time is the perfect time to get yourself pumped up for the day, and there's no better way to do this than to listen to music that truly inspires you and gets you in the right mood. Don't depend on a DJ: Make your own mixes!

4. Stick a smile on your face.
It's likely, if you followed the first three steps, that you'll already be smiling. If not, stick a smile on your face anyway.

It doesn't matter if it feels fake: Research has shown that even the most forced of smiles genuinely reduces stress and makes you happier. Does this mean you should be grinning like the Joker in the Batman comics? Well, yes, if that's the best you can do. But something a bit more relaxed might be less alarming to co-workers.

5. Express a positive mood.
When most people are asked social greetings--questions such as "How are you?" or "What's up?"--they typically say something neutral ("I'm OK") or negative, like "Hangin' in there." That kind of talk programs your brain for failure.

Instead, if anyone inquires, say something positive and enthusiastic, like: "Fantastic!" or "I'm having a wonderful day!" It's true that there are some people whom this annoys--but these are people you should be avoiding anyway. (See No. 7, below.)

6. Do what's important first.
Everybody complains about having too much to do, but few people do anything about it. As I explained in "The Surprising Secret of Time Management," 20% of your activities are going to produce 80% of your results.  So do that 20% first, before you get to the 80% of your activities that is mostly wasted time. You'll get more done, and you'll get better results.

7. Avoid negative people.
If you've been following Steps 1 through 6, you'll probably find that the most negative people in your orbit will be avoiding you, while the positive people will want to hang out with you and help you. Though it's true you can't avoid all the Debbie Downers, you can certainly find something else to do when they start grousing about stuff they won't or can't change.

8. Don't work long hours.
Long hours are simply a bad idea. For one thing, as I have pointed out before: Long hours, after a short burst of productivity, actually make you less productive. But frankly, if you've followed Steps 1 through 7, you'll be getting so much done that you won't need to work those long hours.

9. Wind down and relax.
Once you're done with the workday, fill the remainder of your hours with nonwork-related activities that bring you joy and help you relax. The analogy of "recharge your batteries" is valid. Failing to take time to relax and stop thinking about work guarantees that you'll begin the next day with a "hangover" of resentment that will leach the joy out of what can, and should be, a positive work experience. overconcentration.

10. End your day with 15 minutes of gratitude.
As I pointed out in "The True Secret of Success," exercising your "gratitude muscle" is the best way to make certain that you experience more success. Before you go to sleep, get out a tablet (paper or electric), and record everything that happened during the day about which you are (or could be) grateful.
You'll sleep better and be ready for tomorrow--which will probably be even more fabulous than today.

But What About ...
Now, I know some of this can sound like a stretch. It may take a leap of faith to give this approach a try. But before you push back too much, let me answer some of the questions I sometimes hear. 

• What if something really horrible happens during the day? You'll be much better prepared to deal with challenges than if you were already halfway to miserable--which is how most people go through their workday. 
• What if I simply have to deal with a negative person? Tune out the negativity. Learn to shrug it off. If the negativity becomes too much of a burden, start using the extra energy you're producing to reorganize your team or (if the person is outside your company) find a different partner. 
• What if I'm too depressed to do any of this? If that's the case, you may need professional help. None of these tricks require more time and effort than making yourself miserable, however. 
• Do these tricks really work? Yes.

http://www.inc.com/geoffrey-james/have-a-fabulous-workday-10-tricks.html

Motivate Your Core Performers to Become Star Performers

No sales force consists entirely of stars; sales staffs are usually made up mainly of solid performers, with smaller groups of laggards and rainmakers. Though most compensation plans approach these three groups as if they were the same, research shows that each is motivated by something different.

As the largest cadre, core performers typically represent the greatest opportunity, but they're often ignored by incentive plans. At the same time, they're the group most likely to move the needle — if they're given the proper incentives.

Why does this valuable group tend to be off the radar screen? One reason is that sales managers don't identify with them. At many companies the managers are former rainmakers, so they pay the current rainmakers an undue amount of attention. As a consequence, core performers are often passed over for promotion and neglected at annual sales meetings. But this is not in the best interest of the company. Core performers usually represent the largest part of the sales force, and companies cannot make their numbers if they're not in the game. Here are some proven strategies for keeping them there.

Multi-tier targets. A project that Mike recently worked on with a national financial services company shows that such targets help motivate core performers. At the company a major proportion of the salespeople fell into this category. In bearish months they almost always found a way to hit their targets, but in bullish months they seldom exceeded their numbers substantially. In an effort to nudge them upward, the company experimented with tiered targets.

The first-tier target was set at a point that a majority of the company's sales agents had historically attained, the second-tier target at a point reached by a smaller percentage of the sales force, and the third-tier target at a point hit only by the company's elite. All the firm's agents were divided into two groups: The first was given targets at tiers one and three, and the second group got targets at all three tiers. The hypothesis was that tiers would act as stepping stones to guide core performers up the curve.

The tiered structure indeed had a profound impact. Core performers striving to achieve triple-tier targets significantly outsold core performers given only two tiers. By contrast, multi-tier targets did not motivate stars and laggards as much: No significant differences in performance were found for those segments.

These results suggest that core performers exert more effort if given additional tiers. Stars are presumably unaffected by the extra stepping stone because they view the top tier as attainable regardless of the number of targets. And the inattentiveness that laggards show suggests that they typically aim for and are satisfied with achieving the first-tier target.

Prizes. A research project that we're both currently working on investigates how prize structures in sales contests can engage core performers. The problem with contests is that stars usually win them. Knowing this, core performers don't bump up their own efforts. You can handicap contestants on the basis of their prior performance, which alleviates the problem to a certain degree. But that creates its own problem: What's fair about core performers' and laggards' taking home the top prizes, if stars are left with lesser prizes or no prize at all?

Ideally, sales executives would design contests so that both stars and core performers would go home satisfied. This isn't easy to do, but if you keep in mind that people are hardwired to adapt to their position in a social hierarchy, it is possible. The key is to offer gifts (not cash) for the lower-level prizes that can be seen as equal, or even superior, to the top-level prizes on some dimension. Suppose a prestigious golf vacation is awarded as a top prize and a local family getaway is awarded as a lower prize. The family getaway has a lower market value than the golf vacation, but core performers can adapt to their central position on the performance curve by shifting their preferences. They can rationalize their prize by saying, "I've golfed plenty lately — what's important to me is spending time with my family." We consistently find that core performers work harder and perform better in contests of this kind than they do in contests with cash prizes.
Furthermore, their increased effort does not come at the cost of decreased effort from stars or laggards.
However, this approach won't work if the gifts offered at lower performance tiers are simply lower-grade versions of those at the top tier. Core performers will never perceive 18 holes at a run-of-the-mill golf course as more desirable than 18 holes at a prestigious course. The lower-level prize must have some quality that the higher-level one does not. In this example, it was the local getaway's family appeal that allowed core performers to remain engaged in the contest.

You will be able to coax better performance from your team by treating your sales force like a portfolio of investments that require different levels and kinds of attention. Sales compensation plans that take into account the different needs of different salespeople — and that are based on real evidence rather than assumptions — will ensure that your sales department gets a significantly higher return on its investments.

http://blogs.hbr.org/cs/2012/08/incentivize_your_core_performe.html

Nine Things Successful People Do Differently

Why have you been so successful in reaching some of your goals, but not others? If you aren't sure, you are far from alone in your confusion. It turns out that even brilliant, highly accomplished people are pretty lousy when it comes to understanding why they succeed or fail. The intuitive answer — that you are born predisposed to certain talents and lacking in others — is really just one small piece of the puzzle. In fact, decades of research on achievement suggests that successful people reach their goals not simply because of who they are, but more often because of what they do.

1. Get specific. When you set yourself a goal, try to be as specific as possible. "Lose 5 pounds" is a better goal than "lose some weight," because it gives you a clear idea of what success looks like. Knowing exactly what you want to achieve keeps you motivated until you get there. Also, think about the specific actions that need to be taken to reach your goal. Just promising you'll "eat less" or "sleep more" is too vague — be clear and precise. "I'll be in bed by 10pm on weeknights" leaves no room for doubt about what you need to do, and whether or not you've actually done it.

2. Seize the moment to act on your goals. Given how busy most of us are, and how many goals we are juggling at once, it's not surprising that we routinely miss opportunities to act on a goal because we simply fail to notice them. Did you really have no time to work out today? No chance at any point to return that phone call? Achieving your goal means grabbing hold of these opportunities before they slip through your fingers.
To seize the moment, decide when and where you will take each action you want to take, in advance. Again, be as specific as possible (e.g., "If it's Monday, Wednesday, or Friday, I'll work out for 30 minutes before work.") Studies show that this kind of planning will help your brain to detect and seize the opportunity when it arises, increasing your chances of success by roughly 300%.

3. Know exactly how far you have left to go. Achieving any goal also requires honest and regular monitoring of your progress — if not by others, then by you yourself. If you don't know how well you are doing, you can't adjust your behavior or your strategies accordingly. Check your progress frequently — weekly, or even daily, depending on the goal.

4. Be a realistic optimist. When you are setting a goal, by all means engage in lots of positive thinking about how likely you are to achieve it. Believing in your ability to succeed is enormously helpful for creating and sustaining your motivation. But whatever you do, don't underestimate how difficult it will be to reach your goal. Most goals worth achieving require time, planning, effort, and persistence. Studies show that thinking things will come to you easily and effortlessly leaves you ill-prepared for the journey ahead, and significantly increases the odds of failure.

5. Focus on getting better, rather than being good. Believing you have the ability to reach your goals is important, but so is believing you can get the ability. Many of us believe that our intelligence, our personality, and our physical aptitudes are fixed — that no matter what we do, we won't improve. As a result, we focus on goals that are all about proving ourselves, rather than developing and acquiring new skills.

Fortunately, decades of research suggest that the belief in fixed ability is completely wrong — abilities of all kinds are profoundly malleable. Embracing the fact that you can change will allow you to make better choices, and reach your fullest potential. People whose goals are about getting better, rather than being good, take difficulty in stride, and appreciate the journey as much as the destination.

6. Have grit. Grit is a willingness to commit to long-term goals, and to persist in the face of difficulty. Studies show that gritty people obtain more education in their lifetime, and earn higher college GPAs. Grit predicts which cadets will stick out their first grueling year at West Point. In fact, grit even predicts which round contestants will make it to at the Scripps National Spelling Bee.

The good news is, if you aren't particularly gritty now, there is something you can do about it. People who lack grit more often than not believe that they just don't have the innate abilities successful people have. If that describes your own thinking .... well, there's no way to put this nicely: you are wrong. As I mentioned earlier, effort, planning, persistence, and good strategies are what it really takes to succeed. Embracing this knowledge will not only help you see yourself and your goals more accurately, but also do wonders for your grit.

7. Build your willpower muscle. Your self-control "muscle" is just like the other muscles in your body — when it doesn't get much exercise, it becomes weaker over time. But when you give it regular workouts by putting it to good use, it will grow stronger and stronger, and better able to help you successfully reach your goals.

To build willpower, take on a challenge that requires you to do something you'd honestly rather not do. Give up high-fat snacks, do 100 sit-ups a day, stand up straight when you catch yourself slouching, try to learn a new skill. When you find yourself wanting to give in, give up, or just not bother — don't. Start with just one activity, and make a plan for how you will deal with troubles when they occur ("If I have a craving for a snack, I will eat one piece of fresh or three pieces of dried fruit.") It will be hard in the beginning, but it will get easier, and that's the whole point. As your strength grows, you can take on more challenges and step-up your self-control workout.

8. Don't tempt fate. No matter how strong your willpower muscle becomes, it's important to always respect the fact that it is limited, and if you overtax it you will temporarily run out of steam. Don't try to take on two challenging tasks at once, if you can help it (like quitting smoking and dieting at the same time). And don't put yourself in harm's way — many people are overly-confident in their ability to resist temptation, and as a result they put themselves in situations where temptations abound. Successful people know not to make reaching a goal harder than it already is.

9. Focus on what you will do, not what you won't do. Do you want to successfully lose weight, quit smoking, or put a lid on your bad temper? Then plan how you will replace bad habits with good ones, rather than focusing only on the bad habits themselves. Research on thought suppression (e.g., "Don't think about white bears!") has shown that trying to avoid a thought makes it even more active in your mind. The same holds true when it comes to behavior — by trying not to engage in a bad habit, our habits get strengthened rather than broken.

If you want to change your ways, ask yourself, What will I do instead? For example, if you are trying to gain control of your temper and stop flying off the handle, you might make a plan like "If I am starting to feel angry, then I will take three deep breaths to calm down." By using deep breathing as a replacement for giving in to your anger, your bad habit will get worn away over time until it disappears completely.

It is my hope that, after reading about the nine things successful people do differently, you have gained some insight into all the things you have been doing right all along. Even more important, I hope are able to identify the mistakes that have derailed you, and use that knowledge to your advantage from now on. Remember, you don't need to become a different person to become a more successful one. It's never what you are, but what you do.

http://blogs.hbr.org/cs/2011/02/nine_things_successful_people.html

10 Habits of Remarkably Charismatic People

Charisma isn't something you have. It's something you earn. Here's how.

Some people instantly make us feel important. Some people instantly make us feel special. Some people light up a room just by walking in.
We can't always define it, but some people have it: They're naturally charismatic.
Unfortunately, natural charisma quickly loses its impact. Familiarity breeds, well, familiarity.
But some people are remarkably charismatic: They build and maintain great relationships, consistently influence (in a good way) the people around them, consistently make people feel better about themselves--they're the kind of people everyone wants to be around...and wants to be.
Fortunately we can, because being remarkably charismatic isn't about our level of success or our presentation skills or how we dress or the image we project--it's about what we do.
Here are the 10 habits of remarkably charismatic people:

1. They listen way more than they talk.
Ask questions. Maintain eye contact. Smile. Frown. Nod. Respond--not so much verbally, but nonverbally.
That's all it takes to show the other person they're important.
Then when you do speak, don't offer advice unless you're asked. Listening shows you care a lot more than offering advice, because when you offer advice in most cases you make the conversation about you, not them.
Don't believe me? Who is "Here's what I would do..." about: you or the other person?
Only speak when you have something important to say--and always define important as what matters to the other person, not to you.

2. They don't practice selective hearing.
Some people--I guarantee you know people like this--are incapable of hearing anything said by the people they feel are somehow beneath them.
Sure, you speak to them, but that particular falling tree doesn't make a sound in the forest, because there's no one actually listening.
Remarkably charismatic people listen closely to everyone, and they make all of us, regardless of our position or social status or "level," feel like we have something in common with them.
Because we do: We're all people.

3. They put their stuff away.
Don't check your phone. Don't glance at your monitor. Don't focus on anything else, even for a moment.
You can never connect with others if you're busy connecting with your stuff, too.
Give the gift of your full attention. That's a gift few people give. That gift alone will make others want to be around you and remember you.

4. They give before they receive--and often they never receive.
Never think about what you can get. Focus on what you can provide. Giving is the only way to establish a real connection and relationship.
Focus, even in part and even for a moment, on what you can get out of the other person, and you show that the only person who really matters is you.

5. They don't act self-important…
The only people who are impressed by your stuffy, pretentious, self-important self are other stuffy, pretentious, self-important people.
The rest of us aren't impressed. We're irritated, put off, and uncomfortable.
And we hate when you walk in the room.

6. …Because they realize other people are more important.
You already know what you know. You know your opinions. You know your perspectives and points of view.
That stuff isn't important, because it's already yours. You can't learn anything from yourself.
But you don't know what other people know, and everyone, no matter who they are, knows things you don't know.
That makes them a lot more important than you--because they're people you can learn from.

7. They shine the spotlight on others.
No one receives enough praise. No one. Tell people what they did well.
Wait, you say you don't know what they did well?
Shame on you--it's your job to know. It's your job to find out ahead of time.
Not only will people appreciate your praise, they'll appreciate the fact you care enough to pay attention to what they're doing.
Then they'll feel a little more accomplished and a lot more important.

8. They choose their words.
The words you use impact the attitude of others.
For example, you don't have to go to a meeting; you get to go meet with other people. You don't have to create a presentation for a new client; you get to share cool stuff with other people. You don't have to go to the gym; you get to work out and improve your health and fitness.

You don't have to interview job candidates; you get to select a great person to join your team.
We all want to associate with happy, enthusiastic, fulfilled people. The words you choose can help other people feel better about themselves--and make you feel better about yourself, too.

9. They don't discuss the failings of others...
Granted, we all like hearing a little gossip. We all like hearing a little dirt.
The problem is, we don't necessarily like--and we definitely don't respect--the people who dish that dirt.
Don't laugh at other people. When you do, the people around you wonder if you sometimes laugh at them.

10. ...But they readily admit their failings.
Incredibly successful people are often assumed to have charisma simply because they're successful. Their success seems to create a halo effect, almost like a glow.
Keyword is seem.
You don't have to be incredibly successful to be remarkably charismatic. Scratch the shiny surface, and many successful people have all the charisma of a rock.
But you do have to be incredibly genuine to be remarkably charismatic.
Be humble. Share your screwups. Admit your mistakes. Be the cautionary tale. And laugh at yourself.
While you should never laugh at other people, you should always laugh at yourself.
People won't laugh at you. People will laugh laugh with you.
They'll like you better for it--and they'll want to be around you a lot more.

http://www.inc.com/jeff-haden/10-habits-of-remarkably-charismatic-people.html

9 Beliefs of Remarkably Successful People

I'm fortunate enough to know a number of remarkably successful people. Regardless of industry or profession, they all share the same perspectives and beliefs.

The most successful people in business approach their work differently than most. See how they think--and why it works.

And they act on those beliefs:
1. Time doesn't fill me. I fill time.
Deadlines and time frames establish parameters, but typically not in a good way. The average person who is given two weeks to complete a task will instinctively adjust his effort so it actually takes two weeks.
Forget deadlines, at least as a way to manage your activity. Tasks should only take as long as they need to take. Do everything as quickly and effectively as you can. Then use your "free" time to get other things done just as quickly and effectively.
Average people allow time to impose its will on them; remarkable people impose their will on their time.

2. The people around me are the people I chose.
Some of your employees drive you nuts. Some of your customers are obnoxious. Some of your friends are selfish, all-about-me jerks.
You chose them. If the people around you make you unhappy it's not their fault. It's your fault. They're in your professional or personal life because you drew them to you--and you let them remain.
Think about the type of people you want to work with. Think about the types of customers you would enjoy serving. Think about the friends you want to have.
Then change what you do so you can start attracting those people. Hardworking people want to work with hardworking people. Kind people like to associate with kind people. Remarkable employees want to work for remarkable bosses.
Successful people are naturally drawn to successful people.

3. I have never paid my dues.
Dues aren't paid, past tense. Dues get paid, each and every day. The only real measure of your value is the tangible contribution you make on a daily basis.
No matter what you've done or accomplished in the past, you're never too good to roll up your sleeves, get dirty, and do the grunt work.  No job is ever too menial, no task ever too unskilled or boring.
Remarkably successful people never feel entitled--except to the fruits of their labor.

4. Experience is irrelevant. Accomplishments are everything.
You have "10 years in the Web design business." Whoopee. I don't care how long you've been doing what you do. Years of service indicate nothing; you could be the worst 10-year programmer in the world.
I care about what you've done: how many sites you've created, how many back-end systems you've installed, how many customer-specific applications you've developed (and what kind)... all that matters is what you've done.
Successful people don't need to describe themselves using hyperbolic adjectives like passionate, innovative, driven, etc. They can just describe, hopefully in a humble way, what they've done.

5. Failure is something I accomplish; it doesn't just happen to me.
Ask people why they have been successful. Their answers will be filled with personal pronouns: I, me, and the sometimes too occasional we.
Ask them why they failed. Most will revert to childhood and instinctively distance themselves, like the kid who says, "My toy got broken..." instead of, "I broke my toy."
They'll say the economy tanked. They'll say the market wasn't ready. They'll say their suppliers couldn't keep up.
They'll say it was someone or something else.
And by distancing themselves, they don't learn from their failures.
Occasionally something completely outside your control will cause you to fail. Most of the time, though, it's you. And that's okay. Every successful person has failed. Numerous times. Most of them have failed a lot more often than you. That's why they're successful now.
Embrace every failure: Own it, learn from it, and take full responsibility for making sure that next time, things will turn out differently.

6. Volunteers always win.
Whenever you raise your hand you wind up being asked to do more.
That's great. Doing more is an opportunity: to learn, to impress, to gain skills, to build new relationships--to do something more than you would otherwise been able to do.
Success is based on action. The more you volunteer, the more you get to act. Successful people step forward to create opportunities.
Remarkably successful people sprint forward.

7. As long as I'm paid well, it's all good.
Specialization is good. Focus is good. Finding a niche is good.
Generating revenue is great.
Anything a customer will pay you a reasonable price to do--as long as it isn't unethical, immoral, or illegal--is something you should do. Your customers want you to deliver outside your normal territory? If they'll pay you for it, fine. They want you to add services you don't normally include? If they'll pay you for it, fine. The customer wants you to perform some relatively manual labor and you're a high-tech shop? Shut up, roll 'em up, do the work, and get paid.
Only do what you want to do and you might build an okay business. Be willing to do what customers want you to do and you can build a successful business.
Be willing to do even more and you can build a remarkable business.
And speaking of customers...

8. People who pay me always have the right to tell me what to do.
Get over your cocky, pretentious, I-must-be-free-to-express-my-individuality self. Be that way on your own time.
The people who pay you, whether customers or employers, earn the right to dictate what you do and how you do it--sometimes down to the last detail.
Instead of complaining, work to align what you like to do with what the people who pay you want you to do.
Then you turn issues like control and micro-management into non-issues.

9. The extra mile is a vast, unpopulated wasteland.
Everyone says they go the extra mile. Almost no one actually does. Most people who go there think, "Wait... no one else is here... why am I doing this?" and leave, never to return.
That's why the extra mile is such a lonely place.
That's also why the extra mile is a place filled with opportunities.
Be early. Stay late. Make the extra phone call. Send the extra email. Do the extra research. Help a customer unload or unpack a shipment. Don't wait to be asked; offer. Don't just tell employees what to do--show them what to do and work beside them.
Every time you do something, think of one extra thing you can do--especially if other people aren't doing that one thing. Sure, it's hard.
But that's what will make you different.
And over time, that's what will make you incredibly successful.

http://www.inc.com/jeff-haden/9-beliefs-of-remarkably-successful-people.html

Best Way to Make Employees Better at Their Jobs

Forget trying to come up with motivational tools and "tricks." There's a better--and simpler--way to get more out of your staff.

You've been there. You've stared at a blank document as you struggled to come up with incredible words of wisdom that will inspire and motivate your employees.
So has Scott Moorehead, CEO of The Cellular Connection, which has over 800 stores and is the largest Verizon premium wireless retailer in the U.S.

"I was sitting in front of my computer, trying to come up with something I could tell all these smart people in my company that would help them do their job better," Moorehead says, "and I realized that what I really should be doing is asking them what I should do."

Make them CEO
The ground rules were simple: Yesterday you were a regional manager. Today you're the CEO. What would you do to make the company better?

Moorehead says many of the answers related to the person's job, but some related to broader issues. And regardless of the answer, employees were able to indirectly express their emotions out without offending anyone.

"Overall I loved the feedback," Moorehead says, "but it was also depressing because a number of people said, 'I would do whatever I could to bring back the family atmosphere we used to have in the company.' Those responses made me feel like such a fraud. Every day I was talking about how our business is a family and about really knowing our employees.... and that's not how employees in the field felt.

"We have 800 locations and people across the country," he continued. "It was hard for all of our employees to feel like they are part of the family. I hadn't recognized that. I still saw us as a mom and pop, but they saw us as a giant bureaucratic company. So I immediately changed my mindset from growing the company to fixing who we are."

Keep in mind Moorehead is used to listening to employees. His parents started the company, and they put him through a rigorous training process that required him to work in more than 30 positions throughout the company--from customer service to sales to delivery truck driver to accounting.

"Everyone asks me if that was hard," he says. "I thought it was easy. I didn't have anything to hide and treated the task at hand as the task at hand instead of dwelling on what I would do next. I just stepped into every job and worked hard. I learned a lot, but I also earned the respect of our employees... something I didn't realize I was doing until it was done."

In 2008, at age 30, Moorehead took over the company reins from his father. Since then revenue has grown 239%, from $137 to $466 mil.

Get Rid of What Makes Them Unhappy
"By getting to know our employees and their jobs," Moorehead says, "I could eliminate things that made them unhappy and kept them from doing a better job. Sometimes it's not spreadsheets--it's company morale."

Feedback also convinced him to open satellite offices in other cities so the company could recruit better talent. "Most of our new hires were commuting from up to an hour a day," he says. "To have someone outside my normal circle tell me we needed to go where the talent is was huge."

Of course there is no reason to give employees a voice if you aren't willing to listen, so if you decide to try something like "CEO For a Day" (and why wouldn't you?), respond. Tell each employee what you think about their ideas and input. Be as open and honest as possible. Provide a thoughtful response: yes or no, and most importantly why.

"My secret to success is to be the same person at work that you are when you're having a great day with your best friend," Moorehead says. "You listen to your friends, right? So listen to your employees.
"Then just be that person, each and every day. If you are brave, honest, forthcoming, and transparent you don't have to try to be a leader. You can be yourself."

3 Interview Questions That Reveal Everything

Interviewing job candidates is tough, especially because some candidates are a lot better at interviewing than they are at working.

To get the core info you need about the candidates you interview, here's a simple but incredibly effective interview technique I learned from John Younger, the CEO of Accolo, a cloud recruiting solutions provider. (If you think you've conducted a lot of interviews, think again: Younger has interviewed thousands of people.)

Here's how it works. Just start from the beginning of the candidate's work history and work your way through each subsequent job. Move quickly, and don't ask for detail. And don't ask follow-up questions, at least not yet.

Go through each job and ask the same three questions:

1. How did you find out about the job?
2. What did you like about the job before you started?
3. Why did you leave?

"What's amazing," Younger says, "is that after a few minutes, you will always have learned something about the candidate--whether positive or negative--that you would never have learned otherwise."
Here's why:

How did you find out about the job?
Job boards, general postings, online listings, job fairs--most people find their first few jobs that way, so that's certainly not a red flag.

But a candidate who continues to find each successive job from general postings probably hasn't figured out what he or she wants to do--and where he or she would like to do it.

He or she is just looking for a job; often, any job.

And that probably means he or she isn't particularly eager to work for you. He or she just wants a job. Yours will do--until something else comes along.

"Plus, by the time you get to Job Three, Four, or Five in your career, and you haven't been pulled into a job by someone you previously worked for, that's a red flag," Younger says. "That shows you didn't build relationships, develop trust, and show a level of competence that made someone go out of their way to bring you into their organization."

On the flip side, being pulled in is like a great reference--without the letter.

What did you like about the job before you started?
In time, interviewees should describe the reason they took a particular job for more specific reasons than "great opportunity," "chance to learn about the industry," or "next step in my career."

Great employees don't work hard because of lofty titles or huge salaries. They work hard because they appreciate their work environment and enjoy what they do. (Titles and salary are just icing on the fulfillment cake.)

That means they know the kind of environment they will thrive in, and they know the type of work that motivates and challenges them--and not only can they describe it, they actively seek it.

Why did you leave?
Sometimes people leave for a better opportunity. Sometimes they leave for more money.
Often, though, they leave because an employer is too demanding. Or the employee doesn't get along with his or her boss. Or the employee doesn't get along with co-workers.

When that is the case, don't be judgmental. Resist the temptation to ask for detail. Hang on to follow-ups. Stick to the rhythm of the three questions. That makes it natural for candidates to be more open and candid.
In the process, many candidates will describe issues with management or disagreements with other employees or with taking responsibility--issues they otherwise would not have shared.

Then follow up on patterns that concern you.

"It's a quick way to get to get to the heart of a candidate's sense of teamwork and responsibility," Younger says. "Some people never take ownership and always see problems as someone else's problem. And some candidates have consistently had problems with their bosses--which means they'll also have issues with you."
And a bonus question:

How many people have you hired, and where did you find them?
Say you're interviewing candidates for a leadership position. Want to know how their direct reports feel about them?

Don't look only for candidates who were brought into an organization by someone else; look for candidates who brought employees into their organization.

"Great employees go out of their way to work with great leaders," Younger says. "If you're tough but fair, and you treat people well, they will go out of their way to work with you. The fact that employees changed jobs just so they could work for you speaks volumes to your leadership and people skills."

http://www.inc.com/jeff-haden/3-interview-questions-that-reveal-everything.html

Secrets of a Master Negotiator

Life is negotiation. So much of our daily lives revolve around this practice and yet so few of us spend any time truly learning what it takes to become great at this requisite skill.
Think about it, how much of your life involves negotiation? Most people don't realize when it is taking place. But it surrounds us. It is who we are.
Sure, everyone knows that you have to negotiate to buy a car. Some may even know that almost every retailer—if pushed—will negotiate a better price for an item. But what about the more subtle forms of negotiation? Do you even recognize when these occur?
Have you ever said to your spouse "I'll take out the trash, can you load the dishwasher?" Negotiation. When you ask for a raise. Negotiation. Who's driving? Negotiation.
Since I was a child my parents have always told me I was good at manipulating others. Negotiation. Perhaps it was inevitable that I went into law, at least initially. A profession that heightened my abilities at reading people and knowing how to react to the tells they were giving me.
After a half a lifetime of negotiating and learning the techniques to do so better here are a few of the secrets I have picked up:

Basic Skills

1. Listen

To negotiate you must learn how to listen and apply what you hear to formulate your next move. Every word has a purpose. Every statement a hidden tell. If you listen carefully, I mean really carefully, you will be able to hear and understand what your opponent in the negotiation truly wants. Listening is the bare minimum skill you must have to start building your abilities as a good negotiator.

2.  Be Willing to Walk Away

When two sides are negotiating one of the other most basic skills you must retain is the ability to walk away if the deal does not satisfy your requirements. Some may think this is axiomatic but it is not.
Once I was assisting a friend to negotiate the purchase of a new car. At the end we were close but the dealer refused to remove some extra charge which was just more fat on the bone for their sales price. After much back-and-forth over this item we reached an impasse: the salesman would not take it out of the price and I would not move on him taking it out. I stood up, politely thanked him for his time, and said to my friend "Let's go."
To my surprise my friend remained seated, turned his eyes towards me, his expression quickly changing to that of a child's wanting a toy in a toy store, and said, "But I really want the car." At that point any chance of continuing to negotiate a better deal evaporated like a puddle on a hot Southern summer afternoon. If he would have stood and walked we would have never made it to the door before that item was taken off the cost. But by not being willing to walk away we gave the other a critical advantage: he knew we would not walk. Always be willing to walk away from a deal and let it be known in either a subtle or not so subtle manner, as the situation dictates.

Intermediate Skills

1.  Feign Indifference, Don't be Indifferent

Obviously we care about the thing we are negotiating for, otherwise there would not be a negotiation. But just as we must be willing to walk away from the deal, equally as important is that you must never let the other party know how much you want or need to make the deal.
For example, for anyone who is familiar with my other writings you may recall that I am a trial attorney that has tried hundreds of cases in my career litigating thousands more. At some juncture during the course of litigation the parties will eventually discuss settlement. Irrespective of my client's concerns and directives I always feign indifference during settlement discussion. Why? Because if the other side ever gets a whiff that you are not willing to try the case they will have a decided advantage over you in the negotiation process.
So no matter if my client is ready to take the case to the mat or can't afford or does not want to move forward anymore opposing counsel gets the same routine from me every time: "We can try to settle the case or just go to trial. I'm good with whatever." The goal in feigning indifference is to be as difficult to read as a blank page. In the end, however, it is a valuable skill to have in any negotiation. So you may not be indifferent, but never let them know.

2.  Have the Ammunition You Need

In litigation this is about having your case ready to go to trial if it does not settle and making sure the other party knows you are ready. In other negotiations, such as in real estate, it's about letting a prospective purchaser know you have another buyer on the line and that if they do not meet your terms you'll just sell it to the other guy. In any negotiation that involves an alternative action if the terms are not met you must let the other party know you can, and will, do a specific act they do not want you to do in the event terms are not met. In short, let the other party know that you have your ammo and are willing to use it.
Many years ago my then firm represented a man who had been horrifically injured by a product. Our firm was brought in to represent his interests against the manufacturer. Because of certain confidentiality provisions I cannot mention the product or even the type of product it was. Suffice to say, however, it was the first case of its kind and had significant national exposure on not only a media level but political as well. Well, as in any litigation case the parties are required to exchange documents whether they are detrimental or not to your case.
We knew that the defendants were holding out on us and saying that these specific very damaging reports did not exist despite the fact we had witnesses that testified to the contrary. We knew if we got our hands on these reports they would be shaking in their boots. Well, to make a long story short while referencing a great episode from Seinfeld, we employed a special team of people to "retrieve" the reports for us and "yadda yadda yadda" we appeared at pretrial with these ultra-damaging reports in hand. The case, one of the most contentious and longest I had ever been involved in, settled minutes later. Why? Because we had the ammo.
So it does not matter if it is litigation, real estate sales with an alternative buyer, or otherwise, always have the ammo—or appearance thereof—to support your side in the negotiation.

Advanced Skills

1.  What Motivates Them?  Use it

As a prerequisite, you must always listen. Listening, as stated above, is critical to hearing what the other side wants. But on a higher level, you must strive to understand why. What is motivating the "Why"? If you can listen between the lines to understand that which truly motivates the other party you will gain a decided advantage in the negotiation of the deal.

Let's take an example from McDonald's, the iconic company that is now making significant inroads in China. A few years ago, I watched a special on McDonald's that was fascinating. It went through the company's history, business philosophies, and plans for expansion. In regard to expansion, the company has at least one team of individuals canvassing China looking for great locations for future McDonald's.
In this show, McDonald's found and built a restaurant on a relatively undeveloped plot of land on the outskirts of an industrial city. Why? Because McDonald's had done its research and knew that within three months of the purchase or lease of that land the local development authority would be approving a mixed-use high-rise community situated adjacent to McDonald's new location that would house over 20,000 residents. So, sure, McDonald's wanted the land to build a restaurant.
But if you were the owner of that land, wouldn't you find it helpful to understand what motivated the selection of that site? Armed with that knowledge, is it not reasonable to ask for a higher price in the negotiation process? That what in this instance is McDonald's desire to acquire the property. The why, however, and a more thorough understanding of the why, is what would really drive the deal.
So listen and figure out what motivates the other side. It will give you a leg up in the negotiation.

2.  Lead Them to the Water and Let Them Drink

A good negotiator knows you can lead a horse to water but you cannot make it drink. Despite your best efforts, the horse must drink on its own.
In litigation, our clients are often frustrated at the length of time it sometimes takes to settle a case out of court. Sometimes this frustration even boils over into demands that we speed the process up or make the other party sign or respond to an offer of settlement.
At the end of the day, however, no amount of complaining, yelling, or otherwise can make the other party sign an agreement. In the end, you can negotiate the deal but the final negotiation—where you ultimately get the party to sign on the dotted line—well, that is all up to them.
You cannot hold their head underwater until they sign. But you can subtlety remind them that every day the agreement is not signed they are just racking up more attorney's fees. Heck, I like to even throw in a little humor referencing the fact I will soon be sending two kids off to college, and I certainly don't mind if they take their time; they are just helping with my kids' college-education fund.
So as in any negotiation, you must be tactful and subtle and lead them to the deal but always mindful you cannot force a deal to be made. A strategy of repeated subtle influence in this regard is often required.

3.  Accent Morphing

Familiarity breeds comfort. Comfort leads to a heightened ability to get a deal done. Let's face it, we are comfortable around those with whom we feel some common bond. Years ago, when we got out of a lengthy negotiation, my co-counsel turned to me and said, "Never realized you had a Southern accent before." As the day wore on, my accent dissipated, and I returned to my normal manner of speaking.
Well, it seemed that I had, during the course of negotiation with the opposing counsel, started speaking in a slight to moderate Southern accent during our marathon discussions before a court in Western Virginia. The opposing counsel himself was a large, imposing Southerner much like Fred Gwynne's portrayal of Judge Chamberlain Haller in My Cousin Vinnie. Well, it seems that somewhat subconsciously after hours of stalemate in this heated discussion I had started adopting the accents of the opposing counsel and the judge, a local legend himself. I know this may sound crazy, but we traced when the ice broke in regard to the settlement talks back to around the time I started speaking in a more gentile, Southern manner.
And so began a practice of mine of sometimes morphing my accent, ever so slightly in some instances, more so in others, to create a bond of familiarity between myself and the person with whom I am negotiating. Now, I'm not saying if you are from the deep South and are negotiating with someone from Brooklyn you should suddenly lose your drawl and go all Vinnie Barbarino on them. Rather, slight almost imperceptible changes in your accent to mirror your opponent in the negotiation can create an unconscious feeling of familiarity with you without the other side even realizing it, to the extent that it can, and often does, assist in the negotiation of a deal.

4.  Vilify, Unite, and Conquer 

Often we are placed in a position that no one wants to be in. A position that someone else has put us in. But the only way out is to negotiate a truce. This is often the case in law when you receive a preliminary ruling that does not support your case or, as is often the case, a ruling that makes trial more difficult for both parties. When this occurs, use the master technique of vilifying the third party, using it to unite those parties in the negotiation, and then conquer the deal through the aforesaid vilification and uniting of common interests.
For instance, we were once in a proceeding in which the judge made a ruling on evidence presented at trial by opposing counsel that was going to fundamentally change the outcome of the case. It was evidence the opposing counsel had offered and, upon our objection, should have been denied but the judge was new, did not know this area of the law very well, and let it in over very stern objections. Even the opposing counsel was stunned it was received.
At the end of the day, all trial counsel agreed that the party offering the evidence was actually in a very bad position. They would likely now win the case, but because the ruling on that critical piece of evidence was simply wrong, we had an absolute grounds for appeal that would be victorious years later, with the matter most likely having to be retried at significant cost and expense.
So what did we do? Vilify, unite, and conquer. Realizing our good fortune, we quickly vilified the court to the opposing counsel, making it appear like the enemy. We established that all parties were now in the same boat, having been sabotaged by this bad ruling. And we settled the case, because no one wanted a three-year appeal that would result in a new trial four to five years from the date of the current trial.
Vilify, unite, and conquer. It won't always be available for you. But when it is, use it to get a deal done.

http://www.inc.com/matthew-swyers/secrets-of-a-master-negotiator.html