Monday, December 21, 2015

3 Strategies to Share Your Message for Attention

I believe businesses and professionals can profit from attention – not just getting it, but giving it. The next time you prepare for a presentation, business brief or sales pitch, pay attention to these three key factors. By doing so, you’ll ensure your message resonates with those you wish to receive attention from.

 

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Be Attentive: 3 Ways to Share Your Message for Attention


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Be Attentive: 3 Ways to Share Your Message for Attention


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Thursday, December 17, 2015

Good Manners – Guest Post by Candace Ellis

Candace EllisBelow is a blog by Candace Ellis, who loves surprising and delighting clients and sharing her sense of fun and wit through her writing. I truly love her pieces and felt compelled to share this one with you. Follow her on twitter @candellis.

xoxo,

Neen
When Clarence Thomas said “good manners will open doors that the best education can not.”, I wonder if he meant that literally?

As a an associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States he may have been referring to people he met in his courts when he said this.  But the way I look at it is this: good manners will get you places and will open doors.

I know this to be true because in my as a receptionist and executive assistant for one of the leading companies in Australia in research I constantly greet and welcome people from all walks of life.  Everyday we all meet people including sales reps, service engineers, patients couriers and even lost colleagues. While every visitor has different reasons for being there, one thing they all have in common is they must get past the gatekeeper – yep that’s me, the receptionist.

Some might say I am the bump in their road, the roadblock in their mission and some visitors want to bypass. As the gatekeeper, I am not trying to make your life more difficult or waste your time or distract you from your journey.  My mission ( and yours – should you choose to accept it) is to move you from reception to the right person at the right time.  Let me help you, help me, here’s how:

  1. Know whom you came for.  It saves us time-  know the full name and job title. In large organizations it’s challenging to know everyone’s name. Guess what, sometimes there are more than one “Sheila” or “Bruce” please know their last name. This also indicates you are prepared and organized.
  2. Know your reason for visiting. You may be a frequent visitor and tell me why you are back. I need to keep tabs on the visitors – let’s build a rapport.  Heck I don’t mind a little small talk! Yes I did watch Game of Thrones last night, wasn’t it brutal?
  3. Know your focus.  Eyes on the game and not on your phone. Give attention during your interaction- simple and effective. Talking on your phone while being helped is sinful and demonstrates a lack of respect. If you need to take the call, excuse yourself and return when you can give your full attention.
  4. Know the power of a smile, eye contact, and friendliness.  Sometimes you may not get this in return (unless you visit me of course). Some receptionists are distracted, under the pump and having a bad day – try not to take it personally. Everyone might be entitled to a bad day, however when you work in a service industry you waive that right. Receptionists are people too and sometimes bad days sneak up on you. Isn’t interesting when you surround yourself with positive people, it rubs off on you? It is contagious and I love being around positive people. You could be the turning point in someone’s bad day so flash ‘em your pearly whites, what have you got to lose?
  5. Know the Rules. This one is easy. Sign in, sign out and wear your nametag. Follow instructions, and use the visitor car parks designated to you. It’s simple people. Please pay attention.

Recently we had very important guests visiting our workplace.  My job was to ensure these guests we were well looked after and shown the highest hospitality.  At the end of the visit I commenced clean up, washing coffee cups in the too small, too hot kitchen behind the meeting rooms.  I was coming down with cold and feeling ill. Soldiering on I was standing over the sink in my tired, pre-cold haziness and heard a voice and a tap at the door.  As I turned I saw one our guest VIPs, smiling. He took the time to find me, extend his gratitude and smile.   He looked me in the eye, asked my name and thanked me.  Out of all the guests that day, he is the one I remember and one who I will gladly welcome back.

Good manners does open doors, and I will be happily waiting at that door for you.

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Monday, December 14, 2015

3 Types of Thought Leaders - Which One Are You?


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3 Types of Thought Leaders - Which One Are You?


Watch video on YouTube here: http://youtu.be/icZBdxlmMtM
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3 Types of Thought Leaders – Which Are You?

Thought Leaders Ideas Profit SharingHave you ever heard the term ‘Thought Leader’ and wondered what it was and who gets to call themselves that? Those in thought leadership can shape and shift the ideas, perspectives and passion of others.

They don’t just know something, they are known for something.

When the term was first coined, it meant something different than it does today. Now it seems as though the phrase is used and abused in business today. I’m a partner in Thought Leaders Global and we have a definition of three types of Thought Leaders.

  1. Intrapreneur – Within a corporation, this person is the go-to resource within a company that best represents their brand, idea and thoughts.
  2. Entrepreneur – These are the people who like to start, grow and exit a fast growing business within about five years. They use thought leadership as a marketing strategy to operationalize their ideas.
  3. Infopreneur – Professionals that have information in their head they can capitalize on by sharing it with the world in a way that is uniquely theirs.

Often, what we see is that perceived Thought Leaders are actually just thought repeaters. If you really want to stand out, identify what type of Thought Leader do you want to be?

Are you an internal thought leader that is the go-to expert in your area of expertise. This is a fantastic strategy if you really want to attract, retain and develop top talent in your company.

If you’re an entrepreneurial thinker, you must have a clear strategy for the types of businesses you can rapidly grow, market and exit using your area of expertise and skills.

As an infopreneurial thought leader, consider those thoughts and ideas that are uniquely yours. What’s your context for the world and how do you see the world. My context is Attention. I want the world to give the gift of their undivided attention in order to better receive the attention they too desire.

 

What compels you? What is your passion? What is your unique experience? How can you honor that uniqueness to share thoughts and ideas with the world? Share your ideas with us!

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Tuesday, December 08, 2015

12 Best Apps for Busy Women – Guest Blog by Megan Kristel

productivity apps busy women save timeEvery woman I know is so busy they are overwhelmed, overstressed and overtired. When I read this blog at The Well Dressed Life by Meg Kristel, I knew the ah-mazing apps recommended were just thing to help women save time and energy to pay attention more to what mattered most.  I hope you enjoy this read and these apps as much as I did.

 

Attention Pays,

Neen

 

I do not have a techie bone in my body, yet I find myself relying more and more on my phone to keep me organized. With the New Year, and promises of better, more productive selves around the corner, I thought I would share the apps that make my hectic life run a little smoother.

12 Best Apps for Busy Women

1. Instacart: I started using Instacart a few months ago, and it is by far the best app/service I discovered all year. Instacart is a grocery delivery service that connects you to a personal shopper who goes to your favorite market (mine is Whole Foods). You order your groceries online, and they are delivered to your door within a few hours. I love to cook but hate grocery shopping, especially on the weekends when the stores are so overly crowded. With Instacart, I can sit at my desk, with my cookbooks and list and only order what I need. I paid an annual fee initially that has already paid for itself, and you tip the shopper. Even if I end up spending a little more than I would in the store, I save so much time and sanity. Plus, I get stuff done around the house or work while I wait, making me extra productive.

2. Open Table: I’m always surprised when someone doesn’t have Open Table on their phone. It makes grabbing dinner reservations anywhere in the country easy peasy. I use mine constantly, often within minutes of wanting to walk in somewhere.

3. TripItIf you travel frequently, TripIt is for you. TripIt allows you to keep your itinerary organized. It’s super easy to use. Once you make your hotel reservation, forward the email to Tripit, and it automatically updates your agenda. Do the same with your flight information, car service, etc. On the day of your trip, everything you need, from your reservations to your boarding pass, is in one place.

4. Uber: I use Uber all the time. From airport pick-ups to nights that go a little too late with a little too much wine, it makes getting safely from point A to point B easy.

5. Circle of 6: Circle of 6 was originally designed for college-aged women, to help keep them safe on campus. Essentially, it’s an app that lets you send a message to 6 individuals of your choosing. For example, one message reads, “Call and pretend you need me. I need an interruption.” It also sends your GPS coordinates. Every woman should have this on her phone. It’s a no-brainer.

6. Sleep Pillow: Having spent more time in hotels this year than I care to think about, one thing I know for sure is that hotels, for the most part, are noisy. You can be stuck by the elevator, the ice machine or just next a very rude and nocturnal neighbor. The Sleep Pillowapp is a white noise machine and alarm clock in one. My favorite sounds are beach waves and thunderstorm. While the free app is great, I upgraded to the paid version, which allows you to play the noise all night and be gently woken up by the app in the morning.

7. Sleep Cycle Power NapSpeaking of sleeping, I’m a big fan of napping. The Sleep Cycle Power Nap app guides you to sleep easily and wakes you gently before you fall into a deep sleep. It offers several different nap cycles, my favorite being the “recovery nap”. You get a solid 45 minutes and wake up feeling like the better version of you.

8. Evernote: The standard for note taking apps and for good reason. It’s intuitive, easy to use and cross-functional allowing you to use it on your phone and desktop. I need to write things down; it helps me process information and commit to it. However, once I vet out my to-do list, I write it in Evernote, because I will likely forget to pack my notebook, but I always remember my phone. It’s an extra step, but one I am happy to take to stay on top of my never-ending, always growing to-do list.

9. Last Pass Last Pass holds all of your passwords, keeping them secure. When you need to log into one of your accounts, it self-populates. Having been the person who kept all of my passwords written in the back of my day journal, this makes my life so much easier and safer.With Last Pass you’ll never have to remember your passwords again.

10. Mint: Mint helps keep your finances in order, so you never miss a bill, always know how much cash you have on hand and your current credit score. I know too many women, who are otherwise brilliant and accomplished, with no knowledge of their financial situation. With Mint, you can have all of your accounts linked together for a real-time snapshot of your money health. If being more financially savvy is on your list of New Year resolutions, get on Mint today.

11. Dropbox: If you own a business or work as a freelancer, Dropbox is a life saver. You can store all of your important documents, photos and share files. We use it all the time, across all of our businesses. For example, when a potential client requests additional information about our private services, we can very easily send them our information PDF from our phones. This cuts down the time it takes to convert a lead to a client.  Dropbox will help streamline your systems, keep your business organized and help you look organized.

12. ShutterflyWhile I use Dropbox to store pictures, I also use Shutterfly. I keep the Shutterfly app on my phone. When photos are uploaded, they are automatically time stamped to when they were originally taken. Then I can go in and sort them, create albums, even order custom books, all from my phone.

Let us know in the comments below your favorite apps and how you use them!

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Sunday, December 06, 2015

3 Strategies for Ending Your Slump

Ever felt so overwhelmed, overstressed and overtired that you were exhausted – mentally, physically and emotionally? Perhaps you were in a perpetual slump, one you couldn’t see your way out of. I know I’ve been there, and most of us have. After recently experiencing a bit of a slump myself, I realized to turn to my ‘beacons – those people I trust implicitly to help give candid and honest feedback with my best interest in mind. How do you determine who these people are and allow them to guide you out of your slump? Who are those that are dragging you further into it?

 

Here are my 3 strategies for getting out of a slump and determining those ‘beacons’ who will help.

beacons, slump, overtired, stress management

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Thursday, December 03, 2015

Make Your 2016 More Profitable and Productive with Executive Exchange

Neen James Keynote Speaker Coach Mentor Executive Leadership ProfitabiliyWhen it comes to sharing your expertise, having a laser-focused ROI for your client or audience is often the key differentiator.  So many of us have extensive experience and considerable content, but no clear way to share what we do and how we do it.

 

In order to clearly identify your unique offering and to make more money from your ideas, spend 90 minutes in an Executive Exchange with Neen James.  Neen will bring clarity and contextual messaging to your brand, in order to help you articulate why you are the best expert to hire or best leader for your project or promotion. This will not only lead to brand cohesion and confidence, but also increased commercial success.

 

This three stage process will eliminate extraneous messaging and allow your true thought leadership to become focused and noteworthy.

 

A: Before your Executive Exchange, you will receive a series of activating questions to complete.  This exercise is incredibly grounding and begins the process of function through formulation.  The answers you share will also give Neen a brief summary of who you are and where you currently serve.

 

B: During your 90 minute Executive Exchange with Neen via phone or Skype you will receive:

 

  1. A clear positioning statement that you can use when someone ask ‘what do you do?’. This script is a powerful tool to be used on your website, LinkedIn profile, social media, in videos, during a speech and for your sales calls.

 

  1. A unique contextual model to clearly showcase your expertise in a way that is easy for your client / buyer to understand the value you add to their event and organization. This model can be used during your presentations, in sales calls and to elevate the scope of your next book project or project report.

 

  1. An intellectual property snapshot to help articulate one of your leading ideas that will include a contextual model, metaphor, statement and explanation and relevant data and stories to support it. This tool can be used in your presentations, blogs and sales conversations. This tool is especially helpful to distinguish you from other experts in your area and show depth of knowledge and expertise of why you are the best person to hire or partner with.

 

C: After your Executive Exchange you will be eligible to access Neen’s extensive Success Source Material including: templates, sample chapters of eBooks and recommendations of additional resources to grow your thought leadership and help you make more money from your ideas.

 

If you are ready to harness the power of your brilliant brain, schedule your private session with Neen today.

 

Three-part Executive Exchange Experience = $750

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