Work Can be Play – How to Overcome Burnout? Let me Start With Some Quotes to Motivate You: “There are no secrets to success; it is the result of preparation, hard work and learning from failure.” “Falling down is how we grow. Staying down is how we die.” “Success is going from failure to failure without losing your enthusiasm.” “You must be the change you wish to see in the world. “Keep your face to the sunshine and you can never see the shadow.”     Strategy of Smart Work I would like to suggest a few ways as to “How to improve your efficiency and quality of your work” without feeling the pinch. You don’t need to put in enormous hours of work to prove your mettle as it might only make you more exhausted and drain you of your physical and mental stamina. When we’re working hard, other areas of our life get neglected: Maybe you’re working long hours but eating poorly and never exercising. It might not seem like such a bad choice now, but when you run into health problems a few years down the road, you’re going to wish you’d found a better balance. Working too hard can have a really negative effect on your quality of life, too. Long hours and the pressure to keep doing more can lead to stress, burn out, depression, or just that miserable feeling of is this all there is to life? So how can you get away from the mindset of working hard and start working smart? Every 20 minutes take a break – Getting up to have a coffee or some water will make you feel agile. This suits well for the desk potatoes who are wedded to the computers. Prioritize the issues to be sorted out that particular day and focus your attention only on those issues until they are solved. This acts as a positive reinforcer and prepares you for the next challenge. If you find yourself with an excuse not to do it, tell yourself “Do it now”. “First Things First” is one of Stephen Covey’s “7 Habits” in 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. It means taking care of the most important things in your life before turning to the rest. Rather than trying to do everything at once, pick one or two key goals for each year, and focus wholeheartedly on those. It’s much better to actually accomplish a dream than to have a vague stab at lots of different things … only to end up making very little progress. Info: Pickthebrain.com Learn to say “NO” However, you can easily take it too far. At some point, you need to learn to decline opportunities. Your objective should be to take on only those commitments that you know you have time for and that you truly care about.   Sleep at least 7-8 hours. Most people need 7-8 hours of sleep for their bodies and minds to function optimally. You know if you’re getting enough. Listen to your body, and don’t underestimate the value of sleep. Devote your entire focus to the task at hand. Close out all other browser windows. Put your phone away, out of sight and on silent. Find a quiet place to work, or listen to some music if that helps you. Exercise and eat healthy Numerous studies have linked a healthy lifestyle with work productivity. Similar to getting enough sleep, exercising and eating healthily boost energy levels, clear your mind, and allow you to focus more easily. Delineate a time limit in which to complete task. Instead of just sitting down to work on a project and...

Awesome Social Media Quotes to Guide Your Marketing Strategy A strong Social Media Presence is inevitable to grow your business now-a-days. If you are not part of the mayhem, people are not going to remember you. Say, if you are a blogger and you post some 2 to 3 articles per week, it is not enough. The point is, are you smart enough to reach the right target audience which is never possible without the help of social media. Look at all these social media strategists and their insights – Full of experience and first hand information. Personally I love Twitter platform as it offers boundless possibilities to meet new faces and gather huge contacts in no time. The interface is simple but very effective and suitable for all kinds of businesses. You can cut across your message in a single powerful headline ofcourse with relevant hashtags.     Quotes have always inspired me and now my focus is on social media marketing which is the rage of the century. I thought of picking up some really useful and interesting quotes on social media by some popular social media hooligans. These will definitely open your eyes on the subject and make you understand why it is difficult for businesses to thrive without establishing their online presence through social media networks. Sean Gardner @2morrowknight “Social media is not just an activity; it is an investment of valuable time and resources. Surround yourself with people who not just support you and stay with you, but inform your thinking about ways to WOW your online presence” 4 Ways Travel Enhances Your PersonalBrand and Informs Your Worldview http://t.co/aZFgbhAbnq ttot RT @Linkedin pic.twitter.com/ngSa9eS9Mr — Sean Gardner (@2morrowknight) April 3, 2015 Aaron Lee @AskAaronLee “These days, social media waits for no one. If you’re LATE for the party, you’ll probably be covered by all the noise and you might not be able to get your voice across. It could only mean that if you want to be heard by the crowd, you have to be fast; and on social media, that means you have to be REALLY fast.” 5 Battle-Tested Tactics for Getting ROI on Social Media (Show Your BOSS!) – http://t.co/92l8enSV5y pic.twitter.com/50kRy08Aw4 — #Aaron Lee (@AskAaronLee) September 9, 2015 Jeff Bullas @jeffbullas “Social media is a hungry beast. The social networks require constant feeding. They need to be thrown a diet of content that keeps readers and viewers coming back for more. This is one of the biggest challenges if you want to do social at scale.” 7 Step Content Creation Strategy for Epic ContentMarketing http://t.co/s4VhCaPtK2 marketingtips pic.twitter.com/bwYDBkR2yN — #Jeff Bullas (@jeffbullas) September 14, 2015 Neal Schaffer @NealSchaffer “If You’re Not Regularly Experimenting with Your Social Media Efforts, You’re Not Maximizing Your Social.” Do you think you’ve mastered the art of social media? via @FastCompany http://t.co/Tq7SDTdyeg RT @msocialbusiness pic.twitter.com/VtgvkGw3f4 — #Neal Schaffer (@NealSchaffer) September 13, 2015 Neil Patel @neilpatel “The foundation of your social media strategy is to understand who your target audience is andwhy they use social media. To do so, we need to utilize demographics and psychographics.” How to Become a @Twitter Influencer: Science and Practice http://t.co/IFdlCO85KI pic.twitter.com/BdJ5eAA5z0 — #Neil Patel (@neilpatel) September 5, 2015 Hope you would have enjoyed this post and please visit all the influencers’ twitter accounts and blogs to see how many followers they’ve got and just think how they must have achieved this. Let this be a starting point for blogger beginners and other small businesses to enhance their social media presence through these proven strategies. Planning to bring more of content related to social media tools and...

What is Leadership The one who quickly diagnoses a problem, shoulders personal responsibility and makes the right decision can be called a true leader. He need not be rich, need not hold a big office, need not be numero uno – as simple as that. Understanding other people well is also a core leadership quality. If a person is late to work, a leader tries to unearth the cause of the problem; rather than looking for the worst in people they look for what’s best within them. Entrepreneurs have a set of leadership skills that make them a little different from every other worker bee. They choose to walk down the road less traveled by breaking away from corporate protocol and venturing out on their own, bucking trends and at times, even breaking the rules. “Success is actually a creative pursuit and a reflection of healthy self-esteem.” What will you do to be the leader that you are destined to be, today? Thinking outside the box and forging your own path requires agility. Being an agile leader refers to remaining flexible, growing from your own mistakes and rising above the wide array of challenges you face. “If you call a stumbling block a “problem” or a “big mess” you will create a different emotional state within you than if you call the issue “an opportunity” or a “challenge that will make me better.” “The most successful human beings are wildly focused. They have a very clear picture of what it is they want to create by the time they reach the end of their lives and then they have the discipline (and courage) to stick to their mission – saying “no” to everything that is not mission critical. Who made Success a Bad Word? “Too many people believe that playing their best game as a human being requires them to revolutionize their lives. And for most of us, that’s a scary thought.” We humans love to play within our comfort zones. Making changes to the way we think, feel and behave is next to impossible for us. What people fail to realize is that changes are to be welcomed because they are chances to improve our life quality. If you don’t adapt or go with the flow, you will definitely feel the heat when priorities start pushing you to the brink. “The best way to get to your greatness is through small, continuous steps-what I call the “1% Wins”. Agile leaders have a set of shared characteristics: being extroverted, taking charge and challenging the status quo. Basically, it’s people who have been described as “difficult to manage.” Being difficult doesn’t have to be a bad thing. It just means that certain people have their own way of doing things and are able to generate new ideas because they possess the ability to view issues from multiple angles. Simplify Then Focus Simplifying life and stripping away all that is unimportant can help you to achieve your dreams. Once you do your clean up, focus, focus, focus. You’ll be surprised how good you will then get at being great. “The best way to create spectacular results in the most important areas of your life is through daily practice.” “People who have achieved great success are not necessarily more skillful or intelligent than others. What separates them is their burning desire and thirst for knowledge. The more one knows, the more one achieves.” ~ Robin Sharma A List of 10 Best Selling Books on Leadership Good to GreatJim CollinsExplores principles & practices that differentiate great companies from good ones.Start With WhySimon SinekFocuses on the importance of understanding the “why” behind actions to inspire and lead effectively.Dare to LeadBrené BrownEncourages leaders to embrace vulnerability and courage to build a daring leadership culture.The Five Dysfunctions of a TeamPatrick LencioniIdentifies common pitfalls in team dynamics and offers strategies to build cohesive, high-performing teams.Leaders Eat LastSimon SinekEmphasizes the importance of putting people first to create a supportive and loyal team environment.Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to LeadSheryl SandbergEncourages women to pursue leadership roles and advocate for themselves in the workplace.The 21 Irrefutable Laws of LeadershipJohn C. MaxwellOutlines fundamental principles for effective leadership and influence.Atomic HabitsJames ClearProvides practical strategies for building good habits and breaking bad ones to improve leadership skills.The Ideal Team PlayerPatrick LencioniDescribes the characteristics of an ideal team player and how to cultivate these traits in a team.Radical CandorKim ScottAdvocates for open and honest feedback to foster a culture of trust and high performance....

So you want to know how to be successful in sales and want to know how to become a better salesperson?  Sales success begins with attitude, it’s directly connected to understanding that the sale is not about you; It’s not about commission, It’s not about moving an item of off the shelves, and it’s not about the hefty paycheck. It’s not about you – it’s about the customer. Sales Pitch is the Key: Nowadays, an effective sales pitch is a two-way street — a conversation where you listen to the buyer, ask real questions, and offer them a solution to a challenge they’re experiencing. A good sales pitch starts with a great first impression. Sales professionals work hard to make a memorable and positive initial impact by creating laser-focused one-liners, but it’s just as important that your short, snappy delivery also resonates long after you’ve delivered that opening line. You want a presentation that holds your audience’s attention — the longer you’re able to keep that attention, the higher your chances of winning them over. And captivating your audience involves being prepared with relevant buyer information, and a pitch that actively includes the buyer in the discussion. At its most basic level, the sales pipeline represents your company’s sales process and how your company tracks progress through each stage of the process. Knowing that, here are a few tips to get you on your way to a more effective sales pitch: Do the Due Diligence Give Them the Answers To Your Homework You’re Listening, But Are You Hearing Your Buyer? A Call for “Call to Actions” If you are engaging your customer over the phone, to achieve sales success, be upfront about the reason for your call, vouch for the integrity of the product or service you are selling, and draw comparisons between your prospect and satisfied customers. When leaving voicemails, emails or follow-up messages, it’s important to reiterate the reason for contacting them, as well as summarizing your intent. Finish up the message with an suggested action either on your part or theirs. Pipeline #Management: Pipeline management includes everything from the way the sales pipeline is designed to how it is measured and how it is used to drive sales-rep performance. Without a clearly defined sales process, the pipeline has no foundation. We found that sales forces were most effective at managing their pipelines if they invested time in defining a credible, formalized sales process. In fact, there was an 18 percent difference in revenue growth between companies that defined a formal sales process and those that didn’t. https://youtube.com/watch?v=PvZ-Ky3xrW0%3Flist%3DPL5B53174B0151071A Track the Source: For optimal sales effectiveness, you need to provide employees with a tool that captures information about each and every interaction with your prospects and customers. This includes integrating your different channels, such as your website. People most often hear about your company and products and services through ads, referrals, online banner ads or some other form of advertising. You need to keep track of what actually caused these suspects to raise their hands so you can better determine what works and what doesn’t. Curated from 3 Best Practices of Sales Forces Are you a Problem-Solver; then you have a streak of sales person in you: Great salespeople also tend to be into solving problems and driving for results. They’re positive in their attitude, powerful and authoritative. The traits that make them so great at sales also can lead to traits that present difficulties for managers. They can be impulsive, demanding and unrealistic in their expectations. They may lack attention to detail and are often disorganized. In order to motivate and lead salespeople effectively, you want to think about what’s important to them...

Here is a brief and concise article on how to go about post job  interview follow-up https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oHHRI3Qcb8Q So tell me, should candidates send a follow up note after an interview? Yes, always. Whether or not a candidate is truly in the running, the interviewer can get crazy busy and it’s important to always follow up with a note and even a call in a week if there’s no word back on next steps. Candidates should never be afraid to ask for acknowledgement and closure, even if it’s not the news they want to hear. It is a great way to not only let someone know that you appreciated their time and insights – but also to make sure they are aware of your interest and enthusiasm, and reinforce how you “fit”. From a recruiting perspective, what’s the purpose of sending a follow-up? The follow-up is a way to reiterate interest and reaffirm why the candidate is the best fit for the role. It’s never too late, although at that point the hiring manager may have already made her decision. But front-running candidates do decline offers and take other positions, so there’s always a possibility of being considered. A note will probably not be able to turn around an interview that did not go well, but it could be something that could help differentiate you from equally strong candidates. From a recruiting perspective, the recruiter will appreciate someone showing their understanding of and connection with the company, the role, and/or the people they met.  That could make a big difference. Picture Courtesy: Careerbliss Show that you can be graceful: Follow up with post-interview thank-you letters to each person you talked with on your job interview. The first step in your follow-up is a polite handwritten note card to each interviewer. You won’t be able to fit many words on each note card, and you don’t need to.  Your handwritten thank you note is very important, because the biggest problem you face after your job interviews is that the interviewers forget who you are. They will literally forget you unless you bring yourself back to mind by mentioning something specific that you and each interviewer talked about. An interviewee says: You guys have no idea how effective this method is! In my last interview, I left knowing that I bombed it because I wasn’t receiving any positive feedback from my interviewer. I was pretty bummed out by it but nevertheless, I sent him a thank you letter via email just to thank him for his time. I didn’t expect a response but little did I know, a few days later I got a nice reply from him and a week after that, I got called in for a second interview! Just goes to show how far a little effort can take...