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...

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...

I was going through this quote by Vince Lombardi the other day and couldn’t control my amusement and laughter for some time. “If you aren’t fired with enthusiasm, you will be fired with enthusiasm.” But the truth behind this statement looms large in front of all HR professionals when they start working for an organization in whatever capacity. Results, Targets, Closing the sale, Clinching the deal are the inevitable management mantras that drive the executives crazy. Isn’t it funny that it is very important to keep the morale high of the survivors during a layoff strategy! How on earth one can expect such a thing to happen when you know the sword is dangling above your head too! Please remember, “Resources are hired to give results, not reasons.” You need to be a star performer the first time and every time. Why Downsizing Happens? When the management of an organization finds out that their organization is not operating at peak efficiency, they naturally look for ways to make the organization more productive. This is seldom accomplished via organizational downsizing, which is a reduction in organizational size and operating costs implemented by management in order to improve organizational efficiency, productivity and/or the competitiveness of the organization. Courtesy: Cartoonstock.com Organizational downsizing affects the work processes of an organization since the end result of the downsizing is typically fewer people performing the same workload that existed before the downsizing took place. Download this Team Meeting Planner and Let us Know if You Found it Useful Team-Meeting-Agenda-PlannerDownload The act of downsizing results in two categories of people: victims, the people who involuntarily lose their jobs due to organizational downsizing, and survivors, the employees who remain after organizational downsizing takes place. When is Downsizing the Answer and How to Do it Right? “When downsizing is a knee-jerk reaction, it has long-term costs.” In order for an organizational downsizing to be most effective, management must connect openly and honestly with their employees concerning the reason for the downsizing and the downsizing plan. Managers also need to listen to employees and provide comfort when necessary in order to keep the morale high among the survivors of the downsizing. It is also important that management take steps to prepare the workforce in advance of the downsizing. Proper planning includes outplacement strategies, which is the process of supporting former employees in finding new employment and training and re-skilling the remaining workers into their new jobs. By treating the victims of downsizing fairly and compassionately, the survivors of the downsizing are more likely to remain loyal to their organization.  Best Practices for Managing the Downsizing Process Be transparent about the current conditions that the organization faces and the potential impact on the workforce.Treat laid-off employees with respect and sensitivity.On the day of discharge, give employees options on how they want their exit handled.Ensure that procedures used to make decisions are seen as just and fair.Carefully examine the impact of employment downsizing on all HR systems.Give survivors a reason to stay and new hires a reason to join.  Kim Cameron’s 3 Types of Downsizing Strategies 1. Workforce Reductions – short-term strategy to cut the number of employees through attrition, early retirement or voluntary severance packages, and layoffs or termination. 2. Work Redesign – medium-term strategy in which organizations focus on work processes and assess whether specific functions, products and/or services should be eliminated. 3. Systematic Change – long-term strategy that changes the organization’s culture and attitudes, and employees’ values, with the goals of reducing costs and enhancing quality. Why Do Organizations Downsize? Declining profitBusiness downturn or increased pressure from competitorsMerging with another organization, resulting in duplication of effortsIntroduction of new technologyThe need to reduce operating costsThe desire to...

Overall MBA Application #strategy: Average scores are creeping higher every year at the top MBA programs, making it hard to offset a bad GMAT score. Timing and planning are key to reducing the stress of the application process. Since both GMAT and GRE scores are valid for five years, getting the exams out of the way years in advance would free you to focus on all of the other elements of the application. If, like most applicants, you didn’t have the foresight to take the exam right after college, the next best step is to plan your application strategy so that the GMAT is finished before you finalize your list of schools. Your score isn’t everything, but it is an important part of the admissions equation. For whatever MBA admissions round you’re targeting, your target date for taking the GMAT should be at least two months before your first application is due. The deadline for taking the GMAT will vary dramatically depending on the admission procedures of each school to which you apply, and the term in which you are planning to enroll. Keep in mind that you can take the GMAT up to 5 times, but never more than once per calendar month (including a month in which you cancel your score), even if you have cancelled your score. Most applicants devote at least 100 hours to test preparation, and depending on where you are in the process, you may have to take a prep class and perhaps take the test more than once. If this is the case, the first round may not be a realistic option unless you’re able and prepared to completely immerse yourself in the process. A1 Applications usually open in the summer, but start thinking before then.  It’s never too early to start planning! How to avoid mistakes in MBA applications? From disorganized resumes to poorly written personal statements, there are a number of mistakes an applicant can make when applying to business school. With some guidance, though, they can avoid these pitfalls and stand out from other prospective students. Many applicants turn to admissions experts for help and advice on which admissions round to enter, how to get strong letters of recommendation and what to say during an admissions interview. “Whether you’re a star candidate or an average one, you can play up your best qualities.” You just need to understand what it is about your background that will make you the best possible candidate – and then prove it clearly in your application and interview. Your resume needs to tell the story of the ‘real’ you – the person behind those #GMAT scores and that work experience. So don’t pretend to be the perfect MBA candidate. For one thing, that person doesn’t even exist. An MBA admissions officer at a leading US business school says the most common error she sees is applicants who are “trying to be someone they are not, and trying to impress the admissions committee.” GMAT scores: Stanford University had the highest average GMAT score for incoming full-time students in fall 2014, according to data submitted to U.S. News. Below are the 10 business schools with the highest average GMAT scores for incoming full-time students in fall 2014. Business school  Enrollment (fall 2014) Average GMAT score B-School rank Stanford University (CA) 410 732 1 University of Pennsylvania (Wharton) 859 728 3 Harvard University (MA) 935 726 2 University of Chicago (Booth) 583 724 4 New York University (Stern) 344 721 11 (tie) Yale University (CT) 323 719 13 (tie) University of California—Berkeley (Haas) 241 717 7 Columbia University (NY) 743 716 8 Dartmouth College (Tuck) (NH) 281 716 9 University of...