Tip #500 - 4 Tips for Just Being Yourself on Your Next Job Interview

Job interviews can be a stressful ordeal. Before you even walk into the interview room you'll likely be wondering if the employer will like you, if you're wearing the right clothing, if you'll say the right thing, or if you'll just flub the whole thing.

Most interviewees claim they did not get a job they wanted because they were nervous. They knew they could do the job and do it well, but the interviewer didn't see it. If this is happening to you, and companies aren't seeing the real you, it's simply because you are not showing your true self to them.

It's important to be yourself on interviews. If you pretend to be someone else, or employers do not see the real you, you may-or may not-get the job, but it won't be too long before you are looking for another one.

Here are 4 Steps for being yourself on your next interview from your friends at Dale Carnegie Western Connecticut:

1. Don't Let Fear Overtake You - If you are overly concerned with getting it right, then you will end up getting it wrong. Interviews are a two way street. Employers see if they like you and you see if you like them. If you just want to be "selected" for the job, then you don't get to shine. Let go of what could happen wrong and focus on what on could go right. Know that you are perfect for the job and simply go in there and show them what you got. It's OK to be afraid; you just don't want that fear to get in the way.

2. Be Prepared and Then Let It Go - It's important to thoroughly prepare for an interview. You want to know about the company, what they do, and what you can do to help them reach their goals. But at some point, preparation stops and you take over. Tell the interviewer about a time you had a challenging situation at work, and how you thought about the solution and came up with a way to solve the problem. Let the interviewer see your creative side instead of just canned answers you walked into the room prepared with.

3. Be Mindful of the Interviewer's Needs - Everyone wants to be seen as someone who can do a job well. But if the interview is only about you, and you are only concerned about yourself, the interviewer will pick up on this. Take the focus off yourself and instead put your energies on the person you are talking to. Find out about them, what they want and what's important to them. When you go into helpful mode, your concentration shifts to the other person. This is when the real you comes out.

4. Ask Questions - Interviews are a give and take process. You are asked questions and then you are expected to ask questions in return. Answers to your questions help you feel better about how you will assimilate into the company. Although you may want the job on paper, the company, its policies, and the people who work there are unknown to you. Questions help you get answers that put you at ease. And when you are calmer, the real you can come out.

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Tip #499 - A Sure-Fire Topic to Hold Your Audience's Attention

Dale Carnegie knew that you may possibly bore people if you talk about things and ideas, but you can hardly fail to hold their attention when you talk about people. Stories about people are what fuel the millions of conversations floating over fences in the backyards of America, and over dinner tables. And the predominating note in most of them is personalities.

Carnegie addressed many gatherings of school children in the United States and Canada; and he soon learned by experience that in order to keep them interested he had to tell them stories about people. As soon as he became general in nature and dealt with abstract ideas, "Johnny" became restless and wiggled in his seat, "Tommy" made a face at someone, and "Billy" threw something across the aisle.

Carnegie once asked a group of American businessmen in Paris to talk on "How to Succeed." Most of them began praising homely virtues, and in doing so began preaching at, lecturing to, and boring their listeners.

Carnegie halted the class and admonished them. "We don't want to be lectured to," he said. "No one enjoys that. Remember you must be entertaining or we will pay no attention whatever to what you are saying. Also remember that one of the most interesting things in the world is sublimated, glorified gossip. So tell us the stories of two persons you have known. Tell why one succeeded and why the other failed. We will gladly listen to that, remember it and possibly profit by it. It will also, by the way, be far easier for you to deliver than are wordy, abstract preachments."

Remember in your next speech or talk that human-interest stories-by far-appeal to your audience's nature and will always hold their interest.

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Tip #498 - 6 Components to Creating an Effective Business Team

Have you ever wondered why some teams complete goals efficiently and successfully while others fail? When components are missing, a team can end up elongating a process instead of completing a task.

While every team is different, you will increase your chances of building a strong team by incorporating the following 6 tips from your friends at Dale Carnegie Western Connecticut:

1. Active Team Members - Your team will not function effectively unless each team member is willing to put in an effort. You need team members who are proactive and understanding of their own parts in the larger process.

2. Demonstrate Leadership - If one or more team members demonstrate leadership qualities, you can delegate duties to them and then simply supervise the team. And as you can imagine, this is a more efficient use of a leader's time. Additionally, a good leader will inspire the best work performance from others and describe and communicate visions and goals clearly and often.

3. Integrity - An effective team is guided by a sense of values. Completing work with integrity means sticking to the company guidelines and mission statement. Workers with a strong sense of integrity do more than simply avoid rule-breaking practices; they ensure the highest quality on all work presented.

4. Goal-Oriented Thinking - To succeed, a team must be able to keep a goal in mind. Future-oriented team members can visualize how their work efforts would create a better future. This type of thinking really galvanizes a team, resulting in a higher level of focus and an emphasis on teamwork.

5. Enthusiasm - Teams always work more efficiently when they are not bogged down by negativity. Successful teams consist of members who maintain realistic perspectives while tackling all problems with enthusiasm and positive attitudes. Keep the FUN in doing business!

6. Ability To Connect - The ability to work well with others is an asset to any team. When team members aren't buried in interpersonal conflicts, they focus on achieving goals. Workers who demonstrate this quality can get past personality clashes by seeing diversity as an asset and maintaining positive relationships.

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Tip #497 - Tips for Managing Stress and Goal Setting

Goal setting is a worthwhile and necessary function on the road to success. But over-striving to meet goals often results in more stress, and thus, the need to find ways to reduce it.

When attempting to reduce goal-oriented stress, Dale Carnegie Training of Western Connecticut recommends first examining the goals you've set for yourself. Goals should be difficult, but achievable with persistent effort. Goals that are too far fetched, such as doubling your income in one year, nearly always lead to failure and discouragement. Attainable goals work because you persist and focus your efforts in a specific direction. Without that direction, we'll often find ourselves bouncing from one task to another like a pinball, more at the mercy of outside forces that have no stake in our welfare or success.

The good news is there are ways available to us to combat goal-induced stress. The first line of defense is to eat a healthy diet and exercise regularly. Also try to establish a firm time each day that you won't work past. Pre-plan vacations and weekends so that you have something to look forward to outside of work, and schedule social events with friends at least once per week. However, be mindful of not over-booking social activities so that you can build in some time rest and recuperation.

Also keep in mind that goals need to be set for all aspects of your life, including relationships, finances, home, physical and mental health, as well as spiritual development. Be specific and reasonable when setting goals so that you don't invite more stress into your life. The more you regularly review your goals and focus on them, the more likely it is you'll meet them. Write down your goals, read through them periodically, visualize them and consider keeping a picture journal that represents your achievement of those goals. And don't resist making adjustments to those goals when necessary. Career plans seldom unfold exactly as plotted, and you need to be flexible and adaptable in order to keep an overload of stress from creeping into your life.

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Tip #496 - 7 Tips for Using Your Voice to Improve a Presentation

Everyone has experienced boredom by a conference speaker at one time or another. Good presenters, on the other hand, know their voice can make or break a presentation. A well-trained voice can make a huge impression on listeners. And despite how well you know the presentation, there is always room for improvement.

To help you be more successful during your next presentation, your friends at Dale Carnegie Training of Western Connecticut have listed below seven quick tips that can help improve your speech and sales communication when making a presentation to both large and small audiences.

1. Articulate Clearly - If you talk quickly, mumble or slur words, the important points you are trying to make can and will get lost. Worse, people will simply tune you out during your entire presentation.

2. Vary Your Tone To Drive Home A Key Point - Nothing will numb an audience more than somebody who speaks in a dull monotone. Project your voice powerfully and clearly. Learn to use pitch for variation and accent your power words. This helps keep the audience involved and on their toes.

3. Use The Right Tempo - Do not speak in a slow, drawn-out manner. The speed of speech affects how your message is interpreted. Increase your tempo when you wish to convey excitement or urgency. Slow down when you want your words to sink in.

4. Control Your Volume - Project your voice so people can hear you easily. Raise and lower your voice when you want to emphasize certain words or concepts.

5. Get Rid Of Speaking "Crutches" - Avoid punctuating sentences with "you know," "like," "uh," "really," "kind of" and other similar fillers. This pattern becomes tiresome to listeners and portrays a nervous or lazy speaker.

6. Use People's Names - Make sure you connect with your listeners by telling stories and using the first name of someone from the audience. By using names, your words become embedded in the audiences' mind.

7. Practice Out Loud - It is hard to know how you sound to other people. Try using a voice-activated recorder to listen to yourself practice out loud. Play the recording, listen to how you sound and make positive changes. Better yet, audition your speech in front of someone who will give you honest feedback. Do not get upset or frustrated when they give you criticism. Instead, recognize they are trying to help and find ways to incorporate their suggestions. And if they tell you it was perfect, get a second opinion.

With the right articulation, inflection, tone and tempo, your voice will be the means to hook your audience. Get accustomed to using the first names of audience members to personalize your presentation and drive the topic home. Most importantly, know how you sound to others and practice to improve. Over time, your voice will become more effective during your presentations.

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Tip #495 - 7 Ways to Be More Successful in Sales

Sales across Western Connecticut always display a lot of competition. As we all know, selling is an important part of our still slowly growing economy. Our region of the country is one of the best. And we have good people in every industry involved in the sales business. Doing things correctly, honestly and effectively in sales means success for us here and across Western Connecticut.

Here are seven ways to stay successful as you grow in the sales profession:

• Be an excellent networker: Being involved in the community and attending a variety of events will give you visibility. Having a professional presence on Facebook, Twitter, and Google + will also give you that edge in success.
• Value: Everything you do and all your activity must bring positive results. All activities must have reason and purpose. There must always be a return on investment in both time and money.
• No certainties: There is always an aspect of uncertainty in sales. No matter how well you are prepared, things can go sideways. Assess every situation.
• Get  Dale Carnegie Training: Dale Carnegie of Western Connecticut is a wonderful foundation for serving others and it is the standard for sales training in a tough economy. The offerings are absolutely essential for growth and opportunity. It is critical for sales and peer engagement.
• Be outgoing and friendly: In every interaction, it is the sales professional who people will remember for both energy and optimism.
• Use leadership as a partner: Many salespeople under-utilize the talent and the resources that leadership provides in day to day activities. Good management is essential for both support and advice.
• The customer comes first: In any sales situation, placing the customer first will always give  focus for the right priorities. It is the one ingredient that will allow for both referrals and recommendations.

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Tip #494 - Six Ways to Praise Your Employees' Performance

Did you praise your team members more than you critiqued them this week? No matter what, experts all agree that you will have a happier and more productive workforce if your team members feel like valued employees. And the more you praise your staff for a job well done, the more productive they will be.

Although praise seems like such a simple thing, it's often done unsuccessfully, if at all. To help you or someone you know become better at praising, your friends at Dale Carnegie Training have listed below 6 tips for your review and consideration.

1. Offer Genuine Praise - When you provide praise, ensure that the content of your message is thoughtful and heartfelt. This will maximize the impact of your words. Your employees don't want to receive praise simply because it's an item on your to-do list, so make it meaningful.

2. Understand How People Respond To Recognition- Everyone responds to praise differently. While you should ensure equal treatment, consider offering different choices as rewards for a job well done.

3. Provide Immediate Praise - When you see an employee doing something right, offer praise and positive reinforcement immediately. This lets the employee know that you're not just looking to criticize.

4. Give Specific Details - When praising an employee, be as specific as possible. This shows the employee that you are particularly attentive to their performance.

5. Grant Praise And Criticism Separately - When offering praise, keep it simple and specific, and avoid mixing in criticism. You can offer performance improvement tips another time. Even the most constructive criticism can mitigate the effect of praise.

6. Balance Your Praise - Avoid praising only your top performers. Your most lackluster employee may respond well to praise as a means of encouragement for improving, just make sure you are sincere when you give it.

Try to take some time right now and catch someone doing something right. And when you do, praise them and look at how their body responds to you. You will immediately see how it is so worth doing more times than not.

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Tip #493: 9 Highly Successful People Share What They Wish They Knew In College

Like countless college students before them, the class of 2014 has little idea what to expect when they enter the working world.

This article from Business Insider shares advice from 9 highly successful people on what they wish they knew in college.

  

9 Highly Successful People Share What They Wish They Knew In College

 By: JENNA GOUDREAU - businessinsider.com

"Whether you know exactly where you're heading or feel a bit lost," writes Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg in "Lean In For Graduates," the latest edition of her popular book, "everyone has this in common: you're all in for big surprises."

College graduates will leave the safe, structured world of higher education and enter a fiercely competitive job market, instantly going from the top of the food chain to the bottom. When they land a job, they enter a strange new world of office politics, power jockeying, and hidden agendas. 

To give  young people a head start, Business Insider polled some of the world's most successful people to find out what they wish they had known before they graduated. 

A few common themes: Take risks, stay focused, don't underestimate the power of relationships, and expect the unexpected. 

Arianna Huffington, president and editor-in-chief of The Huffington Post Media Group and author of "Thrive":
"In college, just before I embarked on a career as a writer, I wish I had known that there would be no trade-off between living a well-rounded life and my ability to do good work. 
"I wish I could go back and tell myself, in my thick Greek accent: 'Arianna, your performance will actually improve if you can commit to not only working hard, but also unplugging, recharging, and renewing yourself.' That would have saved me a lot of unnecessary stress, burnout, and exhaustion."

Scott Adams, creator of syndicated comic Dilbert and author of "How to Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big":
"I would tell my young self to keep open as many options as possible because the future is wildly unpredictable. The best way to improve your options is to continually learn as much as you can in fields that are complementary to your main interests. It also helps your odds if you stay networked with as many influential people as you can."

Kay Krill, president and CEO of ANN Inc.:
"The advice I would have given to my college self and any young person entering the workforce today would be to always be authentic and true to yourself and your beliefs. Do not get sidetracked with advice from others that your gut tells you is wrong. By doing this, you will have the clarity of mind to always do the right thing for the business and for yourself."

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Tip #492: Tips for Developing Better Listening Skills

One of the strongest components of effective communication is simply developing one's listening skills. By truly listening to what the other party is saying, respect, credibility, and trust are gained. Listening thoroughly will also serve to allow one to sincerely respond to what the other person is saying. One's response will be on target and relevant, and will prove that you have truly been listening.

     There are many types of listeners, who may or may not be aware of their own communication styles, and this can be detrimental not only in the business world, but in the rest of one's interactions throughout their daily routines. The key is to objectively and honestly pay attention to yourself, and discern whether or not you may be one of these kinds of listeners.

     If you are preoccupied, you may project visual indications of that, such as indirect eye contact. When you're constantly looking around, you give the impression that you are not paying attention. If you notice this about yourself, you will need to focus on putting other tasks or thoughts aside, making certain that you are maintaining direct eye contact with the other party at all times.

     If you are a daydreamer when you speak to others, again, focus is not being maintained. Daydreaming will be read on your face and you will portray yourself as lacking interest. As with the preoccupied person, the daydreamer must bring the focus back to the person and to the topic at hand. Again, eye contact is extremely important, as well as the conscious effort to ask questions and bring yourself into the conversation.

     Some people may find themselves interrupting from time to time, or a lot of the time. While this just may be a symptom of perhaps being very excited about the topic at hand, it gives the impression that what the other person is saying is not that important. If you notice this about yourself, it is very easy to change. Simply apologize when you find yourself interrupting, and let the other person continue with what they are saying.

     To be an engaging listener, one that is truly communicating and not distracted, you need to be fully engaged with your body, mind, and heart. In the business world today, this is a must. The public is very discerning when it comes to where they will take their business. And effective listening skills-or lack of them-will be immediately perceived and consequently help, or hinder, a company's survival.

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Tip #491: 7 Ingredients for Productive Meetings

Another meeting is scheduled for today? Your daily game plan now shifts to meeting preparation. Yes, there is one, but is there an agendas and purpose? Who else is invited? The interesting point is that these questions are not unusual or atypical.

Meetings are a great source of information and a huge benefit for the organizations that schedule them when they are needed. If scheduled carelessly, they come at a cost in both time and money.

Below are seven ingredients for productive meetings:

• Make sure there is a clear reason to have a meeting: Many meetings should not take place. They have no rhyme or reason. Does that every Monday morning meeting at 7:30 a.m. really produce results? Some regular meetings are scheduled from past habit not current purpose.
• Be on time: Courtesy is important; no shows and late arrivals disturb the speakers and basic flow. Start every meeting on time with everyone present.
• End every meeting on time: A trusted timekeeper is essential in meetings. Agendas are completed in a set time limit. 
• Brief latecomers at break: Make that first break a short catch up session. The five to 10 minutes needed to get everyone up to speed make for increased productivity.
• Have a set agenda: Meetings need definable purpose.
• Move from important to less important agenda items. Getting the most important items discussed first will make the overall process successful.
• Have a scribe: Note taking is very important. Have a note taker document all the information and send the minutes out within 48 hours.

Meetings that have purpose are welcome to everyone. When they are effective and productive there is increased opportunity for everyone.

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