To use the strategy of networking, your first step is to join your professional association. Join your chamber of commerce. Join your local business association and get involved. Don’t just pay your dues and attend meetings. Instead, volunteer to serve on a key committee. Look for a way to make a contribution to the organization.

Whenever you join an organization, you will get the directory listing the members and the organization chart. Look at the various committees and the people who sit on those committees. Ask yourself, “Which individuals in this organization or association would it be most helpful for me to know?”

Identify those people and the committees on which they serve, and then join one of those committees and volunteer for responsibility. Whenever something needs to be done, raise your hand. By working with people in voluntary associations, you can bring yourself to the attention of key decision makers in a nonthreatening environment. These are the very people who can help you and open doors for you in the future.

For more information join us at Business Expo, being held at the Charleston Area Convention Center on Tuesday, May 21!

This post is brought to you by Dale Carnegie Training of South Carolina, providers of professional development and management course. Please connect with us on Facebook!

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In our part of the Southeast, sales make the economy go. From hotels to restaurants to small business, sales drive the local economy and South Carolina. We just wish we could change the name of our wonderful state to Sales Carolina!

Dale Carnegie believes in strong and passionate sales professionals who work tirelessly for their clients. Listening skills, presentation skills, solid product knowledge and a positive attitude and warm personality help salespeople grow.

Training and education are also a part of opportunity and success. Sales Success is a three day program geared to achievement and professional growth. The combination of Sales Guru Jeffrey Gitomer and the classic Dale Carnegie Principles make for a class to remember for all attendees.

This popular program will give you the attitude, confidence and the systems you need to become the award winner you know you can be. As Jeffrey says “People don’t like to be sold, but they love to BUY!” Let Jeffrey Gitomer and Dale Carnegie show you how to tap into the desire to buy in a way you never saw before in any sales training class.

Sales professionals will learn among other key components:

• The value of building relationships
• Uncovering a client’s buying motives
• Alignment with the customer
• Confidence in handling stalls and objections
• Understanding buying signals
• Asking for the sale
• Managing the after the sale relationship
• Creating loyalty through service 

Scheduled in Charleston on Monday June 10^th, 2013, you can register on our website.

Every salesperson, whether a brand new hire or an experienced veteran, can learn and master a new sales process that will drive performance to new levels of success; this is the one class to create that leap in income everyone looks for in this economy. Register today!

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Some people are natural born leaders, while others develop their leadership skills through hard work. No matter which type of person you consider yourself to be, you should always strive to improve your skills. In the business world, positive change and progress comes only with constant self-improvement and self-education. And it is through this active drive for self-improvement that comes successful leadership.

You are well on your way to becoming a better leader if you are already making an active effort to improve your skills. However, if you have yet to begin your self-improvement journey, you should know that accomplishing your goals will require challenging your comfort zones, introducing new ideas and possibly even changing your attitude and the ways you are accustomed to handling things. Here are five tips to help you get going from your friends at Dale Carnegie Training of South Carolina:

Create A Leadership Development Plan — A leadership development plan will give direction to the areas that need improvement and help you focus on better leadership. Develop a clearly defined and concisely outlined plan of goals and objectives. Use facts, data and means through which you intend to achieve those objectives. 

Actively Motivate Employees — Revive your employee’s motivation by keeping them informed and providing them with interesting challenges that keep them on their toes. Offer positive feedback and praise so they feel proud of their work and give them the recognition they deserve. Studies have shown that many people are motivated more by giving them credit for their efforts than simply giving them a paycheck.

Lead Through Inclusivity — The most successful leaders are the ones who extend their thoughts and purpose to those around them. Do not expect your team to be mind readers. Ultimately, this lies at the core of fostering team unity.

Admit Failures And Weaknesses — Admitting fault or weakness does not compromise a leader’s strength or command. Mistakes are unavoidable and everyone makes them. We each have our strengths and weaknesses, our knowledge and our ignorance. Don’t strive so hard to be correct that you actually fear being wrong. Stubborn determination will only compromise your intelligence and hold you back.

Always keep learning — There is a school-of-thought that we never stop being students. This is especially true of serious professionals and strong leaders. They are constantly playing the part of both the teacher and the student, self-educating by reading books and publications relevant to their career and their business. They also learn from professionals by conversing with them. Embrace every opportunity to learn and keep your mind sharp and focused.

Leadership requires a conscious effort to hone and strengthen ones skills to maintain an edge. And while it sometimes involves altering ingrained attitudes, ideas and behaviors, if you’re persistent, you will experience constant improvement not only in business, but in every aspect of your life.

For more information on developing your leadership skills, join us for our “Leadership Training for Managers Free Session” program, being held in Greenville on May 30.

This post is brought to you by Dale Carnegie Training of South Carolina, providers of professional development and management course. Please connect with us on Facebook!

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Preparation is the key element to a successful sales process and one you should not overlook. Preparation gives you a reserve power to have informed discussions with your prospective clients and show them that you care about their business and goals, and not just making a sale.  A person who is prepared is more confident and effective during the sales process. Here are some steps to prepare for your next sales call from your friends at Dale Carnegie Training of South Carolina:

1) Get the information — Research key information about the industry, company, and people. This research should yield specific key issues and needs that your prospective client is facing. Go through the company website to find annual reports and current information on a company’s unique issues and challenges. Research their competitors, suppliers, and vendors for more insights and referrals or to add credibility to your knowledge of their industry.

2) Compile evidence — Research your own company. Has your company done business with a company in the prospect’s industry? Do some of their issues match? How will you communicate this to a new prospect? Do they use a competency model, and if so, how does your model relate to theirs? Have they or others in their industry been in the news lately? If so, was it positive or negative press? How did that press affect their company?

3) Find a contact — Look through your client list, social networking links, or list of colleagues and friends to see if you can make a connection through them to any of your prospects. Contacts can help you more easily navigate past gatekeepers and get you talking to decision makers. Begin to develop champions in industries and businesses that will help you build stronger connections in those fields.

4) Set specific call objectives — Know what you want to accomplish during the call. Do you want a prospect to request more information? Do you want them to set up an appointment? Having a plan makes your approach more professional. You may need to use a multi-tiered approach of building rapport, credibility, and visibility to break into a prospect’s company.

5) Know how you want to open the call — Have a clear and compelling opening statement. Remember, you want to be concise, clear, and persuasive. Credibility is the key.

6) Be prepared to ask relevant and insightful questions — Use those questions to show your knowledge of the organization and the industry and to draw out information. The answers to the best questions will help you identify a useful solution that will get you in the door to support their strategic intent as an organization.

7) Don’t focus on the quick sale — Don’t be tempted to try to “close” too soon or without a full understanding of the client’s needs for the bigger picture. The short-term sale of an enrollment, class, or product may help a small number of people, but not the organization as a whole. Instead, focus on aligning yourself and your sale with the organization’s strategic intent. Think first in terms of building a relationship and the sales will follow.

For more information on success in sales join us for our “Sales Success 3-Day” program in Charleston on May 20.

This post is brought to you by Dale Carnegie Training of South Carolina, providers of professional development and management course. Please connect with us on Facebook!

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What happens when you gain new responsibilities at work? Sometimes it is very difficult to organize your time in such a way that you continue to complete your previous tasks and manage to complete your new responsibilities. If you are the type of person that likes to complete things right away, this can cause undo stress and anxiety.

Efficient multitasking takes practice and familiarity with your responsibilities. It is perfectly normal to feel a bit anxious about your new duties. In fact, it even shows responsibility. The most important thing to do is simply relax. In time, you will be an expert in dealing with multiple demands and organizing your time.

Here are a few tips for taking on new duties from your friends at Dale Carnegie Training of South Carolina:

• Make a to-do list — Prioritize duties with most importance and reward yourself when you cross an item off.
• Set realistic goals — Break up each task into small steps and just do it. Start small and you will be amazed how easy it is to finish.
• Work on one thing at a time — Multitasking is good if you are familiar with your duties. When you are new at something, concentrate on that one thing until you master it
• Stay focused — Avoid distractions, minimize interruptions, and concentrate on the project at hand.
• Think positively — Instead of dreading a task, overcome negative feelings by thinking of the enjoyment and the relief of getting the job done.

This post is brought to you by Dale Carnegie Training of South Carolina, providers of professional development and management course. Please connect with us on Facebook!

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How do leadership and management keep team members motivated and focused on creating ideas and improving their own empowerment? Around Charleston and across South Carolina, the focus has to be on growth and opportunity as businesses head more deeply into the second quarter of 2013 and the continued improvement of our local organizations along the coast. As gas prices fall, confidence is essential as the 2013 calendar year hits near halfway.

Back in the Fifties, Dale Carnegie’s  Speaking and Influencing Men in Business was re-edited into the best seller, How to Develop Self-Confidence and Influence People by Public Speaking.  His main message was this:  “Think success. It is easily in your power to do this. Believe it firmly and you will then do what is necessary to bring success about.”

This definition of achievement is spot on for businesses today. From achievement comes the following five results:

• Being the best: Doing your utmost on a daily basis is the foundation for success and opportunity. Doing the job well with consistency can truly make things happen.
• Appreciation:  Paying attention to people in a positive way and always involving them in good ways for ideas make organizations strong.
• Truth: Honesty, support and feedback go hand-in-hand. Using discretion with forethought makes everyone better.
• Little things: The little things in praise often give people the best joy. Increased job satisfaction can easily come from a pat on the back or a special acknowledgement in a meeting.
• Affirmation: A smile and a handshake often combine to influence people in positive ways. Others will often do more than what might be required just by feeling good; when there is good work going on, take the time to look for it.

Many decades ago, Mr. Dale Carnegie knew how to motivate teams and organizations. He still sets the tone for the modern business model. He simply knew how to make friends and influence others to be the best of the best.

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Jerry Hampton knows something about employee engagement. In fact, many would consider him an expert, as he has singlehandedly trained over 2000 men and women to sell -and excel- in the competitive industry of food service.

As the Director of Training for SYSCO, a global leader in the selling, marketing, and distributing of food products, Jerry is charged with creating a high performance sales culture. His team of 138 men and women pound the pavement daily in an extremely competitive environment as they work to grow their customer base. The job is intense, fast-paced and demanding, and rejection is a natural part of the selling process.

I recently had an opportunity to talk with Jerry about his 34 year career with SYSCO, and glean some insights as to how SYSCO creates a culture of performance and engagement among its team members.

The first discovery I made was that SYSCO truly BELIEVES in their people, and they put their money where their mouth is. Each sales representative undergoes an extensive training program to help them understand not only the company and suite of products, but more importantly the value proposition their product line offers. Anyone can be trained to memorize product features and benefits; however it takes a skilled professional to demonstrate the VALUE that SYSCO products will bring to a customers’ bottom line. That’s the ability to understand and apply both the art and the science of selling.

To accomplish this, the company conducts regular and ongoing training, on-site, led by Jerry and his team. Their training room is top notch, offering comfort and new technologies to enhance the learning experience. It is impossible to “mail it in” during one of Jerry’s training classes – his coaching style is personal and deliberate, requiring active interaction and involvement by all participants. Through this process of focused coaching, they create a branded sales process, and a consistent appeal in the marketplace.

SYSCO also sends select sales personnel to outside training. It started 1996 when Jerry sent a few people to the Dale Carnegie® Course to overcome a fear of speaking.  The results for these individuals were astonishing. After recommending that so many people to take the class, a colleague challenged him by saying “Have YOU ever taken the course Jerry?” to which he was had to reply no. “Then how do you know it’s any good?” Touché, he agreed and signed up for the next class. As a graduate of the program he became more convinced of its value to the individual, both at work and at home.

Since that time, SYSCO has become a key global partner with Dale Carnegie. “This is a great program and it’s a serious investment,” stated Hampton. “After graduating from the course, our people are able to truly see the perspectives of others; they gain the ability to give sincere appreciation, to manage stress better, and to find new ways of doing business. In short, they get ‘out of the box’ and develop the enthusiasm to move new ideas forward.”

Craig Tomalak is one example. Craig started his Dale Carnegie Course in early 2013. After 10 weeks of working on his human relations and communication skills, Craig commented “This class forces you to view situations from various different perspectives – something we are all capable of but very rarely do.  I think we are all guilty of forming habits in terms of the way we handle situations.” The Dale Carnegie course gave him the opportunity to look inward and find those areas of growth and others. That new way of operating has helped him strengthen his relationships with customers and improve his results in the marketplace.

Food service is a demanding and competitive industry and salespeople run the risk of burnout and frustration. Pat Hoffman, a Detroit-area participant reported that the concept of “day tight compartments” was particularly helpful to him. Exercising greater patience, keeping things in perspective, and finding greater joy in the days work changed his outlook, and his results. This ability to manage stress more effectively is consistently reported back to SYSCO as a benefit of the Dale Carnegie experience.

Investing in PEOPLE is a cornerstone of running the SYSCO business. Just as they use only the highest quality ingredients in their food – they place only the highest quality training in their people. This investment in PEOPLE helps create a dynamic and engaged workforce that’s motivated and better equipped to delight their customers. And to Jerry Hampton, that’s what it’s all about.

Most business owners, executives and managers have a misconception that money is the #1 motivator for an employee. However, according to many psychologists who study work behavior, there are many things that motivate people to act. Money and job security are two of the primary things people need, but even beyond those there are more important needs that all people crave. These include love and esteem, which can be achieved by feeling recognized and appreciated.

One of the best ways to provide recognition and appreciation is through the use of rewards. To make rewards work for your business, follow these basic guidelines from your friends at Dale Carnegie Training of South Carolina:

1. Reward People Based On Their Specific Needs — When designing a reward program, take into account individual personalities and preferences. Once you design an appropriate award, make sure it also addresses the group’s overall needs. For the most part, it does not have to be an expensive reward. For example, many people will be motivated, or go the extra mile, in order to receive a commendation or have their name placed on a plaque.

2. Give A Reward For Attaining The End-Result — Rewards should be based on what was actually accomplished, but be careful—setting the bar too low or too high will have a negative effect on your team’s performance, so plan accordingly. It could be a stretch, although attainable, to give people something to strive towards.

3. Give Rewards When Goals Are Achieved — Rewards and recognition should be given out immediately after the desired behavior is achieved. If you delay the reward or recognition long after the achievement is met, it does little to motivate an employee along the path of a project.

4. Involve Your Employees In The Design Process — Make employees part of the design process—especially with reward programs that directly affect them. People gain a sense of belonging and importance when they have input on the type of goals they should be achieving.

5. Have Regular Progress Meetings — If you have regularly scheduled meetings to keep all employees informed about the company’s goals, it will help everyone feel as though they belong to the organization. Plus, it keeps them informed on the overall progress they are making, which is a great long-term motivator. This is a wonderful time to give recognition for any achievements, whether or not those accomplishments are connected to a reward program.

6. Listen To Your Employees — It is no secret that the #1 way to improve your organization is to ask your employees how to get things done better, faster and cheaper. After all, your employees have the best insight on improving operations, since they deal with the systems and processes on a daily basis. To keep your employees involved with the refining of your business, make a point to give full credit (as well as reward them with something tangible) to the ones who were directly involved with the idea.

When creating a rewards program, it is important to tailor it around your employees’ specific needs and interests. Also, involve your employees in the crafting of the program, and meet with them regularly to keep them updated on the intended goals that warrant the rewards. Do this, and you’ll find the program to be a great motivating factor.

This post is brought to you by Dale Carnegie Training of South Carolina, providers of professional development and management course. Please connect with us on Facebook!

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Leadership here in South Carolina is always one of the exciting parts of any organization. Leaders today must manage in a variety of business settings and situations. Because both leadership and management are behavior-driven, the continued success of both must involve some aspect of training and development. Leadership can then be assessed and improved upon for the benefit of everyone.

Dale Carnegie Training here in South Carolina has a storied history that comes from these types of activity. Training is not a new endeavor, but learning and growing from the information and its results increases success and involves positive change.

There are a variety of ways to quantify leadership training success and we do this in support of a number of organizations. We realize that leadership is a great investment for both the business and its people. We can help grow your team by making the leadership more productive and the training menu far effective and efficient with the following three strategies:

• Evaluation: What do the leaders in the organization need to grow their success?
• Purpose: What type of training has to be facilitated to support that success?
• Return on Investment (ROI): Did the training impact the bottom line?  

Dale Carnegie Training can give your organization what few other providers can within South Carolina: clear ways to improve both leadership and management. Our classes can truly create positive growth and opportunity. Our focus has been proven for decades, and it always leads your business to greater successes. It is indeed time tested and much of our principles are simply groundbreaking in the areas of change, sales, leadership and management. Contact us today.

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In nearly every case, the most common type of business presentation is to impart information. Every week in our careers, perhaps even every day, we listen to presenters give us information ranging from status reports, to procedural guidelines, to policy changes.

Some individuals are very competent in giving clear presentations to inform. We leave the presentation with a clear understanding of the message, the desired end result, and key points that we need to remember. Unfortunately, on the other hand, many presentations to inform are disorganized and hard to follow. We leave with only a vague idea of the point of the presentation.

The following four keys from your friends at Dale Carnegie Training of South Carolina will help you to structure your next presentation so it has a clear message, an engaged audience, and all relevant points are covered:

Opening: Statement of Topic — The opening statement should be brief and clear. It should leave no question in the listeners’ minds as to the topic of the presentation. This is especially true when the presentation is part of a longer series of presentations, such as a staff meeting or full-day training.

State Key Message: Desired End Result — This statement should give the audience a clear picture of the main message of your presentation. It is simple, direct, and tells the audience where you are going with this information. It should answer this question in your audience’s mind: “Why should I listen to this presentation?”

Key Points and Results — These points should be stated in straightforward language and clearly express the result of taking the recommended action. In general, the fewer words, the better when stating your key points and results.

Closing: Restate Key Message and Desired End Result — To emphasize the key informative message of your presentation, summarize by restating the key points or the desired end result of your presentation. This leaves your listeners with a message that they will remember long after the presentation.

This post is brought to you by Dale Carnegie Training of South Carolina, providers of professional development and management course. Please connect with us on Facebook!

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