Are you Busy or Productive?

 What was your answer the last time someone asked you, “How have you been doing?” If you said, “Busy,” you’re certainly not alone.  We hear it more often than not, and to be perfectly honest, we often feel the same way.

But here’s the deal: There’s a tremendous difference between being busy and being productive. Even more, there’s a big difference between productivity and focused productivity.

As the quote above suggests, being busy and productive without clarity about your priorities and a focus on what’s most important is useless. Heck, you could argue that it’s worse than useless; it’s potentially harmful and damaging.

So, how can you avoid the “productivity trap”? Here are a few ideas:

• Make a “not-to-do” list. Write down all of the things you’re currently doing that aren’t worth the time and effort you’re spending on them. Delegate them, if possible, or…
• Let go of the rest. Focus on the essential items, and if something is not important and not urgent, get rid of it. If you need help with this, check out Greg McKeown’s book Essentialism.
• Plan ahead. Once you know what you will and won’t do, prioritize your to-do list. Some people do this weekly, but most people do it daily, mapping out their agenda for the next day the night before.
• Do a daily recap. While you’re doing your nightly line-up for the following day, do a daily recap to see how you did. What went well? Where can you improve?
• Clear the clutter. Clutter on your desk, your office, your inbox, etc., can be very distracting. Make sure you set aside time weekly to tidy things up. This not only helps keep things clean, it also helps you from getting sidetracked with spontaneous house cleaning.
• Put one foot in front of the other. Sometimes the most daunting step is the first one. But rather than paralysis by analysis, just take one step—in any direction.
• Batch similar tasks together. When you’re putting together your daily line-up card, batch similar tasks together whenever possible. Set aside dedicated time for emails, phone calls, projects, meetings, etc., rather than sporadically spacing them out. Every time you change tasks, there’s an opportunity cost; that’s right, we’re suggesting that you don’t multi-task.
• Set a timer. If you have trouble being disciplined with your time, use a timer. This is an incredibly useful tool for most people. It helps create a sense of urgency, it can alleviate feelings of being overwhelmed, and it creates a light at the end of the tunnel, so to speak.
• Schedule mini-workouts. Physical activity boosts energy levels, helps manage hunger and blood sugar levels, improves cognitive function, and boosts productivity. Schedule 5- to 10-minute micro workouts during your work day.
• Improve your communication. If you’re too wordy, you can be leaky valuable time and creating confusion. Keep things as simple as possible and focus on answering questions—not creating new ones.

When you combine productivity with focus, well … that’s where the magic happens.

Hope this helps!

So You are Afraid of Sales and Want Nothing To Do With It? You are Selling All The Time!

The word "Sales" is a terrifying word for most professionals.   The thought that they have to peddle some product or service to some stranger is one of the most terrifying ordeals of anyone's life.   Even worse is if you are forced into old school sales practice such as cold calling or door-to-door sales.  Yikes!  I think I am going to crawl under the nearest boulder and not come out!

Being a sales professional can be one of the most lucrative opportunities you can do.   Some sales professionals, depending on their product or service, can make more money than a doctor, lawyer or even a successful TV personality.   It is one of the hardest professions, but can be one of the most rewarding, especially if you were an introvert and you were "forced" to get out of your shell to make a living.

Sales comes in different formats.

There is direct sales, such as network marketing.     Network marketing is promoting a product or service using your network of contacts.  The marketing process is key since it makes the sales process easier.

There is also inside sales, where you are in the relationship building business and outside sales where you are the hunt for prospects.  There are also account managers, sales support where you are working to keep your current customers happy.

Are you overwhelmed yet?  This is probably why a lot of people avoid getting into sales.  One of the biggest objections I get when recruiting business partners in my business is because the person is terrified of sales!

The reality is that we are all in sales all the time!

Think back when you were a kid and saw this cool toy or candy in the store and wanted it bad.  You proceeded to scream your eyes out at your parents until they budged and ended up buying your favorite toy or candy bar.   You won your first sales challenge!

Also, you were out and about and saw the person of your dreams.   You built up the coverage to talk to them and they next thing you know, you are dating them and then comes marriage and then the family!    If a lot of people were afraid of sales, there would be a lot of single lonely people out there!

Another example, is when you got that big job interview after graduating from a prestigious university and you need to convince your future hiring manager that you are the best professional for the opportunity.  You are in constant selling mode until the big decision is made.

If you think about the three examples I provided from convincing your parents to buy you something, to dating then getting that dream job, the reality is that 95% of us have all had to sell/convince others to get what we want.   We are always convincing someone to give us what we want.   So why does only 5% of us love sales?  I mean really love sales?   Sounds backward to me.   It could be fear or rejection, or we are simply shy.  But even the shyest people get married or interview for a job, so why don't they like to sell?

I will leave my question open-ended since there are a lot of reasons people are afraid of sales.   But the next time you are approached by a sales professional, listen to them since they took the next step to conquer their fears and they probably realized that they have been selling all of their life anyway.

The one tip I will leave to the sales professional, the most important organ is your ear, listen to others and that sales thing will become fun and lucrative!

Business Networking is About Relationships and Not Transactions

I have been networking for over ten years now and have run my own group for the past five years, however even with my experience, I feel like I am always in learning mode when it comes to the right way to network at business events.    Going to a business networking event can be awkward especially if you are not a natural extrovert or have been through vigorous sales training where they teach you how to talk to people.

Business Networking is a profession and the correct way to network is a skill that you develop over time.   The correct way to look at networking is that is it one of ways that you can help build your personal brand and expand your career or business opportunities.   It is important to have a plan and make the most of the time that you spend at events.   After all, you need time for follow-ups and client work, right?

There is of course the wrong approach to networking and the correct approach.

Here is an example of what not to do.   I will use a recent experience I had with a fellow networker.

I was at an event in Boston and briefly met a young professional who appeared nervous and was giving out his business cards faster than a blackjack dealer at the casino, hoping he can close some deals that night and report back to his boss the next day.    I received a Linkedin connection request from him at 11:55pm that night.    Of course, I was still up doing work and connected to him right away.   At the stroke of midnight, I received a length follow-up message from him explaining to me everything about his company and asking me for a meeting so I can buy his service right away.    His service?  Digital Marketing.  What is my business?  Digital Marketing.    How about, it was nice to meet you Jeff and I enjoyed learning about you and your goals.   You can see dollar signs in his message and no personal references whatsoever.

If you go to business networking events with the sole purpose of closing deals, it is not going to work, plain and simple.    Savvy networkers can sense this a mile away.   It is like a bad cold call.

Instead of the "all about me" approach, when you meet someone at an event or even on social media, build a personal relationship first.   Ask how they are doing?  What brings them to the event that night?  What are YOUR goals?    This will immediately build trust and make the person think, you genuinely care.   At some point, they might even be the one to follow-up and ask to meet for coffee before you even mention to them what you do.   

When you build a professional relationship with someone, over time, the transaction (i.e. the potential to do business) is easier and less forced.  You would feel more comfortable asking for the sale and in return you help them with their business.

I will close with some quick tips to complement what I mentioned earlier:

• Only talk to between 4-6 people at a networking event.   Don't be a mayor and shake everyone's hand at the event.    You want people to remember you for good reasons.
• Do not, I repeat DO NOT send a Linkedin request to someone and then immediately send a sales pitch.   Instead, simply say Hi and How you can help without mentioning what you do.
• Go to a networking event with a plan.  Your plan can be to make between 4-6 new friends that evening and that is it.  Your plan can be to simply help 3 people tonight with their business.
• Become the one people gravitate to, not run away from.  If you are a magnet, the business will come with less effort.
• Understand second level networking.    That person that you build a great personal relationship may know someone that can be an ideal client for you.  Powerful stuff!

How Video Can Help You Beat Your Fear of Public Speaking

When it comes to what people's biggest fear, what are the first things that come to mind?

Going to the dentist?
Dealing with your ex after a breakup?
Going through tunnels in a big city?

How about public speaking?  25% of Americans say public speaking is their biggest fear.

Imagine if your boss or business partner pulls you into their office and asks you to present a key topic that in front of hundreds of people or on a smaller scale, you have to give a speech at a wedding in front of a bunch of intoxicated guests.   The first thing you want to do is hide under the nearing table.

Public speaking is one of the most fearful things anyone can do.   They stutter, say "Um" or sometimes pass out in mid-sentence.   It is much easier to be in the audience versus being the focus of the audience.

I personally had a fear of public speaking.  I remember getting in front of a room to present an IT project at a large retailer and proceeded to sweat so much, I had to put my dress shirt in a dryer to dry it out.   My speech was full of those "Um's" and "Ahh's" and the famous "You know" after every other word.

I ended up taking a Toastmasters class back in 2008, which really helped me beat the fear of speaking in front of others.  Case in point are some of my videos on my YouTube Channel where I had to get in front of people to talk about business networking and social media.

However,  there is a more immediate way to help beat the fear of public speaking instead of Toastmasters, and it happens to be that little device in your pocket.    It is the video camera on your smartphone.   I do recommend checking out Toastmasters at a later time.

Ok, I am going to cut to the chase.   My suggestion to you if you hate public speaking is to use your smartphone and video record yourself taking about your favorite topic and then work your way up to a topic that you may have to speak about in a public forum.   The old saying is practice makes perfect, so why not use something that is free, easy and personal to practice talking to people?

There are also all sorts of live video applications out there that you can practice doing live videos.   I look at live videos on social media as the next step after you practice doing videos on the Camera app on your smartphone.   By doing live videos on Facebook Live, Periscope or Instagram, you can ask your connections to critique your video and if there are any suggestions to improve your speech.   After all, your social media connections are your friends, right?

Start doing videos on a regular basis on your favorite topics such as sports, the weather, owning a business and other topics, and then over time you will notice your confidence increasing, especially if you start getting those social media likes for your recent live video.   Ask for feedback and note how much engagement there is after posting your video.

Ok, finally, you are asked to speak in a public forum.    So what really is the difference?   If you like the topic you are talking about, and if you look at your audience through the screen of your smartphone and think the audience are there to support you, then go for it and have confidence that you will rock it and woo your audience with great insight!  It gets easier more and more.

The Wealth & Achievement Summit w/ Tony Robbins - A Review

With my business ventures, I am always online on various social media platforms on a daily basis and at times I see  the same advertisements posted on my Facebook or Twitter page.  Of course,  Facebook or any social media advertisement, the program "crawls" the content for key words and then a corresponding advertisement would display on your page.

I am personally an entrepreneur and into learning anything to help me be successful in what I do and of course surrounding myself with successful professionals.   Since I am an entrepreneur and Tony Robbins is one of my many mentors, I keep getting this ad about a "National Achievers Congress" coming to Boston on June 8th with Tony Robbins, Tom Brady, Julian Edelman and other famous celebrities.   I was like yeah yeah yeah, but then one day, I was like hmm, I want to check this out.   I read Tony Robbins books and saw his videos and how about seeing the GOAT Tom Brady in person!

So I got a ticket and attended the event.    I like to share with you my thoughts.  The good, the bad and my thoughts going forward.

After plowing through the typical brutal Boston rush-hour traffic,  I got to the event in time and got an amazing seat in the "economy" section next to some real nice people.  The thing is with entrepreneurs and people that attend events like this, the energy is always positive and forward thinking.    I also saw a few of my fellow business networkers from my events and some old friends.

The day started with Bethenny Frankel,  reality TV Star and founder of Skinnygirl.  It was odd that she was the only woman speaker of the day considering how many successful women entrepreneurs there are in the world.   Bethenny was also on the Original Apprentice when Trump was cool.  Bethenny talked a lot about herself and her accomplishments which may be inspiring to some people but I always like to hear more concrete information and tips to be successful.   Regardless, I think she is a great inspiration for women entrepreneurs.

Next, we had Steve Wollaston, who has been investing in real estate for over 20 years, provided some insight for entrepreneurs on many different strategies for real estate investing and creative financing.  It was cool that they use an example of a foreclosure in Framingham that ended up being an amazing investment.  The big tip when investing in property is to not fall in love with the house!  Steve was pretty good with tactical information but unfortunately, toward the end, the first of many of those sales pitches to attend his three day class to learn the ins and outs of real estate investing was forced down our throats.

After Steve Wollaston, we had a surprise guest, Mr, Wonderful himself, Kevin O'Leary from Shark Tank.  He provided some great business tips including how you need to tell your opportunity to someone in less than 90 seconds and you need to know your numbers and understand your business model.   Of course if you watch Shark Tank, you know how much Kevin loves money.    Kevin did not push any three day class on us.

Next we had Steve Sitkowski, a financial services expert, who recommended investing in stocks since since the end of World War II, the average large stock has returned close to 10% a year, well ahead of inflation and other saving vehicles.  A great quote from Steve was "You can be watching Netflix or you can be trading Netflix, your choice". Other notes are that 86% of mutual funds don't make money and money in checking/savings account are dead money.   Once again, there was a huge sales pitch to attend Steve's three day class on how to be a financial expert.  I love how they saw for today only we will give you a huge discount only if you sign up today.   Already, this is getting old.

Next we had Marcus Lemonis, the CEO of Camping World and CNBC Host of the Profit.   Peter's famous "three Ps principle - People, Process and Product - is his mainstay for assisting struggling businesses around the country.  Peter focused his presentation on how leaders need to be compassionate and care about the people aspect of their team.  Peter brought a few people on stage to tell their story which was a nice change from the previous speakers who focused specifically on making money.  Finally, Peter recommended leaders to not hide their vulnerability and show their personal side.

Dennis Cummins, the Author of the #1 best-seller of Turning Terrible into Terrific, was quick-witted and had a no-nonsense style speaking to the over 10,000 attendees at the seminar.   He mentioned facts like only 5 in 100 people are financially secure and people are programmed to think a certain way whether it is mental, spiritual, emotional or physical.    The important tip is to always be looking for information to help meet your goals.     Once again, there was the old three day class on how to be financially free.  This time they had staff pass out forms to fill out to attend their class.   A little over the top with their sales tactics.

Next on the agenda and the last speaker before Tony Robbins and Tom Brady, was Gerry Robert, who made it known numerous times that he is the "warm-up" to get the crowd going for Tony Robbins.   Gerry is an expert at publishing and is known for the book "Publish a Book and Grow Rich".   I really listened to what Gerry had to say since I am planning on writing a book on Business Networking.   Gerry's tips when writing a book is to determine your primary objective, write the right content, design an awesome cover and then capture leads.  A book can be used to boost sales, use for free publicity, get others to pay for everything and then use the book to create cashflow.   Good tips, but once again, and this was getting comical, the three day class on how to write your own book was slammed down our throats.  

By now, I figured that is almost eight thousand dollars in classes between the speakers so far.   I forgot to mention, for the best seats including meeting the speaker, you were looking at a five thousand dollar ticket to get in the place.   Some bank accounts got a little dent after this one.

Ok, the featured speaker, Mr. Tony Robbins, came on stage to loud dance music and cheering.   He knows how to get people going with his stretchy of "I !!!" when he wanted you to repeat what he says.  He has a Millionaire Mindset Event coming up so he went into that first and got it out of the way, then he went into the crowd and down the aisles preaching about conditioning yourself for success and increasing your capacity.   Basically, anyone can be successful if you simply increase your capability and looking into your inner soul and change your thinking.  In reality this is so true since we all are born the same way, and the ones that are successful think successfully.   Tony is one of the most energetic speakers I have even seen in person and he is a big dude.   Tony was to come out again later, but first you know who was coming next.   The GOAT.

Yes, the crowd was buzzing and it was surreal when they were showing the amazing comeback by our Patriots in Super Bowl LI.  Yes Tom Brady and Julian Edelman were in the house.  The place was the most electrifying it has been all day.  You know about 60-70% at the event was there for Tom and not Tony.   Tony had an interview style setup with Tom and Julian,  Both of the Patriot stars talked about their humble beginnings and how they stay fiercely focused internally to meet their goals.  Tom mentioned that he is always learning and striving to be better  Tom and Julian mentioned that external forces do not affect their focus on the game.  Both players were very down to earth and appreciative that they were there.   I can honestly say that Tom is my mentor simply for the fact that he is always learning despite the fact we all know he is the greatest quarterback of all time.   Wow, now we can breath... awesome.  

Once Tom and Julian left the stage, about 30-40% of the attendees left the building too, however Tony Robbins was not done yet.  He still had another hour and half to go!   But boy, did the people that left miss perhaps the most inspiring part of the event.   Tony went into the crowd and down the aisles to loud thumping music and yelled out those "I !!" whenever he wanted the crowd to repeat what he said.   Tony recommended mastering the science of achievement and experience the art of fulfillment.  He used Robin Williams as an example of mastering the science of achievement but not being fulfilled.   He mentioned focus is the power of absolute clarity and commitment and you need hunger to take massive action and effective execution.   Basically success without fulfillment is failure and life is too short to suffer.   The basis of fulfillment is that you must grow and you must give to others.   Tony also mentioned that you should trade your expectations for appreciations.   Pretty deep stuff.  By now, I was on my 13th hour of the event, but I had laser focus on what Tony was saying.   Awesome.

The event ended right before 9pm and I left the event with mixed emotions.   I did not like all of the sales tactics especially consider it was a pricey event for some attendees.  The price range for tickets ranged from $75 to $4995.  The tips were great but as always, it is what you do after the event is more important.   I think Marcus Lemonis and Tony were the best speakers, with Dennis Cummins a close second.   Bethenny Frankel was too focused on herself and the two Steve's provided great advice on real estate and finances but the sales push for their classes was a little over the top.   Mr. Wonderful was himself  and then finally Tom Brady and Julian Edelman was very sincere, down-to-earth, and provided some great highlights of their careers.  Btw, they are not done yet, the drive for six!  

All in all, I know I need to work on myself to be a better leader and more successful entrepreneur, and I felt I got some great nuggets to take massive action on.