The Sykes Group's OnPoint

Five Secrets to Creating Your Dream Career

There are countless career opportunities in this economy for you to create your dream job. Why be unhappy with your career when you can create the perfect job that leads to a happy fulfilling career using a little creativity?

Read the following seven secrets to creating your dream job and very successful career: 

Five Secrets to Creating Your Dream Career

Happy St. Patrick's Day: How to Create Your Own Pot of Gold

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

You don't need to wait for St. Patrick's Day to create your own pot of gold. Everyday you can be taking small steps for big results in your life. The following is a resource to help you find your pot of gold everyday:

The Secrets to Living Your Dreams

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

National Appreciation Week - Got Appreciation for Someone?

We are in the middle of National Appreciation Week, March 1-7. Sincere appreciation is one of the most powerful tools to motivating others. Take the time to personally show appreciation to a friend, colleague, employee, and family member or even the store clerk that gave you good service. You will never know how much it means to that person on a particular day and time. Here are some great resources to make it easier for you to start appreciating today:

http://scrnch.me/Appreciation 

Start appreciating today!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Jump Start Your Progressive Thinking with TEDxNASA!

How to Give Outstanding Speaker Introductions in Five Easy Steps

During the recent National Football Association Hall of Fame ceremonies, I had an opportunity to listen to heart-felt, insightful, and funny speeches. However, what stood out was one speaker's introduction of and inductee. The introduction took away the attention and thunder from the inductee and made the introduction speech more about the speaker than the inductee. The introducer's speech was twice as long as the award winner's speech, and I could see audience members grow weary of the introducer as he sapped the energy from the ceremony before the hall of fame inductee even said the first word of his speech.

Whether you are introducing an award winner or introducing the next presenter in your sales presentation, the following five secrets to introducing the speaker will make the audience motivated to listen to them:

1. Keep Your Speaker Introduction Short
   Your introduction of the speaker should never be longer than the speaker's actual presentation. Keep your introductions from thirty seconds to two minutes depending on the situation. Remember, your job is get the audience excited about the next speaker in the shortest amount of time possible. If you must tell a short story, keep it short.

2. Work With the Speaker
   Communicate with the speaker you are introducing to find out if they have a basic introduction they want you to follow. If they do, take time to familiarize yourself with the introduction so that it sounds natural when you read it. Unless authorized by the speaker, do not ad lib and add something into the introduction that could possibly embarrass the speaker or take away from their presentation. I remember seeing the horror on a speaker's face as his introducer deviated from the planned introduction and started to tell a story in the introduction that the presenter was well known for giving in his presentation. Stick with the introduction.
   
   If the presenter whom you are introducing doesn’t have a standard introduction they use, ask them what their goals are for their speech, what they want covered in the introduction, what subjects they might want to stay away from, and how to pronounce names and/or places pertaining to the speaker or the speech.

3. Don't Tell Secrets
   You may know the presenter on a personal basis and would like to tell the audience a funny story of personal embarrassment to the presenter. Don't do it unless the speaker approves the story. What you find funny may take away the presenter's credibility with the audience.

4. Sell the Speaker
   Sell the speaker to the audience. Talk about the speaker's experience and credentials, and the benefits the audience will receive by listening to the speaker. Your speaker introduction should answer the following question for the audience, "How will it benefit me to listen to the following speaker?"

5. Don't Steal the Speaker's Thunder
   Remember, it's not about the introducer. It's about the speaker. I have seen some introducers, who know that they will be introducing a dynamic speaker and try to be more dynamic than them. Your job as the introducer is to get the audience excited about the speaker without taking away the speaker's thunder. Once you know the style of speaker, work to compliment the speaker so that they are the star of the show.

Remember, giving a speaker introduction is never about you as an introducer, it's about the setting the stage for the speaker so that they are successful. Follow the five secrets to giving outstanding speaker introductions and you will create motivated audience members while making your presenters happy.

Stress Management: "Time To Let Go" or "Ready, Set, Let Go! How to Relieve Stress and Enjoy Life!

In the last couple of weeks my body has decided to remind me of my aging physicality. Translation - I’ve been on the mend from lower back pain. Fortunately for me, my very kind-hearted and thoughtful spouse arranged for a massage therapy session to aid my pain relief.

During the session, my very proficient and wise therapist gave me much food for thought. During the session she gave me what she thought was a very simple instruction - relax, go limp like a Raggedy Ann Doll, and let her guide my healing. For a moment I seemed unable to process her request. I had a clear intellectual understanding yet at the same time emotionally this seemed to be a tall order to fill. All she had asked was for the two of us to collaboratively work together to heal my body. She shared with me that I was not her only client who was hesitant to comply with her request. As a firm believer in asking better questions in order to arrive at better answers in life I asked myself "Why did my auto-pilot immediately register resistance and discomfort?"

There are as many fingerprints in the world as there are reasons why at one time or another we may have greeted a "guiding hand' with resistance and discomfort. It could be because we thought accepting help is a sign of weakness, or if we let our guard down we'll be too vulnerable, or worst yet why would someone want to help me? This is a question only you can answer for yourself. What can we enjoy when we learn to let go and accept a helping hand:

• Stress reduction - it's nice to know you don't have to go it alone

• Frees the mind to be more receptive to the answers you seek

• Validates personal strength - accepting help is a sign of strength not weakness

• Being large and in charge can be exhausting - enjoy the rest and companionship

• Reaffirms there is strength in numbers - who better to seek aid from than someone who not only understands your plight and wisdom to share

The next time you are asked to relax and aid you're healing, my hope is you will enthusiastically say "thank you" to your escort and latch onto the hands that heal.

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Ten Powerful Presentation Skills Secrets to Outselling the Competition

Usually, you have one opportunity to present your organization's ideas, products, and/or services to the audience. You work on the account for months and the presentation is your big moment. You speak to an under enthusiastic, yet polite audience; they thank you for your presentation and say they will get back to you. Unfortunately, after the presentation you learn that they went with another vendor.

What Happened?

It amazes me how often we see presenters with only one opportunity to make a presentation to sell their products, services, or ideas who come nowhere near meeting the needs of their audience. It's almost as if the presenter is apologizing for making a presentation, and this prevents them from presenting well.

Why is it important for you to give a powerful presentation that sells you and your organization? You face more competition during these economic times, so you need to stand out so that the prospective “customer” chooses you as their provider. Your job as a presenter is to convince the decision-makers to choose your organization or act on the information shared during your presentation. The following are ten presentation skills secrets that will help you give a powerful presentation that will sell you to decision makers:

1. Research Audience Needs
   Invest time to find out what is important to the audience members so that you can meet their specific needs. Find out what challenges they face and how you can help them overcome these challenges. You will find out your audience members will appreciate your presentation more since you took the time to find out what is most important to them.

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Five Powerful Customer Service Secrets to Growing Your Business During Challenging Times

We are all faced with challenges during these changing economic times. How we overcome them and what leadership we provide will make the difference between success and failure

The secret weapon for being successful during this changing time is customer service. Outstanding customer service will make you stand out from the competition and make your organization successful. Whether your organization is for profit or non-profit, a private or government agency; or a big corporation vs. a small business, the following five customer service secrets will help you succeed in any situation:

1. Grow Your Business with Customer Service Basics
   Joy and I were looking to purchase a new cell phone and walked into a retail store. When we walked into the store, the young lady did not look up and acknowledge our presence. When she finally looked up, she asked without a smile and without emotion, “Can I help you?” To make a long story short, every question we asked was appeared to be a bother to the clerk and we quickly left without purchasing anything. We went to another store less than a mile away, and as soon as we walked in the store the clerk had a smile on his face and was attentive to our needs and questions. Within a matter of minutes, we had purchased two cell phones and were happy with our purchase.
   
   Realize that the customer has many options to spend their money and you may have only one opportunity to impress that customer. Treat the customer as the key to making your organization successful and value their time.
   
   Get back to the basics of customer service whether you are in front of the customer or talking to the customer by phone. Greet the customer with a smile, talk with the customer with enthusiasm, and take a sincere interest. Really listen to the customer’s wants and needs so that you can work towards finding a solution. Make eye contact when speaking with the customer. If you ask the customer a question, wait to hear the answer before doing anything else. These basics show the customer you really want to provide a solution for them.

2. Grow Your Business By Going the Extra Mile
   I have a membership and exercise at a local gym where I pay extra for their team-training program. One day I was running late and missed the last team training session. The trainer asked me to wait to see what he could do for me. He came back a few minutes later and shared that he would be willing to personally train Joy and me for one hour at no extra cost. We were impressed with the offer and the personal attention we received for the hour.
   
   Joy and I mentioned to the training director that we would like to train in the team training area by ourselves during the off hours. We like to do this because it is quiet in the room and we are able to think while we exercise. As a result of this conversation, the training director decided to initiate a rule that only team training members can use the exercise room during off hours.
   
   By going the extra mile in both cases, this business was able to please two members and made them feel special. Because of this special treatment, we will keep our membership, tell other potential members about the customer service, and the training director was able to initial a special “value-added” service to sell future potential team members when explaining why they should join team training.

   Challenge plus Opportunity equals Business Success

   What extra customer service can you give your customers so that they will continue to do business with you?

3. Grow Your Business With the Ultimate Customer Experience
   We continue to shop at a local grocery store chain that has higher prices, yet provides a combination of customer service tools that create the ultimate customer experience. They always have fresh, high quality produce and meats; they provide superior customer service every step of the way; and they give us the opportunity to save by offering double and triple coupons. Management is always visible to answer questions and assist the customer in any way possible. The clerks are always happy to look in the stockroom when asked. They create an enjoyable shopping experience every time. When was the last time you had a truly enjoyable customer experience?

4. Grow Your Business By Hiring the Right Customer Service Personnel
   We use a mailing retail establishment that is two miles further than the same establishment one mile away. Why do we do this? Because the business further away took the time to connect with us. They hire clerks with personality, who are excited to help us with our business. When we come to the store, they greet us by name and move quickly to retrieve our mail. When I call on the phone to see what mail has arrived, they are quick to find out and tell me exactly what mail arrived, thus saving me drive time.
   
   As with previous examples, these companies hire right the first time and will not accept employees who don’t meet their standards.
   
   Are your business frontline people helping you grow your business or putting you out of business?

5. Grow Your Business By Getting Involved With Your Customers
   Whether you own your business or are a manager for a business, get involved with your customers so that you can meet their goals. Take time to reach out to your customers by asking them about their customer experiences in your establishment. If needed, send surveys and offer a bonus for responding. The more your customer sees that you care about them, the more they will care about your business and increase your bottom line.

Apply these five customer service secrets to grow your business and your business will be even more successful during any economic environment.

How to Overcome Your Fear of Public Speaking in Seven Powerful Steps

Have you ever avoided a career or business opportunity because it required you to speak publicly? Did you ever have a great idea you wanted to share in a group setting but didn't because of your fear of speaking in front of a group of people?

You are not alone in the fear of public speaking. In my travels, I have seen where the fear of public speaking have kept otherwise very successful people in all walks of life from achieving their full potential. When you let this fear dominate your life, you lose out on promotions, business opportunities, community activities, and most of all self-confidence.

The following are seven powerful secrets to empowering you to overcome your fear of public speaking and achieving a new level of success in your career, your business, and your life:

1. Ask Yourself the Important Question
   Ask yourself, "Where does my fear come from and is it real?" Was there a public speaking opportunity in the past that you think didn't go well or that you felt was poorly prepared? Maybe you had to stand up in front of your classmates in high school or college and someone made what you perceived as a negative comment concerning your presentation. Maybe you gave a good speech but you started to over analyze every detail of the speech.
   
   First, realize that whatever happened did so at another time and place and you are no longer that person. With new experiences, you have grown into a more confident person with much to offer. Second, embrace feedback, extract the true areas of improvement from the feedback and work to improve your public speaking ability. Be honest and fair with yourself and determine if the feedback is coming from someone who is qualified to give quality feedback. I had one presentation skills student whose manager told her she was a poor speaker because she moved her hands and arms during the presentation. Was the manager giving qualified feedback? Doubtful. Yet, this manager's feedback affected this employee in a negative way for years until the employee became my coaching student.
   
   Again, separate qualified feedback from unqualified feedback and learn from it. Also, don't allow negative public speaking situations that happen in the past apply to your present or future public speaking opportunities.

2. Face Your Fear of Public Speaking
   The fastest way to overcome any fear, much less the fear of public speaking, is to face your fear and attack it. Look for and embrace opportunities to make presentations. Start with non-threatening opportunities such as your children's school meeting or a non-work related situation and work your way up to more important, high pressure situations such as work meetings.
   
   Realize that each time you speak is an opportunity to improve your speaking ability. Look at your public speaking skills as a muscle. The more you exercise your public speaking muscle, the stronger it becomes and you will improve your speaking abilities.
   
   Go into each public speaking opportunity with a clear set of goals. Maybe for your first speech, you may have a goal of eliminating "hums" and "ahs." For another speech you may have a goal of completing your speech with a powerful ending.

3. Visualize Your Public Speaking Success
   Invest time the night before you speak to visualize what a successful speech looks, sounds, and feels like and how you will feel while giving it. If you don't see it yourself, it won't happen. Most presentations can be dramatically improved just by investing time ahead of the presentation to visualize a successful outcome.

4. Master the Material
   Invest the time to know what you are presenting. Invest time to rehearse several variations of your speech. Rehearse your speech as if something goes wrong. What if your PowerPoint goes down, you forget a section in your speech, or someone heckles you? How will you react? If you know your material well enough, you will be able to overcome any presentation challenge.

5. Master Your Public Speaking Mind
   During a group coaching session, a presenter started speaking, made a mistake and promptly announced, "I hate speaking in public!" In this instance, she did not manage her public speaking mind, and let her fear of public speaking take over her performance.
   
   When you make negative statements concerning public speaking, it will reinforce your fear of public speaking. Take the time to replace negative statements with positive public speaking affirmations.

6. Take Time to Analyze Your Performance
   In most cases, we are our own toughest critics when speaking. Whenever you speak, videotape or audiotape your presentations, sit down, and honestly analyze your performance. Once you start to record your presentations, you will realize that some of the issues you were worried about aren't in your speech and you will instantly see areas of improvement and address them accordingly. As the old saying goes, "The video doesn't lie."
   
   Ask for feedback from people you respect and who can give you quality, supportive feedback that will empower you to want apply the feedback in your next speech. Before your speech, tell the person you ask to give you feedback what your public speaking goals are and what you are working to improve.
   
   Once you analyze your areas of improvement, immediately go out and exercise your public speaking muscle and apply the improvement.

7. Reward Yourself
   Reward yourself for any improvements in your public speaking skills. The reward is up to you, but make sure to immediately reward yourself.

Bonus Public Speaking Secret: If you forget a word or a phrase during your speech, never apologize and keep speaking as though nothing happened. Unless the audience has a detailed transcript of your speech, they won't know what you forgot. Don’t let the fear of forgetting something in your speech keep you from giving great speeches.

Now, go out and exercise your public speaking muscle to give outstanding presentations. When you apply the seven secrets to overcoming your fear of public speaking, you will realize more opportunities and gain a new level of confidence.