The Joys of Speaking

Each day we read about bailouts for the banking and automotive industry. However, there are other industries that need help. The speaking industry is down and it's affecting thousands of professionals.

We've asked some of the top speakers in the U.S. to share their thoughts.

3 tips every organization must know to get and stay on top:

Tip one-

Get focused now. The more focued you are, the sooner you will get your target. Ask the basic 10 plus questions that every successful business and team has asked, answered and focused on

Be clear about these topics:

• Who are you Ideal Cleints

• What sets your company apart

• Why should anyone buy from you

• What does your Ideal team look like

• Whats your niche

• How much time in a day is focued on only money making activites

• Clear the decks get organized set up specific success systems that set you up to WIN!

Tip two-

Get your values straight use them to make all your choices to insure 100% success.

• Out of the basic 14 values what are the top 6 that will give your people what they need to be happy and fullfilled?

• Make sure tha all values are present before making any decision to insure 100% success.

• Find out what your team, employees and clients values are to insure 100% guaranteed satifiaction and succes!

• Lean how to see and break down any set ups or sabotages to fail.

Tip Three-

Be a great listener, communicator and true leader

• Practice the 5 principles of excellent listening

• Get and practice what people really want as they communicate

• Learn and practice the 6 steps of superior communication

• Lead without leading, sell without seling and win!

Michelle Rigg www.createpersonalpower.com

1.Focus on skills development that will enable employees to interact with customers with more finesse.

2.Develop skills in employees that help them deal with difficult co-workers and interpersonal communication problems.

3. Encourage entrepreneurship among employees by recognition of new ways to promote the company's programs and services.

Employees need to know that what they are involved with will pay off for them, not just in motivation for the moment but personally too. When you train in interpersonal skills, you are making the employees' lives better, not just a work but at home. When they are happier at home, they are more productive at work.

Cynthia W. Lett CEP,CPP,CTP Director, CEO www.lettgroup.com

1. Engage fully with your results. #2. Engage fully with your people. #3. Engage fully with your customers.

David Zinger www.davidzinger.com

Top 3 tips for managing a diverse workforce:

Remember to honor all the ways human beings can be different, not just the usual suspects such as race/ethnicity and gender. Consider age, communication style and worldview.

Tolerance is not enough, employees need to learn to appreciate the unique outlook and perspectives each individual brings.

Managers need to see the individual first, utilize compassion and ask the question: how do I help this person grow?

Judy Tso, President www.ahasolutions.org

Tips for Renovating Your Organization:

Form strategic partnerships. Forming strategic partnerships with vendors, sub-contractors or other businesses can help you grow more quickly. You can cut years off the learning curve by partnering with others who have been there. You can save money on marketing by partnering with businesses that make sense. And you can generate new business by referring others who then refer you in return. Look at your business and see if there are any partnerships you could benefit from.

Take time for strategic planning. Every organization must not only work in the business – they must also work on the business. Strategic planning is time set aside on a quarterly or yearly basis to work on the business. It’s time to review what’s happened over the past year and time to plan for what’ll happen in the coming year. It’s time to set goals, review policies, create strategies for growth and just be together as a leadership team away from the daily grind. I recommend you take a minimum of two days away from the office with your leadership team every year.

Lead from behind. Top down leadership is dead. You can no longer get away with being a dictator or being an authoritarian leader. People need to be given the chance to shine, to grow and to be part of creating something bigger than themselves. Step back and encourage your team to take the lead. When you lead from behind, you get the opportunity to be their cheerleader, their support team. In doing this you’ll help others to grow and build an organization that thrives way beyond your tenure.

Michelle Neujahr www.renovateyourorg.com

Three Tips to Jumpstart your Business

Reflect, Reconnect, Re-energize

The year 2009 has been turbulent for most businesses but presents many opportunities for new perspectives that can lead to positive changes. Businesses can benefit by following the 3 R’s: Reflect, Reconnect, and Re-energize.

Reflect on what went well for your business for the past year. Re-evaluate and revise your business plan accordingly.

Reconnect with customers and vendor relationships to build your business network and future referrals.

Re energize yourself by getting involved in the community in leadership initiatives that tie in with your passion. Don’t know where to start? Ask your customers for their suggestions.

Devona E.G. Williams, Ph.D. www.goeinswilliams.com

Top 3 tips for businesses:

1. Make sure that every moment of business is consistent with your core values –and measure it. Also, at least one of those values should be tied to your business model. For example, if you are selling something as a “low cost provider” than you should have a core value tied to being frugal, inexpensive or efficient; something that goes to the heart of keeping prices down.

2. Invest in keeping your customers. It is much more expensive to replace a customer than to keep one you already have. Spend a fixed proportion of your marketing budget on delighting the customers you have. That may mean loyalty clubs, discounts for multiple purchases, birthday cards, free delivery or whatever your customers value that will keep them coming back to you. It definitely means training your staff and making sure that they are also delighted. Happy employees create happy customers.

3. Work on converting more of your leads. If you have a 20% closing rate, invest in your sales process, scripting, training of your sales teams or whatever else is keeping you from closing another 30%. Lead flow is nice, but if half of them or more flow through your hands they are very expensive. Again, measure these things. Lots of people measure the cost of a lead – fewer measure the cost of a customer. Those are both important, and the relationship between them will tell you a lot about how to improve your bottom line.

Amie Devero www.AmieDevero.com

3 TIPS ON IMPROVING YOUR BUSINESS (and your personal life)

1. Start all meetings with a brief round-the-table report from each participant on “the most outstanding good thing that has happened” since our last meeting. Do not allow griping, complaining, bitching and bad-mouthing of the government, competition or the economy. Look for, think about and talk about the positive. What you emphasize will multiply!

2. If anyone has a “challenge or opportunity” (don’t use the term “problem”) to discuss, they may do so only if they outline 3 possible alternative solutions thereto, summarized with their recommended action to be taken to resolve it. When they have to review and evaluate possible solutions before the meeting, they often solve them without taking up the time of others.

3. Distribute, assign, or otherwise encourage, positive reading/listening materials (i.e., books, CD’s, etc.) to be reviewed and briefly reported on or discussed at the meeting or during the meal.

Ed Foreman