The Market Coalition

Ever thought to yourself, “If only my team members would complete the tasks that we mutually agreed to in our action plan.”

Most managers have felt this way about certain employees at some point in time.

Let’s face it, some employees have a very hard time consistently executing tasks that “should” be relatively simple to complete.

So what are the barriers getting in the way of their success?

Actually, there are several types of barriers - but perhaps not the typical sort of barriers that you may be thinking.

Barriers can be classified in three major categories. Each category identifies strong barriers that, if not quickly identified and corrected by the team leader, can negatively impact the progress of your team.

The Three Major Types of Barriers are: (Hint: Remember A, B, C)

A-ttitude Barriers

B-ehavioral Barriers

C-onceptual Barriers

Attitude Barriers
Every employee must take ownership of his or her own attitude.

A manager is NOT in charge of anyone’s attitude except her own. If an employee has a poor and non-productive attitude and is not willing to correct it, that is a personal choice and that person needs to be held accountable for that decision.

Quite simply, there are too many quality people who are willing to learn and add value to an organization, for a leader to invest time and money on anyone who makes the conscious “choice” to portray a poor attitude.

Keep in mind, if a leader does NOT hold team members accountable for non-productive attitudes, then he/she has in essence told the team “it’s ok”.

Employees’ displaying poor attitudes is NOT ok. A leader should never allow herself to be seen as “sanctioning” this kind of behavior.

Here is a great way to communicate expectations about “owning your attitude” to your team.

Go to any hardware store and buy the largest coat hook that you can find. “The Hook” will be a visual reminder to your team members that you expect them to leave any personal issues or poor attitudes on this hook prior to beginning their day.

(Suggestion: You might want to paint The Hook a bright silver or gold color, and perhaps even mount The Hook on a nice piece of stained wood. Hang The Hook in a common area, away from customer view, where employees will see it often and be reminded throughout the day about your expectations of leaving poor attitudes on The Hook - as they do not belong anywhere in the workplace.)

When you introduce “The Hook”, and your expectations relating to attitude, you might say something like:

“Rest assured, if you each will make sure to leave all your personal issues on the hook each morning when you arrive, I will take personal responsibility for guarding it on your behalf. I will watch over it for you throughout the day, and I promise that every night when you are ready to return home, it will still be there - just waiting for you to take it back home with you. That is my solemn promise to each of you.”

Behavioral Barriers

Behavioral barriers equal actions not taken or completed, which hinder the achievement of maximum results.

Behavioral barriers refer to an employee not completing critical sales management tasks as expected - despite having mutually agreed to do so.

Managers spend most of their time coaching to behaviors - working to increase results of the mid-level and low-level producers.

Examples of behavioral barriers include techniques, strategies and skills such as:

Prospecting
Profiling
Telemarketing/scripting
Overcoming objections
Asking for the business
Closing the sale
Following up and managing the relationship

Leaders who are very successful in overcoming behavioral barriers follow this three-step approach in this sequential order:

- Managers must TEACH employees what behaviors (actions) are expected

- Managers must COACH employees to build their confidence to master sales management behaviors

- Managers must EXPECT and hold employees accountable for completing the desired behaviors on a consistent basis

Conceptual Barriers

Conceptual barriers are the absolute most difficult barriers to overcome.

Conceptual barriers are the barriers that are right behind the eyes, DEEP within the brain. “Beliefs” which were planted at a very young age and re-enforced over a long period of time - which is why they are so hard to “dislodge”.

Here are a few quick examples of conceptual barriers:

(Think back to your own childhood. Were you ever taught any of the following rules?)

- Don’t talk to strangers
- It is impolite to talk about money
- Never interrupt important people
- Wait to be asked

Now think about what you are asking your sales people to do.

- Telemarket (cold call)
- Profile/Prequalify based on ability to buy
- Create new relationships

Do you see how many of the things we were taught as children fly directly in the face of today’s daily sales management expectations?

It is no wonder why some folks have such a difficult time adopting certain routine sales management practices. They are quite literally “handicapped” by a belief system that limits their potential for success.

As a leader it’s your responsibility to approach performance issues with a clear understanding of these predetermined belief systems. Armed with this knowledge you can more quickly address issues in a way that can help both the sales rep and your entire organization.

Richard Gorham is the founder and President of Leadership-Tools, Inc. His web site, http://www.leadership-tools.com is dedicated to providing free tools and resources for today’s aspiring leaders. Offering high-quality tools in the areas of Business Planning, Leadership Development, Customer Service, Sales Management and Team Building.

In today’s image conscious society an increasing number of people are following the example of Tom Cruise, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Victoria Beckham, Nicole Kidman and a host of other celebrities and adding a bright white smile to their shopping list. But, with so many tooth whitening treatments available today, how do you go about picking the method that is best for you?

The tooth whitening industry is growing at an alarming rate and now represents a $2 billion dollar a year business in the US with companies falling over themselves to introduce new products almost on a daily basis and investing millions in advertising. Everywhere you look you see offers for the latest, fastest, most effective and cheapest new product, so how do you set about making your choice?

Before you choose any treatment at all it is important to understand that tooth whitening works - but only up to point!

If your teeth have been ravaged by years of drinking tea and coffee and smoking twenty cigarettes a day then no treatment is going to give you the smile that you see on the advertising posters or on the television commercials. In the many cases you will see an improvement with which you will be more than satisfied, but if you have your heart set on that perfect brilliant white smile you are going to be disappointed.

Additionally, tooth whitening treatments do not last forever and, whatever results are achieved, in the weeks and months following treatment your teeth will again start to discolor.

There are three main methods of whitening available today - whitening strips (and similar over-the counter products for use at home), professionally fitted custom whitening trays which are worn while you sleep and whitening carried out by your dentist. In choosing the method that best suits your needs you need to look at three things - safety, cost and effectiveness.

As far as safety is concerned, whichever method you choose, you should always visit your dentist for a checkup before you start any tooth whitening treatment. Problems with your teeth or gums could lead to a painful whitening experience or permanently damage the enamel of your teeth, so start by making sure that your teeth and gums and healthy.

The simplest, quickest and cheapest method of tooth whitening is the use of whitening strips with generic brands costing as little as $13 and branded products such as Rembrandt, Colgate and Crest running at about $35. In addition there is now a new range of products with names such as White Light and Ionic White which are claimed to be faster than the traditional strips and which run at about the same price of between $30 and $40.

These products will not produce anything like satisfactory results from just a single application and need to be used repeatedly over a period of time which raises the question of safety. Like the vast majority of tooth whitening products the active agent used to clean (or bleach) the teeth is hydrogen peroxide or a similar compound known as carbamide peroxide. Used infrequently and in small quantities these will not harm your teeth, but excessive use (all too easy with simple “at home” whitening methods) they will cause permanent damage to your teeth and gums.

The effectiveness of these products is also questionable and it is probably fair to say that the majority of users are disappointed with the results.

A much better option in terms of the results achieved is the use of a professionally fitted tray which is worn at night over a period of about two weeks. This is, however, not a popular method as most users find that it is not easy sleeping with the tray in place and often give up before the end of the treatment. The services of the dentist to make and fit the tray also make this a much more expensive option, typically running anywhere between $300 and $1,000.

The final option is to have your teeth professionally whitened by your dentist. A popular choice, often referred to as laser tooth whitening or zoom whitening, the procedure takes less than an hour is certainly the most effective option. You also have the peace of mind of knowing that this is being carried out under the supervision of your dentist should you run into any problems. The cost of professional tooth whitening varies widely but you can expect to pay at least $500 with most treatments running around or above $1,000.

Like most things in life tooth whitening is very much a case of “you get what you pay for”. If you opt for the lower end of the scale your pocket book will be happy but you are likely to come away feeling that even at $30 or $40 you have wasted your money. On the other hand, your pocket book may well squeal at giving up $1,000 for the professional services of your dentist, but you are much more likely to feel that it was well worth it.

For more information on tooth whitening please visit ToothWhiteningSystems.info today.

I know a lot of people out there would like to loss a few
pounds, or more importantly do not want to gain weight over the
Holiday season. Most people want to loss weight to look better,
the bigger issue is to fell better and have a healthier life
style without the health conditions associated with excess
weight. The majority of people want a quick easy weight loss
system that sheds pounds with little or no effort. The truth is,
there are new breakthrough’s that make that possible. The best
way to lose weight and keep it off is to incorporate a regular
exercise routine into your life. Walking after dinner every
night could be a good routine to get into for people who haven’t
been very active. Good weight loss supplements or fat burners
combined with a regular exercise program can be very effective
and rewarding in your life.

My research has lead to a very good solution. It may be
possible to get some help to lose the pounds you need to, or
prevent the gain from occurring in the first place, thus
avoiding the health conditions associated with excess weight.
All natural weight loss supplements are one of the best options
in getting that help, the best weight loss product should slowly
and naturally allow the body to lose fat, without added
preservatives or chemicals that can cause damage to your body.
Ideally, an herbal weight loss supplement should increase
energy, without giving you the jitters, caused by many diet
pills on the market. Always look for all natural ingredients
such as apple cider vinegar, cayenne just to mention a few.

Apple Cider Vinegar is a solution of acid. It is produced by
fermenting apples, and contains pectin, which is believed to be
the reason behind this solution’s fat burning effects. There is
even evidence of ancient Egyptians using apple cider for weight
loss. Cayenne prized for thousands of years for its healing
power. The combination of these and other natural ingredients
have formed a very effective weight loss supplement, that is now
available online. The fat burning properties combined with the
energy increasing ingredients gives you the head start you need
to keep the daily exercise program going, and the pound falling
off. It is possible to get rid of the excess weight, and keep it
off once and for all. Investigate this supplement for yourself.
Michael La Quay www.BestNiteTrim.com

Becoming an SEO expert, or a search engine optimization expert, is something that is worth your while if you are interested in getting your web page noticed and increasing your traffic. It is not hard to become an SEO expert if you simply know what steps you need follow to take you there. As long as you follow these steps and are diligent, you will become the SEO expert you want to be. Read the following topics, then research them more to learn exactly what will put you above the majority of all webmasters.

Topic #1 Keywords

Keywords are a huge part of becoming a search engine optimization expert. The reason for this is that keywords are used by the search engines to find and rank their results. You must become an expert at using keywords that apply to your products and services in order to become a search engine optimization expert.

Topic #2 Links

Developing a link campaign is another important aspect of becoming an SEO expert. The reason for this is that links play an important role in how web pages are ranked by the search engines. The more links a website has present on the Internet, the higher weight and ultimate ranking it will be given by the search engine. If you want to be an SEO expert, you need to learn all you can about links and the role they play in the search engines.

Topic #3 Pay per Click Advertising

Pay per click advertising is another important topic that relates to an SEO expert. This type of advertising is used on search pages when particular keywords are searched for. Your website only pays for this type of advertising when someone clicks on your ad, hence the name “pay per click”. The PPC advertising element is important to the success of many websites and results in increased traffic. As an SEO expert, you need to know all there is to know about pay per click advertising.

Topic #4 Directories

Directories are another aspect of getting websites optimized for search engines. Submitting your site to directories not only provides valuable incoming links to your website, it also sends you targeted visitors from those particular directories. To become an expert on search engine optimization, you will need to study and learn everything about directories and how they can be used by a website to build business and drive traffic.

Topic #5 Expert

You should strive to be an expert on something. It is fine to learn all about the different tools to become a search engine optimization expert, however you will also need to be an expert on specific topics and have certain niche topics where you are viewed as an expert.

Michael Turner reveals his foolproof way to increase website traffic in his free 7 part mini-series. Grab it free right now at http://www.powertraffictactics.com/

John Grisham wrote a book called SKIPPING CHRISTMAS. Amazon.com
reports: “John Grisham turns a satirical eye on the overblown
ritual of the festive holiday season, and the result is Skipping
Christmas, a modest but funny novel about the tyranny of
December 25….”

My friend Dessa Byrd Reed, author of the poetry books THE BUTTERFLY TOUCH and SEVEN BRIDGES, prefers nontraditional holidays. She wrote in THE DESERT WOMAN that as a widow she often spends time with friends over the holidays, take trips, or simply goes out to eat on Christmas (not necessarily turkey). It’s easy to see why, especially if you grew up with traditional Christmas expectations of warmth, family, and usually, expressions of faith. Christmas is under attack in this country. I think it was my high school AP Government class that asked us about cases involving removing Nativity scenes from public places. At the risk of revealing my ripe old age of 32, that was in 1990.

First we had the trend of saying Xmas for Christmas. Then
Christmas sales started way back before Halloween. Now, the
holiday season is more about parties, overeating and drinking,
and commercialism than expressing spirituality, in particular
and especially the Christian faith.

The secularists don’t much like church, whether because of
parents who used religion as an excuse for too-strict
disciplines (or hatred and prejudice), drug trips in the ’60s, or fanaticism (never mind that Christ welcomed everyone). This secularist attitude got wonderful treatment in a recent episode of “Jack & Bobby” co-created by Brad Meltzer, bestselling author and a friend.

When we try to kick Christ out of a holiday named for Him, our
society has a problem.

What’s been the result of using the euphemism “holiday” and
banning the Nativity? Congress may not be making any law about
the free expression of religion, but the elite brain trust is
acting like the Church of England kicking out the Puritans.
What’s the result? Clashes over religion. Holiday depression.
Loneliness around the holidays, especially in nursing homes.
Suicide.

What’s lost among the way? The spirit of giving. Warmth and
compassion. Communion with family, friends and neighbors. And
yes, that pesky expression of faith the secularists on the far
left moan about. Ever notice that when it comes to their free
expression of faith or lack thereof, they scream “racism” or
“[fill in the blank] phobia” whenever Bill O’Reilly or anyone
for that matter dares to pray or remind them that there is a God
beyond their ideology? They accuse Christians of proselytizing
but don’t hesitate to lecture on what is and what is not
offensive today. President George Bush is mocked for his faith,
and Senator John Kerry, a Roman Catholic, seems to have his
usual difficulty sticking to a point on thorny social issues.
No wonder the conventional wisdom was always not to discuss
religion and politics, and for whatever God’s sake, don’t mix
the two (even though it happens time and again), and let’s just
all get along and sing carols at Christmas.

It seems that people are rebelling. The success of “Passion of
the Christ,” the Da Vinci Code and the Left Behind Series, as
well as “Joan of Arcadia,” “7th Heaven,” and “Touched by an
Angel” indicates a movement in popular culture.

Instead of skipping Christmas, let’s take back Christmas in our
homes and families. Unless your family members and friends are
Orthodox Jews or Muslims, you can celebrate Christmas with them.

After all, Judaism and Islam recognize Jesus Christ as a
prophet. Every religion celebrates the spirit of giving, from
Kabbalah to Hinduism. We all agree we have too much stuff, too
much food (as our overweight society proves), too much alcohol,
too little kindness, patience and respect. We all want
connection, love, belonging, and a place in the manger.

Top ten tips for taking back Christmas:

1) Make homemade gifts. Skip the malls. You don’t have to be
Martha Stewart to give something from the heart.

2) Invite friends or relatives to dinner instead of trying to give expensive gifts that no one uses anyway.

3) Don’t roll your eyes when someone says, “Peace on earth, goodwill toward men.” And for Goddess’ sake, don’t use the “men” part to launch an anti-male rant.

4) Whatever your faith, speak up and say that Christian-bashing (or bashing of any kind) offends you, especially around the Christmas season.

5) Get together with friends and family and make care packages for homeless shelters,nursing homes, etc. Make that your gift to each other.

6) Call those friends or relatives you usually avoid talking to.
Hearing about your old college roommate’s third marriage might
not thrill you, especially since you can’t get a word in
edgewise, but it’s a good way to give of your time, something we
all feel we don’t have enough of but make for friends anyway.

7) If you’re just dying to cook that turkey dinner but your parents or mother-in-law insist on doing it THEIR way, give in. This is not a “me me me” time.

Rent or watch “A Charlie Brown Christmas.” Linus’ recitation of the Bible and the gang’s rendition of “Hark the Herald Angels Sing” could make even Scrooge smile. And even Lucy van Pelt admits, “Charlie Brown is a blockhead, but he did get a nice tree.”

9) Take quiet time to think, meditate, and yes, pray. Consider it the mental vacation to Tahiti you can’t take because the family has camped out at your house.

10) Appreciate your children’s gifts, especially the homemade macaroni ornaments. The first gift of Christmas was a
child.

We’ve taken back our streets. We’ve taken back the night.
Let’s all take back Christmas, and we won’t have to skip it.
But if you do feel like skipping Christmas to restore your
faith, do it. The gift of one less stressed grumpy person
around the holidays is priceless.

Kristin Johnson is co-author of Christmas Cookies Are For
Giving: Stories, Recipes and Tips for Making Heartwarming Gifts
(ISBN: 0-9723473-9-9). A downloadablemedia kit is available at
our Web site, www.christmascookiesareforgiving.com, or e-mail the publisher (info@tyrpublishing.com) to receive a printed media kit and sample copy of the book. More articles available at http://www.bakingchristmascookies.com