Posts tagged Self Improvement

Amazing negotiation and persuasion tricks to try right now

Book Reviews Consumer Behavior Sales skills Self development September 20, 2019 3 Comments

One of the top needed skills for the job market in 2019 is negotiation skills, persuasion, and influence.

LinkedIn: The Most In-Demand Hard and Soft Skills of 2019

Forbes: The Skills You Need To Succeed In 2020

… and what a better way to tackle this, than making the best of my favorite subject of consumer behavior?
Consumer behavior is the study of how consumers search for, choose, buy, and use your products or services.

Consumers are people. Whether you influence them to buy your products or services or influence them to buy into your ideas, you can more or less follow the same concepts.

Persuasion and influence could be one of the hardest tasks anyone can be assigned to. Some people are skilled, while others are left dazzled, not sure what could be the next step they can take to improve in that area.

I know. I know because I bet you are a bit like me and face this situation every single day — at work or in social settings. After all, I am a nerd, and well, I did study software engineering. This is quite far from negotiation skills if you ask me.

Read: Learn how consulting changed my life

The good news is negotiation skills, persuasion and influence can be taught. Yes. Some people think that only the born talented are the ones who can exceed in that area, but I beg to differ.

5 Easy tips to simplify your writing

Consumer Behavior Copywriting Self development September 13, 2019

Use the ‘simplicity’ consumer behavior tip to influence others.

In one of my previous posts, I mentioned the power of simplicity, and how it can boost your business.

Read: 3 Reasons simplicity will boost your business

In fact, it can boost way more than your business. It can help you in every aspect of your life.

Simplicity, especially, when applied in your communication, whether it’s spoken or written, makes others understand you.

When consumers understand what you are trying to say, you are able to influence their thoughts, emotions and ultimately their behavior. If they don’t understand you, then just forget about it.

“Write to the chimpanzee brain. Simply. Directly.” - Eugene Schwartz

… And while it’s always great to know what influences consumer behavior, if you don’t know how to do it, you might as well be as good as those who don’t know anything about the subject.

A crucial ingredient for building trust with your customers

Consumer Behavior Sales skills Self development September 7, 2019

A crucial ingredient to building trust with your customers

Are you asking the right questions?

Whichever your job is, you are interacting with customers. You are interacting with customers unless you sit behind the screen all day and speak to no one -and I mean, speak to one via any means of communication.

Customers could be internal or external. In both cases, you work to gain their trust.

If you haven’t established and gained your customers’ trust, your day-to-day job wouldn’t be so much fun.

Learn how consulting changed my life

Self development August 17, 2019 5 Comments

Stories. Aren’t they incredible?

A story - you live in it, empathize with it and sometimes relate if it rings a bell.

Today, I am not going to talk about fictional stories, but rather stories told in a business context - or for that matter, one of my very own stories.

About five years ago I made a career shift from what we, consultants, call “industry” into management consulting. Consulting was my dream job and when I had an opportunity to jump in it, I took it and dived right into it. Consulting was my dream job for one simple reason:

You will constantly surprise yourself with what you are capable of.

Insane psychology “run” test that will forever change the way you think

Self development August 13, 2019

A few weeks ago I attended a training for leading successful engagements - and during that training, I learned about the psychology “run” test. A very eye-opening test and I am here to share it with you.

You see, self-development is an on-going process and I always think of myself as a WIP (work in progress). While learning about consumer behavior, I learned tricks that can help in self-development. At the end of the day, what motivates us as consumers, might motivate us as people.

In fact, one of the key concepts that are utterly used in marketing is scarcity. Do you know where else that works best? Dating. I am not only talking about self-development here, but relationship talk… and well, God knows, I am not by any means eligible to talk about this topic. However, it is a well-known theory, that when you are not that “available”, your partner finds you more attractive. Be it a woman or a man - the same theory applies.

So here I am, doing it the other way around. I learned something about self-development and I pretty much see how it impacts how you as a business owner could think of your customers.

What is it?

It’s called the run test.

3 Reasons smiling is not bad for you

Consumer Behavior Self development August 2, 2019 1 Comment

Do you think smiling could make you look less professional?

I have encountered people who think smiling may impact the way others will perceive you, and not in a good way - in a professional setting, as in a work environment. You might not seem serious, they think.

To tell you the truth, when I heard this, I was astonished to learn that some people may consider smiling could hurt your professionalism.

So here I am.

In the classic, “How to win friends and influence people” by Dale Carnegie, Carnegie had a whole chapter dedicated to “Smile”.

A smile is definitely a good thing, but here is the thing. When done properly, it would maximize its impact - in that professional setting.

5 Consumer behavior tricks you can use with your boss

Consumer Behavior Sales skills Self development July 20, 2019 1 Comment

A few weeks ago, I was asked what advice would I give someone just starting off their career.

I didn’t have to think, it was emotional intelligence.

I have seen so many people advance in careers even when they are technically inadequate because they know what to say and when to say it. That might seem unfair to some people, but as Bill Gates said:

“Life is not fair - get used to it.” - Bill Gates

While learning about consumer behavior, I couldn’t help but notice those tricks that were originally meant to seal a sales deal, but isn’t your relationship with your boss yet just another deal? Perhaps you could also use them with your date.

—

So, what are these tricks anyway?

How exactly hard is it to say “No”?

Consumer Behavior Self development July 10, 2019

A few weeks ago, a colleague mentioned two things he likes about me. One of them is my ability to say, “No.”

My response?

Flattered. If you know me, you would know how much I like compliments, but then again, which girl doesn’t?
Although flattered, I wasn’t really sure if that was a good thing, of course in other people’s opinions, not mine. I know I do say “No” when I want to say “No” and it does come easily to me. Perhaps it’s because I like to put myself first. Some people call that “selfish”, but if my well-being is “selfish” then be it.

While I know I can say “No”, I witness a lot of people who say “No” with all their body and heart, but yet, still do whatever someone else has asked them to do. In some negotiations, from the bottom of their hearts, they don’t want to do it, yet they do.

The scenario below may sound familiar.

“That’s good”… Start with “That’s good”

Self development June 17, 2019

I was talking to a friend today about my day… and of course, like any human being, I would say something that might have upset me.

The response was?

“That’s good… It means …”

As I was going on the conversation, I was saying, “Maybe, but I think it could also be this… because of that…”

And then I get another response. He tells me…