Working Smart

I'm sure you've heard the saying, “Work smarter, not harder.” While of course it is super important to be a hard worker, at times we can make things more difficult for ourselves than necessary. 

Life’s successes are most often the result of the hard work we put in. However, our failures can be a result of hard work, too. Spending too much of our valuable time on unnecessary tasks can cause us to lose out on more important things. In order to become a successful leader in our careers, it is essential for us to decipher the difference between working hard and working smart. The two often go hand in hand, but we must be sure not to waste valuable time working hard on irrelevant, unimportant things. 

Here are a few simple rules to abide by when working smart. 

Plan. Always come up with a strategy and timeframe for your goals and tasks. If you don’t plan out your time, someone else will and that will not work in your favor. 

Prioritize. Make lists of what tasks are most important and set up timelines and deadlines. This way you can bang out the most important to-do’s first and if the less important things don’t get done, it won’t be as detrimental. 

Evaluate. Evaluate your routines and strategies often for successes and failures and make adjustments accordingly. If things aren’t going smoothly, change up your game plan and keep doing so until you get it right.

Delegate. Don’t try to tackle everything on your own. Hand out tasks to the appropriate people and work as a team. Create a trusting family atmosphere within your office and everyone will be willing to help each other get the job done for the good of the company.

Know when to put in the extra work. Some things will require extra hard work and that’s perfectly fine and to be expected. The goal here is to lighten the stress load when possible.

Know when to walk away. There will be certain situations when things just aren’t going to pan out and it’s okay to call it quits and chalk it up for experience. Now, I am in no way suggesting that you give up when the going gets tough, but there are always times when we just have to walk away and you just need to trust your own judgement or that of your superiors. 

How to Become a Morning Person

Is it true that some people are just not morning people? Is there some biological marker that dictates whether you're an early bird or a night owl? Unlikely. Chances are it’s your habits that contribute to your inability to hop out of bed feeling fresh and ready to tackle the day. You may have been getting up at 6:00 or 7:00 for work for years and still feel like your dragging your bum out the door. So what can you do about it? You may just have to make some simple changes to your routine.

Studies show that early birds don’t just get the worm, they tend to be more optimistic, more productive and more healthy overall! So here’s what you’ve got to do. 

Get enough sleep. It’s obvious, but a lot of us just don’t do it. Sometimes there’s just not enough time in the day! Seven to nine hours is absolutely necessary for optimal functioning. To make sure you’re getting enough sleep:

(Don’t do any activities in your bed except sleeping. It will send confusing messages to your brain and make it difficult to doze off when you're actually trying to sleep.

        Unplug at least a half an hour before bed (no t.v., cellphones, computers, or other electronics.) Electronics stimulate your brain too much and your mind will go bananas while your're trying to drift off to sleep. 

        One exception is if you’d like to use a relaxation app. There are some really great apps out there now that can have you asleep in minutes!)

Let the sunshine in! Keep the blinds open in your bedroom. The sunlight will allow your body’s circadian rhythm to take over and you will naturally want to wake up. 

Skip the snooze. It’s so tempting, but you know you’re just going to feel worse afterward and those ten minutes only feel like thirty seconds.  

Be consistent. Try waking up at the same time every day. Even on your days off. Or only sleep an hour later at the most. 

Exercise a little. Even if it’s just a little light stretching. It will help you get going in the morning. Before you know it, you might be one of those crazy people that wake up extra early to hit the gym before work! 

Boogie down! Or at least play your favorite tunes. You know how quickly music can turn your mood right around. Bop around a little while your getting ready and it will set the mood for your entire day! 

Don’t forget breakfast! Even if you’re one of those people that don’t like to eat first thing in the morning, make sure you eat a little something. It will keep you from crashing later on in the day and it will keep your stomach from making embarrassing noises at your morning meeting. 

Try these simple changes and in a few weeks you may notice a new pep in your step! 

De-stress Over the Weekend!

Sometimes we just need to take a mental health weekend! Maybe things have been a little crazy at work and it's been difficult trying to balance out your career and home life. Welp, if that's the case it's time to unwind, kick back and relax so you can start out fresh next week! 

The first step is making yourself a priority. Too often we're dividing our attention between too many other people and things. Shouldn't it be okay to focus on yourself once in a while? Make a list of a few things you've been wanting to get done so you can stop worrying about them and then spend the rest of the time doing the things you enjoy most. Read a good book, go to the beach, cook a great meal, catch up on your favorite show, mix up a yummy cocktail (or a few!), or spend time with your family and friends. 

Meditate! Don't knock it until you've tried it! It is probably the single most relaxing activity there is. If it's too weird for you, take a nice bath or relaxing shower. Or go for a long walk or a hike. Connect with nature. Get in tune with your spiritual self! Life gets too crazy and hectic sometimes (as we all know) and it's so important to just take a break and escape within yourself. 

Eat well. People tend to go nuts on the weekends eating whatever the heck they want, only to regret it almost instantly. How many times have you been psyched to go out to eat and made a sinfully poor choice only to feel painfully full and almost sad afterwards and then just wanted to take a nap and bask in your own self pity and sorrow. I know I'm guilty! Try to make lighter, healthier choices. You'll feel lighter, healthier, happier, and actually be able to do something after! 

Get enough sleep. Weekends are the perfect time to catch up on some much needed slumber.

Try not to overindulge on the alcohol. Although, hey...sometimes the margaritas are just calling, right?! If it's just one of those nights, alternate between alcoholic beverages and water. Make sure to eat before you go out, before you go to bed, have a fruit juice spritzer in the morning and you just might be okay!

Exercise! 

HAVE A FANTASTIC WEEKEND!!

7 of the Greatest Sales Books

Whether you’re just beginning a career in sales or whether you’re a seasoned pro, it’s always in your best interest to keep learning! I’ve compiled a list of some of the greatest sales books on the market right now. If you’re looking to venture into a new career or if you’d like to brush up on your skills, you may be interested in checking out some of these books. Go ahead and take a look!

1.The Psychology of Selling; By: Brian Tracy 

This book provides strategies and methods that implement psychology into a business perspective. Tracy explains the motivations of both the salesperson and the prospect in order to demonstrate the dynamics, opportunities and benefits for each party involved in the interaction.

2.What Great Salespeople Do; By: Michael Bosworth 

In this book, Bosworth takes a modern approach to sales. He emphasizes the importance of honesty and fostering trusting relationships. He leads with an emotional approach and stresses the fact that we are all human, and that people respond to our vulnerability. One noteworthy quote from his book is, “People who tell the stories rule the world”.

3.How To Win Friends and Influence People; By: Dale Carnegie

This is quite possibly one of the best motivational books in history. This is a top book for pretty much any subject and will honestly make your whole life better, overall. This book is a wonderful manual for how to interact with and treat others. It will drastically improve your professional relationships and will likely improve the outcome of your sales interactions. 

4.Spin Selling; By: Neil Rackham

The concept of this book is that difficult and complex sales deserve a different process. Spin Selling describes this different process thoroughly and it is said that SPIN can help anyone sell anything. Hey! Sounds like a pretty good deal to me! 

5.Selling to Big Companies; By: Jill Konrath

This book explains the differences in approach when dealing with large companies. Konrath explains how to manage the politics of large companies while helping them make wise decisions that will benefit their company. 

6. Strategic Selling; By: Robert B. Miller, Stephen E. Heiman, with Tad Tuleja

The concept of this book is to provide an understanding of how a company’s sales strategy and plan of execution can make or break a business model and therefore the business itself. This book describes in detail some of the best practices and models of successful firms and why they work so well. 

7.The Greatest Salesman in the World; By: Og Mandino

Mandino’s purpose behind this book is to rediscover the “why” behind selling, stearing away from the stereotype of manipulation and moving more toward the concept of helping others with what they actually need. 

All of these books can be found on Amazon. Happy sales!