Winston Communications

Smart Luxury Selling

admin — Sun, 04 Sep 2011 19:40:44 +0000

The recent announcement by Dunhill Homes (http://tinyurl.com/3kvjmjy)was a very intelligent way to sell in Las Vegas. Rather than cut their cost as the rest of the market has done, they elect to offer incentives. Those incentives could equal up to $17,000. Now if those incentives are based on input from their target market, bravo! However, if the incentives are a collection of items management wants to get rid of they actually lose at a higher degree. One man, one vote here but, I tell every client I work with to do the opposite of the market. Don’t be part of the crowd but do listen to your target market at regular intervals. Sell smart … the way you sold even a year ago maybe the strategy you change first.

Self Management

admin — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 23:13:32 +0000

Most of my closest friends are what’s known as knowledge workers. They sell their vast years of work experience in order to help others succeed. I was thinking today that most of their success boils down to how well they manage themselves. They must understand their value, their strengths and how they actually help others. Then with absolute conviction they must then place themselves in an environment where they can be noticed. Then and only then can their “self management” be counted as successful.

Isn’t that also true of your business?

Clear!

admin — Sun, 22 May 2011 05:47:34 +0000

Isn’t that the word medics shout as they try to revive a patient? And it’s the same word we should shout as we go through life. Success for most of us is more of a subtraction process than it is an additive process. Sadly, we go to seminars, books, friends , etc., for the answers to our most pressing concerns. The truth is that we already have what we need inside of us. The larger goal of education it to help us uncover our gifts. It’s not the new education we covet that would help us most — it’s a better use of the gifts we have.

A dear friend of mine in Atlanta is truly gifted. Intelligent, personable, attractive and did I mention intelligent … I just had to say it again because she’s super smart. Care to guess what holds her back? You guessed it … she can’t seem to “clear” her past behaviors. And those behaviors don’t work in this new economy. Want to know what’s really odd? She is the one who introduced me to the concept of “clearing”! So here’s point of this entry … we really must clear our past negative behaviors in order to reach our true potential.

There’s an old saying in the South that I never hear in California. It starts with, “What is the nutritional value of a grit?” The answer, zero, grits have no nutritional value, grits are only fillers. Along the same lines, old ineffective behaviors have no value … Clear!

Lessons from the pain

admin — Thu, 19 May 2011 03:58:31 +0000

In most circles this is a very challenging time. When we started to dip a few years ago I pretended it wasn’t happening. As the years went by and time didn’t cure the economy I then went into anger. Well, today is a new day. My thoughts have changed.

Today I give credit to the economy for making me think harder. I started to analyze every movement in my business. And give special credit to the economy for helping us to appreciate the slow climb back to the top.

Are you as glad as I am that the economy woke us up?

Genius! More please …

admin — Fri, 12 Nov 2010 15:31:58 +0000

My favorite author is Malcolm Gladwell. I remember his focus on what causes great breakthoughs in human development and it boiled down to 10,000 hours. Essentailly, you can become good at most anything by simply putting in the hours. Now you won’t become a genius but you will be an expert. The question I have is does expert status qualify as genius in a sea of mediocrity … http://on.wsj.com/d6wHX5

Actor Will Smith …

admin — Sun, 15 Aug 2010 22:11:57 +0000

… mentioned this author as one of his favorites. Please read my top ten quotes from Paul Coelho, author of the Alchemist and let me know your thoughts.

1.) “It’s the possibility of having a dream come true that makes life interesting.”

2.) “And, when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.”

3.) “Intuition is really a sudden immersion of the soul into the universal current of life.”

4.) “When someone makes a decision, he is really diving into a strong current that will carry him to places he had never dreamed of when he first made the decision. “

5.) “There is only one thing that makes a dream impossible to achieve: the fear of failure.”

6.) “Every search begins with beginners luck and ends with the victor’s being severely tested.”

7.) “When we strive to become better than we are, everything around us becomes better too.”

8.) “The boy and his heart had become friends, and neither was capable now of betraying the other.”

9.) “When you want something with all your heart, that’s when you are closest to the Soul of the World. It’s always a positive force.”

10.) “Courage is the quality most essential to understanding the Language of the World.“

Apple again …

admin — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 16:33:29 +0000

Apple announced that ordering taking has begun on the new IPhone 4.

www.pcworld.com/article/198868/ordering_an_iphone_what_you_need_to_know.html?tk=rss_news

As always there are restrictions so please read the link above. One quick note: not all Apple users qualify for the lower pricing $199 and $299. It seems that if you bought IPhone 3 you may not be able to get the AT&T subsidized price. Yet another negative “thing” with AT&T – please join me in really strong thoughts and maybe the Apple Gods will hear us and open their phones up to other carriers.

What’s your real value?

admin — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 15:30:20 +0000

Last night I spoke to a group of my peers. A brilliant group of consultants and coaches (I was clearly the less skilled of that group). On the drive home I had a recurring thought. Did they, did we really embrace our value? After all, if we are doing what’s right about our business we help people in need. Sometimes in business, other times with relationships but we always help with life. So my point to all of these “driving home” thoughts is, we become measurably more confident when we take stock in how we help people with our expertise.

And isn’t that the goal of any legitimate consultant … to help?

Top Quote

admin — Wed, 19 May 2010 06:36:03 +0000

The story of how we arrive at our current picture of the Universe;
is a story of understanding what we see.

- Stephen Hawkins

Employee thinking …

admin — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 00:41:13 +0000

Can’t figure out what makes the employee tick? There is “new math” available to help you get your employees to work at a higher pace. Since you pay them 100% of the salary it’s only fair that they deliver a higher percentage of focus on the job task. The “new math” is called Internal Motivation. The road to Internal Motivation is simple, help the employee build a Vision for their future. Shift from the goals of the company to the personal goals of the employee. Then allow the employee to “use” the company to accomplish their personal goals – their Vision. The truth is that most employees come to work for very personal reasons but when they arrive we try make them transition to company goals.

Ask yourself these 10 questions and you may arrive at a better understanding of the employee — and a better work life for yourself.

1. What is your rep trying to accomplish?

2. What are your employee’s personal goals? (These may be different from what the employee is trying to accomplish.)

3. What does your employee’s family want you to accomplish — and how does that relate to question #1?

4. Is your employee ambitious or content?

5. If your employee is ambitious, is it about substance or recognition — or both?

6. Why is your employee the employee? Why did you pick your employee for the job?

7. Are other team members more ambitious than your employee?

8. What do you want out of your current position — and is this compatible with your employee’s goals and ambitions?

9. Do your goals advance your employee’s ambitions — or conflict with them?

10. What kinds of problems most worry your employee? What kinds of victories most please your employee?

I suggest a heart-to-heart meeting with each employee. Start by saying, “I’m going to be perfectly open and honest with you as I share my personal and life goals with you. Can I depend on you to be perfectly open and honest with me today about your personal goals?” Folks … a bond is formed during this open communication. Now all you have to do is tie their personal goals to the goals you have as a company and you get fully engaged employees. Rather than, did you make your budget this month – ask how much commission do you need for the down payment on the house for your wife and kids?!

For a list of the top questions for strong Vision Building email: Greg@GregWinston.com

Put Vision Building in the title.