How many times have you heard that you must develop strong relationships to succeed in business? This was true in the past, but I don't think it is true today. The reason for that is that people don't have time, money, or energy to develop business relationships. Like Maverick in the movie "Top Gun," people have need for speed. People want things done that is fast, affordable, and well. Unfortunately, that is not likely to happen when people are involved. People slow things down that is if they don't screw up. How long have you had to wait when you last visited a doctor? I recently had to get cataract surgery for my eyes, so I had to visit Ophthalmologist's office several times. The average wait time after I arrived at his office was close to one hour. Since it took me one hour to get to his office, I left my house 15 minutes before the appointment and called from my car five minutes before my appointment. I reduced my wait time to just 10 minutes. This is what you have to do when you are dealing with people. I am currently working with a highly recommended contractor to get work done at my mother's house. I thought I developed a good relationship with him. I was wrong. It was a real pain to get the roofing work done. Then It took me a month after the roofing work was completed to get the attic fan to work. More work is still to be done, and he has gone quiet again. I can get his attention if I go on Google and give him a one-star review. This is what you have to do when you are dealing with people. More I work with people, more I want to do business with Amazon. They never fail to provide excellent customer experience. Amazon does three things well: responsiveness, relationship, and reliability. I trust Amazon so much that I prefer paying more when I can get items cheaper elsewhere. Amazon provides excellent customer experience every time. I can't remember the last time I spoke to anyone from Amazon. They go out of their way to avoid my talking to anyone. I am not looking for relationship with anyone from Amazon; I am looking for just excellent customer experience. So are relationships with people important today? No. You should look for a relationship built on experience not relationship with people. Companies like Amazon can scale their relationships very fast and it's long lasting. Building relationship with people is time-consuming, unpredictable, and frustrating. That's why it is very hard for a sales person to be better than Amazon sales. And they do it without salespeople. So do you really need to spend time building relationships with people to do business? ##### I guide people become independent by making money, growing money and having FU money. If you crave independence, then you should contact me. I will help you make money by thriving on high stakes stage whether it's for a job interview, career advancement, a sales presentation or a high-stakes speech. I wrote a practical, no-nonsense book on success titled Winning Speech Moments: How to Achieve Your Objective with Anyone, Anytime, Anywhere. The main idea of the book is that if you want people to succeed in anything, you must create a winning speech moment. Please contact me if you are driven to be financially independent when you are still young. You can reach me at joza@winningspeechmoments.com or 732-847-9877. Remember, Time is Money but Communication is Wealth
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The most important question you can ever ask yourself or someone to make sense of a difficult situation is, "What's going on here?" Marvin Gaye recorded a famous song asking, "What's going on?" He was trying to get people to make sense of the Vietnam War, poverty, racism, and social justice so people can peacefully take action to effect change. I somehow never paid close attention to the message behind that song. However, I recently understood the importance of this question when I read the modern classic Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro. James Stevens, a high-end butler, is focused on being a great butler for a large house in the book. He doesn't know why the British leaders and the German Ambassador are meeting in the house in the late 1930s. They are meeting to see how the British can appease Adolph Hitler so his army can occupy Sudetenland in Czechoslovakia. Mr. Cardinal, son of the house owner's friend, visited the owner when the meeting is taking place. He knows what's going on. He asks, "Do you know, Stevens, what's going on here?" To which Stevens replies, "I'm afraid not, sir." Stevens did not know, nor was he curious. What was going on in the nearby room would start World War II and ruin his owner's reputation as a Nazi sympathizer. Furthermore, Stevens also did not know nor care that he was about to lose a potential life mate in Miss Kenton, a housekeeper, who was in another room. When Stevens got older and had time to reflect, he had regrets of not being attuned to what was going on at that time. But it was too late. We are all like Stevens. We often don't ask this simple question when we are dealing with a difficult situation. But asking the question makes you live in reality. Unfortunately, for many, living, in reality, is hard. Many prefer to live in a "matrix" where everything looks fine. But later, as they get older, they have regrets about how they could have been so naïve. Asking this simple question is hard. But objectively answering it is harder. Doing something about it is the hardest. So look at some examples where you can ask this question with what's going on around you.
First, you have to ask the question. Second, you have to answer it by putting yourself in other people's shoes. Third, what are you going to do about it? You alone can't fix anything, but you can do your part so you don't have any regrets later in life. For example, my family and I were angry about how George Floyd was killed by the police in Minneapolis in May 2020. We asked the question, "What's going on here?" Though none of us has ever had a bad experience with the police (in fact, we donate every year to the local PBA for the outstanding work they do). Unfortunately, our experience is not the experience for many African Americans and Hispanic Americans. We showed our support for a change in policing by participating in a local march for change. And we also voted for Joe Biden in November of 2020 since he talked about this issue and wanted to make a change. Now that Joe Biden is the president, his justice department is bringing civil rights charges against the police who used unnecessary force. In addition, President Biden is working with Congress to pass bipartisan legislation to enact police reform. We did our part by asking the simple question, "What's going on here?" Thought this question was for a national issue, but it applies to just about anything that requires a change. Change can only happen if you ask, think, act and persist. If you don't ask this question, you can't get to the root of the problem. You will end up accepting and mouthing other people's thoughts and opinions. You can't outsource the answer to this question to anyone. You have to do the hard work. Next time when there is a problem you see in your life, at a company, in a country, or in the world, you may want to spend some time asking, "What's going on here?" After you come up with an answer, you will know how to approach the problem or situation. At the least, you will not have any regrets later that you did not even ask this question when it mattered. ##### I guide people thrive on high stakes stage whether it's for a job interview, career advancement, a sales presentation or a high-stakes speech. I wrote an advanced and comprehensive book on public speaking speaking titled Winning Speech Moments: How to Achieve Your Objective with Anyone, Anytime, Anywhere. The main idea of the book is that if you want people to remember you and take action, you must create a winning speech moment. Please contact me if you would like to thrive on high stakes stage. You can reach me at joza@winningspeechmoments.com or 732-847-9877. Remember, Time is Money but Communication is Wealth Most people like watching the popular TV show Shark Tank because it is entertaining and can teach you a lot about entrepreneurship. But even if you don't aspire to become an entrepreneur, it can also teach you a lot about how to ace a job interview. It's hard for entrepreneurs to get on Shark Tank. Very few get to pitch their business to "sharks" (investors interested in funding entrepreneurs' business for equity). Getting a deal from "sharks" is harder. You have to prove your mettle and your growth potential. Similarly, getting a job interview is hard; walking away with a job offer is harder. Getting a deal on "Shark Tank" is not much different than getting a job. You have to use the same skills. Just like entrepreneurs on Shark Tank, to get a job, you must have these five things: Product, Purpose, Passion, Presentation, and Prize. Product Entrepreneurs on Shark Tank have a product or service they have developed over a long time. The product must solve customers' problems and make money. In a job interview, you are the product. And you have to show how you can solve an employers' problem so they can make money. Purpose This is your why. Most entrepreneurs on Shark Tank have a good story on why they are entrepreneurs. Sharks like to hear about entrepreneurs' why before they invest. When interviewing, you must have your why. Interviewers need to know why do you love what you do as a professional. Passion Entrepreneurs on Shark Tank are passionate about their products. This is a MUST. If entrepreneurs can't get excited about their product, they can't get "sharks" excited about making an investment. You must do the same when you are interviewing. You must show passion for your product---You--- and the value you will deliver. Presentation Entrepreneurs on Shark Tank are judged on how well they can present to "sharks." This is the test all entrepreneurs must ace. In a job interview, you must also do the same. You have to show who you are, what you have, and why they should care. If you do this well, you are likely to get the job. Prize Entrepreneurs know why they are on Shark Tank. They want a deal from the "sharks" to take their business to the next level. Also, they need to show why they are a prize for the sharks to want a bet on them. In a job interview, you must focus on getting a job offer and showing why the employer should bet on you to drive growth. Presentation Wins Deals To secure a deal from "sharks," entrepreneurs have to do a great job at presenting their product, business, and growth. Similarly, getting a job comes down to how well you can articulate the value you bring to an employer. You have to show confidence by displaying these five attributes in your interview like you are on "Shark Tank":
Simplicity Sharks get pitched a lot, so entrepreneurs must keep it simple. The successful ones tell, sell and close.
You have to do the same when interviewing. You have to keep it simple and must tell, sell and close. Clarity Entrepreneurs who are talking too much and not clear of what they are doing and where they want to go with their business are less likely to get a deal. The ones who get a deal are very clear and don't make the sharks think too hard. You must do the same when you are interviewing. Clarity is key to your success. You want to say less and let the interviewers ask for more if they are interested in knowing more details. Remember, the more words you use, the more you will confuse. You are likely to make the interviewers think hard. And when they have to think hard, they don't make a decision in your favor. Focus A lot of entrepreneurs lose deals because they are not focused. Lack of focus confuses the sharks, and they don't invest. In a job interview, you must stay focused on your message, narrative, problem-solving skills, and the value you can deliver to an employer. And keep repeating it. Saying it once is not enough. In the Old Testament, you see the Lord reminding Israelites how He rescued them from Egypt and gave them the land filled with milk and honey? There is a lot of repetition in the Bible. And the Bible is still the most popular book in the world. In an interview, act like a Lord and repeat what value you have delivered and will deliver in the future. It works. Money Entrepreneurs must be able to talk about money confidently. They must explain how much money they have made. How they plan to make more money in the future and how. Entrepreneurs are judged heavily on their ability to explain money. In a sense, it's all about money. Similarly, you must talk about money you have made for previous employers. How you plan to make money for the employer with whom you are interviewing. You are going to be judged on this part of the interview more closely than anything else. Employers may like what you can do for them, but it is your job to link it to money. Companies are in business to make money and lots of it. If you have done it, say it. Don't assume the interviewers will figure it out. And yes, like the Bible, keep repeating, "I help companies make money." Attitude If you are on a stage that can change your life, you have to act like a winner. Entrepreneurs who act like winners on the show not only get a deal but get an excellent deal. When you are interviewing, you must show a winning attitude. It's contagious. You will not just get an offer but get an excellent offer. You have to act like a winner before you can be a winner. You must maintain your composure in a stressful situation and stick to your game plan. If you do that, you will exude confidence and increase your chances of getting a job offer. Getting a job is no different than getting a deal on "Shark Tank." You must have something sellable, but that is not enough. You have to do a great job in presenting your value in a job interview. It is a test to get the job. With some work, and perhaps so some targeted coaching, anyone can ace it. Good Luck! ##### I guide people thrive on high stakes stage whether it's for a job interview, career advancement, a sales presentation or a high-stakes speech. I wrote an advanced and comprehensive book on public speaking titled Winning Speech Moments: How to Achieve Your Objective with Anyone, Anytime, Anywhere. The main idea of the book is that if you want people to remember you and take action, you must create a winning speech moment in your speech. Please contact me if you would like to thrive on high stakes stage. You can reach me at joza@winningspeechmoments.com or 732-847-9877. Remember, Time is Money but Communication is Wealth |
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