Not exactly.

If your job includes communicating with clients and closing deals, you’ll have to go through the job interview process over and over again. Luckily, you can translate the skills that got you in the door to help your sales shoot through the roof. (Click here to tweet this thought.) Here are a few interview situations and how you should handle them:

The interviewer asks about a particular skill, and you don’t have it

When an interviewer asks you about a skill you don’t have, you have three choices: you can misrepresent yourself and hope you don’t get caught, say you don’t have the skill and wish them luck on their candidate search, or you can emphasize a related skill you have while expressing your eagerness to learn and quick mastery of new material.

The first choice is not only pretty unethical, but also a great way to burn bridges within your industry. If the skill is important enough to be mentioned in the interview, it’s probably used frequently; you’re going to get nailed on it sooner or later.

Compare this with a prospect asking about a product you don’t have or a service you don’t provide. They need 24/7 communication, and you have a strict “no work on weekends” policy. You can say you’re always available, but if it’s important enough for them to ask in the interview, you can bet your phone will be ringing on a Saturday. Are you willing to answer it?

The second choice is more ethically balanced, but doesn’t do your business any favors. You came into the job interview for a reason and did your research. Unless there’s a huge miscommunication on the nature of the business, you should have something to offer.

Few business “soul mates” exist, so if you bow out the moment you think you can’t reach their ideal, you’re going to be turning away perfectly good business. Ask questions to probe deeper; they may be asking for a particular service or product, but what they really need is for you to fill a need. If you can discover what the client needs, you may be able to offer something of your own that would make you a perfect match.

The interviewer asks a straightforward question, and you need to set yourself apart from the competition

If an interviewer asks you a factual question, and you know the answer is on your resume or in your cover letter, it’s not because they’ve forgotten. They’re giving you an opportunity to tell them how that fact makes you the perfect candidate.

Interviewer: “It says here that you studied at Prestigious University.”

Wrong answer: “Yep.”

You just blew an opportunity to tell the interviewer how getting the Perfect Degree at Prestigious University and your school involvement makes you the best person for the job. On the other hand, the interviewer might bring up something on the resume because he or she is confused about it, and it may be broaching a delicate topic.

Interviewer: “I see a two year gap between your jobs at First Company and Second Company.”

Wrong response: “That’s correct. I did not work in 2010 and 2011.”

See the pattern? A prospect may ask about any number of things, and it’s your job to spin everything in a positive light.

Prospect: “It says on your site that you were named the Top Widget Seller of the Decade.”

Wrong response: “Yep.”

Right response: “It sure is! We competed against thirty-four other widget manufacturers and were rated in three different areas including customer service satisfaction. You mentioned earlier you had trouble with your last supplier and their bad attitude. I’m glad we can show you have a track record of happy customers.”

The interview is over, and you’re told you’ll hear from them within a week

Typical interview etiquette tells you to follow up to thank the person interviewing you immediately with a handwritten, mailed thank you card.

Why not transfer this practice over to meeting prospects? If you maximize every moment with potential clients, then you have – at minimum – learned about their company, made a networking contact and practiced your sales pitch. For that alone, they certainly deserve a thank you card.

Even if you don’t happen to match what they need for this job, you made a positive contact and put yourself in an excellent position to be contacted in the future.

Treat every discussion with a prospect with the same preparation and positive attitude you did during your interview for the position, and you’ll get that same fist-pump high-five feeling of being hired over and over again throughout your career!

Bret Bonnet is the CEO of Quality Logo Products, a promotional products distribution company that he helped to establish in 2003. His efforts earned him a spot on Counselor Magazine’s list of the top 30 entrepreneurs under 30 within the promotional products industry.

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The post 3 Tough Job Interview Situations and How to Handle Them appeared first on Brazen Life.

What if we told you there was an easy way to remember everyone’s names — a simple visualization technique that’s been around for almost 80 years?

A recent Fast Company article reveals the trick of a master: Dale Carnegie. He is the author of “How to Win Friends and Influence People,” which has been a bestseller since its release in 1936.

Carnegie believed that the sweetest sound to anyone’s ear is their name, and that if you want to succeed at work, you’ve got to get good at remembering them.

So… What’s the trick?

The article describes his“memory-linking technique,” which suggests associating the details of someone’s name with a visual representation. Meaning, create an image in your mind that depicts the traits of their name, along with other key elements like their profession or physical appearance.

The wackier the image, the more it will stick out — and the more likely you are to remember it.

Fast Company gives the following examples:

“If you meet Jill Hamlette who’s a professional basketball player, imagine her fighting with Jack over an enormous piece of ham in her basketball uniform. If you meet Bill Turner who’s a musician, imagine him DJing at a turntable with a bunch of dollar bills in his hands.”

Next time you shake hands with someone, try it out. And let us know how it goes!

Do you have a technique for remembering people’s names? What do you think of memory-linking?

Susan Shain (@TravlJunkette) is a travel blogger who loves helping people discover adventure through international travel or alternative careers.

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The post A Wacky Way to Remember Someone’s Name the First Time You Meet appeared first on Brazen Life.

The truth is, most interviewers judge you based on what you say and how you behave (body language) before they evaluate the details of your resume.

Ninety percent of hiring decisions are made on an emotional, gut level. (Click here to tweet this statistic.) Candidates are hired based on the right turn of phrase, strong handshake or eye contact — and the rest is emotional justification. Psychologists call this “motivated reasoning.” Most business decisions are made in this way, with little logic.

The two questions you need to ask

While most job seekers focus on coming across as competent in the interviewing process, the successful ones focus on being likable and memorable. The use of key words and phrases play an important role in this.

For example, try to end your first interview by asking the interviewer two questions:

• “How do I stack up with the other candidates you have interviewed?”

• “What do I need to do to get the job?”

These questions can make an enormous difference between getting a second interview (or hired) or waiting by the phone for weeks. Not long ago, one of my hiring clients interviewed seven candidates for a mid-level purchasing managerial position.

The candidate we referred for the position, Mary, used these questions to close her initial interview. The interviewer took notice and told us Mary was the only one who asked how she compared to the others. When he kicked her resume up to the next group of interviewers, he told them, “I interviewed several candidates initially and she was the only one who asked for the job. I really like her.”

Mary spent a mere two and a half hours interviewing with this company — one hour at the initial interview and an hour and a half with the next group. She became the “best” candidate because of the powerful phrases she used in the interviewing process.

In fact, the vice president of procurement told her that while she wasn’t the most qualified applicant, she had come across much better than the others during the interviews. Mary was hired and she’s convinced that these two simple questions helped her nail the interviews and land the job.

Foot in the door, not in the mouth

Most job seekers are surprised to learn that during an average hiring cycle, you need to spend four hours in face-to-face interviews. The interviewers listen intently to what you have to say, so you don’t have a lot of wriggle room for making mistakes, flubbing or forgetting. Most mistakes candidates make center around saying the wrong thing or saying something that is interpreted the wrong way.

To overcome missteps during an interview you have to be prepared — and to be prepared you must practice, practice, practice. Even if you’re good at talking about yourself and fast on your feet, interviews have their own particular language. Learn it backward and forward – or you risk saying the wrong thing.

Here are some strong words you can use to describe yourself: passionate, practical, quick study and good communicator.

Keep in mind that throughout the job-hunting process you must be courageous in your quest for a job, putting yourself out there despite knowing you’ll be greeted with rejection.

Analyze interviews that don’t bear fruit, learn from them and move onto the next. Maybe you ended on a weak note, saying something like “Well, where do we go from here?” Or “I might be interested.”

Instead, asking the interviewer how you stack up to the competition, and what you can do to get the job, indicates courage. You’re telling them, “I’m a serious candidate. Hire me.”

Tony Beshara is the owner and president of Babich & Associates, established in 1952 and is the oldest placement and recruitment service in Texas. He has been a professional recruiter since 1973 and has personally found more than 8500 individuals jobs. www.thejobsearchsolution.com

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Interesting how a simple word — brazen — can make us feel a certain way and elicit a sense of power, strength and confidence.

Being brazen means taking ownership and being unapologetic about our lives. It’s a powerful word that serves as an anchor for when we want to make big (or small) shifts in our lives and our careers.

When I use brazen, I don’t mean being bossy, controlling, rude or self-absorbed. I mean the choice to be brazen in a conscious way. Anytime we step into a place of certainty, confidence and boldness, it doesn’t equate to being cocky or rude. It’s a grounded choice to proceed with an intention and goal of certainty from an authentic place.

It’s a fine line between being assured, certain and bold from a conscious place and being those characteristics from a rigid, inflexible, close-minded place. Choose the former.

When it comes to how you want to live your life and navigate the waters of your work and career, which would you prefer: to be brazen about it or meek?

As with anything in life, being brazen or timid, confident or insecure, happy or sad are all choices. The beautiful thing about being human is that we have a choice in how we feel, what we think and how we choose to act.

Our choices really do dictate what our lives look like. Learning how to be direct and conscious about our choices — how we feel, what we think or believe and how we act — are the ingredients required to get the most out of our lives.

But what does being brazen mean in this day and age? How can it help us to stand out in a crowded world of amazing, talented entrepreneurial people? How can it make us feel happier or help us shift something that we’ve been trying to shift with little to no success?

Maybe we want to improve a relationship, but can’t find that missing ingredient. Perhaps we’ve struggled financially, and the solution eludes us. Maybe we’re searching for the perfect career or want to make our current career choice more empowering.

Choosing to approach any problem or issue you face with a focus of being brazen is creates an energy that can assist you far beyond what you imagine.

If we don’t make the choice to pursue our goals with confidence and boldness, we won’t get what we want. Our energy will scream “You don’t really want it,” or “I don’t believe you!” The choice to be brazen about what we want is the choice to succeed and own our lives.

Here are four quick tips to increasing your success in life and business by choosing to be brazen: (Click here to tweet this list.)

1. Clarity

Be clear about your goals, intentions and desires. Without clarity or a plan, there’s no point. It’s that old saying: fail to plan, plan to fail. Create a vision of the outcome you want and be detailed about it.

For example, if you have a big job interview, take time to get quiet, maybe meditate, and  come up with your ideal vision of how you want the interview to go. How will you feel? What will you be wearing? How do you respond and handle interview questions?

Create the ideal situation in your mind first, so you can create the reality. See and feel what you want before it happens.

2. Commitment

If you’re wishy-washy with what you want, it’s not going to manifest. Being committed is an essential component of getting what we want and where we want to be. And commitment is a choice.

When you want a clear path, a better job, more money or a better relationship, being committed to your path is essential. If you don’t commit, it’s not a big want or desire.

3. Consistency

Once you have a clear plan and vision in mind, make the choice to be consistent. Create a plan that keeps you accountable and on track with your goals and intentions.

4. Consciousness

Be conscious about what you want to create in your life and career. It’s often required to step into a larger and bigger place of ownership and accountability. Being conscious means being aware and noticing what’s working and what’s not. It means being clear about and committed to your goals. It’s being consistent at all times.

Making a conscious choice to live in alignment with the definition of brazen — bold and without shame — is a masterful way to approach your life. We can have all the information and “how-to” to lead the exact lives we desire, but if we don’t implement those steps, it’s a waste of time.

And it comes down to a choice. Our ability to choose is our ability to create lives we love — right down to our health, our wealth, our relationships and our success.

But most of us forget how powerful a little choice can be. We can choose how to feel, what to think and how to react to situations in our lives — and that’s our point of power.

It’s a choice to be brazen or not.

Carrie Jolie Dale is an author, choice strategist and manifesting ninja. She is living proof that anyone can find happiness, meaning and purpose in their life by mastering their choices. You can find Carrie at  www.carriedale.com, Twitter, and on Facebook.

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The post Choose to Be Brazen: Why Confidence at Work is the Key to Everything appeared first on Brazen Life.

As a professional, improving your speaking skills is an amazingly effective strategy to put yourself in front of a captive audience as the expert. While building your personal brand is a great idea in theory, it can be challenging to figure out how to go from wanting to take the stage to actually scoring a speaking gig.

Getting started with speaking is easier that most people realize. These three proven tactics will help get you closer to the stage so you can start honing your brand. (Click here to tweet this list.)

1. Start with your story

Over the course of your life and professional career, you’ve amassed anecdotes and experiences that are ideal fodder for storytelling. Take time to get clear on your area of expertise, then think about the compelling and engaging stories you can tell. Inject some passion on top of that, and you’ll be good to go.

You may want to chat with your organization’s marketing or PR team. If you work for a larger company, they’re probably on the lookout for speakers who can promote the company. Offer to speak on behalf of your company — the more stage time you get, the more you’ll continue to hone your “expert status” in your field.

Beyond speaking on behalf of your work, you can seek out opportunities on your own as well.

Keep in mind that speaking organizers don’t look to bring advertisements to the presentation stage. They look for true experts who have knowledge, skills and experience. The goal of your presentation and the stories you share should be to inform, educate and entertain the audience.

2. Create a speaking “hit list”

The good news about speaking opportunities is that you can find them everywhere. Get to work and start your research. When going through this exercise, no opportunity is too big or too small. Simply create a list of opportunities for now and someday.

Start by researching local speaking opportunities on Google. Business groups, local professional chapters, chambers of commerce and economic development organizations are other options to explore. Also be on the look out for a local TEDx Chapter as well.

Then move on to associations. Nearly every association has an annual conference, and many have regional or local chapter events. Finally, look for any large national or international events within your industry.

3. Prepare your submission

With your hit list in place, you’ll want to start tracking opportunities. Look out for when speaking spots open. Some events will issue requests for proposals or calls for speakers about six to nine months ahead of time. Often application deadlines are tight, so get organized in advance.

Most events will require an abstract for your session, which is a summary of your presentation and a catchy title. This may be as short as 75 words or could be several paragraphs long. Many conferences or events will ask for “learning outcomes” that detail what attendees will takeaway from your session. To increase the chances of your proposal being accepted, follow the submission guidelines as closely as possible.

To round out your proposal, you’ll need a bio that highlights your relevant experience and past any speaking engagements. If you’ve had media appearances or your work has been published, consider adding those to your bio.

Finally, with larger speaking opportunities, don’t be surprised if you’re asked for references from past speaking engagements or “proof of performance” in the form of a video of a previous gig.

Once you submit your session proposal, it’s time to wait. Events usually will share the date for their final decisions regarding speakers, so if you don’t hear back by then, it’s time to move on.

While you may not secure every opportunity, have patience. Keep fine-tuning your pitch. Over time, you’ll start to land engagements. As you prepare, be ready to confront the excitement and fear that come along with speaking on stage.

Though intimidating, speaking can yield big payoffs. By positioning yourself as a go-to expert in your field, you help bolster your status in your position and your career down the road. Having a strong personal brand in place can set you apart for future employers as you’ll be a credible, known expert.

Maggie Patterson is a content and communications strategist who works with entrepreneurs and small business owners. She has managed speaking programs for the better part of her 15 year career and can write a killer speaker’s submission.  You can connect with Maggie and learn more at: www.maggiepatterson.com

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The post 3 Tips for Public Speaking Like a Pro (Even if You’re Shaking in Your Boots) appeared first on Brazen Life.

But there are plenty of situations where the person you want to remember you has been handed over a dozen business cards—so how do you make yours stand out from the crowd? (Click here to tweet this question.)

Have a Signature Color

Have a specific color tone to your website? Love a specific color combo? As long as it doesn’t hurt the eyes, let your business card build your personal brand in a memorable way through color. The right use of color can take a simple, standard business card and upgrade it both in design and its ability to stand out from the crowd.

Plus, psychologists have found that color improves memory performance, since it adds an extra “memory tag” onto the item. Having a perfect color combo, whether that’s pairing complementary colors or a bright color on white, literally helps your business card stand out when it’s received, and when that receiver thinks back to the best business cards.

Organize, But Not in a Boring Way

We’ve all seen the standard, a quick list of information in size nine font that looks like it belongs in the depths of corporate America. With companies like Vista Print and Moo cards, you’re able to take the basic design and customize it to feature your key information beyond the normal standard. Why stuff your entire address in there in tiny font when you could fit your Twitter handle and website in an easy-to-read size?

The design and organization of your card speaks volumes, beyond just having an eye-catching card. Jaime Petkanics from The Prepary definitely feels this way. “A well-designed card with key information clearly laid out is much more important than something really creative or flashy in my opinion. I love a super fancy business card as much as the next person. But in reality, the content of your conversation while networking is going to make you stand out more than any business card can!”

Have a Catchphrase or Quote that Matches You

My business card has multiple versions of the backside, and one of them has the phrase “Do What You Love.” It speaks to what I blog about at thenenja.com. So many of us have slogans, quotes or proverbs that match what we work toward on a professional and personal level, and it’s a great way to add life to your business card without just placing your logo on the back. You can often design business cards to have multiple designs on one side, so you could have business cards that alternate your favorite phrases, have your logo, etc.

Plus, having that catchphrase will help bring your personal beliefs to life, adding a personal touch to your card beyond the best place to find you and your work. And who knows? Maybe the person you hand it to happens to also love that quote, philosopher, or idea behind what you’ve added to your card. And voila, instant connection.

Nena Farrell is a soon-to-be holder of a BA in journalism from San Francisco State University. Nena runs a career and tech-focused blog (with a few SF foodie reviews) at thenenja.com.

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When you’re in her company, you stutter more and you disagree less or she chastises you like a five-year-old because only she knows all the right answers. What are you to do when you do have to negotiate with a Nasty Nancy? (Click here to tweet this question.)

Understand she’s human too (contrary to what you may want to believe) and human psychology gives us clear and accurate clues on how humans, no matter how difficult, act when faced with a negotiation situation.

Below are two psychological techniques (plus the small tweaks you can use in your approach) that can be used with great success when dealing with the nasties in your life:

1. Give in parts, take once

Kahneman and Tversky (1979) did an interesting experiment where they assessed how people respond to gains and losses. They found that incremental gains were far more pleasurable than one-time gains.

But when it comes to losses, people prefer to lose in one lump sum rather than being hit with a loss over and over again. Interestingly, the total number of losses and gains remained the same: It was the recurrence that made it more or less pleasurable.

Takeaway: People are more likely to accept an offer that includes small gains than a single gain, even when equal in magnitude. They’re also likely to accept an offer that involves a single loss than an offer with two smaller losses that add up to the same amount.

The hook and tweak: When negotiating with people in the habit of discounting every term put on the table, frame your side of the offer to include multiple small gains. If you have a discount to offer, a Nasty Nancy will be more willing to accept the deal if the total sum is parceled into a series of smaller concessions.

If you have good news to deliver, such as “I can finish this in one week and include a template for future reference,” it would be best to deliver this as two separate pieces of good news rather than as one.

The opposite is true when you have to deliver bad news, such as a penalty or late payment charges. One big blow would go over more smoothly than multiple smaller ones.

2. Show them what they’ve got to lose, not what they’ve got to gain

In a study conducted at a medical clinic in the United States, women were shown videos aimed at promoting HIV testing. They were either shown videos for the benefits associated with testing or of the personal costs and risks. The women who were exposed to risk framing were more likely to undergo testing than the ones in the benefits framing group.

Takeaway: In negotiation, the principle of loss aversion is a powerful tool of persuasion. You’re more likely to get a Nasty Nancy to agree if your proposal is framed in terms of what she stands to lose if your proposal is rejected. 

The hook and tweak: This works beautifully in almost all negotiation situations and, when coupled with smart pricing, can completely shift the dynamics of a deal. No one, not even a Nasty Nancy can tolerate the pain of a loss.

Instead of pointing out how she’ll benefit if you’re made the manager of your division, point to the bleak future of the division if you’re not made the manager (e.g., lower employee morale and loss in client satisfaction).

When negotiating a proposal, frame your argument not as what they’ll gain by agreeing, but what they’ll lose by not agreeing. “By not buying our package, your company is losing 100 dollars every day in payroll costs” will get you much better results than “Buying our package would save you 100 dollars per day.” Same concept, different framing.

You and Nasty Nancy probably won’t become BFFs following these techniques, but she’ll agree with you more and may even begin to respect your negotiation skills. Try these out and let us know how it goes.

Bushra Azhar is a Persuasion Strategist and creator of The Non-Icky Persuasion Toolkit: Use The Psychology of Persuasion to Sell Your Ideas, Your Work or Yourself! Get your free copy at www.ThePersuasionRevolution.com

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Sales or business development professionals are vital to an organization’s success. Without someone finding new people or companies for your business, revenue, growth and success are limited.

Even if you don’t work in sales, you should care about the salespeople in your organization. (Click here to tweet this thought.) They may decide the fate of your work experience. If they bring in strong, creative, easy-to-please, collaborative clients, your job will reflect this. If you’re happy, you’re more likely to stay at a company longer, which can increase team consistency and morale.

On the flip side, sales professionals need to trust that their team will work on client accounts after the sale. After spending so much time and effort on building successful relationships, they need to know their sales contract will be long-lasting and their clients will be in good hands. And high customer retention rates, happy customers and continued revenue streams all provide for their own career growth.

Any good salesperson will find it impossible to sell a product/service they don’t believe in. Any business that offers a service relies on people to execute well, articulate their efforts, and meet deadlines. Therefore, a salesperson has to have trust in the people that actually execute on their services in order to sell it. — Lyndsey Kramer, Director of Business Development at Digital Third Coast

What can a salesperson do to trust their team for a successful client handoff? Lyndsey suggests:

1. Communicate openly

The best thing a salesperson can do is understand the capabilities and limitations of their executing teams and never oversell or over-promise what they can do. Having a solid understanding of your team and the work they do makes setting expectations upfront easier, so the process is better for all parties involved.

2. Address concerns before they become problems

If a salesperson sees red flags with a prospect during the sales process (lack of time to collaborate, lack of understanding, difficulty reaching) they need to be addressed prior to handing it off to the person or people performing the work at hand.

If the concerns can’t be addressed, a salesperson needs to walk away from the business opportunity. Signing clients who’ll end up causing problems, stressing out your team and ultimately firing you for not delivering what they wanted aren’t worth the time and energy — or the lack in faith your team will have about your work.

3. Know your team is always right

Any time a client has expectations a service team doesn’t feel are fair, a salesperson can step in on behalf of the team to realign expectations. If you want your team to trust you and respect you, you have to trust and respect them. This means they’re always right, not the client. Having your team’s back means they’ll have yours too.

How can you build trust with your salesperson?

1. Get to know their sales process

Make sure your salesperson has a full understanding of the work you do and describes the scope accurately to clients. If you notice gaps in the sales process that are inconsistent with your role, suggest ways to improve sales presentations.

2. Create team building opportunities

Attend company social events or lunches, or meet with your salesperson or team on your own. Learn about where and how they sell, and share pain points and strong points of your role.

3. Send leads their way

If you meet a strong potential client you might enjoy working with, introduce them. Being resourceful for your sales team may benefit them by expanding their network, helping them build a broader client base, providing referred clients or qualified leads makes their job easier and may even result in monetary rewards.

Helping out a team member can only be a win-win. And your reward will be happy clients you hand-picked.

The next time you walk by your sales team at the office, think about those who may determine what’s on tomorrow’s to-do list.

Rebecca Otis, the Content/Social Media Manager at Chicago digital marketing agency Digital Third Coast, founded a small business marketing consultancy at the age of 26, was named an Austin Business Journal Women of Influence Profiles in Power Rising Star Finalist in 2012 and speaks for national organizations HP Catalyst and BlogHer. Connect with Rebecca on her site, Google+ and @RebeccaOtis.

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Yes, a large part of his envy-worthy lifestyle has to do with his profession, but as we talked, we realized that much of his success came because he’s simply not afraid to ask — for just about anything.

Now if you’re like me, your fear of being presumptuous or even rude will often override your urge to ask for things of others, especially those we work with. As I mulled over that conversation with my friends, I got to thinking about how many opportunities I’ve probably missed out on because I didn’t ask — situations that I could have improved, if I had spoken up.

Why don’t we ask for help when we need it?

Harris Interactive polled 1,019 employed Americans in their third annual Work Stress Survey, and found a 10 percent jump in workplace stress compared to just a year before. Eighty-three percent of respondents are stressed at work, with “unreasonable workload” as the second top stressor.

We have to get rid of this stifling idea that asking for help at work is a sign of weakness or failure. Start asking, and here’s why:

• Here’s a fact that will blow your mind: No one expects you to know everything. (Click here to tweet this thought.)
• Showing everyone that you’ve put in extra effort, resources and work, only to still wind up needing help, doesn’t get you any extra points; it means you’ve wasted time.
• Managers love hard work, but they hate inefficiency.
• Collaboration is, plainly and simply, a beautiful thing. Be a part of starting it.

Muse author Jennifer Winters wrote a great piece on how to ask for help at work. Here’s what she said:

The trick here is knowing when it’s time to suck it up, swallow your pride, and admit you’re stuck. My general rule of thumb is basically the “Three Strikes” rule. If I can’t figure something out after I’ve exhausted at least three other solutions on my own, it’s time to admit I need a little inspiration.

Why don’t we ask for perks?

Whether it’s time off, flex work or even a bump in salary, everything is negotiable. That is to say, you also have to bring something to the table. When you honestly feel as though you’ve earned a freedom of some sort, you owe it to yourself and your hard work to inquire about incentives that would solicit the continuance of such hard work.

This isn’t a “What came first, the chicken or the egg?” scenario; the hard work and dedication is going to have to come first. If you get a big fat “no”, you have at the very least started the dialogue on how to get there. This conversation should be directed toward how your individual goals can align with the organization’s goals to obtain whatever it is you’ve requested.

The old saying “You never know unless you ask” is far truer than a lot of us anticipate. In an article on stay interviews and best retention practices, HR Director at Webroot Melanie Williams revealed just how easy it can be for employees and companies to get on the same page when open communication is at play. Williams said, “We’ve had very few stay interviews come in with pay being the thing that makes them stay or want to leave. There were not any requests that we haven’t been able to fulfill.”

Going back to the story

That guy we were talking about at the beginning of this post? The opportunities that guy snags through his networking and willingness to inquire have all set him up with the experience he has needed to go onto the next endeavor. He’s experience and skill-hungry, and that’s what drives him to ask.

Ask and see what happens. If what comes of it instead is collaboration or goal alignment, those are a couple of pretty great things to work with. You will either get what you ask for, or gain the knowledge on how to get it; neither will come by staying silent. While most organizations or even coworkers are out to please, they aren’t mind readers and they won’t know what’s important to you — unless you speak up and just ask.

Raj Sheth is the CEO and Co-Founder of Recruiterbox.com, a Web-based recruitment software that helps growing companies manage their incoming job applications.

TalentCulture is a vibrant open online community, driven by professionals who share a passion for innovation, collaboration and a desire to advance the world of work. Join their #TChat Events every Wednesday from 6:30 – 8:00 p.m. EST, or join the ongoing conversation anytime at #TChat on Twitter.

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With the popularity of social media and the way it’s changed how the world communicates, reports news, conducts business and makes hiring decisions, some traditional practice for sharing information and insights have become a thing of the past.

Social media is an awesome tool for advancement if used wisely, but it’s not the end-all-be-all when it comes to sealing a deal, landing a gig or getting new business. (Click here to tweet this thought.) There are still some old-school — or what could be deemed as old-school in this age of Facebook updates and Twitter beefs — practices that are relevant today and can lead to big wins in one’s career.

Check out three and see how they might fit into the way you communicate and network, especially as a young professional…

Read more at Black Enterprise…

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It’s easy to set goals with these metrics in mind, but what type of day-to-day adjustments will improve these numbers and allow you to reach your goals? Let’s start with one easy step.

The 50 percent rule

The 50 percent rule says you should make sure the candidate is speaking at least 50 percent of the time in each conversation you have with them. (Click here to Tweet this rule.) Fifty percent is a bare minimum or baseline. If the candidate ends up talking 70 to 80 percent of the time on a phone call, that’s great.

Do you talk more than 50 percent on your calls? Some recruiters are above 75 percent. Start noticing your ratio and work toward bringing your number below 50 percent. The easiest way to change this ratio is to ask questions and listen to the answers, and not interrupt.

How can one minor change improve nearly every area of your recruiting? The 50 percent rule allows you to build more rapport with each candidate you speak with.

It’s natural to want to talk at least half the time on a phone call. You have an urge to talk, and the candidate does, too. Whoever talks more will probably walk away from the call feeling more satisfied and comfortable. Whose comfort is more important to you?

Rapport is essential

Rapport gives you credibility. Learning to be a better listener early in the recruiting process helps you build trust with each candidate down the road. You’ll have a better understanding of their concerns, and you’ll have more influence when you make suggestions in the later stages.

This relationship is what makes candidates pay attention when you explain why it might make sense for them to take a lateral move or why the job you have for them is a better opportunity than the position they’re considering. Without this connection, you’ll have less control as the interview process moves forward.

Strong rapport will help you work with candidates to overcome obstacles and deal-breakers. The end result is that you’ll place more candidates in jobs.

Additional benefits

Being silent for a larger portion of each call has some additional benefits.

Most recruiters talk too much, so you’re going to sound different if you use the 50 percent rule. Candidates will notice your ability to listen, and you’ll separate yourself from other recruiters, especially the newer ones.

When asking for referrals, a bit of silence after your initial question encourages the candidate to think harder and put more effort into coming up with names. Resist the urge to start talking again if you haven’t heard an immediate response.

This is true in other parts of the conversation, too. Don’t be afraid of silence. The 50 percent rule gives you more time to think during each conversation. This can help you come up with ideas to overcome objections or handle obstacles that arise.

All of this will result in an increase in the number of candidates who allow you to submit them for jobs. Of the candidates you submit, a greater percentage will become placements, and you’ll earn far more money as a recruiter.

Biron Clark is an executive recruiter specializing in the biopharmaceutical industry. He’s also a career advice blogger and founder of www.careersidekick.com. You can find him on LinkedIn here.

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What’s the difference?

• Tattling: ratting out a coworker so you look better; always mentioning every single time they slack off or make a personal call at work.
• Telling: expressing your discomfort or concern about when you witness something that could hurt the company’s reputation.

Many employees believe telling makes others see you as having loose lips and being untrustworthy. But the truth is, with enough cause, people will support you and intervene to help you resolve the situation in order to protect the company.

Below are five ways to know when it’s clear you should tell your boss:

1. When you’re following professional standards

Most situations that involve unprofessional behavior in the workplace are cause for report. Your company spends time and money creating handbooks and professional policies to follow. Companies don’t take these violations lightly.

If your coworker spends a few minutes talking about last night’s football game instead of working at their desk, chances are it’s not worth bringing up to the boss. But if a serious policy has been broken, take action. (Click here to Tweet this thought.) When you report sexual harassment, for example, you’re protecting yourself, others and your company’s reputation.

Put a stop to blatantly inappropriate behavior and know your boss will appreciate that you embraced their standards.

2. When you know the facts

When you’re considering reporting a coworker, make sure all of your allegations are valid and documented. Keep track of misbehaviors by writing down dates and details of the events. This way, you have an arsenal of evidence to support your claim. Don’t run screaming to your boss because you heard negative gossip about a coworker. Make sure you’ve witnessed the behavior firsthand.

Also be sure to ask yourself why you’re telling the boss. If it’s to teach someone a lesson for annoying you, it’s time to reconsider. Put aside your personal opinions and things that don’t pertain to the workplace. Remember, it’s not the coworker’s personality that’s brought to attention; it’s their actions.

3. When you’re protecting the integrity of the company

If a coworker is doing something detrimental, it’s your job to protect the company and consider your responsibility to your clients. It’s one thing if a coworker is slacking off on their own time, but another if they’re having a negative impact on customers.

Let’s say you work at a commercial real estate business where you deal with customers and clients every day. You repeatedly hear a coworker being rude to clients over the phone, causing a loss in customers and sales. It doesn’t take much for someone to go online and start bashing the company. By not taking action to stop your coworker, you miss a chance to prevent your company’s reputation from taking a nosedive.

4. When you’re keeping your work climate in control

Sometimes a coworker can have such a toxic relationship with other employees that the entire office gets drained of energy. By not reporting it, you’re enabling the person to continue their pattern of behavior, which can slow the work progress of the whole team.

Putting a stop to their unsavory behavior can alleviate tension and stress between coworkers. Perhaps you can encourage your boss to produce a survey on the climate of your workplace. They’ll be thankful for feedback, too.

5. When you’re saving yourself and others

A lot of people think reporting will come back to cause them extra stress. Though it can be tempting to push the situation aside to avoid conflict, confront the issue.

Patience and tolerance can only go so far when it comes to letting things go. If you keep your feelings pent up, the situation can get ugly fast. You don’t want to look like the unprofessional one who’s lost their temper.

Other advice

Coworkers who slack off or don’t pull their weight aren’t always reason to tattle. You could always confront them calmly and give them constructive criticism.

Always seek clarification, and don’t play the blame game. Don’t approach your boss and dump a bunch of accusations. Instead, share your concerns and ask for advice on how to handle the situation. Chances are, your boss will take matters into their own hands.

Remain professional and listen well. Your boss will be grateful for a hint at what’s going on outside of their door. Showing you trust them will also help you build a mutual respect between you and your boss.

At the end of the day, know why you’re reporting. You should feel guilt-free if you’ve focused on facts, not your personal opinion. After all, you’re protecting the company, your fellow coworkers and yourself from a potentially hostile work environment.

Scott Huntington is a writer, reporter and entrepreneur. He covers a variety of topics in his blog, Blogspike. He lives in Pennsylvania with his wife and son. You can follow Scott at @SMHuntington.

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It’s come to light that one of the main reasons for all the technical snafus seems to be a basic lack of communication — the sort many have experienced in offices and organizations nationwide. Software engineers recognized emerging concerns, but didn’t always feel free (or able) to honestly discuss them with the Oval Office.

A recent article on Forbes discusses the similarity between this “communication breakdown” and the situation many of us face at work:

Where have I heard this before? The short answer is—in my discussions with managers and executives from all kinds of organizations that are, to coin a phrase, conversation-challenged. By this I mean that the organizational cultures do not invite people at various levels to share ideas, concerns, and information needed to successfully complete projects. I would say most organizations fall into this trap at one point or another.

And it’s not just a failing of large bureaucracies, although that is undoubtedly a big part of the problem with the Obamacare launch. All you need is a manager or some other leader who, unintentionally or otherwise, is in the unfortunate habit of killing good conversations. These people are “terminators” rather than “continuers” of conversation.

You can read the full article here.

Regardless of where the finger-pointing takes us, the healthcare debacle serves as a cautionary tale of why employees should be encouraged to speak up when they have a good idea or notice something wrong. It’s a lesson that’s applicable to all of us, whether we’re managers, workers or freelancers afraid of raising an issue with our clients. Where communication is “terminated,” success rates also suffer.

Have you ever experienced a “communication breakdown” at work? How do you think these situations can be addressed?

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Employers are looking for individuals who know how to think on their feet, can adapt quickly and can communicate effectively. Reframing a work travesty by offering up solid, well-researched solution in a timely manner will prove to your boss you’re not only a thinker, but also a doer with management potential.

So when that moment strikes and you have to break bad news to the person determining if you can to go home for the holidays, consider the following strategies:

1. Bring the whole story to the table

Rushing to squeal that the keynote speaker for your annual conference just got a DUI isn’t going to make anyone’s day any better.

Before you make a move, consider the source. Is this information coming from a credible outlet or individual? Providing disturbing yet uninformed information is problematic. Do your research (quickly!) so you can provide context to the decision-maker. Then they can make an informed choice on how to proceed.

Knowing all the details helps frame the situation, allows for the best decision-making to occur and makes you look like a mature and informed colleague rather than an opportunistic tattletale.

2. Be an objective party

Taking sides and passing blame does nothing to solve the problem. Instead, you’ll only paint yourself in a negative and self-serving manner — the complete opposite of what you want.

While this doesn’t mean you should keep secret any pertinent information you have regarding the problem, you also don’t need to wrap a particular person up in a bow and affix them to a bull’s eye.

Referencing the person at fault isn’t necessary to solving the immediate problem, and if necessary at all, should be set to the side until a solution has been found. Dodging any assertions of blame helps you to avoid looking like you’re stepping on another employee to make yourself look good. Plus, you’ll protect your working relationships with all parties involved — including the idiot who ordered 200 bottles of pineapple juice instead of Pinot Grigio for the donor banquet.

3. Present problem-solving options

You’ll accomplish nothing if all you do is break bad news empty-handed. Options are necessary. To lessen the likelihood of being on the receiving end of reactionary insults, make sure to come with alternatives in hand.

You serve little purpose if all you can do is deliver stress-inducing updates. Research both cost- and time-effective alternatives and assess expected output so you can present options to your employer.

But keep in mind that offering effective solutions requires more than just a Google search and a few thrown-together spreadsheets. No solution can be implemented without employee energy, so assess the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of each potential solution. Take these actions to significantly reduce the time and cost of the mistake — and to simultaneously paint yourself as a proactive and strategic thinker.

 Breaking bad news is never easy, but reframing a negative situation into a positive opportunity for yourself can be beneficial both for you and your company.

The next time someone accidentally sends the salary listing for every employee in your company to every employee in your company, don’t fret. Get the whole story, be objective and come with a solution in hand.

Sarah Colomé, M.S. is an educator, advocate and the SOARS Booking Director for A Long Walk Home, Inc. Based in Chicago, Sarah has traveled both nationally and internationally as a competitive collegiate public speaker and teaches on topics related to social justice and diversity, health education, sexual violence and persuasive speaking. Follow her on Twitter @sarahcolome.

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Want to know how the art of persuasion works? The following three significant public speeches illustrate fundamental components. Each oratorical masterpiece offers practical ideas you can use in your next career-defining presentation or pitch.

Make your speech relevant

If you want your speech to persuade your listeners, make sure the content is relevant. Offer a message that speaks directly to your audience.

When John F. Kennedy made his inaugural address in 1961, he spoke against the background of the Cold War. His speech painted a clear picture of the freedoms he was guaranteeing against the threat from behind the Iron Curtain.

To persuade your audience, illustrate your point with three practical steps. Having identified the fears of most Americans, Kennedy made three promises: to protect friendly nations against the Soviet threat, to support the work of the United Nations and to seek new ways of ending the arms race with the Soviet Union.

The speech pulled no punches; it was honest but encouraging. Much of the American public bought into Kennedy’s dream.

A business speech should also be of the moment. Discuss with colleagues what issues the audience is facing and follow up with three simple steps to counter those challenges. For each step, look for opportunities to stress your point to ensure your message is understood and retained.

Keep your message simple

There’s no room for complicated ideas and arguments when seeking to win over people’s hearts and minds. (Click here to Tweet this thought.) Many great speakers practice simplicity.

One of the best examples, which is also one of the most well-known, is Winston Churchill’s speech in June 1940. Churchill needed to rally Britain after early setbacks against Hitler’s Germany had left his nation under threat of invasion.

The beauty of Churchill’s speech lies in the concluding paragraphs. Having detailed the dire circumstances arising from the military disaster at Dunkirk and Hitler’s plan to invade, he cast aside all of the questions and doubts with one very simple message:

We shall go on to the end… We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender.

This speech brought hope to a worried nation.

When you’re presenting complex ideas, be clear and concise. Pick a single message and reinforce that message in the summary of your ideas. Review Churchill’s words and look at how repeatedly he used the “we shall fight” refrain. To persuade your audience, create your own simple summary that leaves your key message firmly fixed in people’s minds.

Present your message to all

When Martin Luther King, Jr. made his famous “I Have a Dream” speech in August 1963, it was relevant, and his message simple. His “I have a dream” refrain also stayed in people’s minds. But the speech he gave was so powerful for another reason: unity.

Detailing the shame African-Americans were forced to live with, King’s speech could easily have been seen as divisive. He avoided this by making sure his assertions for the future of race relations included references to the white community as well.

Who can forget the non-threatening image of “Right there in Alabama, little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers”?

King’s uncompromising message was presented to the entire population, and in doing so, the message became inclusive and empowering rather than exclusive and threatening.

When you attempt to persuade people, your message should be inclusive. Your audience will all have vested interests, different agendas and individual concerns. Consider the needs of all the stakeholders present and talk to their interests, agendas and concerns. Don’t take a “one size fits all” approach; instead, try to engage every member of your audience.

Crafting a memorable speech that communicates your message effectively means using these simple techniques. Adapt the content of your message and use some of the techniques from John F. Kennedy, Winston Churchill and Martin Luther King, Jr. You’ll be on your way to ensuring your message is taken away by your audience.

Josh Hansen writes on behalf of Edison Red, a London-based team of experts who help companies and individuals communicate their ideas by improving their presentation skills. They run one-on-one sessions, as well as in-house and open courses, for a wide range of clients, helping them to be the best they can be.

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That’s right. Can you imagine giving up email? I wasn’t so sure about it either. But after a year working at WordPress, I understood how an entire online organization could not only function without email — they also were more productive.

Email is first thing you check in the morning, and it’s your last thought before shutting down at the end of the day. The piles and piles of important (and not-so-important) messages hitting your inbox every second… you’re probably stressed just thinking about it. Read on to learn how it’s possible to completely cut email out of your life.

How can any modern organization function without email, much less one as successful as WordPress?

First, it’s important to recognize that, despite everyone’s complaints about endless streams of useless email, most people are dubious about following WordPress’s lead to email liberation. We have a deeply ingrained distrust when it comes to alternatives, which is odd given how we pride ourselves on being early adopters of new ideas.

Email is an old technology, older than the Web itself by more than a decade. So why do we cling so tightly to our “cc” lines and attachments?

The reasons have little to do with technology

All technologies are good for some tasks and bad for others. If a technology annoys you, it probably has more to do with how the people around you use it than the technology itself. (Click here to Tweet this thought.)

Consider this: for all our technological progress, we’ve yet to invent anything that makes coworkers write clear, jargon-free paragraphs. We have yet to find a way to get them to actually read, not skim, the well-crafted things we send their way. It’s our culture that defines these habits, not the tools we’re using. Culture bends technology to its will, not the other way around.

Most annoying business emails have two purposes, neither of which get meaningful work done:

1. The ass-covering email

Email is broadcast to entire divisions simply to ensure no one can say they didn’t hear about a decision. Email is a weapon used for pre-emptive political strikes by the sender to attack everyone on the distribution list. We hate email because we feel like email victims at the mercy of self-interested people who don’t share our goals.

2. The “hey look what I did!” email

For people who don’t actually create things for their job, email is the only visible, tangible thing they make all day. Dysfunctional, insecure cultures confuse the meta-work of email and PowerPoint decks for the actual work of helping customers.

In these environments, people feel obligated to send more emails and create larger and larger documents to give the perception that they’re working hard. It’s a downward spiral of anti-productivity.

WordPress avoids these problems because most of their 170 employees do actual work — they write code, design features or directly help customers. And they’re empowered to be aggressive in their jobs, making live changes to the service dozens of times a day with no approval chain or executive review board.

There’s little fear of crossing political turf and no need to show off as their work speaks for itself. The result is that their communication channels have a high signal-to-noise ratio.

Why dysfunctional email is holding back your organization

Putting WordPress aside for the moment, email has several fundamental disadvantages that are rarely discussed:

1. Email empowers the sender

The sender can fill your inbox with whatever they like and as frequently as they like. Many receivers use filters and rules as countermeasures.

2. Email is a closed channel

There’s no way to see an email if you’re not included on the ‘‘to’’ list, forcing work groups to err on the side of carpet bombing entire project teams or even companies. We all feel that only a fraction of the email we receive has direct relevance to us as individuals. Email tends to bury people in “FYI” communications — needless messages unworthy for inboxes.

3. Email decays over time

If someone writes a great email, an employee has to do something to preserve it. Otherwise, it sits in an inbox, never to be seen by new employees. Over time, that organizational knowledge fades away.

How WordPress evades the email trap

The single tool most WordPress employees use is — surprise — blogs!

The dominant blog structure WordPress staff use is the P2 theme, which was specifically designed for teamwork. The specifications and spreadsheets that might be sent over email at your average company are simply posted on blogs for each team or project. Most discussions happen in comment threads, chat rooms or on Skype. If you care about that project, you follow the blog. If you don’t, you don’t.

Blogs, and P2s in particular, are designed to serve each employee’s individual needs:

1. Readers, not senders, choose what gets read

Employees can pick which project blogs they want to follow and can ignore the ones that have no value for their work.

2. Readers choose how often and in what form they want 
to read

There are many different tools available for reading blog posts. If you really want to receive post updates by email, you can! But you get to choose. So if email’s not your thing, no problem. You can use RSS or other methods.

3. Blogs are easy to access, search and reference

That great list of ideas you wrote a year ago won’t get buried and lost in people’s inboxes. As a blog post, the link will always be available and can be searched and skimmed just like all the blogs on the Web you read every day.

Of course, there’s more to the story. WordPress has no schedules. There are few meetings and fewer rules. And the kicker to all of it is every employee works remotely from anywhere in the world they want. How do employees in such a progressive culture still get work done? You’ll have to read the book to find out!

Scott Berkun is the author of the new book The Year Without Pants: WordPress.com and the Future of Work. He has written four previous books. His popular essays and entertaining lectures can be found at his blog at www.scottberkun.com.

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But so much goes into a good “ask” that it can be intimidating–and confusing. How do you phrase it? When do you ask? How do you set yourself up for a yes?

On her site It Starts With, Sarah K. Peck recently posted a master course on the art of asking for what you want–and getting it. As she writes:

There seems to be a magical art behind creating a great ask, and we all know stories of people who seem to get exactly what they want whenever they ask. Magicians who bend and will the world to their ways. Why is this? What are they doing that no one else seems to be doing? How do they ask for what they want and seem to get it every time?

Culturally, it’s not always the norm to ask directly for what you want–or we do a terrible job of it (and women are worse, according to The New York Times). Instead of specifying what we want, we hem and haw about ideas, often walking away from great conversations without clearly articulating our message, what we hope to achieve, and how the other person can directly help us.

To read the full post on to how to get what you ask for–including persuasion tactics, example scripts and other great tips–click here.

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Were you the one who ended up doing 90 percent of the work? Did you find your dislike for your group members increasing with every passing day? Did you swear to yourself that when you got into the “real” world, you’d never be part of a group project again?

How did that work out for you?

There’s an old business cliché about having lots of responsibility and no authority. It’s the worst of both worlds. But if you find yourself in a position where you’re the project or team leader, you may be in exactly that situation.

Once again you have to try to get “cross-functional” peers to coordinate with each other and care as much about your particular outcome as their own.

So, how do you get people to help you when they don’t want to?

If you’re faced with the inevitable task of getting a group to get something done, start by being aware of what doesn’t work:

1. Doing all or most of the work yourself

This approach usually fails. First, it’s impossible for you to do it all. Second, the rest of the team eventually starts to resent your takeover—they don’t want to do the work, but they definitely don’t want you controlling everything.

2. Trying to get the team to agree on who should do what

You could try to involve the whole team in deciding how to divide up all the work fairly, then collaborate and cooperate to get it done. But this is a recipe for disaster. That approach also fails much of the time. Democracy is a great political system. Not so great as a management system.

3. Tattling on the weakest links

Don’t run to your boss or the team sponsor to complain about all of the “do-nothings” you’ve been stuck with. Nobody likes a tattletale or a wuss, and it does absolutely nothing to solve the problem.

Okay, we‘ve covered what not to do.

So how do you get people to do things they don’t want to do?

1. Make friends before you make progress

You’ve probably heard the saying “you catch more flies with honey than with vinegar.” The time to get to know people—genuinely—is before you need their help.

Smile, joke around, take an interest in others and let them talk about themselves. Nothing greases the wheel better than a little humor and a little genuine friendliness. And when you form alliances, you can bring more people on board to collectively advocate for your idea.

2. Extend the first favor

What goes around comes around. Do favors for people, then ask them to do favors for you in return. The sequence is critical here—don’t ask for favors unless you’re in the habit of doing them.

3. Ask, don’t tell

Don’t come into the first meeting with your agenda neatly written out, the project plan defined, deadlines set, milestones identified, and the font that will be used on the eventual project report chosen.

Instead, start with some questions: What are we trying to accomplish? What does success look like? What are some key questions we should think about before starting?

When you ask questions, people have to start thinking about answers. When they do, they start to “own” the answers—and voila!—you’ve got commitment. Bringing the group together to answer these questions builds mutual purpose and helps identify broad goals that everyone shares.

So, is that it?

Just follow those three steps and you’ll be a successful project leader?

Well, sort of. But add this part: Lather, rinse, repeat.

Getting people to do what they absolutely, positively don’t want to do is not a one-shot effort. You’ve got to keep at it.

But it’s better than doing all of the work yourself, right?

Sue Matson is a partner and no-nonsense executive coach with rd&partners headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. Follow Sue and rd&partners on Twitter or read more articles like this on her blog.

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And it’s not about wielding a megaphone—you understand the subtle science of persuasion, how to build a powerful argument and what buttons to push to communicate your idea. Plus, you’re flexible enough to adapt your lingo to any environment, audience or situation.

With this marketable skill, you can stand out in almost any field. In fact, clear communication was listed as the number one must-have job skill in a recent Wall Street Journal article.

Yet there are some jobs in particular where stellar communication skills can truly skyrocket your career. Check out these top gigs for savvy communications:

1. Social Media Manager

With your knowledge of the latest trends and technology, you’re at the forefront of marketing and outreach. Anyone can run a basic Twitter feed, but you distinguish yourself by deftly communicating your brand’s unique vision, style and voice. You know your audience inside and out, and that lets you build real connections—even if it is through a computer screen.

Average Salary: $57,000

2. Nurse

Clear communications between healthcare teams is crucial—especially in pressure valve situations like the ER. But when you’re a nurse, connecting with patients is just as important. Whether you’re persuading a patient to forego steak dinners in favor of heart health, explaining a recovery plan or keeping a kid calm in a scary situation, the ability to choose your words well is key.

Average Salary: $65,000

3. Software Developer

Whether it’s fair or not, techies are notorious for being bad communicators. Yet as a software engineer—the creative mind behind computer programs—you’re way ahead if you can communicate well with your team. And if you’re gifted at translating tech lingo into language anybody could understand, you’ll really stand out in this industry.

Average Salary: $90,000

4. PR Specialist

As a PR specialist, you don’t just spread the good news about your company—you’re excellent at putting out PR fires, too. Your communication skills get a workout as you make announcements, network with media contacts or smooth over public scandals with your talk talent.

Average Salary: $57,000

5. Interpreter

Your basic job is translating a message, but it’s so much more than getting words in the right order. Especially in a healthcare or business setting, you’ve got to be a master of cross-cultural conversations. By conveying subtle social cues and nuances, you ensure your client’s point isn’t lost in the crossfire.

Average Salary: $43,000

6. Makeup Artist

Successful makeup artists bring creative vision and true flexibility to every project. Your career often involves interpreting somebody else’s idea—whether you’re creating a look to complement a fashion designer’s new collection or figuring out how a bride wants to appear on her big day. By listening, clarifying and working with each client, you deliver a final product that’s both creative and beautiful.

Average Salary: $64,000

7. Wedding Planner

Genius organizer…crafty mastermind…brilliant diplomat. These are just a few descriptions of a stand-out wedding planner. Your clear directions, calm head and tactful words guarantee each event runs as smooth as butter—even if you’re dealing with a bridezilla.

Average Salary: $45,000

8. Film Editor

Film editors are all about visual communication. But your way with words comes into play, too, because this job is highly collaborative: you work with sound designers, producers and directors to create the final cut. Your tact and eloquence allows you to navigate other’s priorities and stay true to your own artistic vision.

Average Salary: $45,000

9. Political Organizer

Political organizers juggle many balls in order to build momentum around a movement—whether it’s a cause or a campaign. This job has communication at its core: as you coordinate events, rallies and fundraising galas, you talk with hundreds of people from every walk of life. Your sharp verbal skills bring people together to give money, donate time and spread the word.

Average Salary: Varies widely

10. Sales Manager

Sales—it’s the ultimate communication industry. And sales managers run the show. Whether you’re focused on customer-oriented work, overseeing your brand ambassadors or reporting to higher-ups, you tailor your lingo differently for each audience. If you thrive on high-pressure and fast talking, this gig could be ideal.

Average Salary: $98,000

Salary data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Annie Favreau works for Inside Jobs, a site that helps people discover strong careers and connect with the right education to achieve their goals. Follow her on Twitter at @InsideJobs!

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The post 10 Great Gigs for Savvy Communicators appeared first on Brazen Life.

But the truth is that challenging your boss—the right way—can actually help your career. As Work Awesome writes:

If you are able to challenge your boss successfully without gloating, he will feel more comfortable to approach you for feedback and further ideas. Your future opinions will be highly valued, and you might discover that your boss will go out of his way to seek you out specifically.

You can check out the full post, with tips on constructive ways to challenge your boss, here.

You don’t have to be afraid to confront the head honcho; you just need to know the right way to go about it. And if you do, it can be a great way to separate yourself from the pack.

Have you ever been in a position to challenge your boss? How did you handle it?

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Unfortunately, people tend to judge only what they choose to see. For example, if you’re late to work, the automatic judgement might be that it’s because you’re irresponsible and can’t manage your time. Yikes! Why couldn’t they see the accident and traffic jam during your commute or the sick child you had to help?

Where we go wrong

The problem with these judgements is that you probably do the exact same thing. We tend to believe that others’ problems are due to others’ imperfections, whereas we think our own problems are situational.

What makes the error worse is that we flip attributions when describing ourselves.

Ask yourself: Do you have a tendency to discount others’ situations when describing their actions? Do you always have a reason or an excuse for your own problems?

This is a recognized phenomenon called the Fundamental Attribution Error (FAE). Being able to identify and diagnose its effects will enable you to build stronger relationships both at home and in the workplace.

Why does this happen?

We find causes or attributions only where we look for them.

The good news is that there is one consistent way to make sure your own judgement isn’t being clouded by the FAE. The most formidable combatant against the perils of the the FAE is time. Experiments have shown that the greater the distance between incident and attribution, the more we are willing to consider the importance of the situation.

For example, think about presidential elections. One experiment asked voters why one candidate prevailed over another the day after the election. As the FAE predicts, people attributed the victor’s personal character and beliefs to his triumph. When voters were asked the same question a year later, they were much more willing to allow for the effects of the situation on the voting base, such as the economy, unemployment rates or mood of the country.

What you can do

Challenge yourself to put as much time as you can between incident and attribution.

Allow a cool-down period after you walk out of the boss’s office before you try to decide why he’s so stressed out.

Don’t forget the saying “put yourself in their shoes.” It’s cliched, perhaps, but a valid point just the same. Train yourself to ask the question: If I were in the same situation, would I have faired any better?

With a bit of humility, perspective and time, we may yet be able to improve our judgment of others and create a better workplace, home and society.

Ben Drake is an Air Force Officer, grad student and the Communications and Branding Lead at @be_influential. Create your portfolio today and show the world what you have to offer.

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The post The Error You Make Every Day That Keeps You from Building Strong Relationships appeared first on Brazen Life.

Now, the dilemma:

When I decided to make this test drive my goal, I was 23 with no money, no connections and no credentials. I knew I didn’t have the pull to rent one for the day. That takes some pretty killer insurance and about $2,000. I certainly didn’t have any friends I could borrow one from.

My only option was to test drive one at the dealership. But let’s get real here: I was just a kid walking into a room full of cars that all cost more than my parents’ house.

My toolset was slim, but I did have one ace in my pocket. I decided to use something I’d learned in college, of all places. (Gulp.) It’s little technique we Communications majors call “framing.”

What is framing?

Framing is a technique that almost all high-performing negotiators use to control the flow and outcome of a conversation in crucial closing situations. Although you may have never heard of it, you’ve probably used it a time or two in your life. The basic concept is pretty simple, but it can take years to master. Here’s what it looks like:

1. Start with a clear idea of where you want the interaction with the other person to go.

2. Assume a firm rooting in your perception of reality. This becomes your truth. This is where you will act and speak from. You will invite the other person into your domain, not go into theirs.

3. Create the dominant “frame” by identifying and negating objections before the other party even has a chance to raise them.

4. Steer the conversation towards collaboration. Allow the other party to feel important in the conversation, all the while keeping your desired outcome in mind.

Spoiler alert: this technique works. I ended up whipping a neon orange Gallardo all around the city that day after casting my spell.

How did this textbook approach get me from the street into the driver’s seat of a $200,000 car?

Let’s look at the framework in action:

1. Clarity

The first step was clarity of purpose. That day, I knew I was going to drive my dream car. Period. There was no other potential outcome in my mind. Surprisingly, knowing exactly where I was going actually made the situation a lot less stressful.

2. Belief

The second step was strong belief. I was firmly rooted in my truth and acted from that position. The moment I walked in the door, I presented myself to the dealers with absolute confidence and announced, quite matter-of-factly, that I was car shopping. There was no tentativeness or hesitance in my voice. I had conviction. They didn’t know who I was, how much I had or what I was capable of. Who were they to question me?

Most people get shy or scared, assuming authority figures will ask for some sort of “proof” of worthiness. Oftentimes, this is not just so. If you firmly believe your identity, so will others. Your proof is the way you carry yourself.

3. Identify objections

Next, I identified the objections the dealership might have with me driving the car and addressed the issues before they even had time to register what was going on. Before the dealer could even muster a “hello, how are you?” I’d already handed him my credit card and my license for safekeeping.

The message: “This is not my first rodeo. I plan on driving a car today.” I now had clear control of the frame, and he was living in my world.

4. Collaboration

I knew that to pull this off, I needed to make the dealer feel important. Controlling the frame too aggressively at first can lead to hesitance by the other party. I made sure to ask plenty of questions that would make the salesman feel like an expert, but I also remembered to use affirmative language such as “When I’m driving today, should I use the pedal shifters or the stick?” This language assumes I will be driving the car as planned, and now I’m just looking for some last-minute details.

After about 20 minutes, he headed to the back to get the keys, and I had the one of the best days of my life. The major lesson for me here was something that I’d always known, but needed to experience firsthand: the person with the dominant reality controls the framework of the conversation. The person who controls the framework controls the outcome.

It goes without saying that this power should only be used with positive intent. Don’t use it to lie or deceive others. Instead, use it to direct situations that would normally leave you feeling powerless. From the classroom to the boardroom to the showroom, having the ability to assert yourself and control the conversation by framing it properly can help you move swiftly and stand out amongst peers who sway in the tides of everyone else’s opinions.

Daniel DiPiazza teaches aspiring entrepreneurs how they can become self-employed, create wealth and help people by launching their online startups at his blog and through his program Rich20Something.

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Name: Jason Parker

Age: 24

So what do you do at Brazen?

I’m director of strategic partnerships & college strategy. I create high-level relationships with potential partners, manage our sponsored and hosted events program and oversee the college strategy division.

What you did before Brazen?

I was the marketing director for a recruiting placement organization, I was also a recruiter for that same organization. In addition, I had a side-hustle as a social media consultant, working with nonprofit clients.

Tell us something unique about you.

I play Ultimate Frisbee and volunteer with the Washington Area Frisbee Club. Additionally, I serve as the chair of the Career Committee with Gettysburg College’s BOLD Council. Secretly, I’m a fantastic cook, and love to get creative in the kitchen.

What is one thing that has helped you advance in your career?

Learn how to ask for help effectively. Demonstrate willingness to take ownership of new projects but set expectations correctly. If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that you UNDERPROMISE and OVERDELIVER. Essentially, it all breaks down to “soft” skills. You have to be able to communicate to be effective.

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by Niki Pocock

I have discovered the hardest part of communications: literalists. Now, don’t get me wrong. I’m always up for a challenge, but it has taken me many years to realize that not everyone’s brain is wired like mine.

I think this is the most evident in project development and brainstorming, arguably the most crucial stage of an endeavor. I tend to think in broad terms and can envision everything I want to do: the end product, including all of its elements and steps to get there, in a nice, neat package in my mind. The challenge is to communicate the exact dimensions, color, taste, smell and texture of the package to everyone else.

Maybe I’m the weird one (wouldn’t be the first time). Maybe I’m the one with the mis-wired brain. I’ll use my husband as an example because he is a software computer engineer. (I’m not one to perpetuate on stereotypes, but he is a bit literal and tends to think only in zeros and ones.) If I have a project in my mind, I might bounce my ideas off of him. (If nothing else, he gives brutally honest feedback, and I love him for it.) If I say I’m thinking of getting children to attend a press conference to reveal a new healthy lifestyle initiative for kids (completely made-up event), he would say, “Yeah, but you should get your executive director to attend, too.” In my mind, that is a given.

Same thing if I’m presenting a project about a new website design and I display a proposed design with gibberish filler text. I (more than once from more than one company) am asked, “Why do you have the text in Latin? I think it would be better in English. And shouldn’t the text give visitors info about (insert client topic)?” Same thing with just showing one page of a site. “I think we should change it to have more of a variety of text and pictures so it isn’t the same exact thing on each page.” Also, both givens in my mind.

Or say I work on a rebranding effort and present a general scheme, proposed ads, proposed billboards, business cards, etc. I will always get the question, “But how will I fit all the stuff from the ads on our memos?”

These people are not stupid. They are actually rather brilliant. So why can’t they see beyond the exact image in front of them? I’m about 99.9 percent sure it is me, but seriously: should you really present everything—down to the location of garbage cans at an event and every word on a website—in order to get an idea across? What happens if the entire idea is axed? Do you do it all over again?

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