Just Ask!

Ask and you shall receive & knock and it shall be opened &send an email and see what happens. As a student of personal finance you are probably familiar with the advice to negotiate with your credit card companies to get a lower interest rate. Why stop there? There is hardly anything that can't be gotten for less than what is being asked if you are smart and creative about asking. Since you are reading this on a computer, let's start there. Got AOL? I called AOL and they gave me two months of free service. Here is how it went... AOL: How can I make your online experience more enjoyable? (I should have said give me 6 free months!) ME: Well first, I was wondering how long I have been a member of AOL. AOL: April 1995 ME: That's a long time. What would happen if I got a new computer and they offered me a free year of AOL. AOL: Your account would be credited for that year. ME: Well, since I've been a valued customer for such a long time could you give me 3 or 4 free months? AOL: I'd like to ...can you hold? ME: Sure AOL: My supervisor has authorized me to give you 2 free months. Is that OK? ME: Sure. AOL: Leo, let me ask you... is the reason you called today to get some free months? ME: Well, I really wanted to find out how long I'd been a member but YES, since I've been a loyal customer. Thanks! You'll notice that FIRST, I established how long I had been a member. Even if I knew the answer to the question I would still have had him look it up so HE knew. Seven years as an AOL member established that I was a VALUED (valuable) customer. This is when I asked for the free months. If he had said "no" I would have asked to speak to his supervisor but he did that for me. I'm not sure who said it but I like the lesson "never accept a NO from someone not empowered to give you a YES!" Got Road Runner? I got this idea from one of my subscribers. Locally, Time Warner is offering new subscribers a special six month rate of $29.95 instead of the normal $49.95. She was already a Road Runner subscriber but she called and asked for the $29.95 rate since she was a "valued customer". They said yes and she saved $120 for a five-minute phone call. Have you been with your Internet Service Provider for a while? Call up and ask them for a few free months. If they are reluctant, you might drop hints about trying another service. In one of my seminars a student commented that she would be afraid "they" would laugh at her if she called and asked for a discount. 1) They probably won't and 2) So what if they did? If they are laughing, ask them if that was a yes or no and then ask to speak with their supervisor say you are upset about the laughing and as a valued customer you'll get your discount! That or have one of your teenage kids make the call they don't take no for an answer do they? If possible, before you are in a position to negotiate, review your assets and what, if anything, can you offer to them? Being a long time customer is an asset and they don't want to lose you. Have a friend who wants to buy the same thing? Bringing a company two sales at one time is an asset. Having influence over a large group who might want to buy what they are selling is a big asset. Paying cash can be an asset. At this writing I have 7700 subscribers to my e-zine. If I see a product on the Internet that I think might be helpful to them I'll contact the seller. I introduce myself and invite them to visit my website to establish some credibility. I'm writing to propose a joint venture that could benefit the merchant, my subscribers and sometimes me. I explain that I would consider endorsing their product or service to my list if it is as good as advertised. If they believe in their product they usually will offer me a FREE review copy of it. In the last month I've gotten $1532 in value (products and services) using the assets I've developed. Can't come up with any assets right now? A former auto salesperson told me his simple 8-word sentence for getting discounts "Is that price the best you can do?" Again, if you get a "no" from anyone other than the owner or manager in the case of a mega-retailer ask, in the nicest way possible, if they could check with the owner/manager to make sure that is the best price. In this live scenario it never hurts to be prepared to leave if they won't deal. Mention you saw the same product somewhere else imply you are going to buy one today from someone. My students have given me many examples of negotiating discounts at places as big as Wal-Mart simply by asking the manager. The worst they can say is no. In my live seminars I recommend never buying a NordicTrac from NordicTrac. You'll find lots of them in next to new condition in the classified section of the newspaper. Make your calls and be sure to mention that there are a lot of them for sale. This raises strong doubt in their mind that they will be able to sell at the price they want and makes them more receptive to a lower price. Negotiating can be fun. It doesn't have to be nerve-wracking. Merchants are used to it and you should get used to it too! Good luck and let me know how it goes for you. Leo J. Quinn, Jr. owner of <a target="_new" href="http://www.LeoQuinn.com">http://www.LeoQuinn.com</a> is a financial educator from the Albany, NY area. For over eight years he has been helping thousands of people get control of their finances and get out of debt in a fraction of the normal time. He has a special offer for readers of this newsletter at <a target="_new" href="http://www.1shoppingcart.com/app/adtrack.asp?AdID=132551">http://www.1shoppingcart.com/app/adtrack.asp?AdID=132551</a>

Communicating Across Time Horizons

There was a time in my life when I sold life insurance. Well, to be frank, I tried to sell life insurance. With little success. And while I didn't sell any insurance, I did learn a thing or two, and I'd like to explore one of them with you today - time horizons. Some of the prospective policyholders I met could visualize themselves well into the future, say 20 or 30 years into the future. They were obviously good prospects for life insurance. Others focused more on the coming year or few years. To them, something that might or might not happen 20 years ahead was a pure abstraction with little relevance. Now, let's put these perspectives into a communication context: When you send or receive messages, do you factor in the time horizon of the person who sent you a message or gets one from you? Let's consider an example that's similar to my experience. Say you're trying to sell mutual funds to a new investor. You enthusiastically point out the possibility of getting rich by saving every month for perhaps 25 years. But the person across the desk looks at you with a blank face. Perhaps he's thinking to himself that the money could be used to pay down the loan on his truck in three years instead of five, and then he could buy a new one much sooner. Or, consider the time horizons that involve communication between managers and the people who report to them. Generally speaking, the higher you are in a hierarchy, the further ahead you're expected to look and anticipate. So, how do you handle messages to people who have different time horizons than you? First, be aware of the possibility that they may exist. Ask a few probing questions that help you find differences. Second, use visualizations that help others imagine the future, and how they'll fit into that picture. For example, companies that sell retirement packages spend a lot of money trying to get us to imagine ourselves basking in luxury on a tropical beach. Third, don't just talk about that future time in an abstract way. Personalize it by explaining how it will affect the person you're addressing. Give that person a stake in the future you foresee. Fourth, get to that future time in steps, not in one big jump. Don't ask a 25 year old to visualize where she'll be at age 65. Instead, talk to her about the typical life styles at ages 35, 45, 55, and 65. Finally, put the processes into reverse if someone else asks you to visualize a time horizon that's unfamiliar. Ask yourself what kind of assumptions and visions he brings to his scenario, and adjust accordingly. In summary, different time horizons can be a barrier to good communication. To overcome these potential barriers you start by first recognizing the possibility of their existence. If they do exist you can use visualization, personalization, and a series of time steps rather than one big jump. Robert F. Abbott writes and publishes Abbott's Communication Letter. Learn how you can use communication to help achieve your goals, by reading articles or subscribing to this ad-supported newsletter. An excellent resource for leaders and managers, at: <a target="_new" href="http://www.communication-newsletter.com">http://www.communication-newsletter.com</a>

Four Ways To Work Out Business Disputes

Business owners have four options to resolve disputes with partners, vendors or customers. Each option is based on different assumptions, and entails a different cost. Therefore, it pays to understand them better. Option #1 ? Direct negotiation Direct negotiation is certainly the cheapest - but not necessarily the easiest ? way to resolve a conflict. A good place to start, is to get clear about what one wants, why, and how much one cares for the future relationship with the other person. The next step, is finding out how the situation looks from the other person's perspective. This task requires effective questioning, listening, and observing. The final negotiation step, is crafting an agreement that both parties believe to be better than all other alternatives. To negotiate successfully one needs some planning, communication and negotiation skills. Without them, it is easy to end up with no deal, or a bad deal, or even a personal war. Option #2 - Mediation The goal of mediation is not to find who is right or wrong, but how the problem at hand can best be resolved. Mediation is a process in which parties who disagree meet with a neutral third-party, who facilitates their negotiations. The mediator doesn't have any decision-making authority. The parties decide how to resolve their problem, in a way that is mutually acceptable. Since mediation is confidential, mediation discussions and materials are not admissible in court. In a sense, when people mediate they have everything to gain and nothing to lose. If they are able to reach a mutually acceptable agreement with the mediator's assistance, that's great. Otherwise, they can still use the remaining two options. And in that case, whatever they have said or heard, offered or counter-offered during mediation, doesn't matter. Option #3 ? Arbitration The business dispute is submitted to a neutral arbitrator, who examines the evidence, listens to the parties and renders a binding decision. The conflicting parties must accept the arbitrator's decision, no matter whether they like it or not. Arbitration is past-oriented, and requires a certain amount of fact-finding. Therefore, generally it takes more time (and money) than mediation, but less than litigation. Option #4 ? Litigation The fourth option is to let the judge decide which party is right or wrong, based on the facts and the law. In actuality, though, the vast majority of civil cases never get that far (some statistics say up to 90%). They settle out of court. A few days ? or even hours ? before the trial, the two conflicting parties, assisted by their respective attorneys, prefer to negotiate their own agreement, rather than running the risk of losing in court. For business owners ? as well as for anyone else - litigation has two major drawbacks. First, it inevitably has a detrimental effect on the future relationship between the parties. Second, it can be quite expensive in terms of time, money and stress. Nonetheless, when a business dispute cannot be resolved any other way, litigation is a valid option. About The Author Giuseppe Leone is a Business and Workplace Mediator. Past President of SPIDR (Society of Professionals in Dispute Resolution) Hawaii Chapter. Mediator for Hawaii District Courts. Email: <a href="mailto:mediationplus@yahoo.com">mediationplus@yahoo.com</a>

Do You Want a Paycheck or a Passion? 10 Qualities Managers are Looking for in Hiring You

Based upon my research of over 300 managers in the last two years, I have found what qualities are most important to hiring managers. You will be in a more competitive advantage if you do a self-assessment to determine if you possess these qualities. If you lack some of these qualities, find a career coach and turn your liability into an asset for any organization. The following are the top ten qualities hiring managers seek. They are not in any particular order. ? Personality Making people feel comfortable when you meet them goes a long way in establishing a business and personal relationship. A smile and a warm greeting in any situation pays big dividends. Always ask about the other person. It makes them feel that you sincerely care about them. ? Verbal and Written Communication Being concise but specific in your communication is very important to anyone in this day of high tech communication. Many times the human factor of thoughtfulness and consideration is abandoned in the technology. A key formula in both written and verbal communication is: Tell'em What You Are Going To Tell'em, Tell'em, and Tell'em What You Told 'Em. ? Team Player Being a team player simply means that one not only does his or her job, but also is honestly willing to support their peers. If another department or group is in need of help, volunteer yourself. Remember, top management really knows who is a team player and who is not. Just keep in mind that there is always an extra set of eyes watching you. ? Listening Skills Have you ever noticed that when you go to a fast food place and you tell them that your order is to go and they ask you, &quot;Is this to go&quot;? How does that make you feel? Right, they are not listening. Listen thoroughly before you speak. That means listen to what's not being said. Then ask open-ended questions, who, what, when, where, why and how to show the other person that you really are listening and that you do care about them. ? Attitude We can train people on how to do a job, but we can't train attitude. Managers look for a positive and sincere attitude when thinking about promoting someone. Always have something positive to say about your company, department and peers. If you don't have something positive to say about them, don't say anything. If asked, be truthful with diplomacy. Remember, attitude is everything. ? Enthusiasm Enthusiastic people seem to radiate confidence and leadership qualities. Think about what you are most enthusiastic about at work and share your enthusiasm with others. It is catching. ? Goal Setting One of the many traits top executive men and women possess is goal setting. They write their goals and read them every day. They make their goals specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and they put a timeline on each one. Be prepared when one day your boss will ask you what are your goals? Write them down and carry them with you daily. Share your goals with a trusted friend of manager. During your performance review, be prepared when your boss ask you what your goals are. ? A Sense of Humor Adding harmless humor to the workplace takes a lot of stress away from the pressures of our daily activities. Life is too short to take seriously. Take your job seriously but not yourself by using your sense of humor. ? Professional Appearance The image we project will determine how others judge us. From our economic heritage to our economic status, our educational heritage to our educational status, our level of sophistication to our income levels we are judged by our appearance. Observe how your senior management projects their image. Take some clues and do the same. ? Life-Long Learning Another common trait top executive men and women share is their quest for knowledge about a variety of subjects. They read about many things that cause them to be creative and knowledgeable. Their attitude is that once they stop learning how to become better at what they do as a person or as a professional, they might as well retire. Show your managers that you are willing and excited about learning. Attend your company's training sessions, establish an executive book club in your department and come up with creative ideas to increase the success of your department and company. Ryan James (R.J.) Lancaster is the president of the Education & Learning Institute, a research, seminar and publishing company. He helps organizations and individuals think differently to ensure their success. He is also a professional speaker and author of E-books. Two of his E-books are: Nice People Do Finish 1st and Great Leaders Make Great Teachers. Contact information: (602) 274-4609 Email: <a href="mailto:rlancaster5@cox.net">rlancaster5@cox.net</a> Website: <a target="_new" href="http://www.rjlancaster.com">http://www.rjlancaster.com</a>

Negotiate Like a P.R.O.

Whether you're negotiating a peace settlement in a war-torn country or a peace settlement in an argument-ravaged relationship, strong preparation is the key to success. The following three steps will help you establish the three keys to your preparation - why you are involved in the negotiation, how you intend to conduct the negotiation, and what are the specific outcomes you are hoping to agree upon. 1. Purpose Knowing why you are engaged in a negotiation may seem obvious in some situations (to buy a lamp, to stop a fight, etc.), but more complex negotiations generally have more complex purposes. Ask yourself: -Why am I negotiating? -What are the potential benefits? -What do I ultimately hope to achieve? 2. Result/Relationship Balance A "transaction" is high result/low relationship - we get what we want, and the other person is incidental to the exchange. Buying a used car is generally a "transaction". "Relationship-builders" are meetings, calls, and exchanges of value where developing the relationship between the two parties is far more important than the actual tangible "result" outcome. Early meetings in any project are usually "relationship-builders" - what gets done is far less important than connections being made. A true "Deal" is where there is a high emphasis on both getting what you want and enhancing your relationship for the future - this "win/win" thinking takes more time and effort, but is essential in any sort of long-term agreement. Successful political (and marital!) negotiations are always predicated on achieving this balance. Give yourself the following test: If you had 20 points to distribute between creating the Result you want and enhancing the Relationship, how would you do it? Example (Result/Relationship): 15/5 - Transaction 5/15 - Relationship builder 10/10 - Deal 3. Outcomes and Options When it comes to negotiation, having a clear outcome, goal, or target in mind has been shown to be one of the primary determinants in how things come out. Ask yourself the following questions: -What specifically do I want? -What specifically do I think they want? -What are some plausible options that will get us both what we want? Bonus Tip: If you're using this to prepare for an important negotiation, take some extra time to answer the questions AS IF you were the other person in the negotiation. You will be pleasantly surprised at the insights you gain from this process. Have fun, learn heaps, and the next time you negotiate, do it like a P.R.O.! Michael Neill is a licensed Master Trainer of NLP and has written over 450 articles on in the areas of business success, money, relationships, health, happiness, well-being, and spirituality. His weekly coaching column is reprinted in newspapers and magazines throughout the world, and can be found online at <a target="_new" href="http://www.geniuscatalyst.com">http://www.geniuscatalyst.com</a>

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