Communication Archives - Page 2 of 6 - Motivational Speeches and books by Snowden McFall

Don’t Let Email Run Your Life

Manage Your Email Time and Reduce Stress

Say No — You don’t have to look at your email all the time….

I’ve heard so many professionals tell me in my speeches that they get hooked by their email and get stressed out. Some even have an alarm that rings or chimes every time a new email comes in. Turn that OFF! No wonder your stress levels are skyrocketing through the roof!
Here are some simple ways to destress your email.

1. Remember Snail Mail? You know, you go to your mailbox, pull out the letters, flyers and junk mail and trash about half of it before you even get home? Do that with email. Organize it into folders: important action, read later, associations,etc. and trash the rest.

2. Only check email 3-4 times a day– Do your HIGHEST PRIORITY money making tasks first always every day. Then check email at lunch, when you take breaks. No alarms or flashes when you get a new one. It’s probably spam anyway.

3. Use a SPAM FILTER. One of my many email addresses (yes I get hundreds of emails every day) has no spam filter. And now in addition to the Viagra ads, I get Asian character emails which I cannot read. I keep that email only because I want to make it easy for people to reach me, but I have spam filters on all the others.

4. Have No -Email times every day. Sunday, my husband and I went to the beach. Ahh- glorious sunshine, surf, quiet and peace. No email. None- just focused time on my family. Take time like that everyday. Don’t make your children resent your phone. It can wait.

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4. Have email-free times everyday. We were at the beach on Sunday, and even though I have a smartphone, I did not read my email at all until late in the day. It was wonderful to have that freedom. It lowers your stress and frees you to appreciate the people around you.

Asking For Help is Smart

Don’t Deny Others the Chance to Assist

Recently, I heard from a friend in the hospital who is critically ill. She had been there for 5 days and was calling to let me know. I was so grateful to know what was going on, to be able to pray for her and check on her. I only wish she had let me know sooner. Another dear friend recently learned he has cancer, but reached out to me weeks after the diagnosis. Those are weeks I could have been there for him, helping him sort through solutions, fear and pain.

Most of us have a tendency to put others first, and to not ask for help. And that’s a mistake. Martyring ourselves by saying we don’t want to bother others or trouble them denies us the gifts of love and support. We also deserve help, especially in difficult times.

Some people prefer to go off and isolate themselves while they figure things out,
and I respect that. However, isolation can lead to depression and negative thinking, at a time when loved ones could provide compassion and understanding. Scientists have shown that reaching out to other people during a stressful event is an effective way to improve your outlook. So your perspective could improve dramatically.

You never know- you might get some great solutions to problems you are having, connecting you with valuable resources you never knew existed. Share your life, share with your loved ones, and allow yourself to be supported. You are worthy of it.

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Good Customer Service- NOT

AT & T Did Not Make This Customer Happy

Have you ever had the experience of dealing with someone where you just could not get anywhere and you were incredibly frustrated, maybe even furious? Enter AT&T business, whom I have used for decades. When we moved to Florida , I set up my business account with them. In the spring, my plan expired. I was exploring savings options and called them to see what they could do on pricing.

They quoted me one price, but when I got the bill, it was much higher. I called and inquired if there was some mistake and they said no, and that was the bill.

So I explored other options and found I could dave over $65 a month with Comcast, bundling my services. I called and canceled my AT & T service.

And then I got my bill. At & T actually charged me $165 for canceling service. They said we had a “verbal agreement” which they refused to produce for me. I never would have agreed to a cancellation fee when I was still exploring options. I explained all this and got NOWHERE. ARGGGHH.

As a thirty year small business owner, I certainly would not treat my clients the way I was treated. There was no flexibility, no opportunity to do anything else.

And what they don’t realize is that as a professional speaker, I encounter thousands of people in my audiences. I love sharing great customer service stories. And unfortunately, this is an example of a bad one.

When something like that happens to you, one of the best ways to deal with it is go work out. Exerting your frustration on a punching bag or by running, biking, swimming or some other physical outlet makes you feel better. You’re doing something good for yourself and releasing the negativity of the experience.

How about you? Ever had a bad experience with your telephone or Internet provider?Email me at orders@firedupnow.com. I look forward to hearing from you.

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Unlimited Choice is NOT a Good Thing…For Your Business

Have you ever been to a restaurant with a huge menu? I have and it just frustrates me because there is too much to focus on.

Most of us think that “more” is always better. But recent research indicates that is not the case. In the book Switch by Chip and Dan Heath, authors of Made to Stick, cite several researchers demonstrating that too much choice paralyzes buyers.

• Too many choices overwhelm Iyengar and Lepper share several studies where too much choice is “demotivating.” A gourmet store featured a line of exotic, high quality jams. Customers tasted samples and received a discount coupon to buy a jar. 6 varieties were used on one trial; another featured 24 varieties. 30% of people in the 6 choice trial bought the jam; only 3% of people with 24 varieties bought the jam.

What does this mean for you and your business ?

• Limit the options If you have a variety of services or products, cut down on the choices. Make them no more than 6, if possible. Make it easy for buyers, patients and customers to decide.

• Be crystal clear about the value they will receive. Differentiate between each option so they can choose what it exactly correct for them.

The old KISS method applies here. Keep it simple & straightforward.

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Speak Kind Words- Avoid Gossip

Have you ever noticed that some words impact you very differently than others? As Stephen Covey writes in the introduction to Aspire by Kevin Hall : “words sell and words repel, words lead and words impede, words heal and words kill.”

What words do you use in your conversations with co-workers, employees, loved ones? How about what you say to yourself? Out of the 70,000 thoughts we have a day, many of those are negative and judgmental, especially towards ourselves. Become aware of the words you use and the tone with which they are delivered; you could make or break someone’s day.

And before you share some juicy piece of gossip, ask yourself these three questions:

– Is it truthful?

– Is is necessary?

– Is it uplifting?

To sign up for Snowden’s ezine newsletter on stress, happiness, marketing and motivation, go to: https://firedupnow.com/firedupemailregister.html

Watch your Negative Self-Talk

Stop Judging Yourself: Watch Your Negative Self-Talk

In a recent interview, Barbara Corcoran of Shark Tank, real estate mogul and successful business woman, shared some of her life challenges. As a child in a family of 10 in NJ, she was a delayed learner, and she is super-sensitive about being called “dumb” or “stupid.” She says negative self-talk has limited her and also been a driving force. She has retrained her brain to respond inside of herself when someone says she can’t do something or is rude or condescending. She now says to herself ” I have a right to be here, just as much as you. I have a right to be successful.”

That’s a powerful way to respond to negativity. It’s very important to be aware of what we say to ourselves, as most of us tend to judge ourselves very harshly. Our negative self-talk can be very destructive. Instead, when you find yourself condemning yourself for something, do the following:

• Say “Stop” out loud.

• Forgive yourself

• Say something affirming instead, like Barbara’s statement , or “I can do better.” “I am an effective, successful person.” “It’s OK, life goes on.”

The key is to change the language to be more positive and let it go- FAST!

To sign up for Snowden’s ezine newsletter on stress, happiness, marketing and motivation, go to: https://firedupnow.com/firedupemailregister.html

Overcoming the Stress of Holidays

You Can Overcome Holiday Stress

All too often the pressure of meals, gift-giving, family dynamics and time management get to be too much. Here’s how to prevent and beat that holiday stress.

• Ask for help. If you are cooking a holiday meal, don’t do it all. Be specific and ask each guest to bring something you need. It will lighten your load and expense.

• Use your neighborhood grocery– many will make all elements of your meal, or you can buy pre-made side dishes and desserts to save time and hassle.

• Do something untraditional- like Mexican or Italian

• Consider not doing the family thing. A coaching client of mine was dreading the negativity that their family regularly spews at holiday functions. I coached them to go on a vacation with their children. It worked out great and everyone was relaxed.

• Put the battles aside for one day. Vow to forgive and bite your tongue and change the conversation when it gets sensitive or controversial.

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Increase Your Confidence with Power Poses

Change Your Physiology with Power Poses

“Our nonverbals govern how other people think and feel about us.” Amy Cuddy

Amy Cuddy, in her excellent TedX video on youtube, shares some fascinating information about body language and positions of power. Many people collapse in on themselves during periods of stress, demonstrated physically by crossed legs, ankles, arms, hunched shoulders, hands in front of body. Confident people spread out, open up, take up space.

To gain more power, stand in the Wonder Woman pose (or Superman) for 2 minutes before a stressful event like a big meeting, speech, interview, etc. Amy’s research shows that doing that for 2 minutes actually increases your testoterone and lowers your cortisol levels (stress hormone.) Other power poses are the victory pose (arms in air shaped like v) or arms crossed behind your head. Stretch out, open your body up, breathe deeply and take up more space. Try it and see what a difference it makes.

Keep Your Employees with these Key Questions

Have you read this book? First, Break All the Rules, What the World’s Great Managers Do Differently is a compilation of the findings of Gallup poll researchers who interviewed over 1 million employees, 80,000 managers and 400 companies. The book makes several great points.

One is how to determine the strength of any workplace. Ask your employees these questions:

1. Do I know what is expected of me at work?

2. Do I have the materials and equipment I need to do my work right?

3. At work, do I have the opportunity to do what I do best every day?

4. In the last seven days, have I received recognition or praise for doing good work?

5. Does my supervisor, or someone at work, seem to care about me as a person?

6. Is there someone at work who encourages my development?

7. At work, do my opinions seem to count?

8. Does the mission/purpose of my company make me feel my job is important?

9. Are my co-workers committed to doing quality work?

10. Do I have a best friend at work?

11. In the last six months, has someone at work talked to me about my progress?

12. This last year, have I had the opportunities at work to learn and grow?

These are the core elements needed to attract, focus, and keep the most talented employees. The first 6 questions are the most important fundamental questions that often get jumped over. That is a critical mistake, because those 6 are foundational before any employee can even consider vision, mission, and growth.

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Marketing Tip- How Often to Contact?

Once Every 6 Weeks

Clients frequently ask me to create their marketing strategy and their marketing materials. But I always want to know how they are going to implement the strategy and follow-up using the marketing materials.

One suggestion is to use the “once every 6 weeks” rule. With existing clients and prospects, be in front of them somehow, once every six weeks. Communicate something of value, whether it’s an article you have written or read that is relevant to them, a phone call to check in on them, a birthday card, a newsletter, a brochure, a lunch date, an email update or ezine. Stay in front of them once every six weeks and be of service.

Always provide value and give more of yourself each time. And never burn bridges- you have no idea where that CEO will end up or that salesman you spurned will relocate. It’s a very small world and you want everyone you touch to be better off from your interaction.

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