4 Methods to Improve Bad Memory

1. Association

Associate the names, places and other information with images. You brain often blocks out negative memories as a defense mechanism, so try to associate the information you want to remember with positive images.

When it comes to association, your imagination plays a key role. If images do not work for you, you can always associate memories with smells and feelings. It is a natural tendency in humans to associate smells, images and sounds to different feelings. You can tap into this natural ability, and associate smells, images and sounds to different memories.

2. Rehearse and Repeat

If a piece of information is really important, and you know that you must hang on to it in your mind, you must rehearse and repeat it again and again. It might help that you write it down, then indulge in some other activity for some time, and then try to write it down again.

In this way, you force information to jump back and forth between your long term and short term memory. This exercise will strengthen you activity to recall important information. By repeating and rehearsing a piece of information, you are deliberately informing your brain that the information is important, and it must be stored permanently. By trying to recall the information after short gaps, you hone your ability to retrieve the information from your long term memory.

3. Share the Information/Memory

In order to memorize something, and to be able to remember and recall it at will, you must share it with someone. If there is an event, a piece of information, or a memory you wish to remember permanently, it is a good idea to teach/tell it to someone.

Talking about a topic helps enhance your ability to recall information about it, which results in memory improvement.

4. Food and Relaxation

You must try to eat a healthy balanced diet, and include food containing omega 3 and fatty acids in your daily routine. Sea food is also considered to be good for the brain. The same way you have to go on a high protein diet in order to gain muscle mass, you have to eat foods containing omega3 and fatty acids to strengthen your brain cells.

Relaxation exercises can also go a long way in strengthening your long and short term memory. Meditation, breathing exercises, and recreational activities help reduce stress from your mind, and give it an opportunity to recuperate.

3 Important Steps to Develop Assertiveness

Assertiveness is one of the most important properties of a sales person, but it is often confused with aggression. Aggression is about invading your prospect’s personal boundaries, and forcing your will on them. Assertiveness is about respecting their boundaries yet convincing them that the course of action you recommend is the best option for them. So how does one develop assertiveness without coming on too strong? We recommend the following simple steps.

1. Practice Before You Pitch

Before you go out in the field and start with your sales pitch, do a little homework. If you are reading this article, it means that you are interested in developing assertiveness as a salesperson. It also means that you have recognized a few occasions in the past, where your lack of assertiveness cost you the sale. Now picture those events, or similar events, in your mind and imagine what you could have done and how you could have been more assertive.

Practice assertive techniques of conversation in front of a mirror or with a friend. Learning where to use “you” and where to use “I” in the sales pitch is an important step.

2. Improve Your Body Language

Assertive people have a friendly smile, a firm handshake, and maintain eye contact with their prospects. They dress to impress and have a positive, open stance while standing or sitting. Their voice is confident, yet their approach is friendly and warm towards the prospects. Your second step should be to improve your body language in order to give off that assertive vibe.

3. Give and Demand Respect

As a sales person, you have to give respect to your prospects. However, in some cases when the prospects do not give back the same respect they receive, the situation goes awry.

When aggressive salespeople find themselves in a tough spot, they go on the offensive. Passive salespeople usually go on the defensive in similar situations. In both cases, the prospect is lost. The key is to be assertive.

The sales person has to control the conversation without coming off as too strong. If at any point during the conversation the prospect becomes rash, you have to politely explain to them that you deserve to be treated with respect. Make sure that you are respectful towards the prospect throughout your conversation, which is the only way you can demand their respect in return. You will find that being respectful and being respected has improved your assertiveness a great deal.

Try these three steps and let us know how they worked. Leave your opinions/experiences in the comments section below.

4 Methods to Improve Bad Memory

1. Association

2. Rehearse and Repeat

3. Share the Information/Memory

Talking about a topic helps enhance your ability to recall information about it, which results in memory improvement.

4. Food and Relaxation

Words You Use to Close Every Sale Successfully

One of the basic things they teach in any sales workshop is that the sale wouldn’t happen unless you ask for it. You have to speak to the prospect(s), ask them the right questions and then ask them to make the decision. The words you use to close the sale, along with the tone of your voice, play a decisive role in whether you will be able to close the sale or not.

When speaking to a prospect, try to use words such as new, guarantee, discover, save, easy, results etc. These are the most effective words when trying to grab the prospect’s attention.

Another important term that you can use is “free”; nothing catches their attention like the chance to get something free. However, make sure you can deliver on whatever promise you make during the attention grabbing process.

While you describe the benefits of your service/product, replace positive words with their ultra-positive versions. Instead of using good, use great. Similarly, change words with negative connotations into something that sounds positive, instead of using impatient, use anticipating.

Avoid using negative terms as much as possible; be extra careful when using them.

When you are at the last stage and about to close the sale, ask the prospects to perform the desired action and give them a time frame to do so. The most simple yet most effective closing phrase is “buy now”. Similarly; act now, do it today, do it this evening and win a free price etc are all good closing lines.

If the prospect is reluctant even after you have delivered your closing lines, give them a brief review of all the benefits they have to gain from the transaction. Make them realize that what they are buying is something they really need, and that you are the best person to get it from.

You have to keep one thing in mind, the prospect has heard many sales pitches before, and so they must be familiar with a few of the techniques themselves. A tried and tested method of closing the sale is to involve the prospect in the conversation, and get them to say ‘yes’ as much as possible. The more they say yes to you, the harder it becomes for them to say ‘no’ when you close the sale.

Other important words (and phrases) that you can use while closing the sale are “consider”, “immediately”, “extra benefits”, “limited offer” etc.

Use these phrases and let us know how they worked in the comments section below.

9 Habits that Prevent You from Advancing in Your Career

1. Pessimistic Approach

If you have a pessimistic view of things, it should not reflect in your attitude towards work and towards your colleagues. If you are all doom and gloom consistently, people at work will avoid you and your boss and teammates will not be able to develop a healthy work relationship with you.

2. Lack of Time Management Skills

Develop your time management skills in order to increase your efficiency at work and in life. Be there on time, complete the assignments given to you within deadlines, and make sure you leave work on time as well. Practice this for a few days and see how your reputation improves.

3. Unhealthy Eating Habits

If you do not eat a healthy breakfast, and/or prefer junk food for lunch, your health conditions will deteriorate. You must develop healthy eating habits and must exercise in order to stay healthy and fit, so that you can perform at an optimum level.

4. Inability to Accept Change

Once an organizational change is implemented, it is faced with resistant to change which is a natural reaction from most employees. The change being implemented may not be the best thing in your opinion, but try to adapt to it as soon as possible. You must realize that changes are inevitable and if you do not accept change, you will not be able to advance in your career.

5. Being Shy

If you are naturally an introvert, or a shy person, it is most likely that you do not talk much with your teammates and boss. Even if your job does not require you to conversate with people, take a few minutes every day to say hi to your coworkers.

6. Staying in the Background

Make your presence known. No matter how hard you work, staying in the background can seriously hurt your career.

7. “Not my job” Attitude

If on occasion you are asked to do something not part of your job, and you feel confident that you can do it, then do it as a favor to your boss and your team.

8. Over-Reliance on Your Boss

You have to stop running to your boss every time something comes along. Have confidence in your decision making ability and solve problems on your own.

9. Personal Interruptions

When at work, try to keep personal calls and personal tasks to minimum. You will not be able to complete your work in time if you are constantly distracted, and your superiors will not be happy if they see you utilizing the company time for personal errands.

8 Ways to Overcome Writers Block

Can’t come up with an idea to write? Staring at a blank sheet? Here are eight ways to overcome your writer’s block.

1. Re-write a Classic

Just to get things going, pick one of your favorite classics, and start rewriting it. Play with the story, change the plot, give the protagonist a secret identity, imply that the antagonist had good intentions, or make Bella fall in love with Jacob. You will see wonderful things happen once you get the ball rolling.

2. Ask the Readers

You must be in touch with your readers through social media websites. Ask them for ideas; ask them what they would like to read. You will be surprised at the amount of great ideas thrown at you.

3. Read

When in trouble, read. If the screen has been blank for way too long, it is better to minimize it and start reading material relevant to your genre. While reading, ideas will come to you.

4. Go Outside

Although “outside” is an alien term to most writers, but that is where the muses are. Go outside, take a walk in the park, go to the mall, seek inspiration in things and people, and then start writing.

5. Question Yourself

Remember that homeless person at the corner of the street? Who is he? Where does he come from? Was he born on the street? Why is he homeless? Start answering those questions and start writing, the sheet doesn’t look so blank now does it?

6. Relax Your Mind

You may have found yourself suffering from a writer’s block because of some stressful event in your life. Either use that event as writing material, or forget about it all together. In both ways, words will start flowing out of you.

7. Read/Listen to the News

The latest news is always full of juicy gossip, political drama, social debates and things that can make you wish to bang your head against the wall. Out of the ocean of news out there on TV and on the internet, there must be something that would appeal to you and make you write.

8. Read Your Old Work

I have always found reading my older work to be therapeutic and traumatic at the same time. As you read your previous work, you gain the confidence that you have done it before and you will do it again. At the same time you are horrified by some of the stuff you wrote and have the uncontrollable urge to write something better.

Either way, the blank screen is no more and you are happily on your way to writing heaven.

12 Ways to Liven Up a Conversation

1. Appear Confident

You have to appear confident both verbally and physically. Your voice tone and body language should exude confidence and energy.

2. Speak Their Language

By this we do not mean you start speaking their native language. What we mean is that you speak in terms they can understand. If you use jargon and terms that are beyond other people, the conversation would become one sided.

3. Speak With Clarity and Purpose

If you speak unclearly and appear unsure of what you are saying, the conversation will die out quickly. Have something to say and say it clearly.

4. Have a Sense of Humor

You do not have to tell jokes or make funny noises. All you have to do is keep the conversation pleasant, with a witty comment here and there, just enough to make them smile.

5. Be Politically Correct

Make sure your sense of humor is politically correct and culturally acceptable. If dealing with international clients or business liaisons, make sure they do not misinterpret your humor for disrespect.

6. Keep it a Dialogue

Make sure that the conversation is two sided. It is a common habit in many entrepreneurs to take charge of the conversation, but it is also important that the other person gets an equal opportunity to speak. They will lose interest if they realize you are only interested in speaking and not listening.

7. Be Creative

Come up with new ways to deliver your point of view. Every business conversation doesn’t have to be a dry exchange of facts and figures. Maybe you can use multimedia to enhance a meeting.

8. Meet Over Snack

Business meetings over lunch, coffee or a snack are much more pleasant and lively. Having something to eat for yourself and your partner in conversation is helpful in avoiding awkward pauses and silences.

9. Give Feedback

The occasional “hmm”, “yes” and other similar responses can go a long way in keeping a conversation going.

10.Appeal to Their Imagination

Using terms such as “picture this” or “imagine that” can help spice up the conversation by appealing to the participants’ sense of imagination.

11.Read Their Body Language

If the people you are having a conversation with appear disinterested, then you are doing something wrong. Try changing your strategy, style and/or topic if possible and check if they appear interested.

12.Be Interested in the Topic

If you yourself do not find the topic interesting, the conversation will be short lived and dull. Whether speaking or listening, be interested in the topic so that you may engage others effectively.

6 Steps to Settle Down an Angry Customer

If you are a customer service representative, or have to deal with customers on a regular basis, you will eventually run into an angry customer. Following are six ways to calm down an angry customer:

1. Listen, but Do Not React

It is important to let the customer rant for a while and vent their anger. Do not immediately react to their anger. Even if they become abusive, you have to remind yourself that they do not know you personally and are actually angry at the service/product provided by your company.

2. Set Boundaries

When they have finished their rant, explain to the customer that you can and will help them, and exactly how their problem can be solved. Make it clear to them that you will be helpful as long as they are not abusive. Remember that your job is to help, not to serve as a punching bag.

3. Acknowledge and Apologize

Acknowledge their problem and apologize for the inconvenience. Your apology will hold greater meaning if you can solve their problem immediately or can at least get started on solving it.

4. Empathize

It doesn’t matter if you are speaking to them over the phone, or are meeting them in person, empathizing with the customer can go a long way in diffusing the situation.

5. Guide Them

Let the customer know the way forward in clear terms. Complaint resolution is different for different industries. If the problem can be solved immediately then go ahead and do so, or direct them to someone who can do so. If there is a procedure and time period associated with the problem resolution, explain it to them. Make sure you do not make promises you cannot keep.

6. Thank Them

Thank the customer for their cooperation. If you feel the necessity, apologize again for the inconvenience, but do not overdo it.

Every industry is associated with its own set of services and products, and each organization operating in any sector has its own pool of customers. The customer reactions, and the intensity of their anger, are dependent upon a number of variables such as the nature of product and services provided by the company, the nature of the customer, the culture of the region in which the event is taking place etc.

The six steps we have recommended are a general solution, and some steps may not apply to some industries. However, these steps can be used as a general guideline to calm down an angry customer.

4 Unique Ways to Improve Your Creativity

1. Brainstorm

A common misconception about brainstorming is that it is limited to focus groups, board meetings and the business community in general. That is not the case; brainstorming can help improve your creativity in ways you can never imagine.

Rid yourself of all distraction, keep a stock watch handy (or use the stock watch option in your cell phone), and start writing down ideas one after another. The concept behind this exercise is to set a time limit and try to write the maximum number of ideas during that time. Once you put your mind under pressure to generate many new ideas within a time frame, your creative instincts will kick in.

2. Indulge Your Inner Child

Children are much more creative than adults, in order to improve your creativity, we recommend that you indulge your inner child every once in a while. Do you remember the time when you thought Santa was real? Pretend that Santa is real, and write about it, draw about it, or sing about it.

Another important source of children’s creativity is their curiosity towards things. When you are curious about something, look into it. Do not be shy when it comes to asking questions and exploring new horizons. Your creativity will improve if you allow your inner child to come out and play occasionally.

3. Break Your Routine

Nothing kills creativity more than routine. Although order is good for one’s life, falling into a routine can pretty much decimate any creativity you have. People who follow a routine usually find themselves functioning on “auto-mode”. They wake up, go to work, come home, watch TV, and go to sleep in an automated manner.

A routine can help put your life in order, and provide stability, but you have to break it from time to time in order to allow yourself to be creative.

4. Do Puzzles, Take Quizzes

Doing puzzles is an incredible exercise to improve your creativity. Puzzles allow you to view smaller aspects of a problem and the larger picture at the same time. Besides, it’s a fun way to spend time and can also be used as a group activity. You will find that your brain is most productive when it is relaxed, having fun and all the while trying to solve the puzzle.

There are several online quizzes and short tests that can be used to stimulate your mind and improve creativity. These tests also have a time limit, so they will turn out to be a quick exercise for your brain cells.

Follow these four methods, and let us know your feedback in the comments section below. We are looking forward to listening from you.

3 Aspects of Body Language that Can Help You Close the Sale

When you communicate with a prospect in person, their body language will give away clear signs when they are ready to be sold to. If you can learn to recognize those signs, it will become mighty easier for you to close the sale. Following are three important aspects of body language that can be used as a determining factor in making sales and closing the deal.

1. Eyes, Eyebrows and Facial Gestures

If the prospect has relaxed brows, smiling eyes and is maintain direct eye contact with you, they are comfortable with you and find the conversation pleasant. Now is the time to push for that sale.

If the prospect has tense brows, is looking away repeatedly, and/or avoiding eye contact, they are distracted, afraid or uncomfortable. Trying to push them for the sale at this point could result in losing the prospect.

When it comes to facial gestures, use your natural ability to form a general opinion about the prospect’s state. Do they look tense, happy, or uncertain? We all have the ability to read facial gestures, some more than others; all you have to do is pay attention. See if their lips are pressed tightly, or if they show an upward curve at the corners. Flat lines or frowns are indicative of their uncertainty about your product.

2. Posture

If the prospect has a rigid or closed body posture, do not push for the sale. Rigid posture, crossed arms, restless hands (playing with objects) indicate that the prospect does not trust you completely and is skeptical about your product.

Push for the sale when you see a relaxed posture, or if the prospect is leaning forward. If the prospect is perfectly still, it means they are listening to you but may or may not be interested in your product. A perfect time to close the sale is when the prospect is mirroring your posture, because it means they are following your lead.

3. Leg Activity

Any kind of leg activity is bad. If the prospect is bouncing their legs, or moving them restlessly, it means they are not comfortable and pushing for a sale at that point is a bad idea. If their legs are in a relaxed position that might be a good time to try and close the deal.

One important thing to realize is that all three aspects of body language are to be studied simultaneously. You cannot simply base your decision on legs, or arm movement alone. Observe their overall body language before trying to close the sale.