Escape with your family – NOW

When was the last time you spent quality time with your family away from home? Three months? Six months? More than a year? If it’s been more than six months, you and they are due for a getaway trip. We Americans are notorius for not taking vacations. (I count myself among the guilty, though I hope … Read more

Simple stretching exercises reduce stress throughout your day

Simple stretching exercises important for desk workers

Sitting at a desk all day can be rather uncomfortable. It’s also not good for the body. Light exercising, including stretching exercises, should be a part of your everyday routine.

how to stretch, how to feel better, how to be more successfulEven a short walk around the house or to the water cooler can make a big difference, says Dan Oberneder, a physical therapist with SPORT Clinic Physical Therapy in Bayside, Wis. Proper breathing is important as well, as deep breaths exercise the diaphragm and help you relax.

Oberneder says there are a number of simple stretching exercises you can do at home or at work, including:

General stretching – Oberneder suggests 30 to 45 seconds of light full-body stretching throughout the day. Avoid bouncing or jerky motions, as those cause muscles to tighten up. You can stretch standing up, or if possible, do back stretches while lying on the floor.

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Always follow up on messages, Web postings

Reading the title of this post, you’re probably thinking, “Duh! Who wouldn’t follow up?” Amazingly, some people decide not to, showing a gap in their customer service skills. Several recent incidents point out the need for a brief refresher on how to provide good customer service.

The topic of customer service could fill volumes. I’ll restrict myself to a handful of paragraphs. What I experienced serves as a great illustration of what can happen to you. My incidents involved two people and an organization. Here are the bare facts:

Person A: I posted a message on his Facebook page inquiring about a product he once sold. I wanted to know if he still represented the product, as I might want to buy some one day.

Person B: I posted a message on her Facebook page inquiring about a networking group that I knew she used to participate in. Didn’t receive a response from her. 

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3 principles to achieve, maintain peak performance

In one of his videos, Brendon Burchard, author of “The Millionaire Mindset” and founder of High Performance Academy, invites viewers to create a video outlining their core principles. These are principles that we live everyday; that guide us and help us maintain a high performance level. He invites viewers to post a link to those videos on his Facebook page.

I took him up on the offer. My video outlines three core principles I live by: integrity, assisting others, and striving to succeed. These keep me focused in the right direction, but personally and professionally.

Integrity – Should be a given in everyone, but it’s important to remind ourselves everyday to be honest. Sometimes we want to cut corners to make a process go smoother. Salespeople occasionally are tempted to sell a higher priced solution. Or, sell even though another firm is better suited to solve the person’s problems.

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How to use visualization before a presentation or sales call

Visualization involves imagining yourself participating in an exercise and realizing a positive outcome. Professional athletes and successful salespeople use visualization to help them prepare for an upcoming event or meeting.

They envision the process from Step 1 through to its conclusion. Along the way they “practice” what they will say and do, thereby helping to memorize their steps and dialogue. Just as important, because they visualize a positive outcome, they become charged up and more confident.

Another advantage I’ve found is that I think of new questions or points to consider. As I prepare for my meeting, I research the firm and generate a number of comments and questions. Prior to the meeting, I use visualization to “walk” myself through the discussion. I envision saying and asking certain things, and the prospect responding in a particular manner.

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