The National Court Reporters Association (NCRA) will sell Polishing the Pearl, Outfluence, and PowerWriters in its on-line store. In addition, .2-.3 Continuing Education Units (CEUs) will be awarded to NCRA members for each book read and a short quiz taken and passed.
If you are seeking employment, you need tools to give you an edge in a very competitive job market. Your edge begins with the development of a strategy. Once the strategy is in place, you need to prepare its implementation. Then you need to execute your strategy and win the job you want. You need to know what prospective employers are looking for in a candidate and you also need to know how to conduct yourself and how to communicate both verbally and silently to state your case and capitalize on your edge. Invest $9.95 in your future and within minutes you will have our to-the-point dynamic e-book Outfluence for Job Seekers. Buy and download here.
Failure presents an opportunity to change course and improve performance. But we have to have the inner strength to stop, look and listen before we destroy ourselves. We have to stop our current behavior, look at the cause of our failure, listen to what others are telling us both verbally and nonverbally, and then take action to change course.
As my mother-in-law told the story, she and her brother would hop on their sled on a snowy day and head down the hill from the schoolhouse toward home. The fastest way back to the farm was straight down the hill, across the railroad tracks, and down another hill to home. As they were whizzing through the snow, heading toward the railroad tracks, they would listen for the warning of a train whistle. If they heard that piercing whistle, they would roll off the sled into the soft snow and wait for the train to pass. Failure to heed the warning whistle would have been disastrous.
We all look for shortcuts in life or in business, but taking a shortcut may be harmful to us. If we don’t or can’t gather all of the information necessary to make a good decision, the decision we make may turn out to be wrong, and we may run head-on into a train. If after you fail, you “stop” before proceeding, “look” at what caused your failure, and “listen” to your inner voice (you know, the one that you ignored just before you made the hasty decision that led to your failure), you will learn valuable lessons from failure. Failure is a silent teacher. Redeem a failure by using it to learn to do better next time.
Outfluence, The Better Way to Influence, was a finalist in the Eric Hoffer Award competition. This book is filled with stories of the life experiences of people who used silent communication and inspired performance to overcome their challenges.
“They used to tell me my face was, well, weird,” says Gisele Bündchen. But “by 2009, with an estimated personal worth of $150 million, she had banked more than any other mannequin in history.” This month’s edition of Vogue Magazine features the supermodel on its cover.
The article mentions Gisele’s “cheerful professionalism,” her “extraordinary industriousness,” and the fact that she is “totally illuminated, and it comes from within,” as the reasons for her success. Of course, being a supermodel, she has other assets that also contribute to her worldwide appeal. Bündchen’s story is a good Outfluence lesson for all of us. The actor, author, musician and comedian Steve Martin says, when asked how to be successful in Hollywood, “Be so good that they can’t ignore you.” Outward beauty will only get a person so far. Inner strength and attractiveness, combined with ability, are the difference-makers when it comes to long-term success.
Isn’t it interesting how often we discover that the most successful people are able to overcome their so-called flaws through hard work, a good attitude, and a pleasing personality – all silent communicators that speak to who they are as people. Early in her career Gisele was repeatedly rejected and, according to Vogue, “they saw problems everywhere” in her physical features. She was hurt by the negative comments until her father gave her some good advice and a little pep talk. At that point Gisele decided, “I am not going to listen to people who make me feel bad.”
To learn more about building awareness of silent communicators and the thoughtful, purposeful and genuine application of them in your life here is an inexpensive tool that many people have benefited from.
On October 8th, 2011 Al will be back at Constellation Books in the country village of Reisterstown, Maryland showcasing and signing his 5 books, including his two new books, Outfluence for Job Seekers and Outfluence for Sales Professionals. Please join us for the signing, a brief presentation by Al, and some special treats provided by our host, Constellation Books.
November 6, 2011
The U.S. Department of State’s Jazz Ambassador to South America, and Outfluence speaker, Eric Byrd, has accepted an invitation to speak to the graduates of The Medix School on November 6th, 2011 in Towson, Maryland.
The incongruity of it is stunning. Michelle Rhee, a young professional, apolitical, courageous, with a passion and a commitment to kids, turned around the failing DC school system. In the 40 years prior to her arrival 60,000 students had gone through the education system, 40,000 did not graduate. The Mayor she served was not reelected, and Ms. Rhee was replaced by the incoming Mayor. Why do we allow politicians to upset the applecart like that? The waste of talent and money in government is staggering. But you knew that, didn’t you?
Following her departure from the DC school system Michelle started an organization called StudentsFirst the purpose of which is to advocate for students. She spends a lot of time speaking to and educating legislators. One day she spoke to a legislator in a Midwest state. He told Michelle that he agreed with her position on education and would probably vote to support her initiatives; however, he was elected by his constituency to do certain things, and his constituency would not be in full support of Michelle’s initiatives. Michelle understood the politics of it, she said to the legislator. But, she continued, the adults you represent have money to support your candidacy, they vote for your election, they lobby you, the picket against you, they have interests different from the interests, and needs, of the children. The children have no money, they cannot vote, they don’t lobby or picket. They have no power by themselves. If you choose to face the voters and support their interests you automatically turn your back on the powerless children.
At Outfluence, LLC we believe that the most important skill youngsters need is the ability to communicate. They will eventually have to speak for themselves. 70% of communication is conducted silently, and that’s where we focus our efforts with children. A great place to start the learning is with our booklet titled ROCOMM, available at http://bit.ly/oShuSl. Your teenager will find answers to the questions: Will you be able to communicate face-to-face in the real world when it counts . . . when you are in front of a prospective employer, for example? Will you appreciate the nuances of communication, such as silent communication? Will you know how to strategically, yet sincerely, communicate silently with your peers as you grow and mature? ROCOMM is designed to be a fun family learning tool.
Most importantly in these difficult times, if the high school or college graduate in your family is about to begin interviewing for a job, don’t let him or her leave the house without first reviewing Outfluence for Job Seekers.
70% of communication occurs silently. Outfluence coaches and trains individuals in the awareness of silent communication in the job-seeking process. We also coach individuals in the thoughtful, purposeful and genuine application of silent communication tools to build relationships and increase sales. The question of the day is this: are your silent communicators costing you valuable opportunities or are they attracting them? Do you know?
The answer to that question is the reason why I wrote Outfluence for Job Seekers (http://bit.ly/pzdX53).
During my 37-year business career I have interviewed many applicants for positions in my company. I have specific expectations of applicants. If an applicant does not meet my expectations chances are they will not be rewarded with employment. My expectations begin with the four components of a quality greeting, then I look for preparation and gumption.
A job applicant must distinguish him- or herself in some way. The current job market is highly competitive. A successful job search requires creativity on the part of the applicant. Take a lesson from Deion Sanders, a former National Football League star who recognized early on that in order for him to rise to the top in his chosen profession, he needed to inspire his performance. He needed to distinguish himself in a special way. This past Saturday he was enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He revealed that the motivation behind his desire to succeed financially as a professional football player was to enable his mother to retire from her job. You can read what he created in order to differentiate himself,and watch his induction speech here, http://read.bi/r3cbsI.
We communicate silently as the result of what we read, what we watch, what we purchase, the extent of our education, the organizations to which we belong, the people with whom we associate, and in just about every other way imaginable. Everything we do reveals something about us. Our minds record every aspect continuously and it impacts every interaction we have as people. These are our silent communicators.
If our exposure to the world is limited and our comprehension of the world is inaccurate, it will quickly become evident in our various forms of communication that our view of the world is skewed. An unspoken message has been sent. The ultimate result of this type of silent communication is that others may believe us to be intellectually shallow, without much to offer in the business world, to an organization,or simply to a neighborhood book club. What we put into our brains is revealed eventually in various forms of communication — the most important of which is silent communication. The silent communication is contained in words and in behavior, and the silent communication others are interpreting as they see, hear and experience us. Invest $9.95 before an important job interview, or before your next meeting with your employer or a key customer. Download Outfluence for Job Seekers and discover the power of your silent communicators.
The last few weeks of Pearls have been focused on stress in anticipation of the release of my new e-book tentatively titled Outfluence for Positive Stress.
I was in Las Vegas last week and I marveled at the silent communication tools the casinos use to divert attention from the potential stress of gambling. First of all, they call it gaming, a much softer term than gambling and without the sinister reputation.
Several of the casinos are connected by indoor walkways that are lined with beautiful store windows, “hip” stores, spectacular architecture, and never far from the omnipresent slot machines. The marble-paved walkways are covered by fresh, clean, luxurious carpeting. Ample restroom facilities are available, and cleanliness is paramount.
As one walks along the spacious corridors, past the shopping opportunities, the entertainment venues, the restaurants and the cafes’, the casinos are located in wide open rooms where a variety of gaming tables and slot machines are hosted by beautiful women in revealing costumes while the croupiers’ transact business with the gamers. Music is constantly playing; live performances are continuous.
One gets the feeling, though not verified, that some winners are pre-selected, that the most active players are rewarded with occasional victories, all in the name of encouraging gamers to continue playing. Each win is accompanied by “happy” music announcing another winner! Gambling, or gaming, feeds a person’s psychological need to escape the realities of life. The glamour and the opulence of the gaming setting, the male players accompanied by their stylish ladies, the increased visibility of poker on television and through the internet bring a false sense of normalcy to what has been called “immoral” and “scandalous” activity.
An examination of the history of gambling in North America, http://1.usa.gov/ddKeWX, suggests that :
While gambling, or gaming, is very much in vogue today, the stresses brought about by its attractiveness to the darker side of human desires can be dangerous. For example, www.gamblinghelponline.org writes this about the impact of gambling on others: It is estimated that for every person that gambles, another seven people are adversely affected. Research shows that people who are close to someone with a gambling problem might experience a range of emotional, psychological and financial effects, such as:
Emotional
Psychological
Financial
Awareness of silent communicators and their impact on ourselves and others is important to enjoying life to the fullest while maintaining self-control and managing the stressors we allow into our lives. Positive stress, known as enstress, is what enables us to enjoy activities such as gaming without allowing them to overwhelm us. It starts with awareness. Contact us at info@outfluence.com to learn more.