The Bridge Networking Group, Inc.

The next step is to read the person you are speaking with:  As you talk to the person, there will be many clues to observe: 

1. What is their title or position in the company?  Owners and presidents tend to be high D, Sales reps and sales managers tend to be High I, Comptrollers, accountants, operations directors tend to be high C.  Team members tend to be S types.

2. Are they extroverted or introverted?

a.      Extroverted and friendly = I --happy to talk and chat about you

b.      Extroverted and direct = D – first to command the situation.

c.      Introverted and cooperative = S – happy to let you talk and will do what you suggest

d.      Introverted and analytical = C – needs to see proof with lots of details, no chit chat

2.  

      3. What is the appearance and atmosphere of their office?

a.      Business like, functional, fast paced, prospect running late, may interrupt you, is the D type.

b.      Cluttered, personalized, stimulating, with photos and awards, fast paced is the I type.

c.      Relaxed, personal, informal with nameplate and photos of possessions is the S type.

d.      Formal, neat, orderly, uncluttered, unhurried, well prepared is the C type.

The last step is to adapt your style to the person you are speaking with (or selling to).

When speaking to the High D type:

·        Be clear, specific, brief and to the point

·        Stick to business. Give an effective presentation.

·        Come prepared with support material in a well-organized “package”.

When speaking with the High I type:

·        Provide a warm and friendly environment

·        Don’t deal with a lot of details, unless asked.

·        Provide testimonials from people they see as important

When speaking with the High S type person:

·        Begin with a personal comment—break the ice.

·        Present yourself softly, nonthreatening, and logically.

·        Earn their trust—provide proven products.

When speaking with the High C type person:

·        Prepare your “presentation” in advance.

·        Stick to business—provide facts to support your presentation.

·        Be accurate and realistic—don’t exaggerate.

By adapting to the communication style desired by the other person, you will be more effective in your communication with them.  You will be able to create great rapport with them more quickly and establish trust, integrity, and likeability. 

Remember, people buy from who they like!

To learn more about communication style, take the Success Insights assessment, or to book a Dynamic Communication or Selling with Style workshop, call Maryanne Preston at 239-851-6906 or Maryanne@Hiring-Solutions.com  Visit www.Hiring-Solutions.com

FEBRUARY GUEST ARTICLE 1st Edition

Successful Hiring by Maryanne Preston

An integral part of a company’s business plan, that is often forgotten, is your employee selection and retention plan.  Do you have a system in place that is used consistently at all levels to attract, select, hire and train new employees?  Are you successful at hiring honest, productive, hard-working, loyal employees?  Do you know your rate of employee turnover and what it is costing you?  Are you consistently training your employees and providing them with what they need to grow professionally and personally?

Although unemployment rates have risen in many areas, employers are still facing the same difficulties hiring good employees as in the past few years.  How can an employer be sure that the bookkeeper, controller, paralegal, researcher, sales person, receptionist, etc. will be an honest, productive, hard-working, loyal employee?

An inconsistent hiring system based solely on interviews doesn’t work.  Not only does this method not work, but, it can cause disastrous consequences.  The wrong person gets hired, that person doesn’t fit into the work environment, it adversely affects employee morale, “good” employees get fed up and leave, productivity lags, customers are unhappy, and it continues down from there.

Successful companies have learned how to reverse the spiral and increase profits with a strategic employee selection and retention plan.  They are spiraling upward by using the tools available to select top performing employees that fit the job and their company culture.  This results in improved employee morale and productivity, which attracts other “good” employees, as well as, generates more volume and increases profits. By using sound hiring strategies, retention strategies, and reward strategies, successful companies are beating their competition and winning the war for good employees and market share. 

Technology and the Internet have made available new tools that employers and managers are using to enhance their successful hiring and retention strategies.  The Hiring Suite® On-line Pre-employment Testing System is one such program, which has five separate assessments that enables employers to measure honesty, substance abuse, reliability, work ethic, personality traits, mathematics, vocabulary, spelling, and problem solving skills. It also has an assessment for Team Building.  Scored over the Internet, the reports are available instantly.

By adding validated testing instruments to a hiring system that also includes written job descriptions, a thorough job application, consistent interviews, background and reference checks, employers will have all the information they need to make a sound, objective hiring decision.

As the job applicants go through this hiring process, an employer can make a sound hiring decision because each part of the process validates the other parts.  No one step has more weight and the subjective steps (interviews and references) are validated by the objective steps (job application, assessments, and background checks).  The new employee will fit the job description and company culture.  The employer will have the necessary information to create retention and reward strategies customized to the new employee.  Employee retention will increase and the business owner will realize increased profits due to deceased turnover costs and higher productivity.

By: Maryanne Preston, President of Hiring Solutions

Maryanne@Hiring-Solutions.com  (239) 851-6906

www.hiring-solutions.com

DOES LITTLE JOHNNY GET "FCAT ANXIETY?"

How you can help

by Susie Golubock

When your child goes back to school after the holidays, test preparation will certainly be underway in both  public or private schools.  In the public school, teachers will be gearing up for the FCAT’s.  While in the private school, your child may take the Stanford Achievement, testing from ERB, or even the Iowa Test of Basic Skills.  Whichever test your child may take in February or March, many students will have test anxiety. 

Achievement tests are given to determine a student’s skills and knowledge as compared to other students, same age, across the nation.  However, for a few students, testing may not be altogether accurate due to a child’s anxiety before taking the test.  For some, the anxiety is self imposed when the student believes that he/she will fail.  Sometimes panic sets in when the questions on the test aren’t reasonably close to the questions studied at home or school.  Other common reasons for test anxiety could be due to poor preparation, a negative experience in the past, student has a negative attitude about school, or low self -confidence.