Debra Kasowski, Author at Debra Kasowski

EPISODE 101 – Behind the Buy – Is the Why

June 1, 2017 by Debra Kasowski Leave a Comment

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“A budget tells us what we can’t afford, but it doesn’t keep us from buying it.” – William Feather

People make purchases and decisions based on different reasons with one thing in common – emotions. In today’s episode, I wanted to talk about what motivates people to buy from you. People wonder why people do not buy from them at first encounter. There are two main reasons: they need to know, like, and trust you and that can take 5-12 touches (times of contact – email, phone, in-person, and they need to know how what you sell will benefit them. Your product may have all the bells and whistles but if it does not have what someone needs, it is meaningless. Think about the advertising and marketing that you see online, in magazines, commercials, or billboards – they are selling the feeling. A feeling that they hope you will have when you experience their product or service.

Let’s turn the radio dial or tunes to WIIIFM. What is in it for me? Now that’s where you need to be targeting your marketing to. People want to what is in it for them – bottom-line. There is an emotional need that goes deeper than what it does.

Here are reasons that motivate people to buy:

Basic Needs: We are driven to fulfill basic needs for survival – food, water, shelter,

Testimonials, endorsements, and referrals. Word of mouth marketing is one of the most powerful methods that influences purchasing. When someone provides social proof, or refers you to others based on their experience with you, you have earn credibility without even meeting the person. The belief is that if you worked with them and you did a great job, why would I look for anyone else if they were satisfied with the work.

Fads and Trends. People buy the latest and greatest items because they need to have it, because everyone else has it.

Self-Expression. Some people buy certain items or alter their look to express themselves. They may colour their blue because it is their favorite colour. They may wear two different socks just because they want to.

Convenience. Some people buy items because they are readily available even though they may find it cheaper 5 kilometers or miles away.

Core Values. If you have alignment with someone with similar core values, you may feel more compelled to do business with them.

Scarcity. People make purchases when they are a rare find like an antique or collectible.

Prestige. People buy things because it makes them appear wealthy or of high class.

Emotional Vacuum. Sometimes people will buy things to replace things they cannot have and never will.

Loyalty to the Brand. Some people will continue to buy from people or places because they love the product, service, or person because they are loyal to the brand – it has served them well.

Replacements or Stay Current. Overtime, things may get old or damaged and will need replacing. Stay current can keep you up to date what is the latest and greatest ideas or gadgets.

Peer Pressure. You may be pressured by family, friends, or colleagues to buy something that they have. For instance, if your friend had a camping trailer they may encourage you to get a camping trailer so you may go camping together.

Standard Purchase. A standard purchase is an expected purchase such as books for a course. Everyone who is enrolled in the course needs to buy it.

Guilt. Some people will buy things because they feel guilty for not being present so they may purchase something to substitute for their not being present or a offer of forgiveness.

Help Others Out. People sometimes feel compelled to make a purchase to help people out. A great example of this is fundraising. People want to help out.

Indulge. Sometimes we just want to treat ourselves with something as a reward or celebrate a milestone or special occasion. It can be as simple as purchasing some chocolate or renting a fancy sports car.

Fear. Yes, some people making their buying decisions based on fear. The fear of missing out – sense of urgency – limited. The fear that if they do not make the purchase they will not achieve their goals.

EGO Stroking. Some people fall into the trap that if someone compliments or boosts their ego about how the product or service with make them better than everyone else – they may be compelled to buy.

Great Value. For the most part, I hope we buy for great value – that it makes a difference.

Lower Price. People who are money conscious may buy a certain product because it is a lower price, discounted, or a great deal.

Security. People buy items to feel safe. Examples include: Emergency kits, booster cables, and even weapons.

Save Time or Money or Make Money. There often is not enough time or enough money flowing in. If people can find ways to become more effective and efficient with their money and time, they will pay money for it.

Story to Tell. Some people look at paying for a 5K race at $45 and think that is insane. They think that they can run 5K and they do not even have to pay for it. People don’t pay for a race for the sake of paying for it. There is a story to tell once they have reached it.

To Gain Knowledge. People buy information to gain knowledge, develop skills and abilities.

To Be Healthy. One of the hottest motivators is health. People realize you cannot be happy without health. Many people will purchase vitamins, gym memberships, and home exercise equipment for the sake of being healthy.

To Look Good. People want to look more attractive and will often purchase anti-aging products or outfits for the need to look good

The Experience. People associate the feeling they have with an experience. Great one for creating memories.

Make the world a better place. People will often make purchases if the proceeds are going toward improving the world in some way.

What can you see behind your buy? Why do you make the purchases you do? Chances are…you have many reasons based on the circumstance or situation. When you start to understand the reasons, you are better able evaluate what need you are fulfilling and why.

“Actions speak louder than words. There is a big difference between what people say and what they do. People might tell you they are excited about your new product, but when they are in a buying situation their behaviour might be totally different.” Alexander Osterwalder

We would love to have you subscribe to the Success Secrets newsletter on my website at www.debrakasowski.com where you’re going to get us free MP3 download 10 Surefire Strategies to Power Up Your Productivity and Performance. I would love to hear about this podcast has impacted your life. E-mail me at Debra@DebraKasowski.com. Thank you for listening to The Millionaire Woman Show where we talk about leadership, business, and human potential to help you live rich from the inside out. Subscribe to The Millionaire Woman Show. Share it with Your Friends. Give us a 5-star rating!

DEBRA KASOWSKI, BScN CEC is an award-winning best-selling author, transformational speaker, blogger, and Certified Executive Coach. She has a heart of a teacher and is certified in Appreciative Inquiry and Emotional Intelligence. Her writing has been published in a variety of print and online magazines. Debra Kasowski International helps executives, entrepreneurs, and organizations boost their productivity, performance, and profits. It all starts with people and passion. Sign up the Success Secrets Newsletter and get your free mp3 download today! www.debrakasowski.com

Keywords: marketing, save time, save money, why behind the buy, selling, sales psychology, what motivates people to buy

Episode 100 – Turn Ambition into Action

May 30, 2017 by Debra Kasowski Leave a Comment

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“Ambition is the path to success. Persistence is the vehicle you arrive in.” Bill Bradley

Have you noticed that some people have more ambition than others? Some people seem to have a natural drive to pursue their goals while others seem not to care less – or do they? Ambition is having the strong desire to achieve something. It is the internal force – the drive that excites a person to go after what they want. Everyone has a strong desire to achieve something that is special to them and because it may not have the same importance to you as it does to them it seems that that person does not have drive or ambition. Now, if you can tap into what energizes and excites them you can witness a change in their physiology as you are talking to them. They stand taller, they talk faster, their eyes light up, and they may even smile. This is the internal motivation – the drive that turns ambition into action.

When you are clear on what it is you want to achieve and you have the drive to go after it, you will take the actions necessary to make it happen. However, sometimes there are distractions that get you sidetracked in the process. You may need to silence your inner critic (See Episode #93), push through procrastination, and even step out of perfection. It is bad enough that you have outside critics but the inside critic is the one that you cannot avoid contact with or set boundaries with. It is with you all the time so you need to manage it. You cannot let it talk you out of what you know you must do. The inner critic is helpful when it comes to alerting you to do your due diligence but other than that it can sabotage you from achieving success.

Signs of procrastination may mean that your goal is not as important as you think it is. You delay important tasks and miss deadlines. You do not have a routine to get up or go to bed so you go to bed to avoid doing any work. You give up when the going gets tough. Your workspace may be cluttered or full of disarray. You probably will end up spending more time tidying up than getting any work done. If it is no longer important to you, it is okay to regroup and focus on a goal that is important to you. Without an emotional attachment to your goal, you will not take the actions needed to make it a reality.

You can halt your ambitions and aspirations with perfection. You may be waiting until the time is right before you take action. Act now, otherwise, you may be waiting a long time. Imperfect action can lead to greater outcomes.

The best way to turn your ambition into action is through preparation and planning. Prepare for the outcome you desire. Researchers say it takes 10,000 hours of study to be considered an expert in a field of practice. Even with preparation and planning, some uncertainty can exist. However, when you plan and prepare for a variety of situations you will be better able to face new situations or challenges that arise.

When you are ambitious, you must be careful not to spread yourself too thin by accepting every opportunity that comes your way. Initially, you probably want to take on every offering your get, however, you may learn quickly that not every project is a good fit. You may not have an interest in taking the actions necessary to get the results expected – meaning that you may not put forth your best effort.

Another topic or phrase that comes to mind when I hear “turn ambition into action” I think of “walking the talk”. You can talk about something repeatedly but until you take action nothing will come out of it.

Sometimes people see ambition in a negative light thinking that a person with do whatever it takes and that they do not care what happens to others in the process. They have not ethics or moral compass. Ambition has more heart and soul than people give it credit. A truly successful person (in all areas of their lives) knows that it is the relationships that are built along the way that leads to their success. No one is successful alone. They care about people and often their “why” extends beyond attaining money. Money is a vehicle, a tool, to get to a means and can be used for the greater good. A person’s reputation and how they approach life will last more than what’s in a bank account.

Ambition offers hope for a better future. You need to dream big to achieve big! Ambitious people are clear on what they want to achieve and they work hard. You can often see their drive in the form of the effort they put in and the sparkle in their eyes as they get to work on their mission. There is an intensity – a focus like you may have never seen before. You need to persist in the face of adversity and navigate the roadblocks and barriers. Remember that each step you take and all effort you put in all compounds to get you the results you see.

Discover what drives you and take the action steps you need to get there. Do not get stuck on the “how” you will do it. Decide and start brainstorming what actions need to be taken – the how will show up! Ask questions and take action! To achieve big, you need to start with the vision and your ambition with drive the process.

“Ambition is enthusiasm with a purpose.”
― Frank Tyger

Episode 99 – Seize the Opportunity

May 25, 2017 by Debra Kasowski Leave a Comment

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“You miss 100% of the shots you never take.” Wayne Gretzky

Opportunities come and go every day. Some opportunities we grab and some we let slip away. Why is that? Is it that you do not know what opportunity looks like? Perhaps you think there needs to be a sign or opportunity needs to present itself in a special way. Is fear holding you back from stepping out of your comfort zone or routine?

An opportunity is a favourable event or situation that can change your circumstances for the better. All it takes is one opportunity to change the course in your favour. Your current circumstance can be accelerated to where you want to be. We often mistake opportunities as problems or they may be seen as hard work so we think – I will let this one go, another opportunity will come my way. You may be hesitating on taking a chance because you are uncertain about how the future will pan out – maybe the opportunity is too risky.

“If a window of opportunity appears, don’t pull down the shade.” Tom Peters

If you do not take a chance or try something new, you will never know if you would have been successful or not. You would never know if you like something or not. Suppose you take a chance and it turns out to be a mistake. Did you fail? No, you learned something that did not work. Use the feedback you get around you to course correct, learn from it, and move forward. Getting stuck in the past does not help you move forward. You may be sabotaging your own success with your beliefs.

You will achieve more if you seize the opportunities that come your way. You need to use the GRASP™ method:

Get Clear on What You Want. When you are clear about the “why” you do things and what you want to achieve, you will be able to recognize opportunities when they appear. The clearer you are, the more the road of opportunity seems to open up and a path lay before you.

Ready to take action. Are you ready to take action? What do you need to take action? What is the gap or missing link from getting the results that you want? Who do you need to talk to?

Ask the right questions. It is important to know if the opportunity that comes your way aligns with your core values. Is there a gap you can fill? Can you take on new or more responsibility? Will you develop new skills or abilities? Asking questions helps you determine if the opportunity is a right fit. Opportunities can in all shapes and sizes. Small opportunities can lead to bigger opportunities.

Speak confidently about yourself and your knowledge, skills, and abilities. You need to believe in yourself; speak with conviction. People do not know what you are capable of if you do not share your knowledge, skills, and abilities. Let people know about your successes and track record. Ask them about theirs. You are not being boastful if you are sharing. When people are boastful, they are doing so to intentional boost themselves about others – often making others feel less than them. Open up the dialogue. As you build new relationships through networking, you build a platform to showcase your talents. Your clients will provide testimonials shouting out accolades of working with you. Deliver on your promises – better yet over deliver with some special touches.

Prepare to take full responsibility. Opportunity can be a bit scary for some people. Take small steps to seize the opportunity. Remember no excuses, no complaining, no blaming allowed when you take ownership. You are not responsible for the thoughts, behaviours, or actions others take. You are in charge of you.

Too many people look at an opportunity and see the hard work, time, or money that may need to be invested versus the rewards that may be coming their way if they make the investment in themselves. I would rather gamble on my own hard work and efforts that throw it away blindly. Start seeing yourself as a “sure thing”.

Chances are there is an opportunity in front of you right now. It may scare you and at the same time excite you because you have been preparing for this and now it is your time. Don’t hold back! Give it a shot – seize it! Grasp it!

Don’t just wait for opportunities to come to you! Go out and get them!

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor.” – Mark Twain

Episode 98 -The Power of Positivity with Jon Gordon

May 23, 2017 by Debra Kasowski Leave a Comment

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Meet Our Guest:

Jon Gordon’s best-selling books and talks have inspired readers and audiences around the world. His principles have been put to the test by numerous NFL, NBA, MLB coaches and teams, Fortune 500 companies, school districts, hospitals and non-profits. He is the author of numerous best-selling books including The Energy Bus, The Carpenter, Training Camp, The Seed, You Win in the Locker Room First and The Power of Positive Leadership. Jon and his tips have been featured on The Today Show, CNN, CNBC, The Golf Channel, Fox and Friends and in numerous magazines and newspapers. His clients include The Los Angeles Dodgers, The Atlanta Falcons, Campbell Soup, Dell, Publix, Southwest Airlines, LA Clippers, Miami Heat, Pittsburgh Pirates, BB&T Bank, Clemson Football, Northwestern Mutual, Bayer, West Point Academy and more.

Jon is a graduate of Cornell University and holds a Masters in Teaching from Emory University. He and his training/consulting company are passionate about developing positive leaders, organizations and teams.

Episode 97 – Developing a Winning Attitude

May 18, 2017 by Debra Kasowski Leave a Comment

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“If you don’t like something, change it. If you can’t change it, change your attitude.” Maya Angelou

It is so easy to blame outside circumstances and events for our results. We can look externally to our environment and other people, however, many of our results are dependent on our internal thoughts and mindset. If you have lost hope in your team or your ability to succeed at a goal, you are probably down in the dumps. If you are down in the dumps, chances are you are not taking the actions necessary to get the results you want – it doesn’t matter anymore.

You are not going to get results thinking like that! Shake things up – renew your faith in yourself and take the actions required to get the results you want by changing your attitude about the way things are. You are where you are because of the choices you have made so make different choices and take different actions. It sounds simple and it is!

You can develop a winning unstoppable attitude by:

Create A Compelling Vision. What is your “why”? What are you passionate about? What would make you jump out of bed every day because you are excited to do it? You need to have an emotional connect to your goals.

Reframe Negative Situations. Everything does not go as planned. Setbacks do occur. Do not let a problem let you lose sight of a lesson or opportunity to see the solutions. When we get stuck on the “how”, your brain shuts down. When you brain senses danger, it goes into a flight or fight response and amygdala hijack occurs. However, when you start focusing on possibilities and brainstorming ideas. Another part of your brain called the prefrontal cortex gets stimulated. Ideas start to come more readily. Look for the lessons and possibilities – you may discover that the results you start to get are better than you imagined.

Keep Your Emotions in Check. When life events happen, you can let your imagination run wild with ideas and wonder what others are saying or thinking about you. Your beliefs and assumptions can build up and if you do not recognize that you are emotionally triggered you may release your pent-up emotions in a destructive way – with anger and frustration. You may say things you later regret. Challenge your assumptions, verify and clarify whether what you believe is true. Sometimes it is and sometimes it is not. Save yourself a great deal of embarrassment by asking if your thoughts and beliefs are true before you let your actions lead you astray.

Maintain a Positive Outlook. Do you look at situations as a “glass half full” or a “glass half empty”? My theory is to continue to fill the cup to the brim or even let it overflow. You are in charge. Keep you focus on being grateful and look for the positive in every situation even though at the time the situation is occurring you may be faced with uncertainty or struggle. It is about how you choose to react or respond to a situation.

Focus on Your Strengths. Many people spend way too much time focused on what they are not good at and improving those qualities versus strengthening their strengths. If you refine your skills, you can only get better. If you focus on developing your weaknesses, you may get a little bit better but it will not be as noticeable as when you hone your strengths. What do you believe your top 5 strengths are? What skills and abilities do people compliment you on?

Stop Comparing Yourself to Others. Have you ever been caught up in the successes of others? Instead of being happy for them, have you caught yourself feeling jealous or envious and wondering why you are now getting the same success? It took me a few years to realize how unhealthy this behaviour is. By comparing yourself to others, you diminish your own self worth.

Once when I was in conversation with someone I had been doing some work with, she talked about how the person we were working with loved her and could not get enough of her ideas and knowledge. I caught myself comparing and feeling like that person’s shadow thinking no one will see my value they will only see hers. I stopped taking action steps and I hit a slump. Any results I had been getting stopped because I stopped. I am not proud of it as I knew better and I am sure you do too.

When you compare yourself to others, you lose sight of what you bring to the table. You are looking at only one moment in time and chances are you would not trade their whole lives with yours based on a moment in time. Start seeing the value you bring and share your ideas. You bring a different element to the conversation. Everyone does not think and act the same. Realize you are the star of your stage. Be a peak performer by taking the actions you need to be memorable.

Don’t Let Others Fears for You Change Your Destiny. You can sabotage our own success by listening to the fears that others have for you when they say things like, “Do not do that, you will fail.”, “You are better suited for this ________.”, or “You are making a big mistake.” Question those comments and assumptions. Do your own homework. Has the person who is making these comments gone after their goals? If they have not, ask what they are afraid of. It may be the fear that you will succeed beyond measure and they will get left behind. Surround yourself with people who support, encourage, and challenge you to become a better version of yourself each day.

Know that setbacks are temporary. Setbacks are tough. They can knock the wind out of our sails. However, they never last. You always have a choice to change your mind about a situation, you can take different actions, or can choose to do nothing which is also a choice. No matter what, change happens and life moves forward whether you want it to or not. Set yourself up for success by looking for the learning opportunity in the setbacks. You may need to make one simple change to get the results you are looking for. Sometimes it takes slowing the process down to get ahead.

Believe what you do matters. One of the biggest barriers to a person’s success is their beliefs. If you believe you do not have what it takes to succeed, guess what? You probably will not succeed. If you believe your efforts do not make a difference, guess what? They will not. You need to believe what you do makes a difference to stay motivated during tough times. By having the emotional connection and knowing what you do makes a difference, you will develop an unstoppable winning attitude.

How do you develop a winning attitude?

“A positive attitude causes a chain reaction of positive thoughts, events and outcomes. It is a catalyst and it sparks extraordinary results.” Wade Boggs

We would love to have you subscribed to the Success Secrets newsletter on my website at www.debrakasowski.com where you’re going to get us free MP3 download 10 Surefire Strategies to Power Up Your Productivity and Performance. I would love to hear about this podcast has impacted your life. E-mail me at Debra@DebraKasowski.com. Thank you for listening to The Millionaire Woman Show where we talk about leadership, business, and human potential to help you live rich from the inside out. Subscribe to The Millionaire Woman Show. Share it with Your Friends. Give us a 5-star rating!