Debra Kasowski, Author at Debra Kasowski

EPISODE 149 – Raise Your Expectations

February 14, 2018 by Debra Kasowski Leave a Comment

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“Don’t lower your expectations to meet your performance. Raise your level of performance to meet your expectations. Expect the best of yourself, and then do what is necessary to make it a reality.”
– Ralph Marston

Has anyone ever told you that your standards are too high? You expect too much? I have… what I find is that too many people are lowering their expectations so they don’t disappoint themselves. Guess what? They will be disappointed because they will realize they could have achieved more. Don’t lower your expectations; increase your performance by increasing the actions you need to reach your goals.

You get what you expect of yourself. Henry Ford said, “Whether you think you can or you think you can’t – you’re right.” What you believe is possible for yourself is the effort you will put in. It all starts in the mind. If you believe you can do something and your surround yourself with people who encourage and support you, you are already part way there.

Ralph Lauren said, “A leader has the vision and conviction that a dream can be achieved. He inspires the power and energy to get it done.” You are the leader in your life, your business, and in your organization. When you raise your expectations, increase your performance, so too, do the people around you. They start wanting the results you are reaping. If you don’t increase your performance to meet your expectations, your dream or goal will fade. It will not become a reality. If you no longer have an emotional connection to the goal that motivates and inspires you, it is alright to change things up but it is not okay to settle or resign yourself to your current circumstance if you have the ability to do something about it.

If you want results, you need to take action. Start paying attention to what is influencing the way you think because what you expect you get. Are you letting the seeds of naysayers take root in your mind or do you push what they say aside and say, “Thanks, but no thanks”? You need to shield and focus your thoughts on what you want to achieve. You are the best predictor of your future. What do you believe is possible?

“No matter how dark things seem to be or actually are, raise your sights and see the possibilities – always see them, for they’re always there.” – Norman Vincent Peale

The possibilities are always there! One of the best questions to ask yourself is,

“What will it take for me to achieve _____________?”

When you maintain a positive attitude and stay open to ideas, strategies, and suggestions, you will figure out the “how”. Too many people stop taking action because they don’t start with the “how”. John F. Kennedy did not know how to put a man on the moon when he made his declaration. Suddenly, the declaration made teams of people start thinking about what is required to achieve such a goal. Martin Luther King Jr. made a declaration in his speech, “I Had a Dream” for all men (and women) to be equal. Imagine if he did not start taking action on his dream. These leaders started with a possibility and worked toward seeing it through.

What is your possibility? What do you expect?

Are you willing to see it through?

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 my just release FREE e-book about the 21 Habits High Achievers Kick to Achieve Success. 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 e-book download today! www.debrakasowski.com

3 Ways to Visionary Leaders Can Engage Their Teams in Their Vision

February 9, 2018 by Debra Kasowski Leave a Comment

Visionary leaders are creatives by nature. You’ll notice that if you are a visionary leader that your mind goes off with ideas like fireworks at the county fair. You can see the vision in your mind, you can feel the excitement of the vision coming together in your body, and you believe it is possible to make your vision a reality. However, not all visionary leaders can get their teams to buy-in to your vision. Have you ever had a leader that had trouble explaining their vision? They can tell you what the final outcome can be but they can’t always explain how to get the destination. Visionary leaders need to engage their teams to fulfill the vision.

Write Out Your Compelling Vision. Get it out of your head and onto paper. You have tons of ideas battling for your attention and focus at any one time. Ideas can be grand but also fleeting so it is important to capture those ideas onto paper as soon as possible. Inking the vision onto paper helps you think about the vision and not miss a detail. Writing out your vision and goals helps you clarify your ideas.

Communicate Your Vision to Your Team. Be descriptive as possible. Remember you can see the vision clearly in your mind. People are not mind readers. Your team all learn in different ways. Some people need to see the vision. Using diagram, images, or models can help describe the vision. Others are auditory so explaining your vision in vivid detail with help them create the picture in their mind. Sensory learners learn by touch and kinesthetic learn by action to reinforce the learning. Most people have a combination of all four. Clearly communicating your vision reveals a roadmap as to where you are heading. It can act as a filter to ensure your team is “paddling” in the same direction versus chasing ideas that are not in aligned with your vision.

“Vision is the art of what is invisible to others.” Jonathan Swift

Engage Your Team by Asking Open-Ended Questions. Discover who the planners and implementers are on your team. These individuals are the ones who can see the vision and know how to make the vision a reality. What do they think about the vision? What would it take to make this vision a reality? What opportunities exist that can be leveraged? Your team members want to be engaged in meaningful and engaging work. What does making this vision a reality do for others? Allow them to be part of your vision and they will be your champions. Ensure that you check in at milestones to celebrate with them and see your vision unfold.

We need visionaries to inspire creative ideas and solutions. Visionaries can struggle from time to time in making the vision become a reality because the can see it in their minds but they have trouble articulating it to others. By writing out the vision, communicating the vision, and engaging your team in the vision, you will gain clarity, new ideas, and buy-in from your team. If any member of your team is paddling in a different direction, you will face resistance and may even head in a different direction should any other team members join them.

Share your compelling vision regularly. Ask questions regularly. Engage the right team members. Ensure they are paddling in the same direction. Lead them to your vision.

EPISODE 148 – Scarcity Creates Abundance

February 6, 2018 by Debra Kasowski Leave a Comment

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There are some business owners who are wondering why they can’t fill their pipeline and then there are others who are working long hours just to keep up with their client demands. Business runs on supply and demand. When you are providing a service in which you are the one delivering it, it can be taxing. If you are not careful, it can lead to burnout if you are not careful. You only have so many hours in a day. You can not make time. Time is more of a commodity than money. You need to take care of yourself in order to spend time with family and friends and enjoy what matters most!

Start by reflecting on your beliefs about money.

Do you believe you must work hard to make money? If you have the belief you must work hard and have some stress in your life to achieve success, you will burn out sooner than later.

Time to think smarter!

You can raise your prices and decrease your availability. When was the last time you raised your prices? What would it feel like to have more time off? Do you realize it is possible to work less and bring in the same amount of money? You do not have to negotiate your value!

You may be saying to yourself, “Oh no! I am going to lose clients.” With a price increase, you may lose a few clients. Chances are they were not your ideal client. Then there will be other clients who will understand and stay with you due to loyalty. By decreasing your availability to your clients, you can carve out some time to pursue your interests and create a greater sense of balance or harmony in your life. Go to the gym. Take the painting or photography class. Go on vacation. To the outside world, when you have limited availability, the prospects perceive the scarcity as someone who is high demand and high value. They do not think about the investment as much as the opportunity to work with you. This perception can drive more clients to you which creates abundance.

The world is abundant. 7 Billion people. You cannot serve them all. There is enough opportunity for everyone. There is only one YOU! The ONE thing you must ensure is that you continue to provide HIGH value. You will because you have time to focus on the clients you currently have and welcome new clients as your time allows. You are in control.

Sometimes what happens is that people spend so much time prospecting that they do not give their current clients the time and attention they deserve. You can increase your prices, provide great value, and focus on your current clients. You can offer them additional services that they cannot get elsewhere. Those clients who want to continue – will and those who do not, open up new opportunities and space for clients who will pay your increased prices. You are the business owner in charge of your destiny. It does not mean you stop prospecting or marketing your business. What it means is that you, up-leveled the way you do business. Perceived scarcity creates abundance!

Are you ready to make more money and enjoy more time off?

EPISODE 147 – Change Your Influences Change Your Outcomes

January 30, 2018 by Debra Kasowski Leave a Comment

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If you don’t like how things are going on in your life, business, or organization, you need to make a change. It is easy to point fingers and blame others for why things are not going the way you want them to. However, there are 3 fingers pointing back at you. That’s right! It is time to take 100% responsibility for what you are able to do. You can’t change other people…you may have tried to and noticed it doesn’t work and if you are still trying – quit hitting your head against the wall. Save your energy and focus on yourself. What is influencing you and your outcomes?

How you perceive the world is not how others may perceive the world. As we take the time to learn about people and the world around us, we learn that we are more alike than different in some of our wants and dreams but there are also differences that have shaped who we are. These are our influences. We are influenced by internal and external influences.

Little do we know that these influences are impacting how we respond or react to the world around us. Your influences impact how you think about your world and how you feel about your current reality. How you think and feel influences the actions you take and ultimately the results you will get. Some people will say they have no control over their influences yet there are so many actions you can take to control your influences. Let’s take a look at your influences!

INTERNAL INFLUENCES

Your internal influences have to do with your beliefs and values, biases, assumptions, negative self-talk, the language you speak (using empowering versus disempowering language), your mindset, “can’t vs can-do” attitude and the supportive or non-supportive stories you tell yourself about your present and past experiences.

From a young child, you were taught traditions, values, taboos, and cultural norms. These cultural norms can be from society yet the biggest impact is the one in your home. You were taught what was expected and what was acceptable. You learned food habits, the way to dress, and family roles by what you learned. Although many of these may be considered external to an extent they represent your past experiences and how you have internalized these experiences. You can keep, challenge, or accept anything you choose.

“Whether you think you can or you can’t -you’re right.” – Henry Ford

What you believe is possible is what you will believe you can achieve. Recently, I proclaimed that one of my 2018 goals is to do 1 unassisted chin-up. I had heard that being able to a chin-up was challenging so I wanted to do one. I had done several chin-ups on an assisted chin-up machine that I was not sure I was ever going to be able to do one. I jumped up to a bar and could not hold myself for long that a few seconds. Then, I reached out to my fitness community and they provided some suggestion. The next time I went to the gym I set up the resistance band and got myself a block to stand on. I was able to do 5 chin-ups this way. I was so excited. Suddenly it felt real – I could really do this! What changed! My mindset around my capability. It was funny that I was speaking with someone and they said they were surprised I felt that way when they have seen me take on many fitness challenges and succeed. I needed to think about the stories I was and had been telling myself, “I was never a star athlete.”, “I am not fit enough to do one.” Once I challenged the story, I was open to learning how to make it happen. I do not need to be a star athlete to do a chin-up and I need to evaluate my definition of fit and grit. I have the grit and know how to make it happen. People from all shapes and sizes can do chin-ups. I can and I will!

What is a belief or story that you have been telling yourself about something you want to do or have?

Beliefs and stories are strong influencing factors. Our fears also play a critical role in the actions we take. There are many fears: rejection, failure, embarrassment, death, public speaking, and yes, even success. You are probably saying to yourself, “Why success?” I have found that the fear people fear most is the fear of uncertainty. What will success do to me and my current lifestyle? How will impact my relationships? People fear that they will not be able to handle what’s on the other side – consequences or rewards. I want to remind you that you have control over your choices and you are a resourceful person. You will figure it out!

Pay attention to the language you are using. Are you using language that conveys your message with conviction? Is it empowering? Start banning words and phrases that drain your energy:

Try – It sounds weak. Indecisive. Sitting on the fence – “Yeah, maybe.”
Can’t – Can’t is actually choosing NOT to.
Someday- a day that is not on the calendar – somewhere out there when the stars align. The right time is NOW.
What if – Sounds doubtful and worrisome. Most things people worry about never happen! Wasted energy.
I have to – You do not have to do anything. You either “choose to” or you “get to” – see it as a privilege
Just – The word “just” before anything minimizes what comes after. Example, “I am just a nurse.” “I am just a mom.” Stand in your power – there is NO “just anything”
I am not – You are disqualifying who you are and what you are capable of. Simply stating “I’m not enough.” Not true.

Use language and statements that empower you. “I am…”, “I will…”, “The time is NOW”, “I get to…”, or “I choose to…” for starters. You are more powerful and capable than you know. Speak with conviction and believe in yourself.

EXTERNAL INFLUENCES

Many of the external influences impacting you, you have control over as in time, frequency, and what you wish to allow into your mind and space. Media is one example that has influence. Television shows, video games, and movies can influence the way you look at and understand the world around you. The news, for example, tends to send negative messaging of gloom and doom. What you read and listen to also impact your thoughts and how you feel. Are you watching shows, reading books, or listening to podcasts that educate, empower, or inspire you?

Jim Rohn said, “You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.” Who are your top five? Sometimes you have to do a “friend-ectomy”. Take a look at your circle of influence the people you surround yourself with. Do they support and encourage you or do they attempt to sabotage your efforts? Sometimes these people are family members and you can not sever the tie. You can, however, limit the amount of time you spend with them, bring your concerns to their attention, or you can change the subject when they speak with you. Some people are toxic to your health and mindset.

You have control over your environment- where you live, what you choose to do, and how you want to show up in the world. Do you live in clutter or organization? Is your life in chaos or calmness?

All of these influences have an impact on how you think and feel and how you will act which ultimately impacts your outcomes. If you do not like the outcomes you are getting and the impact they are having in any of the areas of your life. It is time for a change. Change begins with reflection and self- awareness of what is not working and focusing on doing more of what is working.

EPISODE 146 – Selling the Right Way

January 23, 2018 by Debra Kasowski Leave a Comment

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“The love of what you do, combined with your belief in what you do, will not determine your success. It will determine how hard you will work and how dedicated you will be to achieving it. Success just shows up from there.” – Jeffrey Gitomer

Sales is one of the areas of your business that you should be spending most of your time in. Yet, many people are consumed with administrative tasks and operations of their businesses. We need to be spending the majority of our time where we get the greatest return on our investment – ROI! You may have heard the phrase, “No one likes to get sold to.” Many people I have spoken to shy away from the sales call for the fear of rejection or coming across salesy. I had the same fear at one time. I learned that I am holding back on someone else’s success if I do not share what I do with others that could benefit them.

I want to help shift your mindset through the power of questions and how you can eliminate the Hollywood movie “greased back” hair sales persona. Being in sales is a noble profession and an acquired skill set. Sales is NOT about manipulating a person into buying your product or service. It is about providing a person with a solution to a problem or a way to enhance their life or business in some way. I think sales has got a bad rap because of the approach that some salespeople take. They slap a business card in the person’s hand as they are shaking it without introducing themselves and say, “Have I got a deal for you!” Yuck!

Attitude

The biggest contributor to your sales success is your attitude. You must commit to having a positive attitude and believe in yourself. If you do not believe in yourself, your product or service, how can you expect others to? You are a work in progress so commit to maintaining a positive attitude daily. Practice having a positive attitude and positive thinking and watch for your results.

Rapport and Trust

Sales conversations are about building rapport and trust and understanding that a person may not buy from you until they have heard about your product or service at least 5-12 times. They want to get to know you, like, and trust that you will be providing them with the best product or service. They want to know that you care about their situation before they care how much you know. They want to feel confident in making the RIGHT choice. Let that choice be YOU.

When you meet people whether it be at a networking event or the grocery store, you want to be introducing yourself and starting up some small talk. It could be about the weather, complimenting them on what they are wearing, or even what they are about to purchase. Take a genuine interest in people. Make it about the person first. Ask questions and listen. Allow your customer or prospect to speak and ask open end questions as the conversation unfolds. Be curious and delve into learning more about them as a person, the needs, wants, and obstacles.

Questions you can ask:

What do you do for fun? (Yes fun! It is exciting to talk about what interests us)

What are your plans for the day?

What is exciting in your business? What would make it even better?

Wants/Needs/True Needs

“If you want to achieve your goals, help others achieve theirs.” Zig Ziglar

When talking with people, you can learn what their wants and needs are by asking thought-provoking questions. Qualify your prospects/customers, as much as you may want to believe it not everyone is your customer. Don’t waste your time on people who cannot make decisions.

Focus on benefits and facts NOT features. People don’t care about how flashy a product is (some may but most don’t). They want to know how a product or service will help them get ahead, solve an issue they have been struggling with, or how it will make them feel. Deliver value and provide win-win opportunities.

Questions you can ask:

What made you reach out to me today?

What is holding you back from achieving your goals?

What’s not working in your business right now?

If you could change one thing in your business right now, what would it be?

Impact and Outcomes

Imagine how your customer will feel if you can help them achieve their objectives by providing the solution to their greatest challenge. They will be your biggest champion (by the way – a great time to grab a testimonial about your product or service).

Questions you can ask:

If you were to overcome your biggest challenge, what would it do for your bottom line?

If you made the change you stated would make the biggest difference, what would the impact be?

Problem Solved – New Normal

Tap into what it will feel after the customer or prospect work with you. People make buying decisions based on how they feel. Emotions sell. As you ask questions and listen and ask more questions and share what you have to offer as a solution. Your product or service should sell itself. What will the new normal look like?

Questions you can ask:

What does success look like to you?

If we were to work together, what would be different for you in your business?

You are taking people from where they are to where they want to be. You are helping them get to where they want to go.

Ask for the Sale

Ask your closing question and stop talking. One of the biggest sales mistakes is not knowing when to STOP talking. If they say NO, set a time you can follow up. Don’t take it personally if you don’t make the sale – they are not rejecting you as a person. They are rejecting the way you offered the product or service. Follow up!

Be an Experience

Every time you meet with or speak with someone, make it memorable in the way you make people feel. Do you leave every conversation having others feel better because they have connected with you? Are you energetic and enthusiastic? What do you want people to say about you when you leave the conversation?

Selling is not about manipulating! It is about building long-lasting powerful relationships through education, providing advice, or delivering value. Create win-win opportunities! You are helping others get what they want! You, too, will reap rewards.